Hoping actual blacks that live in Toronto, Canada or who have lived there can provide some pointers.

I'm thinking about moving to Toronto, Canada from Europe, looking for new experiences! Never being to Toronto, Canada (i'll visit soon), but some black people I have spoken to here in Europe and in the USA (particularly) make the country and city sounds like the "best" place to be.

I've done some online research and they're a lot of mixed opinions based on people's experiences and news stories. However, what is alarming me are the discussions about covert racism and the fact the majority of blacks (West Indies seems to pop-up alot) are not doing particularly well in Canada even though blacks are the smallest minority group over there.

Everywhere in the world is a challenge to get on and you can only do your best. But what is living in Toronto, Canada really like for newly arrived blacks? What are the core challenges (apart from the obvious ones like job hunting, etc)?

I don't want to jump from one fire to another, if Toronto, Canada is no better than Europe for blacks.

Toronto has been an incredible experience for me, for the past 12 years. Do your research before you get here to identify what you'll need to get into your desired field- degrees, professional certifications, etc. As well, investigate the hiring practices (eg time of year) of the firms in your industry. Also, research the financial side of things to determine how much you'll need to support yourself, etc. If you have professional work experience in the UK, you will probably find you are able to integrate into the professional world a bit more easily.
I love the diversity and multiculturalism of Canadian society. I have found people to be friendly and helpful. It's not perfect, but my advice is, make the effort to integrate yourself into Canadian society -eg, volunteer (important part of being Canadian), be open to making friends from different cultures, learn about Canadianisms and just generally take part in Canadian society. It's a great experience. I love it here.

ifegy:

Toronto has been an incredible experience for me, for the past 12 years. Do your research before you get here to identify what you'll need to get into your desired field- degrees, professional certifications, etc. As well, investigate the hiring practices (eg time of year) of the firms in your industry. Also, research the financial side of things to determine how much you'll need to support yourself, etc. If you have professional work experience in the UK, you will probably find you are able to integrate into the professional world a bit more easily.
I love the diversity and multiculturalism of Canadian society. I have found people to be friendly and helpful. It's not perfect, but my advice is, make the effort to integrate yourself into Canadian society -eg, volunteer (important part of being Canadian), be open to making friends from different cultures, learn about Canadianisms and just generally take part in Canadian society. It's a great experience. I love it here.

Thanks for your feedback, it was useful. Yes, I'm from the UK and do have a lot of professional experiences. Would you know the best places to live in Toronto? Ideally, professional/middle class areas, affordable?

Assuming you won't be driving right away, and that you'll be coming to the city of Toronto as opposed to the 'GTA', i.e., the 'Greater Toronto Area' (Mississauga, Richmond Hill, Woodbridge, etc), and that you'll be working within the city of Toronto, it may make sense to look for something close to the subway line. Most neighbourhoods in the city have decent rentals, either in condo's or apartment buildings, or in houses.
If you're looking to buy within the city, there are a lot of new condo developments going up, etc, so lots of options that way.
If you're aiming to settle within the GTA, there is a good likelihood of lower rentals/property purchase costs. You will probably be more comfortable with a car to get around as public transit options are not as plentiful there.
Most parts of the city are actually pretty decent. Some areas like Jane and Finch may be considered a bit rough by Canadian standards, but are probably rather mild using US or international standards.