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Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 - Travel (326) - Nairaland

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Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by Gifty28(f): 9:07pm On Apr 28, 2020
Good evening guys, pls this is for a friend. For a nurse who has RN RM( registered midwife)how will she go about it. Which evaluation body is best to use. Ps: I’m on page 1 sending screenshots to her but I still want to get more infos and details from nurses. Thanks and so many responses are needed.
Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by Scandinavian02: 10:33pm On Apr 28, 2020
Scandinavian02:


I got one with BMO but they expected someone like me who has spent 12 years in all aspects of Banking in Nigeria to begin afresh as a Customer Service Rep working just 25hours a week a family of four to provide for. I just continued with my Customer Service survival job where I do an average of 65 hours weekly including OT.

The tax system just makes nonsense of working OT. How can one be paying $330 out of every $1,0000 worked? 33 freaking percent. This is where I miss Naija sha.
Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by salford1: 10:42pm On Apr 28, 2020
Scandinavian02:


The tax system just makes nonsense of working OT. How can one be paying $330 out of every $1,0000 worked? 33 freaking percent. This is where I miss Naija sha.
The amount always looks good on paper before deductions i.e. mandatory: Federal & provincial taxes, EI, CPP & non-mandatory depending on employer (union dues, ReSp, life/dental&health/disability etc).

In addition, it's not just OT, when you earn big wages either from single or combined earnings, you pay huge taxes too. As a result, the child benefit, GST/HST credit and all other credits tends to zero grin. Hence, it is advisable for any one not currently making much to get all eligible credits from the government because once the income starts crossing a certain threshold, no more government support again or the support starts approaching zero.

On the bright side, we can see where some of the tax and other deductions are being spent e.g. universal healthcare, child benefits, infrastructure spending, CERB, CEWS, and all other safety net programs. In Nigeria my fatherland, I don't even think we see the use or benefits of the shikini tax dem dey collect sef except for the fat wages of political office holders.

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Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by Scandinavian02: 11:32pm On Apr 28, 2020
salford1:

The amount always looks good on paper before deductions i.e. mandatory: Federal & provincial taxes, EI, CPP & non-mandatory depending on employer (union dues, ReSp, life/dental&health/disability etc).

In addition, it's not just OT, when you earn big wages either from single or combined earnings, you pay huge taxes too. As a result, the child benefit, GST/HST credit and all other credits tends to zero grin. Hence, it is advisable for any one not currently making much to get all eligible credits from the government because once the income starts crossing a certain threshold, no more government support again or the support starts approaching zero.

On the bright side, we can see where some of the tax and other deductions are being spent e.g. universal healthcare, child benefits, infrastructure spending, CERB, CEWS, and all other safety net programs. In Nigeria my fatherland, I don't even think we see the use or benefits of the shikini tax dem dey collect sef except for the fat wages of political office holders.

Absolutely! That’s why I feel this system does not encourage hard work most times.

3 Likes

Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by Dyolahh: 1:53am On Apr 29, 2020
Hi guys. Please help my ministry. If you are looking for home internet, telus optic tv and smart home security with telus Mobility we are running fantastic deals especially on home security (eg, zero installation fee, 3 months free,etc)
Kindly private message me. (Location: Calgary and Red deer)
Many thanks

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Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by CanadaPR: 4:13pm On Apr 29, 2020
Vanekj:


Please can anyone help with this please. Who scaled through and got PR Post ITA using a WES assessment of completion of a college certificate (one semester) to claim 2 or more degree.
Thanks

Go ahead as long as Institution is recognised... You'll get your PPR with 1 semester outcome. 99.9% sure

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Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by slushy: 9:11pm On Apr 29, 2020
Hello everyone. Please my friend is looking for housing in Ontario. Areas of interest; Mississauga, North York, East York, Markham. Please we will appreciate any help we can get in this regard; a room mate willing to share a 2 bed, an agent, anyone that has available housing etc. She has checked kijiji and rent faster and they’re pricey + she hasn’t seen something she wants.
Thank you guys for all your help.

P.S she’s in Canada right now. Thanks.
Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by czaratwork: 12:54am On Apr 30, 2020
slushy:
Hello everyone. Please my friend is looking for housing in Ontario. Areas of interest; Mississauga, North York, East York, Markham. Please we will appreciate any help we can get in this regard; a room mate willing to share a 2 bed, an agent, anyone that has available housing etc. She has checked kijiji and rent faster and they’re pricey + she hasn’t seen something she wants.
Thank you guys for all your help.

P.S she’s in Canada right now. Thanks.
PM me for phone number of a Nigerian realtor/agent within GTA. Thanks

2 Likes 3 Shares

Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by einsteino(m): 1:04am On Apr 30, 2020
godG:
Oga Salford1 and other elders, please I need recommendations on cities or towns that are within 50 minutes drive from the GTA. I am looking for somewhere not too crowded (Very important, I’m not a fan of big cities. cheesy ) and quite safe. I have done quite a great deal of research myself but thought it won’t be a bad idea to seek further insights from elders who know this place more than I do. Thank you!

Huh! away from the GTA? Are you sure you want that? The GTA has double the land mass of Lagos state! The GTA is a cosmopolitan area, there are multiple regions in it, each region is constituted of multiple cities. Toronto, Brampton, Burlington, Aurora are some of the several places that fall under the GTA . So it must and does mean that the characteristics of cities in the GTA is very different from one another. Even within the city of Toronto, different places have very different characteristics. For instance, Scarborough is almost only a quiet residential area, while Missisauga is a commercial hub, residential and industrial area all rolled into one.

Hamilton is about 50mins by car from Toronto but that doesnt mean your commute from Hamilton to your workplace in Toronto would be 50minutes. It may take you another 30minutes to move from the point you enter Toronto to your workplace. If you hope to work in the GTA but don't plan on owning a car, it might be challenging living 50minutes away from the GTA. I say this because Go Transit fare can be quite expensive, and you'd still have to commute from their station to your home. Go transist schedule outside peak period could be another fustration. So, to me, the outside the GTA plan should be a last resort. If you live outside the GTA, you might as well just work outside the GTA to save yourself the hassles.

I think you need to be clear on what crowded means to you. Perhaps you could contrast with a Nigerian city. Over here the city centre is called downtown, this would be the most crowded area. St George Street in Downtown Toronto is considered crowded but it can't compare to Ojota, Lagos... at worst it is almost as crowded as Admiralty way Lekki. Downtown London(Ontario) is like Airport Road, Warri with narrower roads. Montreal's Rue Sainte-Catherine is considered very busy but if I remember what Ring-road Benin city or Upper Iweaka of Onitsha looks like I would just chuckle. My point is, crowded in a country that has one-fifth of Nigeria's population but ten times it's land mass may not have the same meaning. Straight out of mainland lagos, some parts of the GTA may have you feeling like you are living in a Ghost town. Where I currently live in Toronto is not only quiet but lonely for a city! I mean if you ignore the amenities of a developed world, my area is just as dry and sparsely populated as the remote parts of Apete-Ayegun in Ibadan.

You don't need to live away from the GTA to have some sanity, there are lots of quiet cities in the GTA.

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Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by einsteino(m): 1:16am On Apr 30, 2020
Scandinavian02:


I got one with BMO but they expected someone like me who has spent 12 years in all aspects of Banking in Nigeria to begin afresh as a Customer Service Rep working just 25hours a week a family of four to provide for. I just continued with my Customer Service survival job where I do an average of 65 hours weekly including OT.

That's the thing with banking here. They often have vacancies but mostly entry level or non professional jobs. Some of these jobs are actually minimum wage jobs. So unless one is able to find a good role in banking, it is not uhuru yet.
Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by slushy: 2:10am On Apr 30, 2020
Thank you. Sent a message.

czaratwork:

PM me for phone number of a Nigerian realtor/agent within GTA. Thanks
Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by NaijaCanadian28: 2:13am On Apr 30, 2020
godG:
Oga Salford1 and other elders, please I need recommendations on cities or towns that are within 50 minutes drive from the GTA. I am looking for somewhere not too crowded (Very important, I’m not a fan of big cities. cheesy ) and quite safe. I have done quite a great deal of research myself but thought it won’t be a bad idea to seek further insights from elders who know this place more than I do. Thank you!
Durham region,

1 Like

Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by godG: 2:34am On Apr 30, 2020
einsteino:


Huh! away from the GTA? Are you sure you want that?

Yes, sir. smiley I lived (still do) in a quiet city in the US.

....

You don't need to live away from the GTA to have some sanity, there are lots of quiet cities in the GTA. I would really, really appreciate your suggestions on this. Of course, I know the GTA is massive. But if you know of quiet cities, please let me know. Owning a car isn't an issue.


Thanks for taking your time to respond, sir. Appreciate it.

1 Like

Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by einsteino(m): 3:36am On Apr 30, 2020
godG:


Thanks for taking your time to respond, sir. Appreciate it.

lol all this Ogas and Madams wey dey go about sir sir for Nairaland, abeg put person for ground.

If you own a car, you can check out Bolton(no public transit there except Go-transit a few times a day). I love it in Bolton(I spend weekends there on occasion). It is a quiet town, and just on the highway 50, so that gives you speedy access to other parts of the GTA. It is about 50 minutes drive from downtown Toronto(includes time driving inside toronto) and I think about 30minutes from Mississauga, of course depending on the time of the day. The houses are much cheaper than places like Brampton, especially if you hate living in Apartment buildings. The only issue I see is if you decide to buy a house there in the hopes that it would be a small town permanently. I say this because Bolton is very likely to become suburban in about 5 - 10years due to the industrial development that has started encroaching on it. Already, Amazon is setting up a Warehouse there and lots of other companies are beginning to set up there as well. The good side is, in the meantime you would get the quiet small-town neigbourhood you seek and would not need to commute to Toronto except for a good job. Besides, it is a good idea to buy a house there now and resell when Toronto money comes shopping lol.

Another place is Barrie, it is about 1hour from Downtown Toronto. Someone I know lives in Barrie and commutes to Toronto for work.

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Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by Blackbuddy: 3:38am On Apr 30, 2020
godG:
Oga Salford1 and other elders, please I need recommendations on cities or towns that are within 50 minutes drive from the GTA. I am looking for somewhere not too crowded (Very important, I’m not a fan of big cities. cheesy ) and quite safe. I have done quite a great deal of research myself but thought it won’t be a bad idea to seek further insights from elders who know this place more than I do. Thank you!

Okay, so to the west, the GTA comprises of cities or suburbs like Etobicoke, Mississauga, Brampton, Burlington and Oakville.

Eastward you have Ajax, Markham, Scarborough, Vaughan, Newmarket, Whitby, Pickering etc.

The further you move away from Toronto, the less bustle you're likely to encounter. Toronto being the largest city in Canada is followed by Mississauga and then Brampton as the next biggest cities in the GTA. These are nice landing spots for new immigrants with proximity to Toronto and enough infrastructure but good accomodation comes at a premium.

Further afield on the west are Oakville and Burlington while to the east you have Richmond Hill and Markham with a large Asian community of our brothers from the East. Other cities to consider are Scarborough, Vaughan, Pickering, etc. Your budget and availability as at when you land will likely play a huge role in where you will eventually stay.

One way to find your feet is to stay with family and friends if possible and then take your time to find a more permanent arrangement. Alternatively, you can research your likely city and get an Airbnb there so you are located in your desired city or close to it. Most times, people just take accomodation where they can find it because good accomodation does not stay long on the market in the GTA. Many people are looking for same nice places so landlords are reigning here. Be ready to approach house hunting with an open mind and not take disappointments to heart. At the end of it all, you'll be fine. All the best.

https://en.m.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Greater_Toronto_Area

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.narcity.com/amp/12-gta-cities-you-live-in-that-are-not-toronto-but-you-still-claim-are

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-10-biggest-cities-in-ontario.html

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Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by czaratwork: 3:51am On Apr 30, 2020
slushy:
Thank you. Sent a message.


Replied with her number. Take care.
Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by salford1: 4:16am On Apr 30, 2020
This Toronto/GTA be like another country entirely. Infact, that is the real Canada, the rest of us outside the GTA are living in Canada annex. I need to visit Toronto to complete my orientation grin

19 Likes

Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by iaatmguy(m): 4:31am On Apr 30, 2020
ugoguchy:
Personally I don’t like the North calgary,been there a few times and the whole environment is just to busy for my taste,i stay in the south east of calgary,very cool area,south west is beautiful too.
not forgetting expensive real estate. grin

1 Like

Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by NaijaCanadian28: 5:07am On Apr 30, 2020
[quote author=NaijaCanadian28 post=89009644]
Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by dayjeee(m): 8:01am On Apr 30, 2020
salford1:
This Toronto/GTA be like another country entirely. Infact, that is the real Canada, the rest of us outside the GTA are living in Canada annex. I need to visit Toronto to complete my orientation grin
Oga Salford, please can i PM you?
Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by ladystone(f): 11:48am On Apr 30, 2020
This is helpful. Thanks alot
ugoguchy:
Personally I don’t like the North calgary,been there a few times and the whole environment is just to busy for my taste,i stay in the south east of calgary,very cool area,south west is beautiful too.
Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by divo(m): 2:04pm On Apr 30, 2020
[quote author=whizqueen post=88859554][/quote]nice
Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by salford1: 2:33pm On Apr 30, 2020
dayjeee:
Oga Salford, please can i PM you?
My oga. Yes you can.
Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by SlowlybtSurely: 2:50pm On Apr 30, 2020
Blackbuddy:


Okay, so to the west, the GTA comprises of cities or suburbs like Etobicoke, Mississauga, Brampton, Burlington and Oakville.

Eastward you have Ajax, Markham, Scarborough, Vaughan, Newmarket, Whitby, Pickering etc.

The further you move away from Toronto, the less bustle you're likely to encounter. Toronto being the largest city in Canada is followed by Mississauga and then Brampton as the next biggest cities in the GTA. These are nice landing spots for new immigrants with proximity to Toronto and enough infrastructure but good accomodation comes at a premium.

Bros, let me pick your brain small.

Where in the GTA can one buy a fairly new house (at least 3 bed rooms and 2 baths) for around $500,000? Somewhere with good daily access to downtown Toronto by Go-train and not more than 50 mins drive?

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Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by Taciturnity: 3:02pm On Apr 30, 2020
Mr. Salford..your boy is ever loyal.. Can I send you a pm...pls
Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by godG: 3:11pm On Apr 30, 2020
einsteino:


lol all this Ogas and Madams wey dey go about sir sir for Nairaland, abeg put person for ground. Hahaha, my oga, sir. oga na oga any day. We gats learn to dey respect ourselves. smiley

If you own a car, you can check out Bolton(no public transit there except Go-transit a few times a day). I love it in Bolton(I spend weekends there on occasion). It is a quiet town, and just on the highway 50, so that gives you speedy access to other parts of the GTA. It is about 50 minutes drive from downtown Toronto(includes time driving inside toronto) and I think about 30minutes from Mississauga, of course depending on the time of the day. The houses are much cheaper than places like Brampton, especially if you hate living in Apartment buildings. The only issue I see is if you decide to buy a house there in the hopes that it would be a small town permanently. I say this because Bolton is very likely to become suburban in about 5 - 10years due to the industrial development that has started encroaching on it. Already, Amazon is setting up a Warehouse there and lots of other companies are beginning to set up there as well. The good side is, in the meantime you would get the quiet small-town neigbourhood you seek and would not need to commute to Toronto except for a good job. Besides, it is a good idea to buy a house there now and resell when Toronto money comes shopping lol.

Another place is Barrie, it is about 30 minutes from Downtown Toronto. Someone I know lives in Barrie and commutes to Toronto for work.

Thank you!!

1 Like

Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by godG: 3:29pm On Apr 30, 2020
Blackbuddy:


Okay, so to the west, the GTA comprises of cities or suburbs like Etobicoke, Mississauga, Brampton, Burlington and Oakville.

Eastward you have Ajax, Markham, Scarborough, Vaughan, Newmarket, Whitby, Pickering etc.

The further you move away from Toronto, the less bustle you're likely to encounter. Toronto being the largest city in Canada is followed by Mississauga and then Brampton as the next biggest cities in the GTA. These are nice landing spots for new immigrants with proximity to Toronto and enough infrastructure but good accomodation comes at a premium.

Further afield on the west are Oakville and Burlington while to the east you have Richmond Hill and Markham with a large Asian community of our brothers from the East. Other cities to consider are Scarborough, Vaughan, Pickering, etc. Your budget and availability as at when you land will likely play a huge role in where you will eventually stay.

...

https://en.m.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Greater_Toronto_Area

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.narcity.com/amp/12-gta-cities-you-live-in-that-are-not-toronto-but-you-still-claim-are

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-10-biggest-cities-in-ontario.html

Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by salford1: 3:54pm On Apr 30, 2020
Taciturnity:
Mr. Salford..your boy is ever loyal.. Can I send you a pm...pls
Pls do sir.
Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by Ope27: 8:24pm On Apr 30, 2020
Sir, what do you make of St Catherine? Can it be considered a good spot to Toronto too, seeing it's almost the same distance to Toronto as Barrie (1hr/1.15hr using google map)
einsteino:


If you own a car, you can check out Bolton(no public transit there except Go-transit a few times a day). I love it in Bolton(I spend weekends there on occasion). It is a quiet town, and just on the highway 50, so that gives you speedy access to other parts of the GTA. It is about 50 minutes drive from downtown Toronto.
Another place is Barrie, it is about 30 minutes from Downtown Toronto. Someone I know lives in Barrie and commutes to Toronto for work.
Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by einsteino(m): 9:21pm On Apr 30, 2020
Ope27:
Sir, what do you make of St Catherine? Can it be considered a good spot to Toronto too, seeing it's almost the same distance to Toronto as Barrie (1hr/1.15hr using google map)

I haven't been there. The one time I was to pick up stuff from there, I botched the trip because I realised it is about an hour (highway) drive away. I am careful not to give advice on things/places I haven't experienced/been to, as major life decisions with far reaching implications are made based on comments on this thread. So, let's wait for someone who know's St Catherines to chip in.

That brings me to something I have to correct, my friend just told me that his commute from Barrie is much longer than I thought. He said it takes him roughly an hour to get to work from Barrie. it is the highway drive to point of entering Toronto that is about 30 minutes.

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Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by einsteino(m): 9:38pm On Apr 30, 2020
salford1:
This Toronto/GTA be like another country entirely. Infact, that is the real Canada, the rest of us outside the GTA are living in Canada annex. I need to visit Toronto to complete my orientation grin

lol baba no kill me with laugh. To me nothing spectacular about am. The main thing wey I fancy about Toronto na the diversity. If I compare with outher cities wey I don stay, Toronto na the only place wey make me feel like na we we. Once you take out the diversity, Toronto go make you think say you just come Canada come hustle to pay house rent grin

8 Likes

Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by WeAreDLucky1s: 10:06pm On Apr 30, 2020
Ladies & Gentlemen,

I raised CSE 2 days ago requesting the current status of my application and today I got an e-mail response from CIC with the below excerpt;
Q: Abeg, does "Application Approved" mean PPR or just that the application is approved for review?

Caption below;

Thank you for contacting Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

We are pleased to inform you that your permanent residence application has been approved.

A correspondence will be sent to advise you and your family members (if applicable) of this decision. You may be asked to send documents to finalize your application.

A Confirmation of Permanent Residence and a permanent resident visa, if you are from a country that requires a visa, will be sent to you and your family members (if applicable). Please follow the instructions that will be sent with your documents.

We invite you to visit our website for more information on how to prepare for your admission as a permanent resident of Canada.


If this is it....PPR gist loading...stay tuned. AOR: 30/12/2019

I hope this is inspiring especially at a time like this. And, I'll like to thank you for reading.

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