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Original poster

Toronto for a month with a toddler

50 replies

tangox3 · 22/02/2006 16:38

Hi
My husband has been offered a short term contract in Toronto.
Anything good to do there with our 18month old ds at this time of the year? Don't fancy sitting in the apartment the whole time but am unsure as he'll be working pretty long hours.

Any knowledge gratefully received!

OP posts:
purplemonkeydishwasher · 27/02/2006 16:27

We've been here for nearly 5, but are considering going back Sad now that ds is here.

NotQuiteCockney · 27/02/2006 16:29

Why are you considering going back? And why are you unhappy about that?

(I wouldn't want to go back, but then, I like it here.)

purplemonkeydishwasher · 27/02/2006 16:39

We love living here but it's sooo freakin' expensive. If we went back DH would be making more and it could go further. Never mind how much we'd have made from the sale of our house!
We're still deciding though. DS is only 5 months and i don't want to move with a baby. We'd wait until he was 2 or 3 i think.

NotQuiteCockney · 27/02/2006 16:42

It is expensive, but DH makes much more here than he would in Canada. And the taxes are lower here.

Oh, and anyway, DH is English, and really really hates people talking to him about his accent, which people do alarmingly much in Canada, in my experience. Particularly in Toronto.

NotQuiteCockney · 27/02/2006 16:43

What field is your DH in, that's better paid back home? Or is he here on some sort of work permit deal?

purplemonkeydishwasher · 27/02/2006 16:45

Yeah, everytime we go back we have to put up with APPALLINGLY bad scottish accents (mostly from my family!!)
but DH is scottish by birth but not by tongue (he grew up in canada) so we can blend in!!
He is concerned about us waiting too long though. He doesn't want DS to be picked on for talking different than the other kids.

purplemonkeydishwasher · 27/02/2006 16:46

He's in IT. and for what he's doing he's be making about double in cdn.

NotQuiteCockney · 27/02/2006 16:51

Weird, DH is in IT, as was I. And I made much much more over here than I did over there. But then, we both work(ed) in investment banking here, which just doesn't have as big a market there, from what I know.

Kids' accents are very very malleable, until they're in their teens. I really wouldn't worry about accent problems before then.

purplemonkeydishwasher · 27/02/2006 16:54

I guess it depends where you end up working. DH's first job here was in manufacturing (doing IT in a factory) and now he's haviong trouble getting out of it.

NotQuiteCockney · 27/02/2006 16:57

Ah, manufacturing probably doesn't pay well, no. But that's the same anywhere. Rates in investment banking (if you're in London, or even outside) are pretty good.

purplemonkeydishwasher · 27/02/2006 17:01

It was one of those things. We had been here for 5 months and he couldn't get anything and finally a job came up so he took it. He;s since moved to a different job, but it's still in manufacturing. (one small thing to be thankful for anyway, the first factory is closing!!)

NotQuiteCockney · 27/02/2006 17:04

If you don't want to move back, I wouldn't make a decision to move back based on the bad pay in the manufacturing sector ...

purplemonkeydishwasher · 27/02/2006 17:07

I know. It's just that we want to live in a better neighbourhood in a better house with a yard he can run around in. And that is something I'm not sure we'd ever be able to afford here. Unless I went back to work full time which I really don't want to do.

NotQuiteCockney · 27/02/2006 17:08

Yeah, the housing market here is crazy. I'm so glad we bought ages ago.

purplemonkeydishwasher · 27/02/2006 17:12

Don't get me wrong. I love my house. It's just that we bought it thinking we weren't ever going to have kids. And then the biological clock kicked in....
That's the one good thing about the housing market. We know we'll make a huge profit on our place. Which is doubled when you put it into Cdn$.

NotQuiteCockney · 27/02/2006 17:27

God, I don't even want to imagine what sort of house our houses' money would buy us in Canada. Something really big and scary.

Our house wasn't really child-suitable, but we first converted the loft, giving us a third bedroom, and now we're in the middle of knocking through into next door, which we bought a few years back.

Original poster
tangox3 · 01/03/2006 09:33

Thanks for all that great info! My husband is in IT too and will be earning about the same in Canada as here. They are extending the contract now...we may even be staying for a couple of years.

I'm just pregnant with no.2..what's it like having a baby over there? I imagine the system is great...?

OP posts:
DaddyCool · 01/03/2006 09:54

a nice city toronto is (i sound like yoda).

i'm back off to toronto to live in mid may.

believe it or not.... the canadian hockey musuem is actually very good.

DW doesn't like sports at all but we were wandering around toronto one day and decided to check it out. it was really good and well funded (as it would be. cdn's live and breath hockey)

loads of this stuff on this thread brings back memories... Mr. Greenjeans restaurant. bloody hell, i haven't been there in years....

DaddyCool · 01/03/2006 09:55

oh sorry, as far as I know the health system is excellent in canada. at least it was 10 years ago when i left.

DaddyCool · 01/03/2006 09:58

oh but beware of canadian bureaucracy as per my recent \link{http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=1375&threadid=150653&stamp=060228114351\thread!}

we're a nation of bureaucrats.

purplemonkeydishwasher · 01/03/2006 19:44

Anyone been to the CBC building? They have an awesome bit where you can see the Tickle trunk and the friendly giant's castle and jerome! Well cool!

NotQuiteCockney · 02/03/2006 10:16

I think the health system varies a lot, depending on where you live and how knowledgeable you are.

When I left, private medicine was illegal. (Except for stuff like cosmetic surgery, which you couldn't have on the state.) Which is pretty cool. This may have changed.

I think you'll want health insurance though.

DaddyCool · 02/03/2006 14:05

NQC - Yes, she'll need health insurance but there are special laws around people contracted to legally work in Canada from abroad so she'll have to look into that. She might just wangle it, but either way, there is a 3 month waiting period before she can get any free treatment so she'll have to take out at least 3 months health insurance

Yes, private was illegal but I think it's just been legalised and is starting up already. There is apparently clinics starting up in toronto and everyone is complaining and debating about it. Most of Canada believe they have the best healthcare in the world and they don't take kindly to 'outsiders' coming in with private clinics. God knows why, but canadians do have a tendancy to whinge about things that threaten their way of life.

Blu · 02/03/2006 14:14

Tangox3 - if you are going for a trip and then returning to the UK, you can reclaim the tax on any purchases, if the total is up to a certain amount. You can get the booklet and form from the airport, and from big dept stores. It is worth doing as although lots of things are much cheaper in canada (esp CDs)there is a hefty whack of two sorts of tax. You just save all your receipts and then send them off when you get back home.

NotQuiteCockney · 02/03/2006 22:17

You can only get tax back on accommodation, and on things you bring back with you. You need to visit a booth at the airport, as you leave, and be ready to show them the stuff you're taking away with you. (You used to just have to post back the receipts, but oddly enough, they've tightened up a bit. I also think only purchases over CDN $50 are eligible, but I'm not sure.)

I've never bothered.

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