Toronto advice for DD

[Roja7]

Looking for help from anyone who lives in Toronto or greater Toronto.

DD20 has an opportunity to live there for a year.

I'm looking for advice on what clothing we would need to buy before she goes.

Are the winter coats we use in the U.K. good enough or does she need a thicker, longer coat? She currently lives in trainers and Uggs but I'm assuming she will need proper waterproof / snow boots?

If you have older teen DDs, what do they wear?

I've read that in winter it's colder and lasts longer than the U.K. but drier.

Thanks 😊

She will want a heavier coat, and boots. This winter has been relatively mild (I live on the east coast of the USA but it's been like that up in southern Ontario too), but winters in Toronto can be quite cold and there is snow. Depending on wind direction, winds off the lake can be unpleasant. It is drier in the sense that you don't get the frequent UK drizzle, but when it rains in eastern North America, it can be an absolute downpour. There's been summer and autumn storms where I've been soaked to the skin walking through a carpark to get to my car. In terms of annual rainfall total, it's more than southeast England.

Sorel (brand). boots are great, waterproof /snow proof but reasonably nice looking.
Get a decent coat from an outdoor type retailer.

It depends ho much time she spends outdoors. Uggs are fine for general use. Woe betide you moaning though. Canadians are very "there are no cold days, just bad clothes".

A good hat, a good coat (North Face), good gloves and Uggs should be sufficient. Canadian DH says go to Marshalls or buy outlet.

The 'proper' North is different. Northern Ontario is insane. If she's just in Toronto, she'll be fine.

Many teens in Toronto will never wear clunky snowboots unless they are off in the snow doing a winter acitvity. Teens into fashion / style do not wear snowboots on a day to day going about life routine. Lots of teens are in trainers / uggs/ little fashion boots year round. There are fashionable winter shoes and boots that are lined - very different from outdoor sport type snow boots.

Toronto is pretty mild. There are a few pretty cold days with windchill and the occasional deep freeze or heavy snow but those are very few and far between. The wind is worse than the cold often so a warm coat if she is doing a lot of walking outdoors is important, even in the city. The coldest months are January and February and the average temp then is about 0 to -5. Over the winter there is an average of 1 to 5 cm of snow on the ground in the city.

There is no need to buy things before she goes. Tell her to take what she has now. She can get warm winter clothes very easily in Toronto varying from pretty cheap to very expensive. People handle the cold differently so she can see what she needs as it gets colder. She will need warm mitts or gloves but again she can easily get those there.

The summers can be quite hot for July and August.

I would buy winter clothes in Toronto. Lots of layers too. My son lives in Toronto and I was there in February 2022 and it was freezing!! It may not feel like that to locals, but for someone from the UK it was very cold. Decent gloves and hat. My son always recommends mitts as they keep hands warmer.

Summers can be really hot and if by the lake, lots of mozzies.

Uggs are fine for spring/fall but she'd need proper winter boots for at least 5 months of the year. Toronto doesn't get huge amounts of snow but the ice is crazy slippery (even on sidewalks) so she'd need footwear with treads on the bottom. She can pick up a decent pair quite cheaply at Walmart.

Dd has been on a year abroad there. She bought Sorel boots from a sport retailer. Otherwise her regular clothes have been fine. Superdry puffa jacket, uniqlo thermals, hat and gloves. All the main brands are easy to come by including uniqlo and Decathlon. Most indoor spaces are well heated and key venues linked by an indoor passage known as the Path.

Thanks so much for the recommendations.

Sorry has come up several times so will check that out.

I'm always worried about buying in advance too as teens are so fashion conscious.

Probably a good idea to wait till she gets there.

Is shopping generally more expensive in Toronto? I get the impression cost of living is generally more expensive than the U.K. (exception of London, perhaps)

We have visited and yes it is more expensive than you think. Food, accommodation, clothing (although less so winter brands and likes of h and m)

For cheap clothes - walmart.ca has a lot of selection but if she is brand conscious, that will be a no go! Costco also has affordable clothes.

Mountain Equipment Co-op has excellent quality clothes and has a wide range of prices. You can pay top dollar but also get their brand of very high quality for a really reasonable price.

Mountain Warehouse Canada also has great sales. You can get a really warm high quality winter jacket for under $100 CAD.

If she wants a name brand like Canada Goose or North Face or Patagonia then you will pay more for the name brand. These brands are more popular with tourists and with diehard outback adventurers and with rich kids with money than your average person.

If she is on more of a budget, there are also many gear swap sites, and you can buy second hand clothes online easily or at thrift shops.

Old Navy is great for casual clothes. There are always sales/discount codes if you order online.

Thank-you so much for your recommendations.

Made a typo above - Sorel*

I'm from Toronto. She will want a heavier coat and good quality thermal boots, especially if she plans on spending time outside a lot or traveling around Ontario (Toronto typically has less snow). She could very easily get everything she needs from Walmart!

i would wait till she gets here, the coats are a lot better built here and so are the boots. If she is only here for a year I would go to Marshalls as someone recommended up thread or winners ( the tk maxx equivalent), you can get some bargains. Like others say if you are in an office job uggs/sturdy walking boots are probably fine but if you are planning to skate/ski/snowshoe a lot then splurge on a good coat, snow pants, lined hat, boots, balaclava and most importantly thickly insulated gloves. We usually have a few weeks a year when it’s bitter skiiing in -35 wind chill a few years ago was fun, but day to day city living she could get away with uk stuff accessorized with a good hat and gloves. The city also has the path, where the high rises are linked together so you can avoid the lake chill in winter depending on where you need to go. Remember too, summers usually hover 25-33c so sandals, hat and cooler clothes are important too! Everything though, is more expensive than the uk, at least since the last time I was there. Renting is very competitive and they usually want a good Canadian credit rating leaving many newcomers in a catch -22. There are a few houseshare Facebook groups, let me know if you would like details, someone might have something or at
least could give you an idea of costs.

Thanks for this. She has accommodation already and will be in the greater Toronto area so not downtown.

I think you're probably right that she should just buy what she needs there.

Meanwhile I've seen the mobile data prices ... 💸

Public mobile is the best option. Cheaper and uses Telus networks.

prices are very unreasonable for sure.

Canada has the most expensive mobile offerings of pretty much anywhere on earth.

Dd got a local sim with Freedom but we also paid to add on to her 02 package so she could use that from time to time for fixed minutes, data etc and keep her uk number available. The guy at 02 was not sure how long it would last but it did not run out while over there,

@LIZS - was the Freedom Sim an eSim so she could keep both her U.K. and Canadian sins on the phone?

She swapped them as required.