First Few Days in Canada

Celly Smunt

So,you've all been approved or waiting on approval at this stage so congratulations!.This is my first time posting in here but i hope i can share a little something and perhaps others might be able to add some stuff from their experiences.

When i went- 2009
Came home- 2011
Where- Ontario (toronto then kitchener/waterloo)

Well,other than the really obvious stuff you'll probably get a "that's mad" moment everyday no matter how long you're there (milk in bags,what's the story with that?),everyone lives practically next door to a tim hortons,and most likely be overwhelmed by the sheer size of the country.You'll also get those moments that remind you of home,for me it was eating HP sauce,i don't know what it was but it's the little things that will catch you.It's a big move but you have to put it out of your mind.

Anyway before i go off on a big long path of stuff i'll break it down.Starting with packing and then arriving.

What to bring with you and to do before hand:

Cosmetics
Sprays and stuff can be quite expensive,you won't get the 3 for 2 style deals you get in boots and stuff over there.Also perfume/aftershave can be more expensive either,pick yourself up a big bottle before you go.Don't forget your toothbrush.

Underwear/Clothing
Go into penneys the day/week before and get everything,socks and underwear by the dozen.Canadians aren't the most fashion conscious people,and from my perspective that's because of the price.So get your arse into penneys post haste.

Winter clothes and Summer clothes
You're going to need both,don't pack for the seasons based on our weather,it isn't the rainy season for 365 days a year over there.Depending on your baggage restrictions,i'd advise one bag for winter and one bag for summer.Winter is cold but summer is scorching.

Adapters
The last thing you want is to arrive in your accommodation and realise you can't use anything electronic you've brought from home.

Canadian Cash
Take about 200 dollars with you,you're going to need it for things that pop up such as taxi's (rip off,try use buses as much as you can),food,smokes and whatever else.Be aware that when buying things,the tax isn't included in the price.I've seen a few people arrive from Ireland and start arguments with shop owners when they realise the price is different from the one displayed.

GET IN TOUCH WITH YOUR BANK!!!
Call your bank before you leave telling them you're going to Canada.Withdrawing cash in Canada from an Irish account without them having knowledge before hand is a sure way of your account being frozen due to irregular activity.It happened to my friend,don't let it happen to you.


Arriving and the little things..

Initial reactions
So,you've gone through arrivals and are looking around thinking "what now?",Get your arse to a hostel/hotel,put your bags down and get something to eat.Little small steps at a time don't get overwhelmed and lose a bag like I did.

So..you're in the city
Unless you've done some Visa program beforehand,your most likely destination first off is to go to the tax office and sort out that end of things.Get yourself a bus pass and bus map and explore the city on your journeys.Then get to an internet cafe and start looking at accommodation.Then look for a job.You're not on holiday yet,set yourself right and avoid the pub whilst doing so.

Accommodation
So you've found a place to stay,or so you think...Things to look out for when looking for apartments,houses etc etc is to find out if they're furnished.In Canada unfurnished dwellings are more common than they would be over here.Also try your hardest to get the shortest lease possible for the time being.You're in a new city,most likely a big city like Toronto,Calgary,Halifax or Vancouver.You might hate living there,so it's important that you get a lease so that you can leave for a smaller suburban city if have to or you feel the need to.Don't rule out housesharing,it's a good way to get integrated as well as saving a fortune

The Bank
You'll need to open a Canadian bank account,so get a letter from the landlord stating you've taken up residency at his place otherwise you'll have F-all proof of address.

Bills
Call electrical,heating companies etc etc and ensure there are no arrears on the accounts if you have to change the account over to yourself.Be prepared to pay for water.

Job
Take any job to start out,don't have the attitude of "i'm an engineer,i'm looking for an engineering job only".Get into what you can and go from there,it's better to be working and looking for the job you want,than living off whatever you've brought over and looking.Look everywhere,that includes Mcdonalds.Another thing to note is,being late in canada is different than being late in Ireland.15 minutes late in Ireland might be considered on time,it isn't that way in Canada however.


Homesickness
Everybody will get homesick,no matter how much you think you won't,you will.For the first month or so you'll be on cloud 9 with the novelty and then with a bang,homesickness is likely to come upon you.There's nothing you can do about it,it's going to happen.My tips would be to,limit your time talking to family and friends.The more home is in your mind,the more you'll miss it.You'll miss the tayto,the cadburys,the barry's tea but most of all,I missed to sense of humor.
Try and put Ireland out of your mind,otherwise you'll be back home in two months kicking yourself.


Well that's a really really really really brief thing to go by,everybody's experience will be different.See you in 2014

flynnser19

This is great information!!!!!thanks

Celly Smunt

flynnser19 wrote: »

This is great information!!!!!thanks

Thank you! it's very brief but hopefully it helps a little.I'll add more as they come to my mind.

ANOTHER THING TO NOTE!!
You won't be able to open a bank account without a tax number,so get your tax sorted straight away

Tip your bartender
If you don't tip you'll be left waiting all night,it's a tipping culture in Canada and it goes a long way so don't be stingey.

Don't smoke around kids
Smoking is a bit taboo if you smoke where there are kids and rightly so (parks,walking past schools etc etc).I got a bollocking off a mother outside Canada's wonderland for smoking.Canadian Classics were the closest cigarettes i found to be along the style of Irish cigarettes.If you can,try find out where locals get their cigarettes cheap as well,some of the native reserves sell cartons that are dirt cheap.
Thank god i don't smoke anymore.

ZuM16

Great advice pmcmahon, I was in Toronto from 2009-2010 so heres a few things i learned.

Transport - I found public transport very good in Toronto, for $3 you can get from one side of the city to the other using bus, subway or street car and they run regularly enough. No matter how many stops you are going, be it 1 or 20 you still pay $3.

Winter - Winters in Toronto get very cold, I was there last month and some days it got to -10 not including the wind chill. I found the Canadian cold was a dryer kind of cold compared to the Irish dampness and if you have the right clothes u can wrap up against it easily. I would advise anyone going over to purchase your winter clothes or gear over there and its worth investing in a good heavy winter coat. During the winter although it is cold and snowy there are lots of activities one can do such as ice skating, hockey and if you rent a car there are ski resorts a few hours outside the city that are worth visiting.

Summer - The difference in Canadian winters and summers is huge, I would compare the summers there to being Spain or such with temperatures being 25c+ most days so sunscreen is advisable. Also you will find out how valuable air conditioning really is. The MLS soccer season runs during the summer so its worth going to see a game if you can, myself I enjoyed going to the baseball games with tickets only costing $11 you can relax in the sun with a few beers and enjoy the game, Toronto are in the same league as the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox so you get big teams there. Summer lasts from June-late September in Toronto

Networking - Canadians are big into their networking, its who you know that will get you places. I would highly recommend anyone going to have a browse at http://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/ . I met lots of people by going into the activities under community and looking for pick-up soccer games, this is basically where someone will say there is a game happening at this place at this time, who is interested?and you all meet up for a game of soccer and all were with genuinely nice people, or there are countless leagues indoor or outdoor all year round. I also found craigslist useful for job hunting or for anyone looking for an apartment or even a room it has a link.

Thats all i can think of for now, sorry if i waffled a bit, i loved my time in Toronto, its a fantasic place and im delighted i got my POE today and can get to go back again.

Also myself and my gf took a trip from Toronto to New York city a couple of years using http://us.megabus.com/ cost around $90 return each which is alot cheaper than flights would be.

greenteaicedtea

ZuM16 wrote: »

Great advice pmcmahon, I was in Toronto from 2009-2010 so heres a few things i learned.

Winter - Winters in Toronto get very cold, I was there last month and some days it got to -10 not including the wind chill. I found the Canadian cold was a dryer kind of cold compared to the Irish dampness and if you have the right clothes u can wrap up against it easily.

I would say try to get a pair of boots with Thinsulate and that state a temperature that they are good for. I have a pair that are rated to -25 and they are amazing. Not all boots are made like that, so have a good look around before you buy! I happened to be in Saskatoon when I bought them, it's colder there than in Toronto.

I was raised in Canada, and when I was young and foolish I would get by with wearing running shoes all winter, and you will certainly see people wearing them, but I love my warm boots now, it makes it way easier to spend time outside in the winter.

amster

thanks for all the advice guys!!

Dr. Greenthumb

pmcmahon wrote: »

Job
Take any job to start out,don't have the attitude of "i'm an engineer,i'm looking for an engineering job only".Get into what you can and go from there,it's better to be working and looking for the job you want,than living off whatever you've brought over and looking.Look everywhere,that includes Mcdonalds.Another thing to note is,being late in canada is different than being late in Ireland.15 minutes late in Ireland might be considered on time,it isn't that way in Canada however.

I keep seeing people mentioning this on Boards and I think it's a myth. When I worked back in Ireland people were way more punctual than over here. Also they generally should look up the definition of a deadline because I don't think Canadians understand the meaning at all. I find that the way of conducting business at home is a lot more professional, with proper systems and procedures.

Now I work in construction so maybe it's specific to this industry only.

Panthro

In the office I'm in, I see people swanning on 10mins late the whole time and not a word is said to them.
Personally, I'm usually in 5mins before I'm due to start working, I sort of have the notion that it's more noticeable if you arrive in late than early, so I usually try to avoid being late personally.
In the jobs I was in back home, typically if you were late you would either call in and say you would be late, or head to the boss and say "I was late for XYZ" etc. It doesn't seem to be like that here (within reason)

kerinethan

Hi
I am moving to Canada in July, I understand the different things that you need to get set up over there. I have my IEC and CIC completed, flights are booked and insurance in sorted. In other words I have enough to get into the country.

However, when you get there what order do you do things in. You need a SIN, bank account and accommodation. I assume you need an address to get both SIN and bank account but it says that rent is paid by cheque so you need a bank account.

Can anyone help with this?

cuana

I don't have all the info as I'm only starting to check this out for myself this link may answer some questions

http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/about/publication/soc_ins_num_eng.shtml

I think once you have ID and your proof of temporary Visa you should be ok. Your SIN number may be of use when opening a bank account.

I've had a look at banking in Canada online and some offer assistance/information online in relation to immigration so its worth a look. Banks are used to dealing with people immigrating & know you have to start somewhere I'm sure they have the resources in place to help you.

kerinethan

Yeah its a bit hairy alight, you have to be able to get accommodation without a bank account or visa versa.

cuana

kerinethan wrote: »

Yeah its a bit hairy alight, you have to be able to get accommodation without a bank account or visa versa.

Once you secure employment they'll also have vested interest in making sure your set up so they'll be able to put there offer on paper etc

COYVB

For banking, go with President's Choice Financial - they don't have any charges

The SIN is handy enough, just pop into a Service Canada office and you'll get your number there and then, followed by your card later. Though you raise a decent point regarding the address thing. That could be a tricky thing

For accommodation maybe take a look at subletting a room - you won't need to run through a credit check or pre-approval for anything like that, and chances are you'll be able to pay in cash

KRN

Cathy Murphy at the Irish Canadian Immigration Centre helped me set up an account with Scotiabank when I arrived. She gave me a reference letter and even though the bank weren't too happy they let me use the hotel I was staying in as my address.

I found accommodation soon after I got here and was lucky to find a landlord who didn't mind that I didn't have references from previous employers or landlords.

When you apply for your SIN you will need an address for them to send it to.

You should definitely go to the Immigration Centre when you arrive, very helpful people.

m.j.w

does anyone know the best bank to use if your planning on sending money back home? i know the fees are dear enough with some of them

gary27

m.j.w wrote: »

does anyone know the best bank to use if your planning on sending money back home? i know the fees are dear enough with some of them

you could check out http://www.currencyfair.com/, you set up an account with them and add your canadian and irish bank to it, log money money into their canadian acc wait til it clears then make a order for euros then transfer the euros to your irish acc.
they have low transfer fees and a better exchange rate than a bank.

m.j.w

gary27 wrote: »

you could check out http://www.currencyfair.com/, you set up an account with them and add your canadian and irish bank to it, log money money into their canadian acc wait til it clears then make a order for euros then transfer the euros to your irish acc.

I was looking at that alrite gary, probably use that if the fees are to big with the banks. Not long for you now is it?

gary27

m.j.w wrote: »

I was looking at that alrite gary, probably use that if the fees are to big with the banks. Not long for you now is it?

I would say you be better with using currencyfair than doing it directly thru the bank, not long only 12 days left .

COYVB

m.j.w wrote: »

does anyone know the best bank to use if your planning on sending money back home? i know the fees are dear enough with some of them

President's Choice Financial has no fees

m.j.w

COYVB wrote: »

President's Choice Financial has no fees

even to transfer internationally? i thought that cost a forutne everywhere there

Panthro

Mod Note:
Thread merged with old thread.
Very first post has some useful info for newcomers to Canada.

Lorzy_

You don't need to have an address to get the SIN card. I was staying at a hostel when I went to apply for mine so they posted it to a post office in downtown. It was at the post office for me to collect in about 2 weeks.

Some banks wouldn't allow me to open an account using the hostel address but RBC were fine about it.

COYVB

m.j.w wrote: »

even to transfer internationally? i thought that cost a forutne everywhere there

It doesn't cost a fortune anywhere...

retalivity

$30 flat rate for a wire transfer with TD on amounts up up to $9999. No idea what the rest of the banks charge

gary27

http://www.currencyfair.com/

kerinethan

pmcmahon wrote: »

Tip your bartender
If you don't tip you'll be left waiting all night,it's a tipping culture in Canada and it goes a long way so don't be stingey.

I have actually wondered about this. How much is the normal tipping amount when getting a beer, food etc. ?

Also how much extra is added on at the end when food shopping etc.

gary27

kerinethan wrote: »

I have actually wondered about this. How much is the normal tipping amount when getting a beer, food etc. ?

Also how much extra is added on at the end when food shopping etc.

With regard to beer its usually a dollar extra per drink.

gary27

kerinethan wrote: »

I have actually wondered about this. How much is the normal tipping amount when getting a beer, food etc. ?

Also how much extra is added on at the end when food shopping etc.

Some more info at this site on tipping;
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g153339-s606/Canada:Tipping.And.Etiquette.html

COYVB

kerinethan wrote: »

I have actually wondered about this. How much is the normal tipping amount when getting a beer, food etc. ?

Also how much extra is added on at the end when food shopping etc.

You don't tip at grocery stores. For restaurants (not McDonald's) and pubs its 15% usually

kerinethan

COYVB wrote: »

You don't tip at grocery stores. For restaurants (not McDonald's) and pubs its 15% usually

I have read that the prices of items in grocery stores is not the same when you pay at the till is there a tax or something?

COYVB

kerinethan wrote: »

I have read that the prices of items in grocery stores is not the same when you pay at the till is there a tax or something?

yeah the price of stuff is always listed without HST (13%), so when you actually go to pay for it you'll be paying 13% extra

gary27

COYVB wrote: »

yeah the price of stuff is always listed without HST (13%), so when you actually go to pay for it you'll be paying 13% extra

am I correct in saying that not all province's have the same rate of HST?

COYVB

gary27 wrote: »

am I correct in saying that not all province's have the same rate of HST?

You are. Not all even have HST.

AB - GST - 5%
BC - GST + PST - 12%
MB - GST + PST = 12%
NB - HST - 13%
NL - HST - 13%
NT - GST - 5%
NS - GST - 15%
Nunavut - GST - 5%
ON - HST - 13%
PEI - HST - 15%
QC - GST + QST - 14.975%
SK - GST + PST - 10%
Yukon - GST - 5%

gary27

COYVB wrote: »

You are. Not all even have HST.

AB - GST - 5%
BC - GST + PST - 12%
MB - GST + PST = 12%
NB - HST - 13%
NL - HST - 13%
NT - GST - 5%
NS - GST - 15%
Nunavut - GST - 5%
ON - HST - 13%
PEI - HST - 15%
QC - GST + QST - 14.975%
SK - GST + PST - 10%
Yukon - GST - 5%

Thanks for that.

kerinethan

COYVB wrote: »

BC - GST + PST - 12%

What does this mean if I was to buy e.g. $100 worth of food at labelled price in a store?

I pay $112?

COYVB

kerinethan wrote: »

What does this mean if I was to buy e.g. $100 worth of food at labelled price in a store?

I pay $112?

Yup

kerinethan

thanks all this info is very helpful, we are a young couple heading over with no contacts there. Herself is fairly relaxed but as usual I want to know as much as possible before I go. Proper S**ting it!!

COYVB

You'll be fine, just take your time to get settled into everything. It'll be a little odd at first, but just immerse yourself for the first month or two and it'll be a lot quicker. Best advice I can honestly give to anyone moving over here is to avoid other irish people and irish travellers for at least the first month. The danger is that you fall into the "irish foreigner" trap where you're in another country making new irish friends, drinking in new irish pubs, talking about irish stuff constantly. That makes the whole adapting thing a lot more difficult long run. Get yourself in and settled then if you want to find other irish people go for it

That's the way myself and a couple of other Irish people over here I know did it, and we're all in our 3rd or 4th year and staying for good. The ones who hung around exclusively with irish people initially tend to be gone as soon as their visa is up. Might be a coincidence though

kerinethan

Yeah, once I have my accommodation, SIN and Bank Account set up within the first few days I will then hopefully began to get excited about the change. I am really looking forward to it, but am nervous at the same time.

JK9

Heading to Toronto on the 25th on my own so I'm starting to find it all a little daunting now. But like above, I think once I get accommodation, SIN and banks sorted, I can relax a little and start to enjoy it.

Anyone here in Toronto right now? What's the weather like at the moment?

COYVB

JK9 wrote: »

Heading to Toronto on the 25th on my own so I'm starting to find it all a little daunting now. But like above, I think once I get accommodation, SIN and banks sorted, I can relax a little and start to enjoy it.

Anyone here in Toronto right now? What's the weather like at the moment?

It's starting to warm up. Was raining yesterday, but the sun is out today

kerinethan

What is the story with driving over in Canada. As I understand it, R.O.I does not have the same agreement that the UK does as regards to you drivers licence being valid. As far as I know R.O.I citizens have to pass a competence test, do one driving lesson and pass another diving test. Is this True?

Also any info in getting a car on the road (insurance, tax, NTC or equivalent) would be very helpful

againstthetide

Depends where you are going?
Saskatchewan will do a straight swap.
I did the test in Alberta, it is pretty easy.
You don't have to do a lesson but I did and found it very helpful.
You have to do a theory test first and get a canadian learner permit
Once you get the physical permit in the mail you can book your test in any registryit's fairly handy nothing to panic about really.
You can only drive on your irish license for 90 days btw

COYVB

kerinethan wrote: »

What is the story with driving over in Canada. As I understand it, R.O.I does not have the same agreement that the UK does as regards to you drivers licence being valid. As far as I know R.O.I citizens have to pass a competence test, do one driving lesson and pass another diving test. Is this True?

Also any info in getting a car on the road (insurance, tax, NTC or equivalent) would be very helpful

In Ontario you need to apply using your Irish license, proof from the issuing body that you've been driving for more than 3 years, and your driving record. Tick all the boxes and you'll do your theory test, then apply immediately for your full test with a wait time of about a month, then you get your license. Easy as pie

Do some lessons with an instructor first though, they have some very different rules

retalivity

COYVB wrote: »

Do some lessons with an instructor first though, they have some very different rules

+1

I failed my attempt at the full test, and had to enter the canadian driving system at the bottom. Can't sit my full test again until October.
There lots of rules around highway driving that it is better to have an instructor sit in the car with you and tell you what to do or what you;re doing wrong

COYVB

Young Drivers of Canada are the best ones I believe. That's who I went with for 10 30 minute lessons. Only actually went out 4 times and did multiple 30 minute chunks in each. Passed it first time even though I made a couple of boo-boos, but I'd never have passed it on my own without the lessons. Failing to turn right on a red, for example, will get you marked down for impeding traffic

kazoo2001

hi, any advice for me, hoping to head to Calgary in the next few months. Will be going on my own and finding it a bit daunting.
Thanks for any replies!!

againstthetide

kazoo2001 wrote: »

hi, any advice for me, hoping to head to Calgary in the next few months. Will be going on my own and finding it a bit daunting.
Thanks for any replies!!

-Bring lots of money
-Go to service Canada and get your SIN sorted on the first day- You will need your passport and work permit for this
-Go to an Alberta Registry and apply for Alberta Health
-Get a local number straight away so you can be contacted by employers
-Buy a transit pass so you can explore the city from public transport.
Maybe a weekly pass to start off

montreal2011

pmcmahon wrote: »

...
Bills
Call electrical,heating companies etc etc and ensure there are no arrears on the accounts if you have to change the account over to yourself.Be prepared to pay for water.
...

This is very important advice. I have a friend who got caught with an electricity in the thousands from a previous tenant who left.

You can opt to have equalized payments meaning that the cost of a full year is spread evenly over each billing period. If the heating and hot water runs on electricity the bills will be huge in winter so some people to prefer a more even rate throughout the year.

My friend was not aware of this, and the person who knew left. When it came time for my friend to move, there was a huge bill because they were only paying the average each timeand there was a lot owing.

You can call the electric company to find out how the average cost is of a particular address. You should do this before moving in somewhere. $50 a month in summer can turn into $500 a month in winter!

COYVB

If you look around it's not uncommon to find apartments will all utilities included in the price

KevinFQB1

Will probably be moving over to Canada in late summer or early September. Extrememly scared as I'm going by myself but there is some great info in here, thanks everybody!