I've only lived in Toronto, so my answers are based around that.
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Originally Posted by spartan5power
In Ireland right now even the worst houses are so expensive, is Canada the same?
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Toronto houses would be equal to Dublin city centre prices, and then some. Have seen houses go for in excess of a million dollars. Even with the exchange rate, so would be equal to a million euros for a four bed house, at roughly a distance of Dublin city centre to Lucan.
Quote:
Originally Posted by spartan5power
Is the health system more efficient than the HSE?
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Yeah. In Ontario, you get an OHIP card after you work for 3 months, and you need to renew it every year. With it, you can goto a walk-in doctor with ease, and I even had my foot x-rayed for free with it. Find it to be a good system.
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Originally Posted by spartan5power
Is it a necessity to have private health insurance like it is in Ireland?
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Going over, you need to show that you won't be a leech should something go wrong. Pay €300 for it. Reading the small print, and you'll see that it'd cover expenses to allow you to be fixed up to fly home, but not much more. Without this 2 year insurance, you won't get your two year visa, and you'll be told to fcuk off back to Ireland.
Most full-time employment will get private health insurance, and this often covers dental work. Contract work will pay nice, but no company private health care.
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Originally Posted by spartan5power
Im also interested in the difference in standard of living and opportunities for someone like me who works within the Learning and Development function..
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Sorry, can't help. If you're going to Toronto, join "irish and new in toronto!" or if going elsewhere, join the Irish facebook page for that location, and ask there.
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Originally Posted by spartan5power
Does anyone have any further information on any of these questions?
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Ask away.
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Originally Posted by Elite Woad Raider
By the way, Canadians think it's acceptable to live in a caravan. I worked with a lady in a bakery in Victoria. She was working full time with early morning starts from around 4am. The most she could afford was a mobile home in a trailer park.
By the way people act here you would think they were impoverished.
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Have seen a few of these. Typically, I find them to be in areas where people wouldn't buy houses in. In Toronto, the cheap houses/mobile homes are in the flight path of Pearson airport.
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Originally Posted by antix80
I've a friend who lived in canada and he bought a mobile home in a small city , nice garden with 2 mature trees. It wasn't cheap. It was as good as any small house and his neighbours were mainly retirees. I'd take it any day over a flat in Toronto
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Have found that people in a lot of the flats in Toronto don't know their neighbours, unless you're in the likes of the Irish Twin Towers. So for that reason, I don't know would I live long term in one.