Relocating From England to Toronto
Toronto is known as ‘The City That Works’. So, there is no surprise that it is the major financial centre of Canada. There is an influx of suits swapping London, the Big Smoke of England, for Toronto, Canada’s equivalent.
With its unmistakeable, breath-taking skyline and plethora of employment opportunities, Toronto can be the perfect place to relocate to. Relocating and uprooting your whole life is never easy, especially to another country entirely. At least Londoners do not have a language barrier to contend with in Toronto! But what exactly can they expect?
Location
TO, as it’s known with locals, is the most populous city in Canada and is located in Southern Ontario on the east of the country. Toronto covers a large area, similar to Wolverhampton, West Bromwich and Birmingham combined, however it is half the size of London. Living in Toronto means you are never too far from the, probably more familiar, shores of the USA – with New York and Ohio just a stone’s throw away. The population of the city is over 2.5 million and there is an enormous amount packed in to its 630 square kilometres, making it rather compact.
Where to live
If you are a businessman moving to Toronto to work then you will need to be as close to downtown as possible to minimise your commute, it can get quite busy! If you have a family, then you will need to consider a place with good transport links and, perhaps, a more tranquil environment than the hustle and bustle of the city. Getting a feel for the different areas is best done by exploring, a common trend is to stay in temporary, rented accommodation and explore communities before choosing a permanent one.
Weather
What does an Englishman expect of Torontonian weather? Well rest assured, it is nothing that you are not used to. When Canada is mentioned, often people get the pictures of mounds of snows, however there is actually a warmer climate in TO than in London. There are similarities in the range of temperatures but Torontonians have warmer summers with more sunshine and more severe cold snaps in winter with temperatures falling below −10 °C for days in a row and exacerbated by wind chill. Toronto also gets more rainfall and snowfall than London (about 40% more).
Living
Like London, TO is very cultural. The Royal Ontario Museum, the Art Gallery of Toronto and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra are all world-renowned. The city’s performing arts scene is the third largest centre for English speaking theatre in the world and incubated international comedy stars like Jim Carrey and John Candy. So, at weekends when you are not working you will have plenty to keep you entertained.
Cost of living are 37% cheaper in Toronto than in England’s capital. Most importantly food is 20% cheaper and housing is 48% cheaper, meaning you will get so much more than what you are used to for your money. In terms of luxuries, clothes are 31% better value and entertainment 16%. Average disposable salary in Toronto is £1912.54 compared with £1992.89 in London.
This post was written by David Wilson, a senior content writer for Home Intelligence.
