INVESTIGATING THE STANDARD OF LIVING

Canadians enjoy one of the highest living standards in the world: approximately 99 per cent of families have a colour television and 75 per cent own at least one car; 2.7 per cent of these have two or more. Since 1997, Canada has ranked first amongst all the G7 Countries (the world’s richest nations – France, the United States, Britain, Germany, Japan, Italy and Canada) for growth in living standards. It also has the best employment record of all those nations. Although, as mentioned above, there are always economic fluctuations, Canada has a very healthy standard of living which looks set to continue.

Reckoning the cost of living

The price of consumer goods tends to be lower than in the UK. Electrical appliances and computers are usually available at lower prices and in most areas fresh food is cheaper. Certain items such as petrol are considerably less expensive. Figure 4 gives the latest consumer price index for Canada, and Figure 5 gives statistics on average expenditure.

Assessing house prices

The price of housing varies enormously across Canada, with Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver being the most expensive cities in which to buy a home. The least expensive house prices are in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. See Figure 6, which is a guide to house prices on a province-by-province basis. Prices are in Canadian dollars. Do remember that this table is just a rough guide, as the housing market is constantly changing. More up-to-date information can be obtained from real estate agents in the areas of interest (see Canadian Yellow Pages in main libraries) or from the Internet. A multiple listing service website is available at www.mls.ca To give a general idea, the average price of a house in Canada is around $236,000. That’s about £110,000. This works out at roughly 30 per cent of average household income. Prices are expected to rise at an annual rate of 3.2 per cent.

Interest rates are currently fairly low. There are several different kinds of mortgages available and for varying periods. Needless to say, the rates do fluctuate but currently the five-year fixed-rate mortgage is about 5.8% and a five-year variable mortgage approximately 4.2%. Again, this is a guideline only and you can get up-to-date figures from real estate agents, relocation experts and various sites on the Internet, such as www.ldcanadatrust.com/mortgages/numbers. It is worth remembering that several provinces also have a land transfer or property tax. If you’re looking for a house in BC, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec or Nova Scotia this can add one to five per cent to the cost of the property.

CONSULTING THE FAMILY

You may find all these facts and figures rather dry, but it really is worth knowing what you are letting yourself in for before you start the sometimes complicated and lengthy process of getting a permit to work in Canada and finding a suitable job. Which leads us to the last part of this chapter: consulting the family. Just a few more facts and figures!

Generally, Canada is a ‘family’ sort of place. As shown above, recreational facilities are excellent and there is a broad cultural heritage to draw on. Most people have no trouble adapting to what is recognised as a pleasant and easy-going lifestyle.

Going with your spouse

Realistically, the accompanying partner is most likely to be female so it is worth looking at the role of women in Canada. You will find little difference between the Canadian and the British attitude towards women. The predominant family type is now the dual earner couple, with 60 per cent of women in the labour force.

There is still some wage disparity, with women earning on average 72 per cent of what men make for full-time work despite the fact that equal pay for equal work laws have been in place for over a decade.

Women make up 45 per cent of the labour force and 30 per cent of all self-employed persons.

All jurisdictions give the statutory right to maternity leave (usually 17 weeks unpaid and 37 weeks parental leave). This is in addition to the Federal Unemployment Insurance Scheme which gives 15 weeks of maternity benefits.

Taking your children

There shouldn’t be a great deal of upheaval in terms of education. Canada has had to respond to great cultural diversity and many schools have students from 20 or more distinct ethnocultural groups. For example, in Toronto and Vancouver over half the students in elementary and secondary schools can speak languages other than English or French.

Generally, schooling starts at six (although in some areas kindergarten places are available from four onwards) and is compulsory until 16. Most students, however, stay on until at least 18 years of age. This education is free. Bear in mind that there is no national system – each province is responsible for its own arrangements. For further details contact:

The Canadian School Boards Association
340 Laurier Avenue West
PO Box 2095
Ottawa, ON KIP 5W3
email: admin@cdnsba.org

The School Solution is a guide to Canada’s schools which includes information on pre-school programmes, elementary and secondary education, out of school activities and curriculum details. It is obtainable from:

Canada Information Services
Suite 421, 253 College St
Toronto, ON M5T 1R5

This is, by the way, a good source for other information about Canada. They will send a list of other publications available with your order form.

Many independent schools are also available. For more information contact:

Canadian Association of Independent Schools
PO Box 820
Lakefield, ON KOL 2H0
email: admin@cais.ca

University and post-secondary education is widely available and, again, varies from province to province. Once you have an idea of what area of Canada you will relocate to you can write for guidance to:

The Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education
c/o Center for Higher Education Research & Development
University of Manitoba
2205 Sinnott Bldg
70 Dysart Rd
Winnipeg, MB R3T2 N2
email: rzeszute@ms.umanitoba.ca

The International Education Office for each province can provide information on courses available. See Useful Addresses for contact details.

You can also obtain a comprehensive guide to Canadian universities entitled U-Choose – A Guide to Canadian Universities from:

Moving To Magazines Ltd
178 Main St
Unionville, Ontario L3R 2G9
Fax: (905) 479 1286
email: info@movingto.com
www.movingto.com

This guide lists approximately 60 universities, and outlines admission requirements, courses/programmes offered, fees, housing/residence, library resources, athletic programmes and facilities, etc. I should add that their website (see above) is very well worth a visit. You can request all sorts of free information from them.

Other organisations which can provide information on Canadian education include:

Youth and Student Information
Association of Student Councils
171 College St
Toronto, ON M5T 1PZ

Canadian Bureau for International Education
stel550, 220 Laurier Ave
Ottawa, ON KIP 5Z9
email: info@cbie.ca

Additionally, the International Education offices of each province are listed in Useful Addresses.

Agreeing your plans

Finally, it cannot be stressed enough that all members of your family who are going to accompany you must be considered. They are going to have to live there too, and while you may be looking forward to spending your leisure time shushing down the slopes with your ski-mad son, your wife may be allergic to snow and your daughter may have a fear of heights! Be sure to talk it over with everyone concerned and make sure they have as many facts as possible. It is really worth taking the time to study the very different areas of Canada. There is a great deal of province-specific information available. Each province and most of the major cities have informative websites on the Internet. The various provincial tourist boards can send you very useful information that will give everybody a good idea of what they are heading for. See the address section at the end of this book for a list of tourist board offices.

CHECKLIST

• Canada is committed to multiculturalism. Over 11 million Canadians have some ethnic origin other than British or French.
• Federal government is run along very similar lines to that in Britain. Be aware of the importance of the provincial governments, which control education, local taxes and other areas.
• The United Nations declared Canada ‘the best country in the world in which to live’.
• There is a strong emphasis on outdoor activities and sport.
• The Canadian attitude to work may be more ‘laid back’ than you are used to.
• The national economy fluctuates in line with global events. Check Statistics Canada updates in major libraries and at their website www.statcan.ca/
• Educational facilities are good and similar to those in Britain. They do, however, vary from province to province.
• Canada is not to be confused with the United States! Canadians do not appreciate what they consider to be an unflattering comparison.