Is North York, Toronto a safe place for new migrants? Please help with more info

[Move2Can]

Hi All,

I'm new on this forum & first of all i have to say what an awesome forum...very practical info!

Husb & I are moving to Toronto next month & have been advised to start at North York initially (close to town & facilities) & then look for rental acco.

Rocky, Qorax, steaky & so many others who are so helpful...i'm looking for personal experiences/information on this. Please help in this as we need to make reservations in the next few days...

thanks in advance!
Move2Can

 

[steaky]

North York is generally a safe community inside Metropolitan Toronto. What kind of facilities are you looking for? If you are looking for a place near libraries, you can actually use google maps to estimate the proximity between libary and the rental house.

For rental listing in the Toronto, you can check this link

http://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/apa/

 

[anushauc]

Move2Can,

This is Anusha & Chari, from Chennai, India.
We have landed on 21st June and are in North York, right near the subway ( Rapid Transport or the Metro as we say in India ).

Its one of the best and safest places as far as we see, looking at the below advantages. It depends on which place in North York you are looking at. We suggest the Yonge ( the center / longest road in the world under which the TTC Subway Yellow line moves )
- Close to Subway ( if on / around yonge ) ( Helps in Winter )
- Center of Toronto / GTA Area ( Virtually Center with all access/transportation facilities ) ( at least until you know where you are going to work as Toronto / GTA is simply huge )
- Rapid Transport access along with Go Bus and TTC bus ( A little walk on either side and you reach Finch / Sheppard where again connectivity is amazing )
- All shopping and night life as well
- Closer access to the Sheppard-Yonge Purple line TTC Subway as well )
- Closer access to Finch where you have Mississauga / Brampton / Viva and other buses along with GO services as well
- All shopping / banking / cinema /other facilities close by ( actually right outside subway system itself )
- Police Station right close to the subway at North York
- Close by downtown ( helps if you work in the financial sector specifically - I am from IT and my wife from banking )
- Also for children, you have access to the best schools close by from here

Flip Side
- Little expensive ( but if you go to other places, remember you have a 12 month agreement on the housing which is a problem until you land up with jobs which you dont where it would be !!!! and how you would commute esp until you have a car )
- Indian Grocery and the Eglington Walmart Super Center ( the biggest one around ) is a little far off but its probably only a trip once in a month by public transport

I dont see anything more. You can PM me for any queries. Let me know and reach me as you land as we may be able to help. Let us know from which part of the world you are moving in here. We also have a monthly or so immigrants meeting with able coordination by Captain Dutta ( Qorax ) where we meet up and discuss things to network and help each other ( next meeting would be by 1st-2nd week of August ).

Hope I have given enough info for now

Regards
Anusha & Chari

 

[Move2Can]

Thanx a ton steaky & anushauc for that detailed info... !

@steaky: by facilities I meant the usual amenities (connectivity, access to shops etc) - so that's been clarified

@anushauc: thanks so much for the help offer...nice to know you'll have taken this forum offline too. We could sure do with some friends who have been through the whole process in recent times... will PM you soon & will defnitely connect once we land.

Thanx a lot!
Move2Can

 

[Move2Can]

Some more advice needed...

We are planning on staying for first couple of weeks at Safehomestay (saw some positive reviews here & other sites) & then look for rental acco. Please help me with some doubts I had & was not able to get the right info from elsewhere:

1. Since we would not have our own address yet can we apply for bank account, SIN, PR Card with the guesthouse address?
2. What documents would be required to get a mobile connection? (Address, etc)
3. Has anyone opened a Canadian bank account from India (like Scotia Bank) & what has been their experience? They say we can deposit the money here & activate the accoutn once we land in Can. Is that ok? Normal practice?

thanks!
Move2Can

 

[anushauc]

Some more advice needed...

We are planning on staying for first couple of weeks at Safehomestay (saw some positive reviews here & other sites) & then look for rental acco. Please help me with some doubts I had & was not able to get the right info from elsewhere:

1. Since we would not have our own address yet can we apply for bank account, SIN, PR Card with the guesthouse address?
2. What documents would be required to get a mobile connection? (Address, etc)
3. Has anyone opened a Canadian bank account from India (like Scotia Bank) & what has been their experience? They say we can deposit the money here & activate the accoutn once we land in Can. Is that ok? Normal practice?

thanks!
Move2Can

1. Yes. Just make sure you are there long enough to get it or to have it forwarded or to have someone there collect it. Or wait for a week to settle and then apply.
PR Card would come to the address that would be provided during the landing in around 6 -7 weeks. SIN would come in a week or so as you apply.
2. We have Wind Mobile, the best around here as we see it. just walk in and prepay to get it.
3. You will have to walk in and see different features do decide the account type or open from India. We opened after we landed only. TD & Novascotia along with CIBC & RBC have good options for new immigrants. We played safe and opened after landing only.

Suggestion: Read blogs on this forum by Qorax on every single topic and the subsequent threads and you almost have everything required / every query answered. He is a Bengali but immigrated from Dubai over here and is one of the most helpful persons around.

Question : ( If you have no problems in answering )
- From which part of India are you coming?
- What is your NOC code ?
- When are you planning on your landing ?

Regards,
Anusha & Chari

 

[Move2Can]

Thanx anushauc! I will check on our options for the address bit...& yes we are not too sure about opening the account from here. Haven't read of anyone having done that, so.....
I'm from B'lore & both of us are into IT.... we will be moving in the 3rd week of Aug. CAn you pls tell me if account opening requires proof of address?

thanks!
Move2Can

 

[anushauc]

Thanx anushauc! I will check on our options for the address bit...& yes we are not too sure about opening the account from here. Haven't read of anyone having done that, so.....
I'm from B'lore & both of us are into IT.... we will be moving in the 3rd week of Aug. CAn you pls tell me if account opening requires proof of address?

thanks!
Move2Can

Welcome.
Chari - is into IT - Infrastructure Services as well.
Anusha - a bankking operations manager in India.
We are from Chennai and were in the US as well.

Account Opening would need your passport and the COPR landing document, that you get in the port of entry here. You would have provided an address there for your PR cards which would be used everywhere as your proof of address.

Regards,
Anusha & Chari

 

[anushauc]

Thanx anushauc! I will check on our options for the address bit...& yes we are not too sure about opening the account from here. Haven't read of anyone having done that, so.....
I'm from B'lore & both of us are into IT.... we will be moving in the 3rd week of Aug. CAn you pls tell me if account opening requires proof of address?

thanks!
Move2Can

Unable to reply to your PM as your inbox is full

 

[Move2Can]

Cleared it up....looks like we can't store more than a couple of PMs

 

[jeby]

Thanks Anushauc for your valuable inputs..

 

[Move2Can]

Hi Jeby,

Are you also landing in Aug? Where are you planning on landing?

Move2Can

 

[jeby]

Dear Move2Can

I am planning to land at Toronto on 17th. will stay at Safehomestay for a few days. hope to meet there in Canada...
thank you

 

[akb110]

Dear Anusha

I am new immigrant landed in July from India. I understand there is regular meeting of new immigrant in toronto area. I would like to take part in the same. Please give more information

Thanks

 

[anushauc]

Dear Anusha

I am new immigrant landed in July from India. I understand there is regular meeting of new immigrant in toronto area. I would like to take part in the same. Please give more information

Thanks

akb110,

Please read the 2 below threads and you could get the details.
We are a part of team joining the team "dubai2canada". This expected to be scheduled on 14th tentatively. Check it out.
There is also another group coming up - to be meeting for the first time. This is scheduled on 22nd tentatively. Check it out.
http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/landed-immigrants-in-torontogta-lets-network-meet-t46132.60.html
http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/toronto-gathering-t49495.15.html

Cheers