Toronto vs Calgary vs Vancouver?

[LeoNYC]

Which one is warmer, Toronto, Calgary or Vancouver? Also, which one is better to get a job?

Thank you.

[NewYorker]

Vancouver is warmer as compared to the rest of two but not warm like Pheonix, rarely have snow but it rains there. For Jobs it depends what kind, Alberta has lot of new jobs in different sectors however it still depends in which area you are looking.

[NewYorker]

i think calgary is also the coldest but lots of people do live there.

Yes most people do move there because of jobs, most of them created because of the Oil Sands discovery in Alberta and they are well paid as well.

[cchabert]

If you want check this link:

http://www.climate.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/climate_normals/results_e.html?Province=ALTA&StationName=&SearchType=&LocateBy=Province&Proximity=25&ProximityFrom=City&StationNumber=&IDType=MSC&CityName=&ParkName=&LatitudeDegrees=&LatitudeMinutes=&LongitudeDegrees=&LongitudeMinutes=&NormalsClass=A&SelNormals=&StnId=2205&

[NewYorker]

Thanks CChabert, this is very detailed information on Calgary. Looks like rain or snow through-out the year.

[sushid0c]

Which one is warmer, Toronto, Calgary or Vancouver? Also, which one is better to get a job?

Thank you.

will not be able to comment as no personal experience.  But calgary quite cold (information from friends residing in calgary and toronto).....I guess the coldest among the three.

Job situation and salary better in calgary....
Did a bit of job searching and found that for similar job postings with same amount of work experience , alberta offered CAD 3-10/ per hour more than other provinces.

[Harry2500]

Hey Guys ,

I am US post grad in Finance and I am intersted in Finance related jobs and what would be your sugestion to find a job in the above three locations.

regards

[casky]

SK has more jobs available.

[Zephyr]

Hi
I have lived in Vancouver, Halifax, Montreal and Toronto and part of my family are living in Calgary.

Pros:
Vancouver has easy access to nature (but skiing can cost a pretty penny). Seawall.
Entertainment that is decent:  Hockey, Bard on the Beach, Kits, beaches, Commerical Drive.
It rarely snows.

Cons
Vancouver real estate is the highest in Canada.  Cost for a one bedroom condo in downtown core (what will actually hold value.. location location location) is higher than $350,000 +  Rent is over $1300/month 
The summers are getting warmer and air conditioning is rare in ANY condos.. even new ones. 
The city lacks any culture or entertainment.  People who think it is decent haven't travelled.  The art gallery is horrifyingly small, many of the interesting night clubs are closing. 
Car Insurance is a surprise because it's provincially governed by ICBC so there is no competition... there for the cost is high. 
Gas cost is higher than all other Canadian cities.
Food cost is higher than all other Canadian cities.
There is no banking financial base in Vancouver other than HSBC.  All the other hubs are in Toronto or Montreal.
There are no highways.  Traffic congestion is surprisingly bad for such a small city.
The homeless and homicide rate is higher in Vancouver than ANY of the other cities.
It rains... around October until May.  Almost every day.  So if you get depressed easily don't move here.
During the Olympics it will chaos.. but fun.

Toronto

Pros
In terms of job opportunities its one of the strongest. 
Transit is pretty good compared to most cities but expensive. 
Food is cheaper. 
All purchases... can be cheaper.. as long as you look.  Insurance, gas, food, items, clothes... competition makes it more affordable.
It's multicultural... truly..
Entertainment is probably one of the best... Basketball, hockey (they suck), Stratford, club districts, AGO, ROM, and the various neighbourhoods... and restaurants are cheaper!!!
Better access to schools, universities, libraries and healthcare than other cities... far better in fact.

Cons
It can overwhelm you, people are more competitive.. which may not be a bad thing depending what you like.
It snows... brrrr
Pollution but it's getting better.
Rent downtown is expensive.. about the same as Vancouver but the quality of the building may be a bit better.
Traffic can be hell.. use transit.
Lake Ontario stinks in the summer.

CALGARY

Pros
Opportunities!! but it may have died down since the boom is now over.
I think housing is dropping.. the hype has left.
Highways!!  transit isn't bad either.
Cheaper food/merchandise cost.
It's SUNNY!!!!  and has mountains.. real ones..
People are really nice here unlike Vancouver or toronto!

Cons
Now this city is REALLY COLD
No water...
Small city.. less excitement..
Conservative... no recycling!!

[rishabshanker]

Hi Zephyr,

Thanks for the great post. I am in IT and was wondering if you could help me by answering the below question.

which city has the best job prospects in IT Montreal or Toronto? Also where are most of the IT biggys (IBM, Dell, HP etc) located?

Thanks for your help.

Cheers,
Rishab

[cathy1]

Zephyr

How about Halifax,what are the pros and cons of that city.I'm choosing Vancouver and Halifax.have 2 kids and husband with me.

[simplesimon]

Do you know anything about Ottawa ?

[Leon]

My advice, look for jobs online before you pick a city.  It's hard to find a job online but once you have PR, it should be easy to at least set up an interview.  It would not be a bad idea to go to Canada before you move your family and look for jobs.  If you have to pick a city, at least looking online will give you an idea where your job opportunities are.

Do not make the mistake of carefully picking a nice city or town, carefully picking out a nice neighbourhood with good schools and finding a nice house to rent or buy, only to find out once you are there that the only jobs you can get in that area is Walmart for $10 an hour and yes, this actually happened to some members of this forum.

[tran]

Did anyone make his first landing in one of the 3 mentioned cities(Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto) and regretted it? And the reason(s)? Thanks.

[Leon]

I landed in Toronto and ended up moving to Edmonton 6 months later.  The reason, better job opportunities plus Toronto is too hot in the summer.  I also met a guy at my citizenship ceremony who was an engineer and had similiarly landed in Toronto and moved to Edmonton after 6 months and his reasons were only the job, he had been doing mcjobs in Toronto and was getting frustrated in his job search and even thinking about leaving Canada when he got a job offer in Edmonton.

For some people, it might be reversed, landed in Calgary for example and moved to Toronto.  Better to look for a job first before you spend time and money on getting settled somewhere.