volodyalysak said:
Sounds like a good place to be, how long typical winter lasts in Ottawa ? I'm used to cold snow since we have winter here 8 month. But summer here is like 2.5 month starts in June and in September it is already cold and we do get snow sometimes. How is driving there ? Roads ? I have AWD car with now tires here and it easily goes to -25 C at night. How is car insurance there ? How is medical insurance ? And what is an average pay let say for just entry job for first couple of month ?
Thanks
winters are typical canadian winters - 8-9 months long. ottawa gets REALLY REALLY hot in the summer. this week the temps were around 30 celcius, with the humid index at 40!!!! there was hardly any spring this year - we went to straight hot hot hot weather. this past winter wasn't so bad, but there are times it can get to -30/40 degrees (celcius - though at that point it's the same). At that point, it's too cold to snow, so you just have to deal with the bitter cold until it breaks. it doesn't seem to last more than a few days.
the hot weather started at the end of april i think? it will start to get cooler in late sept probably, and snow can start as early as nov. I think there's even been snow in october. i'm from new england in the states, and the weather is pretty similar (actually, it seems they get our weather 2 days after us). If you're looking for mostly warm weather UP HERE in Canada, i'm afraid you're looking to move in the wrong geographical area, and you may want to consider somewhere further south? Canada is NORTH. it is cold. even where it's warm, it get's cold. that is just canada.
healthcare is covered in canada - in ontario it's called OHIP. it provides basic medical coverage and doctor appointments. you will need extra coverage for dental, vision and prescriptions. most employers will offer this. if not, there are other options for individuals.
car insurance is decent. i had an issue getting a good rate because i had 1 incident on my record they considered "at fault". watch out if you have anything on your driving record - they will deem you as "high risk". i pay about $80 a month through Aviva Insurance. luckily they waived the "at fault" incident. coming from new england, the roads here are FANTASTIC. again, since this is the capital, money is put into these things, and there are hardly any potholes or ripped up roads. There is usually construction going on in the summertime to create new roads or fix utility issues. the efficiency of the provincial service offices are incredible. took me about 30 min. to exchange my license, 17 min to register my car, the only reason i waited for my SIN# was because there was a line. the actual appt was less than 15 min. yes, i track these things because i still can't get over how quickly it gets done here!!!
as for starting salaries - it will really depend on the industry and the age of the company. start ups are known to pay less and want you to work more - if that's what you like - go for it. for me, i was too old for that s**t. when i was looking, the "average" entry level was $35,000ish a year, again this is going to be specific to what you're looking for. there certainly are jobs that pay more. Minimum hourly wage is $11.00, so most survival jobs have to pay at least that. I'd imagine you are going to find this to be consistent with other cities. the goal of the first job needs to be gaining canadian experience and references, not how much you get paid. you'll start getting paid more and can qualify for better jobs when you have the canadian references and experience on your resume. i did not find my US experience to be helpful too much.