Toronto doesn't just get snow - it can get blizzards. As does most of Canada, much of New York state and all of New England (farther south than Toronto). It's not like 3 or 4 inches of fluffy white stuff.

In the winter you can get feet at a time with high winds and heavy drifts. But - the areas that get a lot are generally prepared for it and get the roads open again fairly quickly. So you may have one day the roads are impassable and several days of mess.

But blizzards are not frequent. And they are nothing like the hurricanes, tornadoes or earthquakes that are common in other parts of north america.

Weather in most places in Canada is more extreme than in the UK - hotter summers and colder winters (UK weather is very oddly moderated by the gulf stream). The only area different is the west coast - west of the mountains - which has a more moderate climate. And of course the far north.

The last hurricane experienced in Toronto was in 1954. We do get major storms with high winds, and areas to the north of Toronto (Barrie, about an hour's drive) suffered two destructive tornados in the past decade. Tornadic activity in TO is usually of the large storm cell variety with the occasional one touching down (nothing major). There are occasional earthquake tremors felt here, although these are rare and of little consequence.

The average cost of a house in TO is $479,000 CAD. Interest rates are low. There are condo apartments for sale in the 14 million range and downward; in some areas, houses go for 27 million, in others, a 3-4 bedroom, 2-3 bath, updated house will set you back 700-900 thousand and up. A 2 bedroom, 2 bath with smallish yard in older areas of the city will be around 475-550 thou.

There are many communities surrounding TO that are designated rural; their house prices are lower but it depends upon how much land you wish. There are many ways to access the city, though: GO train, VIA Rail, by car (not recommended) or by car but leaving it at one of the outlying subway stops.

Our waterfront is nothing to write home about, but it is improving.

There are 250,000 lakes in Ontario, so if you are the outdoorsy type, there are a lot of water-based things to do.

As for health care, there are 30 hospitals in TO, some of which are affiliated with the universities (teaching hospitals), 2 major cancer treatment centres (15 in Ontario), many walk-in clinics, and from personal experience, there is only a handful of hospitals which I wouldn't want to fetch up at. There has been much chatter about wait times, but, again from personal experience, if you need urgent medical assistance, you will get it. If you need a hip or shoulder replaced, there will be a wait.

Like easytraveler, I love Quebec City. Vancouver and Montreal are also favourites.

Lastly, I was born and raised here. For the most part, we are a relatively friendly bunch, reserved and cautious with strangers, but always willing to help. Smiling and politeness go a long way to breaking down any facades (with the exception of the Monday morning subway commute). =)

...no blizzards here in Vancouver; dilly of a windstorm a few
years ago but overall the weather/climate is a lot like it is
in southern England.

Great city for a young person except the housing market is
through the roof, so to speak.

All the amenities anyone could ever need esp. if you like
the outdoors. And ethnic food.

Does Canada get many floods?
Thank you for all the information muskoka! I've seen pictures of your water front and personally thought it looked beautiful! I'm still a bit confused about your healthcare system, is it free (and you pay for it through taxes).
Does anybody know anything about Calgary? Where is it in regards to toronto/quebec, is it known as a nice area etc? I've been looking at the places on the internet and Calgary and Toronto seem very nice to me (but obviously I haven't been yet so would like to know opinions on those who live there) thank you all for the replies:)

Has any mentioned the polar bears yet? They try not talk about that until it's too late.

If CW were here, he would have warned by now about the growly bears. And the meece.

Exactly. Forever holding ideas up to the cold, hard light of reality.

It's a cold barren land that snows a lot, a bitter people that squabble about french vs english and resent the chance of drinking ice wine from Lord Stanley's Cup has remained an alaska pipe dream for years.

Click on the smaller more colourful map to locate Calgary.

http://www.map-of-canada.org/

Flood map of Canada.

http://www.ec.gc.ca/eau-water/defaul...n&n=0365F5C2-1

L_G: May a polar bear sit on your head (while drinking ice wine). =)

Well, if no Canadian team has won the Cup in quite a few years, lots and lots of Canadian players have sipped out of it! In fact, it was at our local community for a day last week (an L.A. King exec learned his craft in this area), and The Cup was roundly celebrated, as was the L.A. win (well, sort of......).
Floods in Canada? Well, as the 2nd biggest country in the world, we have lots of extremes, and there are a few floods, on the odd major river, primarily in the spring (especially the Red River in Manitoba).
Calgary, some 2200 miles west of Toronto, is "nice", but winter starts a lot earlier there than Toronto. Personally, I think that Calgary's best feature is its proximity to The Canadian Rockies. But I am not much of a "city guy", so don't hold that against Calgary. However, they have all that oil out there, that kind of picks up the standard of living a bit, these days.....
Yes, the cost of health care comes out of our taxes, which are higher in Canada than in the U.S. Admittedly, American health care is great, but few people in Canada suffer huge financial burdens as a result of health care costs, due to a lengthy illness.
And, for what its worth, I haven't seen even one snow flake since March!
Nor a polar bear......

No - in the cities you're talking about the only polar bears are in the zoo.

Calgary is in the west - as in the wild west. Lots of farming, ranching, rodeos (and Calgary Stampede) - a city in the middle of a lot of not too much. (Yes, there is oil making it wealthier.) But it's sort of like the US - was one of the frontier provinces and has retained a lot of rural rather than urban/suburban.

<i>Nor a polar bear...</i>

Isn't that always the way? Until it's too late, of course. I hear the Toronto transit system is rife with them.

They only ride the Ontario Northland Railway.

And if you're in Saskatchewan in the summer, bring a tennis racket to keep the mosquitoes at bay! They're the provincial bird, don't you know? :D

u

BC had a flood in 1948...

Calgary is way out there in the middle of nowhere. Is there anything out there that's higher than 3 stories? It's a little bit more sophisticated than your average cowtown, but that's it.

Believe they had only one really good steak house - you'd think they had more with all them cows around.

Vancouver, BC was the first overseas trip I took. I loved it and have returned many times.

Canada is really, really, big. As in HUGE. It takes 5 hours to fly from Vancouver to Toronto, three days to get there by train. Then there is a few more hours or a day and a half or so so get to the east coast from Toronto. Vancouver has just been voted the most liveable city in the world by some international forum or other. Housing prices are high in major cities, but we are accustomed to having lots of room, both indoors and out, so perhaps not fair to compare to what you are used to in the UK. With a sense of adventure (and a warm jacket) don't see how you couldn't love Canada.

Katie, have you researched
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=512112
http://www.canadianmidwives.org
http://www.ontarioimmigration.ca/en/...K_MIDWIFE.html

(Might as well get it from the horse's mouth!)

<<Calgary is way out there in the middle of nowhere. Is there anything out there that's higher than 3 stories? It's a little bit more sophisticated than your average cowtown, but that's it>>

Have you ever actually been to Calgary, easytraveler?