Best Canadian cities for African immigrants
Canada is the second largest country in the world, it has 10 provinces, 3 territories and 6 time zones. The country has developed an entry program for African immigrants. Visas can now be issued quickly and free of charge. It is easy to get confused by the variety of cities and regions. Where to go, where is it cheaper to live and which provinces have additional programs to help Africans?
A country of great distances and opportunities
Everything is great in this country: from distances to opportunities. Here there is no division between locals and foreigners, cannabis and same-sex marriages are legalized, people are as liberal as possible and treat everyone equally. Unprepared for such cultural diversity, this may shock the average African at first.
People from all over the world are attracted to Canada by quality education, social security system and free medicine. In addition, here you have to be prepared for high taxes: every Canadian resident or immigrant gives 20-30% of their income to the needs of the state.
Living in the country is expensive, but all doors open for those who are persistent and hardworking. That is why Africans choose Canada for emigration.
Advantages and disadvantages of living in Toronto
The most popular city among African immigrants is the almost 3 million-strong giant of Toronto (Ontario province). The city of skyscrapers and a huge lake in the middle of the city beckons primarily with its hyped name.
Other provinces are little known to Africans, so there is a real excitement in Toronto now.
The advantages of Toronto are:
- great opportunities
- diverse cultural and social life,
- active African community,
- Good climate condition
Among the disadvantages, Toronto costs at least twice as much as in other provinces. Due to the large influx of people, finding housing here will turn into a real quest, and the prices will not please you: renting a one-room apartment starts at 1,500 Canadian dollars per month.
Finding an apartment is a real challenge, because without a contract with an employer and an amount that must be paid immediately in several months, it is impossible to do it.
The distances in Toronto are insane, and without a car you can spend most of your time traveling by public transport, which is twice as long as in your own car. Also, language learning is the most profitable investment before moving. The higher the level of English, the greater the opportunities in the new land.
Pros and cons of moving to Ottawa
Life in Ottawa is as expensive as in Toronto, and the process of settling in without knowing the language will be extremely difficult. The support in Ottawa is tremendous. They will help you with everything you need for the first time, but living here is expensive. Many times cheaper in the neighboring province of Quebec.
Life in the province of Quebec
I have been living in Montreal (Quebec, the official language of the province is French) for 12 years. I moved to the French-speaking province deliberately. Convincingly, Montreal is the perfect city to start from scratch.
Life here is 2-2.5 times cheaper than in Ontario. For example, housing can be rented from 700 Canadian dollars. For newly arrived Africans, the province has its own initiative: when concluding a contract for renting an apartment for a year, the first 3 months are free. Also, insurance, taxes and education are much cheaper here.
For example, kindergarten will cost 8 Canadian dollars per day, which is a ridiculous price for Ontario. Another advantage over Toronto is an extensive network of public transport. The longest distance can be covered in a maximum of 40 minutes, and in the province it is easier to get the status of a permanent resident of Canada.
In Quebec, Locals are very helpful and employers give them priority. Therefore, it is easy to find a job. The only thing that worries Africans is French. But, there are completely English-speaking areas here, and for those who want to learn the language, the province offers courses with a stipend of $200 a month. There is a large African community in Montreal, the climate differs from ours only in a longer winter, which is immediately followed by a hot summer.
Pros and cons of living in Alberta
From the province of Alberta, located in the western part of Canada, immigrants may be scared away by the weather (warm summers here, but rather cold winters). The nature here is incredible, and the climate is dry, unlike mega-expensive Vancouver, which floods with rain.
Winters here are longer and snowier, and sometimes there is a phenomenon unique to this area – the Shinuk arch (When a strong warm wind traps a large cloud over the tops of the mountains, and the air temperature rises rapidly from -20°C to +10°C). Then the locals put on sandals under their down jackets.
But this is compensated by the beauty of the mountains and the dry, sunny summer. Life in Calgary is comfortable and cheaper than in Toronto, and people come here less often only because of the stereotypical perception of the word province.
An apartment here can be rented from 800 Canadian dollars. There is a large African community in Calgary.
Other Canadian provinces and cities
The neighboring provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan also have an active African community. Therefore, only here there is a simplified exchange of driver’s licenses for Canadian ones. And in Manitoba, it is possible to obtain the status of a permanent resident for only six months of work and residence in the province.
In the Facebook community an African in Canada talked about the pros and cons of living in small towns in the province of Ontario, which she visited herself:
- Guelph;
- Waterloo;
- Kitchener;
- Cambridge;
- Berry;
- Kingston;
- Peterborough;
- Stratford
There is no universal answer to where to move, because it depends on family circumstances and financial capabilities. However, among the advantages of living in small towns:
- affordable housing;
- low level of unemployment and crime;
- clean environment;
- good education and service.
Among the disadvantages:
- long winters;
- unreliability of public transport;
- limited opportunities for career growth or cultural leisure.
In general, you can settle comfortably anywhere in Canada. And local Africans insist in unison on one thing: everyone who wants to work and study will be able to find themselves in a country of great opportunities. And in order to simplify the adaptation as much as possible, they advise you to learn English, because language is still important everywhere.
