Courtesy of Wikipedia
According to recent statistics, Canada has replaced Australia as the destination of choice for young Irish people seeking work and it’s really not hard not to see why. The country has a lot to offer; a beautiful seasonal climate with warm sunny summers and cold and snowy winters, friendly and easy going people and best yet, it’s only a mere six hour flight home if you are inclined to get home sick.Though I’m not sure that you will.
It can be hard to know what to expect before moving to any new country. Of course, you will experience a new culture and a new way of life. You’ll be happy to know that with Canada, the people are very accepting of different cultures. Toronto, the largest city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario, is perhaps one of the most multicultural cities in the world.The city has a range of thriving cultural communities, from Little Italy to Greek town to China Town, every culture seems to be represented within this city. Of course, they haven’t neglected the Irish either. You will find numerous Irish bars dotted around the city which serve a variety of Irish cuisine and the obligatory pint of Guinness.
Shopping to Canada can be a different experience to Ireland though. First off, if it is food shopping you are doing, you’ll have to call it “grocery shopping”. Although you may think on that side of the world that things move quicker, it isn’t necessarily the case. Be prepared for long queues or “line-ups” as Canadians call them, at grocery stores. Check-out assistants tend to take their time and self-service kiosks don’t seem to have made their way over there yet. The common grocery store chains include Metro, Sobeys, Walmart and No Frills. The latter two being on the lower end of the scale in terms of price but perhaps higher on the scale in terms of stress-factor.
Another thing which can boggle new arrivals to Canada is the endless phone companies and the plans that go with them. It’s not all that easy to get the standard cheap pay as you go phone that you would find at home in Ireland. The best and cheapest option in most cases is to sign up to a bill pay contract, these can range from $30 – $60 a month, and generally the most basic will allow for free international texts and free calls at certain times of the day.
Also, if you plan on spending a lot of time walking around cities in Canada you’ll need to be familiar with the rules of the road. You’ll be glad to hear that cities are extremely pedestrian friendly there. For example, at a side road where there are no traffic lights, you as a pedestrian will have right away to cross the street over an oncoming vehicle. That’s not to say you should walk out in front of a car, but vehicles will generally slow down if they see a pedestrian attempting to cross the road in this scenario.
Canada is quite different to Ireland but different isn’t always bad. The people are what make a place and with the case of Canada, this is especially true. They are easy-going, friendly and very welcoming. Most importantly, they will make you feel at home and perhaps, like many Irish over there, you’ll never want to leave.
If you do feel homesick, remember there are some great shipping companies at your beckon call; whether it be getting a family member to ship you over clothes or food or perhaps, you may have gifts which you want to send to your own family back in Ireland. A good shipping company will make your life that bit easier and hassle-free.
