Anyone from Ottawa or Quebec?
- Thread starter Voda Vosa
- Start date
Guillaume
Julie and I miss her
That's true, and the windchill is often worse downtown with the wind tunnel effect created by the skyscrapers.
Voda Vosa
First Post
Thanks for the informative reply Guillaume, I have to stick with a 1200 $ per month, as it's the maximum sum of money my scholarship will give me per month, so I think it's Quebec side for me. As for the wind, we have regular winds of 60 to 80 kms/hour here in Bahía Blanca, my city, so I think I'll be fine in that regard.
I didn't know there were apartments that included services. That sort of things doesn't happen in my side of the world. I think its pretty cool!
I didn't know there were apartments that included services. That sort of things doesn't happen in my side of the world. I think its pretty cool!
freyar
Extradimensional Explorer
One other thing to look into if you're going to live in Quebec, as opposed to Ontario. I assume you'll be getting a study permit and a visa from the Canadian federal government. You should be aware that Quebec (due to its unique status in Canada) has separate immigration requirements, so you should make sure you wouldn't require any documentation from the Quebec government also. Honestly, I'm not sure whether Quebec would care if you live there or not. Probably you wouldn't need it for your studying, since the school you'll attend is in Ontario, but you don't want problems at the border.
Guillaume
Julie and I miss her
From the time I had a few foreign students as collegues early in my PhD studies, I seem to remember that there were papers required for the medical insurance and Quebec specific student residency permits, but I'm unsure what they were. You should contact the university to guide you. They handle foreign students on a regular basis and are much more knowledgeable in these matters.
You might also want to contact the Quebec Immigration Department. The contact informations are available :
in French,
in English,
in Spanish.
The regional office for Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay are in São Paulo :
Bureau d’immigration du Québec à São Paulo
Avenida Eng. Luis Carlos Berrini, 1511
Salas 151 e 152
04571-011 - São Paulo SP
Brasil
Good luck.
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I live in Ottawa, and have for the last 15 years, since moving here from Montreal.
You'll be surprised by the temperatures. I have a friend who married a woman from Mexico City, and she's had some difficulties adapting. You get wild swings in temperature from season to season. I know she was expecting the cold winters, but wasn't expecting the summers to be *hotter* than Mexico City. I remember visiting her home in Mexico in September, and being surprised to see a woman walking past in a full length fur coat, while we were walking around in shorts and sandals. It's all what you're accustomed to.
One thing to keep in mind is that they're very big on taking the humidity level, and crediting that towards the overall temperature. They call it the "humidex".
Basically, during the summer, this city gets very hot and humid for stretches. You can get temperatures of up to 35 Celcius, and then with humidex, is "feels like" 43 Celcius. Really, it just means that it's plenty hot, and because it's so humid, it feels rather sticky and uncomfortable, and it can be a little hard to breath on some days (particularly if you have asthma). Most of the time, they're not that hot though. Temperatures in the 25-32 range are pretty regular during summer.
Average winter temperatures are usually in the -12 to -17 range.....though the final two weeks of January, and first two weeks of February can be quite cold. I believe we're one of the two coldest national capitals in the world. Doesn't mean it's like that every day....but for about that four week stretch I mentioned, I think the coldest temperature I remember is about -40 Celcius. It's enough to make your eyelashes freeze in a few minutes. As others have said, windchill makes the difference. We've also had several warm winters lately. Again, hit or miss. In the last five years, I've seen one of the warmest winters I can remember, and one of the coldest. I've seen one of the winters with the least snow (as in, we had almost no snow until the end of January), and then one where the snowbanks were over my head.
Scarfs can help deal with that. The other thing to do is get a neck warmer. I usually do that myself, instead of getting a scarf. It keeps chill air from coming in the neck of your jacket, and you can stretch it over your mouth and nose.
All that having been said, it often sounds worse than it is. Yes, it can be cold, but as long as you wear proper gear, you'll usually be fine.
It's plain stupidity to try to be one of the "cool guys" walking around in running shoes and no hat when it's cold like that.
For the winter, I definitely recommend getting a winter jacket, particularly if you depend on walking or a bus to get anywhere.
My current jacket is a Northface, and has lasted me 10 years, and is finally getting onto its last legs. You can probably get something nice and reliable wtith a wind resistant coating in the $150-300 range for a jacket. Pants can cost anywhere between $50-125. Usually mitts are better than gloves. With individual fingers, gloves don't tend to keep you as warm......but they *are* more convenient. Get a proper toque. And winter boots with thermalite or some kind of similar liner. Good brands are Columbia, Northface, Sorel etc. (there are others...those are just ones I've used). If you can't do that, at least go and get yourself a good pair of thermal ski socks (much cheaper than a new pair of boots).
I don't usually see the need for long johns....at least not around the city.
Also, you can somewhat circumvent spending a lot on a jacket, by making sure you have a nice thick sweater to wear when you go outside. If that's on under your jacket, it helps give you the layers you need to avoid the temperature.
Mostly, I find that as long as I'm dressed properly, the winter weather doesn't bother me that much. There are lots of activities to do in the winter. We have the longest outdoor skating rink in the world (I think it still ranks as such). There's a winter festival called Winterlude, lots of local ski hills as close as 20 minutes north of the city, and lots of other activities. They just opened up our first water park this summer, and there's a second one coming in another year or two. The restaurant scene has been dramatically changing in the last few years, with some really nice places opening up. Ottawa used to have kind of a bland series of bars etc. but they've really been changing things in the last few years.
Aside from ski hills and skating rinks, there are lots of other things in general close proximity. As others have said, there are a bunch of museums...our national art gallery, the recently refurbished natural science musuem, the museum of technology, war museum, museum of aviation, etc. There are great hiking parks near the city in Gatineau Park, zip lines, paint ball facilities, plenty of golf courses, a "big" lake with rentable canoes and paddle boats right in the middle of the city, etc.
There's a decent gaming community, and probably the best gaming store in the city is right downtown, within walking distance of the University of Ottawa, and is called "Fandom II". They have pretty much *everything*.
As to cost of living......the last time I was in an apartment was about 7 years ago. Back then, I think my rent was something like $700/month for a 350 square foot apartment (basically bedroom, bathroom, living room, and kitchen). That included heating, but not hydro. That was not a furnished apartment. I had to bring my own mattress, dressers, etc. It *did* include a fridge and stove.
High Speed Internet can be had for about $30/month. Bell phone service (basic package) runs as low as $25 I think....but that's with no voicemail or anything.
Cell phones are available in pre-paid plans, as well as in contracts. Keep in mind, cellphone contracts in Canada are longer than in other countries (from what I've heard). They usually want you to sign for 3 years. Depending on if you're on a regular phone or a smartphone, costs can range anywhere from $30-100/month.
Groceries depend on how much you eat. Talking with friends, some couples eat for about $250/month, and others spend $450/month. Those prices are for 2-3 people. Depends on how much manufactured food you eat. If you're working on campus, and can get a student card for a cafeteria, you'd probably do better.
Living on the Quebec side used to be a lot less expensive. But I'm not sure what it's like now. I think it's gotten pricier than it was 10 years ago. If you speak no French, it's hit or miss what kind of service you get. I do speak French, but many of my friends don't, and sometimes have problems. My wife and I were shopping in Gatineau (the city on the Quebec side of the river from Ottawa), a saleswoman came and asked her in French if she wanted help, and my wife responded that she doesn't speak French. Instead of going to get an associate who speaks English, she just shrugged and walked away. That doesn't mean people get that all the time....it's just sometimes you get attitude, and other times you don't.
In general, I'd like to think that the people here are pretty polite. Many are very nice. It's humorous at times to sit at a stop sign, and see a bunch of people waving to each other to go through first. The people used to be "colder", but I find the city is starting to become more hip than it used to be. More multicultural, more interesting things to do.....it's starting to come into its own, I guess you'd say.
The population itself is pretty tech-savvy. We probably have one of the highest levels of education in the country on average (in terms of university degree holders etc.), a high degree of technical literacy, and lots of technical jobs. One of the nice things with the Universities here is that often they have boards where you can arrange to hitch a ride with other students who happen to have transportation on weekends and such. So, if you want to experience Quebec City, Montreal, or Toronto, you can usually find *someone* who is going for a weekend or long weekend, and get a lift with them, in return for gas money, if you want to have a chance to experience some really vibrant cities. Personally, I'd say if you have a chance to see Montreal (2 hours by car), Quebec City (5 hours by car), or Toronto (4 hours by car) while you're here, I'd jump on it (particularly Quebec City, which is absolutely beautiful).
I hope you enjoy your time here!
Banshee
You'll be surprised by the temperatures. I have a friend who married a woman from Mexico City, and she's had some difficulties adapting. You get wild swings in temperature from season to season. I know she was expecting the cold winters, but wasn't expecting the summers to be *hotter* than Mexico City. I remember visiting her home in Mexico in September, and being surprised to see a woman walking past in a full length fur coat, while we were walking around in shorts and sandals. It's all what you're accustomed to.
One thing to keep in mind is that they're very big on taking the humidity level, and crediting that towards the overall temperature. They call it the "humidex".
Basically, during the summer, this city gets very hot and humid for stretches. You can get temperatures of up to 35 Celcius, and then with humidex, is "feels like" 43 Celcius. Really, it just means that it's plenty hot, and because it's so humid, it feels rather sticky and uncomfortable, and it can be a little hard to breath on some days (particularly if you have asthma). Most of the time, they're not that hot though. Temperatures in the 25-32 range are pretty regular during summer.
Average winter temperatures are usually in the -12 to -17 range.....though the final two weeks of January, and first two weeks of February can be quite cold. I believe we're one of the two coldest national capitals in the world. Doesn't mean it's like that every day....but for about that four week stretch I mentioned, I think the coldest temperature I remember is about -40 Celcius. It's enough to make your eyelashes freeze in a few minutes. As others have said, windchill makes the difference. We've also had several warm winters lately. Again, hit or miss. In the last five years, I've seen one of the warmest winters I can remember, and one of the coldest. I've seen one of the winters with the least snow (as in, we had almost no snow until the end of January), and then one where the snowbanks were over my head.
Scarfs can help deal with that. The other thing to do is get a neck warmer. I usually do that myself, instead of getting a scarf. It keeps chill air from coming in the neck of your jacket, and you can stretch it over your mouth and nose.
All that having been said, it often sounds worse than it is. Yes, it can be cold, but as long as you wear proper gear, you'll usually be fine.
It's plain stupidity to try to be one of the "cool guys" walking around in running shoes and no hat when it's cold like that.
For the winter, I definitely recommend getting a winter jacket, particularly if you depend on walking or a bus to get anywhere.
My current jacket is a Northface, and has lasted me 10 years, and is finally getting onto its last legs. You can probably get something nice and reliable wtith a wind resistant coating in the $150-300 range for a jacket. Pants can cost anywhere between $50-125. Usually mitts are better than gloves. With individual fingers, gloves don't tend to keep you as warm......but they *are* more convenient. Get a proper toque. And winter boots with thermalite or some kind of similar liner. Good brands are Columbia, Northface, Sorel etc. (there are others...those are just ones I've used). If you can't do that, at least go and get yourself a good pair of thermal ski socks (much cheaper than a new pair of boots).
I don't usually see the need for long johns....at least not around the city.
Also, you can somewhat circumvent spending a lot on a jacket, by making sure you have a nice thick sweater to wear when you go outside. If that's on under your jacket, it helps give you the layers you need to avoid the temperature.
Mostly, I find that as long as I'm dressed properly, the winter weather doesn't bother me that much. There are lots of activities to do in the winter. We have the longest outdoor skating rink in the world (I think it still ranks as such). There's a winter festival called Winterlude, lots of local ski hills as close as 20 minutes north of the city, and lots of other activities. They just opened up our first water park this summer, and there's a second one coming in another year or two. The restaurant scene has been dramatically changing in the last few years, with some really nice places opening up. Ottawa used to have kind of a bland series of bars etc. but they've really been changing things in the last few years.
Aside from ski hills and skating rinks, there are lots of other things in general close proximity. As others have said, there are a bunch of museums...our national art gallery, the recently refurbished natural science musuem, the museum of technology, war museum, museum of aviation, etc. There are great hiking parks near the city in Gatineau Park, zip lines, paint ball facilities, plenty of golf courses, a "big" lake with rentable canoes and paddle boats right in the middle of the city, etc.
There's a decent gaming community, and probably the best gaming store in the city is right downtown, within walking distance of the University of Ottawa, and is called "Fandom II". They have pretty much *everything*.
As to cost of living......the last time I was in an apartment was about 7 years ago. Back then, I think my rent was something like $700/month for a 350 square foot apartment (basically bedroom, bathroom, living room, and kitchen). That included heating, but not hydro. That was not a furnished apartment. I had to bring my own mattress, dressers, etc. It *did* include a fridge and stove.
High Speed Internet can be had for about $30/month. Bell phone service (basic package) runs as low as $25 I think....but that's with no voicemail or anything.
Cell phones are available in pre-paid plans, as well as in contracts. Keep in mind, cellphone contracts in Canada are longer than in other countries (from what I've heard). They usually want you to sign for 3 years. Depending on if you're on a regular phone or a smartphone, costs can range anywhere from $30-100/month.
Groceries depend on how much you eat. Talking with friends, some couples eat for about $250/month, and others spend $450/month. Those prices are for 2-3 people. Depends on how much manufactured food you eat. If you're working on campus, and can get a student card for a cafeteria, you'd probably do better.
Living on the Quebec side used to be a lot less expensive. But I'm not sure what it's like now. I think it's gotten pricier than it was 10 years ago. If you speak no French, it's hit or miss what kind of service you get. I do speak French, but many of my friends don't, and sometimes have problems. My wife and I were shopping in Gatineau (the city on the Quebec side of the river from Ottawa), a saleswoman came and asked her in French if she wanted help, and my wife responded that she doesn't speak French. Instead of going to get an associate who speaks English, she just shrugged and walked away. That doesn't mean people get that all the time....it's just sometimes you get attitude, and other times you don't.
In general, I'd like to think that the people here are pretty polite. Many are very nice. It's humorous at times to sit at a stop sign, and see a bunch of people waving to each other to go through first. The people used to be "colder", but I find the city is starting to become more hip than it used to be. More multicultural, more interesting things to do.....it's starting to come into its own, I guess you'd say.
The population itself is pretty tech-savvy. We probably have one of the highest levels of education in the country on average (in terms of university degree holders etc.), a high degree of technical literacy, and lots of technical jobs. One of the nice things with the Universities here is that often they have boards where you can arrange to hitch a ride with other students who happen to have transportation on weekends and such. So, if you want to experience Quebec City, Montreal, or Toronto, you can usually find *someone* who is going for a weekend or long weekend, and get a lift with them, in return for gas money, if you want to have a chance to experience some really vibrant cities. Personally, I'd say if you have a chance to see Montreal (2 hours by car), Quebec City (5 hours by car), or Toronto (4 hours by car) while you're here, I'd jump on it (particularly Quebec City, which is absolutely beautiful).
I hope you enjoy your time here!
Banshee
Guillaume
Julie and I miss her
That's the down sound of the linguistic battles that have been going on for hundreds of years. I've had quite a few similar experiences trying to get served in French in Ottawa only to be completely ignored by the salespeople. Idiots exist everywhere
As for the cost of living, I have been shopping for housing in the past few weeks as I might be moving back. As far as I can see, the cost of living might have climbed, and it is higher in Gatineau than in other cities of Quebec, but as far as I can tell it remains less than in Ottawa.
Voda Vosa
First Post
I really appreciate the effort of writing all this and giving me so much information, it's really helpfull. I'm making lots of plans according to it.
My girlfriend has won a similar scholarship and will go to Quebec city. Lucky her she speaks french and english.
I'm going to Carleton university in Ottawa; I've seen it from outside using google maps, and it's really nice, modern and big! Universities here tend to resemble the parthenon, for reasons unkown to me.
Here's mine:
My girlfriend has won a similar scholarship and will go to Quebec city. Lucky her she speaks french and english.
I'm going to Carleton university in Ottawa; I've seen it from outside using google maps, and it's really nice, modern and big! Universities here tend to resemble the parthenon, for reasons unkown to me.
Here's mine:
Guillaume
Julie and I miss her
Classical architecture was really popular in university construction in the first half of the 20th Century here. But starting after the Second World War, modern architecture set in and now adays, most new constructions are big glass and concrete modern things.
One thing to note, if you are going to Carleton U, it is located quite a bit from the STO (Société de Transport de l'Outaouais, the Quebec side mass-transit society) bus routes. Commute from Gatineau to the university will be more difficult, but not impossible. You might need an extra transfer than you would probably need if you were going to Ottawa U. That is one thing to keep in mind.
You can check the transit maps of OC Transpo and the STO to give you an idea. Looking that the maps, I get the feeling that if you manage to take an STO bus downtown (Ottawa or the Hull sector of Gatineau, right accross the river), than transfer to the OC Transpo system, than onto the O-Train, that would be the fastest commute for you. Like I said, not impossible but more complicated.
About Quebec city, it is a funny coincidence that my wife and I live a short commute from Quebec. Actually, Julie now works for the provincial department of Natural Ressources and Wildlife downtown. Funny coincidence!
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That's the down sound of the linguistic battles that have been going on for hundreds of years. I've had quite a few similar experiences trying to get served in French in Ottawa only to be completely ignored by the salespeople. Idiots exist everywhere
As for the cost of living, I have been shopping for housing in the past few weeks as I might be moving back. As far as I can see, the cost of living might have climbed, and it is higher in Gatineau than in other cities of Quebec, but as far as I can tell it remains less than in Ottawa.
Oh, I know......my ancestors were some of the first French to come over, combined with native and later a bit of Irish. I'm in the first generation in our family born out of Quebec. I'm pretty familiar with the politics of the language wars
I only brought it up because the OP was from Argentina, and I'll admit to the ignorance of not knowing the likelihood that someone from Argentina would speak French.Yes, I've discriminatory remarks going both ways.
Anyways, I don't want to take this into political discourse. Most of the time, if people at least make the *attempt* to use French, *most* people appreciate it, and if they have English, will switch over if they know the visitor is struggling. It's really no different than going to Mexico or Spain or Italy, or France. Make the attempt to respect the local language, and it improves your reception.
I know real estate is less on the Quebec side. But taxes are higher, and other aspects of the cost of living are higher. But for the price of a townhouse in Ottawa, you can get a single with a nice property in areas of Gatineau. And an ex girlfriend of mine had an apartment in Gatineau years ago, and it was cheap. Lots of space, and I think it cost her something like $350/month. It was crazy inexpensive. But times have changed, so I'm not sure about prices now. You're probably right that they would still be less than Ottawa.
For the original poster, the only place for living that I'd avoid is the area near the old train yards, south of U of O. Lots of students live in that area because it's close and inexpensive, but health-wise, it may not be a good idea, from what I've heard.
Banshee
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