(Newswire.net — January 5, 2022) —
Canada welcomes more than 250,000 immigrants every year. While moving to Canada has its challenges, it brings a new multicultural environment that many appreciate.
Living in Canada is likely much different from living in your country which is why you must educate yourself on the differences before you move.
From harsh weather to Canada’s native wildlife, you’ll need to prepare to successfully transition. In this guide, we’ll teach you eight things you should know about Canada.
Keep reading to learn how Canada differs from your home country.
1. The Canadian Climate
You’ve probably heard of Canada’s extreme winters. Some people joke that their winters last 8 months! While that can be true in some parts of Canada. Their climate is quite diverse.
In most parts of Canada, you can enjoy all four seasons. They have hot summers, cold winters, and mild spring and fall seasons. Even in these areas, you should still be prepared for winter.
It is not uncommon in some provinces to have snow for six months straight. Temperatures easily reach 25 below Celsius or negative 13 degrees Fahrenheit.
With the right clothes, snow tires, and insulation you will easily brave the infamous Canadian winters.
2. Healthcare in Canada
Healthcare in Canada is likely much different from your country. The Canadian government offers free medical services that they deem essential. Yet not all their healthcare is free.
You also won’t receive free healthcare until you are a permanent resident and apply for a Medicare health insurance card. Medicare is Canada’s publicly funded healthcare system that is paid for by citizens’ taxes.
When you decide you are moving to Canada permanently, you’ll want to apply for Medicare as soon as possible. It can take up to three months to receive coverage.
Until you are covered, you might consider paying for some short-term medical coverage. This way, if you wind up in the hospital your bills will be considerably lower.
3. The Cost of Living
The cost of living in Canada varies from province to province. Though, the cost of living overall is likely lower than your home city, state, or country. Many cities in Ontario are quite cheap to live in and can provide good jobs.
Be careful moving into a large city like Vancouver or Toronto. They typically cost more to live in, and you will rack up other fees for parking and transit passes.
To learn more about moving to Canada and buying a home, follow this link for more info.
4. Your Driver’s License
Your driver’s license from your home country may only be valid for one to three months in Canada. If you want to use your current driver’s license in Canada, you’ll need to get an IDP in your home country.
Many of the tests you completed to get your current driver’s license may not be recognized in Canada. You will likely need to fill out extra paperwork to have it converted.
In Canada, licenses are not given by the federal government. Instead, they are awarded by the provinces. This means that laws in each province are different. You will need to check your province’s licensing rules for details.
5. The Canadian Landscape
While Canadian cities are beautiful and full of rich history, beyond the cities is even more enchanting.
About 90% of Canadians live within 100 miles of the American border, so there is plenty of undeveloped land to the North to explore.
Canada boasts beautiful meadows, freshwater lakes, and mountains galore. Their natural landscape is seemingly endless. When you want to get away from the hustle and bustle you have plenty of space in Canada to escape.
6. Canadian Education and Schools
If you are planning to relocate to Canada with your kids, you should learn about their education system. Similar to many other countries, education is a provincial responsibility. Each area has different standards for learning.
You won’t need to fret about finding your children the perfect school. Canada is one of the world’s top education performers. No matter what school you put your kid in, you’ll know they are getting a top-notch education.
7. Animals in Canada
The national mascots of Canada are the moose and the beaver. Just visit Canada and you’ll see their furry faces all over t-shirts, dishes, and even the currency.
Because of these animals’ prevalence, they’ve also become somewhat of a pest. Moose are known to cause accidents on the road which is why you’ll see plenty of moose crossing signs as you drive.
Beavers can be even worse. They may attack your dog, bite you, or flood the roads. Yet, there is not much to be done about them.
Bears are another Canadian native to look out for. Black bears, grizzly bears, and polar bears all live in Canada. Black bears are the least dangerous of the bunch, but the most common to see. There are about 500,000 in Canada.
Grizzly bears are less common with about 20,000, but far more dangerous. They will attack humans if they get too close and they can run almost 50 km/h.
Polar bears are the real killers you need to look out for. These bears are dwindling in population, but more than 70% of their species live in Canada. You don’t want to get near one of the 17,000 polar bears living here.
8. Canadian Culture and Languages
Canada has two official languages, French and English. Though, if you only speak English, you will get along just fine. Canadian English is only slightly different from American or British English.
The Canadians have slang terms like “biffy” for bathroom and “klick” for a kilometer. Their dollars are also not called “dollar coins” instead they are referred to as “loonies” while a two-dollar coin is a “toonie”.
Most people who move to Canada after they leave the country they’re from have found it easy to catch onto these slight differences in language.
Are You Moving to Canada?
Life in Canada can be exciting and liberating when you educate yourself about the country’s norms beforehand.
If you are planning on moving to Canada soon, you should learn as much as possible about their way of life. For more articles like this one, you should check out the rest of our page.