Ontario???

Question

We've heard that most cities in northern Ontario are VERY COLD and more EXPENSIVE to live from HAMILTON all yhe way up to OTTAWA.Is it true??? And in the NIAGARA REGION

cities as : NIAGARA FALLS, ST.CATHARINES, THOROLD AND WELLAND are less COLD and far less EXPENSIVE.Is it true???If YES is the answer to THOROLD and WELLAND, We would like to know more about public transportation, middle school and elementary school for our kids (one is AUTISTIC), weather condition, medical services and job opportunity for Nail Technician and Computer Operator and generally what is the cost of renting a 2 bedrooms Apartment in THOROLD and or WELLAND???Thanks so much for your opinions.

Answer 1

Northern Ontario is anything Above Muskoka, and that's about 1 1/2 hrs north of Toronto. Ottawa isn't Northern Ontario.

Niagara, Hamilton is the Niagra region, Toronto, Mississauga, Oakville, Etobicoke, Oshawa etc.. are all southern Ontario and new york gets colder weather than we do! All of Ontario is expensive by national standards. We have a very little,if any, funding for children with Autism (I'm a social worker and currently work at a residential group home for teens with Autism).

It's not that much colder either in northern Ontario in my opinion, it's just that winter hits there sooner and leaves later. They do tend to get more snow than us though.

As for all your other info, why don't you just look it up on line. I don't think most people have the time to do the research for you. Pretty hard to generalize as the cities very quite a bit.

Answer 2

Northern Ontario can be very cold in winter.  Niagara Falls through to Toronto is the outside of Lake Ontario and a main highway connects them all.  Ottawa is further East and can be very cold like the north in winter.  The weather in Southern Ontario and the Niagara region is very similar to New York City.  The temperature and price one pays to live in Ontario are not related at all.  

Bigger cities are more expensive to live in but there is public transit.  If you go to a smaller city outside a large city rent is cheaper but you run the risk of no public transit.  

Niagara Falls and St. Catharines will have public transit and taxis - but smaller cities like Thorold and Welland I don't believe have anything so a car is probably necessary.

As for schools - there isn't always a middle school, most are kindergarten to grade 8 - possibly junior kindergarten as well.

Depending upon where you live - if in a smaller community school buses take the children to school.  There has been quite a push to mainstream handicapped children - that means your autistic child will likely go to the same school as your other child(ren).  A worker/volunteer and sometimes other students assist with the handicapped child.  If you are not Canadian citizens I am not sure how the schooling would work for your autistic child.  

If you are/become a Canadian citizen then you will qualify for OHIP - free healthcare.  Getting a family doctor may be a challenge but there are walk-in clinics in the bigger cities.

Job opportunities will depend on you and how far you want to go - ie. bigger city and whether or not you want to work outside your chosen fields if necessary.

Here is a link for the St. Catharines Standard and the Welland Tribune - check out the classified sections for renting - rates and possibly what jobs are available and what they pay.

http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/

http://www.wellandtribune.ca/

Good luck to you