Canada - British Expat Forum

Hi Guys

As some of you know we currently live in Barrie with a wish to move to Kitchener/Waterloo area.

I lost my job in January and there doesn't seem to be much going on in Barrie regarding jobs - and we are scared to move to KW without a job offer in place. To cut to the point, there is a position available in hubby's company but the job would be in Mississauga.
I've been down there a couple of times and it is obviously very different to Barrie!!
I am London girl born and bred so the "big city" is not a problem for me and I would probably get used to it....if only for the sake of a job.
However my concern is for my 8 year old son and what it would be like growing up down there.

If anybody has any knowledge of the area or any views such as "are you nuts" etc then I would really appreciate them. I have to apply for the job by Thursday.....

Thanks

Mal

Personally I do not like it as I feel it lacks "soul", but remember I live on a farm and so are used to open spaces. Our friends live there and are very happy - but they traded a "lego land" house in the UK for the same over here - new build in a cul da sac, all 2.4 children, all clones of each other, everyone washes the car on Sunday, small yards, smells of the city - pollution etc. Our 6 year old feels scared playing in the open space behind the house as it is frequented by druggies at night and so you never know what you are going to find.

BUT that is my take not some one elses - I would likely say the same about a posh housing estate built by Redrow etc in the UK. I am not a suburb person. Remember where I am you have to be self employed or travel 40 mins to get to work.

At the end of the day in the climate as it is a job is a job and beggars cannot be choosers as they same.

carolinedraper wrote:At the end of the day in the climate as it is a job is a job

You could give it a go knowing deep down that it's not going to be forever and it may open doors elsewhere. If there's nothing much for you in Barrie, then what the heck, what do you have to lose?

Just my opinion, I have no idea what Mississauga's like so, sorry to be off topic.....

Thanks Caroline and Jessica I certainly know what you mean. The thing with the druggies etc is my biggest nightmare.....I'm not a snob by any means but Barrie is known as a "Anglo Saxon" middle class area....so our little guy has got used to that. I'm scard that Mississauga will be like a ghetto and he just won't cope.
My friend who used to live and work in Toronto says that Barrie is a bit of a "bubble" and that the real world is not like that....

But like you both say...a job is a job.

Thanks for your input

Mal

In many ways Barrie is like where I live, and people say the same about the "bubble". The real world is different, but the real world pays the wages.

Mal: You do not seem to have received much first hand knowledge of Mississauga so I'll give you a little. It has been eight years since I worked in Mississauga, living nearby, but I spent 26 years there in the police service before retiring. Your safety concerns for your children really caught my eye.

Mississauga is a sprawling, modern city. It has good infrastructure, a very good transportation system, also it contains Pearson (Toronto) International Airport. It is all very new, has excellent amenities for adults and children alike, and is very progressive in a myriad of ways. The present Mayor, Hazel McCallion, has been mayor since forever, in fact I believe she is now Canada's longest serving mayor. She leads a city that has distinguished itself as carrying absolutely no debt. The school systems there (Separate and Public) are likewise well run and responsive. The police service there is recognized as one of the most progressive and successful ones anywhere. It does, of course have many of the problems associated with a big city, but I would not have any concerns about safety there beyond concerns about anywhere else. In short, Mississauga is a great place to live and work.

The down side - it's a big city. It is congested, busy, noisy at times and yes, it does have crime for sure. If your job pulls you there, though, in my view you should not be concerned. Good luck.

Hi Mal,

We moved to Mississauga this January and have been here 4 months now. You may remember me (I have the cottage in Hunstville that Annette (Nik)rented out)? anyway I would be happy to give you my view of the area. We live in Streetsville (known as the Village in the City of Mississauga)and by all means come down and do a recce and get a sense of being here.
Will mail you later as I gotta get ready for work.

Nicky.

Hi Buddyboy

Thank you for such a great insight....we actually did a bit of a tour of Mississauga last week as I was in Kitchener for a job interview....don't even ask about that!!!!! 250 candidates for one job....it was like auditioning for American Idol. My heart just sank into my boots when I saw so many people there.
From what we saw of the area, it was very busy like you said...but it wasn't as bad as I thought. It wouldn't take me too long to get used to it as I am a London girl. I now don't think that hubby's company are going to interview me...simply because they don't have a tech here in the North...so they would be "shooting themselves in the foot" if they took me on as hubby would no longer be serving the North. But if they did decide to then I would certainly go where the work was. I was pretty impressed that most of the schools have before and after care...that was a definate bonus. We'll just wait and see what happens. To be honest we are just stumbling around in the dark at the moment...not knowing where to go but certain that we want to get out of Barrie.

Hi Nicky

Of course I remember you....I think my daughter was chatting to your daughter the other night on facebook or one of those things LOL
If I get offered the chance of an interview then I will certainly take you up on the tour.....glad you are settling in so well!!!!

Thanks a lot guys for your replies

Mal

Hi Mal,
Yes they were! Emma has been here for 3 weeks and goes back to the UK next Tuesday (back to Uni).

There are some great areas in Mississauga to live, Streetsville, Port Credit and Erindale area. Lots of parks,good schools and check out the 80 something year old Mayor on you tube (she was featured on the Rick Mercer show a few weeks ago).It is the only debt free city in Ontario and its has lots going on for all cultures.

Look forward to meeting you guys soon,

Nicky

I know you wanted to move out of Barrie and though I don't have much to say about Mississauga (other than I heard traffic can be heavy) I wish you the best of luck... If you are a London girl you can survive anything!!!

As for the bubble - we like it

Tigger