Choosing between Toronto and Ottawa when Moving to Canada

When you plan to immigrate to Canada, you probably choose which city or province is suitable for you to live in based on several factors. It might be that you choose a province or a city because you already have a relative or any of the family members in that particular province or city and it might also happen that you have researched and studied about the city and based on the employment opportunities, education system and amenities of the city, you choose to settle.

Canada is a large and diverse country with different provinces to explore in. When it comes to choosing between Toronto and Ottawa, it might be a difficult task for each one of you.

1. Ottawa is the capital city of Canada while Toronto is one of the top selected destinations by the newcomers coming to settle in Canada.
2. Both Ottawa and Toronto have a strong economy. Ottawa provides unlimited job opportunities while Toronto creates business opportunities for its people. Toronto is majorly dealing into business sector. Establishing a business in Toronto will an efficient an inexpensive process.
3. Ottawa is a bilingual city with English and French as the official languages whereas Toronto is a multicultural city where majority of population are immigrants.
4. Toronto has marked its place in the top 10 World’s most economically powerful cities while the unemployment rate of Ottawa is slightly lower than the Canadian average of 6.8%.
5. The key industries in Ottawa are technologies, life science, professional services, public service and tourism while the key industries of Toronto are finance, health care, industries and services sector.
6. Ottawa is having one of the most highly educated workforces in Canada with two main universities namely University of Ottawa and Carleton University. In Toronto, University of Toronto is considered to be one of the world’s most prestigious post-secondary institutions.
7. When it comes to accommodation, there is wide range of options both in Toronto and Ottawa but finding a home in Toronto would be bit costly when compared to Ottawa.
8. Toronto is known for its high standard of health care and medical services provided to its people. Residents in Ottawa and Toronto are eligible for provincial public health program “Ontario Health Insurance Plan” but as soon as you arrive in Canada your first task would be to apply for the health program as it takes 3 months to get the health card.
9. Talking about cleanliness, the major drawback of Toronto is the pollution and it’s not considered as a cleanest city while Ottawa is considered to be the clean city among other locations in Canada.

Choosing between Toronto and Ottawa is based on the overall quality of life which also includes employment opportunities, educational systems, culture, cleanliness etc. Basically choosing where to move in Canada is all about what are your preferences while choosing a city or province.