Opinion: Relocating to Canada – A bad or good move?

Image: Jennifer Hough

'There’s nothing like moving out of your comfort zone to give you a new lust for life.'

Jennifer Hough is an Irish journalist currently working with with Toronto Star in Canada. In this piece for WorldIrish, she writes about her initial move to Canada and her experiences of living there.

A bad move?

When I decided to quit my job and upsticks to Toronto, depending on who you spoke to I was either slightly unhinged, or absolutely unhinged.

You see I’m no spring chicken anymore, and a girl of my age was supposed to be settling down, not gallivanting half way across the world. Again.

So, the pressure was on, this venture had to work out; returning to the motherland tail-between-legs was not an option.

Now, almost a year on from where we started (a Cork man was brought along for moral support) I am glad, and just a little self-satisfied to say things could not be better. Both the Cork man and I are gainfully employed and the transition from Irish life to Canadian has been fairly smooth.

But don’t get me wrong, there were dark times. Times when I seriously questioned the rationality of leaping so blindly into the unknown. This, I'm sure, is par for the course for any immigrant making their way in a new country, but that's cold comfort as you sit unemployed in a cosmopolitan competitive city of 2.7million, wondering where the next pay cheque is going to come from.

Image: Jennifer Hough

We've arrived

So, after an initial two month road trip across Canada (highly recommended) landing in Toronto was exciting yes, but a little daunting too.

A rapidly expanding urban centre (it recently overtook Chicago as North America’s 4th largest city and is growing at an annual rate of about 38,000 people), needless to say you’re not the only one pounding the pavements looking for accommodation and work.

A place to hang your hat is probably the biggest worry any newcomer to this city has. There's so many people looking, and a limited amount of affordable, quality places. Doing a bit of research before you leave is sensible. But beware of scams on sites like Craigslist and Kijiji. If you see an amazing deal in the perfect location that looks too good to be true, it probably is.

Most apartments are unfurnished, though that said, again we were lucky, and managed to bag a fully furnished place right near the subway - a feature that should be near the top of your lodgings wishlist.

The Irish factor

Getting all this practical stuff done is tough going, but it's all part of the experience, and there’s nothing like moving out of your comfort zone to give you a new lust for life. 

Though I’ve lived away from Ireland many times before, never has it been so apparent to me how important that is. And never has it been so apparent to me what an asset it is to be Irish, and how much we rely on one another.

There’s nothing like being a Paddy in a foreign land these days; everyone wants to be Irish, even if only for a day, something that’s borne out every March 17 when people of all creed and colours don their finest green garb.

About 4 million Canadians claim Irish ancestry and with plane loads of new blood arriving by the week, the ties between Canada and Ireland are only set to strengthen.

The ex-pat community in Toronto is as strong as I’ve seen anywhere having lived in the US, UK, New Zealand.

There are in excess of 12 GAA teams in the city, there's a government-funded Irish centre, an Irish Association of Toronto, the Toronto Irish Players (a drama group set up in the 1970s by Irish immigrants), the Ireland-Canada Chamber of Commerce Toronto and countless other groups around the city.

Whereas in times gone by Irish immigrants gathered in community centres, or pubs (we still do that), increasingly online communities are taking their place.

When I first arrived in Toronto the Facebook page New and Irish in Toronto had just reached the 2,000 mark. Now a year later it's at 3,200. Its used to network, to buy, sell, chat, talk about visas, jobs, nightlife, make new friends, slag old ones.

A new group set up in the past month, Going Solo to Toronto, is proving to be an invaluable tool for those making the journey alone. It started with about 10 members and now has 110.

Suffice it to say, if you’ve come to Canada to get away from Irish people, you’re in the wrong place.

For anyone considering a leap across the pond, remember you are extremely lucky to be Irish at this particular point in time. 

Yes things are bad at home, but opportunities for Irish across the world are better than ever, and the support networks, thanks to past generations who've paved the way, are well in place. We Irish do self-deprecation well, but remember, to the world at large we are a nation of well-educated, charming grafters who'll never let the world get them down.

So to anyone sitting on the fence as regards taking that leap of faith, don't let them tell you you're mad: just do it.

Categories: Opinion, Canada, Toronto, Emigration