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1. Most jobs are with the Canadian government, which I cannot do, however how is the job market outside of that government sector?
I am a Special Ed teacher, I am actually licensed to work in the US as such but I am not sure that will work in Ottawa. but I am open to other jobs that do not entail teaching kids.
I believe around 30% of Ottawans works with the federal governement. While this is a huge number, there is still 70% work in the private sector (or with provincial/municipal governments). If I were you I would try to land a job as a teacher in a language school, at least until you find something that suits you better. I am sure they are looking for people with a native level in Spanish. I know someone who did that between two jobs.
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Originally Posted by xiloponeums
2. I know the weather is cold, but is it depressing like European weather?
Right now we live in Europe and although we love it, I HATE THE WEATHER. Let me tell you, European weather is an ATROCITY! It has not stopped raining for the last 12 days, continuous gloom and dark. I want the sun, even if it is -15 degrees out.
I lived in Lille, France for a year. I understand what you mean, the lack on sunshine there was a big shock even to me. It is definitely not like that here. Colder but much sunnier in winter.
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Originally Posted by xiloponeums
3. Is the city a giant suburban sprawl like many US cities?
Can you live in the city and have a proper city with walking areas, public transport feeling and so on, or is it like US cities where what they call city is an enormous suburban sprawl where the only option to move around is to own a car.
If you live outside the inner neighbourhoods, I would say it is definitely suburban but with better transit than in your average American city. I live in the suburbs and it takes me about 40 min to go downtown by bus/train. Walkability is much better closer to the core.
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Originally Posted by xiloponeums
4. How is Ottawa Boring?
We are aware it will not be a mega city like Tokyo with tons of things to see and do. I am aware it is more of a mid size city.
But when Canadians say it is boring, boring exactly how?
I do not like big nightclub, party all night type of fun, in fact I rather sleep. So the lack of loud 24/7 Ibiza type nightlife does not affect me. I do however love coffee shops, artsy places, theater, movies, some shopping here and there, and a nice cozy bar for some drinks with friends. I am big on jazz, salsa dancing, music places, picnics, summer bike rides etc.
Will Ottawa be boring for me?
Based on what your are looking for, I would say that you will find anything you want in inner neighbourhoods such as the Glebe. Hintonburg and Westoboro too but they are more out of the way (good connection to transit though).
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Originally Posted by xiloponeums
5. Is Canada as obsessed with race, ethnicity, political views, genders, sexuality etc, as the US?
One of the things I love about Europe and South America and that makes me absolutely dislike the US, its the fact that you can navigate through life without having to be labelled as a race, as an ethnicity, as a left winger, as a right winger, as an LGTBQ member etc. In Europe like in South America you are absolutely free to be who you are without having society push a label on you, which is what happens in the US where I feel society cannot live without calling you latino, lgtbq, minority, left winger, cisgender blah blah blah.
There is very little discrimination or "labeling" in Canada's largest cities. However some people may be less open-minded in the more remote regions, like in almost every European country. There is simply just less exposure to these things out there so while the locals will not be "intolerant", it could attract attention and curiosity. Not necessarily in a bad way. My girlfriend is Filipina and I've took her to many remote places in Quebec and it was never a negative thing. If anything people were impressed to see a non-francophone Asian lady in those remote places that see very little non-local traffic.
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Originally Posted by xiloponeums
6. I can speak French, it's speaking French and advantage in regards to jobs, making friends etc?
It helps for sure in the professional side of things. As to make friends, it won't really make a difference unless you spend time in Gatineau across the river.
I have known francophones who work in central Ottawa to cross over to Gatineau for lunch (especially if they're a group), or anglophones who work in central Gatineau to do the same. (Though it's not a seamless thing - you'll also hear lots of English in Gatineau restaurants at lunch time, and lots of French in Ottawa restaurants too.)
I agree, sure but people who are really francophone and anglophone don't usually befriend each other past formalities.
The fact that francophones have to cross a river to get to the 'other side' says a lot about how integrated Ottawa area is. The Ottawa-Gatineau area is divided into semi-official English and French zones.
I am truly bilingual, grew up speaking both in MTL to one English parent and one French parent, and for me the whole thing is exhausting.
If I were you I would try to land a job as a teacher in a language school, at least until you find something that suits you better. I am sure they are looking for people with a native level in Spanish. I know someone who did that between two jobs.
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This is a good suggestion. There is quite a bit of demand for Spanish instruction in both Ottawa and Gatineau.
Some jobs may require a teaching certification but others may not. Some may also be willing to "cut corners" on requirements depending on how desperate they are to find someone.
For something like special ed, my sense is that cutting corners on certification is much less likely though.
As I pointed out before, Ottawa does have quite a bit more sunshine hours than the Netherlands and the sun tends to be stronger due to the latitude being 45N.
Generally speaking people from the Benelux, UK and northern France don't really complain much at all about the weather here. Many prefer it to where they used to live.
Remember this guy is from tropical South America and has been living in the US. It's a heck of alot closer to the sunshine hours in Europe than it is like the US.
Unless he lives in Seattle or right across the border in northern New England or something - which seems very unlikely based on his line of questioning.
He has framed it as a question coming from somewhere in the more mild if not downright warm parts of the US.
Remember this guy is from tropical South America and has been living in the US. It's a heck of alot closer to the sunshine hours in Europe than it is like the US.
Unless he lives in Seattle or right across the border in northern New England or something - which seems very unlikely based on his line of questioning.
He has framed it as a question coming from somewhere in the more mild if not downright warm parts of the US.
I thought his reference point was the Netherlands... though I took note that he is originally from Latin or South America.
I thought his reference point was the Netherlands... though I took note that he is originally from Latin or South America.
I also thought his referenced point was the Netherlands. My response was obviously based on this. And as I spent a winter in Lille, which is very similar to the Netherlands weather-wise, I am 100% positive that living in Ottawa in winter is an improvement over Northern Europe in terms of sunshine. I am usually not very affected by weather, but I thought the lack of sunshine was hard to deal with in Northern France. Most of the time we had one sunny day per week (and that's counting days with a partial cloud cover). It's definitely not the same as here.
Yes I live in the netherlands, that is my reference point.
It-s been 16 days with no sunshine, just continuous gray skies and never ending drizzle.
I am from the mountain region of Colombia, so weather wise its more along the lines of Colorado in the summer.... 365 days like that with just occasional massive storms that last a few hours and then its back to sunny again aand 20 degrees.
But I know ottawa is not a tropical setting, I dont mind it, in fact I love snow!!! I just dont like European gloomy darkness.
I can take cold weather, in fact I love it, as long as its bright and sunny.
I also thought his referenced point was the Netherlands. My response was obviously based on this. And as I spent a winter in Lille, which is very similar to the Netherlands weather-wise, I am 100% positive that living in Ottawa in winter is an improvement over Northern Europe in terms of sunshine. I am usually not very affected by weather, but I thought the lack of sunshine was hard to deal with in Northern France. Most of the time we had one sunny day per week (and that's counting days with a partial cloud cover). It's definitely not the same as here.
oh definitivetly!
European weather is not made for the weak, not because its too hot or too cold, but because it is tediously depressing.
With global warming it has gotten sunnier or more continental, but it is FAR from ideal.
Let me give you all a 12 month reference of weather here.
OCTOBER, NOBEMBER, DECEMBER, JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH: Rain and gloomy skies, maybe one day of snow in the coldest months, but rain reigns over anything else.
APRIL, MAY, JUNE: BIPOLAR, sunny, rain, windy, rain, wind, sun, rain again all in one day!
JULY, AUGUST: Finally true summer!!
SEPTEMBER: Colder, ocassional rain but sunny as well
It is the toughest things. No wonder so many Europeans move to Spain, just about everyone I know has either a retirement home, or go yearly to spain.
Another thing that Acajack mentioned that made me surpremely happy is that Ottawa is on the same latitude as Southern France, which means more direct, brighter sunshine.
Netherlands is on the same longitud as Northern Quebec or around Churchill Manitoba on Hudson bay (see map), that means even sunshine tends to have a certain grayness to it.
When you stay long here you do not see it, but if you come by plane from north or south America, you can definitely notice it even during the summer. I do not know what it is, sort of a grayish blue.
Not that bright sunny blue you can see in Eastern North America around NYC (which is probably similar to Ottawa)
I agree, sure but people who are really francophone and anglophone don't usually befriend each other past formalities.
The fact that francophones have to cross a river to get to the 'other side' says a lot about how integrated Ottawa area is. The Ottawa-Gatineau area is divided into semi-official English and French zones.
I am truly bilingual, grew up speaking both in MTL to one English parent and one French parent, and for me the whole thing is exhausting.
its similar to Belgium
French and Nederlandophones (wallonians and flemish), they live side by side and many are even married to one another but barely interact socially.
It is so strange to meet Belgians who have lived in the Francofone part of Belgium their entire lives and have never been to Antwerp (A really cool flemish city barely 30 minutes away from the French linguistic border)
Or flemish as well, I had a friend from Antwerp who one day went to Brussels with me and to him it was like seeing another planet, despites Brussels being only 25 minutes away. He told me he had only passed through Brussels on his way to southern Europe.
You then have a lot of traveled, multilingual Belgians who find the whole thing exhausting and dont care.
Netherlands is on the same longitud as Northern Quebec or around Churchill Manitoba on Hudson bay (see map), that means even sunshine tends to have a certain grayness to it.
When you stay long here you do not see it, but if you come by plane from north or south America, you can definitely notice it even during the summer. I do not know what it is, sort of a grayish blue.
Not that bright sunny blue you can see in Eastern North America around NYC (which is probably similar to Ottawa)
Yes, I am familiar with the part of the world where you live and have noticed what you describe in the summer.
On another note, people from France are always surprised that we have cicadas (cigales) in the summer here in Quebec.
In France, they are stereotypically associated with the *true* south of the country and apparently are not found north of a line that approximately begins near Lyon.
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