hello canada
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- Terminal27
Hi guys.
I'm very seriously considering immigrating to Canada.
I don't know a huge amount about the design scene. I'm thinking about Vancover and Toronto.If any of you guys or girls live there or have anything useful to share I'd love some thoughts.
Thanks
- Drno0
forget vancouver, its boring
go to T.dot, you'll have more fun
- Aliyah0
Canada Rocks!
- mr_snuggles0
I lived in Toronto for 10 years and before that, the niagara region in Ontario... It's great if you are into the outdoors, nature, etc, but the design scene isn't so great.
Really there's about 3 good studios [in my opinion] in the country..
- brandelec0
come to vancouver, toronto stinks plus we have the best weed. ever.
- Jaline0
I'd say Toronto. Vancouver's cool too but (personally) I think it's further away from everything.
i think snuggles single-handedly halted the number of people migrating to Canada during the past few years. At the Chinese people, anyway, but that's b/c a lot of them like their leader now. Apparently more Indians are coming here.
- mint0
Dont come to Calgary, we are full
- Jaline0
I'll stop this argument now....come to Ottawa instead. Start your own company or don't be a designer if you move here though...
- sherman0
come to union bay BC and work.
i stock the fridge with lucky and we get off early on fridays for guns and 4X4ing.
- mr_snuggles0
I try...but it depends what you want, if your career as a designer is your top priority, then don't bother...
We've all moved to Holland! I shit you not...
- ETM0
Consider Calgary. We have more jobs than people right now, lots of oil industry companies to work with that have deep pockets and we are the 2nd city in Canada for corporate head offices, behind TO.
Cost of living and growth is getting crazy, but no worse than TO or Van City.
- Jaline0
There are many places attemping to get more immigrants, such as every east-coast province b/c they are all moving to Calgary. Maybe a few move to Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal too. And a couple to Ottawa.
- ETM0
Dont come to Calgary, we are full
mint
(Oct 20 06, 08:54)----
What are you talking about!? Calgary needs more workers... we may not have housing for them, but they can sleep on the office couches. :)
- mint0
it's so cold and lame in Calgary, not worth moving there... They're building a huge skyscrapper that will the be tallest in western Canada. You won't even be able to see the Calgary Tower from the north side of downtown! Can you believe that?!
I hear they need people to build skyscrappers though...
- NegativeSpace0
I am a student in Toronto, been doing freelance but have not worked for any studios. But I get this weird vibe that I am not going to like working in the city in the near future once I graduate, like my creativity is going to get raped!
NL would be nice, but it seems like it has a v. high population of designer. Which I imagine just makes it more challenging, how are you finding it snuggs?
- horton0
ewww yeah don't consider Vancouver or BC.. horrible lousy place... might as well stay in Cardiff.
as suggested you want Toronto.. yes head over in that direction plz.
;)
- mint0
Yeah go to Toronto, it's basically the centre of Canada! Or is that Winnepeg?
- Jaline0
Hey, mint, don't you live in Alberta right now? Do you hate it?
- mint0
I live in Calgary, I love it here personally. But there is a housing shortage, I saw on the news that people are living in trailers and tents, and some fear that alot will die from the cold this winter! Can you believe that?
Also rent is going way up, my friends rent was uped by $500, she had to move. I read in the newspaper about a guys rent being raised over $1000, the manager said it's too bad, but that's what the market will allow.
- jevad0
Hongcouver
- mr_snuggles0
NL would be nice, but it seems like it has a v. high population of designer. Which I imagine just makes it more challenging, how are you finding it snuggs?
NegativeSpace
(Oct 20 06, 09:03)It's not much different than Toronto or any other major city. There are a handful of big[ger] studio's/agencies doing decent work, but the difference is the amount of small 2-5 person studio's doing great work... They're everywhere and seemingly finding clients.
I'm here at a good time. The work is becoming a bit more international in style, I mean, if you know anything about the essence of Dutch design, at it's core, it's very direct, blunt and [generally] very simple. It's all about communication and less about form. But that's what is changing. There's been a growing influence of anglo-saxon persepctive so you see more and more almost 'UK-style' design. Still direct, but with a bit more intricacy and subtlety..
It has been a bit of struggle, in terms of working in another language and for me, I like to write a lot of my own concept copy and a lot of the time the ideas don't translate, due to cultural differences... but that is one of the big reasons I had to make the move. I needed things to be difficult.. I could've stayed at Concrete forever, but I wasn't learning anything, just doing the same old thing and here I can offer a different perspective, so I actually have more value than if I would've stayed in Canada...