kievvlast<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nOne of the main characteristics of Toronto residents’ mentality, in her opinion, is their patience and acceptance of people from different cultures, religions and values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/span>Is It Possible to Survive in Toronto While Receiving Government Financial Assistance?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAfter moving to Toronto, foreign residents are eligible to receive financial assistance from the government to cover their basic needs. However, this support is not substantial, amounting to approximately $660 per month for an individual, and around $1,000 for a married couple with two children. In addition, eligible citizens can avail themselves of free kindergarten services, use gym facilities, access subsidized food for their children, and receive dental care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nevertheless, government assistance alone is insufficient for a comfortable life, as expenses typically exceed $2,000 per month. Therefore, those without full-time employment often take up part-time jobs, such as apartment cleaning, house repairs or waitressing. However, Svitlana and her husband decided to forego financial assistance and sought employment right away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Is It Difficult to Find Employment Without Proficient English Skills?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nToronto is an expensive city, and Svitlana and her husband quickly realized that they were running out of money (around $10,000). Thus, they immediately began their job search. While English is the official language in Canada, a basic level of proficiency is sufficient to live in Toronto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Initially, Svitlana worked three jobs simultaneously: in a clothing store, a restaurant and a banquet hall. She also attended English language courses. Her day was fully scheduled, with work occupying all her time. Meanwhile, her husband engaged in logging and frequently traveled to other provinces for work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As her English skills improved, Svitlana secured an office job. Ukrainian and Russian businesses thrive in Toronto, creating opportunities for expats. Her responsibilities included organizing participation in exhibitions, sending promotional mailings to clients and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, the salary in the office was low, with limited prospects for career growth, similar to her first job. As a result, she decided to pursue postgraduate studies to further improve her English skills in a new environment. Her studies lasted one year, and afterward, Svitlana landed a high-paying job at one of Canada’s largest advertising agencies, working as a marketing manager.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/span>How Do Toronto Residents Spend Their Vacations?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nToronto offers a vibrant and diverse lifestyle, ensuring that locals have a wide range of activities to enjoy during their vacations. Going to the cinema is immensely popular, with many Torontonians favoring either indoor screenings or rooftop movies. For people under 30, clubbing and amusement parks are preferred entertainment options, while older individuals tend to frequent museums and concerts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sports also play a significant role in the lives of Toronto residents, with hockey, football, basketball, and golf being particularly popular. During summer weekends, locals go for walks in the woods or enjoy rafting, while winter activities include ice skating and skiing. Additionally, many residents regularly attend the gym or take yoga classes.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHowever, vacationing in Canada is more expensive compared to countries like Cuba, the Dominican Republic or Mexico. Consequently, Toronto residents often travel abroad for vacations. Outdoor recreational activities within the country are more cost-effective. Many native Canadians opt to explore destinations within the country, such as cottages or recreation centers, instead of going abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/span>Where Is It Better to Live: Downtown Toronto or the Suburbs?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nBefore moving, Svitlana resided in downtown Kyiv. Currently, she lives in a private house in the suburbs of Toronto with her husband and children. The advantages of living in the suburbs include spaciousness, tranquility, and wider roads.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIn downtown Toronto, most people live in apartments, which tend to be expensive and small, ranging from 50 to 60 square meters. Nevertheless, many still choose to buy them for their prestige and convenience. Walking to work or utilizing nearby public transportation is feasible, but owning a car is not cost-effective due to constant traffic congestion, often turning a 20-minute commute into a 2-hour ordeal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Toronto is a city for active, courageous, and ambitious people who prove every day that they deserve a happy and prosperous life. Among them are many immigrants, such as Svitlana from Kyiv. Fifteen years after moving here, she shared with us the characteristics of the local mentality. Is it worth moving here? How does Toronto […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":308,"featured_media":3539,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1035],"tags":[1735,1737,1736,1741,1740,1739,1738,1733,1729,1728,1730,1727,1734,1732,1731],"moimportance":[1578,33],"motype":[1045],"moformat":[127],"class_list":{"0":"post-3538","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-psychology-of-women","8":"tag-first-impression-of-toronto","9":"tag-how-do-expats-live","10":"tag-how-do-expats-live-in-toronto","11":"tag-how-do-toronto-residents-spend","12":"tag-how-do-toronto-residents-spend-their-vacations","13":"tag-is-it-difficult-to-find-employment-without-proficient-english-skills","14":"tag-is-it-possible-to-survive-in-toronto-while-receiving-government-financial-assistance","15":"tag-svitlana-dubova","16":"tag-the-story","17":"tag-the-story-of-a-woman","18":"tag-the-story-of-a-woman-from-kyiv","19":"tag-the-story-of-a-woman-from-kyiv-who-lived-for-15-years-in-toronto","20":"tag-what-surprised-her-about-the-city","21":"tag-why-did-svitlana-move","22":"tag-why-did-svitlana-move-from-kyiv-to-toronto","23":"moimportance-1578","24":"moimportance-retranslyacziya-v-agregatori","25":"motype-eternal","26":"moformat-longrid-korotka"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/torontonka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3538","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/torontonka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/torontonka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/torontonka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/308"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/torontonka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3538"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/torontonka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3538\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3560,"href":"https:\/\/torontonka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3538\/revisions\/3560"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/torontonka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3539"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/torontonka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3538"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/torontonka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3538"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/torontonka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3538"},{"taxonomy":"moimportance","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/torontonka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moimportance?post=3538"},{"taxonomy":"motype","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/torontonka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motype?post=3538"},{"taxonomy":"moformat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/torontonka.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moformat?post=3538"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}