Dear CD's :

One of my client is a single parents having 2 children below the age of 12 (both girls).
She is a Canadian citizen whose husband was working in the Gulf. Her husband died and she has come back to India with the kids. She is a homemaker in India and living with her 2 kids in India. I was asked by a family friend to advise her on her future plans.

I studied their condition and recommended this :

1. Immeidately relocate to Canada. Since they were not willing to bear the Cold, I suggested Vancouver or the whereabouts.

INCOME :

2. Immediately inform Canada that she is a single mother and get the $ 1147 per month assistance.
3. Children will get around $ 380 in child care assistance (I assume based on 2009 rates. Now someone told me that each child will get $ 380 per month. Kinldy advise).
4. Get HST credit of around $ 120 per month

EXPENSES :

5. Since woman is not going to work, they all can live a in a cheap and white suburb in BC. They can get a basement which will be very near their school.

6. Basement rent : 1 bedroom - $ 900 (CD's to confirm)

7. Food - $ 300 per month (incl milk.) They are Non vegetarian

8. Cellphone / TV/ Bus travel/ Internet - $ 150

9. Entertainment / recreation - $ 50

10. School expenses / cloths change - $ 50

Conclusion :
Income - $ 1650 / month Expenses - $ 1450. Saving for a rainly day $ 200 per month.

I also advised my client that since both were girls, she should think of the future. In Canada, schooling is free, university education can be had by a loan and marriage is mostly love marriage or dowry / jewellery free. She is thinking about my advice. I am helping her without taking any charge.

But one thing that I am unable to advise her is where to settle in BC. I am looking for Febpreeth to advise me of a good, warm and safe location in BC for this. I have heard that Vancouver (East) is drug infested and want nothing of this area. The lady is not concerned by the need for having desi's (as she is Anglo indian) but she is very specific that she needs a safe place

Thank you for your help in advance.

Murali

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I am a Gents and not a Ladies.

TK: Send her to Montreal , it is very friendly place for family , especially with 2 kids

less expensive to stay and more money for kids ... quebec has federal as well as provincial funds support.

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'Some goals are so worthy, it's glorious even to fail.' (Param Vir Chakra awardee Lt. Manoj Pandey)

Quote:

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Originally posted by tamilkuravan

Dear CD's :

One of my client is a single parents having 2 children below the age of 12 (both girls).
She is a Canadian citizen whose husband was working in the Gulf. Her husband died and she has come back to India with the kids. She is a homemaker in India and living with her 2 kids in India. I was asked by a family friend to advise her on her future plans.

I studied their condition and recommended this :

1. Immeidately relocate to Canada. Since they were not willing to bear the Cold, I suggested Vancouver or the whereabouts.

INCOME :

2. Immediately inform Canada that she is a single mother and get the $ 1147 per month assistance.
3. Children will get around $ 380 in child care assistance (I assume based on 2009 rates. Now someone told me that each child will get $ 380 per month. Kinldy advise).
4. Get HST credit of around $ 120 per month

EXPENSES :

5. Since woman is not going to work, they all can live a in a cheap and white suburb in BC. They can get a basement which will be very near their school.

6. Basement rent : 1 bedroom - $ 900 (CD's to confirm)

7. Food - $ 300 per month (incl milk.) They are Non vegetarian

8. Cellphone / TV/ Bus travel/ Internet - $ 150

9. Entertainment / recreation - $ 50

10. School expenses / cloths change - $ 50

Conclusion :
Income - $ 1650 / month Expenses - $ 1450. Saving for a rainly day $ 200 per month.

I also advised my client that since both were girls, she should think of the future. In Canada, schooling is free, university education can be had by a loan and marriage is mostly love marriage or dowry / jewellery free. She is thinking about my advice. I am helping her without taking any charge.

But one thing that I am unable to advise her is where to settle in BC. I am looking for Febpreeth to advise me of a good, warm and safe location in BC for this. I have heard that Vancouver (East) is drug infested and want nothing of this area. The lady is not concerned by the need for having desi's (as she is Anglo indian) but she is very specific that she needs a safe place

Thank you for your help in advance.

Murali

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Quebec also has mandatory French public schooling for kids unless one of the parents is a native English speaker ...

No wonder people do not move to Montreal ..

Plus it is as cold as Toronto ...I think the person requires a less colder place ...

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Fido.

I agree with BP.

As for BC. There’s only one part of the city, where the drugs are prevalent, that too is in the Downtown (East side). Just one block of it – a mere 100 meters. I don’t think she would plan to live in the downtown anyway, so you can leave it at that.

Other neighborhoods and city parts within Vancouver are quite safe, amazing places, good schools, walkable markets, and better connected via. transit. Indian community within Vancouver city proper is concentrated more in South Vancouver (Main Street, Fraser Street). I would rate it pretty good, as it has readily available market places for grocery, et al, where one doesn't need a Car. Also, couple it with a frequent and excellent bus service. I spent 2 years in Vancouver proper without Car. Never needed one due to the excellent transit.

Then, she can opt for any place (condos, basement suites) near the Skytrain line that stretches from Vancouver to Surrey. Just stay away from the sketchy neighborhoods around Surrey sky-train stations. It’s improving with further expansion of city’s own downtown core with newer condos and what not. But, it will take a few more years. Try something in close proximity to the Skytrain lines within Vancouver, Richmond, Burnaby, New Westminster cities. All have very good condos and basement suits. The rent ranges from $700 upwards depending upon what you’re looking for. Check Craigslist.

Vancouver is a great place for kids and senior citizen, and especially if one wants to get away from cold. Real Estate and Gas prices notwithstanding, cost of everything else is at par with GTA or anywhere else in Canada. Well, GTA is catching up fast to Vancouver in terms of Real Estate anyway.

Another region you could check for her is Fraser Valley. We have a Fraser River that separates the Northern part of Metro Vancouver (Vancouver, Richmond, Burnaby, New Westminster) with the Southern suburbs (Surrey, North Delta, Langley, Abbotsford, etc.). Fraser Valley includes all these southern suburbs. Surrey is where the Desi population mostly resides, and which is another name of Brampton, albeit bigger. But, again the rules of suburban life ensues the farther you go, the more you are dependent upon the Car.

Check these resources:

Skytrain and Transit Maps: www.translink.bc.ca
http://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/2u77l3/relocation_to_vancouver/
http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/search/van/apa
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_neighbourhoods_in_Vancouver

Hope it helps.

Shoot me a question, if any.

Thanks all for the info. which I will pass on to her.
Actually I was thinking that in the greater Vancouver area, you will not get any basement / apartment less than $ 1200 but FebPreeth says that it starts from $ 700, which is good news.

As I had mentioned earlier, she does not need to be in Greater Vancouver area but in any good suburb which is a one hour bus journey from Greater Vancouver area. I am of the opinion that at some point in time, they may need to visit civilization (Greater Vancouver area).

I was actually thinking of recommedning to Cambridge / KW area where you can get decent apartments for $ 700 and where the population is composed of mainy whites but again Cold is a major damper there (though not as bad at Edmonton). Some of my friends who had settled in the Cambridge / KW area have their children going to KW universities / MaC Master these days.

Their family had been in Edmonton (Her husband used to me a petroleum driller there) but they never want to go there due to the cold.

Murali

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I am a Gents and not a Ladies.

Blue_Peafowl,
Sorry. Missed mentioning you in the post.
I would not recommend montreal due to the cold climate and the need to know french. As they are Anglo Indian's may be they might adapt to french culture but still cold is a strong detterent.
Though I admit, Montreal is a lovely town and also has cheap rentals apart from good social programmes.

Murali

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I am a Gents and not a Ladies.