Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

by Louise Brown, TravelPod.com Community Manager
(Ottawa, Ontario)

1. In which city are you living?

Ottawa

2. What is the spoken language, and how much local language do you need to know for daily living?

It's a bilingual city, English is predominant but you can get all government services in French as well.

3. How is the weather?

Cold in the winter, lovely in the summer, fally and spring are pleasant as well.

4. Is this a good city for families/singles/couples?

This is a great city for families

5. How are the preschool and daycares?

Very good, usually not many waiting lists, so I've heard.

6. Are their international schools/American Schools?

Ashbury College is the school to receive an international baccalaureate.

7. Any after school activities?

The City of Ottawa runs wonderful after school problems at various community centres around the city.

8. Are there English speaking universities? Or any special programs in the English language at a local university?

Yes, there are two, the University of Ottawa and Carleton University.

9. How is the healthcare?

Government provided.

10. Is it a pet friendly city?

Yes, everyone and their mom has a dog. You can find dog parks all over the city, and there are lots of paths for walking your dog.

11. Is household help easy to find?

Yes.

12. How is the traffic and the public transportation (busses, trains, taxis)?

The bus system is amazing, taxis are pretty expensive, try and avoid them.
Our O-Train is quite disappointing, and the plan to expand it has been delayed for quite some time.

13. How is the communication - Cell/land phone, T.V/Cable/Satelite, Internet connection, international calls?

Excellent.

14. What is the dress code to work and in public?

Most people wear "business casual" style.

15. How is shopping for groceries, household items and clothing?

Also excellent. You can get food from every corner of the globe.

16. Tell us about sport, entertainment, night life, restaurants.

Everyone loves hockey. The hottest tickets are those for the Ottawa Senators games. The restaurants are also great, check out the Byward Market for some top notch dining.

My favorite night life venue is Babylon, but Live Lounge and Zaphod Beeblebrox are also a great places to dance the night away.

17. How is the expats community?

Bustling! There are tons of embassies in Ottawa, making it full of cultural activities from each one.

18. Any other comments?

I've been in Ottawa for nine years. The winters DO get annoying, but take advantage of it by learning to skate and ski and you will have fun despite the cold.