I take the TTC subway and a bus every day to my work in North York. When it works, it is fine, and I like that I can tap my bank card or PRESTO card. But delays on Line 1 happen too often, and in winter buses can be late or full. Some stations have broken escalators or elevators for weeks, which is difficult with shopping bags. At night I sometimes feel unsafe on certain platforms. The monthly pass is expensive for my salary. I am happy there is a two-hour transfer window, which helps with errands.
Toronto is one of the most diverse cities in the world, and as a Filipina I never feel out of place. There are Filipino stores, churches and restaurants in Bathurst and Wilson, and people from every country on my bus. Healthcare through OHIP has been good for me. The problem is money. Rent takes more than a third of my salary and I only have a room. Groceries have become expensive too. Winter is long, but the city keeps working and I bought good boots. If you have a job that pays well, Toronto is a great place to build a life. If you are on a lower wage, be ready to share housing and to budget carefully.
McGill has given me a strong academic home for my master's and PhD. My department is collaborative, supervisors are accessible, and there is funding for conferences. Libraries and research facilities are excellent. International Student Services helped me with permit extensions and a housing dispute. The negatives are cost and bureaucracy. International tuition is high, and funding packages for PhD students barely cover living costs in a city where rent keeps rising. Some administrative processes are slow and split between offices. Montreal itself is a wonderful student city, and the mix of English and French is a bonus if you make the effort.
The Quebec government offers free French courses for immigrants, including international students in many cases. I took part-time evening classes for two years. Teachers were excellent and patient, classes were small, and my classmates came from Syria, Haiti, China, Mexico and many other places. Registration through the online portal was slow and I waited a few weeks for a place. Full-time students may qualify for financial support. Because of these courses, I can now talk with my neighbours, understand letters and feel much more at home in Montreal.
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University
University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies· Toronto
While working as a developer in Toronto, I took a data analytics certificate through the School of Continuing Studies in the evenings. The instructors were working professionals, and the assignments used real datasets. Class sizes were small enough to ask questions. It was not cheap, around 800 dollars per course, but my employer covered part of it. The certificate helped me show a Canadian credential when I applied for data roles, and it was a nice way to meet people outside work. Some course materials felt dated, and online sessions were less engaging than in-person ones.
I opened my account at a TD branch in Toronto in my first week using my passport and work permit. The advisor explained the newcomer package, which waived monthly fees for the first year and gave me a credit card without a Canadian credit history. The branch is open on Saturdays, which is important for my work schedule. The app is simple to use. After the first year, the monthly fee started unless I kept a minimum balance, so I had to change account type. International transfers to the Philippines are expensive through the bank, so I use another service for those.
