Cost of Simple Living
| Item | Cost/Month/person
|
|---|
| Can$ | NTD
|
|---|
| Housing (including utilities) | $500 | 12,000
|
| Food(eat-in)* | $300 | 7,500
|
| Transport(Bus) | $60 | 3,000
|
| English School Fees (25 hours/week) | $300 | 7,500
|
| Internet | $50 | 1000
|
| TOTAL | $1360 | 33,000
|
|---|
| * Costs are per person based on two people living together and are based on cooking your own food. Eating more than one meal every day at a restaurent is both expensive and inconvenient. If one cooks for oneself, $10/day is plenty. However if you eat out you can expect to pay $10/meal.
|
Transportation
| Intercity Transport | Intracity Public Transport |
|---|
- Taiwan → Toronto (YYZ): TPE (Taipei) → PDG (Shanghai) → YYZ (Toronto) (China Eastern Airlines, 34 hours, ~US$1100)
- Toronto Airport(YYZ) → Hamilton Airport Taxi (45 minutes to one hour ride, ~CAN$100) OR Public Transit (1 hour 40 min, CAN$15.00/person)
- ← Buffalo Airport (BUF) From airport, take a group taxi to the Canadian border. After crossing into Niagara Falls, Canada, get out of the taxi & walk to the GO bus station. Take GO Bus to Stoney Creek. Board Hamilton Bus #2 (Barton) West. Get off at corner of Barton and Wentworth St.
- → Waterloo University (by Car)
- ← Toronto by car
- ← Burlington or Toronto via bus/train
|
|
Churches
Wentworth Baptist Church (Sunday @ 10AM, 1' walk) OR
Ridgecrest Southern Baptist Church (Sunday @ 11AM & 6PM, 9' walk)
Banking
Probably the first thing that one should do is to open a bank account. I suggest that you open a Bank Account at Bank of Montreal as there are a number of branches in the Hamilton Area close to our house. The closest is on the corner of
Barton and Gage Streets across from FreshCo Supermarket.
Food/Groceries
Each week a flyer comes to the door listing specials at the various supermarkets.
NoFrills is the closest to our house. I personally suggest that one brings the flyers when you go shopping as FreshCo will give you the same price as other stores listed specials. In addition, there are a number of convenience stores within ~100 meters from the house, including
Big Bee. Slightly farther from our house is the supermarket
FreshCo (corner of Barton and Gage Streets)
Clothing
St Vincents De Paul Retail on
King Street (5 minute walk) is an excellent source of good quality used clothing. In addition the
Robert Land Community Association
406 Wentworth Street North, although having limited hours, offers free clothing.
Restaurents
My favorite for low cost and good quality is the
541 Eatery & Exchange at 541 Barton Street .
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Schools
- Cathy Wever Primary School (JK to 8) is across the street from this house
- Cathedral Catholic Secondary School is ~150m south of the house.
Internet & Cellphones
Obtaining an internet connection or cell-phone SIM card is not as convenient in Canada as it is in other countries. That said, there is free WiFi available in many restaurents, at the library. I have found the fastest connection is inside the
Norman "Pinky" Lewis Center (sit at Ping Pong Table for the best connection). For internet usage at home and a cell phone number, either
Wind Mobile or
7-11 offer the best rates (if you have your own unlocked cell phone) for the short term visitor if you are not going to be a heavy user.
Recreation
- The Escarpment Rail Trail along the Hamilton Escarpment offers an excellent environment for walking, running or recreational cycling in a wooded setting.
- Norman "Pinky" Lewis Center is a great place for swimming and quite cheap if you buy a one year pass.
- Basketball courts and a soccer field are across the street in the yard of Cathy Wever School (only available to use outside of school hours which are 8:20AM to 2:40PM)
Maps of Wentworth & Cannon Neighbourhood
Cannon Street Going East 100m: Church, Convenience Stores & Quick Lunch, Church, Locksmith
1km radius: Transportation, Schools, Supermarkets, Banks & Swimming Pool
