[kaaie]

Alternatively, if wages were competitive in Canada (even considering cost of living and health care) there would be no reason to move. Personally, I'd much rather be in Canada to be near my family but I'd be making 1/2 the wage and have less talent to learn and grow from.

[prlambert]

Yes there still would be: weather. There's literally no place in Canada that doesn't have a generally unpleasant outdoor experience for at least half the year. I say that as a proud Canadian. It's honestly the main thing holding my family from moving back. My wife is from Vancouver and hates snow. I'm from Calgary and can't take rain (I did 3 winters straight in Vancouver promising myself to never do another until I finally got out). We've been looking for somewhere in Canada and we can't find a solution.

It may sound small but it has a major impact on our happiness, energy levels, and overall well-being.

[frandroid]

Toronto has none of Vancouver's rain and almost none of Calgary's snow. I wear running shoes for all save maybe 3 or 4 weeks of winter. -15 is considered a deep freeze and happens about 3 times per winter. What are you waiting for?

[jariel]

" There's literally no place in Canada that doesn't have a generally unpleasant outdoor experience for at least half the year."

Much of BC. The rain is not that bad.

Also, winter is not that bad at all, it's really the long thaw that bites.

And if you live near hills and the countryside, it's fun.

Weather is a barrier to people coming to Canada, but it's generally not a reason people leave.

[deepGem]

I still don't understand the pay rhetoric in Canada. I live in Bangalore, and I make more or less the same pay as in Toronto for nearly 1/5th the cost of living.

Why are salaries so low in Canada ? Now at least owing to the US immigration fiasco, more labour should move in and salaries should technically rise - but I don't see that happening. Not sure why.

Competitive salaries on par with California or even NYC will have a dramatic impact on the influx of immigrants.

[cmrdporcupine]

Unfortunately top talent that wants a higher salary over all else emigrates to the US. Those of us that remain are in a lower bargaining position. And there's a steady stream of immigrants.

Also the quality of the work here is mostly miserable. There's not a lot of interesting stuff.

Things are better if you can find something outside of Toronto where the cost of living is ridiculous. One advantage of the Google Waterloo office...

[triceratops]

> I live in Bangalore, and I make more or less the same pay as in Toronto for nearly 1/5th the cost of living.

You sound like an outlier mate.

[buzzkillington]

Half is pretty generous, for mid/seniour developers it starts at a quarter and gets worse.

I was looking to move because I like colder weather/climate change related reasons and I had one recruiter tell me "You can't possibly ever make that much, that's CEO pay!".

[raydev]

Several Bay Area companies are opening/expanding offices up here, especially in the last year. I've joined one of them and I suggest you start looking around. At least in Toronto.

[cmrdporcupine]

Come work at Google Waterloo.

[shdh]

Definitely less talent.