Pre-Move: The Canada List

I began preparing for Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa early this year.  There was snow on the ground when I applied, and after (finally) receiving word that I had been accepted, I began researching Ottawa and Ontario, making plans and arrangements, and going over the many many documents the school sent me to review and sign and complete. 

The “To Do before Moving to Canada” list didn’t seem too difficult:

·         Get an apartment within (Canadian winter) walking distance to school

·         Arrange a visit to the school over Spring Break

·         Find the school’s list of required items:

o   Plain black or white steel-toed anti-slip shoes

o   A Master Lock

o   Ziplock containers of various sizes, including a cake carrier

·         Apply for my study permit

·         Figure out how to handle my finances (bank in America vs. bank in Canada)

·         Prepare my car for the trip: Fresh oil and a Block Heater

·         Prepare myself for the trip: Physical, Eye Doctor, and Metal Preparations for such a big change

With this list, and the many items that seemed to sneak their way between the lines, I started doing what I could to get ready, while still trying to complete my goal of graduating from Iowa State with Honors and Magna Cum Laude (with a GPA of 3.5 or higher).

There was a sort of order that some of the list items had to follow.  For example, I couldn’t apply for my Study Permit (my key to legally staying in the country for the duration of my schooling) without my official Enrollment Contract from Cordon Bleu; and I couldn’t obtain my Enrollment Contract without filling out, scanning, and returning dozens of papers, contracts, and information releases that I would receive in small bursts via e-mail.  I was just thankful to have a currently valid Passport – EVERYONE asked for it, and getting one from scratch would have taken months.

Discovering Ottawa

Ready to eat at the school's restaurant

Diligently working on the list, I scheduled a visit for my parents, Chad, and I during Iowa State’s Spring Break.  Though I had already been accepted, we all thought it would be best to explore the city and learn more about the school before moving.  Now that we are living here in Ottawa, I am glad we came in March: seeing the sights and learning about the city a few months ago allows Chad and I to just be residents now, rather than tourists.

The visit to Ottawa went very well!  We walked most places from our Hotel to get a feel for the layout of the city, saw a few museums (including the Canadian Civilization museum, which taught us a whole lot about Canadian history, regions, and cultures), explored Parliament, got a tour of Le Cordon Bleu, and even had dinner at the school’s esteemed restaurant.  That week in March has been a foundation of our life here so far: I often ask Chad “Which way is that place we walked to?”  or “Which way is the Lord Elgin hotel?” to get my bearings.

Appreciating local tastes!

The only thing that didn’t work out during our Spring Break trip to Ottawa was apartment viewings.  The property managers all told us that it was too early to start looking for a September or October apartment in March, and didn’t show us any units.  We got some tips on where to look online, though, so we resigned to using Kijiji – a Canadian, less sketchy Craig’s List.

Finding a Foreign Apartment Online

Upon arriving home, it was electronic apartment search time.  I received many messages telling me it was too early, but I kept trying until there was more availability for the late Fall.  Chad and I made a deal that I would find us an apartment in Ottawa if he found us a short-leased apartment in Ames for the time between our leases ending in July and us moving in October.

The Canada apartment search was long and complicated, requiring communication with dozens of people, requests for information that were never answered, old online listings that were since rented, unavailability of photos and floor plans, and learning how to use a fax machine.  Finally, we found an available unit within our budget with a parking space within walking distance to school – perfect.  We filled out the lease, got a certified deposit cheque from the bank, and rushed the information to the office.  It turns out that we also needed a Canadian citizen to be a co-signor on our lease, since we don’t have any credit history in Canada.  After a long search, we finally, finally found someone who is a Canadian citizen AND was willing to give us his personal financial information.  We rushed that to the office as well.  After all of that, filling everything out, paying a deposit, and finding a Canadian to vouch for us, our application was denied because our Canadian co-signor was currently living in the States.

That situation dampened my spirits.  Not being Canadian, how were we supposed to find someone who was living in Canada who was willing to give us all of their personal information?  How were we supposed to find a place to live if we have no credit history in Canada, impossible because we are not Canadian?  It was a terrible feeling, and Chad and I knew we were being blatantly discriminated against due to our lack of Canadian nationality.

With no other choice, though, we bounced back from the heartbreaking discrimination, had our deposit returned, and kept looking.  I spoke with other property managers, and finally found one who was willing to work with us.  Just in case, we also finally found a Canadian citizen who would qualify (and was graciously willing) to be our guarantor.  After another application and lease and deposit, we had a place at last!

As it turns out, we got a better deal.  Our apartment is perfect for us, and has new floors and paint, a beautiful view, wonderful location, great building manager, and only a 15-minute walk to school.  I’ll give our little place its own post a little later.

Finishing the List

With a place to live and a place to move (without the worry of having to sleep in our car for the first few nights), I was free to finish the Canada List.  My application for a study permit was approved after about a month (pretty fast!) and Cordon Bleu continued to send me papers to fill out, measurements to take for my uniform, and online assessments to take.  I familiarized myself with Canadian geography, provinces and capitols.  I got an oil change, physical, and new eyeglass prescription and I even found a great pair of white steel-toed shoes for my uniform.  By this time, Chad and I had moved in together into a tiny studio apartment in West Ames, and my days were free to correspond with apartment and school people and to finish up the last few things before our big move.  Chad and Garrett helped me put many of my belongings and pieces of furniture into a small storage unit, and I began to filter out the things I’d like us to take with us, and the things that could be left behind.

After discovering that our driver’s licenses and license plate are legal in Canada, and three body shops in Ames telling me that they couldn’t install a block heater in less than 5-10 days (because they had to order in the parts – evidently block heaters aren’t as common in Iowa as I thought), all that was left was our big move.