Explore and find Blog

One of the most important times of the day is the time when the family gathers around the table and has dinner together.  A very important factor besides the company of the beloved ones is the place where the family eats its meals.  It is very important that the dinning room is appealing for a cozy and delicious meal.  Is a very important space in the house that needs to reflect and inspire what the family time represents and it needs to be a place where everybody feels comfortable to enjoy themselves.  Take a look at this article from Design Milk that shows 12 different styles of modern dining rooms to get some inspiration to create the perfect place to have the most unbelievable dinner everyday at home with the people you love.

Picture: Dining room in a single family residence in West London by London-based DOS Architects. Taken from: http://design-milk.com/12-dining-rooms-where-youd-never-miss-a-family-dinner/modern-dining-room-souldern-road-dos-architects/

Getting used to the bus routes or the streetcar and subway services is not rocket science.  The basic things you need to know about the public transport in the GTA is this:

• Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) à is responsible for providing public transit in the City of Torontowith 4 subway lines, 11 streetcar routes and more than 140 bus routes.  The cost of a ride on the TTC is of $2 for students and $3 for post-secondary students (be sure to get your student photo ID).  If you don’t like to carry coins in your pocket, the TTC has different passes that you can purchase for a day, a week and even for the whole month; sometimes these passes can save you money.  Visit the TTC web site for the complete information: http://www.ttc.ca

• Mississauga Transit (MiWay) à is responsible for providing public transit in the city of Mississaugawith local, express and school bus routes.  The cost of a ride is of $3.25 but you can also buy tickets in advance or weekly and monthly passes that can save you money and in that way you don’t need to carry cash in your pocket.  You can also buy the PRESTO pass that will save you $1 on every trip.  Everything you need to know about MiWay here: http://www.mississauga.ca/portal/miway

• Brampton Transit à is responsible for providing public transit in the city of Brampton with bus routes, accessible routes and special iRide school routes that provide increased service during the school year. The cost of a ride is of $2.50 for students and $2.75 for College and University students.  You can also get weekly or monthly PRESTO passes that will save you money and you can avoid carrying coins in your pocket.  To see the complete information go to their web site here: http://www.brampton.ca/en/residents/transit/Pages/Welcome.aspx

• Go Transit à is the regional public transit service for the GTHA with bus and train routes extending to communities across the Greater Golden Horseshoe.  The fares depend on the distance you travel.  Students need to show their student ID when purchasing their tickets and post-secondary students need to get the Go student ID.  The information on how to get the ID and about all the routes of the Go trains and the GO buses can be found here: http://www.gotransit.com

All these information might look overwhelming but don’t worry, is just a matter of a couple of weeks to become an expert in the public transport.  Just don’t forget to get the student ID and to download the apps on your smart phone so you can check the routes and the schedules while you are on the go.

To be able to drive inOntario, you need to get a G class license.  The process to get it is the following:

1. To be able to apply for this license you need to be at least 16 years old, pass an eye test and a written test abouttherules oftheroad and traffic signs. 

1. Once you pass the written test you’ll get a G1 license that will only allow you to drive withthecompany of a fully licensed driver with at least 4 years of experience. 

1. After at least 12 months withtheG1, you can have a road test in order to gettheG2 learning license that will allow you to drive on your own for 12 month before you can be fully licensed.

1. If you want to get a full G license you have to pass through the G1 and G2 learning levels and pass 2 road tests.  You have 5 years to go through this “graduating license” process, if not, you will have to start all over again.  More information here: http://www.ontario.ca/driving-and-roads/get-g-drivers-licence-new-drivers

If you come from another province, state or country and you have a license, you can use that license in Ontariofor 60 days, after that you need a license from Ontario.  You can exchange an out-of-province license if you come from other provinces or from certain countries with an exchange agreement with Canada.  If you come from a country without an exchange agreement, you have to show a proof of driving experience in English or French (you can get that from your country’s consulate or embassy).  This will not give you thefully G license, but will help you to go from G1 to G2 faster.  More information here: http://www.ontario.ca/driving-and-roads/exchange-foreign-drivers-licence