Shopping in Toronto

dia68 · August 4, 2015, 10:24am

hi everyone,

It is my first post ever at Gupshup forms .  My son got Admission in university of Waterloo, and I need your kind help and experience regarding some issues.

I have never been in Canada. I would like to know about:

What is the best place to stay in Toronto which is near from shopping areas.
-Where to buy reasonably priced winter clothes,shoes and dorm stuff.
What are the best, reasonably priced brands for winter coats and jackets
What are the best online shopping sites.
Is there anyone who knows someone who deliver halal cooked meals in Waterloo.

Thanks
Hadya

Hi

Ess_Emm · August 4, 2015, 3:47pm

Re: Shopping in Toronto

Hi

University of Waterloo is in Waterloo city, which is about 2 hours away from Toronto. Will you be staying in Toronto or Waterloo while you're looking to get your son settled in? I am not very familiar with the city of Waterloo myself, however I'm sure someone else around here might be which can help you with things within the city. In Toronto itself do you know where you will be staying at, as in what area?

Within GTA itself, Square One, Yorkdale Mall, Eaton Centre and Brampton City Centre are the big malls, which have plenty of stores for things you're looking for. But they're all in different areas so you need to plan a bit where you will be staying.

As for winter wear, you can get things from $2 to all the way to like, $200. Really depends on where you go, and what season you go. Right now not a whole lot of winter wear will be available, more like fall wear, plus end of summer season sales. Best time to buy serious winter wear is in October-November. You can start with the Bay or the Sears, they're slightly on the higher end but the quality should be good. You can also browse the Gap, H&M, Northface and West 49. Online shopping in Canada is not that good (not enough retailers, online catalogue not updated, shipping is ridiculously expensive), or at least from what I've been looking at, so I can't really recommend any good places to be honest.

Oh and for dorm stuff, Walmart is your best friend. Back to school season so you'll get all kinds of things from there. Don't forget to stop over at your Dollarama too.

Muzna · August 4, 2015, 4:05pm

Re: Shopping in Toronto

I think it’s important for you to understand that Waterloo is not Toronto.
The travel distance between Waterloo and Toronto or Mississauga is considerable and not advisable for a daily commute.

If you want to settle your son at Waterloo then it would be best to stay in that city and look for shops nearby. For an affordable solution it would be best to consider WalMart…like I mentioned to you in Whatsapp and Ess Emm has mentioned above.

The university offers some guidance in terms of places to stay:

Or you can consult websites like this one:
Hotels near University of Waterloo - Waterloo, ON

For shopping in Waterloo you can consider the following mall:
Store Directory @ Conestoga
Recommended: Aeropostale, Old Navy, GAP, H&M, Roots, SportChek

WalMart in Waterloo:
http://www.walmart.ca/en/walmart-waterloo-store/3156

Halal Eating in Kitchener/Waterloo:
http://www.zabihah.com/sub/Canada/Ontario/Waterloo/ErfmEEuO8f
Not sure if any of these provide a meal service but it’s a start.

When are you planning to arrive?
Keep in mind that the week before classes start there are a lot of orientation events and info sessions are the university that can help you son find/make friends that might be in a similar position. Encouraging him to build a support system like that will help him to find halal eating options as well.

Muzna · August 4, 2015, 4:24pm

Re: Shopping in Toronto

The mosque is another way to get connected:

Another way to find community and support is to join a mosque:
Waterloo Masjid - Waterloo Masjid
Waterloo Masjid - University of Waterloo
Kitchener Masjid - Kitchener, Ontario

University of Waterloo

The prayer spaces at the University of Waterloo is managed by the UW-Muslim Students’ Association. The UW-MSA also organizes three Friday Prayers on-campus to meet the needs of hundreds of busy Muslim students. Please contact UW-MSA here.

Below is a list of prayer spaces at UW:

Student Life Center (SLC)

3rd floor Multi-Faith Prayer Room
-located on the 3rd floor of the SLC beside the Quiet Study Room
-open 24/7 (Get prayer room code from Turnkey desk for non-work hours)
-capacity: 120-130 students
-Prayers offered: Dhuhr (Noon), Jumu’ah (Friday Prayers)

2nd floor Alternate Prayer Room
-Room 2119, the MSA Office location.
-open 8am-10pm daily
-capacity: 5-10 students

Davis Center (DC)

3rd floor Muslim Prayer Space, Davis Centre (DC)
-located at the end of hallway on the 3rd floor of DC
-Prayers offered: Open

Mackenzie King Village (MKV)

Multi-Faith Prayer Room
-located in MKV beside the Laundry Room
-convenient for students living on residence
-Prayers offered: Open

Optometry

Multi-Faith Prayer Room
-Room Number: OPT104B
-Optometry students only
-Open only from Monday to Friday
-Prayers offered: Open

MustafaQuraishi · August 4, 2015, 4:48pm

Re: Shopping in Toronto

is your son an international student ? Or you guys are already in Canada ? I was an international student so if you have any specific questions, let me know.

Besides that, most of the questions are well answered by @Ess_Emm and @Muzna

One thing that i would recommend is to ask your son or you can do it by yourself is to contact PSA (https://www.facebook.com/UWPSA) and MSA(UW MSA) communities of waterloo university. They can help you and your son for all of his accommodation needs. If he is living by himself, I would strongly suggest that he should live nearby the university. It will make his life much easier.

If you are coming from Pakistan then I would strongly suggest not to buy sweaters, thermals etc. I might have a list of things to buy (I have to dig up my emails) which i can share with you. Let us know and I might be able to help you out.

One last thing, there is a group on yahoo communities (you can join via email and communicate via email) and its called SAATFASE. The group is dedicated for people who are leaving pakistan for higher education. There are people who are specialized for specific countries. Ask your son to join that group and throw us an email if he has any specific question. I am pretty sure there will be other people joining the same semester as well.

Muzna · August 4, 2015, 5:08pm

Re: Shopping in Toronto

Here is a list that Waterloo publishes on their website:
https://uwaterloo.ca/housing/moving/dorm

What to bring: Traditional-style dorm

School Supplies

back pack
binders, paper, and notebooks
pens and pencils
stapler, scissors, ruler, pencil sharpener, three hole punch
computer paper
thumbtacks, pushpins, paper clips

Clothing

clothes!
shoes suitable for walking
slippers
bathrobe
hangers
laundry bag / detergent / softener

Bath and grooming

shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, toothbrush / toothpaste, razor, and other toiletries
a container to transport toiletries to and from the washroom
flip flops for the shower
towels and wash cloth
hair dryer
tissue
cold medicine, pain reliever, prescribed medication, band-aids, sunscreen

Bedding and decoration

twin (single) size sheets and blanket, pillow(s)
twin (single) size mattress cover, all bedding available for purchase through Residence Linens
photos of friends and family
posters and room decorations
double-sided sticky mounts for hanging up pictures
whiteboard with dry-erase markers to hang on your door

Appliances and electronics

telephone
alarm clock
fan
extra lamp (not halogen)
small fridge (maximum 5 cubic feet), rentals available from Coldex
automatic shut-off coffee maker or kettle
computer, printer and all required cables
external hard drive or thumb drive
power bar with a surge protector
stereo with headphones
CDs and DVDs
camera

Documentation

university documents
WatCard (if you have it already)
health card
bank card
driver’s licence/other ID card

Miscellaneous

snacks and drinks, water filter
basic dishes - bowl, coffee mug, water glass, basic cutlery and dish soap
earplugs
bicycle, helmet, and lock
umbrella

What not to bring

candles or incense
halogen lamps
heaters or heat lamps
air conditioner
cooking appliances
(hot plates, toasters, rice cookers, microwaves, crock pots etc. are not allowed in residence rooms)
your own furniture
(University provided furniture cannot be removed from the room; you can bring a small table or desk chair only)
pets (not allowed in residence)
illegal substances or materials
weapons

The vast majority of items listed are available at WalMart.

prototype · August 5, 2015, 7:16am

Re: Shopping in Toronto

welcome to GS @dia68. Hope you will get a lot of info here

(p.s. She is my SIL btw )

dia68 · August 5, 2015, 7:18am

Re: Shopping in Toronto

Thanks a lot. We are living in Saudi Arabia. My son is going for computer sciences in UW. I will ask him to join these groups, I am sure he will get good information. If you have any list for things that he will he need please send it to me. Another thing, what do you recommend for prepaid sim card for us to use?

dia68 · August 5, 2015, 7:23am

Re: Shopping in Toronto

Aoa:
Tanks a lot for your help Muzna. The list is very helpful.

KKF · August 5, 2015, 12:36pm

Re: Shopping in Toronto

usually, first year students are offered guaranteed accommodation in one of it's residences. it's advisable for newcomers to stay in the residence in their first year. kids usually find friends and move out in a shared apartment close to university in their second year. landline fones are provided in the residence.

PM me for for info if you need. i've lots of friends in the twin city of KW [Kitchener-Waterloo]. i can arrange help for your son. good luck.

Ess_Emm · August 5, 2015, 1:55pm

Usually during the orientation week and first couple of weeks university there are booths that advertise student plans for cell phones. Make sure your son keeps an eye out for those. It's not very common in Canada to use prepaid sims since the cost ends up being more than post-paid plans. Stay away from any Bell plans though. Rogers, Wind Mobile and Virgin Mobility are pretty OK.

Another thing for your son, when he gets his book list for his courses do suggest him to check online for either a PDF copy of the books, or websites that let you rent the books, or look for student flyers or facebook groups that students use to sell their books that they used the year before. New books cost entirely too much and the resale value is terrible.

Another thing do not buy too many things for your son right now for his dorm room. Mainly essentials, like bedding, pillows, bathroom things including bathroom slippers and a shower cady, towels. Rest either he can get or you can get for him as time goes on, as he sees fit. Otherwise you might end up with things he'll never use and which he'll have to move around at the end of the year.

Muzna · August 6, 2015, 2:30pm

Re: Shopping in Toronto

good advice from Ess Emm about purchasing only essentials at the beginning.
let him get settled in and provide an allowance so he can get things as the need arises.

The best pre-paid phone plans being offered right now are from Chatter and Wind. I think Wind has the better plan that includes unlimited data so he can have internet access but do check network availability for them. Chatter has a good plan with free international texts but they don't offer a good price for data.

KajSalim · August 6, 2015, 6:58pm

Re: Shopping in Toronto

There are many stores in every city and town. He can buy it all himself when time comes. All big malls have lots of stores with clothing. He will find it all on his own once he will start school. He won't need any of that in September-October.
I wouldn't recommend Wind... reception is pretty bad unless you are in certain areas. A lot of times Wind phones don't have reception in basements or areas with a lot of concrete.

eastern11 · August 11, 2015, 4:27am

Re: Shopping in Toronto

You can try shopping at Outlet malls ( cheaper stuff from the same brands) or try Winners. Winter coats can be expensive and these places may get you a bargain. Some essentials like thermal pants, winter hats and gloves etc. can be bought from Walmart. Coming from a warm country like Saudi Arabia to Cold Canada can take getting used to. Ask your son to dress in layers. Those keep you warm.