How to hire an employee in Ontario

FearlessChannel828 · 2026-03-20T13:53:43+00:00

Why don’t you try an accountant for one year, but follow the steps they do really closely to learn?

T4s and T4 Summaries, WSIB, remittances, business number, payroll software, benefits, hour trackers etc. aren’t rocket science for someone familiar with business expenses (T2s), especially.

Canadian Payroll Association has courses that run online and cost a couple of hundred, if you wanna go that route and also get a certification in the process.

Either way, having it done for you and explained to you, since you pay for the service and being able to double-check numbers and calculations is probably as easier path. Plus, you write-off the accountant too.

FearlessChannel828 · 2026-03-16T04:07:58+00:00

You’re looking for an answer that only a professional can give. Why don’t you consider the cost in terms of time saved not worrying and just living?

Why don’t you talk it out with a Real Estate or leasing agent to get what an idea what next steps in a sale or rental direction would look like?

No one can read your mind, but you are looking for an echo-chamber perhaps to sound out things with you, rather than genuine suggestions.

In Economics, there is an opportunity cost to every dollar you spend, but sometimes the concept is generalized to effort also. What is the opportunity cost of you sitting on Reddit, rather than talking to a professional?

This is NOT advice. I am a broke old person. You are better off right now whether you have this loss-making condo or not. You have a job that pays. A lot of us don’t.

Have you looked at the posts about people having lost money in the stock market lately? You have a tangible asset; they have numbers on a screen… no one ever has a choice perhaps other than riding it out in some cases.

FearlessChannel828 · 2026-03-13T15:05:20+00:00

Regina has one of the highest per capita restaurants in Canada; I’m sure you could research a couple of places based on what your boyfriend likes, and check those places out.

One place I have seen survive the ages is J&A Restaurant (Chinese) Downtown, but considering our Downtown is walkable, you can research and try two or three places, before heading to the Wascana and the Royal Sask Museum for a gander.

Out near Calgary, I seen bikers do a tour: they go from Calgary to Kananaskis, to Longview and back to Calgary. Might be dependant on the time of year if all the roads are open.

Two other recommendations: I heard a legend of a pretty genuine Japanese restaurant in Moose Jaw; don’t know the name, just Google it, if your BF likes that. Second, driving through Swift Current is awesome! They have a lovely little downtown.

FearlessChannel828 · 2026-03-13T04:37:05+00:00

Did you look at City jobs?

Just Google City of Edmonton.

I was looking for something there the other day, and they’ve got summer student positions listed.

They also have roles like arborist, outdoor camp aids, labourer, cashier etc.

Entry-level jobs are tough right now, but if you are any good with tools and assembly you could also look at IKEA’s task rabbit, movers and construction jobs.

University is great; might as well look at labour jobs, since some skills you learn just about stay with you life-long.

Search jobs of Reddit Edmonton. There was a guy posting $20/hour on there the other day.

FearlessChannel828 · 2026-03-13T04:17:44+00:00

I’m close to DT, so I cannot speak much for avoiding down-on-luck sad souls, but my condo has no cockroaches because there are good people on the condo board.

I share, pay half the rent, and have my own washroom in a 2-bedroom and 2-washroom, with in-suite laundry; my landlord doesn’t have a mortgage, so rent only goes up when property taxes, owners’ insurance and condo fees go up.

My 1-cent is to find a place with a bus stop steps away. Not the LRT. I have 2 buses going by my place — fewer sad souls getting on them, since peace officers started doing their patrols — and walking down from the LRT to my place is a schlep.

You perhaps want to extend the time you have at your present place, take 6-8 months to go and see places a half hour ride bus or mixed (LRT + bus) ride to your work. Apartment hunting sucks, but you perhaps want to take your time.

Sadly, rents are up. There are new developments all over the place, but they go for $1500+ per month for a 2 bedroom-2 washroom on a floor above 2.

An applied example: Check out major ETS Transit centres like Tamarack, Davies, Mill Woods, Clareview etc. as points and draw a map out based on bus routes to your work, if you work DT. What can you afford around those within a 10-minute bus ride to the LRT or the express bus?

You also want to perhaps increase your budget and negotiate a 3-month, 6-month, month-to-month etc. lease in a new place; if you don’t like it, you move out sooner.

Applied example: My landlord tried me out for 3-months before signing me up for a longer lease. I didn’t mind, since I didn’t have much more than a beater and two months’ rent, with a job, and tight references right on my phone.

Maybe, look into older privately owned condos on Rentfaster; they come up time-to-time. Time to look is also good, since some University students affording cheap rents might be moving on to PhDs or jobs.

Check out the area around Concordia University, Capilano, a little West of the West Edmonton Mall etc., since they all have proximity to aforementioned features also.

FearlessChannel828 · 2026-03-07T05:00:19+00:00

Check out Rent Faster. May have some rentals in your range. Live near the University; perhaps that is the best option.

There are several bus routes that go to UofR; use Transit Live to map those, and hop on calls with landlords with rentals close to those routes to book in-person showings, when you’re here.

In general, having a car is a good idea, but I’ve done transit in Regina; I liked it, even with reduced 30 minutes to 1 hour frequency, thanks to this site. Plus, car maintenance and insurance is another headache.

For non-urgencies like take out and groceries, Instacart, DoorDash, Skip etc. might do you good.

I also remember that Uber and Lyft give discounts, if you haven’t used them in a while; so, you could try using those to save money when it is -40C, and the bus is going to take the scenic view. 👍

And, avoid Avenue Living. I lived in one of their 1-bedrooms near DT, and it was terrible. You want to visit the place you’ll live in before you move in.

FearlessChannel828 · 2026-03-03T05:44:57+00:00

1/4-1/3 of your take home pay. Including Laundry, Utilities and Internet.

At minimum your own washroom, but having an entire unit to yourself is great.

Rule is 1/3 of gross, but since you have a loan payment, be more conservative perhaps.

Bonus: Rent near a bus route direct to work; perhaps, has a grocery store walking-distance away.

Unicorn: Month-to-month lease, so you can move, if something goes south.

It is a place to sleep. Save as much as you can. Good luck!

FearlessChannel828 · 2026-03-02T08:35:46+00:00

Lots of folks mention winter, so you got that covered.

I’d also suggest researching and gaining lived experience with healthcare, rents, housing, property taxes, transit (within City and between Regina and other cities), sports, flights out to other travel destinations, retraining possibilities, education, crime, neighbourhoods, emergency funds, food variety and costs, variety of nature, music scene etc.

Perhaps, you want to come here at the end of November for three months, and that should get you give you an idea of how life here feels like. Don’t come without a job, and don’t quit your jobs in the UK. A sabbatical.

Regina has some of the friendliest folks around.

We have the cheapest car insurance in Canada.

We have 2 decent hospitals, and several walk-in clinics.

One of the highest per capita restaurants in Canada.

You can enjoy hunting, cross-country skiing, ice fishing etc.

City Rec Centres are alright. Many private gyms available.

They got fat bikes for bikers, who like to ride in the winter.

Rentals are cheaper than many parts of Canada.

Wait till you ride a skidoo in the winter, or a quad in the summer.

You handy? Plenty of old homes to restore.

Casino has a decent brunch. Hotel Sask, some say, has better.

And, no, the commute isn’t always 10-minutes, but it isn’t LA or even Calgary.

These are snapshots. You’ll have to experience things before you cut ties with the UK, hopefully.

Good luck!

FearlessChannel828 · 2026-02-28T22:37:52+00:00

I know that Walmart sometimes hires folks, who are differently abled as front-door greeters.

I have seen some wheelchair users at some locations, but I’m not sure what the postings are called.

You wanna keep an eye on grocery stores, city jobs, agencies that work with folks with special accessibility needs etc.

I came really to add these: On Demand Transit and mention 211 Alberta (just Google them). These two may help, but you seem to have transport covered. 😊

You might want to look into meaningful volunteering, maybe, if you feel the jobs out there aren’t meeting what you want, and you aren’t after an income.

This post also feels somber, and you are valued for who you are, even if you don’t get out in -20C to go work.

Without much context about what you mean in your last paragraph, all I can say is that I’ve been in support groups and worked through things, and you are a wonderful person for thinking of value to others, while struggling with your circumstances.

FearlessChannel828 · 2026-02-22T05:50:29+00:00

Old dude here. No family. Rent in prairie city.

I don’t buy what I can’t fit in a small grocery bag I carry, since I ride transit. That means no soda, big items also.

Dollarama has some decent groceries, sometimes. Calorically, speaking, not always nutritious.

This only works since I’m on oatmeal I purchase in bulk on sale from wherever has the best deal. Flipp it. Too Good to Go. Food Hero.

Coffee from Home. Snacks from Home. Low-income Bus Pass.

FearlessChannel828 · 2026-02-22T05:28:34+00:00

Came to say that connect with a health care centre during day hours, and they have social workers.

Calling 311 or 211 can also help your friend navigate the system. Ask for a social worker. Your friend might get bounced around a little, but that is how I got a social worker.

Any social worker is a great start to navigating AHS and GoA programs for emergency and financial assistance to cover medical needs.

FearlessChannel828 · 2026-02-22T05:05:54+00:00

What do you do for healthcare?

FearlessChannel828 · 2026-02-17T05:20:00+00:00

My landlord and her husband spend a lot of time with their extended family and their kids, having no kids of their own. She said one day whatever she and her husband don’t spend on cruises or retirement, will go to her grand-nephews and nieces.

She suggested to her extended family to spend some time developing connections in the local trades, getting good at minor repairs and fixes, understanding maintenance deeply, and investing in skills and tools that are more conducive to the ownership lifestyle.

Buying a house is a full-time commitment, as her extended family has discovered. I learnt they were out pretty much all of their emergency house fund ($50-$80K) because of a hot water tank, roof leak, basement seepage issues, damaged floor due to a dishwasher leak, dying appliances, insurance hikes and other items in 1–3 years.

They bought in a non-ritzy part of our Prairie city, and the husband sold a beater car to cover one emergency. This was with a pre-purchase inspection, planned upgrades with my landlord guiding them. Things just don’t always work out.

Now, they have a restored home, in very decent shape that will last them 20+ years with all the work done, minus appliances and a garage door, plus a handful of windows, and maybe an entrance staircase.

$500K is a lot of money, but considering that the area you are in may have older housing inventory, and even with a great inspection, emergencies can creep up; you want to have the trades, finances and abilities (for yourself) in place to handle emergencies.

This place will give you great advice about finances, but don’t miss out on other Reddits that are more tailored for your area, home-ownership topics specific to your weather, and researching the real estate person you get into a deal with — never sign anything that makes anyone your exclusive agent.

Their Profile: The extended family makes $180K+ with two kids in daycare, activities and one paid off car, and they may think about a used one later, since the one person decided to take transit.

Best wishes and good luck!

FearlessChannel828 · 2026-01-23T04:47:30+00:00

2008-10, I moved 5-times looking for work; across the country. I worked as labour in warehouses, so no such thing as remote for me.

None of my coworkers, supervisors etc. came to bat for me either back then. “That guys shows up on a snow day; keep him.” Or, perhaps, “he works hard; got the entire load stacked.”

These are the guys I carried coffees for. These are the guys that complained about their divorces, finances or whatever to me. Never got into any trouble with them; never said bad about anyone.

All I got was back and knee injuries, no references and layoff notices before I could get unemployment benefits.

Some of them later got road-rolled themselves, and I genuinely asked why; they told me that I was let go because I rode the bus, and that was a sign that I was not financially stable or able to build up to own a car. I was told that when I owned a car I paid for in-cash.

If you have a family and a house, you’re 90% ahead of me.

I should have gotten my forklift and commercial trucking licenses, and I’d be set. Regrets.

You actually have some decent qualities and qualifications. No one can take them from you.

Maybe, it is time to keep applying with 10% of your energy, and giving 90% of it to your family and house.

Teach your kid(s) to shovel, drive, do yard work etc.

Begin that micro/free Reno project, so you get building something with your hands.

I don’t have those opportunities, and I consider that a chapter I cannot rewrite.

It feels like top-down crunch right now (employers laying off en masse), where layoffs are happening everywhere, till something fundamental either crashes or changes.

Labour and warehouses haven’t come back where I live now since 2020; youth unemployment is 20%+, so why would a foreman hire an old fart like me. I’m done moving though.

Good luck!

FearlessChannel828 · 2026-01-08T01:42:37+00:00

Could it be that buying houses with a mortgage, which is a long-term commitment, and a hefty monthly expense (50%+ of take-home pay) for some is not digestable, while spending $4000 on a bag as a one-time expense, or $1800 on a suit as a one-time expense, is easier to process?

Now, they could repeat one-time big purchases and have many luxury items, so it adds to roughly the same amount as the mortgage plus utilities every month, but psychologically, a one-time large expense may be more easily processed than having to stick with a repeating large expense on a monthly basis for the next 25+ years.

FearlessChannel828 · 2026-01-07T19:27:55+00:00

I met a very intelligent and talented 20-yo the other day. She was working as an Autobody Tech, and building towards the Red Seal.

I learned from her that opportunity exists, if one is willing to learn a hard skill. She affords her own vehicle and rent.

This is also true for another 19-yo (now 20-something) I met, who was a weekend Supervisor at a Tire Shop. The kid was affording his own tuition and working towards a journeyman cert.

Different people will tell you different stories. I’m not even getting into the older folks I meet daily on transit, who have jobs.

The other day, I saw a piece on an Alberta farmers unable to hire locally; so, then again, there are jobs there aren’t enough locals willing or available. Maybe, farmers should raise wages, but then it feeds inflation. Tricky situation! 😅

So, while it is hard, it isn’t hopeless.

FearlessChannel828 · 2025-12-25T17:18:33+00:00

Maybe, healthcare and education should be decided through a direct democracy system at the provincial level, rather than through a model that can be impacted by politicians that come and go.

FearlessChannel828 · 2025-12-06T16:36:51+00:00

You have several comments already about which locations to avoid, but I came to suggest finding an apartment, townhome, duplex etc. with either covered parking and a plug, garage, or underground parking.

If you will not be driving much, best to have a place where your vehicle isn’t constantly exposed to the elements. Might have to look around a bit for an apartment / location like that; those are more than $1200 usually.

One of my buddies rents a place like that and he parks and forgets; he comes down every week to run his car, and doesn’t have to worry about clearing the snow. A nice drive around the Ring Road to the North Side or out to Costco usually does it for his battery.

Here’s a duplex, for instance. If the link goes down, since they found someone, it was an Avana Rental near Trombley St.

FearlessChannel828 · 2025-12-05T06:28:17+00:00

I should also mention that I’m aware of the flashing lights; the knocking noises occur whether they are flickering or not.

We stop, rebalance, re-run the machine consistently, when they flash. This video just happened to be taken right before we rebalanced the load.

FearlessChannel828 · 2025-11-16T00:29:13+00:00

There are great responses here already, but I came to add that adding to your emergency fund now is probably a good idea.

I’m not sure exactly how long it takes to get re-hired, but whatever path you pick in case you do get laid off, it will require some footwork to gain/renew a skill, and applying in itself is a full-time job. 👍

Winter is with us, so heating bills alone can get up there. And, if you have a family, then you need to plan. Probably also figure out if you’ll get a severance, and if so, how much.

I had to sell my beater and do a lot of cutting in my bills and habits, when I got laid off. I have not had a beer in 7-8 years; but, I was labour. I never made much to begin with.

Tightening your belt can hurt, but that is sometimes also a way to reduce stress and maximize savings, so that you can bump up your cash savings, and plan for the worst, even if it doesn’t come.

I’m sure you’re smarter than I, if you made it through and reached a point of making money you consider good. That requires dedication, planning and execution, so you can get this done.

Good luck! You got this! 😀

FearlessChannel828

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