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Who cares where you startup? Some of the best startups have come from non-startup towns, like Shopify.com from Ottawa But to support the topic, here's some cit

Who cares where you startup? Some of the best startups have come from non-startup towns, like Shopify.com from Ottawa But to support the topic, here's some cities in eastern Canada where I think the startup culture is growing/swell: - Toronto, Ontario Pros: Great community, lots of get togethers and Barcamps. Good overall scene Cons: Crappy weather, rent and space costs are high. - Waterloo, Ontario Pros: Good community (Been to several Startup meets), a lot of younger people (It's a town with two major Universities in it plus a college) and a lot of cool more tech-oriented startups coming out of it. Cost of living is pretty cheap, nice small town. Lots of VC's in the area from what I've seen Cons: Perhaps a bit TOO small of a town (Only 90,000 people) - Montreal, Ontario Pros: Great european culture in the city itself. Awesome startup scene with lots of get togethers. Great technology and apps coming out of it already. Lots of people deeming Montreal the "Silicon Valley of Canada" (And yes, I know it can't compare AT ALL). Pretty cheap considering how big it is Cons: The city itself may not be for some people. Very busy. Hope that helps. Go Canada startups! :-)

ojbyrne 19y ago
Better speak French if you choose Montreal because of the language laws. Otherwise you might be in for a shock when you discover that speaking English is not an acceptable job requirement.
- wallflower 19y ago
  My friend has been studying French for years and is quaking at the thought of the Test de connaissance du français
- truebosko 19y ago
  That's true, but a lot of people in the core of Montreal also speak fluent English and there doesn't seem to be much attitude towards English speaking people (in that area) And hey, French isn't too hard to learn :)
  - ojbyrne 19y ago
    I'm a Bill 101 refugee (yes I'm old!) but I really loved living in Montreal. Other than the language issues (and you're probably correct in downplaying them) it's a great city. And (other than the language issues) a great place for startups.
- r7000 19y ago
  Bill 101 kicks in after 50 employees. Not really an issue for startups!
- lpgauth 18y ago
  Most of the startup stuff going on in Montreal is all in English.
izaidi 19y ago
Montreal seems like the place to be if you're starting small. Vancouver might have a stronger talent base but their startup culture is a little top-heavy -- it's mostly VCs and angels spinning off their own ideas, whereas in Montreal there's a vibrant startup community and VCs are actively seeking early-stage concepts to invest in (like here: http://montrealstartup.com/ http://montrealstartup.com/). And yeah, it's a beautiful city and housing is really cheap. I'd move there if I could but the only startups looking to hire talent are the well-funded ones in Vancouver.
- mrtron 19y ago
  Montreal has some great VCs, but for early stage funding I think Waterloo is actually the most forward looking. I don't know enough about Vancouver's scene to know the differences that way.
- ArcticCelt 18y ago
  I live in Montreal and I can only see advantages. Incorporation in Canada is simple and dirt cheap, cost of living in Montreal generally low(food + rent for me around 600$), you can have a small office for a ridiculous price (200$ for office with a shared conference room and reception). Fun city to relax and go out. VC's? Who cares? If you reach the size to start looking for VC then move to another city if yoi think it's so important.
acangiano 19y ago
I assume you mean Montreal, Quebec.
- truebosko 18y ago
  Yes, just a typo due to too much Ontario in my post!
mrtron 19y ago
I agree. Waterloo is a great for startup, Toronto is a great city with lots of entrepreneurs, and Montreal is pretty great too excluding the language barrier. On that note, I wouldn't mind meeting up with smart folks to talk shop - any suggestions? Are the Barcamps good?
lux 18y ago
Winnipeg, Manitoba Pros: We're in Canada for one, low cost of living (compared to anywhere in North America), great people, central time zone (only a couple hours off either coast), and a growing startup scene (www.manitobanewmedia.com) Cons: Pretty cold in the winter (not that much worse than elsewhere in Canada though, I'm from Windsor, Ontario and at least it's a dry cold here!). Not many startup-minded people. The scene here is really small still, and it's tough to find coding talent here in general, and even harder to find ones who would work well in a startup. Winnipeg is a great city for the arts as well, with some really cool stuff going on in music, film, etc. I find it a creatively inspiring city with a unique culture compared to the rest of Canada and the US. So I may not have the same volume of geek surrounding me ;), but Winnipeg provides creative influences of a different sort which I can see have definitely influenced some of my business ideas in a good way. Go Canada! :)

ojbyrne 19y ago

Better speak French if you choose Montreal because of the language laws. Otherwise you might be in for a shock when you discover that speaking English is not an acceptable job requirement.

wallflower 19y ago
My friend has been studying French for years and is quaking at the thought of the Test de connaissance du français
truebosko 19y ago
That's true, but a lot of people in the core of Montreal also speak fluent English and there doesn't seem to be much attitude towards English speaking people (in that area) And hey, French isn't too hard to learn :)
- ojbyrne 19y ago
  I'm a Bill 101 refugee (yes I'm old!) but I really loved living in Montreal. Other than the language issues (and you're probably correct in downplaying them) it's a great city. And (other than the language issues) a great place for startups.
r7000 19y ago
Bill 101 kicks in after 50 employees. Not really an issue for startups!
lpgauth 18y ago
Most of the startup stuff going on in Montreal is all in English.

izaidi 19y ago

Montreal seems like the place to be if you're starting small. Vancouver might have a stronger talent base but their startup culture is a little top-heavy -- it's mostly VCs and angels spinning off their own ideas, whereas in Montreal there's a vibrant startup community and VCs are actively seeking early-stage concepts to invest in (like here: http://montrealstartup.com/ http://montrealstartup.com/). And yeah, it's a beautiful city and housing is really cheap. I'd move there if I could but the only startups looking to hire talent are the well-funded ones in Vancouver.

mrtron 19y ago
Montreal has some great VCs, but for early stage funding I think Waterloo is actually the most forward looking. I don't know enough about Vancouver's scene to know the differences that way.
ArcticCelt 18y ago
I live in Montreal and I can only see advantages. Incorporation in Canada is simple and dirt cheap, cost of living in Montreal generally low(food + rent for me around 600$), you can have a small office for a ridiculous price (200$ for office with a shared conference room and reception). Fun city to relax and go out. VC's? Who cares? If you reach the size to start looking for VC then move to another city if yoi think it's so important.

acangiano 19y ago

I assume you mean Montreal, Quebec.

truebosko 18y ago
Yes, just a typo due to too much Ontario in my post!

mrtron 19y ago

I agree. Waterloo is a great for startup, Toronto is a great city with lots of entrepreneurs, and Montreal is pretty great too excluding the language barrier. On that note, I wouldn't mind meeting up with smart folks to talk shop - any suggestions? Are the Barcamps good?

lux 18y ago

Winnipeg, Manitoba Pros: We're in Canada for one, low cost of living (compared to anywhere in North America), great people, central time zone (only a couple hours off either coast), and a growing startup scene (www.manitobanewmedia.com) Cons: Pretty cold in the winter (not that much worse than elsewhere in Canada though, I'm from Windsor, Ontario and at least it's a dry cold here!). Not many startup-minded people. The scene here is really small still, and it's tough to find coding talent here in general, and even harder to find ones who would work well in a startup. Winnipeg is a great city for the arts as well, with some really cool stuff going on in music, film, etc. I find it a creatively inspiring city with a unique culture compared to the rest of Canada and the US. So I may not have the same volume of geek surrounding me ;), but Winnipeg provides creative influences of a different sort which I can see have definitely influenced some of my business ideas in a good way. Go Canada! :)