The cost of living is fairly high in Ottawa as with most places in Canada but the wages often (hopefully) match up!
Ottawa has lots of governmental and charity based jobs due to being the capital city- but it is heavily advantageous to be Bilingual in both official languages here- whereas in Western Canada this is still an asset but less of a requirement. There is plenty of work to be had without this of course, and I have not had too much trouble finding work (I only speak English).
Ottawa is in a valley so the climate can be quite extreme- 4 or 5 months of snow and extreme cold (up to around -40C for several weeks) to very warm summers (approaching 40C at it's peak), but there is the advantage of a beautiful fall (Autumn) season also.
There are not many unsafe areas in Ottawa and anyway along the central strip of Bank Street is fairly hospitable (but rents vary street to street).
I've not been out west but I do prefer Ottawa to either Toronto or Montreal as a place to live- it's smaller and feels less city like. I don't have children (yet) but Ottawa has an exceptional amount of green-space and feels more of an outdoors place to me.
Well "best place to live" depends really of your criteria.
We moved to Ottawa because of jobs and we don't regret it. We found a trick to save a lot of money. We actually live in Gatineau, just North of the Ottawa river on the province of Quebec because it is A LOT CHEAPER (mostly housing costs and daycare) so if you have young kids, Gatineau is the place to go.
We work in Ottawa, it is a clean city and typical Canadian weather, cold in winter and hot in summer. Crimes are low but they do exist like everywhere nowadays.
I heard too that Saskatchewan has a low cost of living and Regina and Saskatoon are pretty good but again it depends on your criteria. We personally like to have some "life" so Ottawa is a good balance it is not as big as Toronto/Montreal and it is not too small like the thousands of small towns.
Edmonton is a good choice based on his profession. He may end up working outside of town, however, but usually the company provides support for that.
The weather isn't exactly warm in Edmonton. I know many Canadians that think 20C is hot... You can see average temperatures for Edmonton (and other cities) here: http://gocanada.about.com/od/canadatravelplanner/tp/temperatures_canada.htm
Then again, if you're from a cold climate or enjoy cooler weather, you might be pleasantly surprised. Personally, I hate hot weather and have loved Alberta summers so far.
Could someone already in Canada or anybody having a thorough knowledge about the province of Saskatchewan? I am from India and planning to move up there this Fall. I will be going to the Saskatoon. How is the job prospects like in that city? Are there shops around and pretty much al I wanted to know is that if its a happening place???
Are you using the search feature within the members section or the general search feature?
You need to use the member search feature. It's located with in the members section. At the top right hand of the screen it says: Home - Assessment - Help - Search - Profile - Inbox - MEMBERS - Rss - Logout
You need to go into Members, then select "search" from the tab at the top of the members list.
