MightyMule

Microsoft grabs the 2nd tier candidates from Waterloo. Companies like Google or Amazon tend to get the better candidates since they pay about 20-30% more. All these companies will pay about 100% more than Dyack will. Most silicon valley or Seattle software developers net 100k. Intro game industry in Ontario is about 40k.

To the comment that OSAP is a loan. That is true. What also is true is that your school is subsidized by the government which is why your tuition is so low. This is also why Waterloo is a de-regulated university. They can apply to raise tuition to compensate for the rising costs in running their program. So some of it is from the tax payers in Ontario and some of it isn't.

Ontario attracts developers with tax breaks. The new Ubisoft studio was heavily compensated for opening that studio. 250 million about.

http://www.joystiq.com/2009/07/13/not-everyones-happy-about-ubisoft-toronto/

Vancouver and Quebec have always been the traditional game development centers in Canada but Toronto could, and should, easily become one.