Yes Waterloo has a better undergrad, it's indisputable as the top undergrad architecture school in Canada, but McGill is a very strong second choice and you should not be disappointed with it as an alternative.

You're also right that Cambridge, Ontario is a hole and if you have the option, Montreal is a far less depressing place to live. 8-)

If you plan on working and chasing a license in Canada, don't bother with a foreign undergrad. Get the basics here and chase a fancy M.arch in 5 years once you know what you want.

Hey, thanks for replying. About the last part of your comment, what if I hope to live and practice in Europe?

^ then attend a European school but it is important to know all the steps towards license early on so you know what to expect & work towards while in school. Too many students get out of school knowing nothing about the working world of architecture and then come to these boards to complain.

But... if you get accepted to McGill, take it and look to Europe for a Masters when the time comes. You'll be much more knowledgeable and/or aware by then (if not, seek a refund from your university).

Just keep in mind that the internship period and professional examinations, not to mention building codes and construction practices, can vary greatly between Canada, the US, and Europe.

Some European universities have very stringent requirements when applying to their Masters and don't accept some bachelor degrees in Architecture from Canada so might want to check up on those requirements.  I believe a lot of technical classes are needed depending on the program, and some Canadian undergrads don't have enough.  Don't quote me on that though.  Waterloo might be better for international masters opportunities than McGill who I've heard is more heavy on theory but again I don't know the details on that.  But Europe is great.  Free tuition for some countries, like Germany even as an international student. But you obviously need to know German.  So prepare for that as well.  Some Canadians have studied and worked in Europe from this board like Stephanie who might be a good person to touch base with.

Best interns I ever hired came form Waterloo.

Some European universities have very stringent requirements when applying to their Masters and don't accept some bachelor degrees in Architecture from Canada so might want to check up on those requirements.  I believe a lot of technical classes are needed depending on the program, and some Canadian undergrads don't have enough.  Don't quote me on that though

I've never heard of that. It's a fact there are some schools like TU Delft that have really high entry requirements, but I know of several students from Canada who have ended up studying there & many other schools in Europe. The key is to understand the difference between the education systems.

In Europe, it's common to have a bachelor degree in architecture or design first. In North America you can enter a masters of architecture with almost any degree as long as your portfolio is good, but this means your education path will be longer.

Europe:

- 3+2 approach to architecture education: 3 years architecture bachelor / design foundation and 2 year masters

North America:

- 4 year undergrad in any subject + 2-3 year masters depending on your skill level

or

-5 year B.Arch (masters optional)

To get into a master's degree in Europe from North America, it's essential to have a bachelor foundation in architecture and design. The schools there assume a very self-directed path at the masters level and won't have much, if any, instruction in basics of design since all the European students would have already taken 3 years of design & presentation. In North America, the assumption is that students are coming from a wide variety of backgrounds so the first year of masters is often spent getting everyone on the same page and developing basic representation & presentation skills.

As for the second part of your question: Do you have dual residency or citizenship? If not, good luck with that plan. Graduating in Europe doesn't give you the right to live, work, or stay in Europe. Since you're Canadian, you'll be able to get the youth mobility visa - allowing you to live and work in one of the partnering countries for a year -  but beyond that?...

If you are very skilled you may find a firm that will go through the pain and cost of sponsoring you but your residence in Europe will be tied to that particular job and if you want to switch jobs or move somewhere else, you'll have to go through the visa & sponsorship process all over again. 

That's not to say you shouldn't follow your plan - just that unless you're privileged to have had parents who thought to get you a dual citizenship and teach you another language, it's going to be extremely painful on the day you realize that the government of whatever European country you are in won't let you stay in their country anymore and there's nothing you can do about it.