Maybe it doesn’t look weird but it certainly seems weird that talented engineers living in high CoL area are willing to work for a pittance. Yes I’m familiar with the awesomeness of Canada and Trudeau but at the end of the day I do want to have enough disposable income to enjoy the amenities of modern city life.

Oh I agree. As much as I love Vancouver, I could never see myself living there given the salaries. Well, I won't never say never, but it would have to be a pretty great job.

My first job out of university was for $70k in Waterloo, working at BlackBerry, back in 2012. I recently received an offer for $115k at a startup in Toronto (office in Libery Village).