I'll sure drink to that,too.
Well, 20 minutes North of Barrie is pretty good living.
Lots of jobs as Barrie is growing fast.
Housing cheaper than down South but it isn't cheap.
Still country mentality and plenty of rednecks.
1 1/2 hour from downtown TO
1 hour from Pearson.
20 minutes for Georgian Bay
1/2 hour from Muskoka
45 minutes from lots of Crownland
Minutes away from lots of public Simcoe forest.
Minutes from good ice fishing on Simcoe.
Good water-fowling.
Friendly farmers
Enough deer and plenty of coyotes.
Overall you get the advantage of the city but you don't have to deal with the ones that populate it.
I'm a father and sole income. used to live in southern ontario and rent is sky high. buying a house on anything less than 60 K is tough in the market most southern cities. moved to sudbury area where you can make 35-40 k, have access to hospital and most things we had down south (except good sushi). big difference here is that you dont go knocking on doors to ask permission to hunt, crown land is usually in your backyard and there's more wildlife. you end up trading waterfowl for upland birds but the bear season is worth the turkey trade off. plus you can raise a family without breaking the bank and have some tax writeoffs for being northern. no e-test needed for cars... the list goes on.
oh yeah, plus a 2nd draw for northerners for moose.
fishing is good too.
too bad i can't stay here for long. it's awesome.
It all boils down to the choice you make and does that include you right now or are you looking at long term.I will give you some examples my son right now works for the City and drives heavy equipment.He makes $29.00 an hour and gets all the usual union benefits and a good pension at the end.But right now he
would need 1 million dollars to buy a home in this area and he lives at home.
He could go up and get a job with the Township doing the same work and would get $16.50 an hour with limited benefits and no pension.He could buy a home up here for $320,000.00 with some acreage.Now the gas up here is more expensive so are groceries and so is hydro and propane heating all more so than the city.
The big problem would be his own kids if he ever has any.There are next to no jobs up there and most pay minimum wages.
Access to medical is also very limited and getting a Doctor very difficult.So its all a trade off.
If you can work from home and have decent steady income coming in then it might work for you,but your family better really enjoy the outdoors,because all the stuff you get in the City is not here, sporting events,concerts,movies,.......
I live just inside the edge of Haliburton County. I grew up in the Durham region and still work there and commute daily. It is a lot easier than you might imagine. I don't have to tell a bunch of Outdoorsman about the opportunities that are available to me living where I do. When I moved up here (I am 53 now and I have been here for 15 years) I thought I would fish hunt and ATV every weekend. In actuality all I do is eat sleep drive and work LOL but you know what I love living where I do and my family is from the area many generations back. It is what it is everyones situation is different
Good God Gilroy, have you ever traveled outside the GTA? Your post is exactly why us northerners label the southerners as CITIOTS! I cant even begin to explain to you, the silliness of your post, cuz you just couldnt comprehend? Please, stay down there and keep your ilk with you.