Cost of Living - Ontario
#33
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Nov 2011
Location: Somewhere between Vancouver & St Johns
Posts: 19,849
Re: Cost of Living - Ontario
The Rossendale Valley is an outstanding and distinctive part of beautiful East Lancashire. Set in the South Pennine hills, it is the perfect retreat from the pressures of daily life.
Experience the beauty of its landscape and the warm welcome you will receive from the community, renowned for its humour and hospitality.
https://www.visitlancashire.com/expl...enaline-valley
I come from a non descriptive borough in Lancashire just south of Preston.
The GTA well let those who live there comment on the beauty of a densely populated metropolitan area of concrete hi rises, McMansions and everything in between where just under 6 million call home.
Now granted my circumstances are different to yours but if you have decent careers in the UK making decent money and own a decent house then swapping all of that for the GTA well if it is something you want then go for it but also remembering the grass isn't always greener. If you do decide to make the move then I or others don't want to see any posts later saying things like the cost of housing, car insurance, property taxes, cell phone plans and domestic air travel are expensive. We also don't want to see posts about how hard it is to find food items that you are used to.
Is it worth the move then I certainly don't regret making the move but I am not in the GTA nor would I want to be.
Experience the beauty of its landscape and the warm welcome you will receive from the community, renowned for its humour and hospitality.
https://www.visitlancashire.com/expl...enaline-valley
I come from a non descriptive borough in Lancashire just south of Preston.
The GTA well let those who live there comment on the beauty of a densely populated metropolitan area of concrete hi rises, McMansions and everything in between where just under 6 million call home.
Now granted my circumstances are different to yours but if you have decent careers in the UK making decent money and own a decent house then swapping all of that for the GTA well if it is something you want then go for it but also remembering the grass isn't always greener. If you do decide to make the move then I or others don't want to see any posts later saying things like the cost of housing, car insurance, property taxes, cell phone plans and domestic air travel are expensive. We also don't want to see posts about how hard it is to find food items that you are used to.
Is it worth the move then I certainly don't regret making the move but I am not in the GTA nor would I want to be.
#34
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 10
Re: Cost of Living - Ontario
The Rossendale Valley is an outstanding and distinctive part of beautiful East Lancashire. Set in the South Pennine hills, it is the perfect retreat from the pressures of daily life.
Experience the beauty of its landscape and the warm welcome you will receive from the community, renowned for its humour and hospitality.
https://www.visitlancashire.com/expl...enaline-valley
I come from a non descriptive borough in Lancashire just south of Preston.
The GTA well let those who live there comment on the beauty of a densely populated metropolitan area of concrete hi rises, McMansions and everything in between where just under 6 million call home.
Now granted my circumstances are different to yours but if you have decent careers in the UK making decent money and own a decent house then swapping all of that for the GTA well if it is something you want then go for it but also remembering the grass isn't always greener. If you do decide to make the move then I or others don't want to see any posts later saying things like the cost of housing, car insurance, property taxes, cell phone plans and domestic air travel are expensive. We also don't want to see posts about how hard it is to find food items that you are used to.
Is it worth the move then I certainly don't regret making the move but I am not in the GTA nor would I want to be.
Experience the beauty of its landscape and the warm welcome you will receive from the community, renowned for its humour and hospitality.
https://www.visitlancashire.com/expl...enaline-valley
I come from a non descriptive borough in Lancashire just south of Preston.
The GTA well let those who live there comment on the beauty of a densely populated metropolitan area of concrete hi rises, McMansions and everything in between where just under 6 million call home.
Now granted my circumstances are different to yours but if you have decent careers in the UK making decent money and own a decent house then swapping all of that for the GTA well if it is something you want then go for it but also remembering the grass isn't always greener. If you do decide to make the move then I or others don't want to see any posts later saying things like the cost of housing, car insurance, property taxes, cell phone plans and domestic air travel are expensive. We also don't want to see posts about how hard it is to find food items that you are used to.
Is it worth the move then I certainly don't regret making the move but I am not in the GTA nor would I want to be.
Which is why I am not interested in moving to Toronto but ideally somewhere semi rural or a small city in Ontario (perhaps a 3 hour radius from Toronto such as Kingston) so you are not lost in the big city but not too far to be remote.
Open to suggestions of any good cities that give a good lifestyle balance and employment prospects.
One thing is for sure, since starting the thread, I’ve rediscovered my appreciation for Rossendale and UK in general. It’s not so much of a bad deal after all.
Thanks
#35
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Nov 2011
Location: Somewhere between Vancouver & St Johns
Posts: 19,849
Re: Cost of Living - Ontario
Personally I think the Rossendale Valley is a bit crap as it's in East Lancashire which is a blight on the rest of the County
There are parts of rural Ontario that will meet your needs however one of the things we always see when UK folk make the move is that how much they miss family and find it hard to make friends. I was lucky I sponsored my parents so really didn't have to go through that phase. It will always be a question of What If when you don't make the move or Why Did We Move if things don't turn out as planned. Some love Canada, some hate it and the rest of us just put up with it until retirement comes along and can we afford to go somewhere else like back to the UK.
Do your research rather than relying on internet sites to influence your decision even though we have very knowledgeable posters on here who won't lead you up the garden path and give you sometimes some brutally honest opinions and not sugar coat things.
There are parts of rural Ontario that will meet your needs however one of the things we always see when UK folk make the move is that how much they miss family and find it hard to make friends. I was lucky I sponsored my parents so really didn't have to go through that phase. It will always be a question of What If when you don't make the move or Why Did We Move if things don't turn out as planned. Some love Canada, some hate it and the rest of us just put up with it until retirement comes along and can we afford to go somewhere else like back to the UK.
Do your research rather than relying on internet sites to influence your decision even though we have very knowledgeable posters on here who won't lead you up the garden path and give you sometimes some brutally honest opinions and not sugar coat things.
#36
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 10
Re: Cost of Living - Ontario
Personally I think the Rossendale Valley is a bit crap as it's in East Lancashire which is a blight on the rest of the County
There are parts of rural Ontario that will meet your needs however one of the things we always see when UK folk make the move is that how much they miss family and find it hard to make friends. I was lucky I sponsored my parents so really didn't have to go through that phase. It will always be a question of What If when you don't make the move or Why Did We Move if things don't turn out as planned. Some love Canada, some hate it and the rest of us just put up with it until retirement comes along and can we afford to go somewhere else like back to the UK.
Do your research rather than relying on internet sites to influence your decision even though we have very knowledgeable posters on here who won't lead you up the garden path and give you sometimes some brutally honest opinions and not sugar coat things.
There are parts of rural Ontario that will meet your needs however one of the things we always see when UK folk make the move is that how much they miss family and find it hard to make friends. I was lucky I sponsored my parents so really didn't have to go through that phase. It will always be a question of What If when you don't make the move or Why Did We Move if things don't turn out as planned. Some love Canada, some hate it and the rest of us just put up with it until retirement comes along and can we afford to go somewhere else like back to the UK.
Do your research rather than relying on internet sites to influence your decision even though we have very knowledgeable posters on here who won't lead you up the garden path and give you sometimes some brutally honest opinions and not sugar coat things.
Great to hear lots of different views and thoughts.
#38
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jan 2011
Location: Orton, Ontario
Posts: 2,032
Re: Cost of Living - Ontario
Thank you everyone for your inputs so far. It’s remarkable what you don’t know even when it’s comes to day to day living. This has really made me consider my options more carefully now especially as some of the costs quoted here seem way out of proportion when compared to what we pay here in UK especially insurance and council/property tax. For instance my home and car insurance combined is £650 for the year and the council tax is only £1,250 for the year.
I will continue my fact find until I get conclusive enough feedback and hope to make the right choices.
the upshot for me was the bigger better lifestyle, lovely landscape and great exposure and future opportunities for kids.
Thanks everyone who has contributed so far.
Regards
I will continue my fact find until I get conclusive enough feedback and hope to make the right choices.
the upshot for me was the bigger better lifestyle, lovely landscape and great exposure and future opportunities for kids.
Thanks everyone who has contributed so far.
Regards
#39
Re: Cost of Living - Ontario
I don't know if Lancashire has busses or trains but subdivision Kingston likely will not and anywhere rural in Ontario certainly will not. Thus the logistics, as well as the cost, of entertaining four children are daunting. They have to be driven to everything so that means two vehicles will very likely be needed.
#40
Re: Cost of Living - Ontario
I don't know if Lancashire has busses or trains but subdivision Kingston likely will not and anywhere rural in Ontario certainly will not. Thus the logistics, as well as the cost, of entertaining four children are daunting. They have to be driven to everything so that means two vehicles will very likely be needed.
#41
Re: Cost of Living - Ontario
#42
Re: Cost of Living - Ontario
Lancashire is I"m afraid north of the North Circular/M25/Watford Gap so any form of public transit other than the occasional horse and carriage led by a flat capped Andy Cap like character is what the OP is used to. As a result, rural Ontario transit will be what he is used to.
I thought that might be the case but even if there's a weekly horse drawn bus to Blackpool that's more transit than in Ontario once you get past the subway. I think it's grim for teenagers to be tied to their parents as they are here and for that reason lived on the tram line until they grew up.
Whether or not the economics make sense rather depends on how bad Brexit is going to be. If the OP works in financial services then running while the house still has some value might be the sensible course.
#43
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 6,148
Re: Cost of Living - Ontario
I'll give you the bigger lifestyle (car, house, toys etc), and possibly the lovely landscape (although I'd personally go to BC for that, most of Ontario doesn't do a lot for me), but I'd definitely query the 'future opportunities for kids'. What do you think Canada will give them that the UK can't? Move for yourself as well, and because you truly love Canada, not the oft derided 'for the kids' excuse! It's going to cost you £30k or so to move the family, it's an expensive mistake to make if you don't get it right.
#45
Re: Cost of Living - Ontario
See also figure skating, horses, sailing, skiing. Swimming is, I think, the only pastime that's initially cheap and has profit potential (through lifeguarding, though again, transit or parental vehicle required).