So people. Can anyone give us the lowdown on Guelph? We have two boys 6 and 3 years old, so schools, extra curricular sports, etc. are important to us. Is it possible to communte into Toronto for work?

Regards.

It's 89km by road ... don't know if the trains run out that way.

Communting into Toronto downtown ... is a bit like commuting to London if you live in Petersfield: in the UK you got the M25 which is blocked either way as you are going with the flow, in Ontario it's the 401. On a Sunday afternoon it is going to take you about 1h, you can imagine what that is in rush hour ... and/or in winter. One accident ... and you're done for the day (exaggerating!).

Bottom line: I wouldn't recommend it. Oakville, Milton or e.g. Mississauga are better choices for Toronto commuters ... if you have a choice.

Look here for a detailed analysis on PROs and CONs for (not) commuting from Guelph to Toronto: http://www.guelphmercury.com/boomtow...123123021.html

Hope that helps

Stephen in Cambridge, Ontario

I don't think there is a problem with schools as I live across the road from 4 of them!

[QUOTE=stephenbottcher]Communting into Toronto downtown ... is a bit like commuting to London if you live in Petersfield: in the UK you got the M25 which is blocked either way as you are going with the flow, in Ontario it's the 401. On a Sunday afternoon it is going to take you about 1h, you can imagine what that is in rush hour ... and/or in winter. One accident ... and you're done for the day (exaggerating!).

Thanks for the responses people. Everyone appears to be car biased. Does this mean my dream of commuting by GO train is pure fantasy?

Thanks CDNReturner. Are they well thought of locally?

I think the schools are well thought of locally. Although one of the schools (the one my nephew is going to) is meant to be closing down next year (he's 12 and will be the last year to graduate from it). From what I understand from my sister, they are chopping and changing the schools at the moment. I think this may be because there is so many new building of houses in the south end of Guelph. I actually live pretty centrally near Stone Road Mall in an established area. I'm not sure about extra-curricular but my nephew I know does cross-country running. I don't have any kids myself (seems silly living across the road from 4 schools but I found my perfect house here a couple of months ago). For some reason there is no GO train from here. I find that frustrating too, though I'm planning on starting a home business so it's not a problem workwise. But I would like to be able to go shopping in Toronto without negotiating the traffic and believe me it is bad and puts you in a bad mood by the time you get there. You have to drive to Acton or is it Georgetown to get on the GO train or down to Burlington I believe. Funnily enough when I went to college(I'm originally a Torontonian many, many years ago), my best friend was from Guelph and there used to be a regualar train service then as I sometimes came to stay with her here. I don't know whatever happened to that.

As far as the commute goes it's pretty good. I live in Cambridge, just south of the 401. It takes me 35 minutes to the edge of Mississauga where I work. However I get off just as the traffic starts to back up. It's the same message on the traffic report every morning, " slow moving from Mississauga Rd to Mavis".

I've done the commute for just over 8 months and have had less than half a dozen real delays. The worst though was a couple of weeks back, freezing rain turned the journey into a 3 hour haul. But saying that I lived 8 km from work in Mississauga before moving to Cambridge and that drive would take 20 minutes on an average day.

It all depends if you already have a job or are looking and where you look.

The other thing to bear in mind with Guelph is the drive down highway 6 to get to the 401 and your location within Guelph. We looked at Guelph but decided on the eastern side of Cambridge. I can probably get to the junction at highway 6 north faster than somebody that lived in central Guelph.

Milton's another alternative, a bit closer so therefore a little more pricey. Didn't have a lot to offer when we looked 18 months ago but it's moving pretty quick in there now. Walmart, Canadian Tire are built and I think they are just finishing off a Sobey's.

Simon.