jumomo

Nothing from you party pooper!or you are just living up to your nickname?

montreal mike

good idea

why not start a new thread with this title and I am sure you will get better feedback

Canada is a vast land and even myself, having been in most major cities in the last 50 years, can not claim to have seen enough of it

jumomo

Thanks to all who have responded !
It would have been better for my hubby to have titled this post Kingston vs Guelph !
We liked both of these areas on our second recce, though I am leaning towards Kingston myself.
Having moved around a lot and lived in the countryside and cities, I can usually settle flexibly. As mentioned we live in London, U.K at the mo', but we want to settle in a small city in Ontario. I miss the big outdoors and enjoy cycling, hiking and cross country skiing ! I am British but our kids are mixed race so we want to settle well in the school/community of our choice !

bats

I don't know enough about either to comment.

montreal mike

you can still try a new thread

I kinda think this one has run its course

bgpz

Former London resident here, mixed race, young family.

From what you've posted, I'd suggest you check out Hamilton. We've been here five years and never regretted it.

Hamilton's a great little small city that's got the Niagara Escarpment running through it, easy access for great cycling and walking/hiking. Haven't yet tried skiiing, but I'm sure cross-country is pretty damn feasible

There's a decent mix of ethnicites that's reflected in the families we've got to know, and local businesses (including food - plenty of affordable options, and a range that doesn't make me feel we're particularly deprived on that tip).

You mention living mortgage free... assuming that you've got property in London to sell before moving over, I'd strongly suggest that Hamilton would be a very good strategic move in terms of picking up a lot for your money that should appreciate nicely.

If you pick the right neighbourhood, you should be able to get a really nice place at a very affordable price. Quite a few people look down their noses at Hamilton, but that helps keep the prices down and that sort of type out

More specifically, check James North and surrounds: west of James is a safer bet, pockets east of it can be a bit sketchy but nothing on the scale of some London dodginess IMO; also anything west of Downtown before the 403, particularly towards the base of the escarpment (i.e. SW) should be a safe bet. Westdale is a bit of a student ghetto in parts, Dundas proper is very nice but more expensive. Personally I'd say forget the burbs, you could be anywhere (and might as well check Ancaster as well if you want that kind of thing).

You can easily get in to Toronto for the day; decent public transport options exist so no need to faff with the car. Do it at the weekend and the TTC one-day travelcard equivalent is good for the whole famliy.

I've been to Kingston for work meetings, and from what I recall the main employers are Queen's University, the Royal Military College and a couple of large prisons (As mentioned earlier int this thread). There's a large amount of tourism with the 1000 islands and all, but from memory it seemed a lot more monocultural than where we are. Also, it's more of a schlep to nearest larger cities (Toronto and Ottawa).

Guelph is another university town with, as I recall, quite a few small breweries. dbd33's given you a more substantial response, though

In any case, good luck with your search, and I hope you find somewhere that suits!

orly

Pretty multicultural where I live. My next door neighbours are Indian And while I'm "white" I'm not Canadian either. A brief walk around Stone Road Mall shows it's not "heavily Caucasian". Majority of course...just like nearly everywhere else in Canada.

arctic_gardener

You can also take the Go Train from Guelph to Toronto to avoid driving.