Toronto recce
 

Hey all,

So, we have lived in NS for 4 years and I have suffered massive bouts of homesickness in that time. Not really so much to do with NS itself but just missing home. I am OK at the moment after a trip home in the summer :)

I do find life quite sterile (read as boring lol) here though and crave a more lively place to live. We struggle to find anywhere to go for a day out. The so called 'theme parks, water parks and animal parks' here are very small compared to those in the UK and after 2 hours you are done. We have basically 'done' NS.

Hubbys work is going to come to an end here in the next couple of years, as in he cannot go any higher. He is working for the largest company here and is currently a manager of a large team and he now agrees a 2 year time frame to move on. NS for us can not be forever.

Anyhoo, I would like to give Canada another try (possibly). So, we are planning a possible recce in Toronto next summer and want some ideas. I last went there when I was 13 so my memories are kind of hazy and probably very outdated!

We would like somewhere out of the city but easy access into it for work. A bit of nightlife, good restaurants and bars if we want it.
I would like space, plenty of walking areas, parks, lakes etc.
Most important...good schools! My youngest will be 11 in 2 years and so it's important.

Hubby has recently done a couple of short trips to Toronto and really likes Oakville. I have looked on MLS at house prices and it looks bloody expensive there :blink: Also I have heard its a bit snobby, and I don't do snobby! (this is what I've heard so please don't shout at me :lol:)

Can anyone on here tell me more about Oakville or any other areas you would recommend?

At the moment the choices are Toronto or England so it's going to be tough.
Toronto downsides (as far as I know) - bloody freezing/ bloody humid and bugs! :lol:

Thanks all :)

Re: Toronto recce
 

Hi

I live in Oakville and, personally, for the most part I don't find it snobby, but it does have that reputation. There is a lot of money here and some of the reputation (I believe) comes from jealousy, and some is earned by a small minority who have money and want everybody else to know it. It is, as you say, expensive here, but I suspect you may have that problem wherever you move in the GTA compared to NS (but I am not an expert on house prices there). Oakville has a very pretty downtown and historic district (old by Canadian standards), schools are great and there is a good train service to and from Toronto which runs very regularly during morning and evening rush hours and once an hour throughout the rest of the day and evenings and weekends. There are lots of bars and restaurants of all varieties, but not a lot seems to happen after about 10pm, so if you are thinking clubs then maybe not the place for you - although there are plenty of those in Toronto, not far away.
Burlington is also really nice, slightly cheaper than Oakville, but a longer commute if working in Toronto.
If you have any specific questions, feel free to PM me.

Re: Toronto recce
 

Hi, thanks for your reply :)

Nothing really specific on Oakville comes to mind at the moment but may PM you as things come up.

Is there a bus service to Toronto from Burlington, do you know?

Re: Toronto recce
 

Based on what you're seeking (lots of green spaces, parks, etc. but close to the city) have you considered Vancouver? I'm not sure you'll find what you're looking for in Toronto, although it's a very interesting city to live in if you're seeking an urban environment.

Re: Toronto recce
 

Yes, there are both bus and train services. Many thousands of people commute daily from Burlington. I did it from Clarkson to Union for some 30 years.

Re: Toronto recce
 

The same train service runs through Burlington and then Oakville, obviously as Burlington is further from Toronto - you sit on the train for longer, and there are not as many trains to choose from as some originate or terminate in Oakville.

Re: Toronto recce
 

We (briefly) considered Vancouver before we left England 4 years ago.
Vancouver is very expensive and we didn't want to move from one really expensive place straight to another. This is why we chose NS as we could buy more house for our money.
Also I'm a bit of a wimp and totally hate flying :eek: Vancouver is too far away for me!

Re: Toronto recce
 

Really..sound like a no brainer to me:thumbup:

Re: Toronto recce
 

Which one?

Re: Toronto recce
 

He's in Edmonton, home of those who think Toronto is the source of all evil (for reasons which escape me). I think he's suggesting England, which I agree would be preferable to Edmonton.

Re: Toronto recce
 

:lol: I guess Edmontonians think that Torontonians think Toronto is the centre of the Universe :unsure: :lol:

Re: Toronto recce
 

I have no feelings either way with regards to Toronto..i have been there a few times and was ok and is better than Edmonton no doubt. But better than England and London and my favourite place Essex??..not for me no contest if you look at the criteria of the OP.

Re: Toronto recce
 

I do agree that England is the best :wub: the task ahead is to convince hubby of this :fingerscrossed:
Who knows though, I may get to Toronto next year and love it

Re: Toronto recce
 

Toronto's indeed a fun city, but you have to appreciate it as itself - a city on the Great Lakes in the most populated/developed/industrialized/suburban-sprawly part of Canada, and not a place in England. :) It will never replicate England, so as long as you can appreciate it as such, you'll be okay.

Re: Toronto recce
 

What you have written could have been written by me about Alberta and how I feel about the Toronto/Ontario weather:eek::rofl:

We are also looking at moving Province in a couple of years and OH fell in love with Southern Ontario - primarily Niagara on the Lake area but not limited to there. We are hoping to go out at Spring Break - I know what Spring Break weather is like in Alberta, I'm interested in Ontario weather, I want to move to a shorter winter area:unsure: Also on our places to spend some time checking is St Catherines - OH has a possible business opportunity there already.

Hah! It'll be interesting to see where we both end up:rofl: