“We don’t have a mortgage, which is mind-blowing”: Why a marine engineer and a media advisor left Toronto for Kingston
They wanted to live in a smaller city where they could make an impact
Priced Out
“It feels like we live at a resort”: Why a technician and a law clerk traded Toronto for Port Colborne
They went to school in Toronto, got jobs in Toronto, then faced a difficult decision: rent forever or leave
Urban Expats: This family ditched Toronto to build a life in Kingston. Here’s why
Once a week, one of the parents commutes to Toronto for work
What happens to a city when the next generation of teachers, cops, nurses and firefighters decide to leave?
A six-part series on the middle-class migration
“We’d walk around Wychwood Barns and fantasize about owning a modest semi, but our budget was around $350,000”
In Guelph, they found a two-bedroom condo in a converted church for $310,000
“We loved our life in Toronto, but we knew $600,000 wouldn’t get us very far”
In Burlington, they found a three-bedroom row house for $620,000
“We have four kids. A skinny semi in the Upper Beaches wasn’t going to cut it”
They found a four-bedroom, three-bathroom detached with a giant backyard in Burlington—and most of their new friends are Toronto transplants
“We didn’t want to spend 50 per cent of our income on a mortgage for the next 25 years”
So they’re renting a three-bedroom detached house in Brampton for $1,800 a month
“Two-bedroom condos were renting for $2,400 in Toronto. In Innisfil, we found a three-bedroom house for $460,000”
It’s 1,275 square feet with a yard, and it’s walking distance to a Starbucks
“We grew up with big backyards and wanted the same for our kids”
In Bracebridge, they have three bedrooms and a fireplace for $1,600 a month, and they’re saving up for a lakefront property
