u/UberFestHaus

Disregarding where you currently work, or where your family currently reside, which cities present the "easy button" for balancing employment opportunities, housing affordability and overall quality of life today in Canada?

Basically looking for those hidden gems that no one ever wants to mention on Reddit. The communities that exist outside of of the big 8 (Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver & Victoria). Some factors to consider:

1. Employment Prospects
2. Affordable Housing (under $600,000)
3. Traffic & Congestion
4. Access to Nature
5. Post Secondary Institutions
6. Healthcare
7. Arts & Culture

Are these found in secondary or tertiary cities that are located within 1-2 hours drive of one of the above? or are they more remote communities that are unaffected by the housing prices of the larger centers?

I'm curious to hear your experiences if you already live in one of these communities or if you have one in mind that meets the criteria that you would consider moving to.

Considering the cost of living crisis that many of us have faced, would you consider relocating to Northern Ontario for a lower cost of living and chance to get ahead?

As someone that made the move north during COVID, it has catapulted me ahead of my peers back south still doing the grind in the GTA.

We were easily able to buy a detached home here for under $400,000 while still making the same wages as back south and just upgraded to a property that would easily cost $2,000,000 south of Barrie.

If you are currently struggling to afford the COL in the South, why haven't you considered the move north?