Hey y’all! I’ve lived in southern Ontario for my entire life, but I’m planning to move up north with my wife in a year or so. We want to have a log house built on a forested 5+ acre lot, probably somewhere in the rough vicinity of Gravenhurst.
I’ve vacationed up north lots, but of course, vacationing is different from daily life. As for work up there, I’m a computational and structural biologist, and will be doing contract work for coding plus small in vitro experiments. Got a client lined up already.
So I’m curious – as a suburban girl with no experience living rurally in a small town like Gravenhurst, what do I need to know?
Also… do country diner regulars get discounts? XD
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Gravenhurst is north of Toronto, but to Northerners, it’s not the north. I have not been back in decades, but you will find people to be more conservative in their outlook.
Fair enough! I have no real sense of the northern 90% of my own country, I’m embarrassed to say. XD
Would you mind elaborating on your remark about them being a bit more conservative? I realize that rural places tend to be more conservative by default, but I’m wondering whether that means center-right mind-your-own-business conservatives, or the kind that are a bit more… upfront.
Full disclosure, I’m trans and so is my wife, so it is indeed something we have to keep in mind.
As you radiate away from big urban centers, there tends to be a stronger conservative population. Now, we do have a charter of rights and freedoms that protect you. So you won’t be denied services but how those services are delivered you may be less friendly.
Saying that, there are pockets of rural Canada that are very liberal. I haven’t been back to Gravenhurst in a dog’s age, and much may have changed there. If you are set on it, perhaps plan a trip to try it out first before moving your belongings.
If you are set on a more rural location, you might try the small towns surrounding Ottawa. My husband (f2m) and I have lived in this region for over 15 years and haven’t experienced anything off. A real challenge may be in finding a gp. But even more so in Gravenhurst, I think. But if you are close to big urban centers, you can find a walk-in clinic until you find a doctor who is accepting patients. And it will probably be easier to find work.
If you haven’t sorted out what visa you are coming in on, you should probably get onto it.“Northern Ontario” begins around Parry Sound, for most purposes.
The political gradient is . . . weird. Much of the north proper actually leans orange when voting, but more for labour rights/rural rights/indigenous rights reasons than for support of LGBTQ+ rights. Down near Gravenhurst, I think you’re mostly looking more at center-right. The best way to find out for sure what you’d be facing, if no one chimes in who’s actually from that area, is to keep an eye on local news sources for a while and, given your specific concerns, talk to local Pride groups (from the looks of it, muskokapride.com would be one place to start).
Just a heads up, Northerners would consider Gravenhurst as Southern Ontario.
Hahaha that isn’t northern Ontario and it’s an incredibly expensive area as it’s basically prime cottage country for wealthy Torontonians. If a small town has bougie options you know it is likely part of cottage country. You need to look further north if you want to save money and actually live in the north.
Fair enough! It’s north to me, but not truly north, I do realize that. I don’t want to go much further than there, though, so that I can still easily come down to visit family back home.
I know the cost is higher, but we have a budget of just under $1 million in cash, so we should be okay.
It’s further south than Ottawa even haha
“I want a log house on a 5+ acre lot”. Ok, have you looked at land prices around Gravenhurst? Gotten an estimate from a builder? This area is very much within the Toronto-buyer sphere of influence so prices are going to be higher than you expect.
Yes and yes. I have a budget of around $1 million in cash, but I’ve been told it can be done in some areas for more like $800,000.
“I would also like access to vinyasa yoga, local kombucha, and a place that can do a killer oat milk matcha latte…and a pony…thank you” /s
I’d just like access to a peaceful quiet forest and a cozy home. I’m a simple girl~ uwu
