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This isn’t a Toronto issue this is a global issue. I live in Toronto and took a trip to Los Angeles in august.. it gave me a perspective on how good we have it compared to other major cities.

I live in Toronto. I simply cannot reasonably afford it. I've already witnessed close friends forced into homelessness, for about two years now without fixed address, and unable to secure a bed through the primary homeless shelter hotline, which you have to call repeatedly to even have a chance. My friends were homeless due to a lack of affordable rent options. Lack of rent control in Toronto has been insane for quite some time, it seems criminal really that price gouging is allowed like this.

Love it here in Toronto, Im lucky though i dont pay crazy high rent even though im itching to move for some odd reason. Maybe because I know I cant be here forever, I live in an old building that wont last, isnt mine and will be forced to move out when soemoen else buys it, like I was at my previouse apartment, which is my only problem, all he condo development, basically kicking out poorer people, thats why rent is high, but they're going to have to live with no sun in the city when all those towers block it. That being said the areas is just so bueatiful, it feels like its nestled in a forest, then the lake, its a great spot. Got 4 the seasons, i hear ist the most diverse city in the world racially and its climate is just as diverse going from -30 some winters to well above +30 some summers and everything in between. That being said I am getting tired of the city life and looking for a change although i think Toronto has a lot more potential and is actually underrated right now and will just get better. Maybe not more cheaper, but hopefully politicians will wise up and stop selling out for short term profits for long term problems.

Born and raised in Ontario, from immigrant parents. What I can say is Toronto was holding on before the pandemic and once it hit things fell apart. Parts of Toronto look like a Batman movie. What's wrong with Toronto? People who live in the city don't want to pay higher property tax like every other municipality surrounding it, so they can't pay for everything. Maintenance is neglected, very few rental buildings being built, a safe injection site at a tourist area (Younge-Dundas Sq) isn't really smart. Add the fact Canada was coasting on a good reputation internationally, so all types of people coming here seeking refugee status, which fine we are compassionate helpful people but at a certain point its too many people. Things aren't being run to benefit people and improve their lives, it more feels like we're patching things with duct tape and saying its fixed.

Born and raised in Toronto. I have lived here my whole life for over 50 years. The city has changed drastically and very rapidly. As my retirement approaches and my kids finish University, I am out of here. The crime, the cost of everything, terrible transit and roads that look like they have gone through a war. I live by the lake and we have homeless tent encampments and people living along the train tracks ( and this is the suburban part of Toronto, by the Rouge valley) These are only a few of the reasons why Toronto has changed for the negative ( and I do not see it getting any better)

Couldn't pay me to live in Toronto.\n\nDon't come to Halifax either. Its face has changed drastically in the last 5 years.\n\nI've paid taxes my entire working life yet if I frequent a walk-in clinic, there may be 50 people ahead of me and 95% will be immigrants. Thanks, Turdeau, glad to see born-and-bred Canadians matter.\n\nI got on a bus one day a few months back. Out of a dozen people, I was the only white. Unheard of even two years ago. East Indians make up about 25% of our population in Halifax and outlying areas. Why are they here?\n\nHalifax has changed and it depresses me.\n\nCanada has been sold out by Turdeau and the like.

Born and raised in Toronto. Also noticed its decline since covid (or maybe the past 5 years). I no longer live here, but I get sad every time I visit

Born and raised in Toronto. Established career. Can afford to live here. Can't afford a house unless because I can't spend over a million. Condo fees are ridiculous. TTC is not safe and condo parking spots cost over $10,000 plus $100 a month maintenance fee. All the things to do in the city are being torn down for unaffordable condos. I can afford to stay here but it is not worth it for what I get. I am looking to transfer my work credentials and move elsewhere. I mean leave Canada. It is not worth it now. Don't forget un-reasonable amounts of taxes as well.

My name is An Suya, I am from Chicago and now live in Toronto, Canada. I want to make more friends in Canada. I hope God can give us a chance to get to know each other.

My name is An Suya, I am from Chicago and now live in Toronto, Canada. I want to make more friends in Canada. I hope God can give us a chance to get to know each other.????

I don't like Toronto. Tired of the rude people and too many immigrants and high rent. It is overcrowded. People push you to get on board the train and refuse to wait for the next train. I would rather work remotely and yes it is not worth living in. Transportation is not as reliable and too many people travelling downtown and back uptown especially during rush hour. If GoTransit breaks down, there aren't that many alternative options to travel. There are many issues including Internet service is not stable. Yes the pay is not enough yet to cover the cost for a place. They want to build more housing in Toronto but it is the worst idea and will make it even more unaffordable. Smaller towns and other cities are better. Bramption also is not a recommended place to move to. Immigration should be recommending people to live in less populated places.

Born and raised in Toronto and now live north of the city, I would move even further out if I could. Going into the city is on a only if and must go situation. But I am going to be totaly honest give the state of the country as i whole (or hole...you choose) I would leave Canada altogether.

Agreed. We came to Toronto in 1989. It was a clean and safe city. It has turned into Gotham City - dirty, crowded, construction everywhere and worst of all yes, the homelessness has spiked. Winter months are brutal and I cant imagine what they go through. Our government has failed us and now with Olivia Chow as the Mayor, its going to be worse. We live well away in the suburbs but I occasionally have to go downtown for appointments and I detest taking the subway and going down there. We plan on moving out of the entire province in hopefully 10 years from now but until then, who knows what will happen to Toronto and York Region at thus point

People in Toronto are rude and soon this city will be like Detroit US not safe to be there .Very very expensive living for nothing special !I hate this city .All Canada is going down the hill not just Toronto .Governament should creat programs to make live attractive outside major cities so the new immigrants can spread and disparse all over the country that still empty ,not all fight for a studio to live in already crowded cities .

I moved to Toronto in 2021. I've wanted to live in the city and have finally bought my condo in the city of Toronto. I love the city, especially during the summer time. Toronto Summer is so much fun and a great place to be in Canada. I am sick of all the Toronto bashing the past couple months. Yes, there are a lot of problems and yes they're all really bad and need to get resolved. And in all honesty, Toronto is probably one of the better big cities to live in in Canada. Despite all the negativity, TTC violence hasn't really gone up on paper. A lot of aspects about Canada are still strong even among western countries. I've been to Vancouver and Montreal. And those are cities have a lot of problems and a lot of different problems than Toronto.\n\nThe reasons that she specified in her video are all valid and they all make sense. I just want to say that I'm sick of all the Canada bashing and all the Toronto bashing. Toronto is a great place. I'm going to be still living in this city as some years it's going to be down and it's going to come right back up again in another few years.

Neoliberal policies and relationships have ruined many a city round the world. Privatization is the panacea for everything and govt has a cozy delationship with the corporate sector. That means the citizen - or immigrant - is no longer a priority. Developers, investment firms, corporations wanting high profits at expense of employees and cities; of global rich looking to buy housing as investment, and of course, criminals. They all have priority in Toronto. So laws about real estate development are weak, as well as for rental controls or building affordable housing - govt for years has been ridding itself of controlled housing. Local govt supports @5-10% of local population, so gentrification but no help for those pushed out. From there high prices in housing and rentals and food and transit...Difficult to transition if you are not well off. But that isn't what we see with our eyes. \nAfter 60 yrs downtown we moved to subburbs. No more condo towers, no more insane traffic, no more overcrowded transit and less longer waits. There are problems of course. For examples, ronically, where i live is less traffic but you need your car for most shopping.

My sister grew up in Toronto with her Mom while I was with our dad about an hour outside of the GTA. Even back in 2003 when I would come to visit my sister, or just go on class trips you could smell the city before you ever saw it... Torontonians had a bad reputation of thinking they were in the center of the universe, and it always just put me off of the city. It's not that I would ever want someone to not come to Canada... but there are just so many better places to live in Ontario, let alone the rest of the country... that why would you ever want to subject yourself to what T.O. has become?

I used to live in Toronto , infact i grew up there (shout out to Scarborough) i still love this city , but the city itself is not friendly to artist like me. So i moved out and live in MTL instead

I paid for my house including furnitures $24.500 in 1980 \nI live in the country in quebec where prices are much lower than elsewhere in canada, specially in big cities. \nNow it worth $400.000, So you can see how canada has deteriorated. \nThe same house would cost 1 million dollars in Toronto and 2 millions in Vancouver.

YEP. DO NOT MOVE TO TORONTO. I think you're beings very kind. It's a mess. No planning has led to a city that is out of control and ugly. The worst part is the water front.... which simply has disappeared. \nYeah, anyone living in Toronto needs to be seeing a therapist...unfortunately you won't be able to afford one!\nI live outside Toronto in an apartment, (I never, ever thought I'd live in an apartment) and I pay $3000. And there is plenty of random violence where I am as well. I had a first hand experience. It's really, really sad \nI would leave this country no problem, but living here through lockdown and stuff has me rather down?

I hear ya and I know it’s hard but honestly it hasn’t changed - it was always impossible to live in T.O. Fir decades it has topped the list of the most difficult place to thrive in the world …. Commonly known - when i was your age - if you can thrive in Toronto - you can thrive anywhere. Why? What’s the difference? Wayne Gretzky said it? …… is everything? Do you know what that is? What is everything? It’s the key to success in any area? Nike also says it but differently …

Last time I was in downtown Toronto, about a decade ago, I was surprised by the amount of homeless people that I saw… sounds like it’s only gotten much worse since then, not enough housing and too many people moving into the city. I couldn’t believe how much my sister and brother in law paid for their little apartment in downtown Toronto, makes me very happy to live in rural Saskatchewan. Lol!

As a tradesman I can tell you the majority of guys working in Toronto don't live there. I knows some crews that come from 2 to 3 hours away and stay in hotels Monday thru Thursday then head home for the weekend. These guys earn 6 figure incomes but with kids and other regular expenses they can't afford toronto living. As for the daily situation on the streets its a manifestation of terrible management. Fiscally toronto is broke. Yet city hall is enamored with wokism and virtue signaling while people die on the streets in random knife attacks, drug overdoses, gunfire and suicides. They look the other way and spend rheir time pandering to special interest groups and professional activists. So....after living here for 40 plus years my assessment is it's going to get worse much much worse. Arrogance and lack of guts to fix problems will lead toronto down a path similar to Baltimore, or Detroit. It'll take years but it's going that way.

I live in Toronto, the cost of living is very high and getting a job is difficult…don’t come here!

I live in Edmonton Alberta, Canada my friend who is a Real Estate Agent in Toronto called me last week to ask about the situation in Edmonton with housing because there are lots of immigrants coming to Toronto and there is literally no houses. Lots of people are on the streets. There are also lots of scammers claiming to have apartments that do not exist and they are getting people.\nYes the cost of living is extremely high. Is mind blowing how families survive here .

In general I like Toronto, I lived there for a couple of yrs a long time ago, but with these prices, I won't move back, forget it. It is impossible to live there, period. I live in London and even over here the prices became much higher than before. My mom is in real estate, renting out bachelor apartments and she is nice, she doesn't rip ppl off, she rents them for reasonable prices, utilities, parking included like in the good old days and ppl sometimes beg her to pick them to move in, it's that bad. No one wants to move out once someone moves in. Gee, I wonder why.

Lynn, this Canada thing is a common sense thing. Same reason a Tanzanian will not come to kenya to sell tomatoes on the streets due to high competition on the field. Any country you move to it depends on what you will go to do and who will help you get on your feet. Canada is extremely beautiful and one can prosper extremely well financially compared to kenya BY FAR! But you can’t come from the village and land in Toronto and wait for a job and opportunity to come get you from the airport! Am very honest. I live abroad, in one of the richest countries in the world and believe me, I have seen even their own citizens suffering economically. Why? What are their skills and plans and expectations? I read somewhere, with all the wealth in the world, if all was to be shared equally to every one the universe, the rich will become rich and the poor poor -again. So a kenyan should first plan who they will live with for atleast a year while they get on their feet, put their hustle mood on n be willing to take any jobs, plus get out of the mentality that one must be in a big city! Other places outside cities really have low costs of life and offer more opportunities. Just saying

I have lived in Canada since 2000. My dream is to go back to Kenya and live there. We lived in Toronto for ten years and it wasn't easy for our parents to make ends meet. I moved to Alberta in 2011 and I am so happy that I moved here when I did. We live well. My husband and I are into trades and we thank God for taking good care of our family. It is getting harder here since Trudeau became the prime minister. Food, gas, clothes. housing everything has gone up and you need a good job and have legit papers. The grass isn't always greener on the other side

Hi, I am also from Zimbabwe, and I have lived in both Australia and Canada. I left Australia 2009 because I felt the place was not an open society. In Canada job opportunities can also be tricky for immigrants. I moved back to Australia after 10 years in Canada. At the end of the day the choose is yours but the grass is not always greener on the other side. Calgary is just identical to Perth. I would advise you to live in Toronto. In Australia I live in Melbourne now.

Same here in Montreal used to love this city still do but post C19 everything changed like everywhere housing crisis, politics, the cultural center it user to be changed maybe its just looking at it now at the start of my 30s compared to when i moved here from Europe and Central Africa at the start of my 20s. Met friends i have for life, got great professional opportunities lived in nice places great food in the city. Now everything is just super expensive now and i know toronto is must be ever crazier. Im considering moving back to France or Switzerland to be closer to my family and friends and also be close to Gabon easier to visit than here constantly taking 4 plains round trip everytime i go back home. After losing my father last year getting divorced 3 years ago i think my time here is done. 14yrs here i became an adult here had amazing experiences, became a canadian citizen but its just not the same anymore. Time for a new adventure somewhere else. We used to live well even back as a student on minimum wage, now with a better career good salary we’re struggling. Breaks my heart seeing this all over canada.

What a joke... Same things are happening all over North America so there is no reason to single out Toronto. Thats why I live in Spain now, if you don't like it then move and stop complaining

I've lived in Toronto for almost 20 years, and I can't wait to get out. The plan is to move somewhere else in the spring, just figuring out where. Toronto now breaks my heart-- you see people seriously struggling everywhere, and it's hard to see it in contrast with the opulent wealth that much of the city has. We're lucky to be in a rent-controlled apartment and we've been here for over a decade, and there's no way we'd find anything even remotely similar here now (the apartment we live in would go up at least $1000 if we leave). The safety is also an issue- I live in a fairly busy area that used to be extremely safe (I used to walk home alone at midnight in high school) and now I rarely leave my apartment after dark. There's very angry, erratic people, many on substances, and I've had some rough encounters already. And don't get me started on public transport.... My sister saw someone almost get randomly pushed into the subway tracks yesterday, and obviously that doesn't get reported. It's worse than people think, and it's only gonna get more horrible once winter hits.

I used to live maybe a block away from where you used to live in Toronto, I moved to a different city around the time that Rob Ford became mayor I can’t remember what year that was. We couldn’t afford to stay in Toronto after our landlord sold our unit and the new owners wanted to live there, so we moved to a more affordable city. I was really shocked at the massive increase in the number of homeless people in the city that weren’t able to find space at a shelter, I had to ask my sister if I had missed news of a reanimated occupy Wall Street movement, because that was the last time that I had seen that overwhelming a volume of displaced people camping in the parks. I hope that some sort of solution can be found to massively increase the quantity of safe warm and free to the occupant shelters in Toronto before winter.

Born and raised in Toronto… My dad used to live on Toronto Islands..I lived St Clair & Mt Pleasant, St Joseph’s High School, Ryerson… used to be “Toronto the Good” I’m 71.. left in 2006… went back in 2018 and was HORRIFIED . Street fights on Yonge St… FILTH… I realized that things were going south.. when Ryerson wouldn’t allow it’s workers to say “ Merry Christmas’ SO HEARTBREAKING. Now in Ottawa… what can I say ??????

I am from Toronto and it's really changed for the worst as of my recent visit, my family all wish they could move , I currently live in Halifax due to work for the past 5 years and it's also bad with similar issues . Canada ?? has really changed for the bad .

We live in Barrie Ontario, but have lived much closer to Toronto before. We are both in our mid to late 50’s and are planning on semi retiring in 3 years to New Brunswick. It’s very affordable and easy to retire there. As Ontario is extremely expensive, I can definitely see people moving out east in Canada as well as companies relocating there for the simple reason of affordable building rents or to build a new building for their business and offer jobs at a place where their employees can afford to live. I am also predicting that the populations in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia will see huge growth in the coming years.

Downtown Toronto always expensive. Better to look for apartment in suburbs. I used to live in Toronto many years ago and am now in Nova Scotia. Halifax has many of the same problems now.

If I were rich I STILL wouldn't want to live in Toronto/GTA. I'd move immediately to Tokyo or some other part of Japan. Even if you could afford to live in the GTA why would you when there's so many nicer and more safe and peaceful places to live in? \n\nI've seen enough of Japan to know that that would be the place I'd love to live in. Somewhere where you don't have to worry about crime and violence happening in your city everyday. No shootings or stabbings or robberies or carjackings or scams etc. and where the vast majority of people are nice, kind and friendly and non-violent and non-criminal.\n\nThere's a Twitch livestreamer that I watch regularly that lives in Tokyo and he regularly leaves his $3000+ bike all over the city almost without a care in the world. All he has to do to secure his bike is to lock his bike wheel to the frame without even having to attach it to a pole or bike stand etc. so that no one steals it. That is when I knew that Japan is the place for me. When you can leave your expensive stuff alone and come back and its still there. That is the kind of society I wish to live in and be apart of.

I'm live here in Vancouver.. I love its locations where there are waters and mountains, even if its a bit pricey than Toronto..❤❤❤

livelong resident of Toronto but I did live in Japan once and loved that too. I'm lucky I'm in a rent controlled basement otherwise there's no way I could afford to live here. Just got laid off today from a remote gig and have to stay for benefits etc. I could see myself living in Japan in the future though. If I'm paid remotely then cost of living seems a bit more stable.

As a Montrealer, Toronto to me was pretty much like any big charmless American city but cheaper, cleaner and safer. So I understood that American visitors, at least, would like it. But no more. What hasn't changed is that it remains a physically unattractive city, replete with highways and strip malls, especially near and north of the 401, where most people I know live, as it's cheaper. Great for business, but Montreal is far better in almost every other way. Even friends who've moved to TO 25 or 30 years ago admit that.

I spent a lot of time in Toronto going to college then university and working in the summer. I love certain pockets of Toronto, the diversity, the opportunity and the uniqueness it holds however I would never move to Toronto. I do live in the GTA with my family and we were fortunate to buy a house pre housing market increase in prices and thank God we did! If I were a young person starting off now I would 100% relocate to a smaller city up north if I could get work there or to another province in need be. It is not worth all the stress and unhappiness that the trying to survive in the rat race that Toronto has become.

Yes actually I do have a comment or two. I think that Toronto has become the victim of either its own success as a multicultural, diverse and growing metropolis or the perceived idea that Toronto is the place to be. And what that brings with it? Yes, people who are interested in living the life and those who can afford it pay it. You said it very well, the city has become unaffordable to most people but the wealthy or at least those who are getting paid the best salaries and those who bank on real estate take advantage of this, be it the hype or reality since also, most job opportunities are still there. So to me the problem is with the lack of contro of the real estate market. And people who cant pay but for whatever reason live there just have to pay the price. The refugee situation is not surprising to me at all. We are struggling with affordable housing for crying out loud but we are also advertising to the world that we are that welcoming and peaceful society that those people can be part of. But at what cost. Toronto cannot continue like this if it will still be considered as a city for the people and not the wealthy and chronically increasing poor. No wonder they chose a progressive for a mayor and not a conservative or hard line liberal because people want change but not radically. People want to live in the best city they can having all necessary services and in peace and safety. So, there are so maby layers to pill here but again, the main reason why things have gotten the way they are is because they let real estate run unleashed. All the best, Alina.

Hi Alina can you tell us where to live in Canada and elsewhere that's better. I've been living in a Bachelor apartment for 12 years now in midtown Toronto I pay 966$ a month, now the same apartment is priced at 1600$ a month this is insane :( the new generation has no chance only those who built there wealth before 2012 are having it good.

I have had a home base in Toronto for the last 20 years, traveling almost consistently for work until covid hit. While I am not a fan of the city tbh, I have stuck it out there this whole time as I have not been able to figure out where else in Canada I'd rather live. The way things have gone in the last little while however, I'm now making plans to leave Canada altogether. Even though I am unaffected by high housing costs as I've owned a home in the city, the general cost of living across Canada is now extortionate for what you get. Toronto was fine for me to use as a base for my traveling lifestyle in the past, but with crappy weather much of the year, a left leaning electorate that keeps voting ultra woke politicians at all levels of government, the now increased cost of living there is no longer worth it to me. I'm headed for the exit. All this said, I don't feel that your coverage about crime in the city was balanced. Yes the news stories you used actually did happen, but I do not feel unsafe in the city. A handful of incidents in a city with the population of Toronto - this is a blip.

I live in Regina Saskatchewan. I visited Toronto recently and I have to say I don't like it at all. Even though, I have already saved up enough money while working in Saskatchewan to buy an apartment in Toronto without mortgage, I won't consider moving to Toronto at all. The traffic drive me crazy. There are so many vehicle on Hwy 401 and all other roads even at mid night, going to work will be more or as stressful as your work. I am surprised to find out most of my friend who has better or same qualification as me only get about less than 70% as I get paid. Life quality must be terrible compare live in a more afford city like Regina Saskatchewan.

Some source says $78,000/yr is the income required to live comfortably in Toronto. I wonder which occupations get that income.

I've been living in Toronto for over thirty (30) years with a little two years try in Halifax, which didn't work due to the lack of meaningful jobs.\nWhen I arrived here in the late 80th I was very impressed with all the services provided and the speed to see medical professionals.\nI'd spent almost 10 years without a family doctor since my first one retired, and now I'm fortunate enough to have one who is so busy that I have to wait months for an appointment.\n\nIt is painful to notice that already paid services are disappearing and how dirty and dangerous this, once an amazing city, is today.\n\nI'm retired now just waiting for my wife to do the same to move out of this country, with the hope that our very low combined pensions will be enough to live somewhere else.\nMoving out of the city, even out of the province, it is not an alternative since anywhere out of here, includes having a car with all the expenses that this include.\n\nSad reality for retirees and specially for young couples with children in tow.\nSoon we will see this beautiful country devoid of human qualified presence to support all the neglected refugees that are coming.\n\nWho knows, maybe this is a new experiment on how so many homeless people can survive the harsh winter.\nGreetings from Toronto.

So sorry to hear and see this. So many hard working people are being negatively effected by all this.\n\nEventhough I am American I spent a lot of time in Toronto and always considered it it my closest big city and can remember it being the cleanest, safest big city in North America. In addition to that working families could afford to live there.\n\nStill a great place and plan to bring my family up for a visit sometime this year.

I am so happy to be able to live, in my language and in my culture, in the magnificent city of Quebec. I'm not rich, but I have a magnificent three-story residence there in a beautiful neighborhood where vegetation abounds, where crime is almost non-existent, and above all where my daughter also lives with my grandson!\nIt would never occur to me to move to Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver or any other large Canadian city. On the other hand, I could do it in almost any human-scale city in Canada, the United States or Europe. Everyone to his own tastes !