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I was born and raised in Ottawa, which means I’ve spent pretty much my entire life in Ontario.
I’ve been to Toronto and the GTA, Muskoka, Prince Edward County, Cornwall, and plenty of other spots in the province over the years. But the common thread I’ve felt throughout my life is that I eventually wanted to leave…
After moving abroad last year and getting ready to come back to Canada, I’m finding myself much less inclined to move back to Ontario long-term — let alone my hometown.
I’m incredibly grateful for the life I had there and all the memories I’ve made, but I don’t think I want to stick around for too long.
These are the seven reasons why.
1. I’m over Ontario winters
I feel like everyone I know has beef with Ontario winters.
Trust me, I can get down with a few good winter activities — I’ve gone skating, checked out Winterlude, gone skiing, and been tobogganing more times than I can count.
But even after doing all that, it still feels like we have about six months of winter left.
And then there’s the shovelling snow, slipping on ice, parking bans, freezing rain, and everything else that comes with an Ontario winter.
I just don’t want to do that anymore.
Now, I know we get winter all over Canada, and the best I’m probably going to get is milder winters in coastal B.C. Realistically, I don’t think my budget is ready for Vancouver rent anytime soon, though.
But a girl can dream, right?
2. The housing costs make me question my future there
You knew this one was coming.
I’ve worked plenty of jobs while living in Ottawa, including some that paid well above minimum wage. But once I started paying rent, I just couldn’t get behind the prices.
The average Ontario rent sits at $2,247 — and that can go up depending on where you live (hey Toronto!), and that’s before you add Wi-Fi, hydro, tenant insurance, and all the other costs that come with having a place of your own.
I’ve always heard that keeping your housing costs around 30% of your income is a good rule of thumb, but I honestly don’t even know how realistic that feels for the average person in Ontario right now. And don’t even get me started on actually buying a house.
I’ve basically pushed that thought into a little corner of my brain and thrown away the key for now because I don’t even want to think about it.
I definitely feel like I’m getting priced out of the province, and I think I’d have better housing prospects elsewhere in Canada.
3. I realized how little of Canada I’ve actually seen
As I was listing out all the places I’ve been in Ontario, I realized just how little of the province I’ve actually seen. It’s huge. And that’s just one part of Canada.
Outside of Ontario, I’ve really only spent time in Montreal and Vancouver.
I haven’t seen the Rockies in person, I haven’t been up north, and I haven’t even scratched the surface of the small towns and cities across the country. I’d love to see more of Canada, if not all of it, and that’s one of the things I regret not doing before moving to Japan.
Now that I’ve had the chance to live somewhere completely different — and totally loved it — I don’t see myself settling down in Ontario when there’s still so much of the country left for me to explore.
4. The cost of everyday life is getting harder to ignore
You thought I’d stop at housing costs? Let’s talk about the cost of just being alive!
I think I’ve been a little spoiled by some of the grocery prices I’ve experienced in Japan because after paying around $9 for a big pack of chicken, I genuinely can’t fathom the thought of paying double or more for the same thing when I’m back in Ontario.
And before I left, I definitely wasn’t just eating whatever I wanted.
I was looking for sales, skipping certain things when they got too expensive, and thinking twice about what I was putting in my cart.
I know this is a Canada-wide problem, so I’m not going to pretend Ontario is uniquely responsible for expensive groceries.
But then you’ve also got Ontario car insurance (which I recently learned is among the most expensive in the country), plus eating out, gas, utilities, and all the other little expenses that seem to add up constantly.
After living somewhere where some everyday expenses feel way more manageable, I don’t think I’ll be able to unsee that.
5. I don’t feel as tied to Ontario anymore
When I was a kid, I always assumed I’d stay in Ottawa. That’s where the large majority of my family lived on both sides, and we’d take the occasional trip to the GTA to visit extended family, which never felt that far away.
But as I’ve gotten older, my family has too, and things have changed.
I have family members moving to Alberta and others moving overseas. Younger family members are applying to schools in different cities, and I even went abroad myself for a year.
Now, Ontario doesn’t feel like the obvious place where everyone is going to stay anymore.
And I don’t necessarily feel like I need to stay there either.
6. Remote work means I don’t have to stay in one place
I’ve been lucky enough to work remotely for several years now, and I’m really grateful for the flexibility. Because of that, I can choose where I live based more on the lifestyle I want.
When you have to commute to a workplace every day, it makes sense to choose a home based on your job, commute, transit, and everything else that comes with an in-person job.
I just don’t have that same requirement these days.
If I’m going to sit at my laptop all day anyway, I’d much rather do it from a café with the Rockies in the distance than from my local Tim Hortons in Ottawa.
Although, to be fair, Ottawa does have some pretty good cafés too…
7. I’m just not ready to settle down yet
After thinking about all the reasons Ontario life doesn’t feel right for me at this stage, I think it all comes back to one thing: I’m just not ready to settle down.
I’ve spent the last while living abroad and travelling more than I ever did before, and I genuinely feel like the experience has helped me become a better version of myself.
I want to bring that energy back to Canada.
I plan to take more road trips, visit more small towns, and experience more of the country before deciding where I want to live long-term.
Ontario is still a huge part of my identity. It’s where I grew up, where my family is, and where I’ve made some of my favourite memories.
But after spending my whole life there, I’m definitely ready to try somewhere new.
The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
