Close Reading

From my point of view, Toronto almost like heaven with Sydney.

Toronto still felt like a safe, small city until the mid-1990s, but that changed; I moved out when I felt it change for the worse.

Over a decade of conservative mayors and council who care more about cars, landlords, developers and the suburbs they represent, plus the drive to keep our property taxes low and stop putting funds into things like public transit, social services for homeless, and general services has really impacted Toronto - and not in a good way.

Due to Trudeau's policies the standard of living for a LOT of people has rocketed downwards...his gas tax has made food and gas unaffordable, his mass printing of Canadian currency plus his massive deficits from year to year have cause rampant inflation, we have a massive housing shortage due to his policies coupled with the lack of proper infrastructure in this country (Canada is the ONLY G7 nation with high speed rail, plus we have no plans to build that)...as a result rents in cities like Toronto and Vancouver are ridiculously unaffordable...there is a massive crime wave happening in the country because of Trudeau's policies to release criminals from jails, coupled with his policies to use taxpayer funds to provide drugs (like cocaine, and meth) to users...stay away from Toronto, it has been ruined by the policies of the government run by Justin Trudeau and backed by Jagmeet Singh. :(

I am the Landowner as Toronto Tribe Mohawk Hollywood Royal as Queen of Canada and Royal Chieftain of Indians of America. I had God bring all Canadians into the Chateaus of Canada and God brought them in for Covid in 2019. Everybody is in the Royal York. I Natalie Helferty am in Hollywood North on Northern Heights Drive as one of myself as a way to End the War against Canada. Toronto is now the Empty City Syndrome just like New York was in the 1990s. There is the Entertainment District only as Hollywood North. New York Rental Rates were through the roof and Racketeering By Russians was driving the prices up so everybody moved into the Waldorf Astoria. Toronto is going through the same thing as Hong Kong Chinese Racketeers drove the prices up with condo rates in Toronto in the 1990s and they never were under Rent Control. Everybody was moving in the 1990s into the Royal York back then as Hollywood Actors could not afford the condo fees as all Movies are for Free and nobody made any money acting. There were no real Rent Subsidies in Toronto like in New York though as the City was not meant for Foreign Nationals to Scam Rent Subsidies out of the Government. Bloomberg as Mayor of New York knew who was from New York and who was not. Toronto is getting to be that way as Hollywood Royalty is all Canadians who grew up in Richmond Hill and were working as Government Staff. There was a need to keep the Racketeering in check so Homeless Shelters were offered instead in Toronto by the City. There are Clones made by Britain who tried to take over Toronto and they became Homeless People on the streets. The Police would arrest them all the time. It became a real problem for the city. There is a neighbourhood watch program that alerted police to vagrants in Toronto who were ruining the city by peeing on the street corner. They were Charles III out with Fred of Balmoral as Vagrants. The Asylum Seekers now are the Butler to Charles III as a way to be belligerent toward the Royalty of Canada who hasts everybody in the Royal York now.

Why do people like living in a concrete/glass cage called Toronto?

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 currently pay $734.96 per month for my bachelor apartment in Parkdale, Toronto. All inclusive. I found the place in 2015, and it started at $660.00 per month. It's a smaller building where I know most of my co-tenants. Quiet neighbourhood most of the time. I've been one of the lucky ones for sure. I love this city! I'm from Peterborough and I will never move back. Some of the best memories of my life have been here. But you're right Alina, it has changed. Much like most other major cities in the world. The economic hardships being the #1 issue. Rent going up, wages staying the same, and inflation not slowing down. But with Toronto, the transit system is far behind the progress of cities like New York. Toronto should have multiple subway lines going east and west. Queen St. and Dundas lines for sure. The overall culture of the city is not as vibrant as it was during the 2010s. That could be Covid related. Or things are taking awhile to come back to pre-Covid form. But a lot of great venues and restaurants have been shutting down. And being replaced with the construction of condos. The real estate is insane here. It feels like things have gone downhill since the Raptors won the NBA championship in 2019. Because that really united everyone when there were a million people gathered for the parade. I'm hoping things turn around and there's more affordable housing for newcomers. I know I'm staying here for a while longer. Because of my cheap rent. And career attachments to the city. Great job on the video! ?

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.

While I identify and agree with the overall sentiment of this video, here is the problem Alina. As a somewhat successful tech person who came from nothing, I refuse to move out of a city to a culturally or globally lacking city due to “budget”. I tried spending time in BC and Nova Scotia in the capital cities. I could not spend more than a week in Saskatchewan. I can assure you that someone with decent skills and lifestyle would not be able to sustain their social and personal life, and mental health anywhere in Canada other than Toronto. If I spoke decent French, I’d say Montreal is a decent option. Vancouver is too lopsided as an international real estate haven, even though beautiful. So the problem is that Toronto is honestly the only city someone like me (and most my friends) would consider living in Canada, and we are all unfortunately being forced to move to the US. We are in our very early 30s so it’s still not too late to have a big move but none of us wanted to try out NYC or SFO much later than now. I hope things improve and we are able to move back to Toronto. But right now, unless you make $300k+, it’s impossible. And we are only able to make that money in the US (most of us). Cheers and keep it up.

A lot of shabby looking neighborhoods popping up all over Toronto. In the near future it will look nearly like a big us city.

A lot of the problems you highlight are the same around the world: San Francisco, LA, Vancouver, NYC, London, Paris, Sydney, etc. Are you seriously telling me that Tokyo was cheaper than Toronto? The prices for housing in places in Asia like Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore all have extremely high housing costs. As for safety, I can't comment on all the cities I mentioned but Toronto is still safer than most - even with the issues over the last few years

I found myself asking this question, is this a strategy to push people out of Toronto? Why that! Maybe because the density is so high comparing to what the city can handle. Meaning, the existing services, like restaurants, public transits, hospitals, residential areas, schools, ...etc are still small and not scalable to welcome more people, so instead of telling people to not to come, cheap strategies are being used instead ? Just a question I'm asking I'm not saying it's it ?

Toronto is horribly congested and only getting worse by the day. TO public transit has nothing to compare with major cities like London, NYC, Paris, Tokyo... just packing in more condos to make billionaires richer and the people left to struggle with 1960s infrastructure. Quality of life going downhill. Know many Toronto born children among our friends now reaching adulthood are leaving.

I used to love living in Toronto. Now I don't even like visiting.

I really don't understand why the federal and provincial governments don't really plan immigration better. There is a lot of potential in the smaller cities of Canada and the smaller provinces that need to grow. Why is there a push to expand the bigger cities like Vancouver and Toronto, where services are not meeting the need? Besides, why is it that there is now vetting around immigration the way it used to be? It is both the federal and provincial governments' duty to ensure the availability of housing, health care (including mental health), good jobs BEFORE new immigrants are brought in?

I'm a cosmetic surgeon living in Sydney Australia. I'll be totally honest. You can delete my post or you can except the truth.\nI've been too & have friend & colleagues who have migrated to Toronto from Sydney. Toronto is very similar to Sydney. It has some of the most exspensive housing in the world. Canada & Australia's economy is based on economic growth through mass immigration. The cost of this policy, means you also need to restrict development & zoning regulations to artificially keep properties high. Governments need make your population continually, working as slaves, to pay for basic costs, of a largely welfare dependent society. While your a debt slave, you don't spend your money on foreign products, as you have very little in the way of exsports, to pay for imports. The upside to this, you have many slaves to pay for the never ending welfare, as you have a policy of supporting refugees, single parents & the disabled, over self reliance & responsibility. Mental health issues are largly created by society, they are very rarely genetic. The high cost of living, means, you cant afford families. No strong family ties means, poor mental health issues. When you outsource, what familes once did, like help the the elderly, support your unemployed brother & have children. Replace all what families did with government welfare, instead of families helping each other, replace reproduction with mass immigration. You end up creating enormous problems in society. Problems with mental health & crime.\nNow for your modelling career. In Japan, your a novelty, as you have a different look to the Japanese. However in Canada, for your age what are your best features. You only have one. You have very good skin. However your face shape, is slightly disproportionate, basically, meaning your just an average shape face. You could also work on going to the gym, as your not toned. So basically as a whole, for your age group, your slightly above average, say a 6 out of 10, which is not all that good as 60% of Canada's population are overweight. Now as a model, you need to compete with people who are younger & better proportioned 7,8 & 9's. No such thing as a 10.

Haven’t seen anything like this in Toronto. Wonder if filmed\nin Maryland, US.

This is every major city across Canada!\n\nIt is not specific to Toronto in fact Toronto is probably ahead of the game compared to places like Edmonton and Vancouver…\n\nWith this snowflake culture we’ve created for ourselves tent cities and looking the other way has just become customary?\n\nThis was pre-Covid!\n\nSince Covid you can see small towns like Duncan high River or all across Canada and the same thing is happening!\n\nThe cost of living in Canada is out of control whether it’s the gas the food or just the price of rent…

I like the city of Toronto just by seeing this video, but not the living cost. Where are you from? I thought you were Canadian.

It's not just Toronto, almost all large cities in North America are in the same, or worse, shape. When I drive down to Seattle now, I carry a pistol. It's gotten so damn dangerous. You know, when I look at your face in this video, I see you as beautiful. For what it's worth from an old guy like me. And do be careful! Maybe take some martial arts, even just a little.

Downtown Toronto is in a serious decline. However, Yorkville is still doing great, and I like how the two districts are connected. Yorkville: Downtown: meh. Waterfront: great. Great downtowns!! German cities like Munich and Wuppertal.

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.

Hmmm, I like you, but this was extremely negative. I don’t feel unsafe at all when travelling in and around Toronto

Alina - you can move to Finland , the happiest country in the world for four consecutive yeard 2019 to.2023. I was in Helsinki and Tampere last month for two weeks. In Tampere every things is new. Public buses Yutomg are new. Trams are new. Caffes are new, more new apartments. It is not Crowded like Toronto and it has no homless people. All Finnish speak very good English. So pls visit Finland but the Soumi language is very difficult.

When I was young I used to fantasise about going to Toronto Canada as I have some cousins who lived there. Today this makes me quite sad but it is a similar situation here in Sydney Australia but a few years behind you guys but affordable housing is a big issue and a small but growing homeless issue Rising. We don't have the extreme random violence like in Canada but stuff like that does happen in all major industrialised cities around the world. Growing population without good healthcare and infrastructure is a major issue in a lot of big cities around the world.\nWe have a government that wants to increase the population and at the same time acknowledge the fact that we don't have the infrastructure to cope for that and also squeezing that big population in a smaller and smaller space of course causing greater mental issues as a result

@AlinaMcleod This was a pretty good video, I think it is not a fair video about the city. Toronto is a safe place to live and like anywhere else on earth crime happens. I have travelled around the World and usually in Urban areas. I was in Toronto recently (Sept 2023), like most big cities in the World it suffers from the standard problems. I watched the video and the cuts of Toronto are really nice.\n\n Homelessness in general is a terrible thing, but what city doesn't have homeless?? What major city is affordable? Rent in New York is about $5000 USD for 1 bedroom and we are not talking about something luxurious, in a great neighbourhood. \n\nBig Cities come big problems. We all have to make more of an effort to help change things, not just in politics but at the person-to-person level. People are suffering around the World with homelessness, crime, drug use, mental health and etc. Most of us just focus on what we can have and totally forget about the other humans that we share this planet with.

I get all the angst about how this city has changed, but I'm not ready to leave yet. It's worth noting that what is happening here is happening in major cities all through western civilisation to some extent (or will soon be), especially in similar cities like Sydney and Melbourne. I know that the Toronto I knew and loved is gone, but these problems are medium term issues. I don't think it's going to stay this way forever, and there are good things happening as well. Life is full of ups and downs and right now this is the down part.

Toronto, Ontario\nWelcome to New York City, NorthWas once a cleaner NYC. \nNow, just another globalist hellhole, thanks to corrupt leaders like Trudeau\nNew York was destroyed, on purpose. Toronto, and Canada, follow suit, under globalist rule

Like you, I recently returned to Canada from living in Asia for years. I moved back to Vancouver, and the changes here were immense as well. Basically, the exact same issues Toronto is facing; unbelievably high prices, frayed social fabric, homelessness, crime. I had some pretty severe reverse culture shock coming from Seoul where you'd see none of this (Korea has its own unique issues though).\nI've decided to stick it out as my wife and I can make it work for now, but wouldn't recommend young Canadians, international students, TFWs or anyone who's trying to get a start on their professional life to come here. It's about as uninviting a place for your career as its ever been. Expect to live with two or three strangers in a one bedroom working at a job with low pay.\n\nIt sucks to see how far Canada has fallen. I never thought I'd see it in this state, but here we are.

i remember when toronto was full of potential and promise. the music scene was blooming as well as film and television and tech industries. i used to describe it as almost like new york but cleaner and friendlier. sad to see homelessness has hit there as well. there are worse places with the homeless issue, but this looks to be a stark contrast to how it was before. would like to visit there again someday and hope things improve.

If you going to compared Toronto with the city you mentioned before like New York , Paris Tokio like they Being better them Toronto, well let me wake you up\nToronto is not inmune to the world problems, but putting it down is not cool , outside Paris the touristic center ,you will see the poverty , NewYork homelessness ,over crowder shelters crazy people in the subways ready to punch you in the face for no reason I could go on ,

Just like any major cities in the world Toronto is expensive. Forget Toronto- waitress or a model job compensation wont let you live comfortably in cities like Tokyo or New York let alone Toronto. Toronto may not be comparable to those cities but if the expectation is Toronto should be like Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh, or Lao that'd be delusional.

I didnt like toronto 25 years ago...nor am i a fan of hamilton either. Or any part of ontario. Taxes too high, cost of living too high for the working class.

Thank you for this video. This is indeed devastating. Hard to find words to describe what major cities in Canada have become, particularly Toronto and Vancouver. You weren't negative at all, you just showed the truth. Hopefully, it'll change over time, but it certainly requires a different kind of political will, because apparently people like Olivia Chow and Justin Trudeau approve the message of your video...

I agree, Toronto is not the best place to live in at the moment due to the escalating cost of living and crime. But it would have been nice if you had discussed what the options are. Sounds like you moved to a better place. Please share what province and city that is

To Everyone bad mouthing Toronto I got a few thoughts to share. First off I’ve lived in Edmonton all my life. But growing up there were two constants in my life almost every summer. 2 places where I could get away have fun not come back for weeks or even months on end. One of them was Toronto . That trend has continued into my 40s.\nSecond I don’t consider Edmonton home. I consider Toronto and my other favourite place my homes always have always will.\nThird Toronto like Every other city has bad and great things about it. But the great things far outweigh the bad things. Yes Toronto is big. But it’s also beautiful vibrant majestic lovely a sight to behold once you visited it long enough. You got the blue jays you got the cn tower you got a lot of stuff no other city has. Toronto is my dream city. It’s where dreams can actually turn into big dreams That result in major success. Toronto is for me. I love it I always will and to be honest it’s way better than Edmonton.❤️❤️❤️????.

not just toronto the entire country has chaned for the worst . Canada really feels like a third wolrd country .when i moved back from france ,depression hit me hard . Canada is a thing of the past unfortunately and whats sad is that canadians are so brainwashed , they have no idea how bad things are compared to the rest of the world .

Good morning gods mother and GodBless yuo allways and yuors family, Toronto ther hiring job like factory worker, forklift operator cow attendant for family need assistance

I am sorry to say although kl is a low cost city, but like Toronto , so many migrants from nearby countries like myanmar, Bangladesh, pakistan, indonesia, Philippines. Sometimes tourists are scammed by them but locals are blamed as they are trading even though they are not allowed. They are only allowed in certain sectors. Also we too have homelessness as well but not as bad as other western countries.

keep voting ndp and liberals and all cities in canada will end up like Toronto

Lived in TO in the late 60s and it seemed a clean and safe city. My brother-in-law lived in TO for about 50 years and loved the place. My wife used to visit him often in the 70s and 80s and she liked Toronto a lot. We went again in 2019 for my BIL's funeral and I thought the place was a dump.

Like you Alina, Harriet and I lived in a city where we were born , raised and loved. Boston. What's happening in Toronto is happening in Boston. The big cities in North America are experiencing\nsimilar issues, some better than others. We still have family in Boston. We continue to go there as you do in Toronto. It's been a while since we've been to Toronto. The two cities are very\nsimilar. Harriet and I are optimists, we hope that the future of yours and our beloved cities will bring us back to a place that we remember fondly. Sending much love❤❤ from Richmond, Va. Harriet, Jim and Yuki

I have lived in Toronto many years i originally as a child grew up in Mississauga. Both cities have changed with time. One of the saddest things is that many people don’t feel safe in Toronto. I have many great memories I still currently live in Toronto I can afford my place a one bedroom in west Toronto. But at the same time my landlady’s. Doesn’t provide what’s necessary. Being no doorbell inadequate heating mice around at times. However I put up with it because the alternative is not there at this time \nI work hard like many do. But at the end of the day. Not much left over

I am born and rasied in Toronto and I would have to say what is happening now in this city is do to the covid fallout. Toronto has always had higher rent then most Canadian cities but I think with the loss of jobs and and the rise in cost of living all over Canada due to covid I would say that Toronto is going through some hard times like everywhere eles in Canda. Unfortunately because it is the bigest city alot of people have moved here in the hope of a better life. I have noticed a rise in drug use but have not noticed a rise in violent crime. They do say that the TTC is got worse...Hard to say as I take the TTC every day across the city and have not noticed any diferance other then more and more people are useing it again. During covid the subway was empty and now all these people that have never used it before are having to learn how it all works and subway edict. I think media is making the subway seem worse then it is. To me it has not changed. I do agree the real problem is dealing with homeless that was more hiden but now is out in the open. Funding from all levels of goverment needs to help all big canadain cites more. I think Toronto will come back again to what it was pre-covid. Hopfully soon!!

Hi Alina! Great video and very informative. Never been to Toronto but would like to visit it maybe for a week or two one day. The things that are going on in Toronto are also going on in most all of our US cities now as well and it's just a shame.

Why have so many canadians become stabbers? What you are describing about Toronto is meanwhile all over Germany going on too... The mainstream media in cooperation with most politicians is seriously telling us, that germans have become more violent and foreigners committing crimes are often tourists too, which of course is absolute BS. But, we never had so many stabbing, gang rapings with 8 or more men raping underage girls and other woman, abuse of KO-Drops young man attacking police and ambulances, drugdealers near schools etc. before 2015... That canadians that are so happy abt refugees can maybe come to Europe and take some more to Canada. In the last 3 days 10.000 young african men arrived in Italy by boat, and non of the people here wants them really plus hundred thousands of arabs and afghans and millions from the ukraine. It is normal that the whole system will implode soon like the Titan... Best wishes from the Bananarepublik of Germoney!

Looks like Toronto is moving in the same direction as east and west coast U.S. cities. They're turning leftist.

It looks like that only people from India can get all jobs as security, shop assistants, bank tellers in Toronto. My point is that people with other backgrounds have been fired or had no chance to get these positions because of the kind of corruption/ networking when 1 person brings only his friends or family members

There was a time I thought of moving to a major city like Toronto but a lot of cities in many countries have these problems... Safety is the main issue that keeps me up at night if I did move...