Close Reading

I lived in Toronto from 2002 till 2007. I loved it there so much that I tried to apply to stay there for long term but alas, i got rejected. I remember i cried when I left Canada. Canada will always have a special place in my heart ❤❤

***National Post***\nMuslim leaders should've condemned Hamas instead of fomenting hate\nIf they had spoken out against terrorism, their advocacy of the Palestinian cause would carry much more weight. \n\nPart of the reason we are seeing division, hatred and unrest in the streets of Montreal, Toronto and other communities across Canada is due to the collective failure of Muslim leaders, in Canada and around the world, to condemn the despicable Oct. 7 terror attack by Hamas on Israeli civilians. \n\nIt was a horrific and cowardly attack by a terrorist group — not by all Palestinians, Arabs or the wider Muslim community. It should have been condemned and contained immediately. Muslims who pride themselves as followers of a peaceful religion should have empathized and consoled the grieving Jews. \n\nThere was a lot of time to do this. There was a lengthy delay between the attack and Israel’s ground offensive in Gaza. Instead of taking this time to condemn Hamas’s slaughter, Arab and Muslim politicians and government leaders promoted anti-Jewish hate to shore up their political support. This is nothing less than encouraging antisemitism. \n\nMuslim political and religious leaders, barring rare exceptions, chose to contextualize, equivocate and, in most cases, justify Hamas’s barbarity. What we have, as a result, is widespread hate bordering on violence in Canada — a country where communities have historically lived side-by-side in peace. \n\nThe situation got worse due to the statements made by community leaders like Amira Elghawaby, Canada’s special representative on combating Islamophobia, who did not hide her partisan and divisive outlook by clearly siding with the protesters on Canadian streets, characterizing them as “peaceful demonstrations,” even though we have seen people supporting Hamas, calling for genocide against Israeli Jews and harassing and intimidating Jewish-owned businesses. \n\nOn Twitter, Elghawaby approvingly cited a quote from a Toronto Star column reading, “The stories I have heard are both fantastical and true. Muslims (and others who silently sympathize with the loss of Palestinians lives) are being disciplined, maligned, isolated and targeted at work.” \n\nInstead of reaching across the aisle and consoling the Jewish community, she has instead chosen to focus her public comments on rising Islamophobia. \n\nSeriously? Remember the Muslim family who were killed in a hate-related attack in London, Ont., a couple years ago? All communities, including the Jewish community, across the political and religious spectrum unambiguously condemned that hate crime. And it brought a sense of relief and security to Muslims in Ontario. \n\nRemember how, after more that 50 people were gunned down while worshipping at mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019, political and religious leaders from all faiths stood behind Muslims and consoled them? \n\nAlso, after the Quebec mosque attack, almost all communities in Canada chose to stand with Muslims. There were images of people in Alberta who formed a human chain to protect Muslims. Similar scenes were witnessed elsewhere in the country. Jewish community leaders spoke out, loud and clear, in support of Muslims and against hate and bigotry. \n\nBut that is not what Elghawaby did. Instead, she makes it sounds as though it is Muslims who are the victims, while failing to mention the barbarity unleashed on Oct. 7. This is not leadership. This is not her mandate. Her job is to promote tolerance as enshrined in Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. \n\nNow imagine a scenario in which Muslims did what they ought to have done in the first place: condemned the Hamas attack, sided with the Jewish victims and dissociated themselves from terrorism. Their voices for the Palestinian cause would have carried much more weight. \n\nWhat we are seeing instead is a rising tide of anti-Jewish hate on our streets, promoted and peddled by Muslim leaders themselves, either by gaslighting the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, or wallpapering it with the political colours of the Palestinian cause. \n\nLet us all come together, not to let hate be poured onto the streets of Canada, but to stand united for a secure and prosperous country. \n\nNational Post \n\nRaheel Raza and Mohammad Rizwan are members of the Council of Muslims Against Antisemitism.

Lived in Toronto most of my life. Woudn't live anywhere else.

Aww,, I miss my India so much,,still living in Toronto , waiting for good opportunity to come back.

ha ha ha\nyou \nspeak\nmy\nthoughts\n\nlmaoo\n\nim an immigrant. i came here not for settle down my life here or not anything like that at all.\ni decided to come here, because my family is living here.\ni come from a Asian country.\n\nyesh.\nwhat i had been experiencing in my country, my city are actually better than Toronto, tbh.\ni didn't expect that i will come here and then settle down here.\nafter one year, my mind has already thought about moving to another continent after a few years in Canada.\ni missed my family. i love them.\nbut i just cannot.\nhere is not what i want for myself. i don't feel that i belong to here.

I live in Toronto and it is by far the best place to live in the world. Don't care about high taxes. Go to San Francisco or LA and make sure you don't step in human feces everywhere. You are way off base

A lot of people think Toronto and Vancouver are the only places to live. I lived in Smithers BC and wish I never left. Stunning local. Thunderbay Ontario is an amazing place, there Souris MB is fabulous...and the list goes on.

I live in Winnipeg, Manitoba.\nIt is MUCH cheaper here.\nOpportunities are abundant and it is a great place to raise children.\n\nYes it is cold, but it has everything that Toronto has BUT it is less glamorous.\n\nWe moved here from Toronto 5 years ago because Toronto and surrounding areas are a HORRIBLE place to raise children.

Currently, annual immigration in Canada amounts to around 500,000 new immigrants – one of the highest rates per population of any country in the world. As of 2022, there were more than eight million immigrants with permanent residence living in Canada - roughly 20 percent of the total Canadian population. Where is the data coming from that no one wants to live in Canada anymore?\n\nCanadians love to complain. Yes, there is crime, homelessness, drug use, extreme weather, housing crisis... but that's not isolated to Canada. Obviously there are ways to improve, but I wonder which other country would Canadians like to live in instead? Also, Canada is not just Vancouver and Toronto... Canadians are spoiled with the ability to easily move to lower cost of living areas in the same country. Imagine living in Singapore where and entire country is expensive and a Toyota Prius costs more than $100k, or Hong Kong where the real estate prices make Vancouver seem cheap... but people can't move away.

This video is true in every way. The cost of living in the big cities like Toronto, Vancouver and even Hamilton is absolutely outrageous! But because Canada's such a big country, it varies from province to province

I lived in Toronto my whole life and there have been major ethnic groups co-operating to muffle other ethnic groups, a passive racist attempt of pushing certain minorities out. \nThen Canada's government had a bright idea and started bending down to three major powers, which heavily invested in purchase of lands (like it was a real life game of monopoly) while in rapid succession- building townhouses and duplexes (then ditching all of that and opting for condominiums as the ultimate seize all in property value).\nIt became unlivable starting around 2015 (because of a specific group of migrants that have been aggresively flooding in [I can say that because I am of that origin, but born here and aware of what THEY can do]).\nCanada started dying around 2006-2007 and her last breath was at 2010. There are too many idiots in serious, highly attentive occupations and it is a major risk for the future of Canada. Instead of hiring adults with mature minds, they hire adult bodies with child like mentality and tolerances, on top of that- a sinister identity crisis, with no logic to back it. They rather listen to individials splurt something out of their rear than an individual who has experience and the knowledge to get things done. \nThey (the individuals with current responsibilities and their predecessors) bought in the whole 'get rich quick', strategy and while they pocket their results, the country starts to ferment in her own juices of what could have been, 'true potential'. \nYou have an American state that can be passed off as it's own country, because of what the people did with what they had VERSUS Canada... Yeeouch.

Hint, it is like living in Seoul vs Ulsan...so move from the expensive city to the cheaper city say Toronto to Calgary.

In response to the points raised in your video, I'd like to share some insights on the US-Canada comparison. It's undeniable that the US, as the world's leading economy, offers a wealth of employment opportunities, far surpassing those in Canada, which still holds a commendable position as the world's 10th strongest economy. From my perspective as a Canadian who has relocated to the US, the prospect is tempting, given the potential for a better lifestyle. However, it's crucial to weigh this against the realities of US immigration policies. Unlike Canada's more welcoming approach, the US process is daunting, labeling immigrants as 'Aliens' and imposing strict conditions like finding employment within 60 days of losing a job on a visa, or face restarting the entire immigration process.\n\nFurthermore, education in the US, especially at top universities comparable to York or the University of Toronto, is exorbitantly priced at around $50,000 USD per year, a big contrast to the more affordable Canadian fees.\n\nWhile Canada boasts superior social programs and a generally more welcoming attitude towards immigrants, it's not without its challenges, as highlighted by the cost crisis discussed in your video. This issue is prevalent in many countries with high immigration rates, like England and Australia, where housing costs can consume a significant portion of one's salary. Despite these challenges, Canada often offers a more balanced and affordable living experience compared to its counterparts.

Im about to move from the USA to Canada, my type of visa here denies me to have a stable normal life for many reasons, also many of the issues that canadians face are the same than americans does, I belive if you try to live in Vancouver or Toronto you can not expect to save a lots of money, Im moving to a Rural very turistic area, I will have employee housing and I belive ill be able to survive and save money, not like here ofc, but I will have a more stable life in many different aspects, Im a chef so for me its normal to work long shifts which provides me of food most of the time. I still hope that I will be very happy.

Born in Toronto but I had to get out. Not just TO but all of Canada is broken. The cost of living, rentals, food, the educational system and hospitals are all government run and horrible. No options. I'm in SE Asia now because you just can't prosper in Canada. The governments are soooo corrupt in Canada but to be quite honest, Canadians are really dumb and they don't see it.

I lived in Toronto, Hamilton, and St.John's in the 90s. Canada was a strong country back then, and government was fair and hardworking. We all could see Canada growing into one well developed country some day. And then in the 2010s I went back to visit twice, many once crowded places in downtown Toronto and vancouver were deserted. Shops closed. Beggars everywhere even in cold winter days. People are still very polite, but I could see the hopelessness in their eyes. Like everyone is too busy to care for others because they have trouble looking after themselves too. \n\nI cry for you Canada.

Born and raised in Toronto / GTA. At age 22, after the 1st wave of the COVID-19 crisis I felt the strong desire to leave - ridiculously high living costs, low salaries, general negative sentiment amongst torontonians, drastic lockdowns to combat COVID, insane traffic / poor public transport. I just graduated from university when I made the decision to move to Copenhagen, Denmark. 3 years later and I am confident it was one of the best decisions of my life. As much as I love Canada, I have to admit that the country is lagging FAR behind Scandinavian countries and I prefer my lifestyle here. Great Video btw!

Toronto is disgusting now. I've lived just north of the city all my life and nobody has anything good to say about it. The transit system also isn't safe and ppl get threatened by psychos routinely. Now, we have anti-Semitic protests every weekend in the core with people chanting death to Jews. It's a terrible place to visit and you couldn't pay me to raise a family there.

I lived downtown Toronto from 2002-2011. The footage you have is near my old neighbourhood -- Dundas and Sherbourne, Allen Gardens, etc. Those were sketchy areas back then, but at least the parks weren't full of tents. I definitely wouldn't live in Toronto now. Much better places elsewhere in the world. Am in Melbourne, Australia now and while housing is expensive, we don't have the open drug use and poverty everywhere like Toronto.

Well I will tell you that I am an immigrant with Canadian citizenship, I have been living in Canada for almost 12 years, and I have decided to leave Canada to live permanently in my home country Peru. The reasons why I will leave Canada are mainly the extremely high cost of life (the rent mainly) I have lived in Toronto for almost 7 years and until now I am renting rooms because it's the only space I can afford with my current salary. The other reason is the health care service, as the lady in the video mentioned, I have been in the waiting list for 2 years to see an specialist and until now nothing. I got used to the weather, the people, the snow, I have my own car but it's sucking me almost CAD$1000 per month among monthly payments, gasoline and insurance. While in Lima Peru the cost of life is almost a third part of what it's here. The food is cheap and the quality is high (everything is organic in Peru). I will keep my Canadian job and work remotely from Lima and I will live like a king¡¡¡¡¡, I miss the food, the beaches, the amazing social life and with my Canadian passport I will be able to travel anywhere in the world once a year ..... now that's what I call living the life .... I am so excited¡¡¡

basically just don't live in toronto or vancouver or montreal -- all horrible over populated cities

I lived in Munich then moved to Toronto oh boy oh boy Canada is ..... complicated

as someone with friends and family in Toronto, I can safely say that you'd have to pay me to live there.

Getting people to live in Canada and not the GTA is the problem Canada has lots of housing and vacant land to build on but everyone wants to live in the congested city. Government should have incentives to leave Toronto and populate the north.

Used to live in Canada during college, now live in the US and am now a US citizen… one reason Toronto is so expensive is because Canada has very few options (vibrant cities to live and work in)… US is a whole different ball game, so many choices red states, blue states, hot states, cold states, the choice is yours… also, Canada’s monopoly in different industries are killing consumers— when I lived in Canada, I once paid a 800 dollar Roger’s bill, and flying between Toronto and Montreal costs more than flights between Honolulu and New York… don’t walk, run…

Born in South Vietnam and raised in Toronto for almost 44 years now I'm still here and Toronto sucks!!! It has become a ghetto! City Toronto leftists' politicians have made it into a shithole! Bike lanes are everywhere and there are not much bikers during the Winter months (something like 8 to 9 months) and summer months I saw few here and there. Rents are totally beyond many peoples affordability. Foods prices are freaking crazy. Reason why this is happening? You have to thank the current idiotic-leftard government under Trutard leadership in Canada. This is thanks to his carbon taxes BS initiative causing high cost in fuel and resulting in major inflations in high food prices, rentals, etc. How can you help refugees and immigrants while Canadians can't even afford to live in Toronto, etc. You need to take care of Canadian first and foremost. Taking in 500 thousands new immigrants and refugees each year isn't going to be help Canada to get this mess we are in. Lower number like 150-200 thousands of new immigrants | refugees is feasible but NOT 500 thousands new immigrants and refugees.

After 55 years of living in Toronto at the Agee of 70 \nI am moving back to origin country in February very heart breaking to resettle and reconnect with younger generation in such a mess

Vancouver and Toronto are not Canada. There are other major cities that are ok to live in like ottawa.

Hot take : There is other places you can live in Canada other than Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto.

Canada is not OZ ask any parents who arrived after WW2...PICK YOUR CITY WISELY..do not move to Toronto or Vancouver..satin lives there

Ah... miss... you will not be missed... not my fault if your degree is second grade in the world in comparison to the west. You are the people living at the edge of society by staying in ghetto so you could stick to your roots. If you really gave it a try, you would not be In Vancouver, Toronto or Ottawa.

The problem is not the number of immigrants and foreign workers.. it's where all of them want to go.. Vancouver and Toronto. How about bringing them to the under populated cities and towns in Canada to help those cities and towns? In Toronto, you see South Asians driving cars with Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia plates but they're living here.. Immigration Canada needs to address this that's one other major reason why there's shortage of housing in major cities.

This is not entirely unlike what women experience. If you go to the Indian consulate in Canada, you would find they behave similarly. The situation has improved a lot compared to 2015 and 2016. I lost my passport in Canada and was living 300 kilometers away from Toronto. When I went to the Toronto consulate to get my passport (now everything is done by BLS, but it wasn't the case back then), the officer, despite knowing I had all the necessary documents, insisted I obtain an unnecessary police document related to an FIR. I was surprised and pleaded extensively, but was still told to go back and return with the document. When I returned, the police officer told me they don't issue such documents. I went back to the consulate and was still denied. I protested there for 20-30 minutes. Eventually, with the same documents I initially presented, I obtained my passport. Such incidents used to be quite common.

What is the cost of living like in Europe compared to Canada. I would be curious to see that comparison. Also what about inflation, health care, crime rate, etc… \nThis also talks about Toronto a lot, one of the most expensive place in the country to live in. Housing there is unaffordable for many of us. All other places aside from Vancouver are more affordable.

I am German , lived in Ontario Toronto area from 2007 to 2010 houses and rent was half of it what you pay today. Houses in Canada are 5 times the price as the equivalent in the US.

I live in Buffalo, Toronto born. I got a spousal green card based on marriage to my late wife who was a dual citizen though she was US born.. Western NY is very friendly and very supportive, at least to me it is. And yes I live close to the border-I come up often. I became a USC in 1993 btw.

I live in northern ontario, about 3 hours from Toronto. Here houses with huge yards are from $100,000 to a million. My own with 6 acres, a new house is $300,000 and lots of jobs here. Why is Toronto sacrosanct? Look somewhere else.

Cosmopolitan Toronto or Vancouver or Montreal is different from The Rest of Canada. Living in the ROC is another experience. Canada is big geographically.. People can interpret life differently just based on this different geography.

I know what is your NEXT video topic: Top 10 fascinating aspects of living in Toronto ? When you zoom out, Toronto reveals itself as a diverse and charming city.

Bottom line high cost of living including housing, but extremely poor prospects to get a well paying job that would ever allow you to buy a condominium or house in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. Sadly, what i just noted also applies to native born canadian. This country is going downhill, and its not just the foreign immigrants who arrive that want to leave, anyone who has aspirations of the american dream will also want to emmigrate out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, basically i wasn't wrong when I came to Calgary long time ago instead of Toronto?\nAs an immigrant you don't want to live in a place with the same level of chaos and insecurity than the place you leaved.

100% bang on.. I've lived in Dubai (traveled to many other countries).. this is nowhere near being considered as developed anymore (GDP criteria is outdated)..Canada got developed and they forgot to update and even upgrade..!! The drug situation is so bad that I really hope that you didn't come across crackheads/homeless who are under the influence of drugs at all times.. No doubt there are way more homeless people in India, but they are working or at least trying in some way to make their life better and they never hurt you at least, here, it's the opposite, as they literally can do anything.. you can find them roaming all over on the streets of Old Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa.. You can literally find them everywhere.. someone commented earlier that you should give 2 years.. Bro or sis.. it's a complete waste as I am at the same point.. and on top of it when you invested 2 years, it even becomes tougher as it becomes even harder to go back as you have spent so much on furniture, house, car, tools, n all and most importantly - 2 YEARS of life. I left my pregnant wife and have been staying away from her and a 1-and-a-half-year-old baby boy hoping that we'll create a better future and can afford to struggle right now.. its been 2+ years.. Honestly.. I am still not able to figure out whether there is any future or I have spoiled my present looking for a future.. its a dilemma beyond explanation in words, with no relatives or anyone based here.. I've a lot at stake currently and that's the only reason I am stuck otherwise leaving this place seems to be inevitable.. \n\nI travel extensively all throughout and forget about expressways anywhere in Canada (Except 407 which has an insane toll rate) it's a 4-lane highway just 80 km from Toronto to the rest of 450+ kms to Montreal which are 2 major cities of this so-called developed country.. same is for Ottawa, the same hold true from Calgary to Edmonton, and any other major town/city!! on top of it, they are struggling to even maintain those (always under construction - even construction is a wrong word to use as they aren't adding anything new.... it is just being repaired in true words) Same is true with adding new infra in terms of hospitals or any other facility... Banking sucks.. Still dealing through the mail (Postal mail).. (Mails not e-mails). I simply can't get that.. the tax agency - CRA sends communications through the mail, and the same with any other agency.. Comon.. grow up is what I feel at times..!! People are literally not willing to work (Except hard-working immigrants), Govt. doesn't have any plans for the future regarding the economy and development... just bringing in immigrants.. that's it..\n\nYou've made a very smart decision and really at a very good time.. wish you, and your family all the best..!!

I live in Toronto Ontario Canada more than 15 years. You explained nicely!

Lived in Toronto before and left in 2019 right before COVID. I was considering going back to Toronto after working overseas these few years but everyone I knew living in the city are warning me not to… it’s sad how the city has changed for the worse

You are lying to the people about Canada or you don't know. West Africans, aka sub Saharan African are not the favoured group selected for immigration to Canada. For some reason the immigration policy favours Indians from India. 90% of the people favoured now for immigration into Canada are Indians and secondly Latinos from Mexico or some other Latin American country. People from West Africa are a trickle. All this information is on line, Google it. Also Canada is experiencing inflation and everyone is crying about the very high cost of living and finding housing. The housing market is now going through a depression and the amortization rate instead of 30 years is now leaning towards 40-60 years owing to high interest rates. People do your homework. \n\nDo not listen to people who want to blow up themselves making false claims. Also there is not overt racism but it definitely THERE, try promotion to the highest level of management in the work place and see how many years you will plateau till retirement, aka HIT THE CONCRETE SEALING. Bro, I don't doubt your experience but you are definitely an anomaly, aka an exception as you are saying that you are here in Canada living the good life. So many West Africans in Toronto are working with InstaCard, Door Dash and doing Uber and Lyft. It is called the GIG economy. You are not in a stable job. The living standard is high in Canada, meaning even the poorest has access to a quality life through the Social Services govt system. Maybe you think that is living the good life equivalent or on par with a person of European ancestry who is at least 3rd generation Canadian and in over 75% of the cases have had a transference of Generational wealth.

I love Toronto.However for these last few yaers things have gone from bad to worse. No longer can you feel safe walking or the TTC or even ubering.These illegals just turn up without working for a minute and are given ALL the benefits. We who have worked all our lives through snowstorms or winds at 170kiiometer per hour are getting shut out of our benefits. Toronto is a HUGE MESS,unfortunately the taxpayers are the ones who are getting the end of the stick.

If the US opens up immigration those salary perks will also be diluted. If 5x the number of programmers are looking for jobs then supply and demand will dictate that employers can lower the going wage for new talent. At least at the lower levels. Housing inflation is a problem but it looks worse than it is since something like 20% of the population lives in the greater Toronto area where a 500sq foot condo is 900k. Tons of sub $200k houses within 20-30 minutes of major cities in most other provinces. If the job allows remote work then its also a moot point.

I live in Toronto for over 20 years. The demise of the city is noticeable and unfortunate, and I don't see what can stop the decline. The city government is corrupt and incompetent, the governance structure is such that the politicians are not held accountable, and the population does not have self-awareness to rebel against the incompetent and corrupt politicians and bureucrats.

1) Toronto is poor value. Getting housing of any kind (buying or renting) is stupidly expensive. And the quality you get for the price is lousy. Especially the newer builds, which are just thrown up as quickly as possible and sold to investors. Policy measures generally all seem to serve to just inflate the price of housing further. The occasional lip service given to affordability is amusing, but ultimately sad. There are lots of people who really do not want the housing bubble to pop. They will fight against it with all they have.\n\n2) It has become kind of boring. There is lots to do if you have money, but it’s harder to find entertainment on a budget. Even the free stuff like parks are filling up. Stuff like sporting events, eating out, going out is very costly across the board. Even the “cheaper” stuff is expensive. It seems like a lot of local culture is disappearing. Even the cool neighbourhoods are filling up with the same chains. I think the high commercial rent and bureaucracy is deflating a lot of would-be entrepreneurs. Most landowners seem to just be banking on cashing out their land for condos.\n\n3) Canada overall has a high cost of living compared to salaries. In the US you can find lower cost of living areas that still give you a real city experience. And in Europe you can be poor but still live a decent, if no frills, life. In Canada the basic necessities are all expensive. Phone bills, grocery bills, rent, insurance are through the roof. Domestic travel is expensive. And the dollar sucks if you want to travel abroad. Health care is free but good luck finding a family doctor or waiting 8 hours in the ER these days. It’s expensive to be poor, or even middle class.\n\n4) Most of the Greater Toronto Area, outside the core, is soulless suburbs with awful transit - very “American” except with worse traffic congestion. You will need a car, which is another huge cost. Row upon row of old cookie cutter suburbs with the same crappy houses. Good luck walking anywhere, and if you do you will need to walk down boring, treeless arterial roads with cars zooming past right beside you, and cross giant eight lane intersections that were never built for humans on foot. In a rainstorm or on a fall evening you have to be really careful not to be run over by aggressive drivers.\n\n5) It is hard to raise a family in an apartment here. You can do it but it’s not very easy, and also you are still kind of judged for it. Lots of young people are feeling stuck and are deferring or avoiding starting a family. Buying any type of house, even a basic townhouse, requires pledging your soul to a bank by taking a massive mortgage with eye watering debt in a volatile market. But few apartment buildings have the kind of sensible gentle density, the family unit sizes and the common amenities, like little courtyards with jungle gyms, that you might find in Europe. No one ever contemplated that anyone would ever desire to raise kids in an apartment. It’s just a cultural thing that has worked its way into how things are planned and designed.\n\n6) The transit system is ok by North American standards but awful by international standards. There are only two real subway lines, one stub line, one line that is permanently out of service after a derailment, and another line that was supposed to open a couple years ago but still has no date for opening. The subways go out of service frequently, sometimes for the dumbest reasons, and then it is a zoo of shuttle buses. The streetcars are nice but so slow. The buses are fine if you find yourself dreaming about riding a daily herky jerky rolling tin of sardines. They are building a lot of transit but it will take decades to get done.\n\n7) There is still a lot of cool multiculturalism and opportunities to experience different foods and cultures - one of the best things about Toronto. Increasingly though it seems to be losing the fun vibe of the 90s, when everyone celebrated each other’s backgrounds and was chill. It seems the immigration is not as broad based anymore and also people are importing a lot of their “old country” grievances here. The immigration system also kind of preys on people abroad by selling them a false fairy tale, so they end up dejected when they arrive and see how things really are.\n\n8) This one might be controversial but it’s kind of an ugly city. There’s nothing particularly of historical meaning or value. Some of the older neighbourhoods are kind of nice, but the last 25 years they have only built giant glass skyboxes, one after another. There aren’t the cool “missing middle” walkups like in NY, Chicago or Montreal (or even LA). There are very few buildings with much architectural character. Some of the buildings they deem “heritage” here are an embarrassment.\n\n9) For safety, honestly on this score I think Toronto is not bad. There are not too many real “ghettos” and it’s night and day compared to much of the US. With that said, there is more vagrancy and social issues these days, with tents and such. It’s very sad but the shelters are full, lots of homeless go into the libraries, parks and transit system. It does make it harder to enjoy these public amenities safely. It is nowhere close to Europe where you might let your kids run free around town. Canadian parents still helicopter their kids and the place again is not designed to really be safe for kids, in the same way as Europe.\n\n10) Finally, a bit of a double edged sword. Toronto had a lot of youthful energy - people coming here from all over. It is definitely not as sleepy as many parts of the world. With that said, it is becoming a bit of a transient place (minus the world class experiences like London or NY). If you are from elsewhere you might find it hard making and keeping friends. I’ve seen lots of people struggle because it’s is hard to build a strong social network. We have a very “shallow” culture here - people are extremely polite but not overly warm and hospitable. We treat one another kind of like neighbours - meaning we’d like to have a cordial, drama-free coexistence and otherwise kind of stick to ourselves.

I'm 66 years old, born in Toronto and lived here all my life. I'm thinking of moving out of Toronto - and out of Canada altogether.