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Born, raised, educated, worked, married & started my own family in TO. We left TO & extended fam. several yrs ago. We knew living in Toronto was not sustainable. Best thing we ever did?.

Yes there are better options out there in Canada and around the world, only people who have lived elsewhere know. Toronto is unaffordable, not very clean, high crime, homeless people and no culture of it anymore.

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

Taught myself how to trade equities. Now toronto is within living there again. Yes, I’m buying a place there now and loving the idea of living there

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!!

With all the major cities with all their problems (ie. high cost of living), Toronto ranks as the best for me.

I live in Toronto. I am seriously considering leaving, even though I have a job downtown. Things have gone downhill a lot in the past 4 years.

That wasn’t an easy video to make, Alina. You were more diplomatic than I am about my hometown NYC. I left when I was 35. Crime, costs and homelessness are through the roof. Not even the rich can afford it anymore. New York and Toronto are great places to be from, but they are no longer meant to be lived in.

It’s getting harder to live in Toronto these days. The crime is going up and inflation and rent prices are through the roof. Never mind that with a full time job you can’t afford to eat out or buy grocery to have a decent meal at home.

I lived in Toronto for 23 years. What are the better options you see?

All these years of uncontrollable immigration and not enough housing built along with all these years of low interest rates and housing bubble and not spending enough on infrastructure you end up with Today’s Toronto Please stop coming here we don’t have enough resources for all these dreamers and immigrants who are living in the street welcome to Toronto.

These issues are big city problems, and seen far worse in the US. If you go to NYC, you will see cost of living being astronomical (much higher than Toronto), homelessness being worse, crime is worse and mental health services are non existent. The same is true for LA. \nIn fact, in the US petty crime is more lethal due to the mass access to firearms and rampant gun violence. \nThings can be better in Toronto but it is still far better than many equivalent cities in the US.

Sobering, but spot-on. I am primarily a theatre actor based in Ottawa and travel to Toronto frequently, for stays both short to long-term. The rise in cost of living, rental, traffic gridlock, safety concerns, everything you alluded to has dampened the experience of working in the city. It is near impossible to find affordable accommodations that is not in a basement or shared space. As you say, all the attractions and big-city appeal are there to enjoy, but only if money is not an issue!

What I've noticed living in Toronto during the covid and then traveling around other cities is that some cities took covid as an opportunity while Toronto just got neglected. For example NYC doesn't smell so bad anymore, Montreal and London(UK) got a ton of public spaces, Paris transformed the road network and even Belgrade got nicer. Meanwhile Toronto couldn't even restore drinking water and toilets in the parks after 4 years.

I used to live in Toronto and I left for different reasons 2.5 years ago. It is not the same place that I remember it to be. I understand that places change but it’s changing far too fast for me. I used to like going out to various independent shops (especially bookstores) and because of the condo boom a lot of these places can not exist anymore. I also liked going to places where the ttc struggles to go to (further out of the city) but having a car and dealing with traffic has gotten way worse. My other thing is the people. Years ago people would talk about fun things and now all they talk about is money, real estate, and traffic short cuts. I agree with the crime and the housing issues that you mentioned. It’s ok to visit but I try to get out of there (otherwise I’ll be spending all my money on parking)

I am a resident of Toronto for the past 11 years now. I moved here from Calgary because back then I had a better opportunity. I was an aspiring pastry chef. I landed in pretty stable and well paid job. I've already noticed the changes in city a few years before the pandemic. The drug addiction and mental health problem were already quite evident as injection sites were popping up around the cities including public parks. Then the pademic happened, it exposes the cracks in our society, some people are becoming selfish and intolerant. I lost my job due to the pandemic, it was very traumatic, I developed severe anxiety/depression. Luckily, i had some savings when it all happened. Fastforward, I've been working in the last 2 years now but I can no longer find the same job and pay I used to have. Most companies are now more ruthless. They let go employees any minute as soon as they felt the business is slow. There's no more job security. The only reason why I am surviving is because I am living in the same apartment since i moved here. However, my new neighbours who just moved in are paying twice as much. I've been attempting to leave the city but that would mean that i would be paying at least twice of my current rent and there aren't much opportunities elesewhere. I honestly felt trapped in my current situation but I am still grateful that I am still better off than many people who are already living on the edge. Sadly, the situation is only getting worst according to many analysts. I think the country is at a breaking point in many aspects.

I MISS living in Toronto so much but theres zero chance I could afford it now I had a 2 bdrm in Parkdale for $1475 and the DAY I moved out they marked it as being under renovation and bumped the rent for my unit up to $3200.

A somewhat depressing video, because it's an actually accurate portrait of the city, as it is. Toronto and Canada as a whole is governed by politicians and bureaucrats, who rely on experts opinion of what could be, if x,y,z all come together as envisioned. These pixie dust ideas are often aspirational, but sadly lack a base in reality. Slogans and cheerleading don't make things happen. Rarely is there enough funding to support implementation of these grandiose ideas, and somehow these same leaders ensure they get a chunk before anyone else, cause they have a standard of living to maintain. They just really feel for the pain and suffering of those who are not them. Toronto and Vancouver used to be Canadian examples, that those of us didn't live or want to live there could still be proud of. These cities also were viewed as examples to follow by other Canadian population centres. So the same issues keep reoccurring, because in abstract theory they could work. By the time reality shows that they are not working, it is too late, and too hard, and too embarrassing to change course. \nA very interesting video by a creator who took her rose coloured glasses ( we all have a pair just admit it), and sees what is and then says it out loud.

Way to go Saskatchewan girl! I go Toronto couple of times a year but that city is not for me because I am from Seoul in Korea which has 40 million people live in the city size of GTA lol? I love prairie life

I am from Toronto. It has never been an 'affordable' city to live in. The current situation is not unique to Toronto. It just has evolved into a big city that other large cities have experienced as they grew but people have grown used to.

Thanks Alina, that was very informative. I've never been to Toronto before, but it was a place I am considering visiting someday. So far, where are some places in Canada would you recommend to live?

I love Toronto, but it's too expensive. Easier to live outside the city and just train it in for a day.

Sad to see the city of Toronto changed. After watching it, the people live in that city is almost in the state of poverty. ?

I am originally from Toronto but have lived for 35 years in Los Angeles. It is sad to see the same problems that my 2 favorite cities both have. Two big advantages that LA has is the weather, and higher incomes. In Toronto there is a drastic gap between income, and cost of living. There is that in LA too, but the gap isn't as big. People still make a lot of money here, but with more money, that increases inflation.

Thank you Alina for your objective assessment of Toronto. It changed too much my liking, I have been trying to move there but costs of living are a huge turn off.

This guy lives on a beautiful farm in India, obviously makes good money (if he can afford a western lifestyle for his child) and wants to send his daughter to Toronto where 99% of people are depressed work horses living paycheque to paycheque in a dystopian concrete jungle LMFAOOOO like whaaaaaaaaat.

There is too much tax in canada and the return of benefits is very low comparwd to other developed advanced countries \n\nThe education and health sector is the worst \n\nPublic transport too expensive and not available in many areas \nAnd i am talking of grater toronto area \n\nAnd southwest ontario \nThe heart of canada \n\nIf we move slightly west or north of this area \n\nGod knows how these people are coping with that \n\nIt was easier for them to live away from cities \nBecauss of cheap land and housing \nAnd cheap fuel prices \nThey have their own cars and it was very affordable to drive long distance \n\nThe goods were not expensive \nSo overall the did not need \nPublic transport in many areas \n\nBut now with increasing housing coloniesb and infrastructure \nWith increasing population \n\nAnd increasing car and fuel prices \nBank loan interests \n\nPublic transport is needed and needed at affordable prices \n\nMobile phone networks \nInternet \nIs expensive too expensive \n\nIf you earn good you dont feel it \nBut low income and part timers \nStudents feel the high rate \n\n\nAllowing skilled people especially in health sector education sector and office administration is a must \n\nHospitals dont have the staff \nDont have doctors \nClinics dont have doctors and staff \n\nU dont find a family doctor for months or even longer \nAnd \nEven if find one \nHe stays not for long and leaves \n\nIf u r sucking taxes like blood sucking parasites \nThis is not going to last very long \n\nU have to provide if u take high rate of taxes \nU cannot let people wait for hours in emergency \n\nFor months to get an specialiat appointment \nFor months to get a medical test like ct scan ultrasound etc \n\nEven under developed countries \nAre providing the option for health tests and private treatment \nWhich is even paid by governments to certains extent \n\nI am totally disappointed in canada as developed country \n\nLow salaries \nExploiting immigrants as cheap labor \n\nStudents as cheap labor and rent payers \n\nEducation expensive \n\nHealth care almost not available \n\nBank interest rate high \n\nIts an bank interest binding economy\n\nWhich doesnt want the people tonget out of the financial cycle of paying interest and mortgages\n\nIn other words you have mortgaged ur life ur everthing to the financial institutes \n\nAnd u think u are free and rich\nBut are a slave \nA robot\nWho is controlled by the big sharks of the industry \nAnd the government

I’m born & raised in Montreal, Quebec and while it’s extremely multicultural and has an incredible education system, we have been experiencing a continuous housing crisis. Every year the rent prices and general cost of living are skyrocketing yet wages remain the same. It’s actually becoming a huge problem in Montreal. Young people are being pushed out as prices are starting to little by little be comparable to Toronto. \nAnd don’t get me started on the hate Anglophones receive here. Even Montreal natives like myself who are historically English get discriminated against every day. \nThe Quebec government is pushing the English language out of Quebec, making it harder and harder for Anglophones to be able to function and live practically here. You can’t even go to the hospital and get service. If you don’t speak French you can’t call and speak with any government services, and even businesses are forced to have French names, and only conduct their business in the French language. \nI myself am bilingual, but for someone who doesn’t speak the language, or is learning having trouble it’s nearly impossible to live in Quebec as they wouldn’t even be able to get a job. The discrimination Anglophones receive is insane and we are seen as a ‘bottom of the barrel’ minority, which is so sad seeing that this is where I was born and raised and where I call my home. \nThey’re taking away more and more public & social services and literally funnelling multi millions of dollars of funding , which is desperately needed for homelessness and many other social problems we have within Montreal and it’s all now going towards pushing the French language in Montreal (we literally have what’s called the ‘language police’ who’s job is to enforce French. They will give businesses thousands of dollars of tickets and even shut them down all because someone is caught speaking English) \nHopefully something will change soon or else Montreal is going to continue to become a place completely taken over by hate and discrimination and it will experience a MASS exodus (which is already starting).

EVERY country has racism.. and in Canada it is not usually the White people who are the most Racist.. Chinese and India-n people are very racist. Try going to Surrey and you will experience some Racist Indians. I live in the Prairies and it is definitely less racist than West Coast BC, Montreal and Toronto regions.

Living in developed countries especially bigger cities has become a nightmare. Be it new york, toronto, dublin, berlin, auckland and so on...earlier buying was harder...now renting too has become lot harder...

I live in toronto, pretty much every indian work as food delivery wokers.

I live for free in Quebec since I moved from Toronto in 2022 now 2023 in Montreal seems to be more equatitive! Better jobs and higher demand!

From what I’ve heard, relative to other Canadian provinces, BC is a bit lopsided regarding wages to cost of living. Yeah, Toronto and Vancouver are famous, but there’s more places to go than just those two

Lived in Canada near Toronto my whole life, almost 30 years. My family moved here from Ireland.\nI will never be able to afford my own home at this rate. Theyre not building affordable housing and many immigrant families that move to Canada are large and pool all their resources to buy each other homes, which would be a good idea if it didnt screw over everyone else looking for homes. I do work with pools and I see immigrant families living in large, expensive homes regularly who own multiple homes. Between that and foreign investment/richer people snapping up homes to rent, everyone looking for a home or rent is getting gutted financially. People who have lived here their whole lives are struggling.\nThere needs to be much stricter regulations when it comes to housing and how many you can own. We need affordable housing that isnt snatched up by one person or group to turn into rentals.

I think it really depends on the type of person you are and what you're looking for. I've lived in central Toronto for 25 years, and a few more in the suburbs prior. Family emigrated here from the UK when I was 10. Really look forward to the prospect of going back to the UK when I don't have a regular job (semi retire) anymore for a variety of reasons. Nice to live in Canada, but long for the beauty of the town and country life in England.

I am proudly canadian living just outside toronto im white and was born here so I never had this problem but it gives me a warm feeling knowing my country welcomes disenfranchised peoples

Welcome to Canada ?? May you get success in the life. Make your parents more proud. I also live in Toronto near Newmarket.

Apka vlog beta bohat sari journey kay saath enjoy kia app bogat himmat wali ho unshallah sab khuch achay tarekay say ho ga bus thora sa khuch Canada kay mahol environment ko under stand karna paray ga sab khuch bohag Acha hai mai nay apnay bachoo kay pass visit kia hai in the month of May its cold like pak Dec month a x then June hot started may mo th is there spring and then upto August hot Ac on and rainy also pleasant people enjoy a lot there cause sept month slightly cold started out side going need jacket which you have to buy all stuff from Canada its according to Canada weather for cold snow with layers inside socks thermal cause when mine children's went that time we buy stuff frim dubai cause settle there but that's not work so slowly slowly they buy znd the university good room mates told in a room 2 can live or can separate also stay bur in university more expensive just around the university very near can find lots of students live Nd food available or cook your self but for halal food have to find Ces super market iqbal famous all pak products are easily available and Indian store inshallah keep touch if you like or your relatives can guide you nicely but next month Sept cold started cause its your 1st cold you feel more be careful of sickness soaps keep in use my feeling of mother lot told you mine children's don't k ow any thing and no relative there also tha ks .I d daughter got pak friends as room mate there parents settle with them there Nd my worried finish and they manage slowly slowly .I've daughter also start from bio tec then she change to naturopath frim water loo university in Toronto and residence also in Toronto staying with brothers if need any help o prob she can guide you help you ok cause your family all are along with you nice hope you like ? and your time your stay become nice you can buy your books from university by meeting students second hand also ots thete way those students finish they can help out before we also don't know if want to stay near to university you can stay alone or with student any good in flat also like in base ment also people live depend the option and rent.

Canada might have a more welcoming immigration system, but that's also why the cost of living is so high. Top 6 in the world. Also I went to Toronto for business and talked to people, it's awful, rents around around 3-5k for single bedroom. Everything was waaaaay more expensive than even here in downtown Chicago where I live. rents are up 40%. If you're poor, good luck LOL

Your northern neighbors aren't friendly at all. In fact biggest douches you'll ever meet, certainly in Toronto. Especially towards Americans, very very bigoted, but they'll follow up in same sentence how nice they themselves are, and everybody loves them! LOL I had a much better time living in the US, as well as China and Serbia.

I live south of Toronto I’m a weld and make a pretty good living for my age but I know the area I live in I will never be able to afford a house

As someone who lived in Canada for 20+ years your video is extremely accurate and informative. I live around 35KM from downtown Toronto and a townhouse nearby sold for 2.4+Million not long ago and the wage is so bad here

canada is a shit hole (born and raised here) yesterday there was a job fair at a grocery store and the line of people applying was over a km - for the lowest level position possible. rent in a town no one in the world has ever heard of is more than N.Y.C or Tokyo. we have thousands of homeless immigrants sleeping outside in camps in toronto as they have no where to go and everywhere you go in this country someone is dying from the opioid epidemic, crime has gone up 50% in many cities. no one will ever buy a house and the people born here cant/wont have kids because its to expensive. the Canadian population is dying out bc out government is trash and instead of helping us they bring in more immigrants who will take the shit housing with 14 adults in 1 room and wont call the labour board when they are exploited. that is why Canada accepts so many immigrants bc they are exploitable - very easy to see when you live here its disgusting.

Yeah, 8 years ago only the poor were living on the streets of Toronto. \n'The key driver of homelessness in Toronto is the economy and the housing market. Rental costs have increased dramatically over the past 10 years and a lack of affordable housing has increased to record high numbers.'\nBasically what this fellow is doing is taking a complex issue and telling you to be mad at the liberals and Trudeau. \nSeriously, weren't the last 4 mayors of Toronto all conservatives.\nGees Poilievre. don't you think that maybe they could have fixed the homeless problem when they were mayor? of course I am not including Olivia Chow as she just became Mayor.

My daughter, with Irish Father (me) and Japanese Mother, much prefers the USA.\nShe graduated from Juilliard and got her green card in the US.\nAfter living in NYC for 15 years (and married) she and her Maryland husband came to Canada.\n5 years later they went back to Virginia and they are 20 times more happy.\nPS: If they were to become SICK in the US, they would head back to Toronto - but other than that they HATE Canada ?? and they LOVE ❤️ the US ??

The obvious connection not being made here is when you let in a high amount of skilled labour without consideration for the size of the industry you put downward pressure on the average income of that industry. There is more thought out into the American system. Easy isn’t necessarily better. And don’t get me started on the price of housing. It’s actually outright ridiculous. But again there’s not much though in the system. Everyone wants to live in Toronto. Upward pressure on the price of homes. Many immigrants I meet actually want to leave.

I was born in Lima Peru at the age 21 moved to the Canada Toronto was my first home and I lived there for 17 years ,but the Canadian winter was wearing me out , so I moved to Vancouver and my partner and I opened a video rental that last me for 24 years until the end of vídeos rental in the meantime I started to invest in real estate , I bough 2 condominium apartment one is a penthouse with roof garden , them 250.000 dólares back in 1994, same year I bought the second apartment for 175.000 dollars 28 years later that investment have increased to 2’200.000.00 dollars I lived all my life in Canada I am now 77 years old in good health,now as a Canadian citizen feel very proud to be Canadian and never consider moving anywhere I am very happy where I am, and I am sure many Canadian feel the same eh

Toronto is the most multicultural city in the world as you accurately pointed out. It's one of the primary reasons I live here and is a great model for the world.\n\nYou're also correct that housing prices in Toronto are stratospheric making it almost impossible to buy a home and extremely challenging even to rent a one bedroom.

I have mixed feelings about this video. This video does a good job outlining the immigration process but it does not highlight any of the negative consequences of immigration that Canada is experiencing. One of the main reasons why cost of living is so high in Toronto and Vancouver is precisely because we have so many immigrants coming in without enough housing supply. This is by design because politicians and the upper class have a vested interest in keeping real estate prices high because so much of their net worth is tied up in the housing market.\n\nAnother negative is that employers hire immigrants working low skilled jobs and pay them less than Canadians because the immigrants are willing to be taken advantage of since they're just happy to have a job in Canada which pays better than their country. \n\nAnother myth that gets repeated is that Canadian takes immigrants out of compassion and unfortunately a lot of Canadians believe this. It was never about compassion, it's about bringing more people to 1) pay taxes to support our social welfare as Canadian birth rates decline and boomers retire, 2) keep housing costs high and 3) pay immigrants lower wages for the same work because immigrants are fine being exploited since they have a job in a first world country.\n\nAnother problem is the cultural shift. In the most immigrant-dense regions you'll find that many immigrants themselves surprisingly don't want more immigrants coming to Canada because they see these negative consequences. The people who are most pro-immigration have no problem cramming 8+ people in a basement and exploiting their labour because they make enough money to live in communities that immigrants can't afford, and so they don't have to deal with the cultural shift that's taking place. This is NOT the fault of immigrants, but rather the politicians who put economic growth over quality of life. Over HALF the people in the GTA weren't born in Canada, so they didn't go through our school system and have no connection to our culture. Canada is unfortunately going to become very racist over the next 10-20 years as Canadians start feeling like outsiders in their own country. It's somehow considered racists to criticize the effect of multiculturalism on social unity, yet the cultures we accept in Canada only became distinct cultures because of monoculturalism.