Hey y’all! I’ve lived in southern Ontario for my entire life, but I’m planning to move up north with my wife in a year or so. We want to have a log house built on a forested 5+ acre lot, probably somewhere in the rough vicinity of Gravenhurst.
I’ve vacationed up north lots, but of course, vacationing is different from daily life. As for work up there, I’m a computational and structural biologist, and will be doing contract work for coding plus small in vitro experiments. Got a client lined up already.
So I’m curious – as a suburban girl with no experience living rurally in a small town like Gravenhurst, what do I need to know?
Also… do country diner regulars get discounts? XD
As you radiate away from big urban centers, there tends to be a stronger conservative population. Now, we do have a charter of rights and freedoms that protect you. So you won’t be denied services but how those services are delivered you may be less friendly.
Saying that, there are pockets of rural Canada that are very liberal. I haven’t been back to Gravenhurst in a dog’s age, and much may have changed there. If you are set on it, perhaps plan a trip to try it out first before moving your belongings.
If you are set on a more rural location, you might try the small towns surrounding Ottawa. My husband (f2m) and I have lived in this region for over 15 years and haven’t experienced anything off. A real challenge may be in finding a gp. But even more so in Gravenhurst, I think. But if you are close to big urban centers, you can find a walk-in clinic until you find a doctor who is accepting patients. And it will probably be easier to find work.
If you haven’t sorted out what visa you are coming in on, you should probably get onto it.