I was just in Toronto for a conference and I was shocked by the rampant homelessness as well. There were homeless individuals sitting on sidewalks around the entire city while bankers in $1000 suits walked past like they weren’t even there. It was very dystopian feeling.
I lived in Vancouver recently for a short stint, and the amount of homelessness smack dab in the middle of downtown was in-fucking-sane.
It was like what those late 80s/early 90s sci fi movies predicted LA would look like in a few years.
I grew up in the GTA from 1997-2018 and I moved away for a better opportunity in none other than …Winnipeg!
My 800 sq/ft house is 5 minutes from Downtown, cost under $240k and my yearly property taxes are less than what I’d pay a month in Toronto.
Yes when I was young Toronto was fun, but the older I got the more I hated what it took to just barely get by. Moving away was the best decision I could have made and not only am I an actual home owner, but I have retirement savings as well. Sure I don’t have all the fancy things that come with living in a big metropolitan city, but I have so much more than I ever would have if I stayed put in the GTA.