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Vancouver or Toronto, Canada. Which is the better place to live-in.?


Scarlet Pimple

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https://www.vancourier.com/opinion/which-is-the-better-city-toronto-or-vancouver-1.2355635

This article is only one viewpoint but I have to admit it's not too bad a comparison at all,. The comments at the end of this piece reflect the changing types of building and  places to stay primarily being built in the city of Vancouver which is really interesting. What kind of a home do I live in?

I live some 40-50 miles to the East of Vancouver city in the also-growing  garden city of Maple Ridge and purchased it in 2013  for $525,000 because it was much cheaper than the same type of building in the city.--hundreds of thousand of dollars cheaper. Now the gap has widened  but  my house has rocketed in value also to at least $1,000,000 because people living in Vancouver city simply can no longer afford $1,500,000 +. for a similar sized home in that city. These are the starting prices  that you might expect to get IF you have kept the home well-maintained. Mine is a 3,200 square-foot detached house built in 2012 and has a built-in 2-car garage on a 5,000 square foot lot. It contains a total of 6 bedrooms.4  bathrooms and has a 2-bedroom rental suite on the ground floor usually called a "mortgage helper"-- for most people this is a necessity when buying any new  home as much as a money-spinner because you only start saving money after you manage to pay off your own mortgage.   

The City of  Maple Ridge always increases their taxes by more  than the annual inflation rate as quoted by the Federal Government so taxes are really high and I have to put aside  over $400 per month into a "future Expenses " savings account monthly to cover the annual payment required.  When built there were over 80 defects that I had to battle the Warranty company to get fixed and they did not want to co-operate but persistence, threats and harassment were the only weapon I could use to get them to fix them plus trying desperately to get the East Indian builder to come over and fix them prior to making a Warranty complaint. Houses here are not well built and rarely have any bricks at all in the build. The exterior is basically a  gyprock box attached to strong wooden frames   covered by plastic overlap tiles.. if you use the conventional  builder then you need to keep on top of him whilst the build is in progress! In the event of an earthquake like the expected "BIG-ONE" here then it will fall down in a minute  so we all should have earthquake insurance policies to hand.

I don't know whether or not Toronto  is earthquake suspect but I don't think so;  if so, Scotty is very lucky. In Canada the question of finding a place to rent, or purchase,  that you can afford is always a challenge. Young students have that challenge too when they leave home to go to college and need all the help they can get  Plus the added cost of transport charges to boot.

Buses  and parking is a real challenge in the city of Vancouver and hospitals charge stiff parking charges in their front lots. , which I strongly object to so I find a nearby church and chat up the Minister or pastor if I anticipate a lengthy "back and fore" to visit a family member. They usually don't charge but the hospitals do and how!

Vancouver has access to wonderful skiing and sports facilities, both outdoor and indoor, and that's like a magnet to some people. Just 80 miles up the  coast road lie the magnificent  mountains of Whistler and Blackcomb for Heli skiing etc. I know very little about Toronto or what it offers  but no doubt Scotty can fill- in that blank.

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Prince Edward Island, VICTORIA-BY-THE-SEA; Recalling another era, this charming small fishing village consists of just four blocks, dotted with old Island homes, painted in bright colours.  Sitting on the shores of the Northumberland Straight, the historic seaport village of Victoria-by-the-Sea has become something of an artist enclave, with painters, potters and sculptors joining lobster fishermen and farmers in the 200-strong community.  Old village hotels offer high tea, while there’s tiny art galleries where visitors can do pottery and candle making.  Bike and kayak rentals are available to explore the red sandy beaches and old lighthouse museum, all in a relaxed storybook setting.

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