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Originally Posted by someone123
Places like Toronto and Vancouver are not actually that great for most average people.
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I disagree, but it is more a question of what kind of lifestyle you prefer. For some, a mid-size or smaller city is big enough, but for others, they prefer the energy and dynamics of a larger center. These tend to be the hubs of progress and culture. (Disclaimer - I am now in Toronto but grew up and lived in Halifax until 2011.)
I enjoy being able to leave the car at home and use an extensive modern transit system, the chance to experience all manner of cultures, cuisine, entertainment, a wealth of educational and job opportunities, all benefits of being located in a major hub of financial, cultural, and social progress. Of course it is far from perfect and nowhere near a paradise on Earth, and there are many things I miss about home. But I think this city will continue to be one of the main centers of action during my lifetime, and that is important at this stage of my life.
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They have big downsides though; Vancouver's extremely unaffordable and Toronto has long commute times (or it is unaffordable to live near where you work, depending on how you look at it).
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Halifax (and NS in general) has big downsides, too. Lack of vision, poor management, sketchy economy, and lest we forget, disproportionately high taxes that punish citizens and small business. It is not a draw for corporate interests (without lucrative bribes on the backs of taxpayers), travel costs are much higher due to the extra hops needed to get anywhere, health is suffering due to higher rates of obesity and disease, the population is aging, and the politicians have sold everyone out to line their own pockets and those of their cronies. The last time I walked down Barrington Street it was starting to look like a wasteland of neglect and decay, nothing like it used to be when I was growing up.
People are leaving not because they hate the place but because they are not feeling overly optimistic about the long-term future. For those of us with a substantial amount of working years ahead of us, there needs to be a heartbeat, some lifeblood, a feeling that there are opportunities available. After decades of stagnant wages and heavy taxes, there needs to be more to life than just ocean breezes and pleasant scenery. The best resource in NS is the people, but the gov't just sees them as cattle to be herded and milked dry.
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If you're a newcomer who can land an average job, your standard of living will probably be higher in Regina than in Toronto.
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Perhaps, but again, everyone has different standards. For some, a more expensive rent or mortgage is worth the side benefits of living in a particular city. For others, not so much.
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I think Canada over the next 20 years will see a similar progression to what the US has experienced over the last 30, which is a shift in growth from the big metropolises (NYC, LA, Chicago) to mid-sized cities with good economies that are more affordable and manageable (places like Austin).
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Energy shortages might throw a wrench in that prediction. In any event, without major changes to how it is managed, NS is simply going to have a hard time competing with major urban centers. Many smaller cities and towns in Southern Ontario would boom long before the residual waves wash onto the shores of the Maritimes.
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One downside for Halifax is that NS is a high-tax jurisdiction, so it's not actually that cheap of a place to live in.
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Exactly. And some of us want more bang for our buck rather than see our dollars going into corporate coffers and gold-plated MLA pensions and expense accounts, all while being told that we need to be more frugal and suffer cutbacks to education and health. All governments are sh*tty, but in some areas you have more of a fighting chance.