# Best places to retire in Canada for low budget snowbirds



## HermesHermes (Mar 24, 2017)

OK, let's get this over with - I am a uncommitted wandering middle-aged male who just happens to have been born in Canada, has had tenuous connections to Canada for over 25 years, and is reluctantly remaining until I am rich enough to permanently leave. Might never happen. My purpose here is not to get into a moral debate about nationalism, but to discuss practical solutions for others in the same situation as I am. I am sure I am not the only one who thinks and acts this way.

Moving on... 

Where is the *best place in Canada to live on a budget of under $1200* in passive State income? Better under $800. Even $650 (no GIS). Plus have few limitations to one operating a little unregulated business for extras. I won't just be watching the clock until I can leave. I intend to be economically productive if my health allows.

Context - I am talking about only half the year in Canada -- obviously the warmest months. Could be a small city or even a town. I am not a wilderness kind of guy, though I have thought about being a lighthouse-keeper.

Everybody is going to have their own wishlist, so tell me yours. 

For me it is, in order of priority...

1. Cheap: None of this $900 a month for a bachelor apartment. Subsidized housing maybe (I am creating a whole thread on this). In GVRD transportation is expensive, although maybe at 65 I can get a senior's all-zone bus pass. Currently, I have to pay $91 in Vancouver for *one zone*. $170 for a three zoner! So I walk and when I have to take the bus I use my stored value Compass card so rides are $2.10 instead of cash of $2.75. 

2. Vegetarian-friendly: Able to grow my own veggies or lots of food banks with produce. Arctic would be good for a long growing season. Lower Mainland of BC has enough rain to grow greens but I do get tired of the slugs and wet shoes. Places like New Westminster with its Salvation Army have plenty of food banks. It's basically Hobo Paradise. This also means a lot of drug addicts and mentally ill. Trade offs, trade offs...

3. Good weather: One summer each in Toronto and Manhattan taught me that that hot and sticky part of the world is not for me. Summers hot but not humid would be ideal. Some breeze would be nice. The thing that gets to me about GVRD is it _drizzles for months_. In Singapore and Malaysia it pours dramatically then dries out half an hour later. I prefer the rainy season of West Bengal or Sikkim (I was in Calcutta and Gangtok for their monsoon and dealt with the flooding better than eternal cloudy skies of depressing Vancouver). Calgary -- I loved the hail storms of summer, but it was actually too sunny. I was always squinting my blue eyes. Where is the 'sweet spot' in Canada for agreeable weather?

4. Business friendly: Not a depressed economy, so I can operate a seasonal business or get a part-time job. Maybe a place catering to tourists. But that'll mean higher cost of living. Hmm, trade offs again. I know that the flavour of the decade is 'internet businesses that can be operated from anywhere'. I am not convinced. I like brick and mortar with human contact. I'd prefer to not live on handouts.

5. College or university town: Can take courses and maybe meet some women not my own age (I don't like bars etc)

6. Cultural: historic buildings, live theatre, film and music festivals, etc

7. Cosmopolitan but English-speaking: Where I live in GVRD the languages I hear the most are about equally English plus Chinese, Korean, Farsi, Russian and increasingly Arabic. I'd like to live somewhere in Canada where the demographic is more native language English-speaking. I'll bet Quebec is more Anglo-friendly than GVRD!

8. Religious: I prefer to be near a large Buddhist or Orthodox Christian population. I am actually secular but love religious festivals and parades. I have no problem with plenty of Hindu and Sikh Temples either. Lots of Catholic churches would be fine too.


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## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

Good thread. For me, which cities have 1,3,6 & 7 above.?...the other wants...eeeeeeh?


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

> Context - I am talking about only half the year in Canada -- obviously the warmest months. Could be a small city or even a town


 Actually, it's my plans too , but my wife just partially agrees with me .
1. IMHO, the best place to live cheap will be NB or NS. Those province also mostly "white", have pretty nice summer, English-speaking...


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## HermesHermes (Mar 24, 2017)

gibor365 said:


> Actually, it's my plans too , but my wife just partially agrees with me .
> 1. IMHO, the best place to live cheap will be NB or NS. Those province also mostly "white", have pretty nice summer, English-speaking...


Mr. Gibor,

I couldn't care less about colour of skin. A town of Jamaicans would suit me fine.


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

HermesHermes said:


> Mr. Gibor,
> 
> I couldn't care less about colour of skin. A town of Jamaicans would suit me fine.


Then maybe you better move to Jamaica , almost all you criteria will met


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## AltaRed (Jun 8, 2009)

gibor365 said:


> Actually, it's my plans too , but my wife just partially agrees with me .
> 1. IMHO, the best place to live cheap will be NB or NS. Those province also mostly "white", have pretty nice summer, English-speaking...


But have dreary, wet winters. There is no place in Canada that has as much agreeable weather that the OP wants. 

Not to appear biased, but the BC Okanagan Valley might be a best fit for climate. Winters not too cold (but often grey) with snow typically only from early Dec to end of Feb, summers hot (but semi-arid and not humid). There are little towns like Oliver and Osoyoos that would have the cheapest housing (than that further north). But no college girls (what does a middle aged guy want with college girls anyway....or better yet, why would they want you)? Maybe sunseeker/beachgoer tourists in the summer will do? Best I can tell, these towns are pretty much white and Engish too.


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

> But have dreary, wet winters. There is no place in Canada that has as much agreeable weather that the OP wants.
> 
> Not to appear biased, but the BC Okanagan Valley might be a best fit for climate.


From what I understand , OP cares only about 6 months around summer . BC Okanagan has good mountains not too far, NB/NS - nice ocean (Bay of Fundy etc)... . If other 6 months OP is planning to go to Europe, NB/NS is more convenient. 
Are BC Okanagan Valley is cheaper then NB/NS?


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## MrsPartridge (May 15, 2016)

You forgot to add access to good medical care. In some places the hospital emergency department is only open a few days a week (Nova Scotia's rural areas). What if you need cataract surgery? Will you need to drive 8 hours to a main city?


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

MrsPartridge said:


> You forgot to add access to good medical care. In some places the hospital emergency department is only open a few days a week (Nova Scotia's rural areas). What if you need cataract surgery? Will you need to drive 8 hours to a main city?


Actually just on Monday I had lens replacement surgery at Bochner with Raymond Stein . In case of such surgery, the best clinics are in Toronto, Bochner and Herzog, your waiting time is 2-4 months, so you can just fly to Toronto and stay in Hotel for couple of days.
And why are you speaking about rural areas?! You may live in major cities like Moncton, St Johns or Fredericton . Also, all those cities have Universities


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## HermesHermes (Mar 24, 2017)

A friend who liked to 'smoke' and he liked other things too.. he had to speed with his motorcycle in downtown Kingston due to high crime. And I mean violent crime. I have never had any problem with Jamaicans in Canada. Very hard-working people. Remember the 'In Living Colour' skit of the stewardess having three jobs?

I forgot about crime rate.


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## HermesHermes (Mar 24, 2017)

A Hungarian immigrant acquaintance in the next generation up (my mum's common law husband) quite liked Kelowna. He came to Canada during the 1956 revolution, worked very hard buying and fixing up houses, selling then moving up. Then retired in the Okanagan. Dropped dead out of the shower one day.

He used to go back to Budapest for better value dental care. Not a puritanical place despite being Catholic (mind you so is the Philippines, but let's not 'go there' figuratively or literally - only place in Asia I dislike, robbed twice for one. Too much a booze culture) Fed up with Soviet influence Hungarians have very liberal attitudes to very human vices. Czech Republic too.

Maybe I should forget about Asia and move to Central Europe. Look up Vienna 1683.


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## HermesHermes (Mar 24, 2017)

deleted, was a misplaced post


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## HermesHermes (Mar 24, 2017)

AltaRed said:


> But have dreary, wet winters. There is no place in Canada that has as much agreeable weather that the OP wants.
> 
> Not to appear biased, but the BC Okanagan Valley might be a best fit for climate. Winters not too cold (but often grey) with snow typically only from early Dec to end of Feb, summers hot (but semi-arid and not humid). There are little towns like Oliver and Osoyoos that would have the cheapest housing (than that further north). But no college girls (what does a middle aged guy want with college girls anyway....or better yet, why would they want you)? Maybe sunseeker/beachgoer tourists in the summer will do? Best I can tell, these towns are pretty much white and Engish too.



College -- You have to ask? This is a 'family-friendly' forum. I want to discuss Nietzche and global warming of course! But your observation about odds are spot on. Intelligence turns me on - I like librarians more than students.


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## HermesHermes (Mar 24, 2017)

Gibor365

You make a very good point. YVR is convenient for East and SE Asia. But back east (especially Toronto) much cheaper to get to Cuba and London. Maybe I could get used to Romania. I miss my landlady in Havana too. Phnom Penh and Havana are the only cities in the world I have ever visited where I feel totally at ease. Trees, walkable, and nice people. Both.


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## dubmac (Jan 9, 2011)

Peterborough, Ontario.


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## HermesHermes (Mar 24, 2017)

dubmac said:


> Peterborough, Ontario.


Why? what is so good about Peterborough? Pros and cons?

BTW, I am on the lookout for a place that if due to poverty I fail to get way, I can stand 8 or even 9 months in Canada.


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## HermesHermes (Mar 24, 2017)

cannot delete. forgot to reply to poster


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## HermesHermes (Mar 24, 2017)

MrsPartridge said:


> You forgot to add access to good medical care. In some places the hospital emergency department is only open a few days a week (Nova Scotia's rural areas). What if you need cataract surgery? Will you need to drive 8 hours to a main city?


That's something I worry about while overseas and why I will no longer live in Cambodia. Many of my friends have died there from things that would be easily treatable in any normal country like Vietnam or Canada. But I would consider India - top class doctors, and plenty of them. Sorry for tangent. I diverge, therefore I am. 

Regarding Canadian cottage life, I don't worry about medical care access in any decent size town. What is a 3 hour drive to a metropolitan area for non-emergency care anyway?


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## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

Let's get one thing outta the way - NOT NL !- on ALL counts!!


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## AltaRed (Jun 8, 2009)

Per my earlier post, I was trying to suggest a place that had dry hot summers (not hot humid summers) as the OP requested, activity going on, access to medical care, airports, AND where housing costs would be low enough to 'live on nothing'. Such a place does not exist in Canada given all my travels (virtually everywhere in Canada) but the closest I could think of would be Osoyoos:
1. the only true desert in Canada and a 5-10 minute drive to a US border crossing.
2. local urgent medical clinic and maybe 1-1.5 hour drive to Penticton (nearest hospital)
3. circa 2.5 hours from Kelowna YLW International airport and a major urban class hospital
4. busy summer tourist season on the lake (and nice beach). Town population doubles then.
5. housing costs....not so cheap but much better than Kelowna and somewhat better than Penticton. Note there's no place really cheap in Canada unless you want to be in the more isolated 'armpit' locations. The OP could always find some kind of isolated cabin in the hills almost anywhere, perhaps along with a meth lab, chop shop, or other 'quonset' operation.


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## Eder (Feb 16, 2011)

Oliver has a hospital...I was born there. Its very expensive place to live now.


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

If you are looking for hot. dry and cheap. the prairies are good choices. Smaller towns outside major centers. Easy charter flights south in the winter. Make sure you are near a real hospital and not a referral center.


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## AltaRed (Jun 8, 2009)

Eder said:


> Oliver has a hospital...I was born there. Its very expensive place to live now.


The Oliver (South Okanagan General Hospital) has limited services (more like an Urgent Care Centre) albeit it does have Obstetrics, Radiology, etc.. The real hospital for anything more important like surgery is in Penticton, and for serious issues like cancer... Kelowna. Okanagan RE has gone up a lot but the further one goes out from Kelowna, the better it is, and the further from urban limits, the better it is.

Keith is correct in that some **** town in the Prairies would be cheapest, especially in hamlets and villages that are almost all declining in population. Probably can rent a house there for its operating costs (taxes and insurance). Boarded up windows come as a free extra.


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## OnlyMyOpinion (Sep 1, 2013)

You want cheap and good weather. You have little income and no money saved after 62 years. 

So you are not talking about retiring, you are talking primarily about surviving through good fortune and the goodwill of others.

I suggest you stay in Vancouver, or possibly Victoria where you don't face as severe a winter climate. There you can sleep in the parks and not face rental, heating or utility bills, and it fits your free spirit style. I'm not sure how competitive the dumpster diving is - hopefully you are an early riser.


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## tygrus (Mar 13, 2012)

kcowan said:


> If you are looking for hot. dry and cheap. the prairies are good choices. Smaller towns outside major centers. Easy charter flights south in the winter. Make sure you are near a real hospital and not a referral center.


Have you seen a prairie winter yet? The middle of the continent is where 2 weather systems are always fighting each other hence extreme weather. Harsh winters in the North, tornadoes, humidity etc in the south.

I think the only place that meets the weather criteria is Vancouver Island, like up toward Comox or Courtney. Not too terrible expensive yet, still amenities and yet very hospitable weather. I didnt find the island too humid. And its the best winters by far. All the rain rolls up into vancouver and the island can be clearer and a degree warmer usually.


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## dubmac (Jan 9, 2011)

I agree with the posts -Osoyoos +1, Prairie Town=+1. these are appealing.

The OP says that he would like to avoid humid locales in the peak of summer "Summers hot but not humid would be ideal. Some breeze would be nice." I mentioned Peterborough (& places among the Kawarthas) for the following reason: 

1. Cheap: likely in the 8/10 range for meeting expectations. Ideally, you would want a place on or near a lake - which my drive price up. There are gorgeous little towns nearby - but these are very quiet, hobbit-like villages. (You will not need to ask neighbors to turn their stereo's down!.)
2. Vegetarian-friendly: (7/10). you would likely be able to grow a little garden there. Many farmer's markets in summer. 
3. Good weather: This is the about the only variable that may not meet your requirement. Winters can be nasty, but then, IMO - I'd get out an do some X-country skiing, skating on open frozen lakes and enjoying what is available rather than lamenting what is not! Also - I'd consider going the Fla for a spell for a month in February.
4. Business friendly: ("Not a depressed economy, so I can operate a seasonal business or get a part-time job.") I think there would be ample opportunity to set up a lil business. 
5. College or university town: Trent University and other community colleges are close by. 
6. Cultural: (historic buildings, live theatre, film and music festivals, etc.) Depends on your expectations. they have a token theatre guild, music festivals, wine festivals (but nothing like kelowna!)
7. Cosmopolitan but English-speaking: Check!
8. Religious: Check!
...also...
9. Well established hospital: Check!

Another part of the Canada that has rec'd some attention for retirees/boomers running away from Toronto is St. Catharines, Ontario. My brother live there.

Real estate/rent is quite reasonable. LOTS of arts/culture (Niagara-on-the-lake), wine festivals etc., summers can be humid, but the breeze from lake does help to temper the humidity to some extent. Brock University would supply the need for a university. Has a few very new and very good hospitals. 
It does, however, have its share of dysfunction with a rust-belt (GM plant closures) employment scenario. There are challenges, in the downtown area, with drugs etc.


I also thought about Elliot Lake - a small mining town in N. Ont. that closed 30 years ago and looked to set itself up as a "retiree haven" replete with hospitals and houses for 35K https://www.realtor.ca/Residential/Single-Family/17972338/3A-LONDON-CRES-ELLIOT-LAKE-Ontario-P5A2P7. But...I dunno, it ain't Kansas.

check out these 7 locales...some of whicha have already been discussed. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/glob...seven-spots-in-canada/article16755296/?page=1


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

IMHO, an important thing is not to stay in small village, as OP will need car simply to buy groceries or to get to airport or hospital ... in bigger cities he can use public transportation...and if he need he can always rent a car
I was suggesting NB/NS big cities because as per numbeo.com:
Rent Prices in Moncton are 27.66% lower than in Peterborough
Rent Prices in Fredericton are 25.05% lower than in Peterborough
Rent Prices in Saint John are 26.53% lower than in Peterborough


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## AltaRed (Jun 8, 2009)

Yeah, the suggestions for places like Peterborough or Vancouver Island are way over the top in terms of 'cheap'. You have to be losing population to have really cheap rent. Not even Powell River is dirt cheap. IIRC, I think the OP was thinking really cheap, e.g. $400 or so


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

OP is 62, when he turns 65 , he can get pretty fast subsidized housing (except some top locations like GTA or Vancouver) and will be paying 30% from income, but to apply , he needs at least to have notice of assessment


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## Mukhang pera (Feb 26, 2016)

AltaRed said:


> Yeah, the suggestions for places like Peterborough or Vancouver Island are way over the top in terms of 'cheap'. You have to be losing population to have really cheap rent. Not even Powell River is dirt cheap. IIRC, I think the OP was thinking really cheap, e.g. $400 or so


Maybe Ocean Falls?


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## tygrus (Mar 13, 2012)

Mukhang pera said:


> Maybe Ocean Falls?


Might as well just move to Haida to get away from it all. 

If you are poor, you need to stay close to social services I think.


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## Mukhang pera (Feb 26, 2016)

tygrus said:


> Might as well just move to Haida to get away from it all.


I think we are starting to get this refined. In the OP's first post, he did say:



HermesHermes said:


> Context - I am talking about only half the year in Canada -- obviously the warmest months. Could be a small city or even a town. I am not a wilderness kind of guy, though I have thought about being a lighthouse-keeper.



Haida Gwaii has a lovely lighthouse on Langara Island. There's good fishing, berry picking, etc.


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

> There's good fishing


 OP is vegeterian


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## Mukhang pera (Feb 26, 2016)

gibor365 said:


> OP is vegeterian


I did note the "vegetarian-friendly" comment in his initial post. Maybe he's exclusive. I know a few who consider themselves vegetarian, but still dine on fish once in awhile.


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

y'll know how canadian newspapers & magazines are always running 10-best-retirement-spots-in-canada articles?

viewed from a distance, this thread reads like a rad kook version of such an article. Some of the locations are sensible but the treatment is rad.

no-go-newfoundland is a nice contribution

.


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

HermesHermes............Hilarious

Would you happen to have a blog per chance ? A book coming out soon. It would make interesting reading.

The Life and Time of HermesHermes............I can see it now........hey, maybe a movie, a trilogy even ?


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

Mukhang pera said:


> I did note the "vegetarian-friendly" comment in his initial post. Maybe he's exclusive. I know a few who consider themselves vegetarian, but still dine on fish once in awhile.


Not sushi though. That can be dangerous for one's health I heard.


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## HermesHermes (Mar 24, 2017)

*Ocean Falls*



Mukhang pera said:


> Maybe Ocean Falls?


That's funny -- my gold-digger aunt was a party girl in OF. Taught me how to tie my shoes.

I presume this was meant as humour as the whole town closed according to what I read.


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## HermesHermes (Mar 24, 2017)

AltaRed said:


> Per my earlier post, I was trying to suggest a place that had dry hot summers (not hot humid summers) as the OP requested, activity going on, access to medical care, airports, AND where housing costs would be low enough to 'live on nothing'. Such a place does not exist in Canada given all my travels (virtually everywhere in Canada) but the closest I could think of would be Osoyoos:
> 1. the only true desert in Canada and a 5-10 minute drive to a US border crossing.
> 2. local urgent medical clinic and maybe 1-1.5 hour drive to Penticton (nearest hospital)
> 3. circa 2.5 hours from Kelowna YLW International airport and a major urban class hospital
> ...


I appreciate the suggestion. This summer I will take Greyhound and see what I think of Osoyoos and Penticton these days.


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## HermesHermes (Mar 24, 2017)

kcowan said:


> If you are looking for hot. dry and cheap. the prairies are good choices. Smaller towns outside major centers. Easy charter flights south in the winter. Make sure you are near a real hospital and not a referral center.


Thank you for the spiteless suggestion.

I have fond memories of Saskatoon where I worked as a door-to-door salesman in one of their mildest winters ever. But you are probably thinking of smaller places like Mennonite communities in Manitoba. Or maybe one of the francophone small towns.


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## HermesHermes (Mar 24, 2017)

OnlyMyOpinion said:


> You want cheap and good weather. You have little income and no money saved after 62 years.
> 
> So you are not talking about retiring, you are talking primarily about surviving through good fortune and the goodwill of others.
> 
> I suggest you stay in Vancouver, or possibly Victoria where you don't face as severe a winter climate. There you can sleep in the parks and not face rental, heating or utility bills, and it fits your free spirit style. I'm not sure how competitive the dumpster diving is - hopefully you are an early riser.


Getting a job will be on the menu. Just spoke with a security guy at Walmart. He is on GIS and works 13 hours a week. Curiously he doesn't know how much it will reduced his GIS.

As far as dumpster diving goes, I do know a guy who did this. He ate rather well - amazing what is thrown away. But he was also a junk collector who stuffed storage rooms full of stuff he didn't need and couldn't sell. Another friend drives cab and lives in his car near Nanaimo. I was shocked to see the price for rents on Gailiano island nearby.

I live very lean. But camping? No, I don't think so.


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## HermesHermes (Mar 24, 2017)

I have read numbeo and a similar site and compared them to what I knew from experience of sojourning in several Asian countries. They are very inaccurate and measure all kinds of ridiculous things like the price of a McDonald's hamburger instead of local produce. I am not going to be eating pizza in Saigon (where I worked for a 6 months as a teacher) -- I eat noodles. Maybe those kind of sites are more accurate for North American cities. I consult them for only ballpark estimates of total cost of living, not individual differences such as 20 cent bus fares and $10 hotel rooms (Vietnam has both BTW). 

When I see numbeo comparisons where there are 300% differences I believe them -- not 30%.


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## HermesHermes (Mar 24, 2017)

tygrus said:


> Have you seen a prairie winter yet? The middle of the continent is where 2 weather systems are always fighting each other hence extreme weather. Harsh winters in the North, tornadoes, humidity etc in the south.
> 
> I think the only place that meets the weather criteria is Vancouver Island, like up toward Comox or Courtney. Not too terrible expensive yet, still amenities and yet very hospitable weather. I didnt find the island too humid. And its the best winters by far. All the rain rolls up into vancouver and the island can be clearer and a degree warmer usually.


Thank you Tygrus,

I know of several old and new friends who have moved to Courtney and other towns nearby. From Powell River one of them. Courtney is cheaper than Powell River? Texeda Island too? Yikes! In the 60s PR was a stinky mill town. Westview was considered fancy suburbia. Clearly times have changed. My grandmother lived there with her Mac-Blo husband in a tenement with fascinating atmospheric dark inner staircases. I am pretty sure my aunt told me she got free ferry rides as a coastal resident. I hear now they not only are charged for and cost 50 bucks to Horseshoe Bay. Why are ferries considered essential public transit in the maritimes but not in BC?


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## HermesHermes (Mar 24, 2017)

gibor365 said:


> OP is 62, when he turns 65 , he can get pretty fast subsidized housing (except some top locations like GTA or Vancouver) and will be paying 30% from income, but to apply , he needs at least to have notice of assessment


I am reconsidering the prudence of any permanent independent housing. Better to rent a cheap room. If I am in Canada only half a year an apartment is not worth the investment -- furniture, pots and pans, linens etc. Plus utilities and risk of break-ins while travelling. What I am doing now of renting a room with a bachelor who owns a condo and likes to reduce his mortgage is simpler and probably more sensible. I don't see the big draw of becoming domesticated. I am not a nest builder. Some pluses to be sure, but the negatives outweigh them. I'll be dead in 25 years or less. This is not the time to be establishing roots.


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## HermesHermes (Mar 24, 2017)

AltaRed said:


> Yeah, the suggestions for places like Peterborough or Vancouver Island are way over the top in terms of 'cheap'. You have to be losing population to have really cheap rent. Not even Powell River is dirt cheap. IIRC, I think the OP was thinking really cheap, e.g. $400 or so


Correct. That is more than I paying now for a rented room in GVRD. With its benefits.


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

HermesHermes said:


> Thank you for the spiteless suggestion.
> 
> I have fond memories of Saskatoon where I worked as a door-to-door salesman in one of their mildest winters ever. But you are probably thinking of smaller places like Mennonite communities in Manitoba. Or maybe one of the francophone small towns.


I was thinking of Moosejaw. The climate of Lethbridge but cheaper. But I have not done any research. I lived in Edmonton for 8 years but I was also CEO of a company in Regina (even though I lived in the GTA and then GVA at the time). Never lived in Manitoba.


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

HermesHermes said:


> I was shocked to see the price for rents on Gailiano island nearby.


Galiano suffers from being the first stop on the island ferry route from Vancouver. M-T seniors rates for ferry are 50% versus zero until 2 years ago. Cars always full price. We visit friends there every summer. But you also rely on the emergency boat for transport to hospital. Some town like Duncan would be cheaper. Our retired vet lives there.


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## Zipper (Nov 18, 2015)

London comes in highly for most criteria except for the crummy winters.


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## steve41 (Apr 18, 2009)

kcowan said:


> Galiano suffers from being the first stop on the island ferry route from Vancouver.


Uh, don't you mean Nanaimo?


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## Mukhang pera (Feb 26, 2016)

HermesHermes said:


> That's funny -- my gold-digger aunt was a party girl in OF. Taught me how to tie my shoes.
> 
> I presume this was meant as humour as the whole town closed according to what I read.


Yes, intended as humour, but with a bit of a serious side. The town is something of a ghost town, but I gather there remains a population of up to 100 in summer. I think they just hang out in the old buildings, rent-free. 

I am not sure if it still stands, but Ocean Falls had a fair-sized hotel. You could occupy a different room every day. Or maybe you could make a bit of money renting rooms to tourists. Relax, said the nightman, we are programmed to receive...


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## Mukhang pera (Feb 26, 2016)

steve41 said:


> Uh, don't you mean Nanaimo?


In the days when I had a place on Pender Is., Galiano was the first stop leaving Vancouver on the Gulf Island ferry. Nanaimo was on another route.


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## AltaRed (Jun 8, 2009)

HermesHermes said:


> I appreciate the suggestion. This summer I will take Greyhound and see what I think of Osoyoos and Penticton these days.


Penticton has not changed a lot in the last decade or two (very slow growth) but it is far from being cheap these days. Might be worth a look-see but you won't find cheap housing....unless perhaps there is something hidden in the hills nearby. The pressure from Lower Mainland refugees has created a building boom in Kelowna and its environs and prices have risen accordingly. It is important to stay far enough away from that centroid to minimize the impact of any in-migration. The key is usually to find a sleepy place that is losing population.


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## gibor365 (Apr 1, 2011)

> I am reconsidering the prudence of any permanent independent housing. Better to rent a cheap room. If I am in Canada only half a year an apartment is not worth the investment -- furniture, pots and pans, linens etc. Plus utilities and risk of break-ins while travelling.


 I know several snowbirds who live in subsidized housing and leaving for 6 months to Florida every year. Rent can be very cheap, as it's 30% of your annual income, so you may pay only $100-200 and all utilities are included as well as maintenance. Usually all such houses are occupied by seniors and I've never heard about any break-ins.


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## heyjude (May 16, 2009)

HermesHermes said:


> I appreciate the suggestion. This summer I will take Greyhound and see what I think of Osoyoos and Penticton these days.


Maybe explore Keremeos and Princeton while you're there.


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## tygrus (Mar 13, 2012)

If you are expecting GIS and OAS, you dont want to invoke a clawback by working. Plus you want to spend time abroad eventually. I would instead look for a work for room and board arrangement. Then there is no income exchanged. You get to keep basically a free part time residence in Canada, get healthcare and other benefits. I am sure you might find that sort of an arrangement in the okanagan because that place is very seasonal. Work in a tourist winery for 6 months, party up in Thailand in the winters. You dont need to be rich to live a nice life on this planet.


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## AltaRed (Jun 8, 2009)

heyjude said:


> Maybe explore Keremeos and Princeton while you're there.


And I would put a few communities to the east on that list too.... e.g. Greenwood and Midway.


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## twa2w (Mar 5, 2016)

When looking at cheap places to live there are usually contradictory factors.
Small towns, say in the maritimes, prairies, rural Ontario etc often have cheaper rents but you pay more for groceries and other items at local stores. 
Exampke. Sardines 99cents in Calgary, 2.19 120 km away in small town.
Utilities can also be higher in small town. Transportation can be cheap in that you can walk most places in a small town, or drive in a couple of minutes. On the other hand, gas is more expensive and if you want to go anywhere outside of town or to travel, you have to go further at more cost. ( including medical specialists etc)
Entertainment variety and expense differs greatly as well.
You have to really weigh the different factors.


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## steve41 (Apr 18, 2009)

Mukhang pera said:


> In the days when I had a place on Pender Is., Galiano was the first stop leaving Vancouver on the Gulf Island ferry. Nanaimo was on another route.


Just the one ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay (Nanaimo) now. To get to Galiano, you need to get on a separate ferry from Nanaimo to Galiano.


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## Mukhang pera (Feb 26, 2016)

steve41 said:


> Just the one ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay (Nanaimo) now. To get to Galiano, you need to get on a separate ferry from Nanaimo to Galiano.


I think some confusion has crept in here. The OP referred to Galiano Is. as being nearby to Nanaimo and having high rents. Kcowan then offered that "Galiano suffers from being the first stop on the island ferry route from Vancouver." I think that observation is in fact correct. He (and I) were referring to the ferry from Tsawwassen to the southern Gulf Islands, including Galiano. Galiano is the closest of the southern Gulf Islands to Vancouver. Some people even commute to Vancouver from there, so I suspect that the relative proximity has had an impact on prices/rents.

I take no exception to Steve41's comments. It just seems we are referring to different ferry routes. However, looking today at the BC Ferries website, I did not see that any ferry linking Nanaimo to Galiano Is. There's a ferry to Gabriola Is. From what I could see (and maybe I missed something), to get to Galiano one must go from Tsawwassen (Vancouver) or Swartz Bay (Victoria) or use the southern Gulf Island inter-island service.


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## steve41 (Apr 18, 2009)

You would think that someone would have the foresight to name Gabriola, Galiano and Gambier more distinctive.


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## Mukhang pera (Feb 26, 2016)

steve41 said:


> You would think that someone would have the foresight to name Gabriola, Galiano and Gambier more distinctive.


Asking too much, I guess. Particularly where government is concerned.


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

steve41 said:


> Uh, don't you mean Nanaimo?


The Gulf Island ferry from Tsawassen.

The other cost issue is that ferry prices are continuing to go up faster than inflation. Score one for the Okanagan.


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## steve41 (Apr 18, 2009)

kcowan said:


> The Gulf Island ferry from Tsawassen.


 Goes to Duke Point on the Island at Nanaimo, not Gabriola.


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## AltaRed (Jun 8, 2009)

kcowan said:


> The Gulf Island ferry from Tsawassen.
> 
> The other cost issue is that ferry prices are continuing to go up faster than inflation. Score one for the Okanagan.


Regardless, living on VI can be highly isolating mentally if not physically. I am always happy when I am back on solid ground on the mainland. Highly individualistic I know. But more importantly, who wants to experience the 'big one' first hand? http://globalnews.ca/news/1779057/boxing-day-size-quake-due-to-hit-vancouver-island/


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

steve41 said:


> Goes to Duke Point on the Island at Nanaimo, not Gabriola.


The Gulf Island ferry goes nowhere near Nanaimo. It starts in Tsawassen and ends up in Victoria. The other ferries there are Schwartz Bay and Duke Point.

Where did Gabriola come up? I have not heard anyone recommending that! Accessibility to a good hospital is one of the criteria. Even Nanaimo now needs referrals to Victoria. This happened 5 years ago.


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

AltaRed said:


> But more importantly, who wants to experience the 'big one' first hand?


We understand the risks of living in West Vancouver but we have the largest breakwater possible. The major risk in that tidewater surges through the Comox Valley because that is a direct shot compared to the Strait. The worst estimates are that the tidal surge will be 4 stories. Building damage is expected to be mostly broken glass.


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## tygrus (Mar 13, 2012)

AltaRed said:


> Regardless, living on VI can be highly isolating mentally if not physically. I am always happy when I am back on solid ground on the mainland. Highly individualistic I know. But more importantly, who wants to experience the 'big one' first hand? http://globalnews.ca/news/1779057/boxing-day-size-quake-due-to-hit-vancouver-island/


As a prairie boy, I worry about this too. I like the ocean and mountains close by but not surrounded by them. And then the rain. Take a -40 sunny day over a +2 rainy day.


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## steve41 (Apr 18, 2009)

I have lived on the Coast all my life. I am currently looking out over my beach with tall evergreens, sealions, gulls, eagles, the occasional Orca. The snowcapped mountains of Vancouver Island and the magnificent sunsets are glorious. On the other hand, I have heard of retirees moving here from Saskatchewan and moving back home after a few years.... major claustrophobia.

BTW, I am 3 ferry-rides away from Vancouver and love it.

Strange.


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## Joewho (Nov 18, 2015)

Minto, New Brunswick. Coal mining town with no more coal mining. quite cheap


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## tygrus (Mar 13, 2012)

steve41 said:


> On the other hand, I have heard of retirees moving here from Saskatchewan and moving back home after a few years.... major claustrophobia.


Maybe looking the other way from the island would be less claustrophobic?


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## steve41 (Apr 18, 2009)

By 'here' I didn't mean where I live now, but BC in general. Albertans don't seem to have the same problem. Comox, Courtenay, Qualicum are full of them. Rather than go to the Okanagan, they want to be on the coast. I guess in Alberta, you are always aware of the mountains and what lies to the West. Saskabush, not so much.


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