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
Gravenhurst is north of Toronto, but to Northerners, it’s not the north. I have not been back in decades, but you will find people to be more conservative in their outlook.
Hahaha that isn’t northern Ontario and it’s an incredibly expensive area as it’s basically prime cottage country for wealthy Torontonians. If a small town has bougie options you know it is likely part of cottage country. You need to look further north if you want to save money and actually live in the north.
It’s further south than Ottawa even haha
Just a heads up, Northerners would consider Gravenhurst as Southern Ontario.
“I want a log house on a 5+ acre lot”. Ok, have you looked at land prices around Gravenhurst? Gotten an estimate from a builder? This area is very much within the Toronto-buyer sphere of influence so prices are going to be higher than you expect.
“I would also like access to vinyasa yoga, local kombucha, and a place that can do a killer oat milk matcha latte…and a pony…thank you” /s