How many Canadians are there here?

[rt1ky]

Another yank butting in... I'm surprised about some of the comments about bad children's tv. I used to watch Today's Special and You Can't do that on Television on Nickelodeon with my older sister when we were kids. She also used to watch the original Degrassi. It came on our local public television station (paid for by our tax dollars - I think a Boston Station was the major contributor and other markets could also buy in to air the episodes). I was probably too young to be watching it, but I still remember Joey Jeremiah, Snake, Wheels, Spike, Lucy, Mr. Raditch and the whole gang. I thought the final episode where Lucy went blind was kind of dumb, but the series was way better than our Saved by the Bell and old Saturday morning cartoons. I've seen the new Degrassi series and I don't think it can even compete. We used to think that Canada was such a cool place because of their tv shows. I also used to watch a show called "Ready or Not" about two young girls who were best friends. One's parents got divorced and the other was from a large Italian family. I loved that show.

My family has traveled there several times, mostly around Ontario and Montreal. I had never heard of an underground shopping mall until I went to Canada.

[Igotalife]

Wow! I was excited about this trip but reading the links and stuff you guys are saying about Calgary/Banff makes me even moreso.

We fly into Calgary and as I understand it, Banff is about 1-1 1/2 hours drive by car. I will try and post some pics in the vacation thread next week upon my return.

Thanks!

[CCL]

What everyone (except Mshelll) isn't talking about is the housing just can't keep up and landlords are gauging the tenants. And unless you plan on spending $300K+ for a house you don't have many options.

Ah I see. Thanks for the insight, imajunkie2.

rt1ky - the original Degreassi was great, much better than the Degrassi they are airing now. I used to watch Ready or Not on occasion - not a bad show.

[giz]

Housing! Don't get me started. We were lucky, we bought 8 years ago before it went really crazy. We have one of the smallest houses in the neighbourhood, a cottage, 1926, cute period features, nice neighbourhood. It has more than doubled in value and is now worth almost $600,000. I think that's crazy. If I moved to Saskatoon I'd never have to work a day in my life. Or New Brunswick. The prices on the coast are insane. I think it's a real shame as it is now impossible for most people to buy a house. I have two friends who are in their 40's, nurses, make very good money and cannot afford a house. One lives in a townhouse in the sticks (tiny ugly townhouse too), and the other has to rent because he wants to live in town. I think they should cap the prices, or give subsidies to locals or something. We have loads of people relocating from cold parts of Canada with their money and Americans and Canadians repatriating from America and they have all pushed up the price of housing. Sure I've benefitted, but everyone in the income bracket below my husband has been shut out if they hadn't bought already. Most of my friends are (sadly) having to wait til their parents die (not that they are looking forward to it, but it's the only way they will have enough to buy). Vancouver and Victoria are just too expensive for regular mortals.

[Mellon]

Toronto's really no better. You have to go way out into the suburbs and deal with an hour + commute in order to have an affordable house in a decent neighbourhood.

Don't get me wrong, there are nice homes in Scarborough, but you couldn't pay me enough to actually live there!

[Duxxy]

well in Sudbury Ontario where I live $150000 will get you quite a nice house. $225000 will get you a McMansion.

[Rattus]

Toronto's really no better. You have to go way out into the suburbs and deal with an hour + commute in order to have an affordable house in a decent neighbourhood.

Don't get me wrong, there are nice homes in Scarborough, but you couldn't pay me enough to actually live there!

True enough. I live in a working class neighbourhood, though admittedly it's tucked nicely between the Beaches and Leslieville, and the prices are skyrocketing. We bought a hovel two years ago for $235,000 and have been renovating madly ever since. Our neighbour has just put her house on the market (and its exterior is in an even more hovelly condition) for $335,000 and the house across the street is going for $500,000. It's hard to believe that two blocks south and three blocks west are enclaves of Ontario Housing.

Apart from the OH, though, I love the neighbourhood. We can walk to the Beaches, the movies, shopping (both grocery and antiques) and restaurants galore, and it's a 20 minute cycle (or streetcar ride) to the downtown core. Very much worth the housing prices to me.

[Qboots]

it's tucked nicely between the Beaches and Leslieville,

Don't you mean "The Beach"?

[Rattus]

Don't you mean "The Beach"?

It's been the Beaches since I was a sprout, it'll be the Beaches until I die, dagnabit.

[Qboots]

I agree whole-heartedly. To me, "the beach" is a generic term used to describe a person's local swimming hole - be it the ocean, a lake or a river. But not a neighborhood. But I don't live in T.O. anymore so I should probably just keep my big nose out of it.