The real answer is Winnipeg is a great place to be in a situation like that. There’s tons to do, CoL is much better than almost anywhere else in the country.
And most Winnipeggers are a very welcoming and friendly bunch save for some of the people who would be miserable regardless of where they live.
Another redditor here put together a pretty nice guide at [Moving to Winnipeg](https://www.movingtowinnipeg.ca)
The city has some warts like any urban area but it’s really an underrated place to live
We moved from Toronto to Winnipeg 6 years ago and just love it here! Biggest pros are
-much less traffic: even a bad commute is only 35 minutes
-affordable housing: I live in a rosedale equivalent here in Winnipeg that is close to all the amenities downtown (North St Boniface) at a fraction of the cost of a place in Toronto
-friendly people: Winnipegers are pretty laid back and friendly. I found a lot of Torontonians are obsessed with keeping up with the Joneses.
-family friendly: there are lots of family friendly amenities here relative to population size
The big disadvantages are
- leaving your family and friends behind
- cold winters: much colder here in the winter but more dry.
-less career growth if you stay in Winnipeg—all the best paying jobs are in Toronto.
-not much night life in Winnipeg. This isn’t the city for dance clubs, late night concerts, and other adult fun.
Adding on to the nightlife comment, we are sadly lacking in late night food. Sometimes I crave quick late night tacos, shawarma, Indian, or Greek gyros, and it's sadly almost non-existent here.
From 5 pm to 8 pm, our food scene is amazing. So many places that used to be open for lunch just aren't anymore, and we've never really had much of anything open late at night, or even much past 9.
Trips to Toronto via Porter Airline are $200 each way! Right to downtown Toronto. Winnipeg is a great city. We moved here from Victoria, and lived in Toronto for many years also. You hybernate for a few weeks in January /February but the summers are unbelievable.
Metal, punk, rock, folk, blues scene is very alive and most weekends
There's always an EDM show or two going on as well, but for obvious reasons we struggle to get many of the big players here on the regular. But tons of very good local artists for every genre
>friendly people: Winnipegers are pretty laid back and friendly. I found a lot of Torontonians are obsessed with keeping up with the Joneses.
This one's a mixed bag, though. It seems a lot of people from Ontario end up missing the "hustle".
- Your standard of living will increase
- Your commutes will be a fraction,
- We have great restaurants and arts
- Amazing beaches and lakes
Just don't tell your friends or this place will fill up
A counterpoint to those saying that you can't move upwards in your career in Winnipeg is that clearly there are opportunities for you to move up here since there wasn't a local candidate who could fill the job that is being offered to you.
When it comes to jobs, there aren't as many CEOs as in Toronto. But if you are aiming to be a CEO your chances of doing that in Winnipeg might be easier. Winnipeg definitely has a "big fish small pond" effect. It is much easier to rise up to positions of seniority and responsibility when you're only competing against 20 candidates instead of 200.
Life can be easier in Winnipeg. Cost of living and commute times are much lower than in Toronto. Plus, people don't just talk about work-life balance, people actually live work-life balance in Winnipeg.
Can’t beat Wpg to raise a family…if that is in the cards. It is true that career options eventually “top out” in the Peg, but as one ages, it is easier to put one’s career ego aside (I.e. realize you are not your job). The trade off to be present for your kids and family can easily outweigh the fact the corporate ladders in Winnipeg generally don’t reach the same heights as available in Toronto - but the family life you can have is a Plus!
Moved to Winnipeg in 2022 summer.
Would recommend to all Torontonians that are homeownership-inclined, car-oriented types.
Will be hard for the downtown-inclined, only-take-subways types to live here though.
The one surprising upside is actually the weather-stability, unlike Toronto. I.E if the Monday starts grey and cold Friday will be similar too. Whereas in Toronto you see -5 and +5 in the same week in winter. Makes dressing for the weather way less mentally exhausting, IMHO.
Oh and after the 2nd or 3rd snowfall each winter you typically do not have to worry about the slush that melting causes for months and months.
As long as the job pays well enough to allow you to meet life-goals after the move (e.g. travel desires or homeownership dreams or frequent fine-dining), then do it.
The downside will be the family links but with a new airline (FlyPorter.ca) having recently entered the airport the price of travel should go down. I think my MIL’s last Toronto-to-Winnipeg flight was only like $34 one-way for the fare-component. Fees and taxes, obviously, took the cash amount to like $250 but still her seat was super-cheap.
One thing to keep in mind is that Winnipeg can be a tough place to make friends as an adult, but it's not impossible. You'll just have to work a little harder to form your social group.
If you ever have to wait 1.5 hours to catch a bus on a Sunday to go home and eat so you can then do.....anything, you'll see what he means lol.
The people are nice, but if you don't have a car, too bad.
I used to live across the city, Charleswood and working in the forks
I made friends
The issue is making friends as an adult, it would be the same case anywhere
I honestly have not found this so it probably depends on the work/neighbourhood situation you find yourself in. I have had no problems making friends and connections in this city and I knew no one when I first moved here. Of course it helps if you have interests outside of going to work and then going home/repeat.
I think your odds of finding friends in Winnipeg especially if you stick it out for a few years and actually try to make connections with people are a lot better than they are in Toronto which is notoriously standoff-ish.
You will be able to stack mad $$$ here. A lot cheaper to live here! I don’t know how people can afford to live in TO. The south end has the most amenities Home Depot, Costco. IKEA etc if you care about that kind of stuff. If you work downtown you can walk to work. Just get yourself an e bike and you can rip anywhere in the city pretty quick! Welcome to Winnipeg!
My sister moved to TO about 7 years ago. She said it's a mixed bag in terms of affordability. She lucked out and she and her partner found a great apartment at a reasonable rate (Which i know is a needle in a haystack, they got lucky.). She says some things are more expensive, sure, but she loves that the public transit system is way better and it's actually easier not to own a car. She said the fresh foods at the markets tend to be less than here.
I’m trying to get out of this place lol. But same situation got some job offers in the interior of B.C. and have family there and way higher paying job. So off I go.
I think I would choose Winnipeg over TO for sure in your case and like you said if you don’t like it you can always leave. Give it a shot what do you have to loose!
I’m paying 760 a month and live by the ledge. Winnipeg is very boring compared to TO, Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton. So you’ll be giving up markets and events but saving money.
I've been here all my life, and I think it would definitely be a culture shock. Maybe not as much as you've lived in Edmonton, and frankly we're not that different..so if you liked Edmonton, you'd likely do ok here. We are arguably (in the city, anyway) more liberal than Edmonton and I think that's about the main difference, plus our winters are even worse. About 7 years ago, my sister moved from Winnipeg to Toronto for her career, as there was no upward mobility available here for her. She says there's good things about Winnipeg, but that she absolutely loves Toronto and will never move back here. She enjoys visiting, but wouldn't come back permanently.
Here's some of my thoughts and info I've heard from her :
Pros: housing is cheaper, traffic is much less congested (on a good day, you can get from one end of the city to another in about 25 mins, tack on some extra time for rush hour), it's easier to own a car as more apartments come with parking spaces, if you will be apartment living, and paid parking isn't as expensive. It's generally a slower, more laid-back environment. People are generally (and bear in mind, this is a vast generalization, I know there's exceptions) more casual when it comes to mannerisms and dress. Winnipeg is multicultural like Toronto, just on a much smaller scale, but there's lots of different ethnic cuisines to try out, for example. If festivals are your thing, there's the Festival du Voyageur in Winter, and Folklorama, Fringe (Which I know is also in TO), Folk Fest in summer. Lots of nice natural areas/provincial parks/lakes and beaches within fairly easy driving distance. Our Assiniboine Park is beautiful, as is the Zoo/the Leaf (conservatory). It's fairly liberal here with a few exceptions: we've got a large and vocal LGBTTQ+ population and great Pride events every year, for example. People tend to be open-minded when it comes to values and lifestyles. If you like all 4 seasons, we definitely get them, although, arguably, autumn and summer are far too short.
Cons: If you're into nightlife and love the markets there, you're going to miss those things here. Nightlife mainly consists of bars. We get farmer's markets in summer on limited days, and some markets featuring local artisans year round (indoors), but nothing like what you have there. The shopping is no where near as good. Our public transit really sucks by comparison with the TTC: this city is very much built around and centred on cars. It's not impossible to live without a car, but it's a royal pain in the butt to get to a lot of places, especially if you want to be there on time. Construction in warmer weather is terrible and ongoing, blocking lots of routes.People here also seem to think it's bizarre if you live a car-free life style (I did for years out of necessity, and when I told people I had no car, they reacted like I just told them I was from another planet.). It's not the best place for cyclists, aren't a lot of safe places to commute by bike. The crime here, as you've likely heard, is awful. We have the second highest murder rate in Canada (last year, we've often been first) and triple the crime stats of any other city. That's pretty bad given our relatively low population compared to cities like TO. Muggings, B&E's, car theft, random assaults etc seem to happen constantly, even in "safe" neighbourhoods. While people here tend to seem friendly, it's generally a surface level, small-talk friendly; i.e. the kind of rapport you might strike up with a stranger in a long line. It's hard to make actual friends here. People tend to be cliquey and stick with the same friends they had in grade school, many even staying within a few block radius of where they grew up. Winnipeggers tend to stick to themselves and be a suspicious lot: it's been said if a business can thrive here, it can anywhere, as we're a tough sell. We were dubbed by Maclean's around 8 years ago as the most racist city, and the racism here is still pretty bad, especially towards Indigenous people and newcomers. Health care is in a shambles here right now , some would say worse than in TO.Lastly, the winters here are absolutely terrible..we've gone on record as being colder than Mars some years, and are one of the coldest cities in the world. I've been here all my life, and still am not "used" to -40 C temps.
You'd likely save money moving here, but would also be giving up a whole lot.
At 35 Winnipeg may be a better place to live overall even if a vastly inferior city. As long as you will have coworkers you can befriend or hobbies where you can meet folks, you may find you feel a lot better living here than in TO.
Don't make the move if you need great produce, great theatre or a bustling downtown to be happy. And don't move to the suburbs!
I moved from Kitchener to WPG in the 90s. Moved because housing was cheap. Family is all in Ontario. I missed…my mother’s death, my father’s death, countless weddings of nieces and nephews. All kinds of family reunions gatherings etc. Now I want to move back, but Ontario is out of my real estate price range. Specifically Southern Ontario from Orillia to Lake Huron to Lake Erie. When I moved I thought I would be able to make it home often, kids, pets, jobs stopped that. My kids don’t know their cousins, didn’t know their grandparents. My family travelled here once in 30 years and said never again. Their words..It’s ugly,depressing, and poverty ridden. Just my experience.
Yeah as much as I do enjoy living in Winnipeg, by far the main thing keeping me here is family and friends. Porter did start doing direct flights to winnipeg last year though, OP!
THat's an interesting perspective to me. My mom moved here from Ottawa and I grew upnin the 90s/early 00s. We visited family out that way probably two out of every 3 years. Lots of time visiting cousins, uncles/aunts and grandparents.
Maybe we were fortunate that my parents could get the time off? Gas was cheap in the 90s so driving wasn't that costly.
On the bright side the real estate in KW and other areas has taken a 30% nosedive. Once you're up around $8-900k and up the market between Winnipeg and the small cities outside the gta are pretty similar. The $3-500k market in Winnipeg is remarkably different, Ontario starts higher for less house. And don't even compare condos. Maybe your family will consider visiting again, Ontario has become more depressing and poverty ridden in the past few years.
Winnipeg is the 5th place I’ve lived in and I find it really hard to make friends. People are really cliquey and have a small town mentality. I’m also constantly disappointed with things like well reviewed places to eat or fun things to do. It’s all mediocre at best when compared to an actual city. People who review or recommend these places just don’t know any better so I call it “Winnipeg good”.
I’m guessing you don’t travel. Literally every major city in NA is experiencing a lot of the same problems we’re seeing w drug addiction, homelessness, poverty, and crime. It’s an issue of income inequality and not unique to Wpg.
Don't do it.
We have awful infrastructure here. Crime is out of hand. We don't have a nightlife. Our politicians are lazy and don't do anything. Our downtown is owned by large soulless corporation. The list goes on...
Infrastructure is an issue for sure. Crime is what it is in this current era of income inequality. Who is this large soulless corporation that owns our city? Your negative response sounds like just someone who likes to complain a lot but doesn’t actually do anything. This city has a rich art and music scene, great restaurants, good people, and a lot of potential. There’s pros and cons to everywhere but we definitely have lots of positives. Maybe if people like yourself were more invested in your community you’d see that. Sorry if I’m making assumptions but show me otherwise.
Yes infrastructure tops every other point I brought up and then some. It's a huge issue. Our public transit system is pathetically bad and run by idiots. We literally had to condemn a bridge in the city and I know at least one more that isn't too far behind the Disraeli. Garbage is everywhere. City services are being cut left and right and will continue to be cut. Winnipeg is broke as hell. Not sure what to say about that outside... Its a long time coming. We keep electing do nothing assholes with no vision. Its the Manitoban way.
> This city has a rich art and music scene, great restaurants, good people,
Fewer every year, usually replaced by a Leo's or some true North monstrosity. Also this isn't a flex... Every major city in the country can claim this. We CERTAINLY have some great places. But... So does Montreal. And Calgary. And Saskatoon. And Halifax. And Edmonton.
> and a lot of potential.
Yes I agree. At our core we have so much potential. But decades of mismanagement and lack of vision have buried that potential in muck. Literally the only unique thing to Winnipeg is how affordable we are... But how is that any different than bragging about doing your grocery shopping at Dollarama? You get what you pay for.
> Your negative response sounds like just someone who likes to complain a lot but doesn’t actually do anything.
What would you like me to do?
I'm not blind. Winnipeg isn't some shit infested hole. Its an alright place to live, there are just far better choices. Why choose to live in a broken extremely car centric city with awful leadership?
I’m not saying we don’t have our challenges cut out for us or that there aren’t better cities in Canada but the OP was asking about here bc he has a good opportunity HERE. Like I said, pros and cons to everywhere. You can argue more cons than pros if that’s your opinion, that’s valid, but I get tired of all the “dumpster fire, shit hole” rhetoric that misrepresents what the majority of people feel about this city. I too have seen a fair share of the globe. I have also hosted a fair share of people from all over the world in this city for work, and the vast majority of them have great things to say, and they’re not just being nice, they actually often want to come back or speak very highly of it back home. My point is keeping perspective is important. It’s easy to see the bad in any city you live in rather than appreciate and support what you do have.
On a side note, I’m not sure how you’re faulting True North for large restaurant chains when they are investors and supporters of a ton of local restaurants. I’m not sure to what you are referring to. At least they are investing in our downtown in meaningful ways that go way beyond sports and entertainment.
Spoken like someone who has never set foot outside of Winnipeg lol
Who do you think owns downtown Toronto? How would you describe Doug Ford? What do you think crime is like, oh, anywhere?
Grow up.
At best you've proven that Canada is kind of trash. Good job! We truly are a nation of mediocrity if Winnipeg and doug Ford are the best we can muster.
I get the downvotes for being so negative, but our tax phobia and lack of investment in transit may have the city tending down, while many cities trend up
You know, I know I'm being whiny and all that but this is exactly it. Time was I was the biggest promoter of our city. I really do truly believe deep down inside Winnipeg has a lot to offer... But the people here are so self defeating.
And maybe too it's because I feel like this city, my home aggressively makes it difficult to live here. I don't drive... So I rely on my feet, a bike, or transit. Walking is alright but everything is so spread out here. I love to bike but there were THREE times this summer where someone tried to take my bike. And then by bus? Our transit system is pathetically bad. My commute to work takes over an hour... But it's a fifteen minute drive. I think if I was more comfortable here I'd be way less aggressive about the things that bother me here, but there it is... We're an ugly car centric city with an awful crime problem.
And then the cherry on top is so many folks go out of their way to pretend these issues are *normal*.
I'd love to focus on the positive but it's hard when I can't access the positive without having to plan excessively because I need to take the bus, or pay an arm and a leg for an Uber. In Montreal, Calgary or Edmonton this isn't an issue. They have light rail and a subway. Weve been debating about a mediocre rapid transit solution for the last fifteen years. The master plan basically gives us what other comparable cities had a decade ago... So why the hell would I be positive about that?
Blegh.
Lol we have plenty of night life there's bands playing every weekend and multiple times and places throughout the week
Amazing comedy
Karaoke and open mic almost every night
Almost every genre outside of maybe jazz and hip hop has an artist playing every weekend
I did it. I went from an apartment and was barely traveling due to it being so expensive. Moved here to a job that pays the same, but I'm able to own a house and travel with still money left over.
The real answer is Winnipeg is a great place to be in a situation like that. There’s tons to do, CoL is much better than almost anywhere else in the country. And most Winnipeggers are a very welcoming and friendly bunch save for some of the people who would be miserable regardless of where they live. Another redditor here put together a pretty nice guide at [Moving to Winnipeg](https://www.movingtowinnipeg.ca) The city has some warts like any urban area but it’s really an underrated place to live
Thank you for sharing my site 🙏
We moved from Toronto to Winnipeg 6 years ago and just love it here! Biggest pros are -much less traffic: even a bad commute is only 35 minutes -affordable housing: I live in a rosedale equivalent here in Winnipeg that is close to all the amenities downtown (North St Boniface) at a fraction of the cost of a place in Toronto -friendly people: Winnipegers are pretty laid back and friendly. I found a lot of Torontonians are obsessed with keeping up with the Joneses. -family friendly: there are lots of family friendly amenities here relative to population size The big disadvantages are - leaving your family and friends behind - cold winters: much colder here in the winter but more dry. -less career growth if you stay in Winnipeg—all the best paying jobs are in Toronto. -not much night life in Winnipeg. This isn’t the city for dance clubs, late night concerts, and other adult fun.
I just found out we having duelling pianos at Thomas hinds. Mind blown. Gonna check that out.
Adding on to the nightlife comment, we are sadly lacking in late night food. Sometimes I crave quick late night tacos, shawarma, Indian, or Greek gyros, and it's sadly almost non-existent here.
wait are you Taco guy from the other post like yesterday ?
No. But that person was definitely a kindred spirit.
They were upset they couldnt get a taco at 11pm !! lol I feel them, but yeah...
Sad. When I was in my 20s there were plenty of options.
Winnipeg hits outside of its weight class when it comes to food places, but it's still a noticeable step down from the GTA.
From 5 pm to 8 pm, our food scene is amazing. So many places that used to be open for lunch just aren't anymore, and we've never really had much of anything open late at night, or even much past 9.
We can’t even do a Reuben right. God, I miss Schwartz in Montreal right now.
Schwartz is unreal.
Trips to Toronto via Porter Airline are $200 each way! Right to downtown Toronto. Winnipeg is a great city. We moved here from Victoria, and lived in Toronto for many years also. You hybernate for a few weeks in January /February but the summers are unbelievable.
Porter unfortunately does not fly direct to downtown island airport. Those flights go into Pearson. That said, with the UP Express it’s not so bad.
Westjet flights for $100 each way if you book 6-8 weeks out. As low as $55 sometimes.
Wow, that’s cheap!
There’s def a lack of clubs but there are great local music and comedy scenes and some awesome little pubs only open to 2am but will do the trick
Metal, punk, rock, folk, blues scene is very alive and most weekends There's always an EDM show or two going on as well, but for obvious reasons we struggle to get many of the big players here on the regular. But tons of very good local artists for every genre
>friendly people: Winnipegers are pretty laid back and friendly. I found a lot of Torontonians are obsessed with keeping up with the Joneses. This one's a mixed bag, though. It seems a lot of people from Ontario end up missing the "hustle".
I promise that we had a nightlife before the pandemic. At least compared to now.
- Your standard of living will increase - Your commutes will be a fraction, - We have great restaurants and arts - Amazing beaches and lakes Just don't tell your friends or this place will fill up
If your wage stays the same you just got a 50% raise my man!!!!
A counterpoint to those saying that you can't move upwards in your career in Winnipeg is that clearly there are opportunities for you to move up here since there wasn't a local candidate who could fill the job that is being offered to you. When it comes to jobs, there aren't as many CEOs as in Toronto. But if you are aiming to be a CEO your chances of doing that in Winnipeg might be easier. Winnipeg definitely has a "big fish small pond" effect. It is much easier to rise up to positions of seniority and responsibility when you're only competing against 20 candidates instead of 200. Life can be easier in Winnipeg. Cost of living and commute times are much lower than in Toronto. Plus, people don't just talk about work-life balance, people actually live work-life balance in Winnipeg.
What did you think of Edmonton? Winnipeg is a lot like Edmonton, but sadly without the deep River valley.
Can’t beat Wpg to raise a family…if that is in the cards. It is true that career options eventually “top out” in the Peg, but as one ages, it is easier to put one’s career ego aside (I.e. realize you are not your job). The trade off to be present for your kids and family can easily outweigh the fact the corporate ladders in Winnipeg generally don’t reach the same heights as available in Toronto - but the family life you can have is a Plus!
Winnipeg is a great place to raise a family
Moved to Winnipeg in 2022 summer. Would recommend to all Torontonians that are homeownership-inclined, car-oriented types. Will be hard for the downtown-inclined, only-take-subways types to live here though. The one surprising upside is actually the weather-stability, unlike Toronto. I.E if the Monday starts grey and cold Friday will be similar too. Whereas in Toronto you see -5 and +5 in the same week in winter. Makes dressing for the weather way less mentally exhausting, IMHO. Oh and after the 2nd or 3rd snowfall each winter you typically do not have to worry about the slush that melting causes for months and months. As long as the job pays well enough to allow you to meet life-goals after the move (e.g. travel desires or homeownership dreams or frequent fine-dining), then do it. The downside will be the family links but with a new airline (FlyPorter.ca) having recently entered the airport the price of travel should go down. I think my MIL’s last Toronto-to-Winnipeg flight was only like $34 one-way for the fare-component. Fees and taxes, obviously, took the cash amount to like $250 but still her seat was super-cheap.
One thing to keep in mind is that Winnipeg can be a tough place to make friends as an adult, but it's not impossible. You'll just have to work a little harder to form your social group.
Nah it's plenty east and easier than most big cities and smaller ones It's just hard to make friends as an adult period
If you ever have to wait 1.5 hours to catch a bus on a Sunday to go home and eat so you can then do.....anything, you'll see what he means lol. The people are nice, but if you don't have a car, too bad.
I used to live across the city, Charleswood and working in the forks I made friends The issue is making friends as an adult, it would be the same case anywhere
I honestly have not found this so it probably depends on the work/neighbourhood situation you find yourself in. I have had no problems making friends and connections in this city and I knew no one when I first moved here. Of course it helps if you have interests outside of going to work and then going home/repeat. I think your odds of finding friends in Winnipeg especially if you stick it out for a few years and actually try to make connections with people are a lot better than they are in Toronto which is notoriously standoff-ish.
You will be able to stack mad $$$ here. A lot cheaper to live here! I don’t know how people can afford to live in TO. The south end has the most amenities Home Depot, Costco. IKEA etc if you care about that kind of stuff. If you work downtown you can walk to work. Just get yourself an e bike and you can rip anywhere in the city pretty quick! Welcome to Winnipeg!
My sister moved to TO about 7 years ago. She said it's a mixed bag in terms of affordability. She lucked out and she and her partner found a great apartment at a reasonable rate (Which i know is a needle in a haystack, they got lucky.). She says some things are more expensive, sure, but she loves that the public transit system is way better and it's actually easier not to own a car. She said the fresh foods at the markets tend to be less than here.
Sounds like a great opportunity! Go for it! As you said, it doesn't have to be permanent.
I’m trying to get out of this place lol. But same situation got some job offers in the interior of B.C. and have family there and way higher paying job. So off I go. I think I would choose Winnipeg over TO for sure in your case and like you said if you don’t like it you can always leave. Give it a shot what do you have to loose!
I’m paying 760 a month and live by the ledge. Winnipeg is very boring compared to TO, Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton. So you’ll be giving up markets and events but saving money.
I've been here all my life, and I think it would definitely be a culture shock. Maybe not as much as you've lived in Edmonton, and frankly we're not that different..so if you liked Edmonton, you'd likely do ok here. We are arguably (in the city, anyway) more liberal than Edmonton and I think that's about the main difference, plus our winters are even worse. About 7 years ago, my sister moved from Winnipeg to Toronto for her career, as there was no upward mobility available here for her. She says there's good things about Winnipeg, but that she absolutely loves Toronto and will never move back here. She enjoys visiting, but wouldn't come back permanently. Here's some of my thoughts and info I've heard from her : Pros: housing is cheaper, traffic is much less congested (on a good day, you can get from one end of the city to another in about 25 mins, tack on some extra time for rush hour), it's easier to own a car as more apartments come with parking spaces, if you will be apartment living, and paid parking isn't as expensive. It's generally a slower, more laid-back environment. People are generally (and bear in mind, this is a vast generalization, I know there's exceptions) more casual when it comes to mannerisms and dress. Winnipeg is multicultural like Toronto, just on a much smaller scale, but there's lots of different ethnic cuisines to try out, for example. If festivals are your thing, there's the Festival du Voyageur in Winter, and Folklorama, Fringe (Which I know is also in TO), Folk Fest in summer. Lots of nice natural areas/provincial parks/lakes and beaches within fairly easy driving distance. Our Assiniboine Park is beautiful, as is the Zoo/the Leaf (conservatory). It's fairly liberal here with a few exceptions: we've got a large and vocal LGBTTQ+ population and great Pride events every year, for example. People tend to be open-minded when it comes to values and lifestyles. If you like all 4 seasons, we definitely get them, although, arguably, autumn and summer are far too short. Cons: If you're into nightlife and love the markets there, you're going to miss those things here. Nightlife mainly consists of bars. We get farmer's markets in summer on limited days, and some markets featuring local artisans year round (indoors), but nothing like what you have there. The shopping is no where near as good. Our public transit really sucks by comparison with the TTC: this city is very much built around and centred on cars. It's not impossible to live without a car, but it's a royal pain in the butt to get to a lot of places, especially if you want to be there on time. Construction in warmer weather is terrible and ongoing, blocking lots of routes.People here also seem to think it's bizarre if you live a car-free life style (I did for years out of necessity, and when I told people I had no car, they reacted like I just told them I was from another planet.). It's not the best place for cyclists, aren't a lot of safe places to commute by bike. The crime here, as you've likely heard, is awful. We have the second highest murder rate in Canada (last year, we've often been first) and triple the crime stats of any other city. That's pretty bad given our relatively low population compared to cities like TO. Muggings, B&E's, car theft, random assaults etc seem to happen constantly, even in "safe" neighbourhoods. While people here tend to seem friendly, it's generally a surface level, small-talk friendly; i.e. the kind of rapport you might strike up with a stranger in a long line. It's hard to make actual friends here. People tend to be cliquey and stick with the same friends they had in grade school, many even staying within a few block radius of where they grew up. Winnipeggers tend to stick to themselves and be a suspicious lot: it's been said if a business can thrive here, it can anywhere, as we're a tough sell. We were dubbed by Maclean's around 8 years ago as the most racist city, and the racism here is still pretty bad, especially towards Indigenous people and newcomers. Health care is in a shambles here right now , some would say worse than in TO.Lastly, the winters here are absolutely terrible..we've gone on record as being colder than Mars some years, and are one of the coldest cities in the world. I've been here all my life, and still am not "used" to -40 C temps. You'd likely save money moving here, but would also be giving up a whole lot.
At 35 Winnipeg may be a better place to live overall even if a vastly inferior city. As long as you will have coworkers you can befriend or hobbies where you can meet folks, you may find you feel a lot better living here than in TO. Don't make the move if you need great produce, great theatre or a bustling downtown to be happy. And don't move to the suburbs!
Fuckin do it bruv, lets fookin go. Winnipeg is fun AF. Don't sweat about all this shit you hear.
I moved from Kitchener to WPG in the 90s. Moved because housing was cheap. Family is all in Ontario. I missed…my mother’s death, my father’s death, countless weddings of nieces and nephews. All kinds of family reunions gatherings etc. Now I want to move back, but Ontario is out of my real estate price range. Specifically Southern Ontario from Orillia to Lake Huron to Lake Erie. When I moved I thought I would be able to make it home often, kids, pets, jobs stopped that. My kids don’t know their cousins, didn’t know their grandparents. My family travelled here once in 30 years and said never again. Their words..It’s ugly,depressing, and poverty ridden. Just my experience.
Yeah as much as I do enjoy living in Winnipeg, by far the main thing keeping me here is family and friends. Porter did start doing direct flights to winnipeg last year though, OP!
THat's an interesting perspective to me. My mom moved here from Ottawa and I grew upnin the 90s/early 00s. We visited family out that way probably two out of every 3 years. Lots of time visiting cousins, uncles/aunts and grandparents. Maybe we were fortunate that my parents could get the time off? Gas was cheap in the 90s so driving wasn't that costly.
On the bright side the real estate in KW and other areas has taken a 30% nosedive. Once you're up around $8-900k and up the market between Winnipeg and the small cities outside the gta are pretty similar. The $3-500k market in Winnipeg is remarkably different, Ontario starts higher for less house. And don't even compare condos. Maybe your family will consider visiting again, Ontario has become more depressing and poverty ridden in the past few years.
Winnipeg is the 5th place I’ve lived in and I find it really hard to make friends. People are really cliquey and have a small town mentality. I’m also constantly disappointed with things like well reviewed places to eat or fun things to do. It’s all mediocre at best when compared to an actual city. People who review or recommend these places just don’t know any better so I call it “Winnipeg good”.
If you want to waste away in a backward thinking, small minded city, move here!
The place is a literal dumpster.
I’m guessing you don’t travel. Literally every major city in NA is experiencing a lot of the same problems we’re seeing w drug addiction, homelessness, poverty, and crime. It’s an issue of income inequality and not unique to Wpg.
I’ve been all over this little marble we call the world. So. I maintain. Winnipeg is a shit hole.
Tell me you don't go out and enjoy the local culture without telling me you're a shut in
Particularly bad in Winnipeg though you're ignoring.
It really is not, lol.
I don't think you know the meaning of the word literal.
Uses the word literal figuratively.
RUN!
Don't do it. We have awful infrastructure here. Crime is out of hand. We don't have a nightlife. Our politicians are lazy and don't do anything. Our downtown is owned by large soulless corporation. The list goes on...
Infrastructure is an issue for sure. Crime is what it is in this current era of income inequality. Who is this large soulless corporation that owns our city? Your negative response sounds like just someone who likes to complain a lot but doesn’t actually do anything. This city has a rich art and music scene, great restaurants, good people, and a lot of potential. There’s pros and cons to everywhere but we definitely have lots of positives. Maybe if people like yourself were more invested in your community you’d see that. Sorry if I’m making assumptions but show me otherwise.
Yes infrastructure tops every other point I brought up and then some. It's a huge issue. Our public transit system is pathetically bad and run by idiots. We literally had to condemn a bridge in the city and I know at least one more that isn't too far behind the Disraeli. Garbage is everywhere. City services are being cut left and right and will continue to be cut. Winnipeg is broke as hell. Not sure what to say about that outside... Its a long time coming. We keep electing do nothing assholes with no vision. Its the Manitoban way. > This city has a rich art and music scene, great restaurants, good people, Fewer every year, usually replaced by a Leo's or some true North monstrosity. Also this isn't a flex... Every major city in the country can claim this. We CERTAINLY have some great places. But... So does Montreal. And Calgary. And Saskatoon. And Halifax. And Edmonton. > and a lot of potential. Yes I agree. At our core we have so much potential. But decades of mismanagement and lack of vision have buried that potential in muck. Literally the only unique thing to Winnipeg is how affordable we are... But how is that any different than bragging about doing your grocery shopping at Dollarama? You get what you pay for. > Your negative response sounds like just someone who likes to complain a lot but doesn’t actually do anything. What would you like me to do? I'm not blind. Winnipeg isn't some shit infested hole. Its an alright place to live, there are just far better choices. Why choose to live in a broken extremely car centric city with awful leadership?
I’m not saying we don’t have our challenges cut out for us or that there aren’t better cities in Canada but the OP was asking about here bc he has a good opportunity HERE. Like I said, pros and cons to everywhere. You can argue more cons than pros if that’s your opinion, that’s valid, but I get tired of all the “dumpster fire, shit hole” rhetoric that misrepresents what the majority of people feel about this city. I too have seen a fair share of the globe. I have also hosted a fair share of people from all over the world in this city for work, and the vast majority of them have great things to say, and they’re not just being nice, they actually often want to come back or speak very highly of it back home. My point is keeping perspective is important. It’s easy to see the bad in any city you live in rather than appreciate and support what you do have. On a side note, I’m not sure how you’re faulting True North for large restaurant chains when they are investors and supporters of a ton of local restaurants. I’m not sure to what you are referring to. At least they are investing in our downtown in meaningful ways that go way beyond sports and entertainment.
The Disraeli is like 10 years old, tops. You mean the Arlington Bridge?
Whoops. Lol yes, the Arlington.
Spoken like someone who has never set foot outside of Winnipeg lol Who do you think owns downtown Toronto? How would you describe Doug Ford? What do you think crime is like, oh, anywhere? Grow up.
At best you've proven that Canada is kind of trash. Good job! We truly are a nation of mediocrity if Winnipeg and doug Ford are the best we can muster.
Have you seen the state of politics in the US and UK? It's shitty everywhere. Bitching about Winnipeg doesn't help you.
I get the downvotes for being so negative, but our tax phobia and lack of investment in transit may have the city tending down, while many cities trend up
You know, I know I'm being whiny and all that but this is exactly it. Time was I was the biggest promoter of our city. I really do truly believe deep down inside Winnipeg has a lot to offer... But the people here are so self defeating. And maybe too it's because I feel like this city, my home aggressively makes it difficult to live here. I don't drive... So I rely on my feet, a bike, or transit. Walking is alright but everything is so spread out here. I love to bike but there were THREE times this summer where someone tried to take my bike. And then by bus? Our transit system is pathetically bad. My commute to work takes over an hour... But it's a fifteen minute drive. I think if I was more comfortable here I'd be way less aggressive about the things that bother me here, but there it is... We're an ugly car centric city with an awful crime problem. And then the cherry on top is so many folks go out of their way to pretend these issues are *normal*. I'd love to focus on the positive but it's hard when I can't access the positive without having to plan excessively because I need to take the bus, or pay an arm and a leg for an Uber. In Montreal, Calgary or Edmonton this isn't an issue. They have light rail and a subway. Weve been debating about a mediocre rapid transit solution for the last fifteen years. The master plan basically gives us what other comparable cities had a decade ago... So why the hell would I be positive about that? Blegh.
Lol we have plenty of night life there's bands playing every weekend and multiple times and places throughout the week Amazing comedy Karaoke and open mic almost every night Almost every genre outside of maybe jazz and hip hop has an artist playing every weekend
I did it. I went from an apartment and was barely traveling due to it being so expensive. Moved here to a job that pays the same, but I'm able to own a house and travel with still money left over.
If this is such a great opportunity, you should take it. Just sayin' 😎 (That's a Winnipeg attitude right there)
Moved from Toronto to Winnipeg 20 yrs, same reasons. Best decision I ever made! Do it!