Rural Living in Canada

With more people setting up successful home based businesses than at any other time before, the dream of rural living in Canada is one that is particularly popular and one being realised by an increasingly larger number of people.

Canada is growing in popularity with American and European expatriates seeking a politically and economically safe, open minded and affordable country in which to live.

With more people setting up successful home based businesses than at any other time before, the dream of rural living in Canada is one that is particularly popular and one being realised by an increasingly larger number of people.

Canada covers a vast landmass with much of the country unpopulated making the dream of escape simple to achieve.  And when one considers the fact that you can access stunning mountains, lakes, glaciers, forests and wide open spaces in Canada is it any wonder that freedom seekers choose this inimitably beautiful country?

For those planning to move to Canada and find a rural retreat where they can set up home there are many considerations and choices to be made.  Firstly my idea of rural living in Canada may differ greatly from yours!  Some people would like to live in a small town deep in the heart of Canada, away from big cities but within a community.  For others rural living means finding an empty log cabin in the woods and establishing a base with nothing but bears and caribou for company.

There’s a great website that lists all of the small towns across Canada with populations under 10,000 citizens making it easy for an individual to search on a region by region basis for the community they would most like to live in or close to: -
http://rurallivingcanada.4t.com/Pag00159.htm
Some of the town names are especially cute and unusual - you have Carrot River in Saskatchewan, Rainy River and Tweed in Ontario or Pugwash in Nova Scotia for example! 

The site gives you information about all of the facilities and amenities available in the small towns so that those with children can find good schools, those with medical needs can find health care services and those who would like to get to know the community can find out about fairs, festivals, groups and committees that they can attend, join or get involved with.

Depending on how self-sufficient an individual chooses to be, certain areas of Canada are so remote that an individual who chooses to live there will have to source their own water and electricity supply for example.  In rural Canada generators can easily be bought and wells can be dug and it is par for the course to be away from mains drains, gas pipes, water supplies and even telephone lines.  This may sound idyllic to some but the realities can be frustrating at times and it is better to be forewarned and to have a realistic perspective of what life is really like away from all the modern day conveniences - from take away pizza delivery to hot and cold running water easily on demand.

Another point to consider is that part of Canada’s appeal is that it is so floristically and faunally rich and diverse and yet for those seeking an escape from large towns and built up urban spaces the abundance of wildlife can present a brand new series of issues to consider.  There are after all bears in Canada and if you move into their habitat be prepared for a visit!  Farmers or those living in smaller communities are well versed in how to deal with marauding and unwelcome visitors but make sure you are aware of when to run, when to back up, when to stand still and how to shoot if needs be.

If you dream of rural living in Canada you might like to consider taking a holiday away from it all and seeing how the reality of fending for yourself actually matches up to the dream.  For many it is exactly all that they hope and long for, for others the reality is not quite what they wanted and they are really seeking an escape from the 9 - 5 commuting drudge and a move to a smaller town will satisfy their hunger for more peace.

Whatever your hopes and aspirations are from rural living in Canada a lot of preparation and planning should go into the transition to ensure that you make the move successfully.  Good luck.