Where is the best city in Canada to retire too?

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Gary S

no smog in bc? wait for three sunny days in a row and then you'll see the smog over vancouver.

I would say victoria. I used to go over to the island when I was a kid and remember seeing a lot of retired people. So you'll have lots of company.

kingstonsean

No smog in Vancouver? Ha!
Vancouver housing is wickedly expensive. Victoria and much of the south-eastern portion of Vancouver Island are very popular for retirees (Sydney, Duncan, Nanaimo, etc). The Niagara area is very popular and so is Kingston. Kingston has affordable housing, two big hospitals, and it's close to Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, and Syracuse (all less than 3 hours drive). The winters are colder than Niagara or Vancouver Island.

fatsausage

Sydney on Vancouver Island,
British Columbia.

packingal

If you are looking for good value for your money check out Saskatchewan cities or the East Coast. If you like to fish there are hundreds of lakes in north central Sask around Prince Albert. My parents retired to a farm in the general area & they are busy doing things all the time. There are many folks of retirement age in Sask. so you can find all kinds of outings/clubs/events. The area still has many trees & is fairly undulating, it is not all bald flat prairie. I am thinking of moving there!

anthrotistic

Thornbury Ontario.

It's a beautiful little town on Georgian Bay near Wasaga Beach (the longest freshwater beach in the world) there are world class golf courses (the Telus Skins game was just played at Raven at Lora Bay won by John Daly) unbelievable hiking and biking trails - the Bruce Trail and the Georgian Trail and a picturesque harbour.

In the winter Blue Mountain Ski Resort is the largest ski hill in Ontario and has a great little village with wonderful restaurants and shops.

I'm moving there as soon as I can, I just can't wait for retirement....

gracel313

Victoria is nice if cost isn't a problem. Otherwise Parksville. It's not crowded like Vancouver and is quieter.

SteveN

Barb,

Retiring is a big step, and can be traumatic to some, but very relaxing and enjoyable to others. It all depends on your lifestyle and what you enjoy doing, as well as what type of "nest egg" you have to live on.

If you have family (children, grandkids, brothers/sisters) you are close to, you will likely want to retire somewhere near enough to them so that it is not a really long and tiring drive to go see them.

On the other hand, if there is just the two of you and you want something away from people, you can look at cottage country that is away from the traffic, but close enough that you can get to a hospital in an emergency.

You may be very healthy and in great shape now, but how will things be in 10-20 years? Do you really want to climb all the stairs in a two story home, or should you get a single level or split level place?

If you can afford to live anywhere, then pick a place that has access to all the things you would like to stay active in (church, social club, fishing, golf, shopping mall, darts, etc.)

You may want to look into starting a small business from your home to stay active or pick up a hobby, such as making baked goods, painting, or building things with wood (breadboxes, bird houses, coat racks, etc).

As for some of the better places, I would recommend a few places:

Nanaimo, BC - nice weather, great countryside, but expect to pay a bit more for property and you will be looking at using a ferry to get back to the mainland.

Pembroke, ON - Far enough out of Ottawa to be relaxing, but close enough that you can still go visit someone as far as Toronto or Montreal.

Cornwall, ON - Quiet town that is near the US border if you want to go down to shop or on a camping trip, about an hour or two from Plattsburg where they just opened a new airport, and near Adirondack Park for hiking, boating, etc.

Summerside, PEI - Nice quiet town with great seafood, relaxing days, and not far from Charlottetown.

jax_rerun

All those people who said Vancouver missed the correct answer by one ferry ride... Victoria is where people retire. It's warm, beautiful, serene, and geared to a more mature crowd.

Vancouver is a young party/arts city, with a major homeless issue. Live in Victoria and play in Vancouver :D

Grand pa

Vancouver BC Good deals for seniors : medicare , bus passes, free ferry rides,.

Vivian T

Probably Vancouver, and the Olympics are coming to Vancouver in 2010 as well. You can go to the beach and look at the mountains to relax, even though it's a loud city (isn't every big city?) you can definitely go to Stanley Park to relax.

d33pebbles

Hi, I would Say British Columbia. in the Vancouver or lower Mainland Areas. There is no Smog in B.C. Beautiful Greenery, Mountains, Beaches, Golf Courses, Lakes, Parks, and Ski Resorts. And B.C. has the warmest Winters than any other Province in Canada.
Visit www.HelloBC.com/bcvacationguide
Hope this helps.

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