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We are US Americans. When our child decided to attend the University of Toronto, out-of-country, 15-some years ago, we researched so much, including the university’s international student pulse. We were horrified to learn the lion’s share of UofT’s international students body intended to use UofT not for a high-caliber education but as a fast-path gateway into the US upon graduation, if not before. International student forum members were quite clear and unapologetic their intentions. In the years since, the US has learned most of these immigrants can’t compete once here and do poorly. The reason is part expectation and part inflated self-assessment — 1. Our urban and suburban housing is just as expensive as Toronto and Vancouver, 2. We don’t have free health care except for the destitute. Even then, it’s minimal, 3. Our ivies and other great universities already supply our best employers, 4. Our academic standards are more rigorous, in most cases, to Canada’s, 5. Our winters are just as cold and snowy, 6. Our summers are so hot, your car and anything in it will melt, and 7. We generally don’t have public transportation except piecemeal in our cities. Further, most of us don’t want Trudeau’s increasingly fascist politics to take hold here, any more than they have already, under Biden.

justin and the liberal government has changed Canada so much for the worst in the last 8 years. It has seriously gone down. infrastructure breaking down, tent cities all over the place, many closed businesses, Increased killings and shootings, cost of living, rent skyrocketing, inflation in this country Carbon TAX that just utterly kills you, while not knowing what they do with that money. Canada / Toronto is a dumpster right now.

I lived right downtown with an old GF who I found was gay, no surprise women there seem to hate men. I wouldn't date a woman from Toronto if they were the last ones on Earth, talk about attitude, And let's be honest it really is a cold heartless city It had been for well over 30 years.

Ive been in around Toronto since 1973 and lived downtown 20 years ago, I owned a condo, and let me tell you the city was so much better 20 years ago its not even funny. It was also way better in the 80’s, in fact the entire country was better in the 80’s . Today the city is a ?show mostly due to the cost of living and I hope to leave soon to Niagara or Cambridge.

here we go: \n1- increasing violence in major cities\n2- Lack of services (Daycare, babysitters, doctors, etc)\n3-COST of living \n4-Rent (not only expensive but hard to find available options)\n5- Weather\n6- Very hard to get a decent job (that provides just enough for basic needs)

US family here. We were a big downhill skiing family, and often spent our winter vacations in the Laurentians. The exchange rate was great back in the 1990s and early 2000s. So when the time came to start looking at colleges, our daughter already associated Canada with fun, and fell in love with the University of Toronto. She was accepted. But before Canada would issue her a student visa, we had to provide evidence that we could pay full tuition, room, and board out of pocket. For all four years! They wanted an iron guarantee that she would never become a ‘ward of the state’ or consume public assistance services. We had to jump through soooo many logistical hoops for her to attend, it was exhausting to facilitate. But she graduated with honors in four years. All that time, the city was beautiful, clean, and vibrant, though not inexpensive. The St. George main campus, Queen’s Park, Bloor, Yongue Street, more. Everyone we met was friendly and respectful. We very rarely saw homeless and never tent communities. And crime seemed almost nonexistent except for bicycle thefts. Our daughter made many international friends and forged great relationships she carries to this day. So many wonderful memories. So it’s heartbreaking to hear how downhill the city has become. And the US is no different. It’s all in the politics, and neither Trudeau’s nor Biden’s policies are helping.

Half way through, and nothing yet as advertised. Jump to the middle if you want to miss her personal life story. I give it. C- grade in terms of her opinion about my city. GO away then...

Funny thing, Halifax is bursting at the seams with new arrivals. It’s expected to double in size in the next decade. There’s another ethnic grocery store opening every week. Our population has grown by 10 million people in 20 years, largely due to immigration. Toronto is bursting at the seams and is the most polyglot city on the planet. I have noticed a lot of these whiny videos by immigrants who say it’s no good to move here. I think they are not telling the truth about the tsunami of immigration going on here in Canada right now. Trouble is, there’s not enough housing for the 40 million people here right now. There’s not enough doctors, nurses, hospitals, social services/workers to service our present population. Still, the government flaps its gums about wanting 100 million people here by 2100. If that’s true, southern Ontario will look like Tokyo. There has to be a reevaluation of putting the majority of new arrivals in the GTA. If people want to move here, they should be willing to go to smaller cities and towns across the country.

I live in a large city of China. Everything is fine, well paid, own a new apartment, happy family. Is it worthy to give up all of these to immigrate to Canada?

High cost of living is a for sure sign that they don't want so many immigrants living off of the system.\nPeople should start considering fixing there own family situations in there home countries.\nCanada has already proven to be a good country for immigrants but it's not that go to hub for immigrants to exploit.\nThe work has been done.\nCOVID was scary when I was there. I whole city shut down it looked like a ghost town. That was a for sure indication it was time for immigrants to return to their home countries.\nThat was the time when the city was offering to buy out old businesses alot of people took the money and went back to Portugal and Italy.\nTimes have changed\nIt's not a housing crisis that's a lie.\nI grew up in Canada they built thousands and thousands of houses out of factories people just started to like the homes and communities the city built.\nPlus is was foreigners from the middle east that were investing in condo developments.\nAccept the fact that families are raising their children in those homes for 25++.\nThey don't owe an immigrant the house they built.\nOf course it's expensive because it's not for you.

I have been in Toronto recently for holidays and it was one of the worst places I have ever been to. The whole city is simply full of cars, it stinks everywhere, you get watched by security all the time when you go shopping (even for clothes), which, as a european, was just a major cultural shock, and once when I used the subway to go somewhere, we could not continue because someone got shot on a street so that is was blocked. The combination with a total lack of any nice place like some nice parks or something (there is the lake, but somehow they managed to literally build an airport on an island opposit of the promenade, which is simply loud and disturbing), I would liteally be depressed after a few months if I had to live there. I am not really sure why people go there despite these high rents. In my opinion, rents would need to be lower than average in such a city...

I lived in Toronto during 2 different periods. 1988-1991 (Leaside and Yonge/Davisville) and then in early 2011 to late 2013 (east Scarborough and then Bayview/Sheppard). Yes, the city has changed dramatically. Even from my 2013 move from there. Grossly overbuilt. the hockey team should be called the Toronto Condo Leafs. Services strained. Poor funding. Poor political leadership. And I won't even touch the hot button issues. I noticed changes in 2012-3 and the start of polarization. Toronto has immense wealth and also immense poverty as we see now. Then again, big cities all over North America have the same issue.

I lived here since 1961. The biggest negative changes have occurred over the last 25 years. Yes a million condos bringing tons of new city tax revenue (wasted) but so unreasonably expensive, as so many new immigrants naturally flock to Toronto and need housing. Which\nmeans traffic sucks, too many downtown roads closed, unused bike lanes steal car travel lanes. Toronto is generally dirtier and meaner than in 60s, 70s, 80s, even 90s. People are less friendly, less polite, less caring, and reside in self contained cultural enclaves. I used to ride the subway daily till 1990s, but i was shocked by my recent ride, with delays, so overcrowded slow service and bummy looking passengers now, scary. Quite a negative unwelcoming transformation!?

This is all of Canada, cost of living going through the roof, basic needs, food, rent, Gas increasing by as much as 22% in just the past 2 years. Tent cities in the parks for the fist time ever in my 60 years. And now its winter and January and we have people dying in the street from a lack of shelter and the cold in 2024 ... my God.

Multiculturalism doesn't work and eventually will destroy any country. here in the UK some of our cities are unrecognisable as British, they look like areas of Pakistan.

I lived in Toronto for almost 25 years but moved to Berlin, Germany, a few months ago. I found the last few years to be really sad and also scary. There is such a huge mental health crisis. The TTC is not very safe feeling. I have friends there who travel with dog or bear spray in their purses. The cost of rent is definitely a huge issue. A lot of friends can never move into a new place and I don't know anyone there who can afford to actually buy a home.\nThe positives are the food options (groceries and restaurants - some of the best in the world), the nice social life, so many things to see and do around the city, and the various beaches and islands.\nThe city is definitely looking uglier and uglier, though, with all of these boxy, glassy condo towers and now with Ford doing things like turning public space into a foreign-owned inaccessible spa.

Being from London, these ‘anglosphere’ mega cities seem all the same culturally. Not worth the expense visiting.

Uncontrolled immigration, unwillingness to institutionalize the mentally ill and rampant drug use are the most serious underlying causes. This is not a transitory situation for any large city, unless these problems are addressed. So long as Canada, like the U.S., is run on delusional Leftist policies, the problems will only get worse. Clucking one's tongue about the situation is pointless. It's time to make some hard choices.

Gave up on the city 7 years ago after 43 years.

I worked for an international airline for many years and visited Canada and most cities in Canada including Toronto many times, unfortunately it has gone the way of all extreme progressive liberal cities throughout the west. The decline is truly shocking

I'm 75, was born in Toronto, lived in Vancouver, New York City, but moved back to Toronto in 1985. Toronto was/ is a great city from May to late October. Today the developers own the politicians. Toronto, is now all terrible condos, ugly steel with glass walls. So sad what has happened to my Toronto, the Toronto I used to know.

I'm not trying to minimize the issues that Toronto clearly has, but this same scenario is playing out in cities around much of the planet currently. It's only going to get worse, everywhere, from here. Climate change alone will ensure that. Hey, good luck to you Alina, but please don't ever make the mistake of relocating to the USA. We are in freefall everywhere here, a country that is cracking up before our very eyes.

Most western places are becoming crime problems with the US leading the way. Who is committing most of the crimes in large cities? How tough are the authorities in dealing with crime? Compare serious crimes in a city like Moscow or Bejing to a Los Angeles or NYC. In the US there are numerous instances in major cities of criminal mobs entering stores and taking what they want and leaving w/o paying because retail theft has been decriminalized. Try running your small business in that kind of environment so we have businesses closing and moving out of the cities. If you haven't figure it out yet, it's called western liberalism in dealing with criminals.

Every place has its positives and negatives. Canada is beautiful, clean and green. The people are polite and friendly at a superficial level and the infrastructure is great. But for a new immigrant it's very difficult to make new social contacts or even to get a good job. The cost of living is high and housing costs are exhorbitant. The medical system is terrible with people having to wait weeks to meet a specialist \n\n Indian cities are mostly dirty, polluted and chaotic with poor infrastructure. There is rampant corruption and people can be rude and obnoxious especially while driving. But you can get help for everything and living costs are affordable. Plus the social contacts ..family and friends around are priceless. The medical system is way better provided you have some money.

All cities have changed, the disparity in wealth grows, cities will suffer because of it.

Tent cities are not full of employed people who cannot afford homes. That is NOT true.

Typical city talk. Canada ugly? Get real. Not everybody is that foolish live in cities where you look at concrete all day, and have to deal with pollution, crime, traffic, etc. There are tons of beautiful smaller places in Canada where it's great living. Stop generalizing.\n\nThe weather? That's so lame, since you knew that beforehand, and to spend 10 minutes on that.... again, lame. \n\nCovid? You gotta be kidding me! There is a reason why Canada performed way better than many other countries. We all saw what happened in the USA where they weren't so strict. Again... ridiculous comment.\n\nThe rules? OMG... go to the USA! ???\n\nIsolation? It's pretty sad when you feel the need to live in a major metropolitan to feel happy... ~sigh~

I visited Toronto in 1986 and I've had friends from that city. The whole world is changing and facing the issues you mentioned in your video. I had lived in Seattle before its decline. I'm in Pittsburgh temporarily and I had lived recently in Erie, PA. They all seem to be facing the same situation--housing crisis, homelessness, and crime. And in Pittsburgh, limited social services.\n\nHowever, I'm sad to see a socialist country such as Canada suffer with these ills. If a socialist country can't take care of its people, there's little home for a capitalist country like the US.

It will only get worse , never will it get better.Make documentaries that will record your downfall. It’s a city within a country governed by morons , communists and parasites

The problem is obvious, realestate value mismanagement because the rise of value comes from the land while buildings depreciate. Over valuation of realestate can lead to homelessness and oversaturated immigration capacity exacerbates the domicile issue. Zoning laws and lack of housing diversity types as a tool, limits a city's ability to solve issue of homelessness and rising cost housing.

Planning to move to Toronto as a single person. You need a job paying minimum 65-70k just to pay your rent/ bills. As couple it’s easier, combine income 100k with less tax deductions. Now for each kid add 20k. You won’t grow but you will survive. If you want to flex in this city 250k or better is needed.

this homeless situation is a pandemic - it must be addressed. its destroying cities

Depends on your interests and personality. Small cozy Ontario towns is where it's at for me. The arts are nice in Toronto, but giving yourself a 2 hour buffer between you and the weirdos, the mental meltdowns on the subway, and filth, is my favourite way to deal with the city. Get where you need to be in Toronto, leave quickly, and watch the violent crime and culture collapse from far away. Honestly even participating in arts is nicer in the smaller towns now, I guess I have no reason to be there anymore.

I have always wanted to visit Toronto, native Chicagoan. That is sad, but all cities have their ups and downs.That is stupid and unfair how rent is increasing.

Looks exactly like the shlthole democrat party city Chicago. City on a lake, with a corrupt inept incompetent government. Violence, crime, theft, assault, vandalism, armed robbery and retail theft.

The entire world is changing. Most major cities in the developed world are experiencing the same problems: increasing inequality, housing crisis, homeless, drug abuse. The only exception are the cities in Northern European countries like Finland where a human is not let to rot on the street. \nOur cities have to change even more to get better and accommodate the changing society. Build walking and cycling infrastructure, social housing, community centers, invest into social security nets and, most importantly, tax the land owners who have created this inequality and who will pay for it.

I hope people realize that these issues are not coming from the average person or the homeless themselves. The rich and your lazy politicians are helping to create these conditions. No one with a steady job should be homeless in any city. That makes no sense. Why is housing becoming so expensive in every major city in the western world? Sounds like a plan to me

I was born in Toronto. It was my home . I moved out a few years ago . I live 30 min outside the city now . Toronto is finished . Crime is up .the city is dirty . They want to defund the police! Wtf . To many people. Run by the crazy left wing . They want to change the name of Dundas street and it will cost $12 million. Now chow dog is putting up your tax by 16 % . Omg .

They're trying to get rid of the middle class and force rentals and no more ownership. Refugees and immigrants are allowed in to mess with demand and covid caused people to move out of the city, then American billionaires such as Bill Gates bought up all the vacant homes and are raising prices. We gotta fix the loopholes and only allow people who live here to own. Pretty much what happened in Rome is going to happen here and Canada has a lot of resources which is what China wants.

I am born in Canada and i lived in Montreal's suburb(South Shore like we say here) all my life and i love it but i would never live in big major cities because of increases of crimes, high prices of houses/condo, traffic jam, pollution. \nMy girlfriend from Beijing came here last september for 2 months and she really loved it. She enjoyed the freedom, the many different foods from other countries in restaurants, our culture , the people kindness, beautiful nature and easy living.\nYes we have too free medical health care here in Quebec's province(Sun card ) and i have an excellent medical plan with my employer so i can have acess to private clinics free of charges when it's too long in public hospitals.\nI hate snow and cold long winters since the age of 18 when i had to go out for work or school and i dont like our corrupt goverment but we can vote for a less worst one every 4 years. ?

I worked on line now retired. Big Cities make sense only if a great job.

Unfortunately these degradation of major cities are everywhere. Lived in California all my life and very disappointed how it’s become. Toronto is becoming San Francisco/ Los Angeles, if not there already. High cost on everything = high homelessness =high crimes. ??

Every city in Canada has gone stupid. Mostly dumb policies, high taxes, practically non existant health care, etc. And Tranna sucks more than the rest of them.

Cities grow and shrink, they wax and wane. This is a natural cycle. New York in the 80s/90s were a mess, now pendulum has swung. This is life

Born and raised in the East end of the city... Lost our rental unit there, had to move out of the city. Now I spend so much money on transit every day.

Lived in T.O. in the 90's. I was in my 20's and living life. What a great city. So much to do right outside your door. BUT, the city gets you. Stuck in the fast paced life, the years fly by it seems. I moved back east and settled back into country living. It was a great experience at that age, but the city is a young man's game. \nRent was $650 for a 1 bedroom just east of young and Eglinton

Left the GTA in 1999 to raise my children...one of my son's was in school that went to sixth grade, there were gangs and there were swarmings at that time...our three bedroom was 935$ plus hydro then..Shudder to think what it would be now. Live in NB now...house is paid off on a five acre lot, kids are grown, great place to raise grandchildren. Best decision we ever made. I missed the city when we moved here, but after a visit a few years ago...not so much.

I was a gay kid who ran away to Toronto in 1982, age 17. Minimum wage was $4/hr and a bachelor at Church and Charles was $350, a one bedroom was $400 - $425. I had a relatively successful career as a pianist/entertainer and teacher at the Y. I was never able to purchase, but rented as the real estate prices only lept and bounded as interest rates on savings declined. I can no longer afford to live in TO, but bought a 100 acre farm in Parry Sound District by cutting a cheque. I have no community... and my cohort as all approaching 60... but the Toronto of the 80's and 90's no longer exists. The discos are gone, the kids today have no appreciation of ACT or Casey House or the hell we went through. But, the virus is controlled... I am rambling, but the city is no longer a place where young disenfranchised can go to be free to exist and be themselves. I worry about the kids of today who will never have enough money to leave home and go to where life can happen. And don't tell me that a cell phone is a replacement for a physical, real existence!!

It's a shame hearing from you that Toronto is no more the city I used to work more than 30 years ago. I really miss the days there. Thanks for your information.

Toronto is no paradise its expensive overlytaxed the people are miserable and selfish and is getting more and more violent the city hates god it keeps poor people down so you can't own a home it is rasist in passive way just too give impression like its not\n Free health care was in the past in toronto doctors in toronto just use your health card as a hustle you go in their office early in the morning sit whole day till evening then im lest than 5minutes you out then they try too experiment drugs on you and you still sick if not the drugs causes other problems. It's a city of lawlessness and only very wealthy people dont see the troubles most taxpayers face . Tax payers are taken advantage of by politicians in toronto now people cant afford housing . I wouldn't advise people to come here its gotten very difficult too live.