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Like you Alina, Harriet and I lived in a city where we were born , raised and loved. Boston. What's happening in Toronto is happening in Boston. The big cities in North America are experiencing\nsimilar issues, some better than others. We still have family in Boston. We continue to go there as you do in Toronto. It's been a while since we've been to Toronto. The two cities are very\nsimilar. Harriet and I are optimists, we hope that the future of yours and our beloved cities will bring us back to a place that we remember fondly. Sending much love❤❤ from Richmond, Va. Harriet, Jim and Yuki

Toronto is what happens when an entire city goes woke.

I lived in TO and loved the multiculturalism, but the rate of demographic change needs to be managed and new immigrants properly supported and integrated. With the mass immigration of the past 2 decades, with a great share of the immigrants moving to TO and the GTA, what made TO great has been destroyed. Especially with the pressure on rents and house prices as the population sky rocketed. In the early 1990s TO was a great middle class city, now its just like other cities with the rich doing well and the rest struggling to hang on. Left in 2017 and will not be going back.

Really sorry to hear you're not staying but i can't blame you. Socislist city policies, and socialist federal policies are destroying the comforts ofvthis city. I do however see signs of the pendulum swinging back. Please keep coming back to visit.

I have lived in Toronto many years i originally as a child grew up in Mississauga. Both cities have changed with time. One of the saddest things is that many people don’t feel safe in Toronto. I have many great memories I still currently live in Toronto I can afford my place a one bedroom in west Toronto. But at the same time my landlady’s. Doesn’t provide what’s necessary. Being no doorbell inadequate heating mice around at times. However I put up with it because the alternative is not there at this time \nI work hard like many do. But at the end of the day. Not much left over

IT hard in most of the European nation, including the USA major cities. In these hard times, IT looks better to be married right now because you will have two incomes. The cheapest place to live at right now is in one of the countries in BRICS. But those counties are still in development.

I am born and rasied in Toronto and I would have to say what is happening now in this city is do to the covid fallout. Toronto has always had higher rent then most Canadian cities but I think with the loss of jobs and and the rise in cost of living all over Canada due to covid I would say that Toronto is going through some hard times like everywhere eles in Canda. Unfortunately because it is the bigest city alot of people have moved here in the hope of a better life. I have noticed a rise in drug use but have not noticed a rise in violent crime. They do say that the TTC is got worse...Hard to say as I take the TTC every day across the city and have not noticed any diferance other then more and more people are useing it again. During covid the subway was empty and now all these people that have never used it before are having to learn how it all works and subway edict. I think media is making the subway seem worse then it is. To me it has not changed. I do agree the real problem is dealing with homeless that was more hiden but now is out in the open. Funding from all levels of goverment needs to help all big canadain cites more. I think Toronto will come back again to what it was pre-covid. Hopfully soon!!

I was just in Toronto yesterday and I noticed how many homeless there were compared to when I was there in 2019. It breaks my heart because I spent so much time in the city growing up.

With all the major cities with all their problems (ie. high cost of living), Toronto ranks as the best for me.

So its basically headed the same direction as every city in Western Society...?

Hi Alina! Great video and very informative. Never been to Toronto but would like to visit it maybe for a week or two one day. The things that are going on in Toronto are also going on in most all of our US cities now as well and it's just a shame.

I moved here about 6 month ago, but not worth the $$$ it commands. There are many many better cities offering a lot more for the money.

Are there any towns within a 50 mile radius where you can live cheaper and commute daily to the big city?

Looks like Toronto is moving in the same direction as east and west coast U.S. cities. They're turning leftist.

These issues are big city problems, and seen far worse in the US. If you go to NYC, you will see cost of living being astronomical (much higher than Toronto), homelessness being worse, crime is worse and mental health services are non existent. The same is true for LA. \nIn fact, in the US petty crime is more lethal due to the mass access to firearms and rampant gun violence. \nThings can be better in Toronto but it is still far better than many equivalent cities in the US.

Housing costs are crazy here in Toronto...I lost my apt ...(740 sq. ft. - one bedroom)...which I had in Etobicoke at the end of Covid Jan. 2022 ...( My rent started at $940/month in 2016 and to just a tad over $1000/month in 2022. I Was on welfare during Covid 2020-2022)... Welfare only pays $733 for a single male (Welfare recipients weren't eligible for that CERB that paid every 2 weeks so I had to sell most of my furniture and cherished antiques to survive...Lost my apt...couldn't afford it anymore and I ended up in my sister's basement for 3 months but moved to a rooming house in the east end of Toronto at the end of April. Thank God that I got a job working in a hospital as a janitor...Still, I pay $650 a month for a room that is about 75 square feet....I've seen closets bigger...I share 4 washrooms and one laundry room with one washer and dryer and a laundry tub (This is the main source of water for cooking) with 26 other roomers...There is no kitchen and no lounge area...So yeah Housing is Fuked Up here in Toronto!... I was so close to being homeless...I do not work full-time. I am only on-call so I am at least able to make ends meet but still, it's hard surviving here in the big city...I was born here and grew up here and this city may have changed on the surface but beneath it, it's rotting to the core and it's getting worse every day!.... Love your vids by the way :)

This is similar to the changes in cities like San Francisco or my home capital Denver, Colorado. I moved away from Denver a year ago because of the violence, the homelessness, the drug usage, and the car backings they were occurring. I think safety and violence are of concern in all of the major cities facing housing crises and rising costs. ?

The rental issue because ON Premier Doug Ford removed the rent control limits back in 2018, since he has done this, any new housing, rental units, renovations that occure after 2018 the property manager can settheir price and / or is when thos renovictions started (after unit renovated and since after 2018 the landlord increases the tenant's initial rent more than what the city would set as their limit usually betwen 1 to 3 percent, But this drastically changed during and now after the pandemic years.

I'm brazilian and run a language school in my country. I've been to Toronto 3 times in exchange programs with my students. The first time, in 2012, I found the city amazing and incredibly safe. The second time, in 2018, I noticed a small change for worse in terms of security and homelesness. My last time in Toronto was this year, and I felt myself very insecure and saw things that I wasn’t accostumed to seeing not even here in Brazil. It’s a pity, because Toronto is an unique city and it has potencial to be very developed socially speaking. Unfortunately, I'm searching for alternative destinations to take my students abroad.

There was a time I thought of moving to a major city like Toronto but a lot of cities in many countries have these problems... Safety is the main issue that keeps me up at night if I did move...

There are just not that many options of places to live in the US that are good, especially if you don't want to be isolated. As an American I thought about moving to rural New Hampshire.. which doesn't have city problems, but still, kind of cold and isolating and they might have meth problems. I decided on Miami as a home-base, its expensive, but there aren't many other good options out there.. Living in another country is psychological hard after awhile and dealing with visa issues.. I thought about moving to somewhere like Budapest which is very nice, but if you aren't part of the culture or know the language, its hard.. Its better sometimes just to settle down somewhere, I can't get anything done as a nomad, constantly worried about where I am going to next, living in other people's apartment isn't always comfortable..

Sobering, but spot-on. I am primarily a theatre actor based in Ottawa and travel to Toronto frequently, for stays both short to long-term. The rise in cost of living, rental, traffic gridlock, safety concerns, everything you alluded to has dampened the experience of working in the city. It is near impossible to find affordable accommodations that is not in a basement or shared space. As you say, all the attractions and big-city appeal are there to enjoy, but only if money is not an issue!

What I've noticed living in Toronto during the covid and then traveling around other cities is that some cities took covid as an opportunity while Toronto just got neglected. For example NYC doesn't smell so bad anymore, Montreal and London(UK) got a ton of public spaces, Paris transformed the road network and even Belgrade got nicer. Meanwhile Toronto couldn't even restore drinking water and toilets in the parks after 4 years.

What you mentioned about in being in your 20s and trying to follow Bill Shatner down to Hollywood - very few actors strike the big time and that’s after a lot of work and if you’re ever on strike, your income wouldn’t last very long! Now you can be an independent content creator and reach more people than through the traditional path of moving to New York to get established in Broadway and then going to Los Angeles and hoping someone notices you and recruits you to a studio. About Toronto, it was once a gateway towards becoming Canadian. Not so much anymore. As a city it has all kinds of things to see, do, eat and be entertained yet its very expensive! Definitely not for the first time visitor and thanks for the overview of the financial and cultural capital of Canada!

I feel that the provincial cuts to Community Health Care really had a detrimental effect on Toronto and the elimination of Rent Control for a lot of buildings and new developments in the city. I think Toronto is experiencing the consequence of these decisions.

Hate to disrupt the narrative, but in the mid-2000s on my series of trips, there was an armed robbery in a small business on Yonge street. And I vaguely remember an attack in the Eaton Centre. I somehow learned of such things after returning home. I think that was Harper time, and his attitude about personal firearms may not have been helpful. I just think these overgrown cities are sold by the excitement, but not only good people are attracted.

I'd love to see a compilation of all your old commercials! They looked very entertaining. Something about Japanese commercials make me laugh. Think about it. As for Toronto, it's sad to see and it seems most big cities are following a similar path.

Thanks, Alina. It is really heartbreaking to see the non-stop downhilling of the city along with the country.

I used to live in Toronto and I left for different reasons 2.5 years ago. It is not the same place that I remember it to be. I understand that places change but it’s changing far too fast for me. I used to like going out to various independent shops (especially bookstores) and because of the condo boom a lot of these places can not exist anymore. I also liked going to places where the ttc struggles to go to (further out of the city) but having a car and dealing with traffic has gotten way worse. My other thing is the people. Years ago people would talk about fun things and now all they talk about is money, real estate, and traffic short cuts. I agree with the crime and the housing issues that you mentioned. It’s ok to visit but I try to get out of there (otherwise I’ll be spending all my money on parking)

I am a resident of Toronto for the past 11 years now. I moved here from Calgary because back then I had a better opportunity. I was an aspiring pastry chef. I landed in pretty stable and well paid job. I've already noticed the changes in city a few years before the pandemic. The drug addiction and mental health problem were already quite evident as injection sites were popping up around the cities including public parks. Then the pademic happened, it exposes the cracks in our society, some people are becoming selfish and intolerant. I lost my job due to the pandemic, it was very traumatic, I developed severe anxiety/depression. Luckily, i had some savings when it all happened. Fastforward, I've been working in the last 2 years now but I can no longer find the same job and pay I used to have. Most companies are now more ruthless. They let go employees any minute as soon as they felt the business is slow. There's no more job security. The only reason why I am surviving is because I am living in the same apartment since i moved here. However, my new neighbours who just moved in are paying twice as much. I've been attempting to leave the city but that would mean that i would be paying at least twice of my current rent and there aren't much opportunities elesewhere. I honestly felt trapped in my current situation but I am still grateful that I am still better off than many people who are already living on the edge. Sadly, the situation is only getting worst according to many analysts. I think the country is at a breaking point in many aspects.

City life is expensive. Inflation out of control. Low levels of affordable Housing and good affordable transport needed.

It looks like Toronto is no longer the 'People City'! Good-bye '70's! ?‍?

A somewhat depressing video, because it's an actually accurate portrait of the city, as it is. Toronto and Canada as a whole is governed by politicians and bureaucrats, who rely on experts opinion of what could be, if x,y,z all come together as envisioned. These pixie dust ideas are often aspirational, but sadly lack a base in reality. Slogans and cheerleading don't make things happen. Rarely is there enough funding to support implementation of these grandiose ideas, and somehow these same leaders ensure they get a chunk before anyone else, cause they have a standard of living to maintain. They just really feel for the pain and suffering of those who are not them. Toronto and Vancouver used to be Canadian examples, that those of us didn't live or want to live there could still be proud of. These cities also were viewed as examples to follow by other Canadian population centres. So the same issues keep reoccurring, because in abstract theory they could work. By the time reality shows that they are not working, it is too late, and too hard, and too embarrassing to change course. \nA very interesting video by a creator who took her rose coloured glasses ( we all have a pair just admit it), and sees what is and then says it out loud.

Way to go Saskatchewan girl! I go Toronto couple of times a year but that city is not for me because I am from Seoul in Korea which has 40 million people live in the city size of GTA lol? I love prairie life

You can’t compare North America cities to Asia cities. If you go to China in short time you may say they have best cities of the world. Some people don’t like Toronto like you do. There are some reasons that so many people like to call Toronto home. It is very personal based on how you see the world.

I grew up in mid-town Toronto and love this city for reasons mentioned in video and much more but, it has seen better days. It's still a beautiful city. Things have changed is an understatement, tho. ? ETA: after a full watch - this video with news insight is well done and edited along with shining a light on the societal issues that need to be addressed.

Alina this story is playing out in many cities in the world consider yourself lucky you can get away from these circumstances.

Sadly , so many small businesses closed during covid & many people lost housing & once on the street desperation takes over & crime increases. All major cities in the world are enduring this wave of homelessness & it's negative results. Very sad.

I love Toronto, but it's too expensive. Easier to live outside the city and just train it in for a day.

This recent crime wave on the TTC is certainly unnerving and felt like something from inner city America in the 70s and 80s - most certainly very un-Canadian-like but unfortunately very real.

Sad to see the city of Toronto changed. After watching it, the people live in that city is almost in the state of poverty. ?

That is sad for Toronto. However, it's the reality around north America. In the US is even worse. Even in small cities housing is starting to become unfordable. Really informative and great video.

Send immediately to nearest sanctuary city…

He pronounced Regina wrong. It gina not geena. Anyway, we have a problem with homelessness in this city, too. The high price of rent doesn't make it easy for people. I can't even live on my own and still live with my mom because I don't make enough at my job.

They messed up the city. They are stubborn. You gave them a sheltert to stay. They still want to go in the street. Need an action. Someone is tough so that this homeless will learn.

Canada is a beautiful country in the summer but I've been in nicer countries and cities in Europe. After living in Germany for a few years as a child I struggled to find anywhere in Canada that even compares, and the closest I came was southern BC where you pay a premium to live in a relatively nice climate that most people around the world take for granted. That's not even getting into how Victorian Canadian culture feels compared to Europe.

Canada ❤?. Bhai Canada is better than India. Don't go to big cities

Dear Malaika,\nAssalam O Alaikum,\n.\nGood To See Your Vlog For First Time. Kindly Apni Vlogs Mein Ye Tu Bata Diya Karain, Keh Aap Ontario Ke Kis City Mein Ho. Yes, For Safety Do Not Mention Your House Number Or Street & Particular Location, But Atleast City Ka Tu Bataya Ja Sakta Hai Na, Like Brampton, Vaughan, Markham, Oakville, Milton, North York Or Mississauga....Etc.

If you are in Canada...move to a smaller city....or move to another country ❤ ❤ Btw i agree about everything you say!!+ BIGGEST ISSUE is sense of real community and connection and meaningful friendship. So far BEST CITY i have found unbelievably...is WINNIPEG. WHY? Houses and car inauranmore affordable and the people are genuinely lovely and kind. They get out together and talk to their neighbors. (Unless in brand new area with all newcomers). Only advice is stay away from north west...that is a nasty area. Rest of city is great. Downtown not best to live in. Work in is fine. Winnipeg was best city.

Canada have so much land and money! Government should build them a home city please! Once they have job can pay back to the city