I first came to Canada in February of 2012. I was living in the UK, working for a company that had locations in both the UK and Canada. My boss at the time had invited me over for a visit. I think the idea was to deter me or at least to ‘test’ me to see how I took to the Canadian winter. I remember going out for a run along the boardwalk in -10c (something which would be unheard of back home) and I wasn’t alone. There were so many people out, walking dogs, jogging, cycling and one person cross-country-skiing. It was then that I knew I had stumbled across a very cool place –excuse the pun!
In the months that followed my first visit, I got a promotion and job offer that saw me move to Toronto’s East End by September of 2012. I spent the next few years adjusting to life in Canada, working and exploring the city.
LEAVING THE CITY
It wasn’t until 6 years later in 2018 that I decided it was time to leave the city and look for a slower and quieter place to live. I had spent some time at various cottages, been up to Algonquin and fell in love with what the countryside had to offer; trees, lakes, hiking trails, kayaking and swimming. When I started looking for properties, all I knew was that I needed to be a reasonable commute away from the city for our weekly office meet up and close enough to Algonquin for weekend getaways. It took me a few months of searching, but as soon as I visited the property in Hastings County, I knew immediately that I was home. I moved from Toronto in July 2019.
If it was the outdoors that drew me to Hastings, it’s the people that have made me stay. I immediately felt very welcome in the area, but as the pandemic hit, unfortunately, I didn’t get to interact with my neighbours until another year or more later. But when I did, I felt a very welcome part of the community and enjoyed the sense of neighbours looking out for each other. There are some amazing people in Hastings County and that is a big part of what makes it such a great place to live.
I left my employment in late 2020 and now run my own Coaching and Consulting business www.levelupbcc.com, coaching both local business owners and consulting for franchise businesses from start ups to large international businesses. I work from home and have a wonderful balance of working on my business and working around my property, enjoying the outdoors. I plan to continue to grow my business over the coming months and years.
Anyone thinking about moving to the area should prepare themselves accordingly. Spring and Summer offer great weather and plenty of outdoor activities. Most of the businesses are thriving during these months, especially from the through traffic of those heading North to their cottage. So, if you’re thinking about starting a business that relies on footfall, these are the months to capitalize on. This is also the time of year when construction increases. Be aware that there may be more road closures and heavier traffic than usual. It’s equally the time of year when the bugs come out. Therefore, if you’re planning on going into the backwoods and hiking on trails, be prepared! Fall is probably the best month of the year. The temperatures are lower at night time, allowing for comfortable sleeps, but still warm enough during the day that you feel like summer is hanging on. The scenery is absolutely stunning and when the leaves start to turn, there is no place on earth like it. During the winter months, things slow down a lot and many people retreat into their homes more, which can feel a little isolating at times. But if you don’t mind this and you like winter activities like skiing, boarding and snow-shoeing, there are plenty of opportunities to get social and active.
Local Support
One of the best things about the Quinte region is the geographic diversity that it offers. The City of Belleville has everything you could want in terms of shopping, food and entertainment. And yet only an hour north of here you can find yourself in the great outdoors, amongst the fields and trees and lakes that are scattered across the area. It has a wonderful blend of wilderness and civility; it offers country living within reach of civilization. If you’re an outdoor enthusiast, but want to be close enough to still have dinner and a movie on date night, this might just be the place for you.
Moving to a new area is not without its challenges and I have experienced some, namely not knowing the locality nor anyone in it. I was fortunate enough to have some amazing neighbours who were more than willing to share their knowledge about the area, which gave me a huge boost. As you explore different places, you find things that you like to do and in turn you meet like-minded people.
The gym in Bancroft is a fantastic facility with all the cardio and strength training equipment you could hope for, including 3 squat racks and an olympic lifting platform! There are a number of markets all around the area (Marmora, Madoc, Bancroft) on different days of the week that run from May through to October and have all sorts of local produce. This is a great way to meet and get to know more of your neighbours and buy local. In addition to this, Hastings County has an amazing small business team. They offer business coaching services, information and training, run networking events and have some great resources to help local businesses. I have met a number of wonderful people directly through the Hastings County Small Business Co-ordinator and have been very pleasantly surprised at the plethora of entrepreneurial people living in the region.
