00;00;10;10 - 00;00;37;06 Unknown Hey, everybody. Welcome back to life on the prairies. And I am your host, Lindsay Rubeniuk And today, I'm going to talk to you about some questions that you should be looking at. If you are thinking of immigrating to the country or Canada, or even more importantly, relocating within Canada. And I think that this information is very timely considering what is happening on the immigration scene.

00;00;37;11 - 00;01;15;24 Unknown And specifically with the federal government of Canada. We're seeing a lot of competitiveness in our provincial nominee programs. We have seen a change, a dramatic change in the international student programs. We have also seen, you know, different things that are happening when it comes to labor market impact assessments. So there's so much that's happening. And if you are really interested in learning more about immigration and what's happening in terms of federal immigration, even provincial immigration, I suggest you hop on to LinkedIn.

00;01;15;24 - 00;01;42;22 Unknown And there are some really, really great, professionals out there, consultants and lawyers who speak about, what's happening on the immigration scene in Canada. I like to talk more about the opportunities within our country, specifically, where people can live and work. So that's really what I'm going to be focusing on. And hopefully I'll be able to do that for the next couple of podcasts.

00;01;42;22 - 00;02;11;14 Unknown So I've created this series and is called, the series basically called Let's Find Your Canadian Town. And I'm really hoping at the end of it to have a webinar where I'll be able to host it with a variety of people that are looking to perhaps move from large urban centers to, you know, smaller communities in Canada and, you know, preferably rural communities or if not rural communities than just smaller urban centers.

00;02;11;16 - 00;02;41;17 Unknown So that's kind of really what I'm hoping that we can gather at the end of my series and really look at communities that are affordable, that are great places to live, and just to provide you with that insight. So if you are someone that's looking at immigrating or relocating within kind of that, then I really think that you that you are going to find, the next couple of podcasts very, very interesting.

00;02;41;21 - 00;03;07;27 Unknown So I really hope that I can help you figure out the best place suited for you to live. For many people, deciding where to relocate or immigrate often boils down to affordability. Or I would like to think it does. And maybe it doesn't, because a lot of people do tend to move to try to a Vancouver, and they don't find out until it's too late that it's just really expensive, it's unaffordable, and their quality of life is not really what they thought it would be.

00;03;08;03 - 00;03;29;00 Unknown Without further ado, I am really going to just kind of address two topics I think you should really consider when you're thinking of relocating within Canada, or you're emigrating to our great country. And so what's the first thing to consider? And I know a lot of people are going to be taken back by this, but I always say the great outdoors.

00;03;29;02 - 00;03;53;25 Unknown So I go back to the time when we have the pandemic and if there's anything we have learned, it is the importance of being able to access outdoor activities very easily. We know that restaurants, theaters, malls, bars, all of those things can be shut down in no time at all, with just basically the government saying, shut it down, everything can be shut down.

00;03;53;28 - 00;04;26;14 Unknown And so we've learned that those kind of places are at risk for social connectivity. But the one place that we found that's not at rest for social connectivity is the great outdoors. So I always tell my clients when they're looking to relocate or immigrate to the country of Canada, that they should look at communities that have really great outdoor activities and opportunities, and living close to outdoor activities offers such numerous benefits that can enhance your quality of life.

00;04;26;16 - 00;04;52;10 Unknown And I kind of want to give you some key points highlighting the importance of living in close proximity to, to the great outdoors. So to picking a community where it takes you basically no time at all to access some really great activities you can do outdoors. And here's the importance of it first and foremost and enhances our physical health.

00;04;52;13 - 00;05;18;15 Unknown So easy access to outdoor activities encourages more frequent participation. Exercise such as hiking, biking, running, swimming. This increased physical activity can lead to better health, improve fitness overall. And you know what lower rates of obesity right. So that's one. That's the first and foremost thing to consider is your physical health. Well the other the other most important thing to health is our mental health.

00;05;18;15 - 00;05;40;17 Unknown Right. So engaging in outdoor activities has been shown to reduce stress anxiety and depression. Being in nature can boost mood and promote feelings of well-being and the natural environment. It just provides such a calming effect that is beneficial for our mental health. So that's another thing that we need to take into consideration is not only our physical health, but as well as our mental health.

00;05;40;23 - 00;06;04;12 Unknown And going back to what I said in terms of the great outdoors and why, it's really important is because it provides social opportunities. Living near outdoor activities encourages social interactions and simply meeting up with neighbors during outdoor events can lead to a sense of community. It can lead to a sense of belonging and really just improve social connections.

00;06;04;15 - 00;06;29;06 Unknown Fourthly, I think that family bonding really happens when you take your family or you go with your friends and you are hiking with them on a trail where you are skating. You know I like you when you ski on some ice, when you are throwing the ball around to each other and it really allows you to spend quality time together, you know?

00;06;29;06 - 00;06;53;02 Unknown So really engaging in outdoor activities can strengthen family bonds and create long lasting memories. And that's, I think, what everybody wants at the end of the day. The other thing about living in a community that has great outdoor activities is it does really contribute to a strong work life balance, so it can provide a necessary escape, you know, from the hustle and bustle of our daily lives.

00;06;53;04 - 00;07;17;27 Unknown So, you know, if you live dirty minutes away from a provincial park, this will allow you to, you know, hop in your car, maybe grab your paddleboard and head up to a lake and paddleboard for the evening. It doesn't matter what you want to do, it really creates that work life balance because your connection and your ability to connect to the great outdoors is so easy.

00;07;17;29 - 00;07;41;28 Unknown And I think, point number six I have written down here is it certainly does increase property value. So homes located in their parks, trails, recreational areas often have higher property values. And this can be a real important consideration for any home buyer as it provides both lifestyle benefits while you live there, as well as an investment in the real estate if you choose to sell it.

00;07;42;04 - 00;08;01;25 Unknown The one thing I think that I've learned from my immigration clients, especially since they they haven't, you know, grown up in Canada, is the opportunities for learning and growth. So they've often come back to me and they say, you know what? We went, and we did this activity and we really, you know, learned a lot from it.

00;08;01;28 - 00;08;27;06 Unknown And, you know, it could be something as learning an organized sport, I could be something as participating in an educational program that's outdoors or just to go skiing or snowboarding. Right. And I've often heard from my clients, as well as that they develop new skills and interests that they never, ever thought they had. Because here's the thing is, I live in Manitoba and yeah, you know what?

00;08;27;07 - 00;08;53;04 Unknown It can get really, really cold here. I'm not going to lie to you. There are days when I sit inside at -50, but those are few and far between because even on the days where a let's say it's -20, you can go out for a beautiful hike. As long as you are dressed appropriately, you have it. Two you have proper boots on, you have medicine, a scarf, and when you get back from that walk, you feel so refreshed.

00;08;53;04 - 00;09;24;27 Unknown You feel so rejuvenated, and you aren't having to stop at stoplights, wait for cars, you aren't having to listen to traffic, people honking your ears. Right? So it's really important that, you know what? What the outdoors can bring you. And I think lastly is environmental awareness. And that is really important, especially to our younger generations. You know, our generation Z as well as our millennials is that living close to nature enhances awareness and appreciation for our environment.

00;09;24;29 - 00;09;52;16 Unknown And this ultimately can lead to a stronger commitment to conservation as well as sustainable living practices. So, in conclusion, living close to the great outdoors supports a holistic lifestyle that encompasses your physical, your mental, and your social well-being. The access, ability to nature and recreational opportunities can really, really, truly enrich your life. So that's one thing I think that you all should consider.

00;09;52;16 - 00;10;34;07 Unknown If you're thinking of relocating from a larger urban center to somewhere else in Canada, or if you're looking at immigrating to Canada, is that you look at communities that have really great outdoor activities. And so how do you do this? Hop on their website, look for their economic development departments, see how much opportunity they have, what provincial and national parks are around them, if they have trails, if they have hikes at, you know, in the winter that they plow so you can walk on them if they have hikes here in the summer and they keep the trails clean, you know, what is it that that community has and promotes for outdoor living?

00;10;34;13 - 00;10;57;07 Unknown And you'd be surprised there is a lot of communities that do this. So moving on though, the other thing you should consider is the affordability of a smaller community in Canada. And so why should you do that? Right? Why should I consider, moving to a smaller community in Canada that is more afford edible? Right. And there is really a variety of reasons to do this.

00;10;57;09 - 00;11;22;23 Unknown And I guess the three things that, you know, basically five, I guess I'll say, but the first three things is offers economic stability, personal well-being and broader societal benefits. And, you know, I also like to say it gives you more of an advantage in terms of climbing up the ladder and, you know, because everybody says, I would like to be a big fish in a small pond.

00;11;22;26 - 00;11;45;07 Unknown Well, that's really what you are. We move to a smaller community or, smaller urban area. Is that you? You know, if you have a strong skill set, you'll be a larger fish in a big pond or in smaller pond. Right. so that gives you the advantage. And as I just mentioned about the outdoors, it really gives you room to breathe figuratively and literally.

00;11;45;13 - 00;12;13;12 Unknown I would like to move on to that in terms of affordability. And here are some reasons that I've written down that I found from my clients. you know, when they thanked me for encouraging them to move to other places outside of the, you know, outside of the big urban centers like Vancouver, you know, even Calgary, Toronto, all those places I do not promote people to move to.

00;12;13;15 - 00;12;31;07 Unknown I say, you know, if you're going to move somewhere, move somewhere like Edmonton, if you still want to live in a city, right? Or if you want to move somewhere, you know where, it has really great outdoor activities and lots of interesting history and move to Moose Jaw or, you know, Flint of Barrie fortitude, right. Also known as flimflam.

00;12;31;09 - 00;12;54;01 Unknown Those are great places to move to, which is located in Manitoba. So there's so many places to move to that I can recommend. And here's all really what they all have in common and why I really advocate for them. So the first and foremost is obviously economic stability. So affordable communities will allow individuals and families to manage their finances much more effectively.

00;12;54;04 - 00;13;15;18 Unknown You will have lower cost of housing, and that means people can allocate more of their own income towards let's say, saving education, health care and other essential needs. And let me touch on that. So when I say like save for education, because often times I'll have my clients and I'll be like, Lindsay, we want to live in a city where it has this like really awesome university.

00;13;15;20 - 00;13;36;17 Unknown So I always say to them, so you want to buy a house that's going to cost you $750,000, right? Hey, that mortgage like maybe pay at like half off if that, with interest and then kind of have this quality of life that you aren't really living just so in 15 years, your child can go to that university.

00;13;36;17 - 00;13;57;00 Unknown And you know what happens if your child doesn't want to go to that university? And secondly, when you do get to that point and you're living in a small town, let's say you can always move and you'll have your host paid off, you'll be able to sell your house, and you can reinvest that sale into, you know, a home and that large urban center.

00;13;57;00 - 00;14;27;26 Unknown But at least for 15 to 20 years, you got to live in a smaller town that was a lot more affordable, get a lot better work experience, and again, be that big fish in a little pond. So economic stability 101. Living in a community that is affordable reduces financial stress. When people live in affordable communities, they're less likely to experience the burden of housing costs that tend to consume a large portion of their income.

00;14;27;28 - 00;14;56;20 Unknown So if you follow housing, you should never spend more than. I think it's like 30 or 33% of your total income on housing and related costs. So people are now spending like over half or I don't know, even more. And that is crazy. And that's causing so much financial stress because they can't save they can't, you know, have their kids participate in recreational activities.

00;14;56;27 - 00;15;22;29 Unknown And if they are spending money, they're putting it on their credit card. So living in an affordable city actually reduces financial stress because again, the cost of living is lower and reducing financial stress can reduce anxiety. It can improve your mental health as well as financial pressures are significant source of stress for many individuals. So reducing that can reduce your stress.

00;15;23;06 - 00;15;47;04 Unknown Going back to what I said is that affordable communities often have affordable housing, and this can free up resources for investing in education skills training. As I said, personal development, holidays, going back home to see people planning your parents to visit you. There's so many things you can do because if you have more money, it allows you more.

00;15;47;04 - 00;16;19;29 Unknown Freedom is what it does. So people are more likely to pursue further education or start a business when they are not overwhelmed by high costs, such as living in a large city with with tremendous rent or a high mortgage, having commuting time and all adds up. And the fourth thing I'd like to say is that affordable communities often foster community engagement, and they foster a greater sense of stability and cohesion.

00;16;19;29 - 00;16;52;13 Unknown When people can afford to live in an area for a long term time, they are more likely to build strong local networks and participate in community activities. Right? So that is another benefit of living in an affordable community is community engagement allows you, instead of driving on the 401 for 2 or 3 hours to get to work, go to work, drive that drive all that way back, you know, you spend your whole day driving and working just to pay a high mortgage cost, right?

00;16;52;15 - 00;17;19;06 Unknown And if you didn't have that, if you didn't have such a, a long commute, such high mortgage, said other unaffordable things, then what that would do is it would allow you to participate more in community engagement. And the fifth one is economic diversity, right. So affordable communities often attract a diverse range of residents, including different income levels, professions, backgrounds.

00;17;19;08 - 00;17;44;15 Unknown And it really can enrich the local culture and provide a more inclusive environment. So we're seeing more and more people of economic diversity and just different cultures move to rural, rural and smaller urban areas. And it's creating such a great atmosphere here for everybody. And, we are seeing all these diversity, not only in culture, but we're seeing economic diversity.

00;17;44;15 - 00;18;29;21 Unknown And it's just, again, participating and engaging with people from all income levels and backgrounds and professions is such a great thing to witness. Also, what I would like to say is that an affordable community offers accessibility to amenities, right? So residents are more likely to have access to essential services and amenities without facing exorbitant costs. So the cost to join a kid's baseball team, the cost to do yoga that's cost to participate in archery, to go to volunteer and you know, the need for age group to go to a quilting club, whatever it is, the costs are much lower in a rural area or a smaller urban center.

00;18;29;27 - 00;18;59;13 Unknown And so this could even include things like public transportation, health care facilities, schools, their supplies and again, recreational activities. Right. And again, obviously it improves your quality of life and long term sustain. Sustainability can also be contributed to affordable communities, because what it does is actually helps prevent displacement of lower income residents. It reduces homelessness and supports diverse, vibrant neighborhoods.

00;18;59;16 - 00;19;29;17 Unknown So affordable communities rarely see people living on the streets, if ever. And affordable communities really look out for all citizens, so there's always a place for people to live. There is a lower unemployment rate, and we just have basically those neighborhoods that look out for each other, I think. Lastly, I'd like to also say is that it goes back to, the great outdoors that I mentioned at the beginning, but also it's better health outcomes.

00;19;29;20 - 00;19;59;14 Unknown So when you have lower costs of living such again, you know, you don't have high commute times, your housing costs are lower, so on and so forth. It can lead to better health outcomes. So families are not stretched them financially, can afford healthier food, access regular health care, and just plainly live in a safer environment. So in conclusion, living in an affordable community is essential, I say, for enhancing individual and communal well-being.

00;19;59;16 - 00;20;29;09 Unknown It will support your financial health. It will promote access to educate and basic needs, and you know, it will just produce and provide stability for you and your family. So my big takeaway from this little sermon I gave is that when you're looking at relocating or moving to, somewhere other than a big urban center in Canada, is that you should look at communities that offer great outdoor activities as well as the community should be affordable.

00;20;29;12 - 00;21;00;04 Unknown I'm going to leave you with some, you know, some links and my show notes. Also my contact information if you want to get in touch with me. But I think this information that I provided you today is really important, especially if you're looking to be competitive, if you're looking for employment, if you're looking to just kind of separate yourself from those who have put themselves in a position where they find that living in large urban centers is unaffordable, they can't afford daycare, so on and so forth.

00;21;00;04 - 00;21;22;26 Unknown Right. I really want you guys to figure that out. And it's easier to do it right the first time than to have to pick up and leave everything, especially in terms of immigration. It's a little bit easier when you're looking at relocating, but in terms of immigration, it's preferable. And at this time in the immigration scene, it is truly important to get it right.

00;21;22;26 - 00;21;45;00 Unknown The first time, given provinces in the way how they look at people moving from one province to another, taking away points, whatever it may be. Right? So this is kind of off the cuff podcast I did. I just want to touch base with everybody. given all the craziness that's going on again, with our immigration, you know, in Canada in general with just high cost of living.

00;21;45;02 - 00;22;11;08 Unknown And while you know that there's hope and I'm living proof of that, I live in a small town. I love it here. I really am good at what I do. I enjoy, what I do as well as I really love seeing the results of what I practice as well. And I really want to pass that on to everyone that I meet and that, comes and works with me.

00;22;11;11 - 00;22;33;13 Unknown So anyways, thank you for listening to life on the prairies. I am your host, Lindsay Rubeniuk, and I will be looking forward to talking with you, the next time. Until then, live rural, live well.