Best Small Towns in Ontario and Quebec?

[bpmwriter]

Hi everyone,

Planning a scouting trip for this summer and would like advice on small towns to check out in Eastern Canada. I'm a nature lover so looking for a green town but one that's also within driving distance (less than an hour preferably) from either Toronto or Montreal. I'm self employed so work isn't an issue; I want to escape the big city grind but don't want to isolate myself entirely either. I'm a single writer in my mid 30's so young artsy energy would be great.

Thanks for any and all thoughts!
Eddie

[Collie]

We're in a similar position - have been looking around for somewhere to live and had good experiences of Peterborough, with Guelph also good (bit more arts life as far as I can see, but not so 'wow') and also love Prince Edward County. However all but Guelph are more than an hour from Toronto...

[CanadianGal]

Well not Eastern Ontario or Quebec-but try Niagara on the Lake or Elora and Fergus. Not much more then an hour from TO. Artsy-tourism, pretty areas. Maybe Orangeville, or Newmarket ...Kingston. Some of these are small cities and some small towns. More rural -Haliburton(School of Arts), Bancroft. Gananoque. Orillia, Coburg, Port Hope(that may ne nice). Merrickville, Lindsay. Variety of lifestyles, flavours, and distances. How often would you be needing into TO?
Others not needing to be close to TO might like Owen Sound, Bayfield.
Oh, hey, what about Stratford? Arty ,young, small, but not too small. Famous for the Stratford theatre. Pretty. Straight commute east into TO. Granted I have widened your searches but hey-worth checking out on the web!

[krohmann]

Hello,
I have lived in a bunch of those small towns and they aren't so artsy and aren't so good for single people. To be honest, if you are looking 1 hr from toronto then you are looking in the suburbs which have very little other then the typical 'cookie cutter stores' and people farms (also known as new housing subdivisions). Some of the small towns outside Kitchener Waterloo area have some life but it is just over an hour outside of toronto.

I would take a look around the Outskirts of Ottawa since it has a lot of cultural events being the nations capital

[CanadianGal]

Yes different flavours, all.
If you really want young, arty, then just go for downtown TO(expensive rent for a little apartment). But, thats where all my friends gravitate to for the arts/culture/nightlife, diversity.
If you are an artisan some of the smaller towns would be good. Like St. Jacobs(right outside Waterloo). Otherwise it would be downtown in smaller cities with universities I would recommend. I really like Guelph. Beautiful smaller city. Live close to downtown....avoid suburbs in any city.
I can't really speak for Eastern Ontario as I have only briefly visited a few places.