09/10/2025
Should I stay or should I go, too?
A record number of people are leaving Canada, with over 200,000 non-permanent residents having left in the first half of 2025 alone. Citizens and permanent residents are also leaving in higher numbers to build a new home elsewhere. For many of us, this news hits close to home.
The news of so many leaving hit me especially hard when two families who were key to my own settled life in Montreal left the country, likely for good.
Ashley and Rose, who introduced us to this city life and its beauty of it since we were in London.
Fabio and Stella, made us feel like part of a big family, 6000 miles from our own.
Friends, you are very much missed!
When close friends leave, we, as immigrants, inevitably reactivate our train of thought about the reasons for their move, the reasons for ours, and if it’s time for us to leave too.
Is this place my home? Do I have the energy to remake a home somewhere else now?
The statistics show thousands have replied yes, and one key reason is housing. Its increasing cost, along with the difficulty of finding the right place at a fair price, leaves many struggling to feel at home in what’s affordable. We even had to do toss a coin to choose between a beautiful flat and a convenient home.
We are aware of being luckier than many others; even more having two good options to choose from. But it left us with a feeling of living in a compromise, longing for our dream home.
Home is where your heart is, they say.
I’d be more explicit. Home is where your heart can feel at home, so to be more motivated in making your current nest homey, even just temporarily, before realizing that home is somewhere else.
To my friends giving a shape to their dream of a home, all the best. And to everyone seeking their new home, good luck. You can always reach me out for a helping hand.
