A little more than five years ago my wife and I moved to Belleville, a medium-sized town on the northern edge of Lake Ontario. Just far enough east of Toronto to be out of its shadow. As in beyond a practical commuting distance.  But close enough to visit should the spirit move.  As it does, from time to time.

Previously, we called Newmarket home, one of the towns north of Toronto connected along Yonge Street and within what is referred to as the Greater Toronto Area or GTA.  And it is true (although not advisable): you can drive straight down Yonge Street to the heart of Toronto.  Or the other way.  One of those super long streets that connects Toronto’s waterfront with Barrie, or perhaps further to the North Pole.

Retirement planning, the ability to work remotely, and the impact of housing sprawl drove our desire to find a long-term solution.  Our decision to buy in Belleville was accidental and quick, both things that, in general, should likely be avoided.  Armed with a floor plan, a lot, and an awesome home builder, we lucked out.  Real estate markets being local… we managed a parallel move from a squishy but lovely condominium townhouse in Newmarket (as in within the GTA) to a nicely upgraded bungalow on the northern edge of town.  Which for us represented an unlikely dream scenario come true.

Fast forward.  The hard work invested over the past five years – walkways, patio, gardens, outdoor lighting, fireplaces, pot lights, cabinets – allows us now to fully enjoy the years ahead.  And Belleville, as we have had a chance to discover, is a great place to live.  Not quite big enough (yet) to support a Costco, but that also has its upside.

Everything one might need is only minutes away. It has the Empire Theatre in a revitalized downtown.  Not every town has that sort of thing.  And Prince Edward County just across the bridge from Zwick’s Park (a rare zw word, both letters pronounced).  And good amateur theatre. And the occasional traffic jam near the mall on a Friday afternoon (or when the 401 is broken). And not too far away is the lovely destination town of Warkworth. Enough with the hyperlinks.  The point being these are all things discovered after moving here.  So, you see, sometimes limited planning mixed with serendipity plays.