Stop the Commute – Part 2
There’s no question that commuting is a dreary activity. It drains your wallet, your energy, and your health.
Those who hoped for a higher standard of living and better quality of life by commuting to a higher-paying job in the Big City might want to ask themselves a couple of questions:
- Is the commute really worth the stress, the aggravation, and all that lost time from family and activities you really enjoy?
- Do the higher wages in the city really cover the actual financial cost of your commute?
If the answer to either or both of these questions is “no” or “I don’t know”, read on.
Other than quitting work entirely (not a viable option for most people), there are really only a few ways to stop your commute
What Are Your Options?
Work from home. That’s a nice thought, but it just doesn’t work for most people, as evidenced by the declining number of people who work from home. Many jobs are not suited to remote performance, and some employers are reluctant to institute work-from-home programs even for those jobs that could be done remotely.
Move closer to where you work. That’s a possibility, but if you’ve ever checked out the real estate market in the GTA, you already know that you’d have to have a mid- to high-six figure household income just to be able to buy a nice house – not a mansion, just something nice. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation reports the average price in Toronto for a single family detached home was just over a million dollars in 2017. There is the condo option, of course. Those cost a little less to buy and could work for those who don’t mind being crammed into an overpriced shoebox featuring a spectacular view of the Gardiner Expressway. But if the traffic fumes don’t kill you, the condo fees might. (Although you could offset your condo fees by leaning over the balcony and selling potato chips and soft drinks to commuters stopped in heavy traffic.)
Work closer to where you live. Now we’re talking!
Come to Durham Region
I’m going to tell you some things about the Durham Region. A recent Money Sense evaluation ranks Oshawa/Durham among the top 20 places in ALL OF CANADA to buy real estate. The average selling price of a house in Oshawa, for instance, was just a little more than half of what you’d have to spend in Toronto for something comparable.
But Durham has more, much more, than just reasonably priced real estate.
Durham is home to numerous elementary and secondary schools including public, Catholic, private, and French schools. It also boasts some of the top-rated post-secondary schools in Ontario, including the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), Trent University, and Durham College. These post-secondary institutions focus on educating their students in the areas of local development and growth with programs specializing in growth sectors such as science, energy systems, engineering, public health, automotive, computer sciences, information technology, and more.
Want to have a good meal out, take in a play or a movie, have a picnic with the kids, play some tennis, get some sun at the beach, or indulge in some retail therapy? No problem! Durham has numerous theatres, shops, museums, restaurants, parks, beaches, playgrounds, sports arenas, you name it.
And here’s the best part – you can get a great job locally. You can stop the commute.
Employment in Durham
Durham Region is rapidly developing, growing by leaps and bounds. The Region is focusing on investment in a number of sectors, including agri-business, health sciences, innovative technology, manufacturing, tourism, and EN3 (energy, environment and engineering).
EN3, for instance, is thriving in Durham Region. Durham Region produces roughly 30 percent of Ontario’s electricity and is described as an “energy cluster”. Of the 22 CANDU reactors in all of Canada, 12 of them are in Durham region. The provincial Ontario Climate Change Action Plan spurs ongoing development and innovation in this dynamic area.
Manufacturing is another area of intense activity, particularly in automotive, aerospace, and automation. Growth in other areas of manufacturing include textiles, rubber products, glass and glass products, forging and stamping, motor vehicles and parts, paints and adhesives, cement and concrete products, and others.
Durham Region has also enjoyed a 51 percent increase in film production activity since 2012. Feature film, video, commercial and television producers spent approximately $103 million in production activity in just a four-year period.
Are you a techno-whiz? Digital technology is another strength in Durham Region, impacting the areas of health informatics, security, gaming, marketing, content management, energy management and manufacturing automation.
Construction in Durham is booming. Dan Waechter, Construction Manager for the Regional Municipality of Durham, says “Our construction projection is about 20 percent larger than last year” and adds that it’s growing. There are also literally thousands of private contractors in Durham Region providing services in building, excavation, concrete work, paving, plumbing, roofing, and many other companies providing ancillary goods and services.
Students from Trent University, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, and Durham College have high employment rates, meaning their education leads to work upon graduation.
No wonder the unemployment rate in Oshawa is so low! Statistics Canada pegs it at 4.5%. Compare that to 5.5% provincially and 5.8% across Canada.
Durham’s Unstoppable Growth
To encourage growth in key sectors, local, provincial and federal government agencies are actively promoting and supporting investment in Durham for new start-ups, for corporate relocation, and for expansion of existing business.
Investors are looking to Durham Region as the place to expand and grow. Oshawa is home to one of Ontario’s Regional Investment Centres, The Spark Centre. The Spark Centre focuses on innovation in the Region and offers financial support to new and developing businesses in the area to help Durham’s economy continue to grow and thrive.
And ALL of these industries need experienced managers and skilled personnel.
Durham Employers Want YOU
Durham Recruiting can help! We have connections with many local companies and businesses that have positive and established positions in the industry and they are looking for you. At Durham Recruiting, we use our relationships with these companies to match qualified candidates with desirable, sustainable positions in a variety of industries, including skilled trades, general labour, manufacturing, and professional-level careers.
Check our listings today and come back to Durham Region.
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