HELLO COUNTRY OUR JOURNEY IN GREY COUNTY
Loving our new Grey County Life The irony of penning the following piece in a “Support Local” edition for South Etobicoke isn’t lost on me, but if you’ve ever dreamt of saying ‘goodbye city...Hello Country!’ you’ll want to read on. You may or may not know this about me, but Jessica and I made the decision to leave Long Branch at the end of 2019. Suffice it to say, it was not an easy choice. We loved our little bungalow on Thirty Ninth Street just off Lake Prom. We loved our neighbourhood and we miss our friends. But when we weighed the pros and cons of selling our city home and buying a country property, we realized that it made a lot of sense; both financially and spiritually. We certainly lucked out having made the move prior to the pandemic. It’s not news that folks are moving to the country in droves now, partly to escape the confines of Covid city life. Single people, couples, families - all looking to embark on a new adventure in search of a simpler, more peaceful life. As I write this, I hear snowmobiles zipping past our house as they drive along our snow-covered road passing the odd horse and buggy, no doubt. It’s Sunday and our Mennonite neighbours are on their way home from church. I’m wearing overalls and kneehigh camo boots because I just came in from mucking out the goat stall. Yes, we have goats! And horses, too. By the grace of God, we’ve managed to do a complete 180 with our lives, and we’re not alone. One of our new friends, Susan Moffat - a local
16
Realtor who lives in Grey Highlands, a municipality in the heart of Grey County, has helped quite a few families make the move from the city to the country. Her area of expertise extends to properties in Bruce and Grey Counties, a large swath of land along the southern shore of Georgian Bay, that includes the north end of the Niagara Escarpment, and down along part of the shoreline of Lake Huron. This area includes familiar destinations such as Collingwood,
Tobermory, and Sauble Beach, but is mainly comprised of small, rural towns that fewer people seem to be familiar with (at least I hadn’t heard of them before). Towns like Meaford, Thornbury, Tara, Paisley, Durham, Flesherton, and Markdale to name a few.
“The appeal of country life is taking hold,” says Moffat, “especially among young professionals, families, and those looking to retire outside the city who might have otherwise chosen to go south to the States.” Moffat and her family didn’t always live in the country. They did what we did, just 15 years earlier. “We know what it’s like to leave everything behind,” she says. “We always wanted to have more space, to be surrounded by nature, and to be more self-sufficient. I understand what it’s like to be new in the country,” Moffat continues. “That’s why I make it a point to be helpful to my clients long after they’ve moved in.” I know when we moved to Grey Highlands, we didn’t know a soul. Well, just one...our Realtor. He was our only friend for a while until we started to get out and meet people in the community. The concept of being friends with the person who helped you purchase your new home may seem foreign, but it’s common place up here in the country. Moffat can attest. “I always help connect my clients with local contractors when they need work done on their place or even to plough snow,” she explains. “I love to recommend great local shops and restaurants, and also to just be a friend. We’re all part of a tightly-knit, but
www.fiatluxmedia.com
