Ontario Has Some FANTASTIC Spots For Homesteading 

We live off grid in parry sound on 145 acres…..it’s epic!!!!

There are farms in that part of Bruce County, but the soil is not very deep due to the Niagara Escarpment running up that way. While there are a lot of farms out there, a few larger properties are for sale in that area. Land values in Southern Ontario are much higher than in Northern Ontario. The rush has already started in the Bruce Peninsula north of Owen Sound. Anything south of Owen Sound is becoming more connected to Toronto each year. The GO Transit only goes as far as Orangeville, but many small suburban places have slowly started popping up south of Owen Sound. Owen Sound is the main town, about a two to three-hour drive from Toronto. It has strip malls, a hospital, Walmarts, and other amenities, making it one of the regional cores for all the farm country. There are quite a few cottages northwest of Wiarton. People in these parts are friendly enough. Wiarton, with a small hospital that used to be a Red Cross facility, has a population of a few thousand people 2k to 3k in the area. Outside Wiarton, there are smaller places with lots of cottage country, most of which are cottages. In my opinion, Manitoulin Island is a bit more secluded, with only one bridge and seasonal ferry services. I have family in the Bruce Peninsula. Grey Bruce is the county-level government for services like health. There is a small airport near Wiarton, actually a few. I have family throughout the Grey-Bruce area, which is 100% country. This area has generally been conservative. The younger generations are somewhat tied to city life, causing a slight population drain as young people don't return, leading to classic housing shortages. In places to the south, which were peri-urban, there are larger towns. The southwestern part of Ontario consists mainly of farms with urban hubs that might include grain processing or other industries, like the salt mines in Goderich. These are very quiet areas with classic church communities that, just in the past few years, are starting to see a bit of multiethnic settlement among East Indians. However, the numbers are still low, but GTA migration has slowly started spreading out a bit further each year outside Orangeville and Barrie. Of course, there are also reserves and indigenous issues. One must be aware of native land claims in the Bruce Peninsula. The whole area was more or less reserved for the natives but was then illegally settled. There was a legal case where they reclaimed a bunch of land around the reserves and such, so be aware of that when looking for property in this area. There was an issue where a bunch of leased cottages and beachfront were reclaimed, so it’s something to consider; I’m not sure what happened with that case. Starting a farm should be fine; there are very nice, mutually supportive small farms all around the Grey-Bruce area. I have family with a bit more of a hobby farm experience out there. The farms can definitely be used; lots of Amish are in the area too to the south, and with that, you know you can homestead as the Amish have done it for 200 years now. Properties were going up all around the Bruce, so the population has switched out a bit, with lots of new people living in the Wiarton area. Cores like Kincardine have seen rent increases, so the cost of living has gone up, getting closer to GTA levels. Peterborough has some small hamlets and such, with lots of lakes, sort of like GTA cottage country. In my opinion, it’s fairly quiet. Peterborough itself has a university and is very nice in the summer; the area is well known for boating. Outside the core towns like Walkerton, Kincardine, and Owen Sound, which serve as administrative hubs with courts, etc., there are smaller communities and farms and cottages outside those communities. Not much happens in these parts; classic events like the Santa Claus parade are the big events. In the summer, people go out to the lake, farm, or have horses just outside the smaller towns. There are ATV trails and boat launches, etc. It’s a bit more like Northern Ontario than the GTA and Southwestern Ontario. The Bruce Peninsula is more like the south of Northern Ontario (like Parry Sound or North Bay). In my opinion, Northern Ontario as an industrial hub starts with Sudbury. It is a total change, focusing mainly on transportation and minerals. Parry Sound, North Bay, Barrie (arguably this might be in the core, but just outside Barrie, it is more like cottage country), the Bruce Peninsula, and Manitoulin are more like cottage country and farms. South of Owen Sound, you move into the urban core with Kitchener, London, Windsor, Toronto, Ottawa, etc., being cities with some farmland outside them. So, in my opinion, Ontario is really 3 or 4 distinct zones of living: Urban, Rural, Resource, and Toronto/Ottawa (government cores). There is farm soil in the north around Black River and Cochrane, but they have cold, hard winters.

I started one in Wingham Ontario 3 years ago and mostly good but make sure you get land zoned agriculture, if not bylaws and snitch neighbors limit you.

Hi Curtis, believe it or not Point Pelee in Southern Ontario sticks JUST BELOW the latitude of the North California border, not central Oregon :D. Cheers.

In the book you mentioned "10 Acres Enough", James Miller (1864) and wife intercept waste streams of manure from horses as it was barged out of New York City. They composted it to build soil for food production. Be resourceful! They went and talked to thier neighbors to see what grew well in their agricultural area and obtained good council in order to soften the learning curve.

My sunflowers are 10 feet tall right now and I'm in Southern Ontario. My Weed plant is 7 feet tall. I've already started harvesting green tomatoes and frying them up. We get very heavy rain fall and then lots of hot sunny days.

Thanks Curtis. Although it falls into your London circle, my homestead in Simcoe is close to an hour from London, an hour from Hamilton, nearly two hours from Toronto. Definitely not all grid. Some of the lowest latitudes with growing season more than a month longer on both ends (spring and summer). It’s private, but close to market. Moved here 9 years ago after considerable research - so unlike the cities and suburbs.

Im between Huntsville and North bay. Garden is ROCKIN🎉

Definitely pretty moist in Southern Ontario. Excess water is just as likely to be a problem as lack of water. Aside from containers, I've done basically no watering this summer in my backyard (other than for carrot/lettuce seeds that need permanently moist soil surface to germinate). Vast majority of farmland here has no irrigation and is used to grow water intensive crops like corn. Soil is mostly clay based loams so they retain water quite well.

The bylaws and price points for property is the problem in Ontario

LOL I drove past that property in the Owen Sound area today. I was picking up a Metis brother just north of Wiarton. I'm trying to live as much as possible like my ancestors being on the land in a log cabin. Prepping for 10 years have solar, garden, chickens and freeze dryer with great neighbours and strong Metis community.

Ontario is so freaking expensive though. We are in southern Ontario and a half acre rural property is close to 1million. 😢 it’s hard to homestead fully when you have to have to working adults in the house.

THANKYOU for FINALLY doing my province. While you did focus on the Owen Sound area which is close... I'm surprised you didn't go further up onto the Bruce Peninsula, it gets VERY rural very fast and is far superior to anywhere in Grey County or Southern Bruce County for purposes of home steading. It's truly the only real option for people like us in Southern Ontario besides going North of Orillia. It's also where I live lol. And you weren't kidding when you talked about how beautiful it is along the coast of lake Huron, the entire Bruce Peninsula is an absolute Garden of Eden , nothing in Canada compares ones you realize what it's like there. BUT.. keep that a secret ;). We don't want more people here lmfao

As someone who lives in ontario i would do anything to leave this place but i cant do to personal reasons rn, worst place in canada to be yes im serious

We have a 84 acres homestead to share with a family that wants to actually have one. It’s work. It takes commitment. But only the first 4 years is hard. We want to share this homestead.

Eastern Ontario is the foothills of Mordor. Also, the cancer of urbanization spreads from Toronto at incredible speed. Those peri-urban areas around Peterborough might have ten years left before they're full of townhouse tracts and big-box strip malls. With a bonus minaret on every corner.

Great video, but ain't no way even building a homestead could convince me to live in Ontario ever again. It's a stunningly beautiful province crippled by taxes, rules, and regulations. It's not that it's not possible for someone to have a great life here, but literally any other province except BC is better. Both BC and Ontario are problematic for similar reasons. The climates are great, but the restrictions frustrate me.

Parry Sound has many lakes but it’s also super rocky. The Canadian Shield is everywhere. Beautiful but all water and rocks. lol

Just want to add: once you are on the shield, you have to deal with the black flies and mosquitoes, and those are things to take seriously. A friend moved north to her dream home and ended up fleeing back south because she couldn't go outdoors without a beekeeping suit for a chunk of the year. Also be aware of land that is environmentally protected -- common near waterways -- as that will prove a challenge.

Northern Ontario has two claybelts that are great for farming, the New Liskear area and the Kapuskasing area. Yes we don't have zone 5 growing but even in zone 2B where I''m at, we can grow all the important crops. All the city people have started to move up though. As well as quite a lot of north Africans. Housing is at a premium, be prepared to fight locals for bigger, out of town properties.

Why is Kingston on the no-go list? It's barely growing and less than 200k people. Madoc, Belleville, etc areas are worth checking out too

Couldn't pay me enough to live in Onterrible. It's going to be india soon

The Amish are buying amazing farms on Manitoulin

Great video! Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. All the best.💛✨🙏

@5:10 I believe this is called the "401 Corridor". The highway goes from Toronto to Windsor, through London. You seem to be 50 miles on either side of it.

I'm from Toronto and have spent many years in the Kawarthas (Peterborough) and around Parry Sound. I would avoid trying to make a homestead in northern Ontario. It's almost all rock and acidic sandy soil. They also announced today that the town of Ignace in northern Ontario has voted to be a dump site for Canada's nuclear waste, they have offered to allow it to be dumped on the local Indigenous Reserve. (no consent from the Res council of course) The Kawarthas while it used to be great farmland have been chopped up and destroyed by developers looking to score. Not to mention our current Premier only cares about his rich friends and has actively been destroying some of our best farm zones. That's why my family and I are no longer looking in Ontario at all.

Southern ont, my home, hot and humid summers, cold damp winters, spring and fall is where it’s at👌🏻

Lived just East of Owen Sound my whole life. Currently have an 85 acre off grid homestead complete with 40 acres workable land, greenhouse, barn and heated workshop. We are getting pretty self sufficient, but unfortunately it’s just too close to the city for my liking. We will be selling within a couple years and moving to our second home in northern Ontario if anyone is looking for a ready made homestead!!

Pelee Island Ontario is farther south than the north tip of California. I live in Cramahe ( between Colborne and Brighton. Farms all around us. Great farming spot.

The downtown Fort William part of Thunder Bay is pretty crusty but other parts of the city are alright, even downtown Port Arthur isn't too bad.

In the most southern parts of Ontario, it can go to 7b.

I was born in Mattawa... some really nice farmland there.

if I remember correctly, there is a nuclear waste disposal site on Huron..... some years since learning/reading about that so a bit foggy on it now...

Kingston is pretty small, same size as Sudbury and Thunder Bay, and the surroundings are just a few small towns and a lot of woods. Not much population on the American side either (unlike Windsor with Detroit or Niagara Falls with Buffalo), so I wouldn't worry about it being near there too much. I think you'll be fine 30-50 miles from London too. Even at the 20 mile mark, you're quite far removed from city life. The rural areas surrounding London and Windsor are basically the PPC heartland of Canada. Only thing is land is more expensive than the areas further north that are more marginal for large scale agriculture.

Love the shot out. Homesteading in Windsor

Ontario is giant, takes forever to drive out of it. Eastern Ontario is the last cheapest land left with good growing season, lots of rocks though.

your view of mining is inaccurate and dangerous, but otherwise great show, thank you for sharing

I'm just west of Toronto. Love living at the lowest part of Canada. This area is far too expensive. Wanting to move to just below Algonquin park. As long as I don't look at waterfront property. It's very pricy too.

Hi Curtis. Do you have any idea of homesteading in Sudbury area?

Awesome content I found you from the livestream from owen Benjamin

THE most outrageous real estate prices in the world.

The on gov is going after unorganized townships and making planning bylaws applicable btw

Northern Ontario is most viable and if more quality people were to move there it would make a world of difference. Spent the first 11 years of my life on the outskirts of the Sault and spent the rest of my life missing it! Cost of the Owen Sound example???

That parry sound property is next to an aggregate quarry - you can see it from highway 400. Cool property but way too rocky to farm in the traditional sense

We are looking but we have a couple of years lift in the military

Please do Minnesota!

Homesteading is what all European men must do, we have to become those survivalists and live off what we produce. This toxic society that constantly talks about how bad we are and are falling over themselves to bring in other people to take our place must find out what its like without our productivity. We cannot be replaced.

YES! it does. But Ontario is in Canada.

I live outside Napanee its pretty sweet

Yeah, I just we didn't have so many new regulations around off grid communities pop up during 😷...off grid communities now have to have water, sewer and be accepting of the police, fire fighters and the like. When I was a kid an unorganized township did not require any of this, now you MUST be part of the tax base🥴

Surprising as it sounds, the southern tip of Ontario is farther south than the northern border of California.

$25-26,000 per acre other area were up in $34,000 why a lot of 50 acre plots are selling for a million no house no services

I will tell you right now. The best homestead place in Ontario is MANITOULIN ISLAND. BAR NONE.

There’s a snow belt crossing the province

Ontario overpriced and under serviced. Roads are crumbling though fuel taxes bring $ billions in 😮

Please do a video about Idaho, especially north Idaho!

Clarington area wells are dry.

If your Canadian great.

Thank you

Please do videos on WI and MN.

Have fun saving for 50 years to afford any land in ontario lmao

Ontario what what!!

Owen Benjamin brought me here... Channel seems great!

What about the Carolina's

80% of Canada's population lives south of Seattle.

Sadly at what price.

10:28-10:58

Yes but do much land is being built on

I homestead northern ontario. I try to not have a mine north of me..however its inevitable to have huge mining operations upstream. Southern ontario is overwhelming with people. Around thunderbay is zone 3 but good agriculture. If you want to stay southern ontario, look in the Bancroft area and good soil. Sudbury area just had several years of rock blasting and will continue to mine the crap oiur of the area..not good. Huntsville is close and better. Avoid sault st marie and wawa area unless you want to lease land or be in a swamp. Timmins areas is now being populated by all leaving the GTA. Its heavy logginf, hwaving mining...heavy crime traffic in and out of the quebec border as well. Hells angel country...but cheap off grid land. Head west its very french till hearst. Logging there...but farmland from over logging...geraldton just opened a mine.. Terrace bay sucks. Nipigon area is nice and cheap land but mines opening up north of there. I am north of thunderbay...and theres agriculture land but they are turning thunderbay into a new toronto fast. Pickle lake area is nice off gird land but red lake mine is north of it. South of thundetbay is nice but closer to USA. En route to manitoba mainly logging and massive mineral exploration. Hard to find pristine land anymore. The government is returning to the old cuts from when they made the railroads. They leave scraped rock so they can have a cataloge by the view of an aircraft. Gold deposits and platinum. Currently people offgrid are fighting over 500 acres...i have 154 acres and thats enough for 2 families for sure. I am building into the ground❤ Really awesome ❤

Well , now that you all have shared how much available beautiful usable land there is in existence here in and around ontrario , we can well expect to be soon run out of homes and from our land by the massive overflow of immigrants flooding our country like a tsunami , and no doubt see these areas flooded with east indians as well . Thank you so so very much !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!🤬

LCBO is on strike and the bootleggers are making bank! Politics is a huge mess in Ontario. I would advise not to sink any money that you fear of loosing in Ontario. js.

It’s a comment section of millionaires 😂

as a pilot don tca l lthem chem trails they are condensation trails.

Bang on, Curtis! The only thing I would add is that you will absolutely need greenhouses in the northern parts of southern Ontario. We get frost into June and sometimes as early as August. Loads of rain for rain collection here. We are still mostly conservative outside of large cities. Avoid North Bay, Toronto anything. That third property is ideal. Outside the Muskokas so cheap and many likeminded younger homesteaders moving there. Anything from Toronto to Windsor is established rich farmland, expensive and intolerant to younger homesteaders. Awesome job on Ontario. I have not been to other provinces but many states and my wife and I prefer Ontario if you dont consider the political climate and GTA.

This guy has no clue that these are some of the most expensive areas per acre in Ontario.

ive just listed my property northern ontario. i have given up the dream.

There are no viable homesteading areas in SW Ontario. Good Lord no! Total grain of salt with anything in this area.

Algonquin park takes up so much amazing land. Its a shame the crown takes so much.

Onterrible

Chemtrailing...? Sorry, anything you say in the rest of the video is jnvalidated. 😂

Do you know how many apple trees are on Manitoulin. Tens of thousands

Do you know how many apple trees are on Manitoulin. Tens of thousands