7 things that make me homesick for Ontario after moving to Vancouver

I’m one of many Ontario transplants living in Vancouver, and, while I love my West Coast life, sometimes I can’t help but feel homesick for where I grew up.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the mountains, the show-stopping sunsets, and living right next to the ocean. But there are little things that evoke a “you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone” feeling.

Fall colours

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Fall just doesn’t hit the same out here. I miss the rolling hills that turn auburn, orange, yellow, and bring red in September and October — and the bright sunny fall days that go with them.

Thunderstorms

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I never realized before I moved just how rare a thunderstorm is in Vancouver. Now, whenever I hear that once-a-year rumble in the distance, I can’t help but think of the epic summer thunderstorms I grew up with in Toronto.

Lakes that are a good swimming temperature

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The lakes in BC are beautiful, but many of them are alpine and glacier-fed — meaning they’re extremely cold! Ontario cottage country certainly has the edge if you want to float in there all day long.

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Tenancy laws that protect pet owners

Irina Kozorog/Shutterstock

This one really grinds my gears. I never knew how good I had it as a renter in Ontario, where no-pet clauses weren’t legally enforceable. Here in BC, if a landlord says no pets, the law is on their side. Guess my dream of getting a dog is further away than I thought.

(Relatively) cheap car insurance

ICBC (CineCam/Shutterstock)

I honestly miss the days when I had no idea what ICBC was.

Driving tickets that only last three years

A police officer writing a ticket (Shutterstock)

If you needed one more reason to avoid a speeding ticket in Vancouver, here it is: driving tickets stay on your abstract and affect your insurance rates for a full five years here, instead of the three-year follow period in Ontario.

Energy for a night out

Karen Doradea/Daily Hive

Vancouverites have a bad reputation for being flaky, and it sometimes makes me miss the commitment and energy folks elsewhere in Canada bring. Mind you, there are fewer beautiful views to wake up for elsewhere.

What do you miss about home after moving to Vancouver? Let us know in the comments.