Cynics Unlimited

Joe Fiorito of The Toronto Star has decided to tackle the subject of small town brain drain:

Those of us who come from Cranbrook or Corner Brook come for the same reasons. It’s a Canadian thing. Some of us leave home, and some of us stay behind. Off to the Big Smoke? What’s the matter? This town too small to hold you?

That’s just sour grapes, and it is as Canadian as a sheaf of wheat, a cord of birch, a crate of apples, a barrel of fish, a stack of hides, a bucket of ore, a tray of butter tarts, a hockey stick.

But in all envy is a hint of sadness, and the lingering fear that those who leave do not come back. Toronto is a whirlpool, pulling you in against your will. Stay home if you want to. It does not do to dwell on the past.

The best come here because there is no place else to go; even we know this. If you want to do well, we’ll make room for you. If you do good, we all do better. Here’s a secret: We are not just like you.

We are you.

As a small-town refugee, it is easy to attest to the dearth of economic opportunities in small towns (not to mention the complete cultural rot and closed minds). That said, there are other places where young and motivated small-town people can go to make a decent living for themselves. Waterloo has a very strong IT sector (one of the best in North America) while London is nearly as good as Toronto for financial sector jobs. If you are fortunate enough to get a decent school board job or a high ranking position within a power generation company then you can also create a fine existence in cottage country. With the continually rising housing costs in Toronto –not matched by the rise in net income- these “alternative” living arrangements may soon be the preferred choice for young professionals. Medium sized cities may be the way to go.