Toronto to Moncton: My Family's 5 Biggest Surprises

Back in 2010, with twin two-year olds running around, I looked at my husband in our Burlington, Ontario bungalow and said 6 words that would change our entire lives:

"I want to move back home."

"Back home" = Moncton, NB - where we've lived ever since. It's where I was born, where I grew up, where Ryan and I met, and where I knew we could raise our kids with a healthy dose of regular ocean air, shorter commutes, and a community that would know them by name.

Despite having been away for almost 10 years (and my entire adult life), I trusted that "back home" was the next step in our journey so we packed the truck, sold our house, and headed east.

No story is worth telling without its' fair share of surprises and this story is no different. Our move to Moncton - and our first home in New Brunswick - came with its' fair share of surprises and unexpected adventures.

When Ryan and I look back, here are the 5 things that surprised us most about life in Moncton:

1. We went to the beach every day in the summer

Jellyfish by G: Age

When we told our friends and family in Ontario that we were New Brunswick bound, we threw around many of the stereotypical reasons to move east including the quintessential "we can do to the beach every day". But truth be told, I was skeptical. Two small kids and two busy career-minded parents didn't exactly sound like a recipe for daily relaxation on the sand, by the sea.

Lo and behold, the 20-minute drive to Shediac and the almost non-existent commute in the city meant that we spent almost every evening at the beach May through September of our first year home. We would take turns sitting with a coffee while the other parent waded into the ocean with the happiest toddlers around.

Those moments were the first true connection to myself that I had felt in the early years of motherhood and I'm so grateful for them.

2. Home heating options and costs in New Brunswick

My least favorite surprise of all, I learned the hard way that home heating is not the same ballgame in New Brunswick and the Greater Toronto Area where I had spent all of my homeownership years until 2010.

When you come from an area that has been well-serviced by natural gas for generations (like Burlington, Ontario), it's difficult to imagine any difference. And since Ryan and I were both REALTORS® in Ontario, we had been conditioned to avoid "expensive" electric heat at all costs.

Markets like New Brunswick flip that approach on its' head due to the smaller volume of natural gas customers and resulting in higher delivery charges. We began learning about home heating efficiency in a big way because there are so many more options and efficiencies to optimize in this region.

Despite having been a licensed REALTOR® for 7 years in Ontario, I had never actually heard of an air-to-air heat pump (a New Brunswick staple technology). I'm happy to report that we are enjoying heating our current home with a geothermal heat pump - the most efficient option we've found.

3. How quickly a minute of traffic became complaint worthy

Coming in at the most embarrassing entry is #3. I spent years sitting in 45 minute (each way) commutes from downtown Toronto to Oakville and Burlington.

Yes, that's 90 minutes, every single day, sitting on a highway.

So I knew that I had truly acclimatized to Moncton life when I found myself frustrated and annoyed with sitting for approximately 60 seconds at the Riverview traffic circle. (This happened about 3 months into the journey if you're wondering).

4. A snow removal plan and equipment are essentials here

We moved to New Brunswick in October and I remember Ryan said "I'm going to need a snowblower." I have no idea why but I truly didn't believe that a snowblower would be a necessity - ha! Life in South Burlington brought the occasional snowstorm but that snow rarely accumulated in a substantial way.

Let's just say that a snowblower became essential and eventually got replaced by a driveway service. (At $40.00 a storm, it's money well spent).

5. Monctonians are involved and take ownership in a big way

My favorite surprise of all only dawned on me about a month ago, 11 years after the big move to the East. I was chatting with some friends and one asked, "What do you think is so special about the people here?" We sat in contemplation as I started to recall some of the most incredible experiences I've had here.

There was the time on 9/11 when I remember Monctonians showing up at the Coliseum to meet passengers whose planes had been grounded. They brought supplies, food, and in many cases, brought folks home with them to have a nice warm bed for a stay.

There were countless times after I started my own business (Marrow Marketing) that our business community offered advice, connections and coverage to make sure I had everything I needed to grow and thrive as an entrepreneur.

There are memories of teachers who've become friends and almost family after working with my kids at school.

There are currently arms-length lists of incredible candidates (and friends) running for municipal office to serve their communities.

What's so special about the people here? They take ownership of their community in a tremendous way... like I've never seen anywhere else I've lived.

Our big move led us back home and while there were a few surprises along the way, without a doubt we are exactly where we are meant to be.

Have you moved to New Brunswick from away? What was your biggest surprise?