Small town, big move

A simpler life in a small town setting is a dream more and more Canadians — particularly retirees — are harboring. But choosing the ideal location amid the thousands of small towns sprinkled across the country can be like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack.

If relocation to a small town is for you, try to check-out your preferred choices in person. Armed with a good road map and a sense of adventure, your quest can be fun. Make your first stop the local chamber of commerce or tourism centre — it will save a lot of legwork. However, making an out-of-province move requires a little more help. One of the best resources available for those seeking a small town lifestyle — and who have Internet access — is The Townsearch Guide. This online resource includes information on a variety of locations (all of them with populations under 50,000) right across the country — everything from real estate offices, businesses, accommodation as well as a community profile. Clicking on the province of interest takes you to a list of communities for which information is available. Once selected, the location of an individual town is shown in relation to major cities in the pvince. Local news, weather forecasts and upcoming special events are also covered for each town.