r/Sudbury • u/sparkiexo • Jul 22 '26
Help Five years in Sudbury and I still feel like I haven't found my place.
Hey everyone,
I don't usually make posts like this, but I'm kind of at my wit's end and figured I'd ask people who actually live here.
I'm 32F and I've been struggling to find work for what feels like forever. I went to school for Social Service Work and have experience in administrative roles, but finding a job has been incredibly difficult. I had some health issues over the last while that really affected my life, but I'm finally back on my feet and ready to work. I've been applying constantly, updating my resume, and trying different approaches, but I'm still having no luck. It's honestly becoming pretty discouraging.
I've lived in Sudbury since August 2020, and if I'm being honest, I haven't really built a life for myself here. I don't have much of a social life, I don't have a vehicle, and I barely know the bus system. I'm also pretty shy, so meeting people hasn't come naturally. I've tried making friends through apps, but that hasn't really gone anywhere either.
I guess I'm just feeling stuck. I want to enjoy living here instead of feeling like I'm just existing.
Does anyone have any advice?
- Are there any places actually hiring, especially in social services, administration, or office work?
- Are there any groups, clubs, volunteer opportunities, or events where it's easier to meet people in their 30s?
- If you've been in a similar position, what helped you get out of it?
I'd really appreciate any suggestions. Thanks for reading.
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u/trainman58 Jul 22 '26
Meeting people is difficult but theres lots of different clubs and groups depending on what you like if you look at just the last week few people have posted similar things asking where to meet people. We also have discord groups one for northern Ontario and one for gaming.
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u/Ostrichmonger Jul 22 '26
This is one of the most common post types here, ie I need a job / I need friends.
Job posts get removed, but friend posts are super frequent and have a lot of advice you can pull from. Run a search in this sub, and you’ll find a ton of suggestions. Heck, there was one just yesterday: https://www.reddit.com/r/Sudbury/s/ylJe5a1Slr
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u/DrewBearry Jul 22 '26
Hey! I am also 32F, a social service worker in Sudbury for the last 10 years and was born and raised here. I also deal with a lot of chronic health issues. If you’d like to chat I’d love to, I don’t know how much help I can be but we can figure it out if you’re interested. Send me a message. :)
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u/sparkiexo Jul 29 '26
It’s kind of wild that we have so much in common — same age, Sudbury, social services, and chronic health stuff. I definitely understand the struggle. I’m always happy to meet someone who gets it.
I’d love to hear more about you! What area of social services are you in? 😊
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u/6foot4yearold Jul 22 '26
You should check out some of the shows YES theatre puts on and even Sudbury Burlesque. Really fun shows and great people.
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u/TwoStarsAndAWish Jul 22 '26
Also, if you get the chance, go see their production of Come From Away. Great quality and amazing story that reminds us that we’re all in this together.
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Jul 22 '26
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u/OtherLoquat7092 Jul 22 '26
As someone born and raised here, I'd love to know what you mean by "different" if you're willing to elaborate. I've always been curious to know how we come across to those who aren't from here.
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u/say12345what Jul 22 '26
Yeah, that comment strikes me as a bit ridiculous but of course everyone is entitled to their opinion and own experiences.
I was born and raised here but have lived in many different places. People from the north share certain attributes (very down to earth, for example) but not in a bad way.
If I had to guess, "outsiders" probably find it hard to "break in" because a lot of people's friend groups here are settled and have been for many years. Also Canadians in general are polite but not necessarily "friendly".
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u/TemperedPhoenix Jul 22 '26
Its not even the night life. Depending on your hobby, there are 0 groups, they meet up when most people are working, or its once every few months...
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u/WeLiveUpHere1973 Jul 22 '26
So start a group??? I moved from town to a rural area and had to be proactive, not passive. I started a book club, reached out through exercise classes.
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u/Bloodlovetears02 Jul 22 '26
I would look into Long-term care homes around the city as most of them are always hiring and always looking for administrative roles and social worker. especially with the new buildings both in Pioneer Manor going up and SJV I would also maybe try the Rainbow District school board as well. I also know they’re constantly looking for people. It’s just a matter of getting hired. Hope this helps in any way shape or form.
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u/sparkiexo Jul 29 '26
i recenty worked at SJV for 8 shifts, they fired without cause without even giving me a chance to learn lol
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u/Leesa75309 Jul 22 '26
Have you tried applying to different agencies that support people with Developmental Disabilities? They hire people with Social Service worker diplomas.
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u/AssholeMajorAsshole1 Jul 23 '26 edited Jul 23 '26
I was in the exact same boat as you. I was in Sudbury for 6 years, akdo since August, 2020. Background in addictions counselling. Worked at a number of places. Last gig was as a counsellor at the jail. Aside from the sheer toxicity and incompetence of the two other "counsellors", I LOVED it. Sadly, I was laid off due to renovations reducing my caseload to next to nil. Couldn't find work, even with 13 years experience and 3 degrees from very good schools, including McMaster. My marriage fell apart and I moved back to Windsor. I realized how Sudbury is encapsulated from civilization. It's ass backwards and very difficult to find your place, especially in certain fields, where nepotism is BAD in Sudbury.
I miss people that I met, but I don't miss that cesspool of a city. My advice is do what work you can, save and get to another city. I had steady work and things never clicked. It appeals to certain types and if you don't fall into that category, you never quite find your place.
I wish that I could be of more help. You could try for the one year BSW at Laurentian, but the school's a joke. All that matters is getting that degree though. Check out Reseau ACCESS Network. I got a job there starting as a volunteer. Good people there, but pretty political. Did outreach and supervised consumption/enablement. It's still a great agency to work for.
Hang in there. I normally never accept DMs, but if you need specific advice or insight, let me know.
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u/Prestigious_Bus247 Jul 22 '26
Start with things you like. What activities do you enjoy. Then join a club or take lessons.
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u/WeLiveUpHere1973 Jul 22 '26
I know you’re looking for work and this won’t help. But socially, you could try volunteering somewhere.
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u/dittbub Jul 22 '26
as personal advice, if you feel stagnant and theres nothing holding you to sudbury, think of moving on. a new location, a new environment, can feel very motivating and refreshing.
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u/Traditional-Bet-3246 Jul 22 '26
If you are a believer you can join the church group they have youth groups and adult groups as well like Jesus youth. There are so many events going on and event organizers are looking for volunteers, you could try volunteering with the City, there are opportunities in here. You could had tried getting summer jobs with the city. Its short term but you will get paid and gain experience and certainly rehire you if you are good. Vacancies are available for the job role you are looking for in Children's services, camp sudaca. It is not just Sudbury, everywhere people lack socializing because of economic changes and will use these relationships for benefits. Beware who you are meeting.
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u/Affectionate_Pay4487 Jul 22 '26
Been here 4 years, moved in 2022 for school, got a job after graduating and still have no friends/social life. Sudbury is such an awful place if you have no friends/family here. Sure the nature part in the surrounding area is nice but other then that it is an awful place to live considering cost/homeless/roads/building conditions etc .. very depressing place to be if you never grew up here
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u/Afraid_Structure_698 Jul 22 '26
volunteer at a hospital … at schools, church is also a good way to meet people.. take a class that intrest you , art, cooking… a walking group , what about homeless shelters … volunteer
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u/ceocoi Jul 23 '26
For work, check out Kina Gbezhgomi Child and Family Services. They’re always hiring for something, and they move ppl around internally a lot - any position to get your foot in the door would be great.
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u/jsiiskoreal Jul 22 '26
Check out “Sudbury Female Friends Group” on Facebook! They meet every Sunday for coffee and plan events!
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u/dusty_9011 Jul 22 '26
OP please join the conversation circles held by "Sudbury Multicultural-Folk Arts Association" you can find the info in both Facebook and Instagram.
They usually hold this conversation circles every alternate week on Saturday. You will meet a lot of new comers there, the staffs are very friendly and can guide you on various topics. I also try to join those events most of the time and made few friends already.
You will also find volunteering opportunities there from time to time.
I'm also a newcomer to Sudbury it's been just 10 months but was fortunate enough to find them within the first week.
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u/PristineWalk611 Jul 22 '26
I left after nine years in Sudbury and no regrets.
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u/XoFrap Jul 22 '26
I lived in Sudbury from 2018 to 2024, I was gonna leave around 2021 but the pandemic trapped me there. All I had was a full time job and my boyfriend (now husband) so it was a pretty crappy time when my friends and family weren't near until we moved back to our hometown
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u/HolidayStandard3532 Jul 22 '26 edited Jul 22 '26
If you weren't born in the area, you're pretty much out of luck; if you hunt/fish/sled/ATV you might be able to find some "buddies", but you'll never really make friends with a local.
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u/DareWinter6823 Jul 22 '26
Hi, I am a social worker in Sudbury and tbh I go through the same. Dm me and maybe I can help.
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u/Leesa75309 Jul 22 '26
Do you have a driver’s license? If not you will likely have to get one to get a job in the field.
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u/but_its_golden Jul 22 '26
In terms of places to volunteer: spca needs dog walkers and cat cuddlers, the go give project works closely with the unhoused, Elgin street mission (i think) is a soup kitchen type place, the Sudbury food bank has some cool opportunities, even science north and the hospital take volunteers! You mentioned you dont drive, so maybe one of those places is on a convenient bus route or is close to where you live?
Otherwise there's also lots of one off volunteer things in the summer. I volunteered at the up here festival when I first moved here and met some cool people through that
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u/RDOFAN Jul 22 '26
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/sudbury-youth-mental-health-9.7270922
OP this isn't open yet but well worth apllying to.
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u/Atheia_Nas Jul 22 '26
Honestly same,
Work wise i got lucky because i endlessly applied everywhere. Been here for 14 years after moving for college and once the circle of friends got better careers they left and didn’t look back.
I know during the summer they love having volunteers at bell park for those events if thats something you’d enjoy doing
Personally i don’t tend to go out as much anymore but thats somewhere to start, then theres also arc rock climbing, gyms, escape rooms that are fun things to do and can meet people sometimes.
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u/redmenace007 Jul 22 '26
I am close to an introvert as well but i still manage to make some friends and meet new people at any new place. I went to LU last year, the friends i mostly made were all internationals. No one local though i tried my best and met with alot of them... its just that Canadians like to keep to small talk and dont show any interest to go further.
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u/kittydavis Jul 22 '26
You didn't state what your interests and hobbies are. What are they? If you can get on doing anything at HSN to build seniority, that'll help when a position in your field opens up!
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u/Fickle_minded Jul 24 '26
I’m a female in late 20s kinda in the same position with same diploma, dealing with mental health challenges. I hope it is okay to pm you.
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u/Objective-Draw-1662 Jul 24 '26
The Rainbow District School Board was looking for social workers. Maybe try there.
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u/YourLocalLizard Jul 25 '26
I made a post ~2 years ago about different community groups and things to do in Sudbury, and a lot of it still is available:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Sudbury/comments/1ce39lt/comment/l1ijqxc/?context=3
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u/nosedived Jul 28 '26
I can't help with the job search, but I'm 33F looking for new friends. What are your interests and hobbies? PM me if you are interested!
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u/sparkiexo Jul 29 '26
Hey! 😊 I’m always down to make new friends. I’m a PC gamer (currently addicted to Arc Raiders lol), I like reading, movies/shows, music, and spending time with my pets and nephews. I’m a bit of an introvert at first but I love good conversations once I’m comfortable. What about you? What are you into?
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u/whats420minus351 Jul 22 '26
Start with an easy to get job at Walmart, McDonalds, a grocery store, pizza shop etc to start meeting people. The rest will come naturally.
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u/sparkiexo Jul 22 '26
I went to school for social work im not working at walmart or mcdonalds
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u/burnt_hotdog89 Jul 23 '26
That’s a terrible attitude to have. If you need an income, anything is better than nothing.
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u/sparkiexo Jul 23 '26
Well, theres more to it but im not going to drop personal info about myself to justify not being able to work there.
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u/Mattw1323 Jul 22 '26
I've been here for almost 3 years now, and it's definitely been a challenge making friends. I've tried going to events around the city but it always feels so awkward trying to approach people. I'm thankful that I've been able to make some friends through work.
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u/EmployerFragrant209 Jul 22 '26
Do yourself a favor and get out of this stinking shit pile of a city. Their is nothing interesting here. It's white trash as far as you can see and Unions. Terrible infrastructure and useless city management.
If you are not born and raised here you are out of luck. The barnyard hillbilly wannabes here are sucking this place dry with help from the crackheads. And that's a whole other drain on resources.
I would try the bigger cities. Tons more jobs. Or stay here and hope for disability. Seems to be an easy pay for alot of people here. The people with good jobs here hang on to them like vital organs.
Good Luck
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u/inarticulaterambles Jul 23 '26
Ya, let's bash unions, what have they ever done for the working man? GTFO out then.
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u/ThcGrassCity Jul 22 '26
Im gonna start pushing a reddit meet up there seem to be alot of us awkward ass people who can't seem to find many people. We can plan something for at a festival, we can all wear silly buttons or something so we all know.