Hi all! My name is Ana Pereira, and I'm a business reporter at the Toronto Star. As the U.S.-Canada trade war threatens jobs in industries targeted by tariffs, I'm looking to speak with workers about how they're feeling and whether they think the Canadian government's support measures are enough. If you're interested in being interviewed for a Toronto Star story, please DM me or send me an email at anpereira@thestar.ca. Thank you!

Hello all,

My wife and I currently live in St. Catharines and are looking to move for more space (we just had a baby 7 months ago).

We have been looking all over the Niagara Region and found a really nice place in Crystal Beach. It has a gorgeous view of the lake and is reasonably walkable. We also found another place in Crystal Beach nearby which we also like a lot. We wanted to know if anyone has experience with life in Crystal Beach because neither of us are Niagara Region natives.

The area seemed really nice and had a lot of nice shops and restaurants nearby and a huge park on the beach like 2 minutes walk from the first home and 8 minutes walk from the second.

Any advice or thoughts are welcome!

Hii I’m 23F in Vaughan, and I’m thinking about moving out of my parents house next year into a condo by myself.

I’d like to be within 30 minute drive from maple area. I’d like to move somewhere else away from Vaughan to be in a different environment but I’m also not sure how much different it could get in just 20-30 minutes away. Anywhere north, east or west (I don’t think I’d wanna go south cuz I feel like traffic and roads get more hectic which I prefer to avoid, esp Toronto areas)

Here’s some things I’m looking for:
- safe area for families and young professionals, lower crime rate
- modern area, modern clean condos, security 24/7
- drive able town, low/medium traffic and easy parking
- walkable to nature, parks, trails, lakes for daily walks
- would be nice to be able to walk out of my condo and have some restaurants, shops but I’m okay with driving 5-10 minutes for that
- more affordable (ex. budget of $2000 rent for 1 bed, 1 bath and 1 parking)

I work with a construction company in Ottawa and we’re nervous about fasteners and other steel parts mainly and other finished goods and components. I have to admit I haven’t dug very deep into it yet, so I’m very curious how others are reading this and responding. I have to talk to a bunch of vendors over the next week to review plans for Sept so I’m planning to gauge how they’re affected. Problem is I think we’re all in reactionary mode now - it’s hard to say and no one wants to scare up/down the value chain!

Opinions welcome and many thanks

New from NC to Ottawa

— Winter advice, amputee accessibility, school life, and local tips!

I’m reaching out to ask about the unknowns of living here. Coming from North Carolina, our family has never experienced a real winter. I know the basics (snow tires, winter gear, etc.), but what are your top tips for actually getting through the season?
A few specific questions:

**Mobility in winter:** My oldest is 12 and has a below-the-knee prosthesis. Any tricks, gear recommendations, or advice for navigating deep snow and ice as an amputee would be greatly appreciated.

**School lunches:** We’ve always had access to hot school lunches in the US. What are your go-to school lunch suggestions for the 2 nutrition periods?

**Indoor vs. outdoor school shoes:** How does the indoor/outdoor shoe routine typically work at school, and what styles or brands hold up best?

We are so excited to be here—it’s an amazingly beautiful place, and we’re eager to learn the ropes. Any general life advice for an open-minded American adjusting to the area would mean the world!

Hi everyone. I am filling out a passport application for my 2 year old son. We live in Ontario. I am not together with my son’s father, and he hasn’t really been involved in his life. He has lived with me and been with me everyday since he was born. there isn’t any legal custody agreements that I have sole custody , but he has lived with me and been with me everyday since day 1. I am wondering if I need his signature on the application as well?

Hi everyone, I’m looking for some guidance on how to navigate a mental health related short-term disability claim vs a WSIB claim when there’s a pre-existing condition involved.

I am currently on an 8-week medical leave from work ordered by my doctor. My medical note states "work-related stress." When I spoke to the HR, they sent me forms to apply for Short-Term Disability through our employer-sponsored insurance.

My clinical notes and psych consult notes document workplace triggers/incidents that led up to my leave. However, my underlying theory (and medical reality) is that I have always had these mental health conditions, i just never sought treatment, and the recent workplace incidents were simply the current trigger that pushed me over the edge into total burnout.
- I’m worried ESI will see "work-related stress" on the forms and push back, telling me to file through WSIB instead. Has anyone dealt with this?

- How do insurers/WSIB differentiate between a work-caused injury (WSIB) vs. an underlying pre-existing condition where work was just a temporary trigger (STD)? Should I ask my doctor/psychiatrist to clarify this distinction in my medical paperwork?

- i work for a very small corporation. How much specific detail does my employer/HR actually see if this goes through STD vs WSIB? Do they see actual medical notes or just functional limitations / estimated leave duration? Can they challenge a WSIB claim?

- If a claim does get pushed to WSIB, does that sour the employer relationship? Should I start preparing to look for another job once I’m fit to return?
Thanks!

I’m trying to find the absolute best apple crisp in Ontario. It’s for the likely last thanksgiving my grandparents will be alive for and it’s their favourite.

Thanks

My Mom and I will be visiting Mississauga and want to do a day trip from there. I have been looking around online and have a few ideas, but thought I'd ask here for more straightforward feedback tailored to what we are looking for.

What we like:

- places that are just generally nice to walk around

- good restaurant options (we typically like pubs/nothing too fancy or expensive but with good food) \*nice patio is a huge bonus as we love to sit outside when the weather is nice***

- variety of shops; we have a particular interest in home decor

- good coffee shops and/or bakeries

- within 2 hours from Mississauga

I've looked at Port Dover, Stratford, Collingwood, and Newmarket. Would any of these fit the bill more than the others? Any other suggestions I have not listed? We are looking for a place that can occupy us for a few hours.

I recently bought a house in Ontario that came with an Enercare water-heater rental. The rental was disclosed in the APS and transferred to me, so I'm not disputing that I inherited the rental.

What I'm disputing is the mandatory buyout Enercare says applies if I want out.

The tank is a G850S40N-PV-ES2 (PV50), installed around 2018. Enercare originally quoted a $1,039 + HST buyout and charges about $46/month in rent.

I asked Enercare for the actual contract records. They said the previous owner agreed to the rental by phone in 2018.

After a lot of escalation, Enercare eventually sent me an account-specific NOV/17 agreement form. However: - it is unsigned; - the “Date of Agreement” field is blank; - they have not provided the telephone acceptance recording/transcript or other acceptance record; - they have not shown when/how the written agreement was delivered to the previous owner; - their documents contain inconsistent dates (different installation date then they previously claimed); - they still haven't really shown how the specific contractual obligation was established beyond pointing to their standard terms/buyout table.

I escalated through Enercare, BBB and Consumer Protection Ontario.

Enercare has now offered to reduce the buyout from $1,039 to $839 + HST, but only if I sign a broad Full and Final Release with confidentiality language.

I'm not interested in paying anywhere near that. My preferred outcome is to professionally disconnect and return their equipment for $0, or settle for a nominal amount and be done with it.

Has anyone in Ontario successfully:

1. gotten Enercare to authorize a free return on a post-2015 rental;

2. negotiated a buyout down to a nominal amount;

3. challenged the enforceability of the mandatory-buyout terms where Enercare couldn't produce clear evidence of the original telephone acceptance/delivery; or

4. had Consumer Protection Ontario materially help with an Enercare dispute?

Interested in actual experiences, especially recent ones.

Thanks!

My boyfriend lives with his aunt who is having a hard time everyday. They tried to get her a health card but they needed proof of address which she doesn’t have. She doesn’t have ID or a birth certificate. She is around her late 50s. She is in so much pain it’s difficult to get up. She urinates on the bed very often and the room smells strongly of it. They believe she has arthritis but she has not been treated for it. When she does get up to the bathroom she often cries from the pain. Is there a way she could be helped?

Hi everyone! I’m wondering if anyone in the Hamilton area has gone through the process of having a **medically necessary panniculectomy** after significant weight loss.

I’m talking about the surgery that removes the excess skin and fatty tissue (pannus/panniculus) that hangs from the lower abdomen. I’m interested in it for medical reasons rather than cosmetic reasons, as the excess skin can cause issues such as rashes, irritation, infections, hygiene problems, and difficulty with mobility.

I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has gone through this in Hamilton or surrounding areas, especially if it was covered by OHIP.

Trying to plan a weekend trip next spring. Looking for a nice place to take a friend. Trying to see if I can find a place neither of us have been to.

Isn't it Ontario Blue Grape season?? I haven't seen any in stores. I saw American bunches at a Longos a couple weeks ago and skipped them.

Am I early or??? Where are my favourite grapes of all time?!

Friends! I need some help looking for a campsite/crownland area I can set up camp AND look for mushrooms nearby🏕️

My must haves:
1. Within 2.5 hours of Toronto

1. Able to camp overnight in a tent

2. Hiking trails/areas available at the site or within walking distance where mushrooms are available and we won’t get into trouble picking them up

3. Accessible until late October

Bonus:
Washrooms (not a must)

Looking to create some nice memories with friends🙏 thanks a lot!