this post was submitted on 17 Mar 2025
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Fair enough! I have no real sense of the northern 90% of my own country, I'm embarrassed to say. XD
Would you mind elaborating on your remark about them being a bit more conservative? I realize that rural places tend to be more conservative by default, but I'm wondering whether that means center-right mind-your-own-business conservatives, or the kind that are a bit more... upfront.
Full disclosure, I'm trans and so is my wife, so it is indeed something we have to keep in mind.
As you radiate away from big urban centers, there tends to be a stronger conservative population. Now, we do have a charter of rights and freedoms that protect you. So you won't be denied services but how those services are delivered you may be less friendly.
Saying that, there are pockets of rural Canada that are very liberal. I haven't been back to Gravenhurst in a dog's age, and much may have changed there. If you are set on it, perhaps plan a trip to try it out first before moving your belongings.
If you are set on a more rural location, you might try the small towns surrounding Ottawa. My husband (f2m) and I have lived in this region for over 15 years and haven't experienced anything off. A real challenge may be in finding a gp. But even more so in Gravenhurst, I think. But if you are close to big urban centers, you can find a walk-in clinic until you find a doctor who is accepting patients. And it will probably be easier to find work.
If you haven't sorted out what visa you are coming in on, you should probably get onto it.
"Northern Ontario" begins around Parry Sound, for most purposes.
The political gradient is . . . weird. Much of the north proper actually leans orange when voting, but more for labour rights/rural rights/indigenous rights reasons than for support of LGBTQ+ rights. Down near Gravenhurst, I think you're mostly looking more at center-right. The best way to find out for sure what you'd be facing, if no one chimes in who's actually from that area, is to keep an eye on local news sources for a while and, given your specific concerns, talk to local Pride groups (from the looks of it, muskokapride.com would be one place to start).