One Ontario city is hoping its “cheeky” advertising campaign will persuade Torontonians to pack up and move out of one of Canada’s most expensive regions.
One billboard on Bathurst Street, which went up shortly after Labour Day, tells motorists “You could be home by now” with “I London, Ontario” plastered at the top of the sign.
Lakhotia said so far, his team has received more than 5,000 inquires from people interested in defecting to London. The Alberta government launched a similar advertising campaign in 2022. The Alberta Calling campaign aimed to lure skilled workers from Toronto and Vancouver to the province with the promise of strong job prospects and a lower cost of living.
“In addition to the fundamental human rights questions raised by severely stretched affordability, our work has previously highlighted the speed with which young people are leaving Ontario, especially the GTA, in search of cheaper accommodations,” the authors of the report noted.