One in four Canadians want to slow down with a rural move
One in four Canadians who live in urban areas are considering moving to more remote communities with the desire for a slower pace of life cited as the biggest reason, new research by Horizon Aircraft shows.
The study was conducted by independent research agency Pure Profile among a nationally representative sample of 1,000 Canadians aged 18-plus, which included 203 who currently live in or have lived in a remote area of Canada.
It found 25% of urban Canadians would consider moving out of more urban areas with a further 15% undecided. Among those considering a rural switch, the most popular reason for potentially moving was the desire for a better work life balance. Around half (47%) want to slow down, while 25% say the COVID-19 pandemic has made them reassess their lifestyle and what is important.
Roughly 17% of those questioned said they increasingly don’t like living in an urban environment, while 12% said their possible move came down to a desire to be closer to family and friends. Nearly a third (32%) of those considering a move say they plan to do so within two years, while 12% say any move is more than five years away.
The research is not all good news for people planning to leave urban areas as highlighted by the 12% of those questioned who had made the reverse move from a more rural remote area to a town or city in the past five years.
The main reason given for the switch from rural to an urban location was work – around 40% said they had made the move to be nearer to jobs, while 31% cited personal reasons. Other motives for moving to urban areas included closer proximity to healthcare and medical services (10%) and 6% saying remote living had become too difficult for them.
Brandon Robinson, CEO of Hybrid eVTOL manufacturer Horizon Aircraft, said: “Substantial numbers of Canadians are considering quitting cities for a more rural lifestyle. Escaping the city can be an attractive proposition for some, but people do need to think carefully about the practicalities, including issues such as access to transport and healthcare.”
In January, Horizon Aircraft successfully completed initial hover testing of its Cavorite X5 scale prototype, when Robinson said: “This aircraft is extremely stable, capable of full hover at only 65% power, and has hovered with 20% of its fans purposely disabled in order to test system redundancy.”
