In 1975, at the age of 21, I moved from California to North York. My parents had grown up in Toronto and wanted me to experience the city too.  I too

I’ve worked hard my whole life and I can’t afford food

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2023-05-30 02:30:06

In 1975, at the age of 21, I moved from California to North York. My parents had grown up in Toronto and wanted me to experience the city too.  I took some advertising and business courses at Seneca College, but never graduated with a degree or diploma. I had a few jobs over the years, mostly in sales: I worked in cosmetic sales at t he Bay , wrote call scripts for telemarketing companies and did fundraising for not-for-profits. I never made a lot of money—my savings always hovered around $2,000. 

The cost of living was much cheaper back then so I never had to worry about finding affordable food or housing. My first apartment, in 1990, was a one-bedroom in North York that I rented for just $300 a month. My next place, in 1993, was a $700 two-bedroom that I shared with a friend. On the weekends, I took out a $20 bill from the ATM, which covered both groceries and entertainment. I could buy bread, cheese, bologna slices and pasta all for $10, with a lot left over to hang out at the local bar. 

In 2009, at the age of 55, I moved into a rent-controlled condo in North York, at Marlee and Eglinton. The rent was $900 a month, and I split the cost with my partner, who is an independent filmmaker. We were lucky to find such an affordable living situation—market rent at the time was $1,100. I was working in sales for a vitamin company, earning minimum wage and bringing home $400 a week; my partner was earning about $1,000 a month.  

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