Small-town Canada gives couple a commute-free life
Over the last couple of years I’ve been getting more than the usual number of emails from people looking for advice on how to earn a living outside the city, ideally without commuting. I can only guess that as cities get more congested and expensive, more people are wondering if there’s another way to live. I know there is because I’ve earned a commute-free living for my family from a remote rural property for more than 20 years.
Canada would be a better place if more people broke free from the daily grind of a commute in busy, expensive places, so I’m always keeping my eyes open for folks who’ve done just that. Bill and Joann Woods are two people who come to mind. Their story is interesting because it shows how good things can happen with simple innovation and hard work.
Bill and Joann grew up in the small town of Gore Bay, Manitoulin Island, Ont., in the 1960s and ’70s. They loved the place and their family connections and wanted to raise a family in their hometown after they got married in 1980. Trouble was, local jobs that could support this plan were rare back then on Manitoulin. The island is like Ontario’s version of the Maritimes — a beautiful spot but not many ready-made jobs, especially back then. This is why so many of Bill and Joann’s friends simply moved off Manitoulin right after high school. Even today this is the trend.
But Bill and Joann didn’t want to say goodbye to small-town life, so they tried something different and it’s worked for more than 30 years.
Every business boils down to the same main purpose: to serve people in some way that they’re willing to pay for. In the case of Bill and Joann, the service they decided to provide was something most every place needs — a restaurant. The thing is, they were smart about it. They built their own place from scratch, they invested in the best equipment they could find and they designed their business to provide a second source of passive income right from the start.
Bill isn’t a contractor but he thinks like one. He noticed that rental housing units were in short supply in Gore Bay, and that’s why he included two rental apartments upstairs above the restaurant. Not rocket science, but sometimes you don’t need a rocket. His hope was that the apartments would provide regular income in winter, when the restaurant wasn’t as full as it should be. This detail proved to be a lifesaver over the years. The only rental payment he’s missed in 30 years was when the apartments were being renovated. The rental income alone covered the mortgage on the property.
Bill and Joann were innovative and smart in the building and running of their restaurant, and it paid off. Three kids are now raised and grown, with one living with her family right across the lane from Bill and Joann’s house, a commute-free, 10-minute walk from the restaurant. Now that it’s time for Bill and Joann to retire and do a lot more fishing (Joann caught an 11-pound rainbow trout after work this past spring), they’re being innovative again. Instead of trying to find new owners in the usual way, they’re using another simple innovation to tell the story of their life’s work. You can see for yourself at www. gorebayrestaurant.com.
Whenever I visit the city, I wonder why so many people put up with high housing prices and long, tiring commutes. Compared with many countries in the world, Canada has so much space and so many charming small towns that could use more hardworking people. All that’s needed is a little simple innovation and the faith to believe that a commute-free life really is possible. Steve Maxwell has been helping Canadians with homes, gardens and hands-on living since 1988. Visit BaileyLineRoad.com for videos, stories and inspiration.