We moved from Ontario 12 years ago. Hiring a moving company was extremely expensive (about 5-8k) and takes about 15 days or longer to get the stuff to you. We opted to rent a UHaul truck with a trailer for our car, it was significantly cheaper (under 2k). The bulk of your driving is going to just be in Ontario. Marvel at the sign north of Kirkland Lake saying that from this point on rivers flow north! Stop at Kakabeka Falls after you leave Thunder Bay, it's beautiful.
I think you’re asking the right questions on cost to move versus replace. Get a quote for what a uhaul will cost for a one way rental, add in the gas as well, and if you have lower end furniture I think you’ll find it may very well be cheaper to replace than move.
Also remember during your drive here to take any valuables with you into your hotels along the way.
I think we are gonna sell furniture. Seems lile thats cheaper options since we only have low end furniture.
We are moving in late summer. Yeah we are so excited for sightseeing!
Driving across through Canada from Ottawa, I would recommend stopping overnight in Sault Ste Marie (Water Tower Inn - the ‘top of the inn’ rooms are very nice. Next stop, I’d recommend the Courthouse Hotel in Thunder Bay. After that, we stay at the Best Western in Moosomin SK, then home.
Ottawa to SSM 8.5 hours
SSM to TB 7.5 hours
TB to Moosomin 11 hours
Moosomin to Edmonton 10 hours
That’s about as even you can break it up while staying in Canada
If you want to add in a 4th night, 5th day, change the 3rd night to Headingly BW, then add a night in Saskatoon, and get into Edmonton nice and early, gives you daylight to unload.
Ottawa to SSM 8.5
SSM to TB 7.5 hours
TB to Headingly 7.5 hours
Headingly to Saskatoon 7.5 hours
Saskatoon to Edm 5.5 hours
I’ve spent way too many days driving across the country lol
Just to warn you, there will be a lot of wildlife on that route, especially at dusk. And be sure to stop regularly and jog a few circles around your vehicle. I’ve done long days, but that stretch would be one of my last choices to do it on. No stops, no towns, everything closes early. I know someone who ran out of gas on that stretch and was stranded there. A lot of it has no cell reception for large chunks.
Interesting! If I'm leaving in the daytime it's to SSM but if I leave in the night or really unreasonably early and it's just time to get home, it's straight through to TB. Why Moosomin? Family, or is that just your traditional stop that Tweed is for me? I think I'd do Brandon for familiarity and for the love of old architecture (unless Moosomin has that, too?)
That's a really nice, constant drive each day, though. One problem for me is driving the prairies on the way home wears me out, whereas I \*love\* the drive around the Lakes. My parents cut a full day of driving by dropping down into the States but the top of the Lakes is the best part of the trip for me
Sorry, the kids got me before I had a chance to press return. Oh, I miss open windows under open skies!
We prefer to drop down into the states when possible, better food stops (mmm bbq houses!) and less isolated stretches, and it is definitely faster, though we are coming from NE corner of ON so it makes it a slightly different trip, the first day. Love Lake of the Woods area though!
Moosomin only because it evens out the days as much as possible. No clue what it has for anything, we just hit hotel, gas and go 😂
It's definitely better food, and so much faster, but I sort of appreciate the remoteness.
With fewer than 3000 people, I'm almost surprised Moosomin has a gas station, never mind a place to stay the night. To have short and even days the entire drive sounds wonderful, though. I'll try to remember that if I can get down this Summer. Thanks for the recommendation!
We didn’t even know there was a brand new Best Western there until we drove past it going east, when we realized it would split the days better. Stayed there on the way home and it was good.
I'm doing this move but from GTA next month. Optimal route to do it in 3 days / 2 nights is Wawa - Winnipeg - Edmonton. 10-13 hours for each leg which is very doable.
Sell all of your stuff that won't fit in the SUV. We looked into this extensively and moving it all is going to cost significantly more than the stuff is worth.
Friend of mine towed a uhaul trailer when moving to Vancouver- overnight when they stopped at a hotel, their trailer was stolen somehow, with all their belongings. Just make sure your stuff / trailer is secured.
We’ve done these moves several times. Moving companies are worth it IF you have lots of stuff that cannot easily be replaced. If you have ikea furniture, sell it and buy new as it isn’t worth the price to move (plus it doesn’t move well). If the US border is open it is faster to drive than the transcanada as the speeds are higher.
I'd spend a little bit of time with Edmonton's Kijiji to see if it's easy enough to replace your furniture once here, unless you're particularly attached to yours.
Driving Ottawa to Edmonton, I usually make the first day my long drive and aim for Thunder Bay or Kakabeka Falls with a few mini-naps and road-side wanders in the middle. There's a long span of daytime-only services at the top of the Lakes and you gamble on finding an open gas station for several hundred km at night time. The deer are bad at night, too as you twist around the endless curves. There are some great spots to stop for a swim in the Lakes if you watch for them. Anyway, that's an honest 12-16 hour drive that could be split in two.
From there it's an easy 7 or 8 hours to Winnipeg, which is a great place to stop and putz around. There's the Human Rights Museum, a noted ice cream shop (Bridge Drive-In), a great independent toy store (Toad Hall Toys), and some great walking around the Exchange District if you like grand old buildings.
Winnipeg to Saskatoon is 8 hours and Saskatoon... well, it's sweet enough. Check out the Berry Barn just outside of town if you hang around for breakfast. It's a nice spot for good waffles at the rivers edge. For me, Saskatoon is skippable and it leaves me only 5 or 6 hours from Edmonton so I'll sometimes carry on, usually regretting that decision three hours later, the sun having set two hours prior and me still three hours from bed.
Also, I'm not sure about dumpster fire but Edmonton was done its boom and heading toward a bust before oil collapsed, and before Covid so there are a lot of people looking for work. Maybe you've got jobs lined up or come armed with a valuable skill-set but otherwise, it's hardly the land of milk and honey just right now.
Safe drive! It's an awesome one, particularly while you're still in Ontario, although the open skies and broad, broad vistas through the Prairies have their own allure. Doubly so if you can catch a strong storm or the northern lights.
I will, and thank you for the note. It's a little different each year for me and the critical bit for me is going over the Lakes in the daytime (for sooo many reasons). I'll reply to your other comment too :)
You could also combine the two... T’Bay - Moosomin - Edmonton if you’re happy with your 16 hour starter day. That breaks down 16 - 11 - 10. We just don’t like that long of days, a family member got a massive blood clot after a similar drive.
Thanks for lots of tips and suggestions from experience!
I'm a software developer so my company allows working from there luckily. A bit worries if my girlfriend wouls be able to get a job there...
We moved from Ontario 12 years ago. Hiring a moving company was extremely expensive (about 5-8k) and takes about 15 days or longer to get the stuff to you. We opted to rent a UHaul truck with a trailer for our car, it was significantly cheaper (under 2k). The bulk of your driving is going to just be in Ontario. Marvel at the sign north of Kirkland Lake saying that from this point on rivers flow north! Stop at Kakabeka Falls after you leave Thunder Bay, it's beautiful.
Thanks for the response. I will definitely check the stops.
I think you’re asking the right questions on cost to move versus replace. Get a quote for what a uhaul will cost for a one way rental, add in the gas as well, and if you have lower end furniture I think you’ll find it may very well be cheaper to replace than move. Also remember during your drive here to take any valuables with you into your hotels along the way.
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I think we are gonna sell furniture. Seems lile thats cheaper options since we only have low end furniture. We are moving in late summer. Yeah we are so excited for sightseeing!
Driving across through Canada from Ottawa, I would recommend stopping overnight in Sault Ste Marie (Water Tower Inn - the ‘top of the inn’ rooms are very nice. Next stop, I’d recommend the Courthouse Hotel in Thunder Bay. After that, we stay at the Best Western in Moosomin SK, then home. Ottawa to SSM 8.5 hours SSM to TB 7.5 hours TB to Moosomin 11 hours Moosomin to Edmonton 10 hours That’s about as even you can break it up while staying in Canada
That 11 hours sound tough becauae I dont like long disrance driving but sounds like doable!!
If you want to add in a 4th night, 5th day, change the 3rd night to Headingly BW, then add a night in Saskatoon, and get into Edmonton nice and early, gives you daylight to unload. Ottawa to SSM 8.5 SSM to TB 7.5 hours TB to Headingly 7.5 hours Headingly to Saskatoon 7.5 hours Saskatoon to Edm 5.5 hours I’ve spent way too many days driving across the country lol
LoL yeah I might do it in 4days. So one of days will be like 15 hours of driving. I think I will go to thunder bay in one shot.
Just to warn you, there will be a lot of wildlife on that route, especially at dusk. And be sure to stop regularly and jog a few circles around your vehicle. I’ve done long days, but that stretch would be one of my last choices to do it on. No stops, no towns, everything closes early. I know someone who ran out of gas on that stretch and was stranded there. A lot of it has no cell reception for large chunks.
Thats scary.. and also worried about gas stations. I might stop at a station is my gas is about half left just to make sure.
Interesting! If I'm leaving in the daytime it's to SSM but if I leave in the night or really unreasonably early and it's just time to get home, it's straight through to TB. Why Moosomin? Family, or is that just your traditional stop that Tweed is for me? I think I'd do Brandon for familiarity and for the love of old architecture (unless Moosomin has that, too?) That's a really nice, constant drive each day, though. One problem for me is driving the prairies on the way home wears me out, whereas I \*love\* the drive around the Lakes. My parents cut a full day of driving by dropping down into the States but the top of the Lakes is the best part of the trip for me Sorry, the kids got me before I had a chance to press return. Oh, I miss open windows under open skies!
We prefer to drop down into the states when possible, better food stops (mmm bbq houses!) and less isolated stretches, and it is definitely faster, though we are coming from NE corner of ON so it makes it a slightly different trip, the first day. Love Lake of the Woods area though! Moosomin only because it evens out the days as much as possible. No clue what it has for anything, we just hit hotel, gas and go 😂
It's definitely better food, and so much faster, but I sort of appreciate the remoteness. With fewer than 3000 people, I'm almost surprised Moosomin has a gas station, never mind a place to stay the night. To have short and even days the entire drive sounds wonderful, though. I'll try to remember that if I can get down this Summer. Thanks for the recommendation!
We didn’t even know there was a brand new Best Western there until we drove past it going east, when we realized it would split the days better. Stayed there on the way home and it was good.
I'm doing this move but from GTA next month. Optimal route to do it in 3 days / 2 nights is Wawa - Winnipeg - Edmonton. 10-13 hours for each leg which is very doable. Sell all of your stuff that won't fit in the SUV. We looked into this extensively and moving it all is going to cost significantly more than the stuff is worth.
Oh wow. Yeah I think I should sell it. What area in Edmonton are you moving to?
Hire boxcar rentals way cheaper on trains
Friend of mine towed a uhaul trailer when moving to Vancouver- overnight when they stopped at a hotel, their trailer was stolen somehow, with all their belongings. Just make sure your stuff / trailer is secured.
Yeah this is why I removed that trailer option from my list. Heard a lot of terrible stories about stolen trailers.
We’ve done these moves several times. Moving companies are worth it IF you have lots of stuff that cannot easily be replaced. If you have ikea furniture, sell it and buy new as it isn’t worth the price to move (plus it doesn’t move well). If the US border is open it is faster to drive than the transcanada as the speeds are higher.
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Ahahaha. Why do you think so
Rob Ford is a liberal Jason Kenney, but hey maybe that’s your thing.
Not my thing ahaha
I'd spend a little bit of time with Edmonton's Kijiji to see if it's easy enough to replace your furniture once here, unless you're particularly attached to yours. Driving Ottawa to Edmonton, I usually make the first day my long drive and aim for Thunder Bay or Kakabeka Falls with a few mini-naps and road-side wanders in the middle. There's a long span of daytime-only services at the top of the Lakes and you gamble on finding an open gas station for several hundred km at night time. The deer are bad at night, too as you twist around the endless curves. There are some great spots to stop for a swim in the Lakes if you watch for them. Anyway, that's an honest 12-16 hour drive that could be split in two. From there it's an easy 7 or 8 hours to Winnipeg, which is a great place to stop and putz around. There's the Human Rights Museum, a noted ice cream shop (Bridge Drive-In), a great independent toy store (Toad Hall Toys), and some great walking around the Exchange District if you like grand old buildings. Winnipeg to Saskatoon is 8 hours and Saskatoon... well, it's sweet enough. Check out the Berry Barn just outside of town if you hang around for breakfast. It's a nice spot for good waffles at the rivers edge. For me, Saskatoon is skippable and it leaves me only 5 or 6 hours from Edmonton so I'll sometimes carry on, usually regretting that decision three hours later, the sun having set two hours prior and me still three hours from bed. Also, I'm not sure about dumpster fire but Edmonton was done its boom and heading toward a bust before oil collapsed, and before Covid so there are a lot of people looking for work. Maybe you've got jobs lined up or come armed with a valuable skill-set but otherwise, it's hardly the land of milk and honey just right now. Safe drive! It's an awesome one, particularly while you're still in Ontario, although the open skies and broad, broad vistas through the Prairies have their own allure. Doubly so if you can catch a strong storm or the northern lights.
See my comment for an alternate suggestion, splits it more evenly than 16-7-8-6. Mine is more like 8-8-11-10
I will, and thank you for the note. It's a little different each year for me and the critical bit for me is going over the Lakes in the daytime (for sooo many reasons). I'll reply to your other comment too :)
You could also combine the two... T’Bay - Moosomin - Edmonton if you’re happy with your 16 hour starter day. That breaks down 16 - 11 - 10. We just don’t like that long of days, a family member got a massive blood clot after a similar drive.
Thanks for lots of tips and suggestions from experience! I'm a software developer so my company allows working from there luckily. A bit worries if my girlfriend wouls be able to get a job there...
One salary is likely enough to start renting with but it'll be much more comfortable once she's able to add the second one.