That is what people often ask me. What made you move from the Netherlands to Proton Station Grey Highlands. Well….
About twenty years ago we wanted to start another farm because the acreage of our existing farm was too small to live off with two families. In the Netherlands, it was very hard to buy farmland for a reasonable price so we looked across the border.
Meanwhile, colleagues/friends of purs moved to Ontario Canada not far from Alliston. Curious as we were, we went to Ontario for a visit and then another visit and another one. Every time we stayed in the area we felt more at home and got more serious about moving here. We loved the amount of space there is compared to our home country. Only 14 people per square kilometre compared to 41,526 people in the Netherlands. And we loved the people we met. We found the Ontarians very helpful, inviting and friendly.
So we made up our minds to start the immigration procedure and applied for a visa. That process lasted about nine months.
During our visits to our friends, we met with a realtor in Alliston. He must have been the most patient person because over the stretch of two years he showed us many properties. He was a really amazing advisor and very thorough. Every time we found an interesting property he checked it out for us. Asked the neighbours about the property and went to the municipality offices to ask about licenses etc. Very, very helpful.
We started looking around Alliston but the prices of the properties went up because of the Honda plant. So we moved farther away and finally found an affordable 146-acre farm in Proton Station. The realtor was right about this property. It was just what we needed. Move-in ready and that was important if you relocate about 6000 km away with 2 young kids. And it had great fields to set up our farm.
We settled in quickly thanks to great neighbours and new friends. Never been homesick and our family that came to visit understood why we made the decision to immigrate. Although the winters took some getting used to and that is totally another story.
Now we are real estate sales representatives ourselves and looking back at our search for a new home. The person who helped us was really important in the process of making a good choice and making it all less stressful. So we want to forward that service and help people make the right choice to buy their home and make the process less stressful for them too.
Jan and Silvia
