Toronto residents fear city losing ground on affordability and talent
Talent flight a growing concern
Three-quarters of respondents said they worry Toronto could lose skilled workers and young professionals to competing cities, and 37 per cent of all residents surveyed said they are likely to leave Toronto within the next five years because of affordability pressures.
That figure climbs significantly among younger cohorts: 52 per cent of Gen Z respondents and 46 per cent of Millennials expressed similar intentions. As wealth professionals across Canada grapple with succession planning and client acquisition, a hollowing out of Toronto’s young professional population would reshape the client pipeline for advisors based in the region.
The survey data also reflects a broader national conversation about economic opportunity. Canadians in major urban centres have increasingly cited housing costs and the cost of living as barriers to financial stability — a trend that financial planners across the country are navigating with clients who are reassessing their long-term savings strategies.
Residents demand faster action from city hall
Beyond the economic data, the poll captured a clear appetite for bolder municipal leadership.
Fifty-nine per cent of respondents want city hall to make decisions more quickly, 57 per cent want a greater willingness to try new approaches, and 52 per cent want a stronger focus on economic growth.
