Orangeville/Shelburne/Mono members

slowbird

slowbird

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I'm thinking about moving from my current address in Brampton to somewhere in Either Shelburne or Orangeville. Actually I think it might be Shelburne.

For the members that live up there I have a few questions please:

1. I know the snow can get quite heavy up there. Can you go into a bit more detail? Is it horrendous? To the point of being completely snowed in unless you own a 4x4 vehicle?

2. How much shorter will my riding season be due to the weather? I was riding as early as mid March this year. I see Shelburne/Orangeville had heavy snowfall in late April this year. :(

3. Commuting. How's heading South on 10 to Brampton?(where I work) How's heading east on 89 or 9 to Newmarket? (where the Mrs works)

3. Crime? Yes, it'll be substantially less than Brampton. But is my bike gonna be taken from the drive or Garage?

...and any other relevant stuff and info would be extremely helpful.

Please, and thanks. :)
 
My bro lived in Shelburne for a few years..commuted to downtown Toronto (!!). The snow is bad, but he had a front-drive econobox and it was fine. Snow tires. The major roads are plowed pretty quickly like most of Ontario so really the 4x4 thing isn't THAT necessary. There are lots of AWD vehicles now though but honestly, any FWD with snow tires and a fair amount of ground clearance is gonna be fine. The big thing I find is the snow stays longer on the ground because they get more. And sideroads are sanded so they stay dirty longer.

Can't say what the commuting is like..I can't imagine the traffic is that bad until you get down into North Brampton. Probably fine going to Newmarket..I'd go across 88 into Bradford and up.

Crime is generally less in the country but there are still opportunists. When you live there though, there are fewer suspects and everyone knows who they are.. :-)
 
LOL! At that last comment.

That was all very useful, thank you. Much appreciated :-)

Any and all other comments regarding my original questions are still welcome from anyone. :-)

Pls and thx.
 
I work for a certain municipality that covers brampton, mississauga and caledon and everyday I walk past maps showing planned subdivisions for Brampton.

My advice is to get the hell out of Brampton before it's too late.
 
The snow north of Orangeville is substantially heavier. It can be bad here, but in the winter Highway 10 is frequently closed north of Hockley Valley Road. OPP just park a car there and you can't get past. We usually say if it is snowing and the wind is blowing, Highway 10 is closed. There are side roads you can use to get up to Shelburne, but that is taking your life in your hands because they are very open due to farm lands and the drifting can be extreme.

I commuted down Highway 10 from Orangeville for 20 years and it has become better since the 410 was pushed through and 10 was widened to four lanes all the way from Brampton to Orangeville. I could get to Yonge and Sheppard from my house in Orangeville in less than an hour in the mornings, but then I was getting to work at 6:30am. The ride home is a pain no matter when you leave and it will take an hour and a half on a good day. If it is snowing count on the time to be more like 2 to 3 hours; most of that just to get clear of the GTA. It was the ride home that caused me to retire last December; I just could not take it anymore! Now commuting is a 12 minute ride along Hockley Valley Road.

I have also commuted across Highway 9 to the 400 commuter lot when I used to meet a co-worker to go down the 400. Highway 9 is a pain in the butt as there are few passing opportunities between Highway 10 and the 400 and the road is used by many trucks during the typical commuter times. About 15 years ago the Province built a few passing lanes, but the OPP seem to think these are good locations to set up speed traps. It would have been better if the entire road was widened to four lanes all the way from 10 to the 400.

We have never had a problem with crime in our neighbourhood. Theft from unlocked cars is about the most often heard concern. Lock it or park in your garage and there is no problem.
 
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had a co worker from tottenham commute to etobicoke and it took about an 1:45 hrs just going down highway 27.

i hate commuting. my commute is about 7-10 minutes, I still hit traffic and it sucks!
 
I have no idea how my bro commuted to DT Toronto..no idea. If it's more than 30 mins, I'm changing jobs or homes. I think it took him 90mins to 2 hrs..ugh..
 
Malks said:
The snow north of Orangeville is substantially heavier. It can be bad here, but in the winter Highway 10 is frequently closed north of Hockley Valley Road. OPP just park a car there and you can't get past. We usually say if it is snowing and the wind is blowing, Highway 10 is closed. There are side roads you can use to get up to Shelburne, but that is taking your life in your hands because they are very open due to farm lands and the drifting can be extreme.
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Thank you for your input.

Just to be clear, you are saying that on heavy winter days there are very few roads to go south out of Shelburne to the GTA?

I have seen signs showing roads just north of Shelburne possibly being closed from snow.

But 10 is usually closed as well as other roads preventing traffic from heading south out of Shelburne?

I read that many Shelburne residents commute to Orangeville, Brampton and the GTA?!

How can they do that if they're snowed in?
 
I commuted from Shelburne to Brampton for 5 years. It does tend to get heavy snow there as people have mentioned. That said, in town I have to say the town takes great care to keep roads cleared and plowed. Crime there is almost non existent. The people there are friendly and everyone talks to their neighbors. The commute itself to Brampton is straight forward, except in the winter when roads do tend to get closed down. I had a jeep, then an H3 for the commute. So if 10 was closed I'd take 3rd line down to Hwy 9 , cut across Orangeville then hit 10 again. There are a bunch of other country roads that go south from 89 that you can always use provided you have good winter tires or a 4x4. Keep in mind that at times when hwy 10 was closed due to snow etc I did on occasion still use it and found it was barely covered at all!
On a regular day it would usually take me 45 minutes to Brampton from Shelburne going about 90 km/h . If you don't want all that snow, Orangeville is a pretty nice town itself. It also has most of the regular retail outlets supported there. Shelburne has 2 grocery stores, a hardware store, post office, donut shop etc. But for any department stores you would have to hit Orangeville for that.
 
losttourist said:
I commuted from Shelburne to Brampton for 5 years. It does tend to get heavy snow there as people have mentioned. That said, in town I have to say the town takes great care to keep roads cleared and plowed. Crime there is almost non existent. The people there are friendly and everyone talks to their neighbors. The commute itself to Brampton is straight forward, except in the winter when roads do tend to get closed down. I had a jeep, then an H3 for the commute. So if 10 was closed I'd take 3rd line down to Hwy 9 , cut across Orangeville then hit 10 again. There are a bunch of other country roads that go south from 89 that you can always use provided you have good winter tires or a 4x4. Keep in mind that at times when hwy 10 was closed due to snow etc I did on occasion still use it and found it was barely covered at all!
On a regular day it would usually take me 45 minutes to Brampton from Shelburne going about 90 km/h . If you don't want all that snow, Orangeville is a pretty nice town itself. It also has most of the regular retail outlets supported there. Shelburne has 2 grocery stores, a hardware store, post office, donut shop etc. But for any department stores you would have to hit Orangeville for that.
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That's good info, thank you....and having someone who has done the same commute I might is very helpful.

Losttourist; do you still live in Shelburne? (if you don't mind me asking)

I've never had issues driving in snow. I don't have a 4x4 but I've always kept my car with fresh winter tires, and I find any problems I've had driving in snow is from other drivers.

My main concern is not being snowed in during winter and being unable to go to work.
 
We are in Mono- been here 5+ years. Love living up here...Quiet at night. Generally really nice people. Great roads to ride. Fall colours are awesome. I think you'll really like it.
1) The snow hasn't been bad for us at all for the last few years. Gets a worse rep than it deserves in my opinion. If you have snow tires and drive to the conditions you'll be fine.
Our driveway is really long (like 600ft or something) and we usually have one of the local farmer guys come and plow it after a heavy snowfall (ie. when i can't drive through it to carve out tire track paths).
Last year he came 2 times. The previous year- only once i think. I think 6 times was the record for a winter.
I drive airport road down to the 410/403 (Toyota Echo with snow tires) and have not missed a day of work due to snow. I have had a few white knuckle drives- but not too often. I've found they are really good with salting sanding Airport rd, although Caldedon seems to be a bit more liberal with the plows/salt. There is often a noticeable difference in the roads once you hit HYW 9.
As Malks said- HWY 10 has more issues with blowing snow and whiteouts, north of Orangeville. More open fields than Airport rd maybe? You could maybe use Airport as an alternative. I've personally only seen #10 closed a few times.
2) There seems to be a line around King St where the snow hangs around a bit longer in spring. I'll be driving to work and see the grass start peeking out around there- when i'm still under a few inches of snow at home. I'm thinking it is probably only a few weeks difference from Brampton till it melts? Depends on the conditions you are comfortable riding in i guess...i met a guy in Orangeville a few weeks ago who told me he rides all year (which i thought was awesome- but maybe a bit insane).....
3) On the days i've gone that way, construction on 10 south of 9 occasionally caused traffic backups, but i've not used it much lately at all- so maybe others can give you more current info. I do know there are lots of cops on 10 so speeding is not recommended. Watch out where Hwy 10 becomes the 410- there are always speed traps there now.
Wife drives Airport rd to 410/401 about 8:30am and she doesn't have too many complaints about traffic slowdowns till Brampton (other than the trucks struggling up the Hockley hills or the occasional school bus). Generally at about the speed limit. I leave for work a bit later so i've got absolutely no concerns with traffic flow.
On Airport rd, speed traps are often at the Xmas tree farm (n of Hockley), or just North of Caledon East.
4) Crime seems to be (at least from the reports in the local papers i've seen) mostly kids causing minor vandalism or drunk drivers. I'm sure there are obviously B&E's and thefts but not in the same universe as B-Town. I had the cops out once (someone thought my place was a grow-op and reported it!) and after checking to make sure i wasn't growing anything 'bad'- the cop suggested we put 'Beware of Dog' signs around the property- since the thieves generally move on if they have to choose between a dog or no dog house (or in our case- a 4 dogs house). We have the alarm system too- but a few ADT stickers on the windows would probably achieve the same goal? I'd think your bike would be totally fine in a garage unless you were targeted specifically.
The small town vibe is awesome. I've written to our mayor city and council and had quick replies. Most store owners are super nice and appreciative of your business. Just a really great place to live. I got used to the commute- and don't regret the choice to move out of the city at all.
Grab some audio books and enjoy the drive.
 
Thanks Knucklesound!! Very helpful. :-) I really appreciate the input.

losttourist said:
unfortunately I now live in Brampton. only good thing is Im 15 minutes from work. miss Shelburne.
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I'm sorry to hear that. :-(

I've lived in Brampton all my life (almost 30yrs now) and I'm done. I also answer 911 calls for the Peel Region and I've heard enough.

On a plus side my bike/car insurance will go down by almost $1000/year if I move to Shelburne. :-D
 
slowbird said:
I'm thinking about moving from my current address in Brampton to somewhere in Either Shelburne or Orangeville. Actually I think it might be Shelburne.

For the members that live up there I have a few questions please:

1. I know the snow can get quite heavy up there. Can you go into a bit more detail? Is it horrendous? To the point of being completely snowed in unless you own a 4x4 vehicle?

No you don't need 4x4. Lots of people get along just find in their fwd and even rwd vehicles. 4 good snow tires goes a long, long way to a safe winter season.

2. How much shorter will my riding season be due to the weather? I was riding as early as mid March this year. I see Shelburne/Orangeville had heavy snowfall in late April this year. :(

People were riding in March up here too. But then it snowed a bit later in the spring. But it wasn't that nice in Brampton at the same time, so I'd say your riding season will be no different.

3. Commuting. How's heading South on 10 to Brampton?(where I work) How's heading east on 89 or 9 to Newmarket? (where the Mrs works)

Hwy 10 is now 4 lanes up to Orangeville and the 410 connects directly with 10 just north of Mayfield. This has taken a lot of the headaches out of any commute south. Hwy 9 to Newmarket is always a lesson in patience. 89's a nice scenic drive.

3. Crime? Yes, it'll be substantially less than Brampton. But is my bike gonna be taken from the drive or Garage?

Substantially less really doesn't cover it. About the biggest issue we have up here is people not locking their car doors and getting gps' or loose change taken. Any crime can happen anywhere, but the reality is that your bike will be pretty damned safe in a garage up here.

...and any other relevant stuff and info would be extremely helpful.

Houses in Shelburne are a little cheaper than O'ville, but then O'ville has lots of amenities... Lots of schools, a nice hospital, Walmart, lots of grocery stores, etc... But Shelburne has more of that small town feel to it now that O'ville has somewhat lost in recent years.

Please, and thanks. :)
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slowbird said:
Thank you for your input.

Just to be clear, you are saying that on heavy winter days there are very few roads to go south out of Shelburne to the GTA?
I have seen signs showing roads just north of Shelburne possibly being closed from snow.
But 10 is usually closed as well as other roads preventing traffic from heading south out of Shelburne?
I read that many Shelburne residents commute to Orangeville, Brampton and the GTA?!

How can they do that if they're snowed in?
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There are several side roads that run parallel to Highway 10, some are gravel while a few are paved. These side roads can be more iffy in the winter because they do not get priority snow clearing.

The Province actually installed permanent signs on 124 with flashing lights that can be activated at the flick of a button from inside the OPP detachment to warn motorists that the road is closed north of Shelburne. This saves them the need to park a cruiser on the highway. They have not needed to use this much in the last few years as the winters have been quite a bit lighter.

Most locals in Shelburne use 3rd line instead of 10 because it is less heavily travelled than 10. It is also not closed as often, even when it probably should be.

In my years of commuting I would usually take at least two "snow days" each winter. The last two winters when I commuted I did not need to take any, so that is an indication that those winters were less extreme. However, there were a few years where I needed to take more than 4 days off in one season. Now there may have been some of those days where I could have made it in, but I am of the opinion that I was not willing to risk my life, just to get to work. Not to mention the poor level of winter driving skill you witness once you are south of Mayfield Road where most people feel they don't need winter tires! Instead of working I would use the snow day to my advantage and just go skiing over at Hockley Valley.
 
Shelburne has had a reputation for snow that is well deserved.
Here are a couple of shots on Victoria street heading south, and one between 25 and 20 side road on 3rd line
These were taken in 1977, one of the heaviest years for snowfall

may-77t10-4.jpg


may-77t10-5.jpg


may-77t10-6.jpg


may-77t10-11.jpg
 
Thanks again for all the replies.

It sounds like living in Shelburne wont be easy during the winter, but not as impossible as others have made it out to be.

I've spoken about this to a lot of people and it seems that the pros of moving from Brampton to Shelburne outway the Cons.

I'll be putting an offer on a house in Shelburne soon. Thanks for all the input guys :-)
 
On a plus side my bike/car insurance will go down by almost $1000/year if I move to Shelburne. :-D[/QUOTE]

Ouch! That's killer expensive insurance you must have. An 86 Goldwing AND a 06 FZ6 together cost me under 800$. But I only get the minimum insurance required by law. No fire, theft, comp. etc. And live outside the GTA.
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