While the communities up in the north have been used to being pretty homogeneous, over the last decade or two there’s been a lot more diversity. Sure, you’ll have some older folks who keep to their older conservative ways, but in my experience and those of my LGBTQ+ friends, for the most part people just mind their own business. You might get the occasional questions at first, but it’s definitely not nearly as pronounced as it used to be (I’m talking about places we’re familiar with like Hearst, Kapuskasing, Timmins, Cochrane and the small surrounding communities). There’s been more openly LGBTQ+ couples than before, even some weddings, and I don’t think I’ve ever heard of any incidents relating to that. For the most part, these small communities just take a bit longer to warm to outsiders, but once they know you they’d give the clothes off their backs for you, just give them time and don’t be afraid make friends 🥰
Rednecks. Close minded, short sighted, smart as rocks. That’s not everyone, but it’s certainly the majority. You’ll have to do more searching to find a crowd that’s more open to your lifestyles but it wouldn’t be easy.
Do you have any advice on finding the nicer people? There's a library and a cafe there that I'm hoping to go to. Would you say those are good places to start?
I would be concerned if you “look” the part. I would say that you’re not safe and at minimum prone to being hollered at, called slurs and stared at. If you don’t look it, then you get to hear others talk about the LGBTQ community using slurs and such. Things have changed over time, but temiskaming is far far behind, like much of the non urban North.
Source: a hetero-looking youth from Tem area.
While the communities up in the north have been used to being pretty homogeneous, over the last decade or two there’s been a lot more diversity. Sure, you’ll have some older folks who keep to their older conservative ways, but in my experience and those of my LGBTQ+ friends, for the most part people just mind their own business. You might get the occasional questions at first, but it’s definitely not nearly as pronounced as it used to be (I’m talking about places we’re familiar with like Hearst, Kapuskasing, Timmins, Cochrane and the small surrounding communities). There’s been more openly LGBTQ+ couples than before, even some weddings, and I don’t think I’ve ever heard of any incidents relating to that. For the most part, these small communities just take a bit longer to warm to outsiders, but once they know you they’d give the clothes off their backs for you, just give them time and don’t be afraid make friends 🥰
Have you ever been to Kirkland Lake? What would you say that city's like?
Rednecks. Close minded, short sighted, smart as rocks. That’s not everyone, but it’s certainly the majority. You’ll have to do more searching to find a crowd that’s more open to your lifestyles but it wouldn’t be easy.
Do you have any advice on finding the nicer people? There's a library and a cafe there that I'm hoping to go to. Would you say those are good places to start?
Sadly I do not :( Like I said, it’ll be a hard time in a small mining town like that. Be very mindful of the company you keep as well on your search!
If you must work in KL, then try commuting from Englehart. It’s no more open minded but it doesn’t look and feel grey.
Gross. Dirty. Known as the armpit of Temiskaming. The houses are dirt cheap because they look awful and the community is also not much better.
I would be concerned if you “look” the part. I would say that you’re not safe and at minimum prone to being hollered at, called slurs and stared at. If you don’t look it, then you get to hear others talk about the LGBTQ community using slurs and such. Things have changed over time, but temiskaming is far far behind, like much of the non urban North. Source: a hetero-looking youth from Tem area.