PdalPowr

I am doing my darndest to move back to the country.
The car will be parked just as often as possible.
One criteria is being able to bike to get groceries and incidentals.
So far the only place I like says no stores within walking distance.
That doesn't bother me at all as long as they are within biking distance.
I would be in the countryside around a village of 800.
I wonder if they would have a pharmacy.

Roody

You can find a lot from Google Maps. But if at all possible, I would want to visit a location before troubling to move there!

A village with 800 pop. probably won't have much--maybe a dollar store if you're lucky. But often there is a bigger town nearby. A small city of 10K is likely to have a grocery/pharmacy or maybe even a Walmart. If it's 10 or 15 miles away, it would be an easy bike trip every few days.

Good luck!

CliffordK

A Green Pharmacy (pot shop) opened up about opened up about 2 miles from Mom's house. What they can't cure can surely be cured by the bar next door. Does that count?

Many rural communities are organized in some kind of a satellite fashion. Say you live a mile from the nearest small town of 800 people. With some luck, it will have a grocery store. Then, perhaps find a place with a mid sized city of 50,000+ maybe 10 miles away or so, within easy biking/hauling distance.

How frequently do you visit the pharmacy? Some doctors, at least here in the USA keep a good stock of samples on hand. Talk to the doctor (oh, is there even a doctor in our village?) Anyway, the doctor may have enough meds to cover you for a week or two.

Many routine supplies can be ordered online. So, if you have a prescription for chronic meds, you could fill the prescription online, and perhaps save a few bucks in the process.

If the US residents buy from Canada, then where do the Canadians get their drugs?

tclune

You might want to try out Amazon's grocery service (assuming it is available in Canada.) With such a small town, it is very possible that even if there is a small grocery store, it may go out of business after you move there. But, if you like the area, services like Amazon may make the option more viable than it used to be. FWIW

PdalPowr

We get our drugs from our Prime Minister.

I am betting some of the riders on this site don't know my nation's leader is legalising pot next Summer.
I don't care if it is decriminalised but legalised is another matter. I am not saying I have never puffed pot but
I never did it in front of children or blatantly on the street. If you want to puff then be discrete about it.
Just yesterday I was in an underground mall and a guy was puffing away in front of kids passing by.

Anyway if one of the moderators finds the topic in poor taste then message me and I will delete it.

As far as visiting that village with the property I will visit a couple of times before considering it further.
My criteria is archery friendly neighbors,bicycling friendly roads and as suggested checking out bigger
communities in the area so on and so forth. Oh and a very good sheltered driveway where I can leave my car as much as possible.

The reason I am so gung-ho about this place is the dwelling suits me down to the ground,
no neighbors in the back and no snow removal issues which can be quite the problem some places.

cooker

If you are going to be in the country outside of town, does it matter if the nearby town has 800 or 8000 people? Eight thousand is more likely to have a few different services.

PdalPowr

Canada is set up a bit differently than the United States.
We are spread out but not in the exact same pattern.
You are right about the size of the population dictating the services they will receive.
According to the real estate website the country that I like is filled with blue collar
workers who don't mind hunting so I should get along. As long as they like my bikes.

CliffordK

Yes

Every once in a while one has to go to the store. And the selection of stores and shops in a town of 800 or so is generally quite a bit less than one of 8,000, or say 80,000.

Although, thinking about small towns around Oregon. Those around a population of about 1000 or so start having a couple of good restaurants, a grocery store, a hardware store, and a bit more, especially if somewhat isolated from the larger cities. But you'd certainly get to know your neighbors. Less than 1000, and perhaps just a single grocery/general store.

Small towns may suffer a bit if they have a large percent of their population commuting to the big city.

Around 10,000, they may get a car dealership (not for every brand though), and a much better selection of stores. Redundancy? One might not have a bike shop in the 1000 population towns, but should have one in a 10,000 population town.

Of course, part of the equation is how big of a trek it is to get to the big city. 20 miles or so would still be within a reasonable distance for those "big" trips.

cooker

I know some people think Toronto isn't part of Canada, but it actually is

Being of retirement age, you also need to think about access to health care and emergency services, evacuation options in case of floods, fire, or blizzard conditions, backup power supply and a ton of other contingencies, although I am sure you will be on top of emergency alarms!

Regards

PdalPowr

Your comment about bike shops indicates we are on the same page today.
It will be very different not having a bike shop four hundred yards away....................downhill.

Though I wouldn't be commuting the village is a one hour commute to the big city by car.
There are a few cities of size closer in but most workers would be doing the one hour commute.

The house itself is a humble dwelling in need of renovations but then so am I.
In fact the reno's,country living and bicycling will help knock off a few pounds.

I got my first longbow deer a couple of villages over.
My buddy who helped me get my deer lives close by as well.
There is good goose hunting in the area and fine woods to bike and walk the dog in.
I have never goose hunted. It is on my bucket list.

tclune

Just curious -- how do you strap a deer to your bike?

PdalPowr

Don't laugh but there is a picture out there of someone who did just that.
I Personally don't think its safe. Its hard enough to shoot one while riding.

wipekitty

Looks like Rambo Bikes is on the scene: https://rambobikes.com/

PdalPowr

Cool on ya brother biker.
Those Rambo bikes are neat.
I mean the battery and motor are clunky looking but
that will improve with time. I was wondering if there were E-fat bikes.

The basic bike without motor is hellaciously good looking.
I know the fat bike isn't for me just now but
that doesn't mean I can't arrange a test drive.
I wonder if I could make it over the border before they realised I wasn't coming back.