Toronto's First Frost Date Is Nov 6, Markham's Is Oct 13
The average first fall frost is November 6 downtown and October 13 in Markham. Here is the autumn shutdown in the order those two dates force it, task by task.
9 min readVerified
Editor
David Brown
Editor & main author
David Brown is the editor of GTA Guide. He writes about the practical side of living in the Greater Toronto Area: what things cost, who to call, and what is worth your weekend.
Based in Toronto
Guides by David Brown · page 5
How Long Does a Building Permit Take? We Timed 99,540 GTA Permits
The real end to end wait for a GTA building permit, computed from 99,540 city permit records, and why the law's 10 business days is a different clock.
9 min readVerified
Toronto Vacant Home Tax Rules, and What Missing April 30 Costs You
Who has to file Toronto's yearly occupancy declaration, the deadline, the 3 per cent rate and what the City does when a form never arrives.
7 min readVerified
Toronto Island Ferry Costs $9.57 for Adults. Here's What Else You Pay
The adult round trip is $9.57, four fare tiers rode free through August 31, 2026, and winter drops the service to one route. Here is what a day on the islands really costs.
8 min readVerified
Radon Map of Ontario: We Counted 451 GTA Home Tests, by Region
Health Canada tested 451 GTA homes and six were above the 200 Bq/m3 guideline. The by-region numbers, why the scarier figures differ, and what a test costs.
9 min readVerified
We Read 1,331 Permits: The Cost to Build a House in Ontario
What 917,258 GTA building permit records actually declare, why 93.9 per cent of Toronto's new-house declarations are round numbers, and how 13 published builder claims span 4.5 times.
8 min readVerified
Storage Unit Prices in Toronto, From 20 Facilities We Checked
The median regular price of a 10x10 storage unit in Toronto is $355.33 a month before tax, read off the published prices at 20 GTA facilities in August 2026.
8 min readVerified
Duct Cleaning Cost in the GTA: We Checked 19 Companies' Websites
What 19 GTA duct cleaning sites publish, what the $49 coupons leave out, and the vent count, dryer vent and tax conditions attached to every headline price.
8 min readVerified
Fence and Pool-Fence Rules in Toronto, in Plain English
What Chapter 447 actually says: every Table 1 height, the corner-lot trap, the pool enclosure gate and gap rules, what the pool permit really costs, and why Toronto has no fence viewers.
9 min readVerified
Brampton Garbage Schedule and What Goes in Which Bin
Your garbage in Brampton is a Peel Region service, your recycling is not, and they no longer run on the same calendar. The cycle, the bins, the fees and the holiday shifts.
9 min readVerified
What It Actually Costs to Live in Toronto
What a month in Toronto really costs, built from CMHC rental survey data, City of Toronto rate schedules, OEB and Toronto Hydro tariffs and Statistics Canada spending, every figure with the period it was measured in.
12 min readVerified
First-Time Home Buyer Programs in Ontario (GTA Edition)
The two land transfer tax rebates, the FHSA, the Home Buyers' Plan and the HST rebates on new builds: what a GTA first-time buyer can claim in 2026, with the price condition attached to each amount.
10 min readVerified