‘Don’t Tell Toronto’ ad campaign encourages moving to London

The London Economic Development Corporation has launched “Don’t Tell Toronto,” an unconventional ad campaign encouraging Torontonians to make the move to London.

The campaign, which began in February 2021, boasted the Forest City's extensive green space and short commuting times.

The LEDC has released four employment prospect reports which project the creation of 40,000 jobs in London and outline employment prospects within London’s key sectors of healthcare and technology from 2023 to 2028.

According to Robert Collins, senior advisor of workforce initiatives for the LEDC, 5,000 people have engaged with the campaign through the Don’t Tell Toronto website where LEDC representatives will reach out directly and provide personalized career information.

When asked about the biggest draw for Torontonians, Collins highlighted the advantageous relative purchasing power in London, attributed to lower rent, housing prices and overall living expenses.

“There’s access to good employment, and the same amenities that you might enjoy in a major city,” said Collins.

Logan Maher, a first-year history and philosophy student at Toronto Metropolitan University, said that an incentive to move could be the shorter commuting times in London. His commute in Toronto — which he described as “taxing” — ranges from 30 minutes to an hour.

Although the LEDC services are predominantly utilized by people in their mid-twenties to early forties, the Don’t Tell Toronto campaign hopes to reach Western University and Fanshawe College students and provide them “a look outside of the purple bubble,” according to Collins.

When third-year Western medical sciences student Naman Malhotra was asked whether he would stay in London after graduation, he said it was “probably unlikely.”

While Malhotra has had many positive experiences with multiculturalism within the Western community, he has yet to experience this in London itself.

“The solidarity you feel in the GTA as someone who is a visible minority is much greater,” said Malhotra. “In elementary school, I wasn’t a visible minority, which was cool. I had people around me who shared similar life experiences. In London, I find you don’t see that too much outside of Western University.”

But, Collins emphasized that London is a big city that feels like a small town — with 160 languages spoken by local residents and several places of worship to support its multicultural community including temples, synagogues and mosques.

Collins acknowledged the challenges individuals can face when navigating career pathways, but the LEDC aims to help people find their place in London.

 “You just don’t know what you have to offer,” said Collins.

Eye-catching billboards for the campaign have made an appearance across Toronto, featuring quotes such as “Room for a backyard and a barbeque” and “We can have a backyard staaaycation”. Both make reference to green space available in London, a hallmark of the campaign.

 “We love Toronto — the campaign is just meant to be cheeky,” said Collins.