Challenges with apartment hunting when you don't "know someone who knows someone"

When I first moved to this province, I had to find a place to live without having the benefit of visiting in advance. So my first attempt was in a town called Montague, population ~5000. There are very few apartments for rent in this area and even fewer which do not require a 12 month lease, so I settled for the only one which did not have a lease. This was mistake #1!


When I arrived in Montague after a 20 hour drive, I pulled up to this address on Queen's Extension Road and was so terrified by the neighborhood that I nearly got back in my car to return to Guelph. Those of you who live in Guelph will recognize the name "Willow Road" and will understand the comparison. I soon found out that I had selected an apartment in the "low-income housing" area and that all the people in my building were unemployed alcoholics.

 Not to mention the house across the street comprised of a family of drug dealers. Twice, in the first week I came home from work to find the RCMP parked outside my building dealing with various alcohol and drug related issues. What I discovered inside my building was even more exciting! Uncashed welfare checks, burn spoons and drug paraphernalia littered the uncleaned apartment upon my arrival. Within minutes, I already knew that I had to find somewhere else to live!

After a few weeks, I started to get to know some locals so I was able to search around for some leads on a place to live. It was suggested that I rent a room from "a friend of a friend" so I took the opportunity to leave the Montague's version of Willow Road. I now had a great place to live, with a beautiful view and neighborhood in which I could actually go outside.

There was only one problem with my new accommodations - the landlord/roommate kind of went a little nutty. In one week, I came home to find some cheating going on, which lead to a bit of a domestic followed by some binge drinking which turned into theft. Therefore, once again, I was looking for new accommodations.