Most people who do manage to afford to live in Toronto still have to commute. you can get condo's right in the downtown core, but they are insanely expensive.

So the debate he had was a ~30 min commute and a "toronto" address vs a 45-60 min commute and an address in a small city outside Toronto.

I worked in toronto a very long time, dont know many people who actually lived there. Most commuted from cities in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area).

Sometimes the commute is sort of unavoidable.

What are the options to avoid a 30 min commute if you work in a specific industry which prefers "on site" work, and that company owns property in a city you cant afford to live in?

You can change industries, etc.. but those are personal choices.