a question for you canadiens/canadians....

[RD]

I am seriously considering moving to Canada in the southern Ontario region.  My reason for this is to, quite honestly, have a better quality of life for my children and family (i.e. health care, education, etc. etc.).

What advice would you give me that would either persuade me or dissuade me from moving to your country?  I am really attracted to the positives I hear of Canada, but would like to make an informed decision by hearing your input (whether it is completely biased or not, there is a reason you feel the way you do).  What are your likes and dislikes about Canada, its government, its people, bureaucracy, etc.?  I hear stories of high taxes, but heck we got that here in the United States.  It is just that our tax money goes to stealth bombers and not to health care and other social programs.

I am looking for a serious contribution here.  Due to my current health conditions and the many positives I have heard about Canada, I do not want to find my children having to bail Dad out when they should be living and enjoying their lives.  I am thinking way forward in time here in regards to me (not going to die tomorrow, well I hope not).  It just seems that the Canadian system has a better grasp on assisting its citizenry than the "do it yourself" U.S. mentality.  I am not going to be a burden on the Canadian system as I will work, pay my taxes and be a responsible citizen/taxpayer, but I want the reassurance also that a government is willing to assist its citizenry more than what I believe the current U.S. system is willing to provide.

I am not bashing those that live in the U.S. or want to stay here, it is just that I am willing to enterntain moving to another country for the betterment of my family and our future together.

I hope you all understand my point and are willing to provide constructive input without naysaying or getting into a border feud.

now.. let me hear your thoughts.  thanking you in advance.

Jamey

[69bronzeT5]

In my opinion, B.C is the best place in Canada to live. The coast is just beautiful in the summer. The best thing is, we don't get tornadoes, hurricanes, ice storms etc like other provinces (including Ontario). The health care system isn't the greatest here but it's better than other places in the world for sure. Finding a job is hard in smaller towns but it's easier in big cities, then again...it's hard to find a job anywhere in the world. The only bad thing about Canada is the housing market. Houses here are expensive in the big city....smaller towns & rural communities it's cheaper of course.

[RD]

In my opinion, B.C is the best place in Canada to live. The coast is just beautiful in the summer. The best thing is, we don't get tornadoes, hurricanes, ice storms etc like other provinces (including Ontario). The health care system isn't the greatest here but it's better than other places in the world for sure. Finding a job is hard in smaller towns but it's easier in big cities, then again...it's hard to find a job anywhere in the world.

tornadoes dont scare me, i am in kansas lol... secondly, what about your healthcare system that you dislike? please be specific.

[69bronzeT5]

In my opinion, B.C is the best place in Canada to live. The coast is just beautiful in the summer. The best thing is, we don't get tornadoes, hurricanes, ice storms etc like other provinces (including Ontario). The health care system isn't the greatest here but it's better than other places in the world for sure. Finding a job is hard in smaller towns but it's easier in big cities, then again...it's hard to find a job anywhere in the world.

tornadoes dont scare me, i am in kansas lol... secondly, what about your healthcare system that you dislike? please be specific.

Well from what I've heard, some of the hosptials are overcrowded. Long waits for surgeries in some cases. Not enough beds etc etc. I'm sure if you do a search for "Canadian Healthcare System", you'll get some results.

[Magnumcharger]

Well...first you have to know a Canadian, and the secret password.
And no, it's not Hockey.

Lets see. Sometimes it's a great thing to be Canadian.
What I like:
Freindly people,
Beautiful countryside,
Clean air and water,
Being able to leave your front door unlocked,
No home invasions,
Yeah, the healthcare (I knew I'd have to put that in somewhere!)
Not a lot of "big heads",
No fear in travelling anywhere, or talking to people,
Beer,
Hunting,
Buying a house is reasonable,
Seeing celebrities acting like normal people and nobody mobbing them,
CBC


What I don't like:
Taxes are stupid high,
Snow, Ice, cold....for too much of the year,
French,
Cheap government (Military spending)
Lower wages,
Getting car parts across the border,
Cars built here cost more than elsewhere(why?),
No tax break on mortgage interest,
Driving three days to get across Ontario,
Too much politics,
Radio-Canada
Not enough national pride!


Not much to complain about really.

[Ghoste]

Canadian healthcare is not as bad as the naysayers would have you believe or as good as others would claim.  Both of my parents have had cancer surgery in the last couple of years and neither had to wait for years or settle for "reduced treatment because you're old and going to die soon anyway" the way some people claim.  The BC system and the Ontario system probably have some differences as it isn't a federal system but set up by each province.  The feds put up money for but so does the province and they are the ones who administer it.  If you go to the emergency ward to get your cold treated you can expect to sit there for several hours.  If you walk in with chest pains you will get immediate help.  It's a socialist country in many ways so healthcare and education are two things that I like about living here.  Post-secondary education is not publicly paid for, you have to that on your own.  Taxes aren't just high, they are stupid high.  15% on almost anything you buy and most services are even subject to a tax half that.  Income tax generally steals a third of your wage.
In southwestern Ontario we have few tornado's, no earthquakes, 'gators, rattlers, scorpions, hurricanes and depending where you live, very low levels of violent crime.  There is some snow and cold but it isn't the icy wilderness that many think.  People are generally friendly again depending where you live.  It does get humid in the summer.
The government here like to do all of the thinking for you.  You rarely if ever vote on bylaws or proposals or anything like that.   The party who gets the most electoral regions wins and then do whatever they want.  No electoral college, no vote for congress and senator, just one vote for a rep in your zone.  All judges are appointed.  Gun ownership is extraordinarily difficult.  Traffic laws can be draconian.
Overall, I stay.  I moved around a lot after high school and I have a lot of relatives in the US so I have spent a great deal of time in America and even considered moving there quite a few times when I was younger (I had a girlfriend in Dearborn for a while and when we had a short "scare" the idea of emigrating occupied a lot of my time).  After all that I ended up coming back to Mayberry to live.

[bull]

IIRC you get paid by the government a certain sum for each kid you have but no tax write-offs for mortgage interest.

[Ghoste]

The "baby bonus" doesn't apply once you reach a certain income level.  I am very far from rich and never got a dime for our kids.

[b5blue]

Are you Canadians required to come to Florida when you retire for a certain length of time? Is it legal to back up on entrance ramps to the interstate there? How long can it take to get to Florida if your top speed on the interstate is 28mph. (with your left blinker on in the right lane) I have more questions but these things happen daily here so I thought I would bring it up?   

[Magnumcharger]

No Canada bashing please.
There are daft senior citizens in every part of the continent.

[b5blue]

Please! I do not mean it as a bash! They really do these things! (chuckle yes, bash no!) I live in the old fart capital of the world and they really keep you guessing! They come from everywhere not just up there. I have found I can drive anywhere in the country no matter how bad, no problem. Hence my need for 11 3/4 disk brake up grade!

[bull]

Well...first you have to know a Canadian, and the secret password.
And no, it's not Hockey.

Lets see. Sometimes it's a great thing to be Canadian.
What I like:
Yeah, the healthcare (I knew I'd have to put that in somewhere!)

What I don't like:
Taxes are stupid high,

You can't have part A without part B in this equasion.

[mopar_nut_440_6]

Canada is very beautiful and I love living here in northern British Columbia where you can purchase a nice home for a reasonable amount of money.

300,000 will buy you a 1500 foot /floor 5 bedroom , 3 bath home with two garages.

Winters are long and can be cool but you can ride snowmobiles from your yard just 10 minutes from town. Decent trout fishing is within a half hour drive of town and world class salmon fishing within 4 hours of here. Something for everybody.

If you want more sun you need to be in the Okanagan where housing will double in cost so you will pay a premium. If you want to live in the big city , Vancouver (voted one of the 10 best cities in the world to live in) then you will pay huge money for a home.

Alberta is also very nice but very flat, once you get past the Rocky Mountains, and has always had what I would call a good government in place and they really look after the roads and infrastructure there. There are many beautiful areas particularly around Banff and Jasper.

I have never been east of Saskatchewan so I cannot say much there.

My wife is from Cape Breton (Nova Scotia) and the people from there are the nicest you will meet, of course I am biased, although the job situation is not as well there.

I work in health care and can say we are feeling the crunch due to the the increasing age of the population so much of our tax money does go to pay for this but basic health care can still be purchased by anybody for I believe 43 bucks a month. In fact it is a requirement in Canada. Most decent employers have a plan and this becomes a taxable benefit.

The downside is of course lengthier waits for surgeries and increased demand on the physicians and health care workers.

Nothing is ever perfect but I do love living in Canada and I do not think you could go wrong just do your homework and make an informed decision.

Good luck.

[PocketThunder]

Canadian healthcare is not as bad as the naysayers would have you believe or as good as others would claim.  Both of my parents have had cancer surgery in the last couple of years and neither had to wait for years or settle for "reduced treatment because you're old and going to die soon anyway" the way some people claim.  The BC system and the Ontario system probably have some differences as it isn't a federal system but set up by each province.  The feds put up money for but so does the province and they are the ones who administer it.  If you go to the emergency ward to get your cold treated you can expect to sit there for several hours.  If you walk in with chest pains you will get immediate help.  It's a socialist country in many ways so healthcare and education are two things that I like about living here.  Post-secondary education is not publicly paid for, you have to that on your own.  Taxes aren't just high, they are stupid high.  15% on almost anything you buy and most services are even subject to a tax half that.  Income tax generally steals a third of your wage.
In southwestern Ontario we have few tornado's, no earthquakes, 'gators, rattlers, scorpions, hurricanes and depending where you live, very low levels of violent crime.  There is some snow and cold but it isn't the icy wilderness that many think.  People are generally friendly again depending where you live.  It does get humid in the summer.
The government here like to do all of the thinking for you.  You rarely if ever vote on bylaws or proposals or anything like that.   The party who gets the most electoral regions wins and then do whatever they want.  No electoral college, no vote for congress and senator, just one vote for a rep in your zone.  All judges are appointed.  Gun ownership is extraordinarily difficult.  Traffic laws can be draconian.
Overall, I stay.  I moved around a lot after high school and I have a lot of relatives in the US so I have spent a great deal of time in America and even considered moving there quite a few times when I was younger (I had a girlfriend in Dearborn for a while and when we had a short "scare" the idea of emigrating occupied a lot of my time).  After all that I ended up coming back to Mayberry to live.

So you're saying the best thing to do would be move to Canada and run for office!   

[Magnumcharger]

Well...first you have to know a Canadian, and the secret password.
And no, it's not Hockey.

Lets see. Sometimes it's a great thing to be Canadian.
What I like:
Yeah, the healthcare (I knew I'd have to put that in somewhere!)

What I don't like:
Taxes are stupid high,

You can't have part A without part B in this equasion.

You're probably correct.
However, the personal income tax rate varies between provinces to a great degree, as do things like property taxes, and gasoline tax.
In Alberta, the income tax rate there is fixed at 10% across the board. Other provinces like Nova Scotia, where I now live, it's appreciably more.
My property tax in New Brunswick is almost non-existant. So there is some balance.
Southern Ontario is a very densely populated area, and not really indicative of the country as a whole.
In Saskatchewan, it is so sparcely populated, that some towns will actually GIVE you a house just to move there.
And if your dog runs away, you can watch him run for days.
As well, it's been said that 90% of the Canadian population lives within 100 miles of the US border. That I would believe.

[greatwn73]

So, What Do We Canadians Have To Be Proud Of ?



1. Smarties



2. Crispy Crunch, Coffee Crisp



3. The size of our footballs fields, one less down, and bigger balls.



4. Baseball is Canadian - First game June 4, 1838 - Ingersoll , ON



5. Lacrosse is Canadian



6. Hockey is Canadian



7. Basketball is Canadian



8. Apple pie is Canadian



9. Mr. Dress-up beats Mr. Rogers



10. Tim Hortons beats Dunkin' Donuts



11. In the war of 1812, started by America , Canadians pushed the Americans
back past their White House'. Then we burned
it, and most of Washington .. We got bored because they ran away. Then, we
came home and partied........ Go figure.



12. Canada has the largest French population that never surrendered to
Germany.


13. We have the largest English population that never ever surrendered or
withdrew during any war to anyone, anywhere.
EVER. (We got clobbered in the odd battle but prevailed in ALL the wars)


14. Our civil war was fought in a bar and lasted a little over an hour.

15. The only person who was arrested in our civil war was an American
mercenary, he slept in and missed the whole thing.
He showed up just in time to get caught.



16. A Canadian invented Standard Time.



17. The Hudsons Bay Company once owned over 10% of the earth's surface and
is still around as the world's oldest
company.



18. The average dog sled team can kill and devour a full grown human in
under 3 minutes.
(That's more information than I need!)



19. We know what to do with the parts of a buffalo.



20. We don't marry our kin-folk.



21. We invented ski-doos, jet-skis, Velcro, zippers, insulin, penicillin,
zambonis and the telephone. Also short wave
radios that save countless lives each year.



22. We ALL have frozen our tongues to something metal and lived to tell
about it.



23. A Canadian invented Superman.



24. We have coloured money.



25. Our beer advertisements kick ass (Incidently...so does our beer)


BUT MOST IMPORTANT !


The handles on our beer cases are big enough to fit your hands with mitts
on.



OOOoohhhhh.... Canada !!

Oh yeah... And our elections only take one day.



Pass this on if you are proud to be Canadian!!!

[bull]

Bigger balls? That's getting kind of personal, don't you think?

[OneofNoneRT]

Man is anybody translating all this to SPANISH!!!

[b5blue]

Bull, balls... not nuts... I'm a little fuzzy about it too. 

[Magnumcharger]

I guess I'm not Canadian...I don't know what to do with all of the parts of a buffalo....
That list is not only glaringly incorrect, it's downright offensive and antagonistic.

[Definitely an Old Timer]

Until about 8 years ago I was burning to move to the USA. I don't feel that way now.

My wife was reading the New York Times today and read that 62% of personal bankruptcies in the USA are caused by inability to pay for health care, and staggeringly, these were for PEOPLE WHO HAD INSURANCE - just that the insurance didn't cover it all. I would sum up the health care argument succinctly as follows: health care in Canada for the most part is very good, but some things are "rationed" via long waits (some times it takes quite a while to get a knee replaced, or even bypass surgury). For the vast majority of people and the vast majority of ailments, the health care is fine. For regular people, ordinary joes making, 25K, 35K, 45K or so a year, they are much better off in Canada in my opinion, than in the USA. There is a tipping point in income when it is better to live in the USA (from a financial perspective). Can't tell you exactly what that number is though.

My change of mind about no longer wishing to move to the USA has more to do with the leadership of America which in my opinion has really declined. While I equally dislike all politicians, there have been so many bone headed decisions made by American politicians at all levels (federal, state and local) and all political stripes it is hard to fathom. While we in Canada are hardly immune to stupid politicians, because the USA is so much larger, and frankly, much more important on the world stage, the mistakes made are magnified that much more.

California is virtually bankrupt. The city of Detroit is virtually bankrupt. The feds are printing money so fast that inflation seems inevitable. I can't see a useful agreement being made about health care reform, tort law reform, and social security reform. Bad tasting medicine will need to be administered to fix these problems, but what politician willl have the guts to make the decision? There is a moral vacuum in the leadership in the USA, and I expect that the US will decline further before it gets better. I think of H.L. Mencken, who wrote that elections are a sort of futures market in stolen property. America needs a politician who is intent on solving problems rather than playing politics.

Having said that, I am ALWAYS OPTIMISTIC about the American people, who are about as good as you get. I love visiting the USA, and meeting, among others, my MOPAR brothers.

Whew! That was kind of long winded, and I hope it helps you in your decision.

[TylerCharger69]

so......what DO ya do with the buffalo parts???

[charger_fan_4ever]

If you like socialism come to Canada

-28% of my paycheque is gone here in Q-bec(No i'm not french, and yes there are some anglophones in quebec)
-worst roads in the world lol
-highest gas prices in north america
-if your car/truck has an engine 4.0l or larger you get to pay a extra gas $150 gas guzzler tax every year when you renew your plates.My diesel dodge truck costs $375 to put plates on it each year.
-I work for an insurance company and the owners and friends of the family go to a US hospital for anything major
Its not really free healthcare cause we are taxed out the wazoo and alot of the workers could care less as there is no incentive to provide good service. They will not loose money as its government funded.

Basically everything is more expensive I find. Whether its cars,sleds,gas,parts,food,transport its more expensive here. My buddy runs a bodyshop and I can go to Napa across the line and but the same part cheaper than he can get it "garage" price from napa here. Its not just a matter of figering in exchange its like adding 50-70%!!  You want to buy a trail pass for a sled its $225 a year. Friends in the states pay $35. Vintage machines its a 1 time licensing fee. Telecommunications don't even go there double the price for 1/2 service and coverage. Still probably 1/2 of canada that don't have access to high speed internet at home.

Our roads here are crap in quebec as its the provincial government that has its own workers doing road repair. Every guy has a contract to only man 1 piece of equipment. 1 for the shovel, 1 for the broom ect. They get paid stupid amounts of money to do a crappy job. They do a crappy job so they can come back next year and do it over. Talk about creating job security.

Only thing i can think of thats cheaper is education. University degree in finance cost me $6,600 in tuition and fees over 3 years.

The government really likes to control what you do up here. Forget your 1st amendment rights. We can't even build, or renovate our house without paying for a government permit and getting their approval before we start.

I was seriously considering moving to the states, but looks like Obama has the US going down the same socialist path that we are already on.

[restoman]

Well, from South Western Ontario - Sarnia - things in Canada ain't so bad. In my not-so-humble opinion, there just isn't a better place to hang your hat, unless you're from Cape Breton like me.
Sure, health care can be a hassle, but isn't it the worse south of the border? If you're sick up here, you needn't worry about losing your house or going bankrupt. The wait times might be long, but you do get looked after.
Taxes are high, but our social programs and the above mentioned health-care system are really pretty decent. The overall standard of living is pretty high.
We have Wayne Gretzky, Mike Weir, Chris Hatfield, Shania Twain, Mike Myers, Captain Kirk, Toronto Maple Leafs and Jim Carrey. Don't forget Tim Hortons, which is slowly becoming a national pastime.
In Sarnia, summers are usually long and warm (except for this year, we don't know what the Hell happened there), winters are pretty mild.
Guns are not much of an issues here (we don't need the right to bear arms, because we know the British ain't coming back), major crime is pretty low, even in the big cities. You CAN go out for an evening stroll without worrying about making it back home. I"ve quit often gone to bed with the back door of my house left open or the keys still in the front door lock.

Sure, your dollar won't go as far as it maybe will in the US, but we manage to get by.
Our banks and mortgage companies are still open.

As Canadians, we have our own identity, totally different from the US. Patriotism isn't displayed as proudly as it is in America, but it's alive and well up here.
We have one of the best trained and dedicated military forces in the world. We have no equipment, but the personel are second to none.



But even as a proud Canadian, I don't know what to do with the Buffalo parts.
Do mean Sabres players?

[bigred68]

 Not to COMPLETLY derail this thread but, What about the Hope area of B.C.? (ya know where that guy killed himself after murdering his model wife in Calif)? That area LOOKS like a beautiful area, woodsy, yet with some city life also? I'd think the weather would be temperate also? I guess some movies have been partially filmed there as well (Rambo). Just wondering. Now, back to regularly scheduled thread already in progress!!

[mopar_nut_440_6]

It is very nice around Hope but it is very small until you get closer to Vancouver. The next city is Chilliwack about 20 miles away and once you hit there it is basically on big city until you hit Vancouver on the ocean.  The climate is coastal.

[Scaregrabber]

The Hope area is nice but it gets pretty wet and gloomy there in the winter. You can go 30 minutes south to Chilliwack and it's a lot nicer. I've thought about moving to the states because of cheaper taxes etc. but I don't consider it anymore.
The Canadian government is weak when protecting resources and jobs but it's tough when taking liberties away from it's citizens. However I don't think there is a better place to live when you consider the crime rate, air and water quality and the weather and terrain choices you have here. If Canada ever closed it's borders we could all live better than anyone else anywhere. We have fuel and mineral reserves, clean water and air, unlimited farmland and pretty decent people overall.

Sheldon