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Is there anywhere in the developed world where chicken is $20/lb? Ok, maybe Japan, but not North America. No way. I'm sorry, that just seems so far fetched I'm not buying the rest of the post either. I've been to Canada a few times, and tbh, the prices were only slightly higher. If chicken were $20/lb, I guess the chicken entree I had at the Greek restaurant in Toronto would have been around $60. It wasn't.
Not all young people want to be rich and powerful. As a young American hoping to move to Canada, I'd definitely prefer living a simple, relaxed, slow-paced life. I have to agree with the weather issue though.
I do not think it's a matter of being "rich and powerful".....often it can be a more stimulating and challenging work regardless of money.
Remember that life in Canada is not more relaxing or slow paced or "simpler" than the US....Canada is not Europe and I hope you do your homework before considering to move.
You can get fired as easily as in the US, housing cost are even more outrageous in the major cities (cost of living is higher on average) Canadians are carrying record level of debts.
You may lead a simpler life in a more rural smaller town but you can do that as easily in the US.
I really see no advantages for your average American to move to Canada on any front. Culturally is very similar too.
The subs at Subway are $6 now in the US.
Eggs vary in price quite a bit in the US. Where I live they are generally $2.50 for a dozen. But I've heard of $2 per dozen or $3.50 a dozen as an average regular price.
The dollar menu is often more than a dollar depending where in the US you are. I don't eat fast food often at all, but the last time we were on the road and stopped, it was $1.49 for the "dollar menu."
We were in Canada over the summer and went to various grocery stores throughout our trip to buy lunch items. While there certainly were higher prices, it wasn't so far out of the ballpark. The one item that I noticed to be much higher was cream cheese which was in the $3.50-$4.50 range. Here in the US I pay under $2. But most items were maybe 10% more and some were the same or cheaper.
As for Canadians being obsessed with the US, I know that Canadians are more knowledgeable about the US than Americans are about Canada. And I've seen where it is a bit competitive for some of them. But part of that is not only because they are right next door, but because the US is so large and influential. We are in the news a lot! And It's not just Canada - many countries have some obsession with the US and definitely know more about the US than we know about them.
A quick story - In 1989 I spent a winter session from college in Switzerland. It was the evening of January 20, and I happened to be walking around the streets of Lucerne when I noticed a large group of people surrounding an appliance store window. I went over to see what the fuss was about. There was a television on, and it was broadcasting the inauguration of George Bush as the President of the US. Everyone was watching, fascinated. I stayed and watched with them, and was surprised to find out that most of them were not Americans. They were Australians, Swiss, Germans, and many other nationalities. And they were enthralled, outside at night in the freezing cold, watching the US install their next president. As a young college student, I was stunned that people were so interested in my country's president, and in my head I reversed the situation and thought whether I'd be interested in watching any of these countries install their next leader and my answer was probably not. So it's not just Canada that is obsessed with the US. And from a world view, it is understandable why the US is on a lot more people's (including Canadians) radar than we are on theirs. (And as an aside, it's also quite embarrassing.)
The melting pot of the US versus the stew in Canada is an interesting topic. I don't know that Americans necessarily do it any better. It's true that a large group of US citizens want people from Mexico, Central and South America to check their Spanish languge at the border rather than have enclaves of Spanish-speaking sections of various cities in the US. But is that really better? On the other hand, many Americans do not see people from Asia as being American because they look at their skin color and facial features and classify them as Asians or Asian Americans. How assimilated is that? Also, many right-wingers would be happy if there was no immigration at all, or only of white Christians who would not need much assimilation. I think this is a long and complicated topic that probably deserves its own thread.
Last point - healthcare. I won't pretend to know about the Canadian healthcare system and what surprise charges you may get there. But I can tell you that there are ALWAYS surprise charges here from the medical field - from ambulances, doctors, hospitals, etc. because a doctor was out of network or an ambulance trip has a high copay or you prefer the ambulance take you to the better hospital a mile farther than the one they want to take you to, so you get a charge.
Glad the OP is happy in the US, but it's not all PROS here either.
Good post.
I'm a Canadian representative of a particular demographic that might () be slightly more nationalistic than the average. I would be the first to acknowledge that I'm very interested in your current election process for what I think are concerns felt across the planet.
The U.S. 'burps' and all those sitting at the world table are going to experience an immediate change of appetite.
No one living today can ignore the reality of bad mortgage practices dictated by Washington bureaucrats ultimately derailing the worlds economic train.
No one can ignore the election of a particular personality resulting in a sea-change of foreign policy that might lead to some military incursion or other affecting us all for a decade or more.
Our economies are so intertwined that what happens in the worlds largest economy that is the major player we do business with must be considered by us, we have no choice until our trade is no longer of majority American, if and when that ever changes.
No one can ignore whether, for an obvious example, electing someone like a McCain with his expressed disdain for Canada and all things Canadian, would lead to an even more stringent border security protocol for the 49th parallel while the boob ignored illegal immigration for decades rampaging through his home state to commit all kinds of crimes in his country. The man never forgave us for accepting and sheltering draft-dodgers while he languished in the Hanoi Hilton.
All those clustering around the TV in the cold in Switzerland were interested because they knew the outcome would ultimately affect them in some way.
News articles coming out of the U.S. are reported because they are "news". The duckboat accident got the same exposure as a multi death accident in Ontario due to it being our neighbour with similar value-for-life tendencies. We also saw news reports of a crane collapse in Mecca and now news of a stampede killing hundreds at Medina. It's the news, and citizens of Canada, 20% or more comprised of immigrants from everywhere would chastise our media for ignoring it while citizens of the U.S. would quite probably not even care about a roll-over in Canada, were it even reported.
The realists among us maintain rational cognizance while being accused of irrational obsession or suffering from an inferiority complex. Silliness, when one considers your military might very well be called upon to contribute to a U.N. action precipitated by intractable American influence that ends up costing you millions upon millions with NO dog in the hunt at all other than the suggested humanitarian aspect which has now backfired beyond all comprehension.
Keeping abreast of what goes on in America patterns our decision making process in a myriad of ways like managing to get rid of my Nortel before the bathwater covered my nose.
Summation: We show interest in American goings-on because we're interested in what will almost certainly have some affect on our daily lives.
The duckboat accident got the same exposure as a multi death accident in Ontario due to it being our neighbour with similar value-for-life tendencies.
Really? I am sure a similar accident happening in India will be nowhere to be found in Canadian media. Aren't there more Indians than Americans in Canada?
More importantly, if a similar accident happens in Ontario, nobody in New York or Michigan would care.
As usual, you NEVER finds a single flaw with Canada. I don't remember you ever pointing out one single problem with Canada (except in terms of government/politics). So much more than a bit more nationalistic than average.
For the record, regarding Canadians wanting to move to the U.S., I don't really see it as much of a thing. Of course, there are some. But it's not something you hear about very much, and usually comes as a result of a) studying down there and then meeting a spouse/getting a job or b) getting a job offer down there or a transfer.
It's not so much about people starting "cold" and saying "I gotta move to the U.S., man!", and then taking it from there.
Although, most of them who go down there end up staying there in my observation. (French Canadians seem somewhat more likely to come back, especially once they have school-aged kids.)
That would be the snow storm that also affected parts of Canada? Because when weather events are supposed to involve us, I call that self-interest, not obsession. When they mention Colorado Lows on the forecast here, or Alberta Clippers, I pay attention to see what I might be up against, but it isn't because I am overly interested in either Colorado or Alberta.
No, that snow storm was not expected to affected Canada - plus, even if it did, send journalists to where it is expected to affect, not New York City for Christ's sake. That was beyond pathetic. Did you ever see New York Times sending reports to Montreal to report on the weather?
Yes, other countries reported about it, but didn't send staff. I am sure Der Spiegel doesn't send journalists to Lyon to report an upcoming snow storm.
Find all the excuse you can come up with. Doesn't change the fact that Canada is so obsessed with the US in a pathological way, and the obsession is definitely not mutual.
For the record, regarding Canadians wanting to move to the U.S., I don't really see it as much of a thing. Of course, there are some. But it's not something you hear about very much, and usually comes as a result of a) studying down there and then meeting a spouse/getting a job or b) getting a job offer down there or a transfer.
It's not so much about people starting "cold" and saying "I gotta move to the U.S., man!", and then taking it from there.
Although, most of them who go down there end up staying there in my observation. (French Canadians seem somewhat more likely to come back, especially once they have school-aged kids.)
That's an understatement. Of course Canadians who have family roots in Canada are unlikely to move due to obvious reasons, however, immigrants seem to be rather interested. For the past 5 years, I saw 4 friends leaving Canada for the US. Another old classmate of mine moved to Ottawa region about 12 years ago and moved to Texas 4 years after and never came back. Last year, a young coworker (who grew up in Toronto) decided to pursue a master's degree in the US after which he decides to work in NYC instead of coming back.
As an immigrant, I do hear about it a lot. Mostly it is not due to weather, but career opportunities (and possibly lower cost of living).
That's an understatement. Of course Canadians who have family roots in Canada are unlikely to move due to obvious reasons, however, immigrants seem to be rather interested. For the past 5 years, I saw 4 friends leaving Canada for the US. Another old classmate of mine moved to Ottawa region about 12 years ago and moved to Texas 4 years after and never came back. Last year, a young coworker (who grew up in Toronto) decided to pursue a master's degree in the US after which he decides to work in NYC instead of coming back.
As an immigrant, I do hear about it a lot. Mostly it is not due to weather, but career opportunities (and possibly lower cost of living).
Yes, immigrants as a sub-set of society are more likely to look at heading south. I definitely believe that.
I mean, Canada for some immigrants is clearly a stepping stone to the U.S. if they get accepted here first.
It's always been like that. Even if many Canadians don't like to hear it.
No, that snow storm was not expected to affected Canada - plus, even if it did, send journalists to where it is expected to affect, not New York City for Christ's sake. That was beyond pathetic. Did you ever see New York Times sending reports to Montreal to report on the weather?
Yes, other countries reported about it, but didn't send staff. I am sure Der Spiegel doesn't send journalists to Lyon to report an upcoming snow storm.
Find all the excuse you can come up with. Doesn't change the fact that Canada is so obsessed with the US in a pathological way, and the obsession is definitely not mutual.
CTV and Global and the private networks/stations are by far the worst. Sometimes I'll be watching the CTV news channel and five stories in a row (basically an entire segment) will be feeds from U.S. networks: Donald Trump says something stupid; an Interstate highway sniper gets arrested somewhere; tornadoes wreck a town in Oklahoma; a high school in Georgia won't allow a gay teen to go to the prom; a big snow storm hit Alburquerque NM; a cat in Nebraska learned how to play Jingle Bells on the piano...
When you really think about it, it's probably mostly just corporate laziness: it costs a lot less for CTV and Global to grab these feeds off the U.S. news services they pay a flat fee to access than it does to have the larger news teams they'd need to fill up their programming mostly with news from Canada.
But it still contributes to the Americanization of Canada, and the perception that people have that it's just a satellite or a cultural colony of the U.S.
That's why when I watch Canadian news in English I always watch the CBC.
Back to the prices. We just drove through lower Ontario between Niagara Falls CA and Sarnia to avoid going near Chicago. We paid just about as much for a lunch in a roadside diner as we would in the US. The clerk laughed at our 15 year old Canadian currency but took it anyway.
Next year I am planning a solo drive to the maritime provinces with the goal of driving to St. John's Newfoundland.
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) be slightly more nationalistic than the average. 
I would be the first to acknowledge that I'm very interested in your current election process for what I think are concerns felt across the planet.
