advice on Canada (crime, home, neighbourhood)

[Voltaire]

Hey everybody,

I've been moving around constantly for most of my life and I want to finally pick a place and settle down now. I am thinking about immigrating to Canada (I'm a US citizen) and I'd like to get thoughts from some actual Canadians about the country. In the UK (where I currently live) people have really negative opinions about the coming years, and I want a home with a brighter enviroment and future. My other option is to return to the US, and I'm considering San Francisco or Boston there. I've been to Toronto three times, and I've always enjoyed my visits, so that's where I'd go.

If you love life in Canada, and think it's far superior to life in the US, please tell me! This decision is stressing me out!

[evanusc]

I think difference people attach different levels of importance to a variety of factors in life, such as making money, being closer to nature, weather, night life, religion or even the government. I'd suggest you pinpoint what are most important to you before people can give you some advice.

[Cornerguy1]

Originally Posted by evanusc

I think difference people attach different levels of importance to a variety of factors in life, such as making money, being closer to nature, weather, night life, religion or even the government. I'd suggest you pinpoint what are most important to you before people can give you some advice.

Well said.

Without more details, things just set up for a thread full of national chest-beating.

[Galloway]

No, stay away from this country. Move to the US as quickly as possible.

[t.dot.o]

Originally Posted by Galloway

No, stay away from this country. Move to the US as quickly as possible.

Are you kidding me?

I love Canada. Canada is very multicultural and is constantly growing, particularly the Greater Toronto Area. Canada not only offers free health care but a better public school system than the US. I heard that 30% of kids in the US go to private school while only 6% in Canada do so. There is also less crime and an overall more mixed country. For instance, from my experience in many American cities such as Boston, Detroit and Chicago, cities are both very racially divided and divided by income. In my opinion, this is less of an issue in Canada while it is still present to some extent.

[ZX14TJ]

Originally Posted by t.dot.o

Canada not only offers free health care

Healthcare is far from free. I won't comment on your other remarks because they are either opinion or just plain inaccurate. There is no reasonable way 30% of US students (k-12) go to private school

[Galloway]

Originally Posted by t.dot.o

Are you kidding me?

I love Canada. Canada is very multicultural and is constantly growing, particularly the Greater Toronto Area. Canada not only offers free health care but a better public school system than the US. I heard that 30% of kids in the US go to private school while only 6% in Canada do so. There is also less crime and an overall more mixed country. For instance, from my experience in many American cities such as Boston, Detroit and Chicago, cities are both very racially divided and divided by income. In my opinion, this is less of an issue in Canada while it is still present to some extent.

In my opinion being a multicultural country is bad because it brings out racism. For example my neighbourhood is being overrun by chinese, arabs, and persians. Its so bad that whites in my neighbourhood are now a minority. I can't tell you how many stares and racial remarks Iv'e had thrown at me for being white. Canada is being overrun by immigrants and they are pushing the white people out. My dream is to move to the US, somewhere maybe in Montana or Seattle where white people are not a minority. I have always believed that people should live with their own race, so all this multiculturalism in Canada doesnt do it for me.

O and by the way, healtchcare is not free you pay for it with the extremely high taxes.

[desertsun41]

Originally Posted by Galloway

In my opinion being a multicultural country is bad because it brings out racism. For example my neighbourhood is being overrun by chinese, arabs, and persians. Its so bad that whites in my neighbourhood are now a minority. I can't tell you how many stares and racial remarks Iv'e had thrown at me for being white. Canada is being overrun by immigrants and they are pushing the white people out. My dream is to move to the US, somewhere maybe in Montana or Seattle where white people are not a minority. I have always believed that people should live with their own race, so all this multiculturalism in Canada doesnt do it for me.

O and by the way, healtchcare is not free you pay for it with the extremely high taxes.

Sounds like we in the states are complaining about many of the same things you Canadians are complaining about. Does this mean it is the same ol same ol everywhere we go?

But on your healthcare. The vast majority of us would clip off our left marble to have the opportunity to pay a bit more taxes to have your healthcare. Most people love to pay taxes so they would not mind paying more for the opportunity to erase the stress from their minds of getting sick and losing everything they worked for their entire lives. The horror stories run real deep here.

[ZX14TJ]

Originally Posted by desertsun41

But on your healthcare. The vast majority of us would clip off our left marble to have the opportunity to pay a bit more taxes to have your healthcare.

The problem is we don't pay "a bit" more taxes to have US style/quality healthcare. We pay much more in taxes to have Canadian style/quality healthcare. In my experience, we pay more (in Canada) to get less. The horror stories run deep on both sides of the border.

According to the Canadian Medical Association, cited in the link below, "Canada has its own problems — including fewer doctors per person than any other developed country, according to the Canadian Medical Association." That report was from 2000. I'm certain things have not changed for the better since...

Canada 'steals' doctors from poor countries: report

[desertsun41]

Originally Posted by ZX14TJ

The problem is we don't pay "a bit" more taxes to have US style/quality healthcare. We pay much more in taxes to have Canadian style/quality healthcare. In my experience, we pay more (in Canada) to get less. The horror stories run deep on both sides of the border.

According to the Canadian Medical Association, cited in the link below, "Canada has its own problems — including fewer doctors per person than any other developed country, according to the Canadian Medical Association." That report was from 2000. I'm certain things have not changed for the better since...

Canada 'steals' doctors from poor countries: report

Part of your Doctor shortage is due to what they call "the brain drain". Back when I was there I think there was about 50 tax brackets with the lowest one at around 50%. A Doctor I saw there told me in the upper tax brackets one might pay 80% of his income in taxes.

I know all that has changed. But Canadian Doctors still dream of going south because salaries are open and unlimited where they are almost fixed in Canada.

We always hear about wait times in Canada hospitals. I say it is no better here. I been to hospitals in both countries as well as medical clinics. The biggest difference I see is when I went to a medical office in Canada the waiting room was a dump. Old hard plastic chairs on old industrial looking vinyl squares on the floor with institutional window coverings. In the states these same medical offices all have plush carpeting with soft real leather sofas in the waiting room with granite desks.

I think the skills of medical staff is just about the same. Except in Nevada of course since we are in dead last in all medical rankings. I think I would rather get sick in Iran then Nevada.