Is Canada a good place to raise kids? (low income, real estate)
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I live in the USA and I love it and all that etc.
BUT
I heard that in Canada you get paid for every kid you have, and that if you go to college you get paid also, etc. I really like the idea. but I live in a very large city, and am afraid that Canada doesn't have that large scale, and will I feel too displaced etc.
also, is it easy for Americans to immigrate?
Canada is a huge country, your question is kind of like asking if the US is a good place to raise a kid...I'm sure parts of it are, and parts of it aren't. Toronto is a world class city with more culture than many American cities, and MUCH safer than most US cities that are much smaller than it. I believe the population of the greater metropolitan Toronto area is close to 6 million....that's pretty big to me! Think a mini New York with ballet, Broadway shows Bay Street (comperable to Wall St.), ethnic cultures and foods of all kinds) but no really bad areas (ghetto's of whatever they're called).
You do not get paid to go to college in Canada, at least I sure didn't, and neither did any of my friends, however I think you still get a 'baby bonus' check to help with expenses for your children under a certain age (maybe 18). who knows how long that will last or if it still exists.
It can be easy to immigrate in some cases, depending on what your skills are, however having just done it the opposite way (Canada to US), the money it would cost you would probably be much more than all of your baby bonus checks totalled over the years, even if you had a few kids.
You would really have to have a good reason for wanting to be there, it is a different country, one that is perhaps more peaceful and doesn't seem to tick off other countries, less patriotic, and not one where you see bumper stickers everywhere saying 'God bless Canada', Canadians already feel blessed!
Well in the U.S. you get somewhat of a tax break for having kids, depending on your income level and all that jazz.
In the U.S.A you get paid for going to college-depending on what field you go into. Of course the government won't pay you to go to college and I'm not aware of any country that does this.
It's probably worth it to just go to college and save up some money before you have kids rather than wanting the government to pay you to have kids and go to college.
I think in France they're giving out perks to people to have kids...maybe you can go there and mooch off the government.
I live in the USA and I love it and all that etc.
BUT
I heard that in Canada you get paid for every kid you have, and that if you go to college you get paid also, etc. I really like the idea. but I live in a very large city, and am afraid that Canada doesn't have that large scale, and will I feel too displaced etc.
also, is it easy for Americans to immigrate?
Don't believe everything you hear.
Students do not get paid to go to college; the system generally works the other way around.
There is a federal program call the the Canada Child Tax benefit which may provide a small amount of financial assistence to low income families with eligible children, but the amount, whicch varies according to income, isn't nearly enough to support a child.
Is it easy for Americans to immigrate? Depends on what you have to offer, and what program you apply under. Citizenship and Immigration Canada's web site has details of all the programs and criteria.
I would be curious for a serious answer on this topic (not saying the answers weren't good, but they weren't as informative as I need), I'm 3 months pregnant and I live in the united states but I grew up in a large city and I really just want something more for my child. I'm still in college going for my masters so I don't know how everything would transfer for some like me. But I know Canada has a lot of countryside, and that really appeals to me, after what I've been through just would like fresh and green. Also I speak french so I don't think I would have a hard time in countryside.....any thoughts? Advice?
Check out the site, it's got all the information for immigration, there's a bunch of different programs you can apply under, and if your French really is good you could apply through Quebec's system which gives you alot of points for knowing French because it's an officially French province. Of course, the easiest way for you would probably be to apply to study at a Canadian university and come on a student visa, but I'm not sure how long that would take, and I really don't recommend coming to a foreign country where you don't know anyone and having a baby without maternity leave, a social support network, or at least some form of income. I don't know if that's your situation, it may well not be, but I worry it is and worry about how hard that would be on you. As a non-resident, you wouldn't have free health care for the birth or subsidized Canadian tuition rates for the university, so it could be really hard on you financially. I'm not judging, I just have this fear that you're looking for the support of a Canadian social safety net that wouldn't be there. If I'm wrong I apologise for assuming, please correct me as to your situation, and I will help advise you in making a plan.
Well my mothers family is Canadian, they live in the city but my grandma moved to the u.s. when my mom was 15. My wish is to be able to finish my masters then move because I'm a linguist, but I want to finish school to be a computational linguist. Luckily I can do this job solely on a computer, I'm interning now and already have my sights set on a company. So no, I do have a plan haha. I actually want to move my mother and I (and baby! ) to a farm area (she'd have a separate house on the land). I have always wanted to have fresh foods and raise a sustainable home. The father situation is sad so I won't tell it, but I really want to chase this dream so I'm trying to really get a sense how it is for children raised there, how is the farm area ( you know I'm having a hard time putting this in to words, so bear with me- people in the u.s., generally view these people as either "hickish" or just "odd" sometimes, is it similar in Canada?) considered among the general population? Just trying to get a sense before I start visiting there. thanks though!
I live in the USA and I love it and all that etc.
BUT
I heard that in Canada you get paid for every kid you have, and that if you go to college you get paid also, etc. I really like the idea. but I live in a very large city, and am afraid that Canada doesn't have that large scale, and will I feel too displaced etc.
also, is it easy for Americans to immigrate?
Sounds to me like you've been getting some mis information or at least not the whole story.
Yes you would get a child allowance that equates in my case to about $60 per month per child.
Paid to go to college? you'll have to fill me in on that one as my 2 kids are going to college and i certainly dont get paid for it in fact it runs about $2-$3K per year for each of them, and before you get the idea our healthcare is free it aint,we pay very high taxes to support the program.
Still interested in all that free stuff? proceed to step 2 = Welcome to Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Lol Jambo, that's a four year old post, our question comes from the lady who posted above you.
If when you say weird you're asking whether or not rural Canadians are Republican style bible thumping Conservatives, no they are not. They're not hippies and things like hunting are popular in many areas, but rural Canadians tend to be informed, fairly secular, and socially moderate.
My favorite areas of rural Canada tend to be in the East, they've got alot of history. Eastern Ontario by the Quebec border, in the Hawkesbury area, is really great as you get that peaceful country life, but you have the option of driving to either Montreal or Ottawa in an hour or two if you want to experience some big city cultural events or shopping. This area is typically a mix of Franco-Ontarians and Anglo-Ontarians, with the Francophones a slight majority, but being an English speaker won't be hard here.
Heading east, my favorite rural area in Quebec is the eastern townships. Beautiful landscapes, historic towns, vineyards, orchards and cheese producing dairies. It's cottage country and there's plenty of artists in the area. It's historically English and some of that community remains, but it's now mostly Francophone so your French would have to really be up to snuff to live in this area. I'd highly recommend it.
Further East, the Maritime provinces are a great bet. They've had some troubles with unemployment, but this means real estate is cheap. The people are the friendliest you'll ever meet, not much in the way of crime ever seems to happen, and the towns and people have very deep roots on the land, it's one of the oldest parts of the country. I'd recommend the Annapolis Valley in south of Nova Scotia, it's warm and agrarian, Cape Breton Island in the North, more coastal but the landscapes are magnificent, and the province of Prince Edward Island, it's absolutely idyllic.
British Columbia also has wonderful rural areas, but real estate is much more expensive there. The Comox Valley on Vancouver Island, Sooke which is west of Victoria, the Sunshine Coast north of Vancouver, and the Okanagan valley are all highly recommended. If you want somewhere really special, settle in the Gulf Islands, they're probably the most naturally gorgeous lands in the country.
If you can get a quality job, Southwestern Ontario can't be beat in Canada from a cost of living perspective. Especially if you live close enough to the border to shop in the US regularly. Cities like Sarnia, London, Windsor have cheaper housing than in the west and much better quality. That they are in the North American Tornado Alley might have something to do with it.
As well, check out the Niagara Peninsula and the KW/Cambridge/Guelph area. Family friendly and affordable.
Ontario has improved greatly in family friendliness in the last 10 years or so. Premier Dalton McGuinty, aka Premier Dad, has made it a cornerstone of his terms in power to cater to the mom vote. Economically it is questionable but it does make Ontario probably the most family friendly part of the country.
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No worries
