Considering moving from USA to Canada...How is life in Canada? (for sale, apartments) - Page 4 - City-Data Forum

Zoisite · 08-27-2012, 02:29 AM

That's not an explanation for your own double standards. If you think Canada should not allow immigrants in from rich countries like America, then by the same token I guess you think that America should not allow immigrants in from rich countries like Canada either. I guess when you leave Canada for greener pastures again you'll have to look for another country that's richer than America to go to so you can qualify for entry by your own standards as a poor, impoverished, oppressed immigrant. I think that might leave you ending up as a displaced person with nowhere to go.

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travis3000 · 08-27-2012, 10:11 AM

Bottom line, everyone has their own experiences. Many people in the US are living great lives with a high standard of living, ditto for Canada. But if you want to crunch stats on quality of life then Canada will win every time. The rich in the US have the best standard of living in the world but the poor have a very low standard (in Western world comparison) which lowers the average for the US. In Canada, everyone is more in the middle which allows us to have a better quality of life as a whole.

I know many Americans who love to travel but Canadians tend to do it more (this is proven statistically) as we have more time off. The reality is that everyone has their own experiences. Everybody has the grandmother who has smoked for her entire life and is still cutting her lawn at 85 years old. But does that mean everyone should pick up a cigarette? Absolutely not. The point is that there are always many outliers and exceptions to any trend in a statistic. But if you crunch the numbers, the points I mentioned in my previous post are very much true. I know many Americans like to believe they live in the land of opportunity (they do) but no country is perfect (Canada included). However, Canada does not sit 2nd tier to the US in all aspects. There are many advantages to living in Canada, a person who denies that is clearly misreading or ignoring key parts of what is considered a high standard of life.

GottaGetOuttaHere · 08-27-2012, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by travis3000

I know many Americans like to believe they live in the land of opportunity (they do) but no country is perfect (Canada included). However, Canada does not sit 2nd tier to the US in all aspects. There are many advantages to living in Canada, a person who denies that is clearly misreading or ignoring key parts of what is considered a high standard of life.

I agree, travis3000. No country is perfect. Every place has its problems and it's advantages. It's a trade-off, and every place has something to offer..and if you go to a country expecting it to be like the one you left or expecting to change it into the one you left, you're going to have huge problems. Respect each country for what it is when considering a move there..and if there are elements about it that appeal to you, hopefully they will outweigh what doesn't, and you can then make a more informed decision about whether to live there.

Moneycat · 09-19-2012, 08:54 PM

Good point, we went to BC, the living cost was going at much higher rate (though still cheaper than Australia, but getting very close), we moved to Toronto in the end. Ironically, despite of all the reports about Canadian economy, I found more job and business opportunities in the US..I guess everyone's experience is different, but I had spoken with many people working in the IT, healthcare and marketing industries, it is much easier to find opp. in the south.

I was also disappointed about the school systems in Ontario, and had compared the system to some of the school districts in the US. Of course, it is better than bad areas, but not as good as in the good areas...

Yes, I feel confused sometimes, what would be best for the kids? I want them to grow in a culture where it fosters innovation and creativity.

Canada is a beautiful place, but it is also very expensive, I see packs of Canadians leaving for cross-border shopping every weekend, especially during summer vacations, long weekends, and I have friends who move to White Rocks in BC so that they can do grocery shopping in the US.

Has our living cost catching up the Australian trend? I hope not, as it was a reason many Australians have left, and yet, income growth is very little in Canada.

Thanks for your stat, I will certainly put a note on that. Don't get me wrong, I feel appreciated to be here, as our lifestyle is way better than in Australia, but after visiting various US cities, I realize the cost of living in the US is significantly lower, and those are nice cities comparable to any good Canadian city. Life is full contradictions indeed.

busch · 09-19-2012, 10:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moneycat

Thanks for your stat, I will certainly put a note on that. Don't get me wrong, I feel appreciated to be here, as our lifestyle is way better than in Australia, but after visiting various US cities, I realize the cost of living in the US is significantly lower, and those are nice cities comparable to any good Canadian city. Life is full contradictions indeed.

A couple years ago I might have said the political situation in Canada was much better than in the US and that alone was reason to take Canada over the States, but now with Harper closing the Iranian embassy I really don't know. Keep in mind the safety net in the US is much trickier and not as deep. Maybe you should consider the Pacific Northwest if you can't afford Canada, it lacks a lot of the social issues the rest of the US faces and it's not full of the right-wing Christian ignorance most of the US is.

I still want to move to Canada though. I think it's worth the expense to live in such a beautiful country. I feel like America is cheaper, but you also get what you pay for.

BIMBAM · 09-20-2012, 12:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by busch

A couple years ago I might have said the political situation in Canada was much better than in the US and that alone was reason to take Canada over the States, but now with Harper closing the Iranian embassy I really don't know. Keep in mind the safety net in the US is much trickier and not as deep. Maybe you should consider the Pacific Northwest if you can't afford Canada, it lacks a lot of the social issues the rest of the US faces and it's not full of the right-wing Christian ignorance most of the US is.

At the time closing the Iranian embassy seemed like an odd, rushed action not precipitated by anything obvious and I was very suspicious of it. Given what happened immediately after that, however, with people attacking all our embassies across the Middle East, I suspect he had intelligence the Iranians were going to allow their people to attack our embassy over that video. In light of this, I'm going easier on him for it.

busch · 09-20-2012, 07:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BIMBAM

At the time closing the Iranian embassy seemed like an odd, rushed action not precipitated by anything obvious and I was very suspicious of it. Given what happened immediately after that, however, with people attacking all our embassies across the Middle East, I suspect he had intelligence the Iranians were going to allow their people to attack our embassy over that video. In light of this, I'm going easier on him for it.

Hmmm, yeah that's a good point. Then again, why not close all embassies in every Muslim country then, why pick on Iran?

BIMBAM · 09-20-2012, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by busch

Hmmm, yeah that's a good point. Then again, why not close all embassies in every Muslim country then, why pick on Iran?

Remember when the Iranians orchestrated a "civilian" attack on the British embassy last year? I suspect he had intelligence there was going to be something more then a civilian riot, that the government was going to do orchestrate something out of the ordinary to shake things up. Now, I'm not generally a Harper supporter, but that's just about the only explanation that makes sense to me and it seems very plausible, so I'm going to say it was a decent idea to close the embassy. The other attacks were small potatoes, but the Iranian one could have been something more.

MexiQuebecois · 09-20-2012, 10:18 AM

Why isn't anyone mentioning that the Iranian embassy in Canada was denying BASIC services to Iranian-Canadians such as issuing passports and assisting them with documents. They were also trying to recruit people IN Canada to spy/commit terrorist acts by threatening them to hurt their family members back home. That to me is a pretty good reason to breach a relationship with Iran. I normally don't agree with Harper, but this time I do. It had to be done.

hawpearl · 09-14-2013, 01:47 AM

Living in Canada Wow, its most economically powerful cities in the world. Infact Toronto is Canada biggest city. There is lots of things like sporty city, affordable houses/land , relaxed living, low crime, good schools, and a high quality of life. Even Calgary is a prairie city, close to the Rocky Mountains in Alberta, Canadas low tax province. So, i love this so much.