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Dont know if this question has been answered in another thread but i thought i would ask anyways. I have always imagined Canada as being a place where everyone was intelligent, racism was nonexistant, crime was incredibly low, everyone was accepted, the landscape was beautiful, healthcare was free, the goverment was not corrupt or selfish, no groups of radical Muslims wanted to destroy it or chant "Death to Canada", and the climate was amazing( I hate 80-90 F' temperature) I just wanted to utilize the powers of the internet and see if this fantasy was true or not from real Canadians. Thankyou
Vancouver, Canada is probably the best location in Canada. The summers are wonderfully pleasent 50-70 degrees and the winters dont usually drop below 20 and are often in the 30s to 40s. Not exactly cheap to live there cause its a desirable city
LOL, had to chuckle a little at this - no offense. I was born and raised in Canada, lived both East and West - and although I do love Canada and miss some things about it after moving to the US 5 years ago, it definitely isn't utopia.
There is racism, poverty, stupidity and crime (although admittedly MUCH less gun use) just like anywhere else. The scenery is beautiful and just as varied from east to west as the US - don't forget there is just as much difference in climate, topography and population between the provinces as there are between many US states. This means of course your experience of utopia would vary greatly!
Healthcare, although free does have its problems. My friend told me yesterday she has to schedule her dr's appointments MONTHS in advance. Still, you won't pay a dime.
I think you would truly have to investigate specific areas of Canada in order to see if you would find your own personal utopia.
I agree. I've lived in centeral Alberta for my entire life (all 28 years of it). Just like any country it has it's ups and downs. Myself, I hate the weather. It's too cold for me. But everyones tastes are different. I prefer the 85+ climate. Anyway, our weather in AB is all over the place. Winter is very cold but summer can get quite hot. There's tonnes of work in almost all industries. The big draw back here is finding housing. Or at least affordable housing.
Where in the country are you thinking of living?
Still, your best bet is to take a vacation to that area and see for yourself. Then make a decision.
I'm not one to generalize about people, but I've never met a Canadian who wasn't genuinely nice...and now that I've read the utopia post, they've all been educated as well. I've met quite a few of them, from just about every province across the country, and I've visited both Vancouver and Toronto. It's amazing how true this has been, at least in my experience. I know there must be a mean hateful Canadian out there somewhere...
One other thing they all had in common was their desire to live in the U.S., mainly in the south. So I don't think Canada is such a utopia, but I think it could be if the weather was warmer...
Dont know if this question has been answered in another thread but i thought i would ask anyways. I have always imagined Canada as being a place where everyone was intelligent, racism was nonexistant, crime was incredibly low, everyone was accepted, the landscape was beautiful, healthcare was free, the goverment was not corrupt or selfish, no groups of radical Muslims wanted to destroy it or chant "Death to Canada", and the climate was amazing( I hate 80-90 F' temperature) I just wanted to utilize the powers of the internet and see if this fantasy was true or not from real Canadians. Thankyou
Read the Vancouver Board of Trade letter regarding Canadian crime to the prime minister dated in March of 2006. Your vision of Canada will be given a reality dose. Overall crime and violent crime is twice that of the USA. We have more murders for sure, but you're more likely to be a victim of every other violent crime in Canada. Vancouver is the capital of property crime for all North America for example. This is also backed by the International Crime Victim Survey published by the Dutch Ministry of Justice. Most Americans...and Canadians... don't recognize or know that crime is worse in Canada. It doesn't fit the clean stereotype/image. Unfortunately...it's true.
I'm not saying there aren't happy people there, but Canada's Indians (they call them Aboriginals) live in substandard conditions (quite a few have died from contaminated water) and there is little empathy from most Canadians who view them as parasites who won't better themselves.
As for radical muslims... well... they, like most western countries, have radical cells developing within them. The latest was a plot to invade Parliament in session, grab the prime minister, cut off his head and kill a few politicians in a bloody attack...oh...and topple the CN Tower by blowing up the base. All of the muslims in this plot were Canadian born. The Canadian secret services are just as intrusive and on alert as the American ones because the threat is there.
Health care is universal in Canada, true...however, it has very long queues in many instances and the waits can be amazing. 22 months for an MRI in Saskatchewan. Ontario had to send cancer patients to New York state for treatment because there were too few doctors to take care of their queue. A friend of my mother's has cancer on her leg and has been in BC since early December trying to arrange an appointment. So far it looks like the end of Feb. or sometime in March before she can be seen. Buying medical insurance is illegal in Canada. That means that the poor are stuck with the system and its problems/waits while the rich just take advantage of it where it meets their schedules and go to the U.S. for other treatments and skip the queue.
It's a beautiful country and there must be fantastic areas where one can live in absolute satisfaction for sure, no doubt, but it's not utopia.
I'm not one to generalize about people, but I've never met a Canadian who wasn't genuinely nice...
I know there must be a mean hateful Canadian out there somewhere...
One other thing they all had in common was their desire to live in the U.S., mainly in the south. So I don't think Canada is such a utopia, but I think it could be if the weather was warmer...
People act nicer and more open to strangers when they're on vacation.
I get totally ignored most the time by strangers, and frequently by people that I've met before. It's the opposite of the South with superficial friendliness; many people (at least in the Toronto area) can't be bothered to smile or make small talk to familiar faces.
Of course!
Yes, in southern Ontario, weather above 60 F is near impossible from mid-October to late March. The sun dissappears for months at a time sometimes. We basically get 3-8 days a month with a chance of sun during the colder half of the year.
I have always imagined Canada as being a place where everyone was intelligent, racism was nonexistant, crime was incredibly low, everyone was accepted, the landscape was beautiful, healthcare was free, the goverment was not corrupt or selfish, no groups of radical Muslims wanted to destroy it or chant "Death to Canada", and the climate was amazing( I hate 80-90 F' temperature) I just wanted to utilize the powers of the internet and see if this fantasy was true or not from real Canadians. Thankyou
*I noticed you're from Talladega... That's actually one area that I might be interested in moving to.
There are plenty of stupid people, just they tend to not advertise or brag about it as much.
Racism exists for sure, but it's not something people talk about usually. There aren't really any automatic "racial tensions" if that's what you mean... Most people of different ethnicities don't have too much trouble fitting in, if they want to fit in. Except maybe between the Native people's and everyone else. They've done A LOT of stupid things here lately.
If you want to read more about our Natives, look up "Caledonia Stand-Off"
Crime? It depends on where you go.
In downtown Toronto, the day after Christmas, shoppers have been shot at in the middle of the day. It's almost becoming a tradition. There was also a shoot-out at the most expensive hotel in Toronto; Fairmon'ts "Royal York".
Everyone accepted?
Well, generally everyone is "tolerated." Not everyone feels appreciated. I don't know how good or bad that sounds. (again, see the above comments on the Native people's)
Yes, outside of urban areas we do have some awesome wooded landscape, as well as dull flat farmland landscape.
Government not corrupt or selfish? LMAO!
Look up "Sponsorship Scandal" to hear about the latest story regarding that...
No radical Muslim groups? I live less than 5 miles from a suspected Muslim Terrorist Cell/Organization. Seventeen people were arrested. But you're right, know one has chanted in public "Death to Canada."
Everywhere but the far north, the East Coast or the West Coast can get several weeks of continuous weather above 80 F.
Back in 1990 in Toronto, we had 4 full months above 80 F with most summer days between 84-94 F. I know you'd hate that, but that was paradise to me.
*If you want gentle winters and summers under 80 F, your only option is the Pacific coastal areas of southern British Columbia.
Last edited by ColdCanadian; 02-05-2007 at 09:19 AM..
MoMark said:..."I'm not saying there aren't happy people there, but Canada's Indians (they call them Aboriginals) live in substandard conditions (quite a few have died from contaminated water) and there is little empathy from most Canadians who view them as parasites who won't better themselves."
Definitely true... unfortunately there is A LOT of racism, particularly in the areas with a high aboriginal population. (Actually the common, "PC" term is Native Canadian, often shortened to "Native"). The city of Saskatoon is now more than 55% Native, although of course it's almost as if they are an invisible population until someone wants to use them as a scapegoat for all the ills in the city. It a very sad situation and one that won't be easily resolved.
MoMark said:..."I'm not saying there aren't happy people there, but Canada's Indians (they call them Aboriginals) live in substandard conditions (quite a few have died from contaminated water) and there is little empathy from most Canadians who view them as parasites who won't better themselves."
Definitely true... unfortunately there is A LOT of racism, particularly in the areas with a high aboriginal population. (Actually the common, "PC" term is Native Canadian, often shortened to "Native"). The city of Saskatoon is now more than 55% Native, although of course it's almost as if they are an invisible population until someone wants to use them as a scapegoat for all the ills in the city. It a very sad situation and one that won't be easily resolved.
That's true that the Reserves way out in northern Canada have terrible conditions.
There is empathy among many Canadians for them I think. I've seen several articles about their plight.
I feel saddened to the conditions of many of our northern reserves...
That being said, the Natives in southern Ontario are in much different circumstances.
They are pretty well off. They live in homes just like we do, many Natives make lots of money off local Casinos, their children get paid $5000/yr to attend public highschool (), they often work at well paying regular jobs, some $90,000 plus but they pay no income tax...
And they had the nerve terrorize the small town of Caledonia over a land dispute near their reserve which was started by an American Native from New York State. They piled tires across the highways passing Caledonia and lit them on fire blocking the roads and causing big plumes of poisons black smoke. The Police did little to nothing to stop it. Then later the natives took a large truck and rammed a transformer, knocking out electricity to 1/2 a million people. It probably took days to get the power back on.
On a different reserve 200 miles East in Ontario, to show their Native brother's they support their cause, dozens of Natives set fire to a bridge and train tracks.
They caused easily $5,000,000 in vandalism and easily the same economic losses to local, non-Native businesses. (either from the blackout or customers avoiding the region) All of this was over a sub-division of maybe 100-200 acres that was almost complete.
Within a matter of days or weeks, real estate prices in Caledonia dropped at least 20% across the board.
Last edited by ColdCanadian; 02-05-2007 at 11:05 AM..
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