Toronto in comparison to US cities?

[maclock]

Originally Posted by annuvin

crime rate aside, toronto is not "cleaner" than nyc, chicago or dublin (for that matter). Toronto of the 80's may have had that reputation, but it has completed a total 180 since that time (especially in comparison to nyc). Additionally, it has been my universal experience that americans are much more friendlier than canadians. That has held true everywhere i have travelled in canada and the u.s. (with the exception of maritime canada and newfoundland).

Canada may have universal health care, but you should also mention the chronic doctor shortage we have here. As a new canadian, you will need to sign on a waiting list for a "family doctor" and will need to rely on walk-in clinics and hospital emergency rooms until you are provided with one (which could take years). Be prepared to suffer very long queues in both of these alternative options and possibly being turned away should the clinic close before you receive treatment.

op: we do have a much better social safety net here, but that comes hand-in-hand with excessive taxes. There is a 13% hst on nearly everything you buy in ontario, and liquor and cigarettes are very expensive ($35-$40 for 25 bottles of beer, $10-$12 for 25 cigarettes). Gasoline is priced around $1.30 a litre right now, and housing will vary considerably depending on where you decide to live.

As for differences between canadian and american culture, there really is very little. We share a common history, eat the same foods, watch the same shows, listen to the same music, drive the same cars, wear the same clothes, celebrate the same holidays (albeit with slight regional differences), follow the same sports, enjoy the same movies, and read the same books. I have often wondered what it is that some canadians vehemently argue is so much different between us and our american cousins. Fwiw, i have spent a great deal of time travelling throughout both countries and find the core culture basically the same everywhere.

qft.

[evissone]

Originally Posted by Annuvin

Crime rate aside, Toronto is not "cleaner" than NYC, Chicago or Dublin (for that matter). Toronto of the 80's may have had that reputation, but it has completed a total 180 since that time (especially in comparison to NYC). Additionally, it has been my universal experience that Americans are MUCH more friendlier than Canadians. That has held true everywhere I have travelled in Canada and the U.S. (with the exception of Maritime Canada and Newfoundland).



Canada may have universal health care, but you should also mention the chronic doctor shortage we have here. As a new Canadian, you will need to sign on a waiting list for a "family doctor" and will need to rely on walk-in clinics and hospital emergency rooms until you are provided with one (which could take years). Be prepared to suffer very long queues in both of these alternative options and possibly being turned away should the clinic close before you receive treatment.


As for differences between Canadian and American culture, there really is very little. We share a common history, eat the same foods, watch the same shows, listen to the same music, drive the same cars, wear the same clothes, celebrate the same holidays (albeit with slight regional differences), follow the same sports, enjoy the same movies, and read the same books. I have often wondered what it is that some Canadians vehemently argue is so much different between us and our American cousins. FWIW, I have spent a great deal of time travelling throughout both countries and find the core culture basically the same everywhere.

Your description about Dr shortage is not true. I found my family doctor quite easily after I settled in Toronto. Took about 2 weeks to find one. I don't where those stories about impossible to find a doctor comes from. There are also plenty of walk in clinics with short waiting time (30 minutes all so).

In the shared culture part, you forgot to specify that we watch same American shows, eat the same American food (McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's etc), enjoy same American movies, read the same American books, drive the same American/Japanese cars (there are no such thing as Canadian cars); wear the same American clothes (Gap, Banana republic, Guess, Levi's, Victoria's secret etc). You talk as if Canada provides a lot of contents to the US as well, which is misleading.

[maclock]

Originally Posted by evissone

You talk as if Canada provides a lot of contents to the US as well, which is misleading.

I didn't read it that way at all.

[qwerbilzak]

Originally Posted by poxonyou

Statistically, Canada is killing the US right now. Weather wise, yeah, the US wins, but if you're not lucky and wealthy, the quality of life dramatically decreases. It's a country where life can be amazingly awesome if you're employed, wealthy, and live in the wealthy areas, but is rapidly decaying and dangerous for the vast majority of the population. Most employers do not offer sweet health care plans because those plans are expensive for them. If you're not employed full time or not at all, you're f#cked, even if you can find private health insurance, you'll be paying a fortune. I wish it wasn't this way because design and weather wise, many US cities are far more appealing than Canadian cities, but due to the economic and social problems, the quality of life plummets for most. Check out The Equality Trust, recent education rankings, numerous city comparison statistics, Forbes Happiness Ranking. Canada is far ahead of the US and UK, and ahead of most other western countries.

This is exactly right.

The US is for the wealthy now, and it's just going to get worse over the next years as they in Washington cut every govt. and social support program in sight. Anyone middle class or poor who reasonably can get out, should.