What's it like to live in Canada?

[browntrout]

FKL I agree with you, actually Canada needs smart people like you and needs you to succeed. It's smart immigrants who come in and pour their talents into the economy, bring fresh ideas, and help create international business contacts. I want smart young immigrants in Canada to succeed and build wealth. I just get really angry when I see doctors from Pakistan driving cabs, it's wrong. If they have the qualifications they should be allowed to do their residency( which is just training) and to work. Some of
the best doctors in America working at Texas medical centre are Pakistanis and other Muslims.

Anyway I'm glad you have a job hopefully all will go well for you as they say InShAlla
Canada needs people like you.

+1

 

[ADUFE]

Bargeld is a troll on CIC's payroll. Don't feed the troll.

I thought I was the only one that knew that! Lolz!

 

[Bargeld]

I thought I was the only one that knew that! Lolz!

Guys with the investigative intellect of Alex Jones.

Any more conspiracy theories?

 

[NetMecca]

Hi

Canada is most certainly home sweet home. I have been here 4 years, and despite the winters (not that fun) I have no doubt that I will be living here for time to come. I would also choose Canada over USA (except for winters of course) and only some places in USA have good winters.

Realise however that every city, and every province is different. The culture is different, and so are the people. Your personal needs will dictate where you live.

Alberta & Ontario are the provinces where the money are. (BC also somewhat). If this is your persuit, then these would be the places for you.

Atlantic Canada tends to focus more on lifestyle and family. Money is less important, though notably finding a decent enough job may prove more of a challenge.

I believe it a world where people care about each other, no matter where you are form, and who you are. (which is awesome).

I have also heard Canadians say (not for my benefit I might add) "I wish we could get more immigrants here, so they can start businesses and employ people"...

I have taken the comment to heart personally, as it means that I am valued as at least an equal member of the community here...

Again loving it, living it, and will be doing it for time to come.

Though not without challenges, I would no doubt recommend this as a home for anyone that is looking for a decent life....

Enjoy...

 

[BigBri]

Canada is expensive. I live in the SF Bay Area of California and our cost of living is comparable but with lower taxes and a lot more crime. I'm from Michigan and had to decide SF or the GTA. The weather here convinced me that CA was for me. I often think though I wonder if I made the right decision. I get to Vancouver or Toronto several times each year and have friends in both. Making friends is hard almost everywhere as the locals already have their family and circle of friends. Like a job one needs an in. I like Canada's politics better as I'm quite liberal. Canada is miss used often as a passage to the US. We get a lot of 2nd hand immigrants from Canada. Schools are terrible in the States unless one lives in an expensive area or wants to pay $15k/yr for private education the schools suck. College tuition here runs $17k/yr and up just for tuition. So if you plan a family Canada may be a better option.
The French can be difficult and my French is terrible but I try and they open up. There is a really cute movie "Mambo Italiano" that you might like. The Italian born Canadian dad says of living in Montreal "Real Canada is Ontario not Quebec and real America is the US not Canada.' I wonder if that is often an immigrant's take on it.
BTW: Descent refers to ancestry, decent means good or respectable. When one flames the Quebecers re education a dictionary may be of service.
I see Canada suffering from what I call "The little brother syndrome" compared to the US and Quebec feels that way towards English Canada. I don't understand why but the US is rather overbearing and pushy. Case and point is our foreign policy and these stupid wars and military installations all over the world.
In short it all depends on you and what you want from life.
I hope to spend my summers in Canada when retired and winters in some warm place much as the Canadians do. SF is chilly and rainy most winters so Hawaii, Palm Springs, Costa Rica or other mild climate place would work for the winter. Cuba offers nothing much as Canadian friends say it is over rated and not really that nice for the money.

 

[on-hold]

I guarantee you Quebec does not have 'little brother' syndrome, that is the most absurd misreading of English-French relations I have yet to come across. Why are you on this board, when you live in San Francisco and seem to know nothing about Canada?

 

[toutesweet]

I'm a bit of a cultural anthropologist so I love the multiculturalism in Canada. I'm also a foodie so the ability to eat your way around the world in one city is sooooo fantastic. I love the libraries and theatres. I love that I have friends and interactions with people from all over the world. I'm in the greater Vancouver region and yes it's expensive but it's beautiful. The right place is dependent on what you're looking for and what your priorities are. I too would ideally live in Canada 1/2 of the year and elsewhere half of the year, but I think the four seasons all have aspects of charm to them. I'm not a big GTA fan myself. I think Montreal has it's charms. NDG is still the English district I believe. Ottawa has a lot of good points too. I don't think I could stand Calgary or Edmonton or Regina. If I were living in Alberta I'd go for a smaller town in a pretty place. Halifax has a lot of charm but the work situation can be tough, and unless you're five generation deep you'll always be 'from away'. OK, that's an exageration but you have to be born there at least, although it doesn't mean people are unfriendly.
On that vein, I can't say that urban Canadians are that friendly on the whole as a culture and it can be a bit tough to crack for a new comer, but there are always ways. As for some of the bitter commentary, it really doesn't matter how good your job is, if you're not happy in the place you are living it's REALLY not worth it and you should make an exit strategy instead of becoming the forums little ray of sunshine. I met for example, a former Californian prosecuter in Cambodia who quit his job and now teaches English for $10/hr at a Khmer university. He owns a one acre rice farm his wife's family runs which earns them $500/yr. He lost all his money in the US realestate crash and now lives a simple and much happier life. Glean your priorities and embrace making it happen.
As for living in Canada, you will only really know if you try it. Some people love it and some people hate it. A visit and travel accross the country would help determine that. Some people do have unrealistic expectations

 

[mrbeachman]

On that vein, I can't say that urban Canadians are that friendly on the whole as a culture and it can be a bit tough to crack for a new comer, but there are always ways. As for some of the bitter commentary, it really doesn't matter how good your job is, if you're not happy in the place you are living it's REALLY not worth it and you should make an exit strategy instead of becoming the forums little ray of sunshine. I met for example, a former Californian prosecuter in Cambodia who quit his job and now teaches English for $10/hr at a Khmer university. He owns a one acre rice farm his wife's family runs which earns them $500/yr. He lost all his money in the US realestate crash and now lives a simple and much happier life. Glean your priorities and embrace making it happen.As for living in Canada, you will only really know if you try it. Some people love it and some people hate it. A visit and travel accross the country would help determine that. Some people do have unrealistic expectations

This is all I am freakin' saying. Rat race... keeping up with Joneses.... call it what ever you want.....day in day out the same grind. just so you can barely afford a shoebox condo no one cares about. What a life! It's pathetic. I obviously don't want such a lifestyle and this is why I moved to Thailand. Living simple and stress free is something Canada never gave me, but rather took away from me. Again, some people are career driven and will only realize at the end that their life they what they missed out.... that life is something so special and now it's gone.... and you gave your all life to some sleazy company that treats you like a slave.

No thanks!

 

[on-hold]

This is all I am freakin' saying. Rat race... keeping up with Joneses.... call it what ever you want.....day in day out the same grind. just so you can barely afford a shoebox condo no one cares about. What a life! It's pathetic. I obviously don't want such a lifestyle and this is why I moved to Thailand. Living simple and stress free is something Canada never gave me, but rather took away from me. Again, some people are career driven and will only realize at the end that their life they what they missed out.... that life is something so special and now it's gone.... and you gave your all life to some sleazy company that treats you like a slave.

No thanks!

I agree with both you two -- nothing can change the fact that here in Canada buying a lousy house in an ugly development basically chains you to the system for life. It might be a development of the past ten years or so, people were telling me here in Edmonton prices have doubled in that time. Yesterday my wife's sister sent us pictures of the house we moved out of in Nong Khai 4 years back, in that time the trees we planted have grown up and are loaded with fruit . . .

That said, farming rice is the hardest job in the world. Let no one romanticize that to me!

 

[AAL1984]

Quebec is simply a shithole , Mexico has better roads. Province is full of angry poor miserable bigoted people who believe its their birthright to get handouts from the government and enjoy screaming at Muslim women. Their government is corrupt to the core. The mafia built most of their roads which are now falling apart. That shitty province should be kicked out of Canada.


All in all most of the country is a frozen wasteland which is uninhabitable for most of the year, 90% of the population lives within 100 miles of the US border, Americans took all the nice livable parts of North America.

 

[keesio]

Canada being stringent about local credentials makes sense, when it comes to certification and specific training, another thing entirely when it's general experience.

Ok, India is one thing but my wife from the US is trying to get a job as a physical therapist in Canada. She has a license to practice in New York. But to get her license here, it will cost her over $4K. The same process for a Canadian trying to practice in the US costs $600. She has to pay $850 to get her degree and University recognized/approved. You know, because a Master's Degree from Columbia University in NYC is some weird foreign school that Ontario does not recognize. And the test... the irony is that Ontario's PT alliance does not have their own textbook for their curriculum but recommends people use the US textbook from the US because they model their test after the US one.... but they won't recognize the PT license of someone who is licensed in the US and passed the test there. A Canadian PT friend of mine admitted that it is a total cash grab - they need revenue and this is a great way to get some and that there is no logical reason why my wife has to pay so much and wait so long to practice - especially since a lot of the schools in Ontario model their classes and get their class content from the PT classes taught from... Columbia University. But of course they don't recognize someone who was actually educated from Columbia University.

So no... the system is broken up here. Anyone familiar with it would tell you so.

 

[J.M.]

I haven't been on here long, but I have been reading through a few of the threads and I recognize some of the more consistent usernames and their prevailing opinions... I will not bring attention to anyone specific and my purpose for stating my opinion is just as a simple reminder that one, or even a few people's opinions should not be accepted as the norm for all.

With that said, I have particulalry noticed several complaints relating to Ontario, but more specifically the greater Toronta area [GTA(Brampton, Mississauga, Toronto, etc...). While I don't doubt the accounts are real experiences, I would caution against the generalizations that are being drawn for all of Canada from just one, small area. Yes there are bound to be struggles, but please keep in mind that experiences may differ for each individual and also based on location. Don't discount all of Canada or the U.S. because of one or two areas.

The GTA is not very far from Quebec, and from personal experience, and secondhand knowledge from others, Quebec can be a difficult place to live if you don't speak French, so I can only assume that the areas surrounding Quebec MIGHT also have a social disconnect. Stereotypes abound no matter where you go and adjusting or coping with any new cultural experience will be difficult. You have to do your best but you also need to be able to recognize when you have been placed into a bad situation. Don't stay too long somewhere in which you cannot succeed within a reasonable amount of time. I have read a few accounts of some who moved to a foreign city and spent all of their savings in a place for which there were no opportunities for them. Don't make that mistake!

Canada may or may not as a whole have the opportunity you need in order to be successful, but you won't know unless you go or unless you can connect with someone who has the same background and same qualifications as you. Your needs may not be the same as another's so glean what information pertains to you specifically from others, but don't get discouraged or encouraged based on one or two persons' accounts. Jobs may or may not be available depending on which job it is you are looking for, and also keep in mind that although your qualifications or experience may be equal in Canada, that doesn't mean you will be hired without the proper licensing or local knowledge that you need. Make sure you get local certification if necessary!

Again, my words are not directed at anyone specifically. I just want everyone to keep in mind that there are other viewpoints and keep yourself in check. Be honest, share your experience, but also accept that others may succeed where you did not.

 

[on-hold]

I haven't been on here long, but I have been reading through a few of the threads and I recognize some of the more consistent usernames and their prevailing opinions... I will not bring attention to anyone specific and my purpose for stating my opinion is just as a simple reminder that one, or even a few people's opinions should not be accepted as the norm for all.

With that said, I have particulalry noticed several complaints relating to Ontario, but more specifically the greater Toronta area [GTA(Brampton, Mississauga, Toronto, etc...). While I don't doubt the accounts are real experiences, I would caution against the generalizations that are being drawn for all of Canada from just one, small area. Yes there are bound to be struggles, but please keep in mind that experiences may differ for each individual and also based on location. Don't discount all of Canada or the U.S. because of one or two areas.

The GTA is not very far from Quebec, and from personal experience, and secondhand knowledge from others, Quebec can be a difficult place to live if you don't speak French, so I can only assume that the areas surrounding Quebec MIGHT also have a social disconnect. Stereotypes abound no matter where you go and adjusting or coping with any new cultural experience will be difficult. You have to do your best but you also need to be able to recognize when you have been placed into a bad situation. Don't stay too long somewhere in which you cannot succeed within a reasonable amount of time. I have read a few accounts of some who moved to a foreign city and spent all of their savings in a place for which there were no opportunities for them. Don't make that mistake!

Canada may or may not as a whole have the opportunity you need in order to be successful, but you won't know unless you go or unless you can connect with someone who has the same background and same qualifications as you. Your needs may not be the same as another's so glean what information pertains to you specifically from others, but don't get discouraged or encouraged based on one or two persons' accounts. Jobs may or may not be available depending on which job it is you are looking for, and also keep in mind that although your qualifications or experience may be equal in Canada, that doesn't mean you will be hired without the proper licensing or local knowledge that you need. Make sure you get local certification if necessary!

Again, my words are not directed at anyone specifically. I just want everyone to keep in mind that there are other viewpoints and keep yourself in check. Be honest, share your experience, but also accept that others may succeed where you did not.

Personal experiences are the value of the forum -- this isn't a place where people compose dissertations based upon reasonable this or makes-sense that, they describe what has happened to them in Canada, what has worked and what has not. Other people debate whether this is the norm or the exception.

And what do you mean, warning everyone to keep themselves in check? That takes some nerve -- why should people here listen to your idea of how they should write? Why should they 'accept' that others succeed? Of course some people succeed, everyone knows that.

 

[J.M.]

Personal experiences are the value of the forum -- this isn't a place where people compose dissertations based upon reasonable this or makes-sense that, they describe what has happened to them in Canada, what has worked and what has not. Other people debate whether this is the norm or the exception.

And what do you mean, warning everyone to keep themselves in check? That takes some nerve -- why should people here listen to your idea of how they should write? Why should they 'accept' that others succeed? Of course some people succeed, everyone knows that.

Because through all I have read on here, these 'personal experiences' are then projected onto the entire country, and to be quite frank, the majority of the negative comments stem from users who lived in one specific geopgraphical area (GTA). It is very easy for someone to come looking on here without even knowing that several of the places these 'personal experiences' come from, are literally within a 20 minute commute of each other, and then think that an entire country is not worth moving to. Thankfully I had the fore-thought to look up a few of these cities and compare them with my own experiences in Canada. Some people are so for/against immigrating to Canada that they are speaking for the country as a whole, and it is misleading to base your opinion of an entire country on such a limited experience.


Does that give my warning a slight bit of merit? Honestly, with the sweeping generalizations and stereotypical statements I have read from several 'personal experiences,' I was very tempted to completely discount most of the information presented as the same discriminatory rhetoric I experience in the United States. However, I would rather give each and every person the benefit of the doubt and therefore, rather than accept that Canada as a whole is a miserable place to live, I would venture to ascertain that the GTA should not be high up on my list of potential places to live versus abandoning Canada as a whole. Does that make sense?

In short, I get it, GTA probably sucks, especially for foreign immigrants who don't look Canadian, but there are several more options beside GTA.

 

[J.M.]

If you want an example of how skewed some of these experiences seem, I will offer my own from the United States: People here in Florida are a mixture of un-friendly, passive-agressive, easily-offended, discriminatory, rude, arrogant, entitled, clueless, racists who would rather hit you with their car and leave you to die than accept responsibility for their actions. I have a 4-year degree, military experience, and career-related, local experience yet I still make less than 25,000 a year, have no health insurance, and wouldn't even have a home if I didn't have family to live with unless I wanted to live in a cockroach-infested ghetto because there aren't many jobs here and I lack enough United States experience and training to get one. So if that's how you want live in the United States, come here. I get disrespected on a daily basis, get cursed at, and treated as if I am a nobody. I don't have many friends, and I have lived here for 10 years.

Now, does that REALLY help anyone? No. Is it true? It is, but many important details are left out that would actually make this experience useful. So I would urge others to fill in those important details. What job specifically? What experience do they say you need? Do you need to get re-licensed or re-trained in order to get a job? Have you tried other cities? Other provinces? How long were you in those places? Are the people in general not very social, or are they truly excluding specific people? What stereotypes are prevalent? Are you sure those things are in every city? Etc...