Is anyone else massively disappointed in Canada?
#1
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 33
Is anyone else massively disappointed in Canada?
I've been here a little over two years, I was granted PR last November, I have a well paid job, great apartment downtown and I have made a decision to go back to London (UK).
My life will not be as comfortable as it is here (anyone who has ever lived in London knows how tough it is) but to me living in Toronto is soul destroying. I find people to be completely different and rather cold and very reserved, dating sucks too, I find Canadian men to be extremely passive and bland, even in my company nobody expects anything from anyone and it's always the bare minimum that gets done. It's like mediocrity is being encouraged and there is no place for individuality or over achievers. I never see Canadians discussing politics or any current events, nobody's interested in anything.
Toronto is great for a quiet family living. Not for young energetic ambitious individuals.
I don't want to offend anyone, these are my personal observations and I realize many people won't agree with me but I was wondering if anyone felt similar.
My life will not be as comfortable as it is here (anyone who has ever lived in London knows how tough it is) but to me living in Toronto is soul destroying. I find people to be completely different and rather cold and very reserved, dating sucks too, I find Canadian men to be extremely passive and bland, even in my company nobody expects anything from anyone and it's always the bare minimum that gets done. It's like mediocrity is being encouraged and there is no place for individuality or over achievers. I never see Canadians discussing politics or any current events, nobody's interested in anything.
Toronto is great for a quiet family living. Not for young energetic ambitious individuals.
I don't want to offend anyone, these are my personal observations and I realize many people won't agree with me but I was wondering if anyone felt similar.
#2
Banned
Joined: Apr 2009
Location: SW Ontario
Posts: 19,879
Re: Is anyone else massively disappointed in Canada?
I've been here a little over two years, I was granted PR last November, I have a well paid job, great apartment downtown and I have made a decision to go back to London (UK).
My life will not be as comfortable as it is here (anyone who has ever lived in London knows how tough it is) but to me living in Toronto is soul destroying. I find people to be completely different and rather cold and very reserved, dating sucks too, I find Canadian men to be extremely passive and bland, even in my company nobody expects anything from anyone and it's always the bare minimum that gets done. It's like mediocrity is being encouraged and there is no place for individuality or over achievers. I never see Canadians discussing politics or any current events, nobody's interested in anything.
Toronto is great for a quiet family living. Not for young energetic ambitious individuals.
I don't want to offend anyone, these are my personal observations and I realize many people won't agree with me but I was wondering if anyone felt similar.
My life will not be as comfortable as it is here (anyone who has ever lived in London knows how tough it is) but to me living in Toronto is soul destroying. I find people to be completely different and rather cold and very reserved, dating sucks too, I find Canadian men to be extremely passive and bland, even in my company nobody expects anything from anyone and it's always the bare minimum that gets done. It's like mediocrity is being encouraged and there is no place for individuality or over achievers. I never see Canadians discussing politics or any current events, nobody's interested in anything.
Toronto is great for a quiet family living. Not for young energetic ambitious individuals.
I don't want to offend anyone, these are my personal observations and I realize many people won't agree with me but I was wondering if anyone felt similar.
Have you considered perhaps moving to a different City or area? Perhaps it's the people you have met, rather than Canada as a whole...
#4
Re: Is anyone else massively disappointed in Canada?
I think this is accurate and I don't think it's a criticism, there's something to be said for a place where nothing happens. It's safe and you know that, in 20 or 30 years, it'll be the same as it was before. On a personal level moving to Canada may feel like getting off the fast track but, if you're zenned by nature or by herbal assistance, the mellowness of it all can be nice.
#5
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Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 33
Re: Is anyone else massively disappointed in Canada?
I don't really want to move elsewhere, I like big cities and I have heard from other expacts that Vancouver has no night life and other cities are similar too. All of the friends I have made here are European and they are all leaving too, one by one
#6
Re: Is anyone else massively disappointed in Canada?
That's true of almost everyone I've known over many years here, they've all gone home or onward, but I don't know that it's anything remarkable about Toronto. If you were in Berlin or Earl's Court or Bangui or anywhere else with a large transient/new immigrant population then I suspect you'd find the same thing. If there were more cradles and if we communicated with them it might seem different but that ship has long sailed.
#7
Banned
Joined: Apr 2009
Location: SW Ontario
Posts: 19,879
Re: Is anyone else massively disappointed in Canada?
Best of luck with your move.
https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attractio...al_Quebec.html
https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attractio...o_Ontario.html
Last edited by Siouxie; Jan 26th 2016 at 5:29 pm.
#8
Re: Is anyone else massively disappointed in Canada?
I've been here a little over two years, I was granted PR last November, I have a well paid job, great apartment downtown and I have made a decision to go back to London (UK).
My life will not be as comfortable as it is here (anyone who has ever lived in London knows how tough it is) but to me living in Toronto is soul destroying. I find people to be completely different and rather cold and very reserved, dating sucks too, I find Canadian men to be extremely passive and bland, even in my company nobody expects anything from anyone and it's always the bare minimum that gets done. It's like mediocrity is being encouraged and there is no place for individuality or over achievers. I never see Canadians discussing politics or any current events, nobody's interested in anything.
Toronto is great for a quiet family living. Not for young energetic ambitious individuals.
I don't want to offend anyone, these are my personal observations and I realize many people won't agree with me but I was wondering if anyone felt similar.
My life will not be as comfortable as it is here (anyone who has ever lived in London knows how tough it is) but to me living in Toronto is soul destroying. I find people to be completely different and rather cold and very reserved, dating sucks too, I find Canadian men to be extremely passive and bland, even in my company nobody expects anything from anyone and it's always the bare minimum that gets done. It's like mediocrity is being encouraged and there is no place for individuality or over achievers. I never see Canadians discussing politics or any current events, nobody's interested in anything.
Toronto is great for a quiet family living. Not for young energetic ambitious individuals.
I don't want to offend anyone, these are my personal observations and I realize many people won't agree with me but I was wondering if anyone felt similar.
If you find Toronto dull you'd shoot yourself in Vancouver.
Last edited by Oink; Jan 26th 2016 at 5:28 pm.
#9
Re: Is anyone else massively disappointed in Canada?
"Same $4!t, different bucket", is a phrase that gets thrown around a fair bit on BE, in the forums for several different countries. I really don't agree in most cases, but it doesn't matter which country/ city you relocate to around the world, if you don't do your due diligence before you decide where to go, you may easily find that your life is no better than where you came from, and could easily be worse.
You need to look very closely at what is important to you and if you go chasing those particular things, what price you might have to pay in either cash or loss of other amenities. ..... For example if gourmet dining and high theatre are important to you, there are very few places in North America that will give you what you're looking for.
And despite much talk about globalization, it comes as a shock to some people that there isn't a massive difference in the cost of living anywhere in the industrialized world. Taxes may be lower in some places, and houses larger, but schools and roads still have to be paid for, as well as hospitals and healthcare, so low taxes are often offset by direct fees and the cost of private insurance.
You need to look very closely at what is important to you and if you go chasing those particular things, what price you might have to pay in either cash or loss of other amenities. ..... For example if gourmet dining and high theatre are important to you, there are very few places in North America that will give you what you're looking for.
And despite much talk about globalization, it comes as a shock to some people that there isn't a massive difference in the cost of living anywhere in the industrialized world. Taxes may be lower in some places, and houses larger, but schools and roads still have to be paid for, as well as hospitals and healthcare, so low taxes are often offset by direct fees and the cost of private insurance.
Last edited by Pulaski; Jan 26th 2016 at 5:42 pm.
#10
Re: Is anyone else massively disappointed in Canada?
When are you going back to the UK?
#11
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 33
Re: Is anyone else massively disappointed in Canada?
"Same $4!t, different bucket", is a phrase that gets thrown around a fair bit on BE, in the forums for several different countries. I really don't agree in most cases, but it doesn't matter which country/ city you relocate to around the world, if you don't do your due diligence before you decide where to go, you may easily find that your life is no better than where you came from, and could easily be worse.
You need to look very closely at what is important to you and if you go chasing those particular things, what price you might have to pay in either cash or loss of other amenities. ..... For example if gourmet dining and high theatre are important to you, there are very few places in North America that will give you what you're looking for.
And despite much talk about globalization, it comes as a shock to some people that there isn't a massive difference in the cost of living anywhere in the industrialized world. Taxes may be lower in some places, and houses larger, but schools and roads still have to be paid for, as well as hospitals and healthcare, so low taxes are often offset by direct fees and the cost of private insurance.
You need to look very closely at what is important to you and if you go chasing those particular things, what price you might have to pay in either cash or loss of other amenities. ..... For example if gourmet dining and high theatre are important to you, there are very few places in North America that will give you what you're looking for.
And despite much talk about globalization, it comes as a shock to some people that there isn't a massive difference in the cost of living anywhere in the industrialized world. Taxes may be lower in some places, and houses larger, but schools and roads still have to be paid for, as well as hospitals and healthcare, so low taxes are often offset by direct fees and the cost of private insurance.
#12
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 33
Re: Is anyone else massively disappointed in Canada?
I will move back in August.
#13
Re: Is anyone else massively disappointed in Canada?
"Same $4!t, different bucket", is a phrase that gets thrown around a fair bit on BE, in the forums for several different countries. I really don't agree in most cases, but it doesn't matter which country/ city you relocate to around the world, if you don't do your due diligence before you decide where to go, you may easily find that your life is no better than where you came from, and could easily be worse.
You need to look very closely at what is important to you and if you go chasing those particular things, what price you might have to pay in either cash or loss of other amenities. ..... For example if gourmet dining and high theatre are important to you, there are very few places in North America that will give you what you're looking for.
And despite much talk about globalization, it comes as a shock to some people that there isn't a massive difference in the cost of living anywhere in the industrialized world. Taxes may be lower in some places, and houses larger, but schools and roads still have to be paid for, as well as hospitals and healthcare, so low taxes are often offset by direct fees and the cost of private insurance.
You need to look very closely at what is important to you and if you go chasing those particular things, what price you might have to pay in either cash or loss of other amenities. ..... For example if gourmet dining and high theatre are important to you, there are very few places in North America that will give you what you're looking for.
And despite much talk about globalization, it comes as a shock to some people that there isn't a massive difference in the cost of living anywhere in the industrialized world. Taxes may be lower in some places, and houses larger, but schools and roads still have to be paid for, as well as hospitals and healthcare, so low taxes are often offset by direct fees and the cost of private insurance.
#14
Re: Is anyone else massively disappointed in Canada?
Maybe it's silly but I just wanted a change and an adventure, I love the US and I thought Canada would be like USA, it's nothing like it. But I honestly didn't think that I would dislike it so much, I have put so much effort into wanting to like it.
I will move back in August.
I will move back in August.
Presumably you are young enough to go 'back home to the UK' & if its not the place for you, then there are other places.
Our youngest at 29 (with no ties now) is on the move, 'itchy feet' she calls it.
She is going down the road of doing a 'working holiday visa' (WHV) to Australia, see & spend some time in NZ while down under, then she plans to move onto Malta, the UK, then goodness knows what.
Our question to her 'are you planning on settling down ever' - her response 'who knows what 2 years from now will look like'
.
Last edited by not2old; Jan 26th 2016 at 6:04 pm. Reason: added to the post
#15
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Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 33
Re: Is anyone else massively disappointed in Canada?
Why wait till August?
Presumably you are young enough to go 'back home to the UK' & if its not the place for you, then there are other places.
Our youngest at 29 (with no ties now) is on the move, 'itchy feet' she calls it.
She is going down the road of doing a 'working holiday visa' (WHV) to Australia, see & spend some time in NZ while down under, then she plans to move onto Malta, the UK, then goodness knows what.
Our question to her 'are you planning on settling down ever' - her response 'who knows what 2 years from now will look like'
.
Presumably you are young enough to go 'back home to the UK' & if its not the place for you, then there are other places.
Our youngest at 29 (with no ties now) is on the move, 'itchy feet' she calls it.
She is going down the road of doing a 'working holiday visa' (WHV) to Australia, see & spend some time in NZ while down under, then she plans to move onto Malta, the UK, then goodness knows what.
Our question to her 'are you planning on settling down ever' - her response 'who knows what 2 years from now will look like'
.
I'm 32 and my parents are dead, I don't have family to go and stay with. I have to wait for my condo lease to expire, sell up and September is better to start looking for a job in London than other months.