iaink

Typical? Yeah right...happens all the time.

Thats exactly why I say your life seems better off ignoring the media.

iaink

Oh, it is if its out of season

Oink

Statistical evidence, however rigorously collected and analyzed, is obviously meaningless when it doesn't correlate to personal perceptions and philosophy.

DigitalGhost

Which country and which language if you don't mind my asking?

It might be an option for me in the future so it would be good to have an experienced persons point of view.

DigitalGhost

Preciso.

In the UK it can occasionally be difficult to not break at least some sort of minor law in daily life, we really do have that many. Technically it's illegal to transfer songs from your CD collection to your iPod but HMV fully endorse it. Likewise the same car which could be considered a complete wreck and illegal to drive on the road in the UK would be perfectly acceptable to drive in North America.

iaink

First you need the rigorous collection and analysis though,, thats whats missing around here.

The other problem is that comparisons are applied across both countries and the implication made that its impossible to improve your quality of life with respect to exposure to petty crime by moving to Canada. I can only judge that by my own experience.

Alan2005

I lived in Bangkok for three years. I can speak Thai (I am nowhere near fluent, but I can handle most everyday situations).

Edit: I should add that I liked living there a lot (more so than Canada) although it's not without it's annoyances. Still, I'd have stayed if a long term option was open to me, but it wasn't. This said, I wouldn't live there on a local income whatever the circumstances - that would be a shitty life.

dbd33

I don't think this consideration of the neighbours as representing Canada makes any sense at all. I struggle to recall ever having had neighbours in Canada who would self-identify as Canadian. I'm sure I've never had a neighbour who was born in Canada to two parents who were born in Canada. What they're like, how outgoing they are, is largely a function of the culture they come from.

jericho

About as idiotic as completely dismissing the words of someone who is actually involved in reporting of crimes, and saying crimes are reported in the same manner in Canada and the UK.... and then completely contradicting yourself in the next post.

stepnek

Ah, the folly of asking for an opinion on whether to move to Canada in a public forum!

With a mixed up thread like this who would know the answer? Everyone that's moved here will have their own story either good or bad and as I think Iain said it's best to try a visit here. Even then no one really knows until they actually live here and anecdotal stories or statistics just don't cut it.

For what it's worth I've been here five and a half years and I'm fairly bored with living here. I much preferred living in Britain even though (in my experience) there have been some definite gains for me by moving here.

I just compare the two countries and found that my life was more vibrant back in the UK but that's not a criticism of Canada or the people that live here or indeed the people that live next door!

People here are friendly enough, I haven't had any yobs walk down my street at 2am and I've not been a victim of crime since getting here. The cost of living here generally speaking seems to compare on a like for like basis to the UK with of course some differences and as an unskilled worker my low income here again compares typically to the kind of income I used to get back in Britain. My employer with a big company here seems to compare again with what my experience was back at home.

I do not enjoy the very long winters here (neither does my Canadian wife) and I'm disappointed with the progress we are making with our severely autistic son. One of the things we are planning to research is to see if things would be any better for him if we were to return. I don't like the long distances that we sometimes have to travel and living in Ontario I miss the coastline.

When I used to live in England I sometimes used to be woken up by yobs walking down my street at 2am and I once had my car stolen. I used to go to the seaside a lot, it didn't take miles and miles to get anywhere though the traffic jams could be really bad and I hated MOT time.

For me both countries are very decent places to live with their own pros and cons. Better though to move somewhere new for positive reasons as opposed to leaving for negative reasons and I'm very aware of that as we contemplate a possible move back.

Oink

But when those experiences are largely conditioned by media then how trust worthy are those? Why not use scientifically derived comparisons rather than make catastrophic life decisions based on such tenuous evidence and wooly logic.

Alan2005

The media in canada is localized and concentrates on local events.

jan the piglet

very well put dear

Alan2005

Where did I contradict myself?

(and I didn't dismiss dboy's post, but I think he's being a bit disingenuous with the crime examples he picked)

R I C H

Jan you regurgitate the same tired points in every thread that offers the opportunity. Broad generalizations, rather than direct experience.

Your credibility as a balanced and thoughtful poster, in my opinion is just further eroded by continued diatribe about how the whole of Canada and its population hasn't met your expectations, and how it won't meet any one else's.

Piglets generally enjoy a good roll in the shit, so don't get too offended if it's thrown your way. My own soul (whatever that is) needs no investigation.