dbd33

I think Starbucks dominates the coffee market on both sides of the border. Not sure which sport you have in mind, the big one around here now is baseball and they have that in America too. If you mean ice hockey then I'd say that the NHL is primarily a US league with some weak franchises up here.

We drove back into Canada last weekend after a week in the US, apart from the awful driving here, what we noticed was the Asian population. Outside of San Francisco the US doesn't have such a large proportion of people from China, Korea and so on.

Oakvillian

Plenty of views, not many of them repeatable...

I didn't really enjoy history at school (every exercise book had the quote from Henry Ford: "History is Bunk" on the inside front cover) but now wish I'd paid more attention, because it's fascinating! I suppose it's a thoroughly old-fashioned position to take today, but I am really glad, now, that I learned history by being taught dates and battles and kings and stuff (can still recite "Willy, Willy, Harry, Ste; Harry, Dick, John, Harry III...").

The guy who taught me English grammar did so as though he was teaching Latin, as he made us parse every word in a sentence until we understood the precise function of each. English lessons were peppered with spelling and punctuation tests, as well as a critical appreciation of Shakespeare, Milton, Chaucer, Dickens, etc. An element of competition was encouraged in all these things and finishing in the top few percent in the year group was an achievement worthy of public praise and prizes. (And yes, this was at a fee-paying independent school - my place was subsidized by an Army bursary and an academic scholarship).

I despair at the disregard for narrative timelines, dates and facts in the "empathetic" approach to history taught in the UK (well, maybe not Scotland - isn't the system there a bit more rigorous?). I don't expect Canada to be much better, not only because there's not such an obvious and long timeline to set the context for studying Canadian history, but also because I get the feeling the whole curriculum here is based on the same liberal (with a small L) ideology as in the UK.

I hope that I can instill in my children a love of learning - of reading non-fiction, history and biography for pleasure, of wanting to understand how and why as well as what and who - but even if I can't I hope they'll have a good enough grounding in the rudiments that they can come to appreciate "culture" (history, art, literature, however you define it) in their own time.

OMG, re-reading that it sounds really pretentious... don't really know how else to put it, though, I'm surprised how strongly I feel about it now I have children of my own to worry about!

dbd33

No. My partner spent a year at Aberdeen as part of her undergrad history degree. She has no idea of the date of anything but can deliver a Gruaniad worthy extemporaneous lecture on any topic related to feminism, gay rights or the sexuality of the Victorians.

Meanwhile, one of my children actually chose to take Latin. Here, in Canada, so no stereotype holds absolutely.

stepnek

Same for me.

burton bunch

PUSH

For us this was OH being made from a high flying position, and as he prepared the practice accounts and knew the cashflow and profits of the practice, was a earth shattering shock.

He felt incredibly let down by the other partners of the firm and it distroyed his confidence. We had had th option of moving to Canada 13 years ago and never got around to it due to wedding and kids coming pretty quickly in succession.

Long commutes for Phil - out at 6.30am to start at 9am and then left at 5pm usually home between 7 - 730pm.

Materialistic soceity that the uk has become.
The way our country is run.
Working to survive.

PULL

A complete change of lifestyle.
Being appreciated
Respect - of yourself and other peoples property
Job offer
Being near to family and friends who I have always missed since they went to there nearly 30 years ago.
More Space
More family time.
Less stressful workplace.

Gaynor
x

Mountain Girl

I see a few of you have mentioned open spaces as a main motivator

The statistics boggle the mind when you compare the two countries.

London alone has a population density of almost 5,000 people per square km.

Perhaps that will become more and more of a "push" factor as the years go by, as the sheer competition for decent living space increases.

dbd33

I think that's a bit silly. Canada largely consists of uninhabited tundra, the people live in apartments or on postage stamp lots in houses squished against the US border. There's no equivalent of the right to roam so, if you want to touch the grass you have to buy it. The average resident of the GTA has no more space than the average council house dweller in the UK.

It's true that one can fly over lots of empty space but one may as well say that people in the UK have lots of empty ocean to enjoy.

sinope

Sorry not to reply sooner - I have been out with my daughter at a rare breeds farm park, so you could say we have been doing a bit of history (at a push).

Yes, I do see that the children of immigrants would have less knowledge and understanding and even interest in their roots, although from what I understand of immigrant groups in GB (specifically those with a strong religious belief) the 'mother' culture is never given up but integrated into the larger society. However, as Oakvillain has pointed out, children and young adults here have little or no idea of the history and culture of Britain so unless I teach my daughter about these things she won't learn them anyway. (As an aside, I am still flabberghasted at the remedial reading and writing lessons our universities now have to put on for first year students).

I want to come to Canada even more now you've described it as a country of immigrants and red-necks, and the bucket riding is a definite extra pull.

dbd33

If that counts as history then I guess Fort Cody does too (see blog), the two headed cow is certainly a rare beast.

I understand that the youth of today have gone to the dogs as my niece is a banged teen on the dole. Nonetheless I don't think you have any idea how much history and culture is absorbed by accident; children growing up in the UK cannot help but have an idea what a castle is or that the country has been repeatedly invaded. They will necessarily hear English spoken well. It's the background gained outside formal education that is lost when abroad. For example, two of my daughters have a good grasp of English as tested academically (100% scored on the SAT language paper) but they don't know any words related to things that don't exist now; florins, Tudors, battlements, yards, bustles mean nothing to them. I suppose a place with no past is good for someone wanting a new start but I do feel a bit as if coming here was like joining the Légion étrangère.

Just don't tell the liability insurer that we ride in the bucket; there are all sorts of labels warning against it. Just like the one that says "this convertible top is not intended to provide roll over protection".

Atlantic Xpat

Today I obtained a quote for renting a tractor-loader-excavator not dissimilar to yours but with a backhoe for diggin' 'oles. It was eyewateringly expensive. I need it for May 24th weekend so I reckon if you started now you'd be able to bring you tractor to to Newfoundland in time. There's a bottle of London Pride in it for you. Do you have the backhoe attachement?

sinope

I have taken her to Rodin and Kadinsky exhibitions too, but now she is a little older I think two headed cows and bucket rides are far more her thing.

Sadly, most British teens would have no clue about florin, bustle, Tudor and all of the other words we no longer have a use for but yes, I agree with you about culture by osmosis.

dbd33

We don't have the backhoe thing. I believe they're about $6,000 new. Tell you what, you buy us backhoe atachment and when you visit you can take the tractor down 'ome behind the Land Cruiser; dig your holes and I'll fly one of the kids down to collect it and the Pride when you're done digging. How's that?

Atlantic Xpat

Ah, the quote for the weekend is about $400 taxes and delivery included so perhaps I'll hire one rather than borrowing yours thanks. That way I get to drink the bottle of Pride myself as well.

dbd33

Well that's no kind of deal (for me). What are you digging?

dozy_muppet03

I really enjoyed reading all of your comments in this thread, seems we all have so much in common.

Heres mine:

Push
Vicky Pollard and her buddies
Eat in / eat out price differences (can someone explain that)
£1.00 a litre of petrol
£2.50 a pint
£5.00 a pack of smokes
Yob CHAV Culture
Threat of Violence,
Reading about people dying becuase they are cold in the winter and can't afford to put their heating on

Pull
Tim Hortons Coffee, 60p for a large coffee, not the 2.00 for a similar one here at starbucks.
Tim Hortons Drive throughs on my way to work.
a buck for a nice plate of pasta at IKEA (seriously its good)
Collossus in Mississuga, its amazing
Canadas Wonderland
My yearly wine tasting beano around the Niagra region.
Eating out,
Outddors, - Conservation in Canada rocks so does camping with a camp fire.
Molson 24
Friendly people, we are very friendly, Diversity in people and culture
Good game of Hockey
Labour day weekend.
Fireworks at Ontario Place
Stompin' Tom" Connors: you know the words - Hello out there....
Regards

John