sinope

I'm now trying to remember if that was me too...

Butch Cassidy

ERM
I take issue with this.........................Female ? yes I agree you Definitely Are.
Wear Glasses? yes once again I Agree 100%
Helpless??????? You helpless NEVER

montreal mike

OK I am the first to admit that I am the new kid on the block.

Now I have established that, I don't see a bully?

Me, I do not believe in bullying aka intimidation either. It is childish and serves no purpose.

If someone here comes across an incident of bullying, and it has to be really nasty and obvious, then I strongly suggest we do ourselves a favour and please let us know.

Heck, start a new thead if needs be!

I believe this place is moderated. If so, why not let the moderator do his or her job?

But, and I will make it clear this comment is NOT aimed at Willmore, please do spare us the platitudes, or attempt at lecturing us on civilised modes of social behaviour. This is of no interest whatsoever to me as I go on the premise that we are all adults and should/do know better.

Myself, I just want the cold hard facts.

Steve_P

Sometimes when a new person arrives on the block and warns everyone that " This is my first post. I warn you that I am very blunt at times. So be forewarned." This can be used by that individual in future as an excuse for bullying behaviour, people are a little taken aback by it.

It sounds like your saying to the forum (my interpretation only) that "I'm loud, obnoxious and boorish like it or lump it".

Rather than announce it you may have been better off not saying anything and posting normally.

Cheers
Steve

montreal mike

Steve, well you will get to know me. I can assure you I am quite a decent person. I do not bully. I try to avoid being unnecessarily rude. I never use foul langauge or swear words. Anyways you guys and girls be the judge. I do have a blunt style. But I do not mince words. To me it is pointless.

Steve_P

I'm glad to hear that and look forward to seeing more of your posts.

Cheers
Steve

dbd33

I, for myself, tend to beat around the bush, I have trouble expressing myself clearly and usually understate my position. Nonetheless, in a bid to be less mealy mouthed I'm going to come write out and say that I think we've read enough about the manner in which you intend to frame your opinions; it's time to stop bleating about the manner in which you intend to write and to actually write something. Shit, as they say, or get off the pot. What do you like or dislike about Canada?

montreal mike

I intentionally refrained from posting to this thread inasfar as actually answering the initial question because, as has been already pointed out. it will really change nothing. It is just a collection of opinions and nothing more.

As has been pointed out above (by a very astute and savvy poster) 'It is pointless asking people on this forum what's good and bad about Canada. The answers you will get will be biased and of no use to you. Does the fact that you can buy a huge shoddily built house and a truck to drive to Walmart and buy clothes made by 12 year old Chinese kids make you want to go there? What will change for you when you move only you can say. There are no less social problems in Canada than the UK. It is expensive. You will not all of a sudden become an athlete. Your kids will start to backchat you in a Canadian accent and learn some cool new French swear words. Immigration is tough and you have to ask yourself why it is you want to leave.’

But not to avoid the question, here goes:

Likes:

- Less crowded than most places
- Housing or rental accomodation is relatively affordable
- A good social system with Medicare and Pensions
- This is not a nation that is dying to go to war unlike the Yanks down south.
- Cold winters
- High standard of living for those who get off their arses
- Lack of significant inheritance taxes

Dislikes

- Asinine Multiculturalism policy
- Provincial rights. De facto ten countries in one
- A weak federal system
- Idiotic language laws in Quebec where English is really a dirty word.
- High Heat and humidity in major eastern cities such as Toronto and Montreal
- In Eastern Canada there are only to two seasons: Winter and July. There is no Spring and Autumn to speak off

Overall the pluses far outweigh the minuses. This is my conclusion after having spent 44 years here.

PS .. I just hope no one makes any life-changing decisions based on what I just posted.

oceanMDX

After reading through your list of dislikes, I have to ask, why do you live in Montreal? Why not move to another, more desirable, part of the country?

BTW, the PM of Canada has a whole lot more power than you want to admit to.

jonfrank123

The best is when you see a parking space on the other side of the road and someone else does then it becomes a race of who can turn around quickest. and there is always the danger someone will slip into the space while you are turning around!!

I think Montreal is a good city but everyone's circumstances are different. Personally I can't just forget about the UK as my business is based there, there is no point in starting a business here as I earn 2 or 3 times the money from the same thing in the UK as I would in Canada.

Also I have 34 years worth of friends and all my family in the UK, so I'm not suddenly going to dump them just because I've come to live here. I think a lot of people will feel the same as me on this point.

Jonathan

dbd33

But the point of a discussion board is to express and debate points of view, very much like a pub. One advances a view, often exaggerating it for impact, and other people take a poke at it. There is no deeper point.

For example:

The Prime Minister of Canada is as much Bush's poodle as is Tony Blair. Canadians are dying most days in Afghanistan so Canada can support the war effort in Iraq without directly admitting to it. It is, of course, wrong to suggest that all Americans support the war, just as it's wrong to suggest that all Canadians do, but in both cases they're elected pro-war governments.

I think the multiculturalism policy is one of the best things about Canada, indeed it gives some definition to the country beyond being a colder version of Oregon. How is it assinine?

The provinces are not that powerful and the federal government is not that weak, if that were the case gay marriage would still be illegal in some provinces. Quebec enjoys unique clout as the people are the primary embodiment of the francophone heritage so critical to the the country, but I don't think Quebec's power is typical. Do you have examples of other provinces having too much power?

Souvenir

Unfortunately, that is not true any more. Canada is no longer a peacemaker; the blue beret has largely been thrown away. The Canadian troops in Afghanistan are there primarily in an offensive capacity. The massive military expenditure announced in the last budget is geared to enabling the movement of large numbers of troops and equipment to other parts of the world. The military is reported to be looking at ways to reactivate its fleet of mothballed Leopards. The Leopard, if you didn't know, is a main battle tank. You don't use them for re-building schools.

Canada is getting used to, and will become much more used to, seeing troops coming home in coffins. Particularly now that policy with regard to the media has changed.

mjanovitz

Gee you've got me a trembling in my boots! :scared:[/QUOTE]

Was just wondering about these boots, what are they like.........might they be black shinny, and maybe up past the knee somewhere around the thigh area?

Likes:

Most of the experience so far, too many to list

Dislikes:

People beeping their horns at you for unjustifiable reasons
Lack of que etiquette. Like for the Toronto Island Ferry. It wasn't even a que just a mass of people!!

To be honest just wanted to ask about the boots but didn't want to go off topic.

Mark

Biiiiink

...like when they lock their cars, what on earth is that about?! The chirp/honk thing was switched off on our UK Jeep, the salesgirl told us it was against some EU noise regulation or other - quite possibly the only sensible regulation the EU has ever come up with

jonfrank123

And that awful seatbelt chime when you start the car up