I have lived in Canada for 8 years....and I do see your points, especially about SOME of the guys....fishing, trucks and hockey thats it, yawn!! however I think that is more of a Barrie thing, I live in Peterborough its the same here, they are those kind of towns......and Im not into fishing, not into hockey and trucks just dont do it for me, I prefer a sports car over a truck any day! So i know what you mean.

However it is all about the big picture. Ive met many Canadians you describe, but have also made some great friends too that I can talk indepth about politics, religion, technology, and just life in general etc.... But it took me some time, and being single for most of this time, I managed to get around a bit, I met a very broad range of people, from varying backgrounds, so I was going to find some that I clicked with eventually.

So now I find it sad that after losing my job, I may have to move away from all the friendships and relationships I have built, some of my family in the UK have made the moving back to the UK suggestion, but I really cant see myself doing that, I think I have changed after living here for 8 years. I like the Canadian lifestyle, which is a big thing for me.

I suppose meeting the people you want to spend social time with takes time and and patience, and maybe a bit of luck too. Ive said this before, but I think its harder to make a good social life as a couple/family, there are way more restrictions and limitations involved than there is for a single person. Not as I prefer or recommend the single life at all, but I think that has a huge bearing on making a new life and social circles in a new country.

Just my take on it, but I do see you point too. I think I have been lucky until now, and when I come accross something I dont like, I take a step back and look at the big picture again and remind myself what I really wanted from life by moving here and acknowledge the things I knew I would lose when I left the UK, and that settles me down again.

We all need to do what we need to do.

I don't think you can have driven a pick up in the snow. My wife has one but we commute in a Mustang which offers better grip. The pastel Beetle convertible was even better, ideal for snow, but it rusted away. Attached is a picture of a truck (admittedly a GM truck) attempting to go up our driveway, the Beetle would whiz through that much snow.

That said, if you need to pick up 27 straw bales, a couple of greased pigs or haul a sack of dog shit to the dump, the truck is the thing to have. I'm surprised how many suburban dwellers have such needs but, I suppose, there may not be bin men in Oakville or Burlington.

I'm impressed that the date on the photo is today's. Have you had a cold snap?

Huge amounts of precipitation. Where I live it has all been rain but maybe where dbd lives it's colder?

Arcticy. I've attached my blower.

It is. It is, I assure you. It's actually NORTH of Bloor.

Pic please?

Omg! The wilderness!!

I am here and the blower is there. I'm not sure if the roads will be open today so I may not see it soon.

The reference is to that fact that, when I lived in Toronto, from about 1982 to about 2007, I didn't go north of Bloor (within Toronto, probably within Canada). And then, when I did, there seemed no point, once up there it was just like Mississauga and I'd seen that. I still think suburban Toronto, the bit outside the DVP/Lake/427/401 box, is rather a wasteland and agonizing difficult to get to.

Just joshing, but I'm pleased to hear that the tundra has retreated to the 401 now.

Climate change?

Are the two points in your OP the only reasons that you want to leave Canada?

Are you a Canadian citizen?

Do you remember why you left the UK to come to Canada...reasons?

When will you be selling up & moving back to the UK?

It's a bit hair splitting to differentiate between Bloor and the 401, innit? Looking at a map I see that they're parallel with nothing of note between them. Both represent "the north", that ill defined emptiness that cradles romanticize.

I doubt if Canadians are too different on the 'scales of friendship' than people here in Australia or New Zealand. Longer exposure perhaps may allow such perceptions however.


What you write about Canadians is equally mentioned by countless Brits living in Australia and a number in New Zealand as well, and a prime reason to return home.


From my understanding Canadians are somewhat more tolerant than Australians at any rate, as well as being more 'mild mannered' if I can put it that way.


It is still, and will remain as Australia and New Zealand a settler nation and the aspirations usually that involves. None are particularly easy these days, with all three sharing high costs and declining ease compared to decades past. The completion and changing society on all levels in all countries probably cancels out the more 'laid back' mode of times past.


AS for the Swiss comparison I'm not sure. Switzerland remains one of the largest foreign born populations of any nation and differs in Canton. The German/French/Italian language being a little more comparable to Canada perhaps with language diversity but little else evident to my thinking.

The language issue is quite different. In CH most people have, at least, fluency in one of French/German/Italian/Swiss German and some grasp of one or two other the others. As well, many people speak some English. In Canada the average Anglophone cradle knows as much French as the average Swiss knows Romansh.