Mr Lee

Aahh - you can tell I've been on holiday, or I'd have been on here with my two-penn'orth earlier...

Things I hate?

Piss-poor customer service
Crap health service (STILL no doctor after 13 months here)
Pedestrians are frowned upon (ours is one of only two streets in our neighbourhood with a sidewalk)
Americanisation (including the flying of the stars and stripes at hotels and businesses. This especially irks me - it's like the British taking every opportunity to fly the French tricolor)

I could go on, but I fear that I already do...

or4ngecrush

Some Scots hate being called Scotch.

Howard1944

American Flags are flown here, the Maple Leaf in the Excited States, that is to make travellers feel at home and to also recognise that we are close neighbours and friends.

Poor Service, Australia takes the lead for that, although the UK isn't far behind.

No sidewalks, depends upon where you live.?

Only country IN THE WORLD totally self sufficient for Water, energy, Food, where your accent doesn't put you in a social class, where things generally work and are on time, where Handicapped people have almost Universal Accessibility, where the geography is so diverse, impossible not to find a place to enjoy.

Obstacles are the things you see when you take your eyes off the opportunities.

Liana

Yes a very good point but why in that case is Canada not overwhelmed with people wanting to live here- the second largest country in the world with all those massive natural resources.. Most immigrants seem to prefer to go to other countries, including the UK.
Unless you can show me I was not aware that the handicapped people have better help here in Canada actually- yes, much better wheelchair access to the majority of places but most handicapped people here rely on charities to even provide their wheelchairs; no disability/attendance/carer/ mobility allowance which in the UK is designed to maintain independence and is tax free. Here there is a disability tax allowance which is also very hard to get and only supports those working if totally blind or not able to walk at all. There are many handicapped people who are not blind or are able to walk and need other help and not even medical insurance perhaps available to cover medications. This is a very sad situation here and need to be improved but by which government who knows?

daft batty

Almost?? come on, no sidewalks so the buggy/wheelchairs usrs have to go on the road, huge steps into buildings, few accessible toilets, Sears here has bargain bins stacked in the aisles, so wheelchairs cant get by, blind people walk into them. Most homes including new ones are inaccessible to wheelchairs users. No closed captions at cinemas, no induction loops at concerts for heating aid users, noisy echoey rooms, (all that wood flooring)

So no, round here you are wrong on that. What makes the differrnce for me is that people are more ready to help when you need it

babsi

I can't talk about other Canadian cities, but Toronto by far away is the most wheelchair/pushchair friendly city I have been to.

There are lots of things to complain about but this isn't one of them.

It wasn't one of the things I had noticed before having a baby but since having a baby and going to quite a few places, Toronto is far and away the most friendly places in this regard.

Everywhere I go have pavements, once you know where the accessible toilets are that isn't a problem.

The only thing that is annoying is the trams, they are impossible to go on if you are in a wheelchair but you can work around it by going a different route. But they are looking into other alternatives atm

Mr Lee

I once walked from the outskirts of Kitchener into downtown for some reason - along sidewalks, I hasten to add, poorly maintained as they were - and there were people slowing down as they drove past, staring. When I asked someone if it was because I had a bogey or shaving foam on my face they said no - it was because I was walking somewhere as opposed to driving or jogging.

montreal mike

This has happened to me thank Gawd only a couple of times and I've been driving close to 40 years. I am driving along (and I don't mean quiet little side streets) and all at once to my left or maybe in front of me, lo and behold, there is this motorised gizmo.

Someone is actually using the street to get around in a wheelchair.

And so what happens if this person gets hit? Cyclists and motorcycles I do look out for, they're bad enough, but wheelchairs?

daft batty

you can imagine the accusing stares if an electric buggy does "get in the way" A few round here have big flags on poles so you can seem more easily, but they do go out in the bad light with no lights or reflective things on

Oh and whats bad about Canada, driving! have just got back from shopping, avoiding an old codger driving into our street, cutting across the centre line as he turns left, dog on his lap, dogs head out of the window, Driver strocking dogs head with one hand the other "steering". Aghhhhhhhh

montreal mike

Cell phones are my pet peeve.

About a year ago I was almost mowed down by this woman in this fancy SUV. She was turning and yakking away. Never saw me. I was about 100 feet from my house. I was so furious I jumped in my car and followed her. Shortly after, still on her cell phone, she pulled into a shoppng centre. I gave her the nastiest talking to (screaming actually) and used a lot of bad language, something I try to avoid. She just sat there stunned. Not a word. I hope I did some good. I may have saved some other innocent pedestrian?

Howard1944

Liana , we are being overwhelmed, that is why we restrict immigration to 250k a year,and why it takes almost 4 years for some to get approved.

We took the tube from Heathrow, with luggage, to Paddington, there is NO WAY anyone who is 100% mobile could do it, stairs upon stairs, no wheelchair ramps.

London, most streets do not have wheelchair ramps, they are impassable for the handicapped.

I hope that a few disgruntled people go back and spread tales about Canada, good, stay where you are, immigrants, we got tons trying to sneak in or come legally, Sorry, FULL.

dbd33

Public transit? To the airport? What a great idea! Toronto should think about getting that.

dbd33

My God, imagine the country if it only had Canadians! It'd be a charmless version of Minnesota.

Madmac

........but most don't care one way or the other and just consider the speaker uneducated and therefore to be pitied.

steve666

You scotchy's call us English sassanachs, wat's all tha' abaht?