Novocastrian

Hockey.

daft batty

True, but sometimes its the only way to get to see wildlife! A friend had a racoon in her kitchen the other day, scary moment. Fortunately her man was around (Useful backwoods sort of man) so racoon was removed.

On Sunday we saw 7 osprey within 200m of each other. One flying, the others 3 to a nests. I love that, my drive to work is along a lakeshore and the sight of those birds soaring is truly wonderful.

Novocastrian

I think a useful backwoods man in the kitchen is a real boon. Everyone should have one.

daft batty

I concur

Member123

Howard what a good positive post and I actually for once agree entirely with what you said

Hart50

Too many whinging Immigrants!

Notiaink...honest

Measly vacation allowance, two or three weeks for starters in most jobs

After the initial novelty wears off winter is a month or so too long. Ive been here 10 years now, and while Im still excited by the first big storm and curling up in front of a log fire, by March and April when Im lugging wood up from the garage again, the romance has definitely long since passed. XC Skiing has not been a consistent option the last few years, there has not been a enough consistent snow cover. I suppose you could travel for it, but you can do that in Europe. Our back yard rink didnt even freeze till the end of January last year. Its a worst of both worlds scenario. This Xmas we are off on a cruise I think, screw waiting to go skating on boxing day.

Cost of living is rising all the time, no matter what people might say. Energy costs to live in Canada are high, heating and air conditioning are necessary evils in Ontario at least, and the cost of doing that is not going to get cheaper in my lifetime.

Bloody Mosquitoes, Black-fly. Costs us about $60 a month to run the $400 skeeter vac to keep our yard free of the little bloodsuckers. Just when you are finally free of winter, you get eaten alive if you go out unprotected

No immediate family nearby to rely on or for kids to relate to as family, like cousins, uncles, aunts etc. No grandpa dropping by to see the kids, No Aunt to babysit, that stuff is what I find the hardest. Missing old friends.

What else, minor things like the lack of a real pub or a decent curry house anywhere nearby, its trivial, but you miss it from time to time.

Nothing even remotely like stately homes and historic sights in the UK sense, even my (canadian) wife was impressed with warwick castle

Poor access to the enormous amount of land around you..its mostly privately owned with no puplic footpath access, so walks in the country are (legally speaking) limited to conservation areas or provincial parks, or you take your chances getting run down by an ATV or Snowmobile on a public trail..which around here at least tend to be jagged rocky ex railbeds.

Hockey and Baseball coverage taking up hours and hours and hours when all you want to see is the footy scores.

Having said all that, the positives still far outweigh the negatives.

dbd33

Every day, literally every day, the neighbour shoots another one and adds it to our manure pile. That seemed a good idea at first, rapid decay in the manure and all that, but now the prospect of spreading half manure half bone mix is getting a bit alarming. Maybe I should just bring them to the city and release them.

Novocastrian

Good idea. I hear they're crying out for half decayed, buckshot-ridden coons in Leaside.

dbd33

Really? I thought multiculturalism stopped at Don Mills.

Novocastrian

I assume you're only belabouring the obvious so that Howard can keep up?

dbd33

I think he ignores me. I feel slighted.

rwin

Canadian TV shows. Actually some aren't too bad. Some I'd say are even good. The problem is that none of them can just be a show. They pretty much hit you over the head with the fact that they're Canadian. CBC shows seem particularly bad for this.

moondevil

SO with you on this howard. If it was the bigger house, wed stop in the uk
Better life for kids, and they loved the snow, first purchase this winter (if we get there in time) snow boards and sledge, kids cant wait

Member123

He doesnt like me either so I wouldnt worry about it dbd