what's bad about Canada?
Jul 25th 2007, 6:00 pm
#48
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,999
Re: what's bad about Canada?
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.
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.
Jul 25th 2007, 6:17 pm
#49
Assimilated Pauper
Joined: Mar 2005
Location: Ontario
Posts: 40,018
Re: what's bad about Canada?
In Canada, most lake beaches are privately owned, I'm not sure about the ocean ones.
Jul 26th 2007, 1:18 am
#50
Settled.
Joined: Jul 2006
Location: St. Albert. AB.
Posts: 3,286
Re: what's bad about Canada?
getting rapidly fed up of having to repeat myself. its not just colloquial expressions, its just plain speak. i appreciate its up to me to a point to make the effort, and i was not naive to think there may not be some misunderstandings, but. constantly. just. saying. the. exact. same. thing. twice. slowly. so. they. get. it. is becoming very frustrating.
Jul 26th 2007, 1:40 am
#51
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jul 2006
Location: Cochrane, Alberta
Posts: 7,861
Re: what's bad about Canada?
Hubby asked me yesterday - "do I speak quickly?" (huh? I said - no just kidding 
)
States he is continually having to repeat virtually everything.
Me - I start reeeel slow and build up some pace, once they've tuned into my accent.
)States he is continually having to repeat virtually everything.
Me - I start reeeel slow and build up some pace, once they've tuned into my accent.
Jul 26th 2007, 2:32 am
#52
Forum Regular
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 288
Re: what's bad about Canada?
I'm loving our new life here and for every bad thing there's plenty more good things. But here's some of our trivial niggles, in no particular order:
crap quality supermarket fruit and veg, american TV, 3 year cell phone contracts/paying 100's for a phone that would be free back home, sausages, crackheads, Canadian music, people insist on going "Whhoooo" every five mins when they get pissed, drivers, getting shafted by the bank for everything, lacklustre cops, bacon, 70's/80's architecture, Canadian humour...I'll stop there.
If that's the worst I can think of it can't be that bad. If this was my list of what makes britain crap I'd be at it for hours.
crap quality supermarket fruit and veg, american TV, 3 year cell phone contracts/paying 100's for a phone that would be free back home, sausages, crackheads, Canadian music, people insist on going "Whhoooo" every five mins when they get pissed, drivers, getting shafted by the bank for everything, lacklustre cops, bacon, 70's/80's architecture, Canadian humour...I'll stop there.
If that's the worst I can think of it can't be that bad. If this was my list of what makes britain crap I'd be at it for hours.
Jul 26th 2007, 2:49 am
#53
Settled.
Joined: Jul 2006
Location: St. Albert. AB.
Posts: 3,286
Re: what's bad about Canada?
mmm yes, i feel quite guilty, i don't feel i should surrender my accent, but i do wish to integrate, i'm far from stuffing my englishness down peoples throats, but when they don't understand me i feel i should try harder, this is quite wearing though.
Jul 26th 2007, 4:44 am
#54
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Sep 2003
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1,152
Re: what's bad about Canada?
getting rapidly fed up of having to repeat myself. its not just colloquial expressions, its just plain speak. i appreciate its up to me to a point to make the effort, and i was not naive to think there may not be some misunderstandings, but. constantly. just. saying. the. exact. same. thing. twice. slowly. so. they. get. it. is becoming very frustrating.
Jul 26th 2007, 5:19 am
#55
Tea Drinker
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: Kamloops, BC
Posts: 5,387
Re: what's bad about Canada?
Only been here a month, so far this is my list of annoyances:
3yr mobile phone deals with crap phones,
Nothing good on TV,
Music & fashion months behind London,
Restaurant staff writing "Service NOT included on the bill" with a stupid smiley face underneath, it's the NOT in block capitals that annoys me.
All very minor things really, nothing that makes me lose any sleep but you did ask so there you go.
3yr mobile phone deals with crap phones,
Nothing good on TV,
Music & fashion months behind London,
Restaurant staff writing "Service NOT included on the bill" with a stupid smiley face underneath, it's the NOT in block capitals that annoys me.
All very minor things really, nothing that makes me lose any sleep but you did ask so there you go.
Jul 26th 2007, 11:11 am
#56
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2007
Location: Down South
Posts: 272
Re: what's bad about Canada?
Canada should stop giving out PR to those who wait to get it then leave.
I refer to those like the Kiwi I met at YVR on sunday who told me he'd been in Vancouver for 3 years working as an Architect (a scruffy one at that mind). had just a few days earlier received his PR status and was now going to travel around E Europe and UK then back to NZ for good. This really hacks me off, if people want PR then there should be some ruling that they stay in the country for a certain period afterwards, if not they lose the PR entitlement. I've read of Brits (on that dreaded other forum thread) doing this in Australia knowing they want to move back to the UK. It should be stopped to allow people who genuinely want to live permanently in Canada to do so without having to wait 5 years or so for their SWP.
I refer to those like the Kiwi I met at YVR on sunday who told me he'd been in Vancouver for 3 years working as an Architect (a scruffy one at that mind). had just a few days earlier received his PR status and was now going to travel around E Europe and UK then back to NZ for good. This really hacks me off, if people want PR then there should be some ruling that they stay in the country for a certain period afterwards, if not they lose the PR entitlement. I've read of Brits (on that dreaded other forum thread) doing this in Australia knowing they want to move back to the UK. It should be stopped to allow people who genuinely want to live permanently in Canada to do so without having to wait 5 years or so for their SWP.
Jul 26th 2007, 11:53 am
#57
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,999
Re: what's bad about Canada?
Canada should stop giving out PR to those who wait to get it then leave.
I refer to those like the Kiwi I met at YVR on sunday who told me he'd been in Vancouver for 3 years working as an Architect (a scruffy one at that mind). had just a few days earlier received his PR status and was now going to travel around E Europe and UK then back to NZ for good. This really hacks me off, if people want PR then there should be some ruling that they stay in the country for a certain period afterwards, if not they lose the PR entitlement. I've read of Brits (on that dreaded other forum thread) doing this in Australia knowing they want to move back to the UK. It should be stopped to allow people who genuinely want to live permanently in Canada to do so without having to wait 5 years or so for their SWP.
I refer to those like the Kiwi I met at YVR on sunday who told me he'd been in Vancouver for 3 years working as an Architect (a scruffy one at that mind). had just a few days earlier received his PR status and was now going to travel around E Europe and UK then back to NZ for good. This really hacks me off, if people want PR then there should be some ruling that they stay in the country for a certain period afterwards, if not they lose the PR entitlement. I've read of Brits (on that dreaded other forum thread) doing this in Australia knowing they want to move back to the UK. It should be stopped to allow people who genuinely want to live permanently in Canada to do so without having to wait 5 years or so for their SWP.
This policy made Australia not much more than an enormous sunny retirement home. Thankfully they have changed this and now it's 4 years for cit.
Another popular pastime is getting PR for being a carpenter, then on arrival becoming a beach bum, etc. To my mind you should have to work in the profession that got you into the country for at least 5 years.
Hey - less of the dreaded - that forum is much warmer after all.....
Jul 26th 2007, 12:10 pm
#58
Assimilated Pauper
Joined: Mar 2005
Location: Ontario
Posts: 40,018
Re: what's bad about Canada?
A new problem arises after going to the same shop for a while when the shopkeeper starts to be sociable and a new level of communication is needed. If the shopkeeper says something like "you very brown" I might want to reply "I went sailing" or "convertible car" or similar but these are difficult ideas to convey at the level of language I share with the locals. A couple of weeks back a coffee seller said "you look tired today morning", for a moment I was going to explain that I'd carried hay the night before but then thought "oh no, I aint getting into trying to explain what a horse is".
I think the lack of ability to converse with people here in more than grunts and gestures is a factor in my heavy use of talkboards, UK or US based websites offer text in approximately my native language at a level higher than one would use at a daycare.
Jul 26th 2007, 12:16 pm
#59
Assimilated Pauper
Joined: Mar 2005
Location: Ontario
Posts: 40,018
Re: what's bad about Canada?
I actually think that quite cute. All occurrences of "not" are captialised around here so one might get an email "I will be late tomorrow so I will NOT need a bagel" or "don't believe the weather forecast, it's NOT going to rain tomorrow". It's as if Canadians don't think readers notice little words. I expect the trend to move on to AND and THE.
Jul 26th 2007, 12:25 pm
#60
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 138
Re: what's bad about Canada?
London....
WHY? What in my post lead you to think this? Unless you simply want to caue an arguement? I see nothing at all that can even remotely suggest this.... My guess you are a flamer. Go away
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Think hes taking the mick.
WHY? What in my post lead you to think this? Unless you simply want to caue an arguement? I see nothing at all that can even remotely suggest this.... My guess you are a flamer. Go away
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Think hes taking the mick.