Re: Why Canada?
 

Vancouver is depressingly ugly though, the rain is a blessing as it makes it harder to see the buildings.

Re: Why Canada?
 

Travelled across Canada as a student and loved it, visited a few times over the years and loved it. fed up with being made redundant post 2008 crisis and thought that it was now or never. Moved here 2010.

Canada again yes New Brunswick again - not for all the tea in China!!!

Re: Why Canada?
 

But maybe I could move there and pretend?

Re: Why Canada?
 

This touches upon a fundamental change since we came, one that would influence the decision. At the time that we came buying a house in London seemed impossible so we looked abroad. The deal with most of the foreign countries was that, if you moved to the back of beyond, in our case Toronto, you would be paid about the same but able to buy a very nice house. We paid $140,000 for ours on a single salary of $85,000. Now that house costs close to two million dollars, the $85,000 might be $110,000.

The logic underlying our move from the UK no longer applies. Brexit, if it causes a property crash, would make the case for moving even weaker.

Re: Why Canada?
 

The Toronto housing market is starting to roll back. It will be interesting to see how much and how long it goes.

Re: Why Canada?
 

Opinions vary......from Qura...

"Vancouver has a supernaturally beautiful setting. There's no way to downplay this. Vancouver is blessed with more natural beauty than any major city in the world. The north shore mountains, English Bay off of the Pacific Ocean sheltered from the worst storms by Vancouver Island, temperate rain forest with huge trees, wildlife on the water's edge and an active volcano, Mt. Baker, standing in as a surrogate for Mt. Fuji."

https://qph.ec.quoracdn.net/main-qim...1342038ab.webp

Re: Why Canada?
 

Oh yes, it's quite a pretty setting. It's only the built bits that are unattractive.

Re: Why Canada?
 

As I said...opinions vary....here are some notable and beautiful buildings in Vancouver. Note: Parliament building is in Victoria.

https://search.aol.com/aol/image;_yl...usaolp00000112

Re: Why Canada?
 

Opinions certainly do vary and if you find those to be beautiful buildings I'm happy for you.

Re: Why Canada?
 

Wanted new adventures and experiences for the whole family, in the 8 years we've been here the adventures and experiences have been plenty.
Would we do all over again knowing what we know now...never!

Re: Why Canada?
 

I cant say I agree that Vancouver has the nicest natural setting of any city.

Personally I think Seattle overall has a nicer setting and a nice tall mountain in the background as well.

Re: Why Canada?
 

I have always loved North America, cant even say what prompted it really but was from a young age. Still adore Florida but when I visited Toronto in 1999 I was really blown away by how much I prefered it to my visit to NY in 1994. By then I had also managed to experience the Florida Keys which had my heart but we knew that they were almost impossible to get to.
In short, I wanted the North American dream, complete with yellow school buses, stop signs, endless trains and drivethrough coffee.
I also wanted a Canadian version of the Keys, sans Palm trees of course, where life is near the ocean, laid back and friendly.
Enter NS. Ticked every box I, in my dream, had.


As I write this I hear the horn of the train as it rumbles through our community. We are able to drive to the US whenever we please pretty much although its not a fun drive in the winter months, its certainly easy enough in the summer and the Fall.
I have since revisited both NY and Toronto and like both equally, as vibrant cities. This little maritime place, with its friendly people and yes jobs (shocker!) is home, so damn grateful.

Re: Why Canada?
 

Wanted to live in a country that began with C and had 3 a's in it.
I decided on Canada over the other one.

Re: Why Canada?
 

Central African Republic?

Re: Why Canada?
 

I know someone who has made the other choice. She ate boa in the sunshine at Easter. I envied the weather.

Re: Why Canada?
 

Bangui on!

Re: Why Canada?
 

Correct.

Re: Why Canada?
 

:lol:
Steam rising from the drains? Kids playing in the spray of the fire hydrants in summer. Sirens from police cars and ambulances - although the difference isn't so great as it was in the 70s. Ticker-tap parades....;)

Re: Why Canada?
 

YES!!!

Re: Why Canada?
 

Didn't want to stay in the UK given how fast the social fabric of that country is deteriorating; and the growing disparity between the cost and quality of life.

Re: Why Canada?
 

Isn't this argument a bit dented by the inability of most immigrants to Canada to afford a house in the locations where most immigrants go? If you have to work two days a week to fund car insurance and another day to pay the rent, you're not looking at a great quality of life.

Re: Why Canada?
 

A day of work per week for rent. If only... Lol

Re: Why Canada?
 

I said what applies best to my own life situation. Canada is no heaven but still I prefer it over UK any day :)

Re: Why Canada?
 

Am I one of the lucky ones? We were well remunerated in London and now we're well remunerated in Canada. The difference is, we couldn't have afforded the size of house or land we now enjoy and stayed on SW London/Surrey. So for us -as a family - Canada has been very kind.

I like it here!

Re: Why Canada?
 

Well, yes, and me too. I have lots of stuff, much, much, stuff. But it's no longer generally true that one can trade a tatty semi in an outer burb of London for a McMansion in Vancouver or Toronto. Each year the move is less financially attractive.

Re: Why Canada?
 

Ironically, our "tatty semi in the outer burbs of London" is now worth close to 1 million pounds (no pound sign). So I think that living in our McMansion on Vancouver Island is still be a very attractive proposition.
In fact - you know what? - it is...Good luck to anyone else that wants to better themselves and live the/any dream.

Re: Why Canada?
 

I think that came across more personally than I intended. I expect you have a lovely house. Yes, good luck to people chasing their dreams.

Re: Why Canada?
 

Married to a Canadian.

Exceeded (although I was more hopeful than expectant when I came!)

Over 21st century UK? Yes, every time.

(Even though we're in the middle of a f***ing ice storm in mid-April!)

Re: Why Canada?
 

Me too. lucky there in Surrey and luckier here.

Re: Why Canada?
 

We have both achieved far more, in livability and economically, than we ever would have done if we had stayed in the UK.

Re: Why Canada?
 

Canada is the place where you can find multi nation people. Because of the follwoing reasons Canada can be your best choice.
Healthcare & Safety: Very Good
Living cost: Cheaper than other countries
Transportation: Good with public bus, air, water transit system
Quality of Lifestyle: Good
Culture & Environment: In Canada, each city has its own specility. English speakers are more. Environemnt is good
Quality of Education: Few of the top ranked schools, universities located in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa. The education system in Canada is good.
Career Opportunities: After graducation you will have better opportunities.

Re: Why Canada?
 

That depends upon which country(ie) you are comparing it to.

I would love to know the country in the EU in which its citizens would state that Canada's public transport system is better than theirs.

Re: Why Canada?
 

Largely depends where in Canada you live.

Outside a few select major citys public transport in Canada sucks.

Re: Why Canada?
 

My family's interactions with healthcare in Nova Scotia are so many leagues below what we had in the UK, in both Northern Ireland and Geordieland. Hell, this lot can't even be bothered to send recruiters to an event to attract doctors to Nova Scotia.

Re: Why Canada?
 

I find urgent ER healthcare decent in Vancouver area.

It accessing a doctor for ongoing issues that can be difficult since there is a shortage of GP's in many regions of BC, and walk in clinics are not the best for chronic ongoing medical concerns.

Mental Health depends, if medication can control the mental health issue its not bad, if you need anything else, its pretty bad.

Re: Why Canada?
 

It's like the US but without the BS

Re: Why Canada?
 

We've had great medical treatment in BC, both in Vancouver, and in small northern town. First class, better than treatment I had in the UK before we emigrated all those years ago.

Dental treatment ....... same

No argument about our daughter's education ........... both school and universities were excellent.

Transit tons better than in the US. I used it every day for almost 30 years to go to work.

No, transit isn't as good as in the UK ............ but then there isn't the population and distances are far greater. Current estimate for 7 km of light rapid transit is Vancouver is over $1 billion .................. I truly hope I am not still paying city taxes when that line is built!

Re: Why Canada?
 

If you happen to live and work next to the bus stop and you have fixed working hours then public transit is a viable option in urban Canada. It is, however, nonsense to say that it is "tons better than the US", almost everyone in NYC gets to work by public transit, plainly there is better public transit in NYC than there is in Canada east of Montreal. It may be that Vancouver has a single highly organized transit system so that the trams tie in with the subway cars and they cleanly meet the monorail. I doubt that, but even if it did it did it would be arguable whether or not it surpasses BART.

I don't care for the "everything in Canada is better than the US and that's all that counts" narrative but I will concede that public transit in rural Nebraska isn't great.

Re: Why Canada?
 

<Massive generalisation klaxon> How deluded or spot on you are will depend upon which part of Canada you are comparing to whereever else in the world you are comparing it to. (You don't say).

For the Republic of Newfoundland...

Healthcare: Variable. We have an excellent GP (so that's more than many posters in other areas who report being unable to register with any GP) and have had (and continue to have) excellent healthcare for my daughter with a complex and undiagnosed medical condition. Plus they saved my wife's life after a bloodclot damn near killed her. But wait lists for minor and some quite major procedures are high. Aging population and cost will make this worse in coming years. Safe? Yes, I feel safe.

Living cost: Cheaper than Norway maybe. More expensive than the UK or rest of Canada on everything except housing.

Transportation: Public transportation is essentially non-existent. Roads are terrible.

Quality of Lifestyle: Depends on how you define it. Having a big house and garden? Yes. Ability to travel cheaply to other parts of the world? No.

Culture: Yes. If you like fiddle music.
Environment: Newfoundland is not an environmentally friendly place. It depends upon resource extraction & we love our gas powered toys.

Quality of Education: K-12 seems OK. Probably better elsewhere. Probably worse too. Post Secondary: North America's lowest priced university for tuition. Quality of teaching is OK. By no means top flight.

Career Opportunities: Limited. Most (including new immigrants) move away after graduation.

Oh yes, and it's one of the least multicultural places in Canada. The people are friendly - to me at least. But I'm a White middle aged male so YMMV.

Re: Why Canada?
 

Transit depends where in the US you are and where in Canada you are.

Outside of a few citys in both countries transit is pretty poor in both.

Vancouver is okay but NYC and Chicago is better.

You simply cannot compare the entire US and entire of Canada has to be broken down into regional.

Outside of Vancouver most of BC has poor transit.

Dental is good if you have either the money or excellent insurance otherwise its not accessible to people in Canada.


Transit is useless in Vancouver for many a shift worker because its not 24/7.

Where in NYC transit runs 24/7 and even Chicago has some train lines 24/7.

9 to 5 workers may find transit decent though.