Former Lancastrian

I am in one of those moods for a rant when it comes to comparing Canada to the UK especially day to day living and services. Yes at times it can be useful if not sure if to make the move or not but it stops there. Once you have moved then what's the point apart from the quintessential part of being a Brit that allows you to complain.

I think most of us who moved here did it for a number of reasons such as marriage, new job or whatever else you chose but I am pretty sure nobody decided to move here for car insurance prices, access to high speed internet, places that you can't buy booze at or the price and selection of cheeses available.

I sometimes wonder why some move from the UK to Canada. Are there websites we don't know about that promises life will be better in Canada or that the UK is that bad (was going to use a different word) to live in? Is it a BREXIT thing and people just want out or do people really think life in Canada will be the same as it would in the UK?

Once you get here moan and bitch away if you suddenly find that your local grocery store isn't selling Walkers crisps or Robinson squash. I have seen many complaints about the banking system here and I am still waiting to see what you can't do with a Canadian bank account that you can do with a UK one. Depending which Province you end up in you might not get the choice of shopping around for car insurance ie BC, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Complain away but guess what IT AINT GONNA CHANGE.

There are lots of things that sometimes we Canadians want what the UK has like cheap flights, culture, historic buildings older than 150 years old and mmmmm gotta think about this.
It is Canada and we do things differently. We tend to write strongly worded letters to our Government rather than taking to the streets in large numbers and the odd bit of wanton damage and destruction.
In other words we bend over and take it as that's the way things are and change comes at a sloth's pace over here.

Ask away for advice before you get here but once here you are then stuck although the door is still open to go back to the UK and I am sure Canada will survive without you.

dave_j

Ahhhhh... a rant that demands rants.
The man's right, we all moved here for reasons that have nothing to do with the quality of cheese. I for one miss pork pies, but guess what? they're quite easy to make and they're far better than those you get in the UK.
If there's that little something that you really can't live without then there's always a way to sort it personally without demanding that the entire country changes how it works simply to satisfy the need. I'm afraid that route's a dead end that will only turn you into a whinging pomme.
We all shake our heads at some antics that these colonials get up to but, hey, I'm one of those colonists now so it pays to loosen up and accept the immovable object that society is because none of us is an irresistible force.

Danny B

Brits move to Australia and complain it's too hot.
Brits move to practically any part of Canada and complain about the cold and snow.
Brits living in the UK complain about the rain.

Can you spot a trend? It's what we like to do.

caretaker

Moose, Mounties, and Mountains.

spouse of scouse

To be fair, Australia IS too hot

Many moons ago when I joined BE, I'd get a bit irate at complaints from people who'd immigrated here - too isolated, food's crap, we're unfriendly (are not!) too expensive etc etc. I look at it differently now, moving to a new country can be a bit overwhelming and sometimes having a moan about the smaller/daft things can release some of that pressure.

BristolUK

But it has changed and no doubt there will be more changes.

There are more flavours of Pringles than there were - though still no Paprika. What used to be only half a dozen things like Branston, 'proper' pickled onions instead of just those little sweet things, Rose's Lime marmalade and only in Bulk Barn is now much more and also in Sobeys and Walmart.

One can now order groceries on line and have them delivered.

Things do change when people complain.

What is it that someone else has in their signature? Oh, yes...

dbd33

This is such a Little Englander thing to rant about. Get some perspective, man. Everyone in this room is from a different country and they all talk about what's better or worse where they came from or wherever else they lived. The British are not special in doing this. Generally people try to introduce as many of the best features of home to Canada as they can; that's why Canada has good food.

They're all united, of course, in laughing at us for Brexit, even if we've been gone too long to vote.

CanadaJimmy

scrubbedexpat142

Not in Canada but I have a lot of sympathy with the OP.

I am fed up with Brits who come to Hungary - simply, and only, because its CHEAP and then moan about how things are here, constantly drawing simplistic & unrealistic comparisons with the UK - & how everything "there" is so much better.

caretaker

We're #1! (well, #3 overall).



https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/canada

woodworm

I work in tourism and have people from mostly English-speaking countries as guests. They book a tour to Canada because they see these pictures of Lake Louise and Maligne Lake and when they are here, they complain about how hard the mattresses are, how soft the mattresses are, how there is no decent coffee, how expensive everything is, how there is no decent milk, how cold it is, how hot it is, how there is no air-conditioning in hotel rooms in Banff (when you just have to open the window to freeze to death) , and I could go on and on...
Those people were from UK, Australia, NZ, Germany, Singapore, Brunei, South Africa, Malaysia etc....
It seems to be a human trait to as soon as you expose yourself to an unknown environment, you get more sensitive about the world around you and then you notice what you are missing or what's different.

scilly

This complaining about everything and how things were much better "back home"happened so often with Brits who emigrated to Australia during the big exodus from the UK in the 1960s that the Aussies, native-born and naturalized, took to calling such moaners B***** Poms, and told them if they didn't like it to go back home.

We took friends to Vancouver Airport around 1969/70, they were returning to Australia after 2 years here, but had spent about 6 or 7 years in Australia immediately prior to that after emigrating from the UK around 1963/4.

A British woman in the line-up to check in started complaining in a loud voice about all that was wrong with Australia. Our friend listened for so long, then couldn't take it any longer.

He marched up to her, then we heard his loud and still-strong London accent calling her a B***** Pom, and telling her that if she couldn't take she should go back home, or shut up.

OH and I shrivelled hearing him, but others in the line-up applauded him.

We were down there in 1975/6, and witnessed more of that same behaviour towards complainers in many parts of Australia.

We were considered OK despite our British accents because a) we were usually with either native-born Australians or long-time immigrants, and b) we almost always had a Canada pin either on our clothes or back pack. But OH was nearly attacked on Boxing Day at Melbourne Cricket Ground when some young guys who had been taking the mickey out of an obvious new Brit immigrant ............. still dressed in a 3-piece suit and trilby in 100F temperature ........... suddenly shouted "there's another 'ere", pointing at OH. He was saved because his companions (relations) shouted "Nah, he's OK, he's Canadian"!!

I don't know whether it still as common now, but it certainly was back then!

Oink

You sound like you're a 52 year old from Preston called Tony watching Stormzy headlining Glastonbury .

BEVS

Are you coming down with man flu?

Yup. Certainly. Marketing is the name of the game & not just for Canada. I give you ....... New Zealand.

Yup. Not exclusive to the UK mind you.

This won't help your mood but it really is not that easy or simple. I do agree though that a country will survive with one less immigrant on its shores as the marketing + policies might mean there are several more lining up to take that place. Immigration = $.

Novocastrian

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