Atlantic Xpat

Let's not forget that the Freedumb convoy's backers wanted to overthrow the democratically elected government of Canada and get the Governor General to set up a committee of various loons and insurrectionists to rule Canada in its place. In this sense it was the least Canadian thing you could think of and was rather more American in nature. They certainly didn't speak for a majority of Canadians.

BristolUK

Was your mate David Icke there?


For democratically elected government, read Lizard people.

Pulaski

The loons and insurrectionists are also a minority, perhaps a larger minority, but still a tiny minority, south of the border, and similarly they don't speak for the majority of Americans.

FWIW There are currently reported to be 68% of the US population fully vaccinated, and a further 11% partially vaccinated, so given that there is an anti-vaccination (generally, not just covid) group that is politically left of center, the vaccination percentages show that a substantial number of Republicans/ rightwingers are vaccinated, and presumably not part of the insurrectionist minority.

I don't how typical they are of "the unvaccinated" (I suspect "fairly"), but a couple of neighbors aren't vaccinated and they are just retired old farts, who I doubt could resist a mail delivery, never mind participating in overthrowing the federal government. 🙄

Another neighbor who had a Trump flag flying on his flag pole between 2015 and late 2020, was always enthusiastic about covid precautions and getting vaccinated, and understood the need and importance of doing so, especially at the time when there was no vaccine approved for children, as he has four grandchildren.

DMajor

How did this thread move onto a discussion about vaccinations?
I notice even Brexit gets a mention...lol
Anyway, to continue with my original topic, I bought a big jar of Maple syrup recently and have booked a cottage vacation this summer. It seems I'm getting there..

DMajor

Oh, yes..
The great Plymouth Pasties...yum yum

BristolUK

You know you're Canadian when you have to avoid a moose

Oink

Unless you lived in Ottawa it was really funny.

JamesM

More like 5 to 10,000 in Ottawa ruining the lives for the poor people who live there. Ottawa is tiny and there is no way there was anywhere close to 500,000. Out of curiosity what are you doing about the other mandates you live by like traffic lights and driving on the right hand side of the road? Are you still paying for goods and services or helping your self now?

BristolUK

Maybe people don't want to feel Canadian.

I read in the paper the other day that 20 years ago, 75% of immigrants took Citizenship and now it's only 45%.

Former Lancastrian

Perhaps the type of Immigrant to Canada demographic has shifted from 20 years ago and perhaps a large percentage of those Immigrants now cannot have dual citizenship. India and China does not allow dual citizenship.

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/...tizenship.html

Pulaski

But that fact might also speak to intent - that such immigrants intend to return to their home country eventually, even if only when they retire. In the US I have met some Indians who did take US citizenship, even when they have parents and siblings living in India, and others who remained as permanent (US) residents but Indian citizens.

Former Lancastrian

That could also be a factor however there is always the risk of not taking citizenship in that country that you could end up being removed earlier than expected and in my job I see this happen every day. Quite a few Brits have been deported from Canada even after living here for 15, 20, 30 years etc as they elected not to take out citizenship and now find themselves back in a country where they don't know anyone and have to start over from scratch.

Pulaski

I totally agree, and we often give people the same advice in the US forum, for the same reasons, to ensure you always have the right to stay, especially if you have children married and/or settled, and to make yourself deportation proof.

Some don't realize that dual citizenship is possible, some seem to think it's "unbritish", others just seem to be looking for a shove in the right direction to complete the paperwork. A few even think that applying for US citizenship is difficult and expensive - it really isn't, and is probably the easiest step of anyone's immigration journey, and can be easily completed without needing a lawyer's assistance.

BristolUK

Just avoid breaking those laws that get one deported

I can't speak for America but a 500% increase in fees in whatever year the cost rocketed in Canada probably makes a difference.

Plus swearing allegiance to the queen king.

scrubbedexpat143

Agree entirely. Most Canadians I now here in Australia have PR but are not citizens. I availed myself of the "dual privilege" when it was available in the 1990s but am not sure if this is still the case, someone has told me it's no longer available but I haven't looked into it. For me I felt there were privileges as I then wanted to travel back more often than I do now, also I maintain two bank accounts "back home" which I used until 2020 to pay some of the expenses for my mom's stay in an advanced care home - she has now died and I no longer have this responsibility. I also held a half share in a property, but this has now been sold to a family member and I no longer need these, so I may close them.

Indeed, my remaining links to Canada are now almost entirely nostalgic memories. Many fond recollections of growing up in New Brunswick and my early adult years there and in Montreal and Toronto, but that's it. Otherwise only a few friends who are still around, from the1960s-1970s, and that's about it. I still have family in New Mexico, but obviously that isn't Canada. With my dual nationality and the current requirement that having been born in Canada I now have to hold a Canadian passport to return, I think it's odd that I can now visit the USA much more easily than go back to Canada, but it seems that's the law, so there you have it.

Most of my Canadian friends here are still fiercely patriotic and hold strong links to their home country. Not so much me as I've lived in so many other places. I keep in contact with my few links left there, and occasionally see other Canucks in Melbourne, but my life is now here. I still find it interesting to keep in contact with a few people and of course current events back there, but my friends all complain about the high cost of everything plus the dual slugs of national and provincial sales taxes which we don't have here (or if we do, it's included in the price of things). One thing I definitely do not miss is the horrible climate in Canada, even as a child I wasn't a sporting type and I hated being locked indoors in the long winter months.

What I probably miss most of all is being at my grandparents' farm in New Brunswick. They had 600 acres and he tapped his trees and made maple syrup every spring for many decades until the late '80s when he decided that time had passed (he was 89 or 90 then). I was always given a gallon of syrup every year, it was so much I would decant most of it into smaller bottles and give the stuff away to friends as gifts. Yes, the good old days.

All this said, I enjoy reading what "motivates" BE readers to feel Canadian. This brings back many good memories for me.