legaleagle1965

Forgive this vent; please feel free to contribute either positively and/or negatively.

I just need some space with like-mindeds. My relationship with Britain and Canada are love-hate ones, as you will see. I'm conflicted on how and where I move next.

I am late 40s, mixed-race (not by choice obviously!) with a post-grad law degree and I found the English legal profession one of the most small-minded and hateful professions I have ever encountered for entry.

Had previously visited Canada after leaving the police force and loved the country. Thought I would come to stay.

Was leaving behind the great times I had known in the UK as a child (Dinky, Scalextric, Gerry Anderson TV series, etc., etc.) and some not so great times - regularly being called a black wotsit etc. and being eyed suspiciously by small-minded shopkeepers and the other National Front subscribers.

Thought Canada was something of a reprieve. Have been cyclically disappointed with Canada.

First big disappointment - I have found that despite decades/centuries of a non-white presence in Canada (British Commonwealth Blacks in Central and Eastern Canada), the racism is more subtle but just as pervasive as in Britain.

See the tragic stories of Hugh Burnett (Dryden, Ontario) and Viola Desmond (Halifax, Nova Scotia).

Second big disappointment - found on arrival that Canadians thought they were more British than the British (Vancouverites and Ottawans were the worst culprits)! Also discovered that they would never regard you as being as Canadian as they are. This country is a one-way street.

Third big disappointment - you were then supposed to have "Canadian work experience" to be considered for job. As if Canadian employment experience is superior to British, German, French or even Belgian work experience. By the way, this requirement is now illegal in Ontario under the Human Rights Code as of August 2013.

Fourth big disappointment - the people in Canada are generally without a moral compass and they are as fickle as the wind changes direction.

Fifth big disappointment - the people in Canada are generally as unreliable as an old British Motor Corporation Mini in winter.

Sixth big disappointment - Canadian women are generally quite cold emotionally, unwelcoming, scheming, greedy and grasping. Give me a good old militant British proto-feminist girl any time instead.

Seventh big disappointment - Americans are more easily understood, more on the same wavelength, are much funnier and are much more approachable (Canadian visa buyer's remorse).

Eighth big disappointment - the selection and prices in Canadian stores are totally useless in comparison to their American and British counterparts. What I see in Canada reminds me of Soviet propaganda articles.

Ninth big disappointment - unless you are bringing with you a fully paid occupational pension from Britain you will never catch up with those who have been building pension plans in Canada since age 20; nor is there is any compensation because you arrived later in the Canadian pension savings game.

Be prepared for a relatively poorer retirement in Canada than "real" Canadians.

Tenth big disappointment - good jobs in Canada go to friends, not people with any talent or ability. This is especially true of government jobs.

Eleventh big disappointment - generally, federal government and other jobs in eastern Canada are earmarked for francophones and young females, despite that the majority of taxpayers are Anglophones.

Twelfth big disappointment - I found Canadians to be generally uncouth and raw, and not only just unhelpful, despite the propaganda from Immigration Canada.

Dilemma - now newly single, should I head to the US, Australia or Britain - or should I play the eternal optimist and give Canada one final chance?

caretaker

I was going to say Australia, but oh heck, give it another chance.

JonboyE

I am glad you managed to avoid generalizations and stereotyping.

Siouxie

It would seem that you are feeling disillusioned with Canada and appear to have quite negative thoughts about the country and Canadians generally. Do you truly feel this way or are you in the doldrums particularly after becoming 'newly single' ?

Have you considered a move within Canada to a different Province?

Kaye5

Dunno, but third big disappointment is interesting - well the bit about Canadian work experience and the Ontario Human Rights Code.

Zoe Bell

Why on Earth would you want to stay in canada if all the above is true

JonboyE

There is a funny smell in this thread.

Siouxie

http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/policy-remo...%80%9D-barrier

Oink

Go home before its too late and yo get stuck here. England has changed imo. You should be alright now as the inherent human xenophobia and subsequently bigotry and discrimination will be directed towards the newer different people these days. Your north American accent notwithstanding, you'll just one the lads.

legaleagle1965

Thanks, one and all, for your input.

Some of you may be aware of the former existence of the Not Canada web site <snipped>

Its owners are now shielded by Go Daddy but believed to be Immigration Canada after it bought the site off a former immigrant to Canada and then promptly closed the site down.

However, you will still find references to this defunct site throughout the Internet and a W5 expose with the famous Victor Malarek on You Tube.

In essence, I agree it's time to move - probably to the US, where wages are higher, more job vacancies exist, where the standard of goods (e.g., naturally filtered versus preserved alcoholic drinks) and choice are far higher and where there is greater opportunity parity.

In the meantime, I am going to donate money to JonBoyE to send him on re-education course in an enlightened country abroad.

It's quite understandable that, after so long a time in Canada, one has become confused between the smell of truth and the smell of Canadian propaganda.

When you get too close to the truth in Canada they either buy your information or web site or they just shut you down and fob you off. That is the Canadian approach to democracy.

Kaye5

Worth a separate thread - had you heard of this before? Though I can't imagine how on earth they would enforce it in reality as presumably employers would just give a different reason to not interview/employ.

spooooook

I've now been in Canada for 3.5 years. I can personally relate to points 2, 3, 4, 5, 9 and 10 of the OP. I can also relate to point 6, with the qualification that it is not just Canadian women that I find generally quite cold. My experience of most indigenous Canadians is that they are superficially friendly, but that when you scratch below the surface they are pretty cold and unfriendly, particularly to "non-Canadians" like me who can never be "true" Canadians (as per point 2).

Siouxie

You appear to have a very low opinion of anything Canadian and in referencing a web site that is/was anti-Canada and accusing the Government of taking it down you have revealed yourself.

I can't see any point in continuing to leave this thread open as it serves no purpose other than to give the OP an audience.

Thread closed.