I have used this forum since 2004 (I think) although my ID is now my personal rather than family one. I have to say that without the advice I received, I would NEVER have been able to move to Canada. I also feel I've saved a lot of time and money thanks to the help from others here.

I'm stating this up front because I'm not out to bash the forum at all. I am indebted to it and the useful advice I have personally received. However i have found the forum and the way people personally attack others, extremely frustrating. And this is nothing new.

You can probably assume from my random choice of ID that I have some frustrations with my choice to move to Canada. And I'm sure I have given myself an uphill struggle with some people who just can't look beyond this and take my posts seriously.

This forum is invaluable to people and I'm impressed with how many people continue with it after they have settled. I for one committed in my mind to doing this and under my family ID have, like many here, contributed lots of personal experiences. But what concerns me is some of the behaviour on this forum and the impression it is setting on people looking to move out.

So here are MY experiences with the forum. If they're not yours, don't insult me, but please please please add yours here. This is the purpose of this thread.

1. I find the forum quite biased. While I would expect it to be a little, it is way too pro-Canada at times. And to an extent that I think is not useful to newbies, and is probably intimidating to others wishing to post their views.

2. People often don't read what is written at all or properly. I have had much criticism for comments that I have not made.

3. All comments are people's personal experiences. This is a given. But many are quick to criticize remarks made as if they are meant to represent the entire group.

4. People often don't respect that others have different experiences. I frequently get bashed by others for having an experience that they didn't. It's not that so much as the way it is done is as if I'm mistaken, bitter, have a sense of entitlement, naive, misinformed and so on.

5. Some miss the fact that different experiences go to weave a more interesting picture. Those new to the forum and Canada are making probably the biggest decision of their lives. I'd like them to know what it's like where I live and for a large part the bits that are most useful to them will be more critical comments.

It's a bit like you go to buy a new car. You've already convinced yourself this is the car for you. You expect the salesman to help you but his job is to focus on what you like about the car and remove reasons for not buying. Not to give you an impartial view. And this is the impression I get on this forum time and time again. What the car buyer in my example really needs is genuinely impartial views. But those that dare to provide them are often attacked by the Pro-Canadian team or whatever it is.

Why else do I get floods of private mails from people after my more controversial posts, expressing support and also their own frustrations at not being able to speak their mind. This is truly a sad state of affairs.

6. There are some extreme anti-British attitudes here. Just because people move country it isn't an excuse to knock your own country and heritage. I'm not saying that everyone should be proud necessarily. I for one moved to Canada partly through my own frustrations of Britain and hoping to improve my family life. But part of the problem in Britain, in my opinion, is that people are too quick to knock it and our entire culture and heritage is at risk. I for one did NOT move to Canada to denounce my nationality and if I was forced to choose between British and Canadian I would have no hesitation.

7. Comments made about cultural aspects to life in Canada that are not positive, are always met with aggressive remarks along the lines of "who the hell do you think you are?!", and "if you don't like it, p-off back to your country". I've even received these from Canadians who frequent the site. Making such a remark in Britain against an immigrant would be unthinkable. So why it's excusable here is confusing.

My thoughts are that all opinions are valid and that we need a myriad of these if this forum is to remain helpful. That does not mean that everyone should be in agreement, or that all opinions are based on the same level of thinking. That's surely the point of a forum. Yet comments which are not positive, are often attacked and the poster belittled by others.


Well that's my contribution so far. I'm sure I'll think of others. I have been accused of bashing the forum and this is in part the motivation for posting this thread. But driving non pro-Canada comments into the underground undermines the value of the forum and is therefore not useful to others. I think it would be useful to see what others think on this forum.

Take care

I actually think the forum is fairly balanced on the whole. But then I'm not scared of posting things (it actually surprises me that you think people are... they do know that getting flamed doesn't actually hurt don't they?)

Fair comments I suppose. I think the forum is better for practical things like price of tea and what have you. Everything else is too subjective and will be influenced by likes, dislikes, attitudes, line of work, values and life stages. Same can be said of the UK. My memories are maggie, unemployment, low wages and poverty, the cold war, and street violence. But most of all, poverty, but that was my experience and mine alone.

where you open yourself to attack is unsupported comments like Canada is crap.... same can be said of saying the Uk is crap in the moving back thread.

I'm not scared of responding but many choose not to. The attitude of the minority that 'control' the forum seems to be mentioned a lot, when people PM me after one of my posts. I don't speak for myself as I'm not afraid of discussion but not so keen on personal attacks. And such attacks probably bias the forum.

Well they should just post and be damned; this place would be better for it. I know that I would be disappointed if any of my nonsense prevented people from posting, and I expect many others with 1k+ posts would feel the same way.

Fair point mate. At the present time substantiating some of my experiences is not possible, but I have good reasons for not doing so. It's not that there are no reasons. Sharing experiences should still be useful to others as they are genuine. Just because they are mine does not mean others won't have the same experience. I don't think I ever used the "Canada is crap" remark per se, although I clearly feel this at times.

I wish they would. Just frustrated that it's clear that many feel intimidated by it. And when others share the reasons, I fully understand why they don't, although it wouldn't stop me.

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=645137

You must have been drunk when you wrote this then

"I used to feel a little apprehensive about moving back because Britain seemed like an unknown. But with the bullshit I've gone through in this country and most of it is down to the country, the people and it's ridiculous pettiness, its stepford wives like people and attitude, its pathetic salaries and gigantic cost of living, Britain simply does not compare. I've completely exhausted all reasons to stay.

I post this is in part to vent publicly but mostly because I wish I'd read a post like this prior to moving out. I'm not going to publicly discuss my reasons but if you are considering moving then you might want to PM me.

I believe Canada is a terrible place to bring up kids. It's a country of people who escape responsibility. A country where they think they have a better education system by letting kids stay at home half their childhood. A country where customer service and good business practice simply do not exist.

This is a poor country whose only liberation is that it's so far behind every other country it plays poor relation to, that it manages to keep its head above water by playing catch up. It's no coincidence that all successful Canadians seem to have moved away. It's a country of "I'll just wait" attitude. Or "What's the USA doing, we'll copy them".

I'm moving back before this place finally finishes me off. I unfortunately have almost no happy memories here. And unlike many my move here was after 5 years of careful research and planning, not running away from bailiffs or a debt like some people. PM me with any questions. Otherwise good luck because you're going to bloody well need it."
-Canadian_critic

The thing that I find frustrating about this forum is that whenever someone says why they want to go to Canada (the country side, the houses, or anything else for that matter) they get responses like "Yeah, but it's not that easy/not that great...." bla bla bla from people who decided to come here for probably exactly the same reasons!! I think that's very hypocritical....

1. I actually find the opposite - it is all a state of mind isn't it?
2. That's life in cyberspace - Maybe people haven't the time to plough through extensive posts like this one.
3. You can't post with a polarised point of view like yours without any objection. You are going to have to expect that if you have a strong point of view.
4. I think you assume a lot. In one of your threads you said 'don't come here' - you have to expect some criticism from those that feel very differently.
5. I think anyone new that spends even a little time looking through previous posts will find plenty of negative comments - they are not hard to find at all. What you are saying is not new. There a tortured people on here that are living in purgatory.
6. Agreed.
7. I think its all part of the ebb and flow of comments. Not everyone is in agreement. The anonymous nature of a forum means that the disagreements are always going to be stronger.

Overall, I would say you need a thicker skin.

The issue I've seen on here lately is there are too many flippant, sarcastic and nonsensical comments. Some people seem to be pathologically unable to offer anything except failed attempts at humour and jokes, when what others need is practical and supportive advice. I suspect these are the same people who were the failed class clown at school. It's not on, I for one am glad I moved to a country where this silly jesting type of interaction is not customary or acceptable.

I suppose, but we all have tough times, where ever we may be. I do think one thing that is under estimated is how difficult a move abroad can be. Experiences in this regard may be of benefit, since it tends to 'normalize' what one may be going through, be it finding work or missing family etc. But trying to convince that this 'will' happen to them is misleading at best.

I like it here (vancouver) but accept others may not. Having said that, there were times I was disgusted with the place and had things turned a little differently I would have been gone. I moved here from the US and it would have been easy to leave.

I have a unique experience that I doubt anyone on here has had -deportation proceedings were launched against me, my marriage and finances were left in tatters, but I'm a stubborn sod, I persevered. Now I'm doing a job I love and have a life style light years beyond what the UK was able to offer me.

I have little time when people moan or cast comments like,: "Canada ruined my life, don't denounce your heritage etc, etc" it belittles what I went through. I recognized it was bureaucracy that was working against me and I knew I could leave or stand and make a fight, I choose the latter.

A LOT of very valid points

I would however agree

Totally disagree, prices vary way too much through out an area like Southern alberta, let alone the whole country

The 'minority' that control the forum? If you mean the mods (all three of them), then they post negatives as well as positives.
If you mean the more Vocal (dbd, novo, Ax, Souvy, Oak, Oink, dboy, Alan, Myself etc) I think you'll find that generally we post negatives as often as we post positives

All we are trying to do is open your eyes to it, and some of us (myself and Fleder for example) either already live 'rurally' or are in the process of moving rurally (my closest 'towns') will have populations of <210 and they are at least 12km away (29km between the two) with maybe 7 properties inbetween

The control of the forum is merely to ensure the site rules are followed, other than that each can have an opinion. Would not take too much to heart of what is said on here, it is merely banter and opinion. Whether it is valid or not is up to each individual to decide. I say what I think, maybe right or wrong, may rub some people up the wrong way, but it is just an opinion. This is not a therapy site, so one has to accept what they get.

Unfortunately a number of your posts come across as anti Canadian and woe anybody who should even consider coming here or feel more Canadian than British. As you say we can each have an opinion, but perhaps expressing it as such is more constructive rather than directive, 'don't come here you'll regret it' and 'Canada screwed up my life' is likley to invoke the reposnses you recieved. The moving back the the UK forum may be more empathetic to your plight if that is what you want. For people to take you seriously, perhaps more justification of why 'Canada' has done this to you may help those you think need a more balanced view. Blanket statements without explanation don't really help anyone.

I would have a hard time moving to Britain and the thought would fill me with dread, I like my life in Canada, but that is just my opinion. I don't really care whether others agree or disagree, it suits us. If someone asks a question and needs help, very often they will get it, even on here. I left Britain because I fancied living in Canada, we've had our share of ups and downs, some related to the adjustment, others would have happened wherever we lived.

The title of this thread was perhaps not well chosen either, again will likley invite some the the responses you revile.

i think this part of the on line world though, things get lost in translation, people tend to not realize there is a real person at the other end. I'm all for advice and support but when none is specifically requested and it just comes across as bitter sentiment, sarcasm is all that is left.