Americans living in Canada, how different is your life?

Pretty much every small town in the US has had a fundraiser to help out some local who is going broke to do health care costs. That just doesn't happen in Canada. I can b

Denial of service happens all the time in the US, it comes down to your healthcare plan.

I find myself saying "oh yaugh", and, "you betcha" And winter time makes it very hard to tell if a woman is hot looking or not. You know, the big coats, the hunting boots, Elmer Fudd hats.

Alberta is Canada's dynamic business centre.

Thing to Avoid in Canada.

1)Toronto Queen West ,known for human street feces

2) Ski hill called Blue Mountain. I believe this little mound is from the piles of an old garbage land fill site.

3) Ukrainian and Polish community around High Park area , note the old women with missing teeth,.

4) If you want salmonella bacterium, go the the St Lawrence market for "fresh" seafood.

5) Chinatown , Dundas smells like ripe summer A$$.

6) If you are Black, you must move to Ajax or Pickering , then develop a fake getto slang.

7) homo's shutting there stuff , every day is a gay pride parade on Jarvis St.

Alberta Proud wrote:

Alberta is Canada's dynamic business centre.

Thing to Avoid in Canada.

1)Toronto Queen West ,known for human street feces

2) Ski hill called Blue Mountain. I believe this little mound is from the piles of an old garbage land fill site.

3) Ukrainian and Polish community around High Park area , note the old women with missing teeth,.

4) If you want salmonella bacterium, go the the St Lawrence market for "fresh" seafood.

5) Chinatown , Dundas smells like ripe summer A$$.

6) If you are Black, you must move to Ajax or Pickering , then develop a fake getto slang.

7) homo's shutting there stuff , every day is a gay pride parade on Jarvis St.

If you can't figure it out already, Alberta is the Canadian province which most closely resembles the part of the US we call, "Dumbfuckistan"

future canuck wrote:

I'm looking into attending grad school in Canada and possibly staying there after I graduate given the current state of American politics. I'm curious as to what degree of culture shock I'm in for. I've been to Vancouver a few times and it didn't feel much different than any American major city. Obviously Quebec would be the biggest adjustment since French is the primary language. I'm mainly curious as to how Canadians differ socially from Americans. Are there any specific lifestyle factors that really differentiate Canada from America?

ps don't turn this into a debate I'm considering moving regardless of Trump.

I have never lived in Canada, but I use to work for a Canadian company. I spent several years going back and forth, sometimes for several weeks at a time. I have spent time in and traveled through out most of Canada, but most of my time has been in the large cities and specifically Montreal. Canada like the U.S. is hard to put one label on, some example, there are areas of Quebec that are more French than France and Alberta for example, is a nothing like Quebec. Someone posted about free healthcare and less guns, these are big positives and you can't beat the outdoor lifestyle opportunities. The individual citizen on the surface is not too different from an American, in fact, you can't always tell the difference. However, once you get below the surface, you realize Canadians are not Americans even though they look and talk similar. Overall, I enjoyed my time in Canada, but there are somethings that are unique to what makes an American and American that at times will be at odds with how your typical Canadian thinks.

Vancouver and Toronto housing is very expensive.

Vancouver is great for running, with many parks and recreation (land, mountain, ocean) close at hand. Rains a lot though. In the city the Chinese visibly appear to be the majority. In the Frazer Valley East Indians appear to be the majority. Commerce is run (under ground by the Chinese). Illegal Chinese money has driven housing costs to absurd levels. Much like California, if you have tons (tonnes) of cash and can live by the water then life is good.

Albertains are more like Americans. They don't like big government, their attitude is one of figuring things out and getting things done. Winters are cold in Alberta.

The Western provinces have been supporting the eastern provinces through a complex displacement of funds to "have not provinces" in the east for years and naturally resent that forced taxation.

Get use to having Government taxing you every which way they can and controlling almost every aspect of life to the point of people's conversations indicating government should be doing this and that instead of letting individuals doing this and that.

Ontario thinks they are superior to the other provinces because the majority of finance is done in Toronto. Toronto has many ethnic problems.

Tough to make any money in the Maritime provinces.

People are very liberal. The health care system is good for those with little money. Those with cash go to private providers in province or to the US for quick attention. Government manages healthcare to the point of analyzing age/medical issue and whether is is cost effective to have certain surgeries for old people or not. Like their healthcare system, their school system is better on average but doesn't have the same high level institutions nor low level institutions as in the US.

Gas is 3 times more expensive. Food costs way more. Infrastructure isn't the best but they do have better mass transit. Booze costs way more. People are significantly more health conscious. Way less fat people. People complain about Americans a lot but also seem envious at times.

Of all the major cities to live in and if you are a runner I would pick Vancouver. if I was making big bucks and had a spouse doing the same, I would have a pad near the beach and a place in a SUNY warm state in the US.

The new prime minister got in due to his Dad being a famous politician. His credentials are weak. The previous Prime Minister helped get Canada out of their economic funk (with luck from oil royalties). Eventually Canadians wanted more hand outs, Harper became too arrogant and was voted out.

From a natural beauty standpoint there is no other country in the world like Canada. It is beautiful beyond imagination. Natural resource wealth keeps the country somewhat solvent, manufacturing is limited.

Their state religion is the worship of women, gays, trans, and minorities as inherently superior. Ironic because it is a predominantly white country built by white men. But, if you don't toe the party line you can expect to be ostracized by many if not most. Honestly, the immigrants and the farm boy country folks are generally great people, But, you've never met a more sanctimonious fool than the typical resident of Toronto. Trudeau is the personification of their foolishness.

On the plus side for the Maple Leaf, the strippers in Montreal are gorgeous and have no shame, so great place for a bachelor party weekend. Good food and booze there, lots of clubs..Mais oui.Ou LA LA.

SonjaHenie wrote:

I've been to all major cities there except Edmonton and enjoyed them ..made several trips to PEI.

The local news regularly reported healthcare horror stories from those living in the Maritime provinces and Newfoundland.

If you're over 50 you can forget about getting elective surgery, knees, shoulder, hip, because they rank patients needs due to doctor shortages, and so those sorts of care go to the end of the line.

There was a story about a child that had a serious head injury in New Brunswick and the parents drove 50 miles to the closest clinic and found it was closed due to budget cuts.

My mom got a knee replacement at age 74 simply to improve quality of live. Wait time 6 months. I guess it wasn't a long line.

S:JLSKHVJ:SLKDvh wrote:

SonjaHenie wrote:

I've been to all major cities there except Edmonton and enjoyed them ..made several trips to PEI.

The local news regularly reported healthcare horror stories from those living in the Maritime provinces and Newfoundland.

If you're over 50 you can forget about getting elective surgery, knees, shoulder, hip, because they rank patients needs due to doctor shortages, and so those sorts of care go to the end of the line.

There was a story about a child that had a serious head injury in New Brunswick and the parents drove 50 miles to the closest clinic and found it was closed due to budget cuts.

My mom got a knee replacement at age 74 simply to improve quality of live. Wait time 6 months. I guess it wasn't a long line.

She would not have had to wait 6 months if she lived in the United States.

As an American living in Canada for 20+ years here are my comments:

1. The medical system is fine as long as you do not get sick, to see a specialist its 12 to 18 month wait, an MRI wait is slightly less. However...if you have cash you can go the private route and get that MRI in days just like in the US. Cost is about the same maybe higher Canada. So medical is a wash.

2. Vancouver and Toronto is extremely expensive to buy a home. $2 mil gets you an average home.

3. Wages are lower, cost of living is higher.

4. You will have to file a US tax return and Canadian plus tell the US government the total you have in every bank and investment account. If you sell your house in Canada and make a profit you will owe the US government taxes on the profit (subject to a $300k lifetime deductible).

5. You will need to apply for Permanent Residence status which takes up to 2 years and you can't work while you wait.

Good luck

Wait times in ON are nothing like this. A non-urgent MRI is usually 6-10 weeks.

Other waittimes listed here:

Do not confuse quality w/ convenience.

Average Toronto home price is now C$782k, or US$605k. Pricey, but not over the top.

Average in Canada w/out TO or YVR is C$385k-US$300k

Depends on the industry. Teachers, and many government jobs pay more than the US.

Correct.

If you come as a spouse, this is correct. The OP is considering coming as a student, so s/he can start work upon graduation, and has a 2yr grace period to look for work. Once s/he has a contract, a work permit can be applied for. After working for 3 (4?) years, you can apply for PR. After 4yrs of PR, you can apply for citizenship.

Unfortunately, rural chicks in Kay- beck look like Celine Dionne, that's why they marry their grand- pa.

I'm an American living in Canada. I lived in the US for 28 years before moving for a job. I lived outside Toronto for 2 years, in Montreal for 2 years, and am now back in Ontario.

As far as day to day live, you won't notice a difference. Instead of $1 bills, they have coins. I'm not sure if you can throw them at strippers, I've never tried.

Contrary to what another poster said, gun ownership is actually pretty simple here. Much of the country is rural and hunting is a very popular activity. There are very few restrictions on hunting rifles. Handguns and some other guns (including the AR15) simply require taking a class and getting a permit.

You can get by in Montreal knowing only English. Most people are polite if you're polite. You'll occasionally run into someone who doesn't know or refuses to speak English, but they are few and far between. I quickly learned a few words in French which allowed me to get through things like buying groceries and to politely inform folks that I speak English. This went a long way.

Healthcare is a little different, but it all boils down to the same. You have insurance that covers your costs.

Taxes are higher, but you don't pay separately for things like health insurance, so it's really not quite as bad as it seems.

I can't speak much about the west coast.

Gym Leader Brock wrote:

If you are Canadian first you can get duel citizenship but if american first you have to choose

That's not true.

Blah Blah. wrote:

S:JLSKHVJ:SLKDvh wrote:

My mom got a knee replacement at age 74 simply to improve quality of live. Wait time 6 months. I guess it wasn't a long line.

She would not have had to wait 6 months if she lived in the United States.

Yeah but who cares? It was non-essential, and every citizen gets the care they need.

CanAm wrote:

Contrary to what another poster said, gun ownership is actually pretty simple here. Much of the country is rural and hunting is a very popular activity. There are very few restrictions on hunting rifles. Handguns and some other guns (including the AR15) simply require taking a class and getting a permit.

It is a little more nuanced than that

You cannot use an AR-15 for hunting. To transport it, it must be locked, unloaded and hidden from view i.e. you cannot parade around on the street w/ any gun.

Storing it at home, you must keep it locked. Same with the ammunition.

The magazine is limited to 5 rounds.

You have to purchase insurance for each gun. Violating any gun law invalidates your insurance, So if you are in the habit of driving around w/ your gun loaded in your car, and there is an accident, you are on the hook for everything.

To purchase ammunition, you have to present your gun permit, and you have to transport the ammunition correctly - in a lock box, hidden from view.

The rules around an unrestricted gun e.g. a shotgun for hunting are much looser. Insurance is $10/gun/year. But you can't walk around your neighbourhood w/ this gun.

Blah Blah. wrote:

S:JLSKHVJ:SLKDvh wrote:

My mom got a knee replacement at age 74 simply to improve quality of live. Wait time 6 months. I guess it wasn't a long line.

She would not have had to wait 6 months if she lived in the United States.

You are confusing convenience w/ quality. In Canada she would only get a knee replacement if she needed it. In the US, she would get one if her doctors could convince her to buy one.