Close Reading

I’m a born and raised Canadian now living in Germany for 3 years, and although I agree Canadians can sometimes be difficult to befriend and get to know, I don’t agree that it’s easier to strike conversation in Germany at all ? My first months here up until a year were extremely intimidating, of course due to language barrier but also due to the fact that some Germans can come off quite harsh and the air gets heavy here. I’m from Montreal (a bit sad this city wasn’t mentioned), but I’ve never felt that way there or anywhere else in Canada tbh

well I sure would not recommend to come to Canada or less you a doctor ! I settled here about 30 years ago and the opportunities where a LOT different then specially around housing. My family is still in France and for example you can still rent a 3 bd apartment close to a big city for 700 Euros that's about a third of what you would pay here !!

Not true. I did an inter office transfer.i am senior. ;-D. I bought my house in the first 2 months! But yes 2 months after lockdown. I guess I was lucky. Yeah my home has gone up 30% at least. I am in Quebec. I love it here so far. Love my neighborhood. Also I live outside of the city. Nah, my neighbours are fantastic! I am invited to dinner, they help me out when I fractured my knees. People stopped me and talks to me and I am pretty much the only Asia around the area. I wish I speak more French. Totally disagree with you. You were from Germany? Honestly don’t they have a law on Sunday to not make noise?

Come to The Battlefords, Saskatchewan. My city is very affordable and most people work online these days anyways. So many Syrians, Filipinos and Chinese are buying houses in cash here for 200,000$

100% bang on.. I've lived in Dubai (traveled to many other countries).. this is nowhere near being considered as developed anymore (GDP criteria is outdated)..Canada got developed and they forgot to update and even upgrade..!! The drug situation is so bad that I really hope that you didn't come across crackheads/homeless who are under the influence of drugs at all times.. No doubt there are way more homeless people in India, but they are working or at least trying in some way to make their life better and they never hurt you at least, here, it's the opposite, as they literally can do anything.. you can find them roaming all over on the streets of Old Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa.. You can literally find them everywhere.. someone commented earlier that you should give 2 years.. Bro or sis.. it's a complete waste as I am at the same point.. and on top of it when you invested 2 years, it even becomes tougher as it becomes even harder to go back as you have spent so much on furniture, house, car, tools, n all and most importantly - 2 YEARS of life. I left my pregnant wife and have been staying away from her and a 1-and-a-half-year-old baby boy hoping that we'll create a better future and can afford to struggle right now.. its been 2+ years.. Honestly.. I am still not able to figure out whether there is any future or I have spoiled my present looking for a future.. its a dilemma beyond explanation in words, with no relatives or anyone based here.. I've a lot at stake currently and that's the only reason I am stuck otherwise leaving this place seems to be inevitable.. \n\nI travel extensively all throughout and forget about expressways anywhere in Canada (Except 407 which has an insane toll rate) it's a 4-lane highway just 80 km from Toronto to the rest of 450+ kms to Montreal which are 2 major cities of this so-called developed country.. same is for Ottawa, the same hold true from Calgary to Edmonton, and any other major town/city!! on top of it, they are struggling to even maintain those (always under construction - even construction is a wrong word to use as they aren't adding anything new.... it is just being repaired in true words) Same is true with adding new infra in terms of hospitals or any other facility... Banking sucks.. Still dealing through the mail (Postal mail).. (Mails not e-mails). I simply can't get that.. the tax agency - CRA sends communications through the mail, and the same with any other agency.. Comon.. grow up is what I feel at times..!! People are literally not willing to work (Except hard-working immigrants), Govt. doesn't have any plans for the future regarding the economy and development... just bringing in immigrants.. that's it..\n\nYou've made a very smart decision and really at a very good time.. wish you, and your family all the best..!!

I grew up coming to Toronto regularly and I moved here in 2018 to start university. I felt safe and had no real issues for the first 2 years. This past year though I have had three life threatening situations on the TTC and street. I was threatened to be stabbed by a man on the subway and chased by a woman on St Clair threatening to kill me. The city is not the same at all. I love it here but I do feel like im risking my life leaving my home.

... And here is why:\n1. Insanely expensive housing with next to none disposable income left in the pocket. \n2. Inability to get into the real estate market unless $$$ was brought in as an investment. This will leave locals and people who were born in Canada left out for good even further. \n3. Extremely competitive job market. Newcomers will have to suffer for a long time to break-in. \n4. Depression and drug addiction is everywhere. It's more deadly than covid but the government can't address the problem because they lose control for good. \n5. Canada is far away from many other places, which makes things worse as you feel trapped in a workcamp with no place to escape. \n6. The cost of living is getting much faster with the salaries significantly behind year after year. \n7. Canada became the country of failed government, failed multiculturalism, too tolerant as a result. \n8. Retirement in Canada will be impossible for 95% unless you agree to live in the middle of the nowhere until depression kills you. \n9. Many who came to Canada 25+ years ago and still around felt trapped. Canada's source of immigration will likely be the poorest communities who will agree to put up with everything listed above just to get out of where they live right now. \n10. Sad, but true. I have seen a steady decline in Canada since 1998. Things get worse every year.\nAmen to that. I'll be visiting Lviv in 2025 for the first time since 2000 to check on my apartment in the city centre, not far from my Alma Mater LPI. I THANK GOD every day I didn't sell it and so I have a place for retirement!

I was born and raised here, and like you I love my city. There's always something to do and see. But I feel so tied into this city, it's hard for me to imagine leaving. Any savings had will be spent traveling in all the time, especially when I work for TIFF in September. I've been lucky so far in living here and Mississauga, but even my luck is running out.

My first visit to Canada (the so called Province of Quebec) was in 1972. If you've had asked me at that time where was paradise, I'd have answered to you that it was right here in Quebec and particularly in Montreal. I spent two years and went back home in 1974. I came back five years later in 1979 with the intent of staying and I did. I've spent decades of wonderful years here, and although I will leave next year, I will still remember with nostalgia the lost best decades (70s, 80s and 90s) I'd have spent in Montreal. I will remember the most beautiful city of the world and what it has become in the years 2000 amd counting. I remember how clean and well maintained that city was; how its people were among the most polite and civilized in the World; how life was so easy and affordable; how tolerant as a society the French Canadian one was and so on. Today, all that is gone, and when I take a look at the pile of trashes and garbages on the Ste-Catherine street and Saint Laurent Boulevard, it makes feel sick. In fact, Montreal has become a huge Third World city, and it is not better on a social point of view : you can't walk one block or two without being dragged by a homosexual or a lesbian. Speaking of lesbian and homosexual, you can't keep your work if you don't support the LGBT and or willing to date your boss. I am leaving next year to go back to my country where there is still a seemingly willingness to normalcy, but since the LGBT has managed to sneak its power everywhere, I am not holding my breath of a bright future overthere, but it's my home and I prefer to be there and deal with it.

Even my family members who came here in the 80s are saying their home country is looking nicer to live in these days... the multiculturalism is the best part of Canada, you get a sample of the entire world in one city, but the costs are becoming unbearable.

I am a 3 rd generational Canadian. I have resided in Toronto for 54 of my 55 years on this Earth. I see absolutely no logical reason to continue to live in this City. It has become Americanized, and not worth being here. Many who come here, leave. It is a shame to come to this conclusion, but as you mentioned in this post. It has not changed for the better.

I am a Canadian exasperated with the wait times for medical care here. There is a lot of prejudice in Canada against America. Our politicians are ruining our economy and many Canadians are more interested in sensationalism about American politics than they are about problems here. Everyone living in peace and safety can afford to criticise others. But Canada was safer, friendlier and more economically responsible in the past. There are unsafe neighbourhoods here, too. There is poverty here, too. Those who don't see deterioration are not looking closely. We battle the same demons as any people group and are just as vulnerable to calamity as our American neighbours. I don't want to leave my country. The people I love are here. The rising cost of living gives me fears about future homelessness. I grew up as a patriotic Canadian and believed America was our friend. We thought maybe Americans were more prone to bragging while Canadians were more modest. My nearest city used to be vibrant and friendly and now it is colder, more dangerous and there is visible ruin from addiction.

Toronto resident here. Cost of living has become more expensive. I share an apartment with my someone and we are paying about $3,000 per month with few amenities. It requires both our incomes to be able to afford to live here and we're just getting by. I have lived in the core of the city since 2005 but was born and raised in the GTA and have never lived anywhere else. Since about 2015, costs have gone way up and now they are just plain unaffordable. I live close to Sherbourne and Queen and while I see a lot of homelessness, I do not really see much violence. The area south of Queen is much more gentrified and I am never walking in fear, no matter what time of day or night. The Transit system has been under construction for over a decade and it just doesn't seem to end. More and more historic buildings are being converted to condos and I see tons of construction everywhere. Traffic has become nightmarish with too many cars and not enough roads. We are considering a move to Montreal because of the rental costs are about $1000 per month lower, though neither of us is francophone. I am not sure how the powers that be will be addressing the housing crisis moving forward. It's a huge challenge and I may not be around to see the outcome. Having said this, it's going to be really tough to say goodbye to this city.

I wasn't born here but I've lived here now for 45 years and my god! This place is sadly going into a nose dive. Our Politicians don't realize how good this city and country is and they have ruined it over the years by having an obtuse outlook on the future of Toronto and this country. Crime rate is so high, cost of living is insane. No housing.Housing is suppose to be a fundamental human right and our politicians have made it into a pure luxury now. The other thing is wages have not reflected the cost of living in this country since 2000. Most do not earn a living wage here and its so disappointing to see. The Federal Gov wants to bring about a 1million more immigrants into Canada within a few years...Where would they live? Most are already living in tents in the streets. Its fine now but what happens when winter makes its entrance? From the Provincial Gov to Federal Gov this country is sadly run by idiots!

I've been to Toronto in my teenage​ years, which was a very long time​ ago-- 1982!!! At that time, I was amazed by how modern and comfy the city looked. All that I needed​ was there: beautiful​ apartments, Chinese​ food, and excellent​ shopping​ (Eaton Center). I haven't​ been​ back since then and a visit​ would​ be great. I current​ly reside in Bangkok​ and​ have been​ here​ ever since I return​ed from US after​ having​ finished my Masters Degree. Maybe I will​ be able to show my family​ Toronto, and show​ myself as well in a trip in the​ not too distant future. Great simple and clear review of beautiful​ Toronto.

I've recently had experiences with the US healthcare system through my partner, who is American, and I was appalled. I would challenge that the health care is higher quality in the US than Canada. I saw a complete lack of care, unprofessionalism, incompetence, and a bureaucratic mess the likes of which I've never experienced here. Even the premiere hospital in the region couldn't compare to the level of care I have experienced in the larger city hospitals here. Of course, his care did cost several thousand dollars a day, for which they sent him a bill after sending the original bill to the wrong department to get paid (through his insurance). It was a mess, all during which he suffered, had them come up to 2 hours late with his narcotic pain meds, taking up to an hour to answer a call bell, and generally being the antithesis of care. I am very happy that when we first began our relationship, I made it clear that I would never move to the US, and he was okay with that.. In fact, he's very much looking forward to leaving the country of his birth, for whom he served in the military for 20 years, and moving to Canada.

I prefer the states. \nI've lived in a couple as I've said before and honestly.. it is better down there. \nI live in literally the most expensive city and Provence In Canada. \nI'm born and raised here and sure Americans have there problems but overall it was better everywhere I've lived in the states.\nHere it's just hidden by a smile.. \nWe've been known as a better country and lots of us can't admit it's as bad as it is here. And how much we can't say anything to change it. \nIt seems that you have more logical rights there and people seem to understand that trying to be loud and free to do whatever means something more. \nRight to live means more then follow orders like here. \nWe're falling apart as a country and I'm sick to my stomach knowing that Canada is not what I grew up believing. \nI grew up and seen the world the way it is and we don't live in a dream world like we want you to believe we do. \nThe states are at least able to voice opinions and there are places you can live OK.

I'm Canadian and lived in New York City for 5 years. I was offered a job and thought, why not? After 6 months, my excitement wore off. Of course, there's healthcare, but everything is about politics, and I mean everything. Such a focus on it. I know I'm talking about NYC here, but the people were not nice at all. Nobody cares about anyone as a human being. People are just plain argumentative and want to get into a scuffle. Let's just say I was very aware I was Canadian. I was baffled at the lack of humanity. In the beginning, I was holding doors open for people, etc, and people wouldn't even say Thank You. I naively expected people to do the same and guess what? It didn't happen. My work visa was for 3 years, so I was ready to move, and then, of course, COVID hit. I was stuck for another two years, then my passport expired so I had to wait to get that. After 5 years I was ready to head back to Canada. I moved back on Sept 2, 2022 and couldn't be happier. I could not live in the United States again.

20 years ago when I worked for a film distribution company here in Tokyo, my favorite film festival was TIFF (alongside the Berlin film festival). The film festival itself was great but I absolutely loved the city and even dreamed of living there. I haven’t be able to go back ever since but I am saddened to know how much it has changed?

So I came back to Shanghai from Toronto, here in any city you can go out at one in the morning, and even the streets of many cities in the early hours of the morning are full of snacks and people sitting on the streets drinking beer and eating together, I was just discussing the convenience and safety of life, and I know there are some people who have never been here who try to dismiss my life with information on the news?

Love it here in Toronto, Im lucky though i dont pay crazy high rent even though im itching to move for some odd reason. Maybe because I know I cant be here forever, I live in an old building that wont last, isnt mine and will be forced to move out when soemoen else buys it, like I was at my previouse apartment, which is my only problem, all he condo development, basically kicking out poorer people, thats why rent is high, but they're going to have to live with no sun in the city when all those towers block it. That being said the areas is just so bueatiful, it feels like its nestled in a forest, then the lake, its a great spot. Got 4 the seasons, i hear ist the most diverse city in the world racially and its climate is just as diverse going from -30 some winters to well above +30 some summers and everything in between. That being said I am getting tired of the city life and looking for a change although i think Toronto has a lot more potential and is actually underrated right now and will just get better. Maybe not more cheaper, but hopefully politicians will wise up and stop selling out for short term profits for long term problems.

I moved in Toronto in 2015 and been living here since then. I was really happy to move here and became a resident and citizen. It was what I wanted for a long time. Now I can’t deny the fact that I’m not feeling in alignment with this city anymore. Hustle & bustle to cover your basic physiological needs get in the way of my peace and mental health. It has even become stronger after the shutdown. I’m currently planning my solo packaging trip to South East Asia and really considering moving out of Canada in the next year.

Born and raised in Toronto. I have lived here my whole life for over 50 years. The city has changed drastically and very rapidly. As my retirement approaches and my kids finish University, I am out of here. The crime, the cost of everything, terrible transit and roads that look like they have gone through a war. I live by the lake and we have homeless tent encampments and people living along the train tracks ( and this is the suburban part of Toronto, by the Rouge valley) These are only a few of the reasons why Toronto has changed for the negative ( and I do not see it getting any better)

Lucky you , you did not stay there in the winter or else you would have committed suicide ??.. only job in the winter is to pee come back & watch TV & blow every day snow from the drive way … yes every day ? but I do not live in Canada, I have many family members living there I keep going there as well , I am settled in the US .. but the so called problems of yours in Canada is the same here in the US as well but for me these are the things I love love out here …. Particular about timings , no one comes home without calling , every one is of same standard, kids don’t have to study like donkeys day & night … ( for what ) … out here to have a RV, a boat , suv , saloon car , a bike for summer ride are within every ones reach … at-least that was all my dream … I live in a city yet I have a private 1/2 acre private plot whereas in Mumbai I will have to be a film star ?? here there is no hanji hunji .. I hated the most …out here anywhere we go we take our token number & we are looked after accordingly lastly out here in the west the most amazing thing & the most important thing in life is .. let’s say your business is lost or your job is gone your neighbour’s don’t care you can start from scratch again .. In India one has to commit suicide ????

Born and raised in Toronto. Established career. Can afford to live here. Can't afford a house unless because I can't spend over a million. Condo fees are ridiculous. TTC is not safe and condo parking spots cost over $10,000 plus $100 a month maintenance fee. All the things to do in the city are being torn down for unaffordable condos. I can afford to stay here but it is not worth it for what I get. I am looking to transfer my work credentials and move elsewhere. I mean leave Canada. It is not worth it now. Don't forget un-reasonable amounts of taxes as well.

I feel the same way about my hometown of Halifax. It's impossible to live here, now. It's impossible to live anywhere in Nova Scotia. Nova Scotians are poor. We are a poor province. We cannot afford 1M+ dollars for a three bedroom house. Common Nova Scotians just don't have that kind of money. Regular folks cannot afford a 5K/month mortgage. I live with my family in an apartment, with a leaky roof and cockroaches, in a decent neighbourhood, and it's 2160.00/month and I know this is a good deal in this city. Crime is rising here, as well, because jobs are disappearing and wages aren't increasing. I think this is country wide. We have a huge homeless problem in Halifax, and it is not following the past statistics. Most of the people living in tents have full-time jobs and families. But, there are literally thousands of empty houses. New appartments and condos get built, and there are no vacancies before the building is open. And not a single person is living in them. They get bought by out of province and out of country investors to fortify their investment portfolios. This is ridiculous. What is happening?

As a tradesman I can tell you the majority of guys working in Toronto don't live there. I knows some crews that come from 2 to 3 hours away and stay in hotels Monday thru Thursday then head home for the weekend. These guys earn 6 figure incomes but with kids and other regular expenses they can't afford toronto living. As for the daily situation on the streets its a manifestation of terrible management. Fiscally toronto is broke. Yet city hall is enamored with wokism and virtue signaling while people die on the streets in random knife attacks, drug overdoses, gunfire and suicides. They look the other way and spend rheir time pandering to special interest groups and professional activists. So....after living here for 40 plus years my assessment is it's going to get worse much much worse. Arrogance and lack of guts to fix problems will lead toronto down a path similar to Baltimore, or Detroit. It'll take years but it's going that way.

Same here in Montreal used to love this city still do but post C19 everything changed like everywhere housing crisis, politics, the cultural center it user to be changed maybe its just looking at it now at the start of my 30s compared to when i moved here from Europe and Central Africa at the start of my 20s. Met friends i have for life, got great professional opportunities lived in nice places great food in the city. Now everything is just super expensive now and i know toronto is must be ever crazier. Im considering moving back to France or Switzerland to be closer to my family and friends and also be close to Gabon easier to visit than here constantly taking 4 plains round trip everytime i go back home. After losing my father last year getting divorced 3 years ago i think my time here is done. 14yrs here i became an adult here had amazing experiences, became a canadian citizen but its just not the same anymore. Time for a new adventure somewhere else. We used to live well even back as a student on minimum wage, now with a better career good salary we’re struggling. Breaks my heart seeing this all over canada.

I've lived in Toronto for almost 20 years, and I can't wait to get out. The plan is to move somewhere else in the spring, just figuring out where. Toronto now breaks my heart-- you see people seriously struggling everywhere, and it's hard to see it in contrast with the opulent wealth that much of the city has. We're lucky to be in a rent-controlled apartment and we've been here for over a decade, and there's no way we'd find anything even remotely similar here now (the apartment we live in would go up at least $1000 if we leave). The safety is also an issue- I live in a fairly busy area that used to be extremely safe (I used to walk home alone at midnight in high school) and now I rarely leave my apartment after dark. There's very angry, erratic people, many on substances, and I've had some rough encounters already. And don't get me started on public transport.... My sister saw someone almost get randomly pushed into the subway tracks yesterday, and obviously that doesn't get reported. It's worse than people think, and it's only gonna get more horrible once winter hits.

I stay in Toronto because of my kids who are teenagers. Aside from enjoying singing in my choir and living in the Beaches area… I’d leave in a heart beat. I loathe driving into the city! You basically can’t anymore as the roads are taken over with bike lanes… There is constant construction everywhere and they removed the Gardiner heading east so everyone has to take Lakeshore in! That road is a nightmare due to construction everywhere. There are many more homeless people and long lines to food banks I’ve never seen in the 35 years I’ve been here! Rent is insane as mentioned with no one doing anything about it!

I landed in Toronto in 1984, it was clean, safe and affordable. I was able to support myself going to university in the early 90’s working part-time as a waitress. Tuition was much cheaper back then and of top of that I was able to get a grant from the government (which was scrapped I believe). I used to walk down Yonge Street late at night with friends until we reached College Street to go have breakfast at the Golden Griddle on Carton Street. I miss the Maple Leaf Gardens and the CNE Grandstand. There were no shootings at nightclubs when I went dancing. Then things started getting really bad, the cost of living and the violence skyrocketed so I decided to move to Quebec City at the end of 2014. I worked hard on my French and now I am a civil servant for the Quebec Government. I have no regrets. I am lucky to have known Toronto The Good. If you want to reminisce about the streets of Toronto in the 1980’s look for the Night Ride videos here on YouTube. Cheers ??

Maritimer here: I remember going to a small town in Maine for my cousin's funeral a few years back (half my family is American), and when we were checking-in at the hotel, there was a couple taking their suitcases out of the trunk of their car. The man had a handgun tucked in the back of his pants, and I remember the feeling I got seeing it when he bent over. It was pure Fear. In my mind, this man could kill me or my family in an instance if he wanted to. To me, that was the scariest thought, it felt so wrong that it was normal to carry a weapon. \n\nMind you, we have guns in Canada, they are mainly used for hunting or gun ranges, and you need a licence, which you need to pass a test if you want to go hunting with it. I guess growing up in Canada made me think that guns are dangerous and should be kept away from people... so hearing about the children's safety concerns around guns.. is probably because to us, guns out in the public is inconceivable... even worse around children. \n\nWhen there's a shooting in Canada, it's not a feeling that is reserved for the town or city where it happened. The country in its entirety mourns, it becomes Our issue. Anyways, I know my response is months late, but I felt compelled to share. :P

I am not racist but just stating a fact during an observation. I live in Coquitlam. a city connected to Vancouver BC by another city Burnaby. I went to my local blood clinic for testing, it was very busy with long wait times of over 6 hours but I thought I would try anyway. As I took my number and was standing against the wall waiting as their were no seats I took note that out of 38 people I was the only caucasian, the other 37 were 100 percent Asian. I could have easily thought I was in a clinic in Beijing. This is my country, born and raised here from many generations of europeans. When I was young there was more diversity of cultural backgrounds but it has changed in that one culture totally dominates . That is not cultural mix it is a takeover by one particular culture. Why is immigration Canada allowing so many of one culture compared to other cultures? As a taxpayer I expect immigration should be well thought out and to not favour one culture over another yet in Vancouver area that is happening.

I currently pay $734.96 per month for my bachelor apartment in Parkdale, Toronto. All inclusive. I found the place in 2015, and it started at $660.00 per month. It's a smaller building where I know most of my co-tenants. Quiet neighbourhood most of the time. I've been one of the lucky ones for sure. I love this city! I'm from Peterborough and I will never move back. Some of the best memories of my life have been here. But you're right Alina, it has changed. Much like most other major cities in the world. The economic hardships being the #1 issue. Rent going up, wages staying the same, and inflation not slowing down. But with Toronto, the transit system is far behind the progress of cities like New York. Toronto should have multiple subway lines going east and west. Queen St. and Dundas lines for sure. The overall culture of the city is not as vibrant as it was during the 2010s. That could be Covid related. Or things are taking awhile to come back to pre-Covid form. But a lot of great venues and restaurants have been shutting down. And being replaced with the construction of condos. The real estate is insane here. It feels like things have gone downhill since the Raptors won the NBA championship in 2019. Because that really united everyone when there were a million people gathered for the parade. I'm hoping things turn around and there's more affordable housing for newcomers. I know I'm staying here for a while longer. Because of my cheap rent. And career attachments to the city. Great job on the video! ?

While I identify and agree with the overall sentiment of this video, here is the problem Alina. As a somewhat successful tech person who came from nothing, I refuse to move out of a city to a culturally or globally lacking city due to “budget”. I tried spending time in BC and Nova Scotia in the capital cities. I could not spend more than a week in Saskatchewan. I can assure you that someone with decent skills and lifestyle would not be able to sustain their social and personal life, and mental health anywhere in Canada other than Toronto. If I spoke decent French, I’d say Montreal is a decent option. Vancouver is too lopsided as an international real estate haven, even though beautiful. So the problem is that Toronto is honestly the only city someone like me (and most my friends) would consider living in Canada, and we are all unfortunately being forced to move to the US. We are in our very early 30s so it’s still not too late to have a big move but none of us wanted to try out NYC or SFO much later than now. I hope things improve and we are able to move back to Toronto. But right now, unless you make $300k+, it’s impossible. And we are only able to make that money in the US (most of us). Cheers and keep it up.

I've been living in Toronto for over thirty (30) years with a little two years try in Halifax, which didn't work due to the lack of meaningful jobs.\nWhen I arrived here in the late 80th I was very impressed with all the services provided and the speed to see medical professionals.\nI'd spent almost 10 years without a family doctor since my first one retired, and now I'm fortunate enough to have one who is so busy that I have to wait months for an appointment.\n\nIt is painful to notice that already paid services are disappearing and how dirty and dangerous this, once an amazing city, is today.\n\nI'm retired now just waiting for my wife to do the same to move out of this country, with the hope that our very low combined pensions will be enough to live somewhere else.\nMoving out of the city, even out of the province, it is not an alternative since anywhere out of here, includes having a car with all the expenses that this include.\n\nSad reality for retirees and specially for young couples with children in tow.\nSoon we will see this beautiful country devoid of human qualified presence to support all the neglected refugees that are coming.\n\nWho knows, maybe this is a new experiment on how so many homeless people can survive the harsh winter.\nGreetings from Toronto.

I agree with all of your points in this video. While I love this city and I’ve lived here all my life, there’s a lot of things I’m not happy to witness at all. Everything has gone downhill but it’s not making me want to leave T.O. I love almost everything about it but those social issues have just plagued it, even I’m not surprised so many people are moving out. I’d rather stay here and overcome those situations than move because everywhere else is so expensive Your opinions are transparent otherwise and yes, it might be the effects of post-covid. I wish things were a lot better than now but, it will just take time.

I’m currently in Toronto to take my son to college, after an absence of 40 years since graduation I hardly recognise this place anymore. So many homeless around and it’s saddened to see how great this city was in my days here

Housing costs are crazy here in Toronto...I lost my apt ...(740 sq. ft. - one bedroom)...which I had in Etobicoke at the end of Covid Jan. 2022 ...( My rent started at $940/month in 2016 and to just a tad over $1000/month in 2022. I Was on welfare during Covid 2020-2022)... Welfare only pays $733 for a single male (Welfare recipients weren't eligible for that CERB that paid every 2 weeks so I had to sell most of my furniture and cherished antiques to survive...Lost my apt...couldn't afford it anymore and I ended up in my sister's basement for 3 months but moved to a rooming house in the east end of Toronto at the end of April. Thank God that I got a job working in a hospital as a janitor...Still, I pay $650 a month for a room that is about 75 square feet....I've seen closets bigger...I share 4 washrooms and one laundry room with one washer and dryer and a laundry tub (This is the main source of water for cooking) with 26 other roomers...There is no kitchen and no lounge area...So yeah Housing is Fuked Up here in Toronto!... I was so close to being homeless...I do not work full-time. I am only on-call so I am at least able to make ends meet but still, it's hard surviving here in the big city...I was born here and grew up here and this city may have changed on the surface but beneath it, it's rotting to the core and it's getting worse every day!.... Love your vids by the way :)

I'm brazilian and run a language school in my country. I've been to Toronto 3 times in exchange programs with my students. The first time, in 2012, I found the city amazing and incredibly safe. The second time, in 2018, I noticed a small change for worse in terms of security and homelesness. My last time in Toronto was this year, and I felt myself very insecure and saw things that I wasn’t accostumed to seeing not even here in Brazil. It’s a pity, because Toronto is an unique city and it has potencial to be very developed socially speaking. Unfortunately, I'm searching for alternative destinations to take my students abroad.

I am a resident of Toronto for the past 11 years now. I moved here from Calgary because back then I had a better opportunity. I was an aspiring pastry chef. I landed in pretty stable and well paid job. I've already noticed the changes in city a few years before the pandemic. The drug addiction and mental health problem were already quite evident as injection sites were popping up around the cities including public parks. Then the pademic happened, it exposes the cracks in our society, some people are becoming selfish and intolerant. I lost my job due to the pandemic, it was very traumatic, I developed severe anxiety/depression. Luckily, i had some savings when it all happened. Fastforward, I've been working in the last 2 years now but I can no longer find the same job and pay I used to have. Most companies are now more ruthless. They let go employees any minute as soon as they felt the business is slow. There's no more job security. The only reason why I am surviving is because I am living in the same apartment since i moved here. However, my new neighbours who just moved in are paying twice as much. I've been attempting to leave the city but that would mean that i would be paying at least twice of my current rent and there aren't much opportunities elesewhere. I honestly felt trapped in my current situation but I am still grateful that I am still better off than many people who are already living on the edge. Sadly, the situation is only getting worst according to many analysts. I think the country is at a breaking point in many aspects.

Canadian here with many American friends.....\nWe have frequent conversations about the fear of school shootings and the parents being concerned for their kids safety. The fact that you and your friends don't discuss it may very well be cuz it's an uncomfortable subject. The ones I've spoken with sit with me on the phone year after year and cry about having to buy the inserts for the backpacks having to tell their kids no flashy shoes cuz it'll give your location away if you move, needing to teach them how to hide to survive. \nI'm in a very large city in Canada and we have the drills here too, it's terrifying for us just having that part, I can't imagine being a parent in the states worrying about my kids surviving school day by day. And the risk doesn't end there, it's the start of day 216 of 2023 and the USA has had 424 mass shootings events in those 216 days (well 215 days cuz day 216 has literally just started). And that's just the events that have 4 or more victims. \nAdd on the ongoing war on women's rights, wanting to legislate who ppl can love and marry. Nope, your country is quite literally the laughing stock of the world and needs to evolve to bring itself up to par. Your education system is slowly your medical system is insanely overpriced and messy. No thanks. \nCanada has it's issues, I'll admit that, but the USA is like the kid in HS who was always high and doing stupid dangerous ?z the only difference is that kid eventually grows up, the USA doesn't seem to be able to ?

Tyler's reaction to Canadian fears about school shootings throughout this is that this is a big city problem, and if you move to a small town, you'll be safe and not have to worry about it. So, I got curious, and looked up the population of Sandy Hook, home to one of the most famous (feels gross to describe such a tragedy that way) school shootings. It has a population of less than 10,000 people. What is a small town to Tyler, because 10,000 people seems pretty small to me?\n\nAs a Canadian, I was utterly flabbergasted going into a US pawn shop and them just having a gun room. Enough guns to arm a small army. Hunting rifles. Handguns. Even one that looked like some kind of assault rifle. You can get guns in Canada, but at like, a hunting store, with proper licencing. The fact that you could go to a pawn shop and just...browse the guns there is so alien to me. Every country that has tighter gun control has fewer school shootings, and shootings in general. Like, shootings still happen here, but not to the same extent they do in America. American gun culture enables them because they both make guns so readily available, and have a culture that celebrates gun ownership in a way other cultures, like my Canadian culture, do not. I think our last school mass shooting was in the eighties? So, if I lived in the US, I don't think I'd be afraid to send my kid to school, but it would be way more of a concern than it is here, where I don't even consider the possibility of that happening at all.

I’m with my fellow Canadians, I’ll visit the US (although even then, it’s beginning to look less and less ideal) but over my dead body would I live there. \nThe fact you have become desensitized and don’t discuss school shootings is baffling. 4 or 5 years ago, there was a shooting where I live in Canada. The whole city was on lock down. I believe one elderly woman died, and 3 were injured. The person was caught, arrested, and is rotting away in jail. It hasn’t happened since. People still remember it. My little sister and I were scared, so we hid in my bedrooms closet. (It was on the second floor, and there was no way anybody could break in and get up there easily.)\n\nHealthcare is a huge issue. My family has a long line of health issues, and with that in mind, the risk is just to obscene.\n\nI am a woman. The fact that laws are being stripped away from us by old white men who have no idea what it is like to be a woman in the states is horrifying. \n\nGun culture. It’s near-on impossible or at least it’s incredibly difficult to get guns here. Owning guns isn’t respected. When people die from being shot, it’s remembered and spoken about, even years later. At least to me, it seems you care more for your Guns and the rights to own and use them, then Women who want to have bodily autonomy.\n\nYour political issues. I don’t even know what to say at this point beyond. The entire senate is rich old straight white men who like to make laws about groups they aren’t part of, and strip laws away from others. You basically have two polar opposite sides of the political spectrum and that alone, divides people so deep they can’t even be in the same room for more then 10 seconds.\n\n\nI’m Part of the LGBTQIA2S+ community. Enough said. \n\nI’m well aware that not everyone in the US is like this. But in my eyes, that’s more then enough to deter me. I’m glad you decided to take a look at this, and see our reactions to the questions. And I’m glad you didn’t take offence to the harsh or bitter answers. Sure Canada isn’t perfect, but it’s better in enough ways to keep me much preferring staying here.

Is Toronto the only city in Canada. Toronto is full beyond capacity. I have been waiting for a call for RGI for more than 13 years and never recieved even one call for a place. So many people are coming to Toronto fleeing whatever they are fleeing, getting housing, and help while i and my children continue to pay for it and live like we are in a third world country because we have to decide if we pay the rent or eat healthy. Dollarama is my frigging grocery store, all the while my taxes pay for people who never payed taxes here. Our country is so ridiculously broken.

There was a time I would have. My father and Grandfather grew up in New York city as children and spoke highly of the States. Since 2016 I would seriously not consider living there. The gun violence that occurs their has gotten to the point that it has to be especially eggregious before it makes the news. The cavalier attitude towards guns and gun saftey is disturbing even from your politicians. it would be a recipe for loosing your privalege to own a firearm in Canada if you did what many of us see americans do with their guns. Open carry. Not allowed. Concealed carry. Not allowed. There are courses you need to take and pass on firearm saftey and gun use here, before you are given the privaledge of owning a firearm. Those firearms need to be stored properly or carried in cases at all times when not in use \n\nThat being said I have done those courses and I own guns. Rifles to be precise and a shot gun I use for hunting food. Pistols are not easy to get here and you can only use them on a range. The only people legally carrying pistols in public are the police.\n\nHealthcare is fine if you are young and healthy, with a job. If i showed up at 53 with a handfull of pre-existing conditions, I would be in bad shape.\n\nYour record on lgbtq+ and a woman's right to bodily autonomy is back slipping to the 1950's. Some politcians (not sure what level, state or federal) are looking to even reverse the position on interracial marriages for pete sake.\n\nI think if Voter appathy is allowed to continue, the vocal minority of people who want this will get their way despite the fact that the polls suggest the majority of americans hate what is happening

I'd like to make it clear that most Americans I've met are wonderful people. I'm a creative professional, I can see being tempted by a high paying gig, but several of the points raised here I agree with. I've got diabetes, and insulin prices alone would bankrupt me (that might have been fixed recently, but I have no idea whether that's been fixed by legislation). You mentioned it being safer in smaller towns, but was Columbine a big city? Uva!de Texas? Sandy Hook? Some of my favorite places in the world to visit are in the USA, but staying? Sorry, but not likely.

I'm a Canadian from Toronto that's been living in Boston for the past 4 years. Love the city - probably the most underrated in North America. The people here are friendly (not polite, but friendly), and I've generally enjoyed living here. Having said all of that, I'm moving back to Canada in a week. There are some major benefits to living in Boston over Toronto - the pay is significantly higher for the same job, the city is beautiful, and the weather is much better. My wife has enjoyed her time here less, as there are some subtle cultural differences here with misogyny (men in professional settings always touching her inappropriately, she's been drugged at bars several times, and she is treated poorly by many men). Things that were unthinkable in Toronto. Add the slow deterioration of women's rights in this country, and the general situation with healthcare, and its become a rather unwelcoming place for someone used to Canadian culture.

I have two brothers living in the states. The one in Wisconsin is my big brother and he means the world to me. He does have his foibles about race and he tolerates me bringing him to task for some of the things he's said. He was brought up in Kentucky. He seems to be seeing the light now. I have spent time with him and my sister-in-law, and my nieces and nephews in Florida, Illinois, Kentucky and Indiana. We are close now despite being brought up worlds apart. My next oldest brother lives in West Virginia. I haven't seen him on over 30 years. He had a habit of moving without telling the rest of the family. I didn't know he had divorced and remarried. I worked for the Canadian Military as well as some of the American contingent where I worked. I had to renew information for my Security Clearance just after 9/11. He refused to give me any info because Rush Limbaugh was telling Americans the terrorists came to the U.S. from Canada (they actually were taking flight training in Florida). I suppose I could easily take up American citizenship since our mother had dual citizenship but I think I'll decline. I'm too much of a Canuck to change now. I don't think I could get used to politicians winning an election and immediately starting a new campaign. The process seems exhausting to always be bombarded with things politic. Here our electioneering is held to 6-8 weeks before the election and strict limits are placed on funding and contributions. Besides, I live in a small city of 58-60 thousand (North Bay, Ontario). In the close to 70 years that I've lived here, I can recall only 3 murders, so you'll under if I find mass shootings shocking and abhorrent and truthfully scary. I'm a little long winded today....Sorry.

I'm British, now retired and living in Spain for 20 years. Have noticed that in the last 10 years there are an awful lot of Americans who are moving here mainly because, although they still have to have private health, it's hugely cheaper here and the service is good; also the lifestyle is more laid back and they can visit a lot of different cultures. In the late 1960s my husband and I emigrated to Toronto, Canada. Visited the US a couple of times. First to NY city, second time down to Kentucky /Tennessee. My parents came on that trip with us. Met Americans at the motels we stayed in and a couple of times my father nearly lost it (don't know how he just kept quiet) as Americans his age were quite abusive and kept on about about how we'd never be able to repay America for their help in WW2 (my father fought in that for all 6 years). Anyway left Canada after 4 years and returned to England; not because we didn't like it but I was terribly homesick. None of the Canadians we're still in touch with would ever have moved to the US.