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I’m surprised you never saw me. I’m homeless in a shelter and I hate this city.. well I hate all the cities like this. The people are heartless and sacred. The homeless are high and sad… I wander the streets like all day every day. When I have money I try to help the street people. Or I end up smoking weed on occasion. But there’s a lot of garbage and garbage people out there. I’m basically the rat king. I wander round doing anything I can. I’m pretty crazy tho I have bpd and doctors don’t really help anyone. I just live in the shelter and during the day I wander the streets trying to learn the city and help people. Sometimes I’m rude and angry and insane due to the state of the city and all I’ve seen. I yell and sing as I walk around just to hate everyone who is the average scumbag citizen. You know who I mean.. and I call them out on their bs. But only during my bpd episode or whatever. Otherwise I try to help all the street rats. But lots of them are helpless addicts like it’s hard to find the proper way to help. You gotta be careful who you help I suppose, because your good intentions of helping can lead to harming them. They end up buying drugs I guess sometimes. I am very easy to spot. I’m zooming down the streets. I usually walk so fast and everyone is so brainwashed brain dead slaves of society for real… they don’t care or help no one. I mean some do but it’s extremely rare…. I’ve probably walked literally everywhere you were. That park on Jarvis. I see those security guards lol they were dicks to you and definitely lied about not being on camera. I see them like almost every day. And all the other places. I slept outside a few times not often. I’ve been to all these spots I walk by them all the time it was crazy to see it all. That’s my life haha it’s awesome. I do the best I can and it’s definitely better than everyone else who has a job and a place like…. They’re all just selfish shallow heartless scumbags. Harsh truth. Keep it real.

It’s unfortunate that you feel this way about our city. In saying this. There is much to be done. Mostly all the red tape at city hall. And wasted tax dollars.\n\nIn a video of a city “you love”. And all of us have our faults, I presume your intention was to inform. \n\nIn a video sponsored by Better Help. And someone who has benefited for someone helping you up. Encouraging others not to come here. Just pointing out flaws. I know you mentioned for 30 seconds that we have parks. \n\nToronto is like all of us. We’re not without our flaws. Yet, sometimes pointing out what’s great (or even just good). You can make a better point for change. \n\nYou’re not wrong. You’re definitely not right.\n\n You could have been though.\nJust like me writing this comment.

You know, you just uploaded this video two days ago, and two nights ago, I took a walk from Yonge and Bloor to Yonge and Dundas. I could not believe how bad the city has gotten... just like your video demonstrates. There were homeless people and drug addicts all the the way down Yonge...dozens at every corner. Tons on the subway, too. I even made a FB post about it, because I was so dismayed. Your video really demonstrates what's going on in the pulse of the city. It's so disturbing... it actually makes me really sad to see Toronto's relatively sudden severe decline. (I've been living in Toronto since 1998). And believe me - I know the rest of Canada is not far behind.

Really BBC? I didn’t expect such a bias and poorly reported piece from you guys. What editor for the reputable BBC would even sign off on such a direction? \n\nYES it’s normal to see a drop in citizen application when the government made it much more difficult for permanent residents to do so. There was an intent there to naturally filter out what had become a burden on government funds and resources. I’m sorry but if you are living in Canada’s largest city [Toronto], don’t be shocked that cost of living is ridiculously expensive. The same will apply to every other western nations largest city. And yes Canada’s second largest city [Montreal] is ridiculously cheap, but good luck trying to get in when you not only need the Canadian federal governments approval for citizenship but the Quebec provincial governments as well where fluency in the French language is now a requirement. \n\nAt the end of the day, your education abroad provided you with tools and resources that helped implement your vision. It allowed you recognize the changing dynamic of the global economy, the bygone era of easy opportunity and progress in the western world and the significant leaps and growth that your own “developing” nation has made, allowing you to easily break into your own market with much success than struggle surrounded by red tape, by laws, bureaucracy, expenses and competition while balancing yourself in a culture with societal norms and customs that are unfamiliar and new to you.

This is all lies people are being laid off so these huge companies can hire at lower wages then the Government you the tax payer subsidizes half of their wages for training for 6 months. Yes making these huge companies even richer on your dollar. There is no shortage of nurses when 400 nurses graduate every year with a city population of 300k there is no 400 jobs for these nurses in that city. (200 from college 200 from the university)

Leaving Canada??? Are you kidding me? If all these disillusioned immigrants are leaving, then why do us born and raised Canadians see every major city of ours being overtaken over by these immigrants, specifically the South and east Asian variety, in every single one of them? Here is statistic for you on one of them.....more than 75% of the people who live in Toronto, are from another country!! 75%, and Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, and every other big city we have are catching up to that percentage as we speak. I laugh my ass off when I when I see a tiny minority group like yours claiming that immigrants are leaving at a rapid pace. I suppose though it might appear that way to you if you were not born here to begin with and witnessed the massive change in our immigrant population over the past 30 years like us born and raised Canadians have. Dont get me wrong either. I am all for immigration and know how necessary they are to our successful economy and I do feel for the ones that try to make a decent living here but get pushed out for whatever reason, but to say that there is alot of immigrants leaving is simply not true by any measureable standard or why are there so many of you everywhere? Something isnt making any sense here and I know its not coming from us born and raised Canadians either!

Canada by itself is very WELCOMING, the problem is that you dive into the trap, there only ONE way to do this right, GIVE TO ALL IMMIGRANTS TIME BUFFER, like 1-2 year, don't destroy them from the start, it`s like I call friends to my home, I will say hey please feel free like in your house, but then ill throw them dirt to a face and ask them hey please be clean in my house go find place where to wash up and don't use my towel. Time that migrants spend to find JOB and HOME are exceed TIME they can afford living, it means LOW CREDIT SCORE, DEBT Problems, bad mood, anxiety, no hope, and boom you have more homeless guys. Politics should be supporting migrants very well not just throwing them to the streets, put some regulatory, cut some paperwork for applying a job, make RULE that every IMMIGRANT should go to government job like cleaning streets or IDK make it MUST, so there will be no situation where they don't have jobs. Tell me TORONTO are to clean ? there is no way to give incoming people what to do without DOZENS OF STUPID PAPERS? WORK PERMIT >> READY TO START WORKING FROM TOMORROW >>> DAY / NOON / EVENING >>> Min Wage >>> Social small houses with low rend for city workers. And believe me 1-2 month your city will be the cleanest city in the world with beautiful gardens. It just INNITIATIAVE . you as a GOVERMENT, have millions way to do this. I`ll give you millions of idea, DM me ill prove that city of Toronto can do better and show example to whole CANADA and even US.

Never trust the average « house price » on Internet…856k in Toronto? That was a price 20 years ago. Today, this is a condominium and not a house. If you Google average house price in Montreal ut say 500k… impossible. At least not on Montreal island. You can get a 1 bedrooms condominium for that price.\n\nI grewup here in Montreal and even if our city is very multiculturalthere there is still less visible minority here: 32% compare to 57% in Toronto. Employers can be more selective. I have a immigrant name, and my husband is a native French Quebecois, we both have the same bachelor degree and I even have better grade than him, but he always get 10 times more interviews than me. People change their attitude instantly when they heard that I have the local accent. « Oh, you are from here! » If you don’t speak perfectly French and master English, you can’t find a job in a big corporation. The language is also a natural barrier that protect the local job to be exported.

Hallelujah! It's been insane! Many cities don't even look like a Canadian city from even 5 years ago. Places like Toronto etc now all look like New New Delhi. It's sad to see Canadian culture being wiped out. And there is no place to live. The immigration policy in Canada is the most aggressive in world history (about 5x more immigrants per capita than places like US or Britain which also have way too aggressive immigration policies). \n\nIt's odd how we are always told here that people shouldn't marry or have kids for environmental/climate reasons (ugh) and yet Canada is bringing in so many people trying to QUADRUPLE our population by 2100. How insane is that?

Canada is short 5.8 million homes. CMHC and builder's association latest number were around 3 million, but that low number was assuming a population of 38 million people. Canada has almost 41 million people.\nIf Canada can build it's way out of this mess, there are 100s of thousands of construction jobs available. The demand for housing is there, the government just needs to get out of the way. All the municipal, provincial and federal red tape is leaving Canada a quagmire for builders.\nCanada could be booming with all that demand. But failure of leadership and outright corruption in city halls across the country prevent it.

Perhaps I will not name the most popular destination for relocation, but I suggest coming to Russia, there are many positive reasons for this (I take Moscow as an example):\n1) Affordable housing with reasonable prices. The price for a one-room apartment in Moscow, for an apartment with a good renovation will cost you about $500 Plus utility bills with the Internet will be 50%. (The most surprising thing for foreigners is that in winter you can wear a T-shirt and shorts in apartments, and sometimes it will be hot), my cost of heating in a three-room apartment is $35 per month for 95 sq.m.\nDo you want a house? Please! House 435 sq.m. 3 floors for $100,000.\nAre you a young family? Get a preferential mortgage. Got a baby? Get money! A second one appeared. Get even more! Third child? Children's camps, travel card, free school meals, as well as a lot of benefits.\n2) Developed infrastructure, accessible public transport ($30 pass for all types of transport in Moscow and the nearest Moscow region), unlimited travel pass. 783 parks in Moscow, numerous shopping centers, countless child development centers; in winter you can ski and snowboard in these same parks. In general, you will definitely find something to keep yourself busy.\n3) Affordable medicine. Russian citizenship can be obtained after 5 years of permanent residence, BUT foreign citizens have the right to obtain a medical policy for themselves after obtaining a residence permit. The price comes out to be approximately 30-60%, depending on what risk group you are in. After obtaining citizenship, all medicine is free, seriously, a foreigner I know from Australia asked me about this: “What do you mean it’s free?” All this is included in taxes, and the cost is peanuts compared to yours. The level of medicine is high, this is a separate topic for discussion, I don’t know why, but our medical centers are compared with India, this is not so. The current clinics look like Cyberpunk 2077, seriously. In the regions, unfortunately, it is completely different. In December 2023, I was hospitalized with double pneumonia, and I didn’t pay a single ruble for treatment.\n4) Security. You can calmly walk around Moscow at night and not be afraid of anything. There are cameras everywhere in Moscow, on shops, on poles, and video recorders on cars. Everyone knows perfectly well that if you commit a crime in Moscow, you will be punished, and no one in their right mind needs this. Here I advise you to look at the channels of your fellow countrymen. Banditry is an echo of the past, in the 90s people survived as best they could, then the ruble depreciated and everyone fought for food as best they could, now the situation is different.\n5) Racism. I won’t rant, here you should also watch the video of your fellow countrymen who live in Russia, not those who accuse us of racism while living in their country and who have never visited us, but those who live. If you feel other people’s eyes on you because of your dark skin color, excuse me, it’s out of interest, well, there are few of us like that. On a personal note, no one cares what color you are, as long as you are a person who lives within the law as a peaceful citizen. If you act like an asshole, behave inappropriately, use insulting words towards other people, you will feel it quickly. In general, if you are a good person, you can forget about this word.\n6) If you receive a residence permit, education for your children is free. Our state generally cares excessively about children. And I still remembered! Summer holidays for children are 3 months, so where should they go? Summer camp, give mom and dad a break from your nasty whims))\nIf you want to send them to the Black Sea, if you want to send them to Altai to a health center, you can send them to a city camp (They brought the child in the morning and took them away in the evening). Previously, I was constantly sent to the black sea on a permit that was given to my father at work (Shipyard). Now this is only possible in special cases.\n\n7) Vacations. You are required to go on paid leave for 28 days a year. 12 public holidays.\n\n8) Sexual minorities. Having seen enough of cancel culture, where the minority opinion became higher than the majority opinion, these communities were cancelled. When people are openly threatened for their opinions on gender. Fire teachers for using the wrong pronoun. Where pedophiles try to legitimize themselves. We are not on the same path with this.\n\nNow there is an acute shortage of IT specialists, maybe this will be interesting for them.\nFarmers like to settle here; 100 hectares of land can be bought for $16,000. Compared to Europe at $5000-6000 per acre. A well-known foreign representative is Justus Walker if anyone is interested.\nIn general, Russia is open to new citizens of the country, the state gives everything to create a unit of society, on your part you just need to be a law-abiding citizen and live a quiet life. We have problems in the country, they are the same as in any other, but nowhere will there be freedom to implement your plans as in Russia.\n\nAll the best!

Toronto resident here. I do agree with everything that Alina pointed out. Those thing exist. But the only REAL problem is the high cost of rent. It now equals and even surpasses the cost of a mortgage. If the rent problem were resolved, and they can do this by simply building more housing (which they are now starting to do - with government programs and incentives), then most of these problems Alina reported on would recede or disappear completely. \n\nAlso, the homelessness is not visually worse than anywhere else I've visited. Homeless encampments are visible in every city I've been too. However, in Toronto, a LOT of homeless people come from other parts of Canada. \n\nThe violence that Alina referred to was just a snapshot in time. She made her video around 4 months ago, and at that time there were several truly shocking incidents on the subway (which even made international news). Those incidents have not continued. The subway system, and Toronto, is still a very, very safe city. We are the third largest city in North America, after LA and NYC, and we had something like 50 homicides last year. Chicago has like 500. Just by way of example. \n\nI love Toronto, even though it is very expensive to pay rent here. But there is so much to offer that I wouldn't consider living somewhere else. Not a chance. It's great that you can live somewhere else if you work remotely, but when you're not working, what do you do?...Toronto is safe, clean (except in tourist season), with limitless opportunities for career and lifestyle. Wouldn't live anywhere else.

You are mostly giving false information about the state of affairs in Canada. This is the worst time in the history of our country. We are being invaded with legal illegal immigration. The federal government is actively replacing the old stock Canadians with non white immigrants essentially changing the tge Canadian culture and value system. Crime and homelessness is rampant in every city and town across the country . There is a very serious housing crisis as i speak. The country is short upto 4 million homes driving up the price of real estate and rental housing. For example where i live in British Columbia a 1 bedroom apartment rents for $2200 per month for a 50 year old apartment. It costs about $100 dollars for a single bag of groceries. It costs about $4000 dollars per month just to exist. All of that and our government has gone the way of socialism and our rights and freedom are being removed at an alarming rate.

The coldest City in Canada would be Thompson if it is still Registered as a City. Queen Elizabeth flew into Thompson in 1967 and declared it a City. At the time Thompson had a Population of 25000 . From there they had a Motorcade go through The Pas,Swan River,Dauphin and on to Winnipeg.

My cousin is a renowned medical specialist. Ppl fly in from around the world to see her. She practiced in NY city and she and her scientist husband moved back to Canada. She blamed the insurance system. In Canada, she now sees anyone who needs her and there are no non medical ppl telling her what to offer or not. She says that doctors in the US work for insurance companies and not the patients. In Canada meanwhile, treatment is the priority.

I LOVE Toronto. But would never live there. I keep it as a weekend destination a couple times per year to soak in the vibes, meet the amazing people and enjoy the cuisine. I flat out refuse to pay that much for rent, considering I own a house a few hours away and my mortgage is less than half the rental cost for the average Toronto one bedroom. I really hope they can successfully tackle these problems because the city really is incredible.

It seems like one of the only viable ways to make money was to work in the city and commute from the surrounding area which is hours of your life wasted and not spent working or making money. \n\nBut even this is no longer as good of a plan because of thr housing crisis. Expensive rent and house prices in big cities like Toronto made a lot of people move out and the rents have risen in the surrounding area where there is less high paying jobs.

I had a house for rent a proper 3 bedroom 1.5 bath semi-detached home in Mississauga where 6 international students wanted to lease the house for 1 year, and I was advised by the City of Mississauga that having unrelated individuals share bedrooms would be considered a rooming house and because I didn't want to risk the wrath of Bonnie Crombie's government fining me I didn't even consider their application. Generally, I would prefer leasing a home out to a family but I was inundated with demand from these students. I don't understand why the Cities won't permit these types of dwellings and why they permit these universities to grow and expand their campuses without ensuring enough housing. I mean Canadians are having a hard time finding homes. The fear as well is letting 5 or 6 students rent your house will turn to 8 or 10 people living there, subsidizing the rent for the original group

I lived in Etobicoke from 2002-2020. Year over year, I noticed that the city is changing in bad way. I had to move out because I just couldn’t be there anymore.\n\nEven if I am offered a free residency, I would never ever come back To Toronto.

Ok so this isn't going to be very popular... but let me posit a hypothesis: the rising housing costs might indicate that the city is doing something right, because people are willing to pay more to live there. Supply and demand, right?\n\nI bought a couple of condos within last 10 years. They nearly doubled in value. I'm renting them out at 2300 and 2400/mo; used to be 1500~1800 only a few years ago. They're paying for themselves and then some. It's amazing. Things are great from my perspective.\n\nIf enough people decide that the current housing price isn't worth it and move, the prices should come down. I doubt it'll happen though. QE injected s**t ton of money into global financial system and this phenomenon is worldwide.

this is a vert accurate assessment of the city I used to love living in. I moved out in 2017, finding it already difficult to live in, for every reason that Alina has pointed out. Our society overall is too sick to fix the underlying issues - there are too many conflicts of interest (self-interest)

I don't think the problems you're describing are a uniquely Toronto issue (many cities across the world are having an affordability crisis - Toronto's is bad, but not unique). I think it's also a lasting effect from COVID (especially on the mental health side). I do sympathize with Chow - seems like the city isn't getting much help from the feds who are allowing mass immigration without any infrastructure or services to support it (see 10.5% proposed property tax hike in order to keep the city afloat after Tory). All in all, think the city needs a bit of time to heal after the past few years but I'm optimistic it'll get there.

Funny thing, Halifax is bursting at the seams with new arrivals. It’s expected to double in size in the next decade. There’s another ethnic grocery store opening every week. Our population has grown by 10 million people in 20 years, largely due to immigration. Toronto is bursting at the seams and is the most polyglot city on the planet. I have noticed a lot of these whiny videos by immigrants who say it’s no good to move here. I think they are not telling the truth about the tsunami of immigration going on here in Canada right now. Trouble is, there’s not enough housing for the 40 million people here right now. There’s not enough doctors, nurses, hospitals, social services/workers to service our present population. Still, the government flaps its gums about wanting 100 million people here by 2100. If that’s true, southern Ontario will look like Tokyo. There has to be a reevaluation of putting the majority of new arrivals in the GTA. If people want to move here, they should be willing to go to smaller cities and towns across the country.

High cost of living is a for sure sign that they don't want so many immigrants living off of the system.\nPeople should start considering fixing there own family situations in there home countries.\nCanada has already proven to be a good country for immigrants but it's not that go to hub for immigrants to exploit.\nThe work has been done.\nCOVID was scary when I was there. I whole city shut down it looked like a ghost town. That was a for sure indication it was time for immigrants to return to their home countries.\nThat was the time when the city was offering to buy out old businesses alot of people took the money and went back to Portugal and Italy.\nTimes have changed\nIt's not a housing crisis that's a lie.\nI grew up in Canada they built thousands and thousands of houses out of factories people just started to like the homes and communities the city built.\nPlus is was foreigners from the middle east that were investing in condo developments.\nAccept the fact that families are raising their children in those homes for 25++.\nThey don't owe an immigrant the house they built.\nOf course it's expensive because it's not for you.

I have been in Toronto recently for holidays and it was one of the worst places I have ever been to. The whole city is simply full of cars, it stinks everywhere, you get watched by security all the time when you go shopping (even for clothes), which, as a european, was just a major cultural shock, and once when I used the subway to go somewhere, we could not continue because someone got shot on a street so that is was blocked. The combination with a total lack of any nice place like some nice parks or something (there is the lake, but somehow they managed to literally build an airport on an island opposit of the promenade, which is simply loud and disturbing), I would liteally be depressed after a few months if I had to live there. I am not really sure why people go there despite these high rents. In my opinion, rents would need to be lower than average in such a city...

I lived in Toronto for almost 25 years but moved to Berlin, Germany, a few months ago. I found the last few years to be really sad and also scary. There is such a huge mental health crisis. The TTC is not very safe feeling. I have friends there who travel with dog or bear spray in their purses. The cost of rent is definitely a huge issue. A lot of friends can never move into a new place and I don't know anyone there who can afford to actually buy a home.\nThe positives are the food options (groceries and restaurants - some of the best in the world), the nice social life, so many things to see and do around the city, and the various beaches and islands.\nThe city is definitely looking uglier and uglier, though, with all of these boxy, glassy condo towers and now with Ford doing things like turning public space into a foreign-owned inaccessible spa.

Most western places are becoming crime problems with the US leading the way. Who is committing most of the crimes in large cities? How tough are the authorities in dealing with crime? Compare serious crimes in a city like Moscow or Bejing to a Los Angeles or NYC. In the US there are numerous instances in major cities of criminal mobs entering stores and taking what they want and leaving w/o paying because retail theft has been decriminalized. Try running your small business in that kind of environment so we have businesses closing and moving out of the cities. If you haven't figure it out yet, it's called western liberalism in dealing with criminals.

Typical city talk. Canada ugly? Get real. Not everybody is that foolish live in cities where you look at concrete all day, and have to deal with pollution, crime, traffic, etc. There are tons of beautiful smaller places in Canada where it's great living. Stop generalizing.\n\nThe weather? That's so lame, since you knew that beforehand, and to spend 10 minutes on that.... again, lame. \n\nCovid? You gotta be kidding me! There is a reason why Canada performed way better than many other countries. We all saw what happened in the USA where they weren't so strict. Again... ridiculous comment.\n\nThe rules? OMG... go to the USA! ???\n\nIsolation? It's pretty sad when you feel the need to live in a major metropolitan to feel happy... ~sigh~

Depends on your interests and personality. Small cozy Ontario towns is where it's at for me. The arts are nice in Toronto, but giving yourself a 2 hour buffer between you and the weirdos, the mental meltdowns on the subway, and filth, is my favourite way to deal with the city. Get where you need to be in Toronto, leave quickly, and watch the violent crime and culture collapse from far away. Honestly even participating in arts is nicer in the smaller towns now, I guess I have no reason to be there anymore.

Left the GTA in 1999 to raise my children...one of my son's was in school that went to sixth grade, there were gangs and there were swarmings at that time...our three bedroom was 935$ plus hydro then..Shudder to think what it would be now. Live in NB now...house is paid off on a five acre lot, kids are grown, great place to raise grandchildren. Best decision we ever made. I missed the city when we moved here, but after a visit a few years ago...not so much.

That land is The Jewish Israeli peoples land …A very old book ….of Historic proportions ….600 yrs.older than the Quran …for Even mohommad took from that great book of God The Creator in The Heavens …writting he put into the Quran ….that liar ….The Almighty will\nDeal with him …No worries there …..but God The Father in Heaven not Allah …but Abba yes ,Jehova yes ,and his son Jesus Christ died on the cross as the great Blood sacrifice for you ,for me ,for everyone ….so you may “Ask now for forgiveness your sins to Jesus for his blood now fir all Humans “Atonement of sins “ never another Blood Sacrifice is necessary now …God The Father Almighty gave Israel,Jordan,Gaza strip ,parts of Iran ,Turkey ,Syria too i believe in the Inheritance God said to Abraham Ishmeals father and Isaac’s Father ….God Said ,”I will Give to your Bloodline thru Isaac and his son Jacob …these lands from me as a\n“Never ending Ownership Covenant with Me “ he said it to Abraham !!! Why because …Gods Son Jesus would be born through Isaac,Son Jacobs bloodline ….those men Jesus would be brought up through Joseph Mary the virgins Husband …Jesus the Messiah God The father would send to be born onto earth …that is not just all …God In Heaven changed Jacobs name to Israel ….in the bible /Torrah ….maybe its called history …Because the bible is a great book of True History that is about about “Our Lord and Savior “ Jesus Christ “ its “His Story” we must never forget and keep praising him for ….If he had not been born before his blood sacrifice on the cross …all those who sinned would all go to help with the devil ….citon for sure …God the Father said ,”No you may ask my son Jesus for forgiveness and you shall be forgiven and not fall into hell with the devil …Jesus has all dominion over who goes to hell and who is saved …God the father gave that to him …If you ask fir forgiveness and Sin no more like that Jesus said he will forgive you and you can be allowed in his golden city with jems abd golden streets firever ….you never die !!! Ever ❤❤❤❤❤❤?

I lived in Western Europe, Japan and at the moment, Canada. I lucked out getting a well paying job in Vancouver when I moved back a few years ago and my average tax rate is actually the exact percentage you stated in the video - 28%, which includes income tax, pension and employment insurance. I'm actually doing better in terms of quality of life now but I do miss being able to travel around Europe for cheap. (e.g., quick train ride to Paris for the weekend) Now, I take cheap flights (e.g. Flair Airlines) to Mexico instead.\n\nJust to state some data points: when I was in Europe, I paid a total average of 39% income tax on a lower salary than I have right now in Canada. Things like utilities (e.g., gas/electricity), restaurants, certain grocery items and electronics (e.g., iphone/PS5/computers) were significantly more expensive because European VAT (inclusive) is usually 20%+. \n\nI don't have the exact numbers but on average I believe I was paying 70 - 90€ ($100 - 130 CAD) just for electricity each month for a small flat, but I am now paying $30 - 50 CAD for a decent sized 1 bedroom. I believe my housing gas bill was about the same or possibly a bit more. In addition, automobile gas prices were much higher (about $2€/L on average which is $2.90 CAD/L) and I think they could go even higher right now. \n\nHowever, rent is definitely more expensive in Vancouver, but I believe that is true for many West coast cities in North America. Right now I'm paying $2300 CAD a month for a 1BR, and I split that amount with my partner. In comparison, it would have been about €1300 ($1900 CAD) for something similar in the city where I was living previously. In a more expensive city (e.g. Amsterdam) a 1BR would easily cost €1800+ ($2650 CAD).\n\nFor me, the difficulty of making friends in my late 20's stays about the same. I think it is difficult to make new friends after graduating from school, and you have to put yourself out there by joining groups and events. (e.g. Meetup or volunteering?)

Your decision comes from a place of priviliage. There are many who can't even if they wanted to. Also, as Canadian passport holders is again a huge privilege. As for Muslims in a third world country, despite their qualifications and talents, can't even move to Madinah even if they're totally desperate to live in the city of the Prophet alayhissalam.

As a canadian i never thoughg of living anywhere else vanxouver is so beautiful. Growing up govrnmebt started cutting programs and services in schools ans public resources. And kept doing it. \n\nNow they are removinf beautiful homes to build ugly apartments no yards .\n\nThere is not enough public space. Everyone is moving to the city. We use to be able to go to the beach on a weekday in spring and there was no one. Now its packes. To get to the bathroom was almost a block long. The bathrooms are small. Goos for population we has in the early 90s. We need somethings 4x larger now. \n\nIm ok with new comers but if they create a new community in the rural areas. We have so many areas up north no one moves to.\n\nOr lots of space to build new communities up north, not deatroy the current communities that already exist. \n\nWith all the new apartments there is not enough space for cara, no parking and no room on public transportation.\n\nSimply, the city cannot support anymore people. Its unrealistic. \nI worked with a girk who shares a 1 bedroom apartment with 5 other people and she still paid 1500 a month for rent.\n\nThis will soon be like america - run down, extreme poverty & homelessness. The homelessness has gotten so extreme.\n\nWages havw increased maybe 3x since i was a kid, but pricea rose eveey year.\n\nAs a kid we paid $850 for 3 bedrooms. When i mo ed to my first apartment i paid $800 for 3 bdrms. My friend pays $3000 now for a 2 bedroom aptt.\n\nThere are more crimes more thefts now. My old houae was 600,000 that same house is now 1.5 mil. \n\nI make 2x what i made 3 yeara ago ans things are even more expensive than, i have less now vs when i was making less. Ill never affors a house i can barley affoes to save.\n\nIm certainly looking at gettinf out of here. This country is going to trash

A big part..........at least here in Vancouver why the healthcare system is broken here is due to the ongoing opioid crisis. The downtown eastside where many of the homeless and drug addicts live is known as the vortex because it sucks in all 1st responders across the lower mainland. Yet when someone who lives somewhere else in the city needs an ambulance you are screwed. Last year I had to wait over 8 hours for an ambulance........I live less then 10 minutes away from the nearest hospital. Because I couldn't move I had to sit there while my roommate had to call 9-11 over a dozen times to get me an ambulance. Doctors are even telling people to take a cab to the hospital if they can walk, because it's faster. \n\nAnd even when I finally got to emergency I had to wait hours to get looked at. The doctor didn't see me for almost 6 hours while i'm lying there screaming in pain. And this was on a Tuesday night, not even a weekend.

I have been in Toronto since 1990 - used to love it but now... we're bankrupt as a City due to all the immigrants and homeless migrating here - thanks to our Federal Gov't not doing their jobs. I am disabled and was attacked 4 times on the TTC last year. Really hating what this city has devolved into. But where to live? Moving back to the UK is not an option as it is much the same there. Vancouver again? Not much cheaper but at least there you have more opportunities to get away from people.

Toronto is thousands times better than 1990, when there were no jobs and city was a dead city. \nNow Toronto offers one of the best job opportunities in the world , and city is buzzing with top food choices and cultural events.

I was born in North York in 1955. Used to be the cleanest city in North America. Beautiful, modern, safe. Now, I'll be blunt. to parrot a phrase from Trump, it's a SHITHOLE of a city. Nothing but condos, you can't even see the lake anymore. Every 6 months when I go downtown from Aurora there another 30 condos being built. Often owned by foreigners with lots of money, who buy up 3-5 units at a time. Parking and traffic are impossible. Green spaces like Allen Gardens are now owned by homeless, not the taxpayers. The government is a far left leaning one, which means let the whole world in, no matter if there are no services, driving up debts by increased spending, and resulting in a place only the very rich can now afford to buy a house or pay rent for a tiny crummy one bedroom unit. I even give up free Leaf tickets when I'm offered, it's just not worth the aggravation of traffic and tons of people. Good luck!!!

I have lived in TO for over 30 years. Love the city! It has its challenges and problems, just like any BIG city worldwide. I would not move anywhere else in Canada (because other places are as expensive or much colder). I love its energy, restaurants, venues, events and the diversity of its people. There is so much room for improvements and to control rent/house affordability, but it is still a great place to live.

You are spot on! (And far too polite/politically correct - sorry to say lol).\n\nToronto is the WORST city to live in. I look forward to leaving. I regret moving here 17 years ago - don't know how I've managed to stay this long. Toronto has changed me... and not for the better. This place will make you bitter, you'll have no friends (or shallow, money-hungry ones) and there's no sense of community. Your workplace will be toxic, you'll work long hours for a boss that treats you like crap and pays you less than you're worth. You'll be underpaid, and not valued or appreciated. You'll wake up in the dark to go to work in the freezing cold and come home in the dark, in the freezing cold. You'll live in an expensive tiny box in the sky with disrespectful neighbours (and their barking dogs). The 'unhoused' and addicts will hang outside of your building, begging you for money and smoking crack/weed. The stench of urine and poop on a hot summer's day (the 3 months of it that there is) will make you want to heave.\n\nAnyone thinking of moving to Toronto should seriously think twice and do LOTS of research. There are so many BETTER cities in the world - choose wisely. Don't choose Canada.

I am a South African and today more than ever, I can say I am a proud South African. \nIt is not always all sunshine and roses. ? Well, actually it is sunshine. At least 300 days of the year.\nI don't live in an Islamic state but in my country we make provision for all religions and cultures. \n1.7% of the population is made up of people of islamic religion. That is more than 1million muslims living here. 78% are Christians. We have Mosques, halaal food in nearly every city and Islamic schools in certain areas where there is a higher populations of muslims.\n\nFor the muslims who prefer to attend a normal school, provision is made for islamic cultural and religious events within these schools.\n We hear the Athaan 5 times a day. In fact we hear it so often that we dont hear it anymore. It has become part of who we are as a nation. We hear the church bells ring. This reminds us of who we are. I live opposite a Jewish cemetery that has a synagogue. With religious events we cant get out of our drive ways because of the congestion if traffic due to this. But we still respect and understand. \nWe have a very diverse culture and most of us respect the diverse cultures.\nI live in Cape Town and would not want to live anywhere else. \nGood luck with your journey and follow your heart.

Inflation has hit worldwide. Prices surged after COVID with no signs of going down and now we are at a point that we've been anchored to these prices. Sometimes I dissuade myself from the occasional treat. I thought Popeye's was halal in Canada. While I now live in a state with 100,000+ Muslim population, I wish there were a lot more halal eatery options. This is a stark contrast from where I was living in Long Island, New York, where there were close to 30 halal eateries in a 3-mile radius. New York City has now permitted the azaan to be broadcasted over loudspeaker for every week jumu'ah and during Ramazan every maghrib as well. Even with all the halal options and large Muslim neighborhoods, NYC has its own challenges. A designated shoes-off place of worship for all faiths in establishments would be nice, be it malls, superstores, or airports.

San Francisco north. Lawlessness. Soft on crime. No one helping each other anymore, loss of community. I live north of the city, and shudder every time i have to make my way into it. Its funny in a way, because the people there maintain that the answer is more socialist policies, and keep voting them in, even though it clearly continues to NOT work. make your bed and lie in it , i guess.

It was nice watching your video. You asked for a suggestion. In your case, I think the best place for you to settle down would be Turkey. \nThe main problem you will face there would be the language. I think that is a big problem initially, but it is easy to learn a language, before going to that country. Once you are there, it will be easy for you to pick it up, because you will be forced to use it every day. The rest of the points you raised will be resolved. The weather there is not as cold as it is in Canada. Most of the population are Muslims, so you will find the required atmosphere to practice your belief freely and safely without worries or fear. When it comes to people, they are friendly and nice in general. Remember wherever you go in the world you will find good and bad people. This is life. \nThe 2nd choice would be US. They have various of mixed nations. Language will not be an obstical. But, there are many Muslims there. Some of the states have very big Muslim communities. So I think it will be easy for you to find a suitable state and city to settle down there. \nWish you all the best for your coming days. May Allah open up the way for a very bright future. In Shaa Allah.

Wow I am so amazed how Toronto has changed! I used to live there for 6 years and it was amazing, Toronto has a special place in my heart I had a great time I met wonderful people and learnt a lot, however, the city has changed in a very bad way which is sad to hear at some point I was seriously considering going back but I suppose I will have to let it go.

Toronto is doomed thanks to the woke Libtards and the NDP! Mind you the Conservatives did not helped the city either! When I moved to Toronto in 1966, there was no crime to speak of! You could leave your bike outside in front of any store nobody would steal it. Apartments were affordable, and even working on a min. wage job you could survive. After P.E. Trudeau was voted into the national government , everything started to go down in general, and this reflected in the city of Toronto too. In the past 20-25 years it is in a total downward spiral. TTC is now dangerous to use. The city government is anti-car, putting in stupid bike lanes everywhere, chocking traffic, cutting off parking, a four way stop signs on every corner of the streets, and the worst the Police do not enforce traffic violations. If I could afford it I would move from Toronto, but truly to where? Hamilton, Guelph, Kitchener, London, Windsor? Nah, not much cheaper... Perhaps another country? Sure Dubai, Switzerland sounds good if I would be a millionaire!

It's simple. A huge number of mostly males from countries that hate the western way of life have been imported into Canada. They bring their tribal and violent ways along with them and refuse to integrate. This is where to the increase in crime is from and along with that we now have illnesses that haven't been seen in the west in decades. You say that Toronto is a diverse city, well diversity is destroying Canada and all western countries. I was born in Toronto but there isn't enough money in the world to make me move back. Good riddance.

Very good objective video. I grew up in Toronto and had many great experiences in the city as well as commuting from west Toronto into the city for five years of high school (grade 9 to grade13). At an very early age I used to fearlessly ride buses, street cars and the subway system with no concerns of crime or potential violence in my mind. I wouldn't suggest this now for a young person unless you have 2 or 3 marshal arts black belts in your resume! The very same circumstances exist in Vancouver...quite possibly x's 2. My family and I now live a short distance east of Vancouver, but the city has changed about 10,000% since I lived there from the late '70's to the late '90's. I don't mind saying that I believe most of the problems/issues in Toronto, Vancouver and many other cities in Canada have been accentuated by poor policy decisions at all levels of government...municipal, provincial and federal...particularly since 2015 aka the J Trudeau era. I would like to share this video with MP Pierre Poilievre is that is OK with you. JV.

I live in Casper Wyoming & I'm Blessed Thank You Jesus for all the blessings that you have bestowed upon me although Casper is very WINDY it's a very clean ? city & there is no place else I would like to live ?

You explained this so well!! My partner and I moved to Canada 3 years ago just as we got approved for H1B. We had to chose between moving to CA or staying there in an uncertain limbo for 2 decades waiting for a greencard. You did a good job talking about the downsides of moving such as a lower salary and higher home prices. We bought a small townhouse for the price we could have paid in the US for a detached house. Many people I know in similar situations leave CA and move back to the US once they get their Canadian citizenship. However, I do think that there are many reasons to stay such as the political climate. The US has become very regressive banning abortions, making gun laws more lenient and it’s not as accepting when it comes to diversity and inclusion (be it POC community or Lgbtqia+) unless you live in a big city which is expensive. These are the reasons we chose to stay, especially if we have kids as school shootings are getting more and more common there.