Close Reading

Guy doesn’t have a clue. It’s not his fault, but this guy hasn’t lived one day of his life like an average Canadian. He comes from a place where if you just throw money at a problem it will go away, which is the exact opposite of what is required to fix housing affordability.

Many leave their own country, and come to Canada BECAUSE of their dislikes; extremism, culture, religion, laws, identity and in some cases backwards thinking; attempt to turn what we in society would consider as sexist, and discriminatory in some examples….\n\n…however when those same individuals finally achieve citizenship, or in some cases this starts (attempt to change Canadian law(s)) before obtaining citizenship, making moves to force the above, everything they despised, hated or disliked about their own country, into this new country ? Its like, the expectation is that we assimilate to them, not that they assimilate to their new chosen country??\n\nIt appears in some cases, going as far as attempting to rationalize why the the very thing they left their own country for, should now be a part of or have a place in Canadian society….where in any place in the World does this happen? Would it happen? Can you imagine, if I were a guest in someone else’s home, being invited over for dinner, but they had rules…like taking off your shoes when entering their home…or demanded they change their menu that they worked hard making for me to eat..or that I do not put my feet up in the coffee table or furniture…but I said, screw that, I don’t agree with their rules..I’m just going to do what I want! What would be the outcome do you think if I were to disrespect their rules?\n\nWhen Canadians have the audacity to say NO, we’re not interested in adopting …the rules/laws of the country they just abandoned…we’re now somehow insulted, or angered the guest? …the same Canada that has welcomed, provided safety, roof over their heads, food on the table, an education for their children, and provided access to our medical (albeit far from perfect) infrastructure.\n\nTo stomp their feet, bang their fist on the table when discovered that it’s expected to take four years of your life to become a doctor (which btw if you’re smart enough to become a doctor, you should be smart enough to of researched the expectations, PRIOR to coming to Canada) in the Country that YOU have chosen to spend the rest of their lives in, to have to work in a job to help support you and your families transitions,…imho, is NOT an unreasonable ask….that 4-5 years of their next 40-50+ ? Well, if that is considered a hardship, then maybe they need to rethink their intent. Maybe, the grass WAS greener in their former Country?!! \n\nI think to expect or demand to just step into or handed on a silver platter all the goodies without having to except to take the not so good…is imho ignorant, arrogant and selfish.\n\nEven with our flaws, Canada is one of the best places to live on the planet. It’s takes hard work, investment and community to make/keep Canada

What was the point of this…\nBOOK?\n\nMy favourite provinces (not ranking) are Ontario, Alberta, BC, Quebec, and Nova Scotia. \n\nOntario for the history, the world records, *(longest street on earth at least at one point, tallest tower in North America, Toronto most multicultural city, etc.)* and the terrain/coolness of Ontario- the big cities, surprisingly safe, the good weather some places, the icy terrain near Hudson Bay, and pretty nice forests.\n\nAlberta for the coolness aswell, the big cities Calgary and Edmonton are pretty great, and the mountains are awesome, the oil is useful, the lakes are great- and yeah the great, safe place to live overall.\n\nBC for the amazing mountains too, the islands, Vancouver is SO amazing just seeing a picture of it, its unique that a big city is spread across so many islands, and the pacific- \n? oh I do like to be beside the sea side ? \nAnd BC has great forests like Ontario. Just- take in mind that it’s the only province with grizzly bears. (Alberta might idk)\n\nQuebec for the history, (all the history is in Quebec City)\nAnd the great terrain, it looks amazing- they have a lot of Great Lakes (wait Ontario has more, in fact all of those) and even just it’s one big city, Montreal. For the biggest province it’s got just one big city but it is _huge._ and Montreal is a great sight to see. Big city- and stuff. (I’ve been writing too much) oh also French…. Stuff.\n\nNOVA SCOTIA IS GOOD BC well Halifax is pretty freakin sweet and the Atlantic is a great sight as well as in Newfoundland and warmest in PEI. Oh and Nova Scotia is cool bc it holds record for find of the worlds largest lobster on its shore. ? \nIt has some nice villages too but I like the seaside the best out of any province there I think.

I like how y’all have created this video by not applying a negative undertone rather more of an informative approach to caution prospective movers of what potentially awaits them. All I would like to highlight is the fact that some people will experience all these points as negative aspects or maybe even one or two that might lead to the breaking point.\nIt all depends on where you come from and how life was in your “home” country.\nYou might come from a higher tax environment with non existent healthcare and education. From that perspective, 40% taxes might look better and the healthcare might be great or crap depending on what your health issues are. I personally haven’t had any struggles with most of these aspects - finding a great job was relatively easier, (key word - relatively) the healthcare system worked for me when I needed it to, I was mentally prepared for the high taxes, I culturally adapted to the point where people thought I was Canadian and didn’t realize I came in from a very different environment. I’m sure this cultural adaptation helped me with my job and made it easier to live here.\nAll in all, you can say I’ve had the “perfect” immigrant experience that most people would dream of. But what do i think really? Personally, I have come to realize that Canada at the moment does not fit into my personal goals and values and that is okay. Loneliness away from people you love can be tough. It just isn’t the same feeling making new friends and hanging out with coworkers who are much older than you are and in a different place in life. I’m very close to my family and friends who I’ve grown up with and are on the other side of the world. My parents are getting older and I want to spend as much time with them as possible. For that reason, I might consider being somewhere closer to them. I’d perhaps consider coming back here some day when I’ve got my own family and kids which I currently don’t have. To me, that’s a personal value high on the list. I guess my only takeaway from this video and advise to people looking at each of these points - take each one and compare it with your home country. If you think you’re better off in Canada, then move - it’s a great place! If not, think about it real hard and weigh out the pros and cons.

Canada is what you make of it. You can arrive rich and end up poor and you can arrive poor and end up rich. In between that, you can have a great life that balances your needs. I’ve seen immigrants succeed simply because they see the opportunity in front of them . They worked hard in their own counties to stay just above the poverty line ,but when they apply that same effort here it pays off ten times greater. I feel that compared to a lot of immigrants, natural born Canadians come across as spoiled and a little lazy…we are. We haven’t had to struggle the same way someone from a poorer country might have. I’ve talked to people who’ve worked ten to twelve hours a day just to stay afloat. If you did that here you could make plenty of money to live and have some left over. As far as owning a house goes,yes it’s expensive . I feel that homeownership in any country is relatively expensive. Here is a tip; use that soaring home prices to your advantage. Houses are expensive but you can make a lot of money buying and selling. I recommend putting together a buyers group and share the house for a few years, then sell at a profit, buy a bigger house or two smaller houses.try to buy the worst house in the best neighbourhood and fix it up slowly . That house could double in value in five or six years in the Toronto market. This is nothing new of course ,the people from India and China seem to do this a lot here ,it drives up prices and profits. On the downside to this ,you are now part of the problem. As the housing prices are driven up the non wealthy can no longer afford to own a house . They are at the mercy of high rents with no rewards of ownership. They are caught in a cycle of hard work and (relative)poverty. This could also be you if you can’t keep up the house payments and are forced to rent.\nHow well you speak English is important but your native language is also useful here because Canada is half immigrants . As a Canadian that speaks only english (Irish descent)I have to say to all newcomers that I’m very impressed that you have learned a new language and that you may even speak more than two! Don’t be embarrassed about your abilities . I find that in my experience , Canadians do not look down on people just because they don’t know English. In fact ,I’ve known people that have lived here for decades and still know very little English. They are comfortable in their communities and they function just fine. Learn as much English as suits your needs and be proud of any gains you make.\nOutside of Toronto are other cities that you might consider when looking at southern Ontario.From my experience,most are generally the same, just not as big . There are large immigrant communities in London Ontario, Hamilton and just outside of Toronto where housing is just a little bit less expensive but the commute to work is probably longer. This is just my opinion but in the small towns there are less people of colour , (which is what people of no colour call everyone else . I wonder if I’m called a person of no colour in some other culture ? LoL ). That might make it harder for you to feel integrated ,if that’s what you want. I’m not saying that people from other cultures can’t make it in a small town , I’m just saying that it’s definitely not Toronto . Here, people of any nationality can feel like they have a place where they can belong . It seems that no matter where you are from ,there is a community already here that’s set up restaurants and stores and clothing shops and newcomer support systems. And if your from Portugal or China or India or Africa or the Middle East, there are large groups of your kin here that have established roots for generations and you probably know this already.\nToronto means meeting place and that becomes evident quickly. I was born here and it’s one of the things I love the most about my city. I’m not going to say that there isn’t systemic racism here ,the people of no colour still kind of keep the top position , but as we become a minority in a decade or so ,I hope that will shift to a broader spectrum. It’s certainly happening already. One good thing is that the police department tries to hire people of colour so that racialism may play a smaller role. We’re getting used to seeing our politicians more and more reflect their constituents.\nI have to talk about the weather. Because I’m from here I’m used to the extremes of minus thirty and plus thirty . Eventually you get used to it (somewhat). Dressing in the right clothes is important. Summer is easy , but winter is different. It’s trying to kill you. Spend the most that you can afford on winter cloths . If you can afford a quality parka you should get one. The hood can be drawn around the face and stay out of the wind.\nIf not ,think of layers with a outer layer that blocks the wind. We have things called long Johns that are basically full length thick cotton or nylon pants that go on under your pants and a pair of extra thick socks. Buy your boots to fit your thick socks. Try to get the best boots you can afford ,it’s something that you might spend a little extra for but never regret.\nAll in all we are a fairly organized and peaceful society. Most people are friendly and will give you a chance . We have a good social safety net here and you don’t have to be homeless or starving if you don’t want to. There are people and organizations set up to help ,that truly try to get people back on their feet. It’s a good investment that pays off in ways that matter for the quality of life in a big city. I’m not putting my American neighbours down when I say they do things differently. They have their ways ,we have ours. This is just something that we do because we’re trying to learn how to help those that society has discarded or can’t find their place. Sure we have one or two areas where the homeless have pitched tents and we have some resources for them if they want. Unfortunately The mayor recently forced a small camp to move from a very visible place to more scattered locations. There were social workers involved as well as protesters trying to protect them. I didn’t like that happening and I want to see even more resources dedicated to them ,but on the other hand ,we are trying to avoid something like what happens on the streets when it’s just ignored. When I see YouTube videos of the streets of Philadelphia I’m extremely saddened. I thank the lucky stars that I was born in Toronto Canada.\nFor all it’s pollution and expense and crowds ,I think it’s a great place to do almost anything your heart desires . For every ugly building there is a beautiful park ,for every honked horn there is a birds call , for every cold and dark day there is beautiful sunny one around the corner.

A/A. Great topic and information! Thank you! For you to say you’ve been here for 15 years and haven’t experienced racism then you’re lucky. I have been living here for 28 years (that’s most of my life, I came her as a young child). My sister’s and I have experienced first hand racism due to our hijab in elementary school, high school, after 9-11 during job interviews (myself and my brothers due to their name being Muhammed). Over time things have gotten better alhumdolillah but racism exists everywhere and many have experienced it. Where there are people that use racial slurs or acts of discrimination etc, there are many more that will support you and guide you. I love Canada and wouldn’t live anywhere else but to say it’s not there and every case is dealt with the way it was dealt with our London family, is not the case. If it was, what happens with them would not have happened. May Allah help us treat one another with tolerance and love as Islam intends it to be. Once again thank you for creating videos like this to help our fellow Pakistanis.

This whole “micro aggression” nonsense is what completely makes people not take racism seriously and as a real issue. I for one am not saying I’m one of those people but I’m just making an observation. Because along with real problems of people literally hating a certain group and thinking they’re above them just because their skin is a different color than them, we lump somebody touching your hair?? Sounds more like she just wasn’t comfortable with somebody doing that, and most people would probably say that they’d be uncomfortable with something like that, regardless of their ethnicity. I hate when racism gets thrown around because people are insecure and think everything bad or unwarranted that happens to them from a white person is rooted in racism. It’s seems like “it’s racism cuz I decided it was”. Some people are just assholes, or weirdos, and need to be put in their place and labeling EVERYTHING as racism really causes a lot of people to not take things seriously when it IS present.

OMG I NEVER THOUGHT THIS KIND OF BEHAVIOUR WAS IN MY BACKYARD what’s even more shameful is the fact that the police didn’t show up till the next day OMG WHAT IS MY TAX MONEY PAYING FOR ? to top it off this Woman isn’t Chinese not that we should attack anyone physically emotionally or psychologically anyway and police wonder why no one calls them anymore we pay them and they respond like it’s Sunday afternoon

I know it won’t be easy but, Toronto has a lot of resources for immigrants and even undocumented immigrants. I worked for a shelter and although it was the only one that takes undocumented families, you learn there are resources out there. \nIt’s about aligning yourself with the right community support Center, finding the people who will fight for you. There are so many people here who welcome and want to help all types of immigrants. No matter your background.\nThe people who work helping these communities they are ruthless in their fight for citizenship, or at least finding you a job and home, they will guide you through the system. Social workers, ones in community resource centres, not government centres, will be your best friend. They know where the red tape is and the resources available to you. \nYou could even go to a specific shelter to t all out your options and where you could go to get help.\nI understand this is not ideal. \nBut, if you want to be here, your best friends are non-profits, finding a center that aligns with your story, your background, because they will fight for you. We have people here from every country and resource centres geared towards your own language, religion etc.\nAnother big way to set yourself up for success. Churches, rich churches to be specific. \nMy mom works in a very rich church and it helps them feel better about themselves helping people, you could be nice enough to alleviate their guilt through their wallets, and connections. Under the table work, shelter, space for your family, set you up, they might even have the lawyers you need pro Bono in those rich churches. Church shopping, do not be above it if you don’t have resources. You don’t just get help, you build a community and support system through a common bond, the church. \nI know these aren’t revolutionary tips, but without specifics of your background it’s hard (for me specifically) to give specific advice online as to what services could be provided for you.\nIt’s kind of like a doctors appointment. You need background info to diagnose the resources for you and how to access that help.

Bro \nAre you even from Canada? \nSome REAL TIPS \n1) Canada is expensive as fuck. Good luck on a minimum wage job. Don’t bother coming if you don’t have degrees because with such little population jobs are extremely competitive \n2) doctors visits and emergency rooms don’t cost anything upfront but do expect an 8 hour wait or 12 in a big city. Doesn’t matter what your “emergency” is... get in line. We have the longest waits in the world for things like X-rays and MRI’s. True story look it up. \n3) we have the most expense cell phone plans in the world with the shittiest coverage. In all fairness we have a small population and a massive landmass. \n4) if you’re moving to BC, car insurance is government run. So it’s extremely expensive (I think also the most expensive in the world) and it’s awful... so don’t ever get into an accident) other provinces don’t run this way. \n5) gas in BC is also very expansive because of multiple taxes, it’s affordable most places in the prairies though \n6) drinking is 18+ everywhere except BC where it’s 19+ \n\nSo if you want to live somewhere “nice” move to BC. but you’ll be poor as fuck. \nWant to live somewhere affordable, move to the prairies but it’s awful. \nYou can’t move to Quebec if you don’t speak French fluently. Toronto is okay and you won’t fit in anywhere in the eastern islands so don’t even bother. \n\nThe end.

The first step before understanding a conflict, let alone trying to solve it, is listening. Bravo to CBC for giving a voice to people who are in positions of leadership who represent the disenfranchised, the violated and the overlooked. One thing that can be frustrating about “not seeing a problem that doesn’t involves us immediately” is that we are locked in to our own worldview—and it’s frustrating to be asked to change something we ourselves don’t think needs fixing. The importance of just listening, and being witnesses to specific stories, human to human—and being reeducated on the lingering multi-generational consequences of past and current racism is what needs to be focused on, if you are an individual who feels like nothing is wrong. The task is merely to listen—and doubt your sense of comfort, satisfaction and preference for the status quo. Listening, and doubt can lead to change. Collective change can lead to understanding, and even, healing. It is so hard to doubt oneself at this level because “othering” is a very strong force in tribal instincts and dynamics. To be asked to let go of this seemingly real sense of self and group identity can be extremely unsettling, psychologically. I hope that is somehow helpful for people who are reading, in some way. I wish that our education not only reflected history accurately, but also made it mandatory to learn basic principles of psychology.

This is noting new. It happens here in USA . They come here , get their green card or citizenship and then live in China kept the Chinese Benefits they gave and if they are at the retirement age in USA, they get both benefit and then live in China and then come back when it’s seven months when they need to like every six months everybody knows and they all know what they doing.

This is such bs. I’m so sick of news articles treating deportation like it’s some national sin. We’re supposed to feel bad that people get deported for living here illegally?! That’s what deportation is for! This chick is 30 she’s been here 18 years, if she was concerned about going through proper channels, she would have. The people who deserve to be here are the ones who have endured the process of doing it legally. The fact that someone can live here & own a business for years all while being here illegally is ridiculous. “Couldn’t they just go after criminals?” You were supposed to be deported over a decade ago! You are a criminal.

It’s sad too see all this negatives comments y’all don’t know how hard it is for immigrants Unless you are one you can never relate the presidents thinks we are all rapist killers and bad people but that’s not the case yes there might be some bad people but I guarantee most of us are good people who come here too work really hard so our family’s and children can have a better life I don’t understand why we get so much hate all we come too do here is work hard and also we do jobs that no other people will do let’s put an example I don’t see any white American or black African American working in construction yes there might be some but most don’t like working outside in the heat because it’s hot and because it’s a hard job look at el Paso shootings you tell me who did that shooting ? It’s really sad too what this country has become too and the president is very wrong too and if your with the president you’ll should be ashamed of yourself.

I feel bad for his innocent children to have to go through this. You want to live in another country, you need to follow the law like every else. You learn the language, get the same I.D. We all have to have , and be treated the same as if any American were to illegally cross boarders! What we have to go through just to have identification here should be no different for anyone else! You can’t just live off our tax dollars and government ins., food stamps etc.. While we pay for you to live here!! I don’t reap those benefits, yet I’m paying yours!! I can’t feel bad! When I go to a dr. Or dentist and an immigrant or a lazy able bodied parent gets everything done free and I’m struggling to pay with full ins.. I literally walk out so pissed off! These are straight facts!! He had fifteen years to make it right. Instead he took a shot doing it his way to reap the American benefits and the feel bad for me card!If they ever let him come back and he collected any kind of help in those last fifteen years, “if” , he should have to get proper I.D., citizenship, and pay back anything he was given! It’s only fair! He was able to save all that money tax free, hmmm must be nice! I don’t feel bad he had to spend it. That’s real life!I’m tired of watching my citizens no matter race or color, work hard paying taxes and giving their hard earned money away!!If we just let anyone walk right through our boarder than what’s the point of any American needing any I.D.??? Don’t people get why it’s so important to keep track for so many obvious different reasons!! I believe certain citizens with outrageous offenses should be chipped!In every race!I don’t care who the president is any president that doesn’t believe this is the right thing to do sucks! I didn’t vote for a Trump! I think he’s smart and a moron at the same time!

I’m always scared to get accused of shoplifting, not because I’m black but just because I take ages to look at 1 article. I can stay more then 1 hour in the store. I usually do every aisle even the ones that don’t concern me like the baby section. I just like to see what is new, what is available. \nI live in a country where shoplifting is not really an issue, so I’m used to doing what I want in the shops. I went on holiday in the US and completely forgot that I was not home. I went to target and didn’t take a basket as I was suppose to only buy 1 thing. When I picked up more then 5 articles I put a few in my pocket. It’s only when I got to the cashier that I was like “ I’m crazy this is not my country “. Good thing nothing happened. \nAlso I’m a day dreamer so I always look suspicious in shops.

This whole thing is total horseshit. Implicit bias is far from scientific fact. It’s barely a working theory. I like how only the white people are pegged as preferring a certain race. Guess what, EVERYONE prefers a certain racial group. And 9 times out of 10 its the racial group you are part of that you prefer. This is straight up propaganda.