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Im a Canadian, currently living in Vancouver but I've lived in many countries and will expat again. What it boils down to is if you have a good professional job that pays well, quality of life here is fantastic (among the best). Great schools, clean, great for young kids, and unparalleled acces to the best nature in the world mintues from a world class city. But life gets difficult quick when you cant afford anything. All these other complaints are blown out of porpotion (politics, drugs, etc...) by many and mostly don't really impact most people. In my experience, most people really leave because of better pay in the US, or because Europe has more culture, or asia has many more contries to explore close, or has LATAM has better weather etc...

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.

I think that a lot of people who seem to hate Canada in this comment section are either from Toronto and Vancouver, the two most expensive cities in the country, but these two cities don't represent Canada as a whole. \n\nPersonally I live in a smaller city in Québec (Saguenay) and life quality is super good, there are a lot of job opportunities and housing is very cheap, and it is an amazing place for outdoor lovers\n\nI saw many comments saying that the US is cheaper than Canada... Those people simply don't compare what's comparable. If you compare Toronto with comparable cities in the US like New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, Toronto is in fact MUCH cheaper. If I compare my city with comparable cities in the US, well it turns out that Saguenay is much cheaper\n\nSo before wanting to move to another country, you can simply think about moving within Canada. If however you hate winter, then there's no reason to stay here ?

I am indonesian, but i’ve lived in Japan and the US for study purpose, and i relate to your experience. Eventhough i had a strong moslem community when i was in Japan/US, and halal food was accessible there, i was still feeling uncomfortable that as a moslem i couldn’t express my identity freely. Whenever i wanted to go for a roadtrip or place outside of my city, i need to search if halal food was available in there or not, while in Indonesia i don’t have to worry about halal food, almost all food are halal, the restaurant usually inform us if their are not halal. Another experience is that in non-moslem country, they didn’t provide many prayer rooms or mosques, that’s also sickening for me. I mean i don’t mind to pray in a random parking lot, or in a park, or in an emergency stairs, or in changing room in mall, or any random places; but i really missed my country where prayer room is available anywhere, you can find prayer room in gas station, in a restaurant, in the mall, in airport/bus station/train station, etc. Also mosques are everywhere too. You are easily going to find mosque after walking around 200m, well yeah there is a reason why Indonesia is a country with the most number of mosques in the world. Another thing is islamic class. When i was in Japan, i could only join an islamic class where people gather to listen from syeikh (or we call it as “pengajian”) once in every other months, in the US was better, mosque in mu place held islamic class every other day. However, in Indonesia, islamic classes are everywhere, it’s like every mosque held their own class, until to the point that i am confused what should i follow because there are so many options ?. The last is that, in moslem country or at least in my country, finding moslems outfit is very easy. So yeah, overall, i prefer to live in moslem countries. Alhamdulillah i was born in moslem country, and alhamdulillah my country’s situasion, eventho not perfect, is peacefull.

Assalam w Alaikum! Dear Saleh family... It is an inspiration to see your vlogs and the good work you have been doing .. May Allah be pleased with you... i am glad that you have taken this decision and it is never too late... The reasons you have mentioned, do make sense and I wish you all the best and pray for your next steps that you find a good place to settle soon... I suggest you to consider UAE as your next destination, specifically Abu Dhabi as a city where you and your kids will find it much comfortable to live and practice a good healthy life... you may hear that it is expensive, but trust me it is worth it, especially when it comes to Health, Safety and Environment friendly ... The leadership here are young and have good vision for the development and prosperity of the people. Any support required i'll be more than happy to help in my capacity... inshaAllah ... Peace!

Born and raised in Toronto but as things were getting worse in Toronto, my wife and I decided to move up to a remote community in Nunavut. We simply cannot afford anything in the city anymore.

I'm in Guatemala City right now. I thought of trying to move to Australia or Europe before, but I never realized just how nice and easy things are in developing countries: Just by being a white person who speaks English, I have a well-paying job. An apartment right on the equivalent of Yonge-Dundas square, and I eat out for all meals.\n\nI'm the only gringo living in this part of the city, so I get a lot of attention, it's fun, women throw themselves at me*, and everyone wants to be my friend.\n\nI think I'll just live in Canada in the summer and somewhere warm in the winter, with plenty of summer-only jobs in Canada.\n\nI think I'll just live in Canada in the summer and somewhere warm in the winter.\n*I thought it would just be women who wanted green cards or money, but no, they all have more $$$ than I do, doctors, lawyers, government workers, etc. I'm like a status symbol they can show off to their friends.

In 1993, I received a phone call from Canada, I was headhunted & offered a 2-year work contract. Within months, I moved from Singapore to Banff, Alberta. When my contract came-up for renewal in 1995, they wanted to extend my employment but they couldn't confirm the projected remuneration I would be receiving as the institution was undergoing restructuring, so I left. I stayed on in Canada for a couple more.months to enquire on job opportunities. I quickly realised that many in my profession had quit for better salaries in other fields or that they hopped from city to city for work. thus I decided that it would be best for me to return to my home country, Singapore after all.

I live in NYC, and have been to Canada at least four times, but the last time I was there was quite some time ago. I always had a good thought about Canada, because it seems like some of the problems we have in this city, Canada also has in some way. Right now the city is a complete mess; at post pandemic and with a bit of a recession and a noticeable increase in groceries to basic things like cat food and tissues. That's not the biggest problem, it really is the legislation or lack of for people who not care for themselves. Those homeless people are almost not helpable and I don't feel threatened by them, but other people definitely do. The way the government has handled these undocumented migrants is a complete disaster and couldn't have come at a worse time. We have a serious housing crisis as well, and people can end up paying for high rent, for not the best places, but they want to live in a certain location. The migrants are coming in at about 60k in the last two weeks. You see mothers with little kids or babies selling candy all over the trains and it's becoming too much. Many see it as a form of child abuse or exploitation and we do not respect it at all. I think they feel we are weak and will just pay double for something we don't need. At one station today I must have be approached 3 times and interrupted 2 times while using my phone. It's just too much and we already have a lot of immigrants here, so I'm not sure where these people believe they will find any meaningful employment and the cold is coming. I wasn't born here, but came legally as an infant. I think the border situation is a disaster and it's obvious to a lot of people that the government lets things happen that will definitely effect citizens in the next couple of decades. The city is crowded enough and I do not know where this is all going, people do not want undocumented migrants house a few hundred feet from a childrens school. I just don't understand how they let this happen....I guess this is how Biden does things and all the groups that cheered buses pulling in when it first started are dwindling down....they just want them passed on to someone elses responsibility, but wouldn't want them as neighborhors necessarily. It's a lot of hypocrisy here. Canada seems better in some places, and the same in others.

From a european/spaniard perspective (born in the always-sunny Barcelona city), I would prefer to be dead than to live in a place where 6 months of the year are cloudy, rainy or very cold.\nThat would mean that half of my life would be wasted, thrown to the garbage bin.\nI profoundly hate snow.

Interesting video! Here's my perspective:\n\nI'm from Quebec City, of Chinese descent, born and raised in Montreal, where I lived for 21 years. I've also lived in Vancouver for 3 years, Toronto for 5 years, returned to Montreal for another 3 years, and have now been in Quebec City for 15 years.\n\nAs a Quebec City resident and business owner, I find the city amazing. During the pandemic, there were many programs and subsidies available. I even wrote to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau regarding the CEBA program for businesses, suggesting some changes to the eligibility criteria. They followed through, and Federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau sent a detailed response, signed by him but likely written by his staff, explaining the revised criteria and suggesting other potential programs. Provincially, my MP's staff guided me through various programs. Ultimately, I received nearly everything I needed to survive and potentially thrive through the pandemic (to be confirmed in 2024).\n\nTaxes are high, but I feel safe in Quebec City. Crime rates are low, and I've experienced little racism, possibly due to my fluency in French. Starting a business here has been easy, with minimal costs and bureaucracy.\n\nAs a gay man, I've never felt endangered. I can comfortably express affection for my spouse in public without feeling judged.\n\nHealthcare, including access to medication and doctor consultations, is extremely affordable. Super Clinics offer next-day appointments at no cost.\n\nI own a commercial condo for my business, which cost significantly less than it would have in Toronto or Vancouver. My rent for a one-bedroom apartment is CAD 755, and electricity bills are remarkably low.\n\nWith the shift to online business, I've accessed international markets while benefiting from a low-cost, safe environment. I received a CAD 2400 subsidy from the Canada Digital Adoption Program, among other government-funded programs, to expand internationally.\n\nAlthough homelessness exists in Quebec City, many supportive programs are available, and most homeless individuals here are polite, likely because they face less stigma.\n\nI believe it's crucial to explore different locations when moving to Canada. Many smaller cities offer great opportunities, which works to my advantage.\n\nRegarding the judiciary system, it's not perfect but feels less biased compared to the Supreme Court of the United States, such as in cases like Roe v. Wade.\n\nMy advice to immigrants is to learn the local language fluently for effective communication. Utilize all available federal and provincial tools, like legal aid, and don't hesitate to contact your MP. In my experience, they've been very helpful.\n\nAll the best, Febby!

I start to wonder if there's anyone who is not struggling in Toronto unless rich? I got a well paying job, not even my own place (shared house with too many people) and a car and an estimate of 70-80% of my income is used for monthly bills. You don't even get the basics in this city without struggling. Looking for alternative but rental prices seem to be high everywhere even in Kingston and other places far away. Food prices are insane, going out has become very expensive. Don't even mention all the taxes and high car insurance rates. Feel stuck. It's a nightmare.

If you have rent control it still is a good city on the whole. I pay $963 for a large 1 bedroom with a balcony in South Etobicoke. 24 hour transit is outside my door. However I have had the place for 12 years now. if you find a rent control apt. dont give it up, thats my advice. Sub lease it discretely when you want to travel. In New York City people scour obituaries for people who die in rent control units and then bribe landlords for the place. Thats the new reality in cities like these. However Toronto is still a city with alot of up side. and on the whole safer than cities of similar size like Chicago.

I don’t have any children but for the sake of my future children I am already next month doing hijrah and moving to an Islamic country and city. I am leaving my parents and family in Sweden and it feels really sad and scary but I am doing if for the sake of Allah and my religion.

I move from one country to another every five years because of the nature of my job. As a practising Muslim with children here are some of the countries I’ve lived in which you guys should consider :\n- Turkey is very developed and your family will have to make less adjustments in terms of quality of life. If you can speak Turkish then you are good to go.\n-Morocco has a very rich culture and the economy is relatively stable.\n- Malaysia is beautiful and has great community sense. Very helpful people. The main adjustment will be with the eastern culture which is very conservative. The cuisine is also very unique.\n- Qatar and UAE are both similar in the sense that finding jobs won’t be a problem and lots of people understand and speak english. Also these two countries are developed and the \n education standards are the highest I have seen in countries following sharia. Also these countries are less strict than Saudi Arabia which is my native country. I really hope you two \n aren’t considering it. Your girls will not grow up happy in Saudi. Trust a women who has done it. I love my religion but inshallah no child should go through that environment because her \n parents were attracted to the holy land.\n-Lastly this is a rather outlier in this list but you should consider India. There are mosques everywhere in almost every city and even the Hindus fondly wake up to the azaan. Most \ninclusive non-Muslim country I have lived in. My children loved it. We lived in one of the many Muslim communities near a mosque in a city called Hyderabad which was ruled by a Muslims for hundreds of years. Even though they have their own languages nearly everyone speaks english. The schools are great. The police create spaces for Muslims to worship on the roads so that traffic doesn’t disturb them. Very inclusive and the city itself is beautifully developed. The job market is great and it is a very affordable place to raise a family.\n\nI hope you guys check these places out. I’ve only listed the countries which I felt were the best options but I’ve lived in almost all the countries with a sizeable Muslim population. Best wishes to you folks from the Sayyid family. Allah be with you.

I live in texas went from a big city but since becoming a mom we moved to a small town. Best decision we ever made my girls play outside and are ssying hi and thank you, learning to live among others with different views or beliefs with respect. My family is a mix of el Salvador and Honduras, my moms family is of Palestine descent who left and went to a small country who was the only one at time that opened their doors due to their religion. Because of that religion and politics stay outside of our home we were all allowed to explore others but respect was always the rule, and i do the same for my girls if they want to learn we research together and teach them respect of all faiths. We do homeschool because in our small town public school is actually thw second choice of how far out we are from the school. We have also still homes in el Salvador and honduras because my family told us from being little this isnt home and to respect the hist country that opens their doors. Blessings to you and your family.

I'm from Birmingham in England. I was raised in a Christian family, but living in such a diverse city made it easy for me to revert very smoothly to Islam. We have a very strong Muslim community here, with many mosques and schools. I had considered moving to California with my children so I could be with my fiance (who is also Muslim originally from Jordan) but, he will be moving here instead, as he feels like we may not be safe there. I'm so happy for you all, I imagine the children must be so excited ??

I wish you the best ?\nWe, (me my husband and my 7 years old girl) live in the UK Kent county BUT for the last year I stayed to think about moving. We are originally from Bulgaria but Turks and came to UK 10 years ago, we just bought our house 3 years ago, basically created everything from scratch. It is bot an easy task to start from the beginning again but I believe that if Allah maid to think about moving that means He will help you.\nAs a hijabi muslim woman in a community that there are not other Muslims around I can say I feel relatively safe BUT some days I notice the look of hatred in n some peoples eyes. The other thing my girl started to question some topics they have been receiving at school and it is a constant battle for me to keep explaining to her the right and wrong. More over she is listening for now but not sure for future and this scares me.\nAs you said praying and being a practicing Muslim is difficult here as well. We are Turks but do not have Turkish nationality but when we go for religious holidays in Istanbul I feel completely different, it just feels like I have to live there near the mosque. My inner me begging me when we are in Istanbul in the old part of the city to stay there forever. \nI really know what you feel and want. I am looking for Muslim countries where possible we can move BUT unfortunately I made the conclusion that there is not a place even in a Muslim land that we can live the way of peaceful practicing and being a Muslim what we want to be. \nJust advise be careful with the Arab world, other than that if you look at Türkiye I would say do your research really well, not in every town there you can live your religion. Azerbaijan is excellent I would say but they are still under the influence of Russia. \nSo really difficult decision, may Allah guide you. Amin

Omg, this is exactly the video I needed! I've lived my whole life in America, but my parents immigrated, so sometimes I feel guilty about wanting to leave. I really want to live in a Muslim country, and being from NYC, I love the city so Dubai is the only option I can think of. But I feel like Dubai has changed, I want a place more Islamic. Unfortunately, I don't have the money to travel and explore right now. But I think your videos about the countries you've considered moving to will be super helpful! You guys are giving me so much hope, thank you!

All people complaining about cost of living are covered in tattoos walk with the latest I phone and probably live in a big city! I own a house have 4 kids and my wife is ft in school! It’s hard but I make a good wage and work 50 + hrs a week starting at 5 in the morning!! People are being lazy

ALina I see you are a jet setter ( going around the world seeing different places which. Is great and educational ) but remember your dear. dad. he. raised you in a good and Loving way and he’s getting older not younger have you ever considered Living close. too him. and working from home ( And I agree Toronto suck’s I trucked 18 wheeler’s in there delivering product’s in the the 1980s for a. while and everything you said is true about Toronto , I also worked. there. about 5 year’s ago on night shift on a union pipeline job, and stayed at Bradford, Ontario about 40 miles or. so north of the city of Toronto , driving a small truck , I don’ t want too sound. negative either but you couldn’t pay me enough. too. Live there, Now. or Never not. my cup of tea / I grew up most of my Life in. Saskatchewan , I’ am about the same age as your Dad or a year younger , / A good Looking Lady Like you would do well in Saskatchewan , and if you didn’ t Like the cold in the winter you could be a snowbird. you and your Dad ( go away for a few month’s too a warmer place) just. saying. there are a lot of good people in Saskatchewan (Ukrainian, German, Norwegian,Finnish, Irish and English and Scottish just. too name a few, I think there is a good future for a young person or person’s in. Saskatchewan for. a future, and Listen too your father , he Looked Like he’s worked hard all his Life on. the farm, I can tell Listening too him , he’s no dummy ,smart man, I still have a neighbour where I had a small acreage 17 acres south of Tisdale, Saskatchewan ( Brent Butt country ) he farmed across the road from me ( still owns the farm ) retired Lives in nearby Melfort, Saskatchewan has an apartment room he’s around your dad’s age , / I. Live in a small town on the edge of town between Toronto. and. Ottawa ( winter are quite damp here , do too all the Lake’s in Ontario )Anyway the best too you and your Dad in the new year if he is still. farming l hope he had a good crop this ( or if the Land is rented l hope the renter got a good crop) also. best too you and your Dad / Bill S. Canada

I'm from Hamilton. And the ugliness that I find in my city is the amount of homeless people on the streets living on opioids laced with fentanyl. We have a homeless problem, a drug addiction problem, and a mental health problem in the downtown core.

All of those issues are the same in any OCDE country. \n\nHousing market is shit in Europe too, even worse I would say, but at least they have decent public transports, so you can live outside a city and still go to your work fast. That’s the only real advantage. (Okay maybe construction quality and norms also)\n\nFrom experience, aka a French software engineer now living in Quebec, cost of life is waaaaaaay cheaper here than in Europe. I just don’t buy shitty stuff I don’t need, and eat responsibly. \n\nSure Canada have a lot of issue. Probably due to the current liberal government and the usamerican capitalism, healthcare is in shambles (as any other healthcare system in OCDE), public transport is non existant, etc. \nWherever you go, at some different levels, theses are issues you find in any developed countries because this is just how we made our society and how it’s deteriorating because our model is just bad overall. \n\nI do have gripes with Quebec stuff, which I think it’s one of the worst province in the country, but as far as I’m concerned, as well as most of my immigrant friends, this is still a prime country to immigrate to. \n\nAlso, the Canadians are really welcoming, progressive, kind. (In general, not all of them, don’t get me wrong)\nOne of the best people I’ve encountered and this is very important when you immigrate somewhere.

Excellent video. I am a 29 years old Canadian with high education. I make 125K/year and yet after 2-3 years of looking actively I still can't manage to buy a house near the city as a first time buyer. I made many offers but lost every time. The demand is so high and the offer so low that many people bid way above the asking price even though the prices are sky high. Most of those people sold their previous house for a lot more than they bought it many years ago and therefore, are able to do so. First time buyers like myself don't have this advantage and the ones with lower salaries might never have the chance to have a house except if they move far from the city. Our government does not slow down on immigration because there is a labor shortage due to the older generation retiring but they don't build enough houses and allowed foreign investors for too long which results in the housing crisis we are currently in. My father bought a decent house near the city for the equivalent of 2 years of his gross salary at the time... Now the equivalent is more than 4-5 times my gross salary even though I make more than him at the time (taking inflation into account). Our healthcare and education systems are falling apart as well. Both are currently on strike in the province I live in due to terrible work conditions and salaries from our government. The cost of living has increased considerably in the last few years as well, especially the food even though the companies are making record net profits this year. Yeah... Canada is not doing well right now.

My parents came from India to the US and eventually became professors at the University of Arizona in Tucson where the cost of living was relatively low. Being an only child made our living standard that much better. Had we lived in a city like New York or San Francisco, the cost of living would have been much higher and possibly we would not have lived as well. But then there are many places in the US where the cost of living is even less than where we lived in Arizona! Indeed, in the United States, the cost of living can substantially vary depending on where you live.

Canada has the same problem as the United States: wrong kind of politicians elected. Like the U.S., most Canadians consider themselves compassionate liberals and thus feel obligated to vote for said, compassionate liberal politicians. The problem is, for Canada and the U.S., these compassionate liberal politicians don't know how to run the nation's economy except to run it further into the ground. And when the problems get really bad, the solution is always, raise taxes because liberal politicians are either Marxist Socialist and believe the citizenry are obligated to pay higher and higher taxes for more government intervention, meaning, interference, in most cases.\n Whenever Canada does get around to voting in a conservative prime minister and government, the Canadian mass media immediately goes on a years-long negative campaign of deliberately undermining the government in the eyes of the Canadian People, demeaning them as inept and uncompassionate and comparing them to fascists. Eventually the Canadian People get so distressed they have to vote back in the liberal party. And then the same happens again.\n I'm just glad our Canadian brothers are not blaming the U.S. government or the CIA, but instead are clear-headed and courageous enough to blame their own government and past legislations and laws that do the exact opposite of what is supposed to happen, level the playing field for all Canadians.\n I'm reading about the outrageous pricing of Canadian housing and am astonished. But one YouTuber explained this about his Canada. Everyone in Canada wants to squeeze into the few, concentrated urban areas that concentrate business, finance, manufacturing, job opportunities, et al. As it happens, these areas are too few and far between. So what ends up happening is geographical overpopulation, despite Canada having a total population of around 32 million souls. People in California can certainly understand this phenomenon. You can purchase a 3-bedroom house out in California City, which is near the Mojave Desert, for $176,000, but there's nothing out there to make it worthwhile living there. Conversely, a tiny, 3-bedroom home in Torrance, Los Angeles, was selling for $800,000 in 2018. \n As realtors put it this way all the time, location, location, location!\n I'm going to pass on commenting on Canada's National Health Care. I've read criticisms from native Canadians on the Internet. As Canadians, they're entitled to say whatever they want about their country. If I, a Yank, open my big mouth, I'm going to get trolled by a hundred angry Canadians defending their National Health Care as the world's greatest socialized medical care. Health Care is already expensive enough in the U.S. Most people get it through their employer, which pays a part of it. But employees' monthly deductions for health insurance have been growing steadily over the past 30 years to where it's now a huge chunk out of one's monthly paycheck.

I left this city 20 years ago. It is the most correct thing I did in my life. To immigrate to Canada is the worst decision I made in my life.

In my province healthcare is ostensibly nonexistent. Wait times at ER's are well over 12 hours and you're often directed to go home without ever seeing a doctor. \nThere is an extreme deficit of doctors. I've been waiting 6 years for one and there are people who have waited much longer with no relief in sight. \nHousing is unaffordable. A decent (nothing special) one bedroom 1 bath apartment is around 1600 a month and this is a largely rural province, not a metropolitan city. \nHomes are being bought as fast as they go on the market at extremely inflated prices by people moving here to escape the more populated provinces. This has raised property taxes by 20% in the last 2 years.\nThe economy is in shambles. Homelessness is exploding and the government seems uninterested in fixing it in any realistic or helpful way.\nFederal and provincial income taxes are nearly 50% of your income (44% for me and a bit more for my wife). So, what money you do make you get to keep a little more than half.\nElectricity is about 3 times what it is in the US and the rate here is increasing by 29% over the next 3 years.\nGroceries are unreasonably expensive and becoming more pricey by the day. Provincial sales tax is 15% on top of those groceries as well. \nThis is a short list of a few of the more glaring issues but there are far more. Canada has transformed over the last 5 years into a place I hardly recognize anymore. If something isn't done about it soon we'll be living in a third world country by 2030.

They show a lot of grocery stores when they talk about monopolies, but it’s in everything. When I was getting my internet set up I found out only one of the two main companies in Canada is provided for my area (they do this on purpose). So I pay over $100 a month just for internet. And literally have no other cheaper option other than living with no internet. (I’m in a small town so there aren’t even any cafes or anything to pop into). And live alone. Another thing, we’ve got a big country, and I live in a rural community, so most of my colleagues drive at least 45 minutes to get to work, one way, because they’d rather live in the city. And this is NB so you can’t take public transportation like trains to get here, you’re driving on the highway to get here. Since the pandemic houses have more than doubled, I did get a raise, but it was I think 4% over the last three years. So cost of living is definitely increasing at a much higher rate. Before the pandemic I could buy a week of groceries for one person for $60, now it’s more than $100 for a week easily, and that’s with looking for bargains and reducing the amount of meat and fresh produce I eat. It can’t keep getting worse, because people already can’t afford it, so something is going to have to change before everything breaks completely.

All points are bang on. Too many monopolies inside too many extremely large categories. The taxes are out of control!!!! Everyone says free health care. Not true. What percentage of healthcare is done through company benefits? My guess is a high %. Also, look at some of the salaries people are making who work for the governments! The city I live in, about 150,000. There are dozens of “captains in the fire department as well as dozens of captains in training making 120,000 per year and have the ability to work 24 hour shifts (how much downtime) and I’m not sure how many days total in a month they have to work 6 or 7 shifts a month. We have a LOT of firemen. My property taxes are over $6000 per year now.

LOL, Don't go to the higher cost city ! .. I bought a HOUSE for $70k in quebec (3 bedroom) out of major city center !\nDO NOT GO to Vancouver, Toronto or Even Montreal, before my house I had an $900/month rental 4 1/2 apt.

I lived and worked in TO in a few areas for several years. I left in 2016. I am glad I left before it got bad. I started witnessing more racist comments on subway and platforms were becoming too crowded. After 30 plus years I moved to live in a rural area before moving to live in a similar setting to where I grew up in Oakville. I do love TO and it has so much to offer. I worked downtown and just could not keep up. I spent my spare time walking along the beaches especially Scarborough Bluffs and skating at Harbourfront on a weekday. These are fond memories that I will cherish.\n\n I heard that the shelters were over crowded and unhealthy places. I met a nice man in my building who was successful, lived on street for 13 years before successfully integrating into low-income housing. I learned the most from his stories and met some of the most fabulous people in the worst buildings. I had to leave for safety and mental health reasons. I could not see myself remaining in TO without support. \n\n I made the right move in the right time. Not everyone can afford city living. My quality of life and mental health are better but I cherish the friendships I made in TO. My Grandfather was a Mcleod and I am amazed how much you look like my mother when she was younger. She modeled for Ford and volunteered for a local Vet and hospital. I wish you well. I appreciate your honesty. Since I left, I have driven by TO on 407 a few times. I just didn't have the right mix of education and work to survive in the city any more.

things go downhill\nman i love this city \ni grew up here all my life\n\ntheres those funny memes going around like WHY didnt i buy a condo in grade 3 when the prices were nice lol\n\nwe need UBI government can send billions of dollars to other country for all kind of other purposes but cant build their own infrastructure\nwhy are humans so backwards\nwhen it comes to growth and well being\nwhy? \nsomeone tell me why

I was born and raised in Toronto. I have no family inheritance to give me a jump start. I make good money (middle upper class) but I’m still struggling financially. Not because I spend like crazy or anything, but because taxes are crazy and everything is so expensive. And now with the high interest rates, my monthly expenses went up $4000+ for no reason. Just based on interest rates. I had a pho lunch for 2 last week and it was freaking $70! Crimes are increasing like crazy and the government keeps having talks of handing out money when we are in so much debt. Seriously the government right now is discouraging talented hard working ppl and encouraging lazy leeches to keep being lazy. Our healthcare is also a joke. Doctors know nothing and are only there to write prescriptions. The amount of people I know that was misdiagnosed for conditions so obvious that any 10 year old can figure out by googling their symptoms is ridiculous. \n\nBeing a Toronto native I really hate seeing the city/country crumble like this. I am starting to question if sticking around is the right choice. But I’m so established and embedded here I don’t know how to uproot everything and move elsewhere. And I wouldn’t even know where to go. The states have their slew of issues too

I got half way into this video and couldn't stop laughing. You are talking about inadequate housing construction. It is absurd to claim that local governments here are not permitting new housing projects. I live in Yaletown in Vancouver and am an avid cyclist. I ride all over the city and post vids of my ride on my YT channel. If you watch any of those, you will quickly realize that construction projects are ongoing throughout the city. You will also see lots of sign board notices along the Cambie and Oak St. corridors of future construction projects. I am an old guy and lived here my whole life. Vancouver has never seen construction like this before.

Nice and well thought out video. Even though I don't agree with everything, you said it in a considerate way and shared your honest experience. It was just unfortunate that you did not get enough time to settle down. Moving to any new place is extremely tough and especially when you are moving to a completely new city. I live in Germany and I love it here. My wife and I came here to study, but my wife came first and she had a really bad first 6 months in winter. Things got much better later. We Indians miss house help so much in early days, but the fact is you have so much free time here and things are well organized. You don't waste time in traffic, you don't have to go 10 times to a government office to get work done, you don't have to sit with kids everyday to do homework, kids can come and go to school on their own, there is little dust so houses don't get dirty every day, everything is planned and no one is visiting your house suddenly. So in reality, doing the house chores aren't such a big deal because you have a lot of time.

I agree about cash grabs. I own a house with a basement apartment, I didn't put it in, the previous owner from 20 years ago did. I recently got a new tenant and had it listed online, once I acknowledged it had been rented, Zolo called the city on me. I have to get the basement registered or evict my tenant or pay $25,000 for disobeying the bylaws. I decided to get the basement registered and they are telling me that I don't have 50 % Landscaping so I have to pay $800 to apply for an exception ( even after paying the fee I could still be denied, that's just a fee for the application)\n\nNo one within 30 square km of my house has 50% landscaping, that's not how the neighborhoods were designed. It's a cash grab. After paying the $800 I still have to go through the process to register the basement which is going to cost me another $1,000 plus whatever changes they ask me to make.\n\nWe are in an affordable housing crisis and this is the bs that I'm going through just trying to rent my basement. I'm not a slumlord nor do I overcharge for rent, the system is grossly unfair

I stopped visiting Canada 40 years ago because of insane or corrupt border control policies. I traveled to Canada from California to record an album for a popular rock star. My crew number 4 people and we had reserves a month for basic tracking in a studio there. We bought our own reels of 3 inch wide recording tape because the studio wanted twice the rate as normal and since my studio was a distributor for the mastering tapes we brought from my own inventory. Each reel of tape was 3 lbs and brought 30 reels. We got to customs and they said we owed money for importing the tape. Normally a reel would have been $180, and customs wanted $38,000 x 20, and would not let us retrieve it to take it back to the US side of the border. How can a tape worth $180 suddenly have duty of $38,000?\nIt was explained to me as the Potential Value of the tape which meant AFTER a hit song was recording in it. Most recordings are total losses and the tape cant used on a new project even if properly bulk-erased. They expected me to pay on the spot $760,000 in duties. I gave up and left the tape with them. I called the artist and said we could not do the project in Canada and we went back to California. The artist came to us a few months later and the result was a minor hit, and probably barely made its production cost since the label only distributed it in Canada. I talked to an international trade lawyer about what happened and he said customs officials were wrong in Canada but they are given full latitude with no appeal so his advice was never take anything over the border that I did not mind being confiscated. Sometimes they would let it in because it was going back out in a month, but likely they sold it off and pocketed the money. The US is corrupt on a federal level but Canada is corrupt on the local level. I moved out of the US 24 years ago have a much higher quality of life than is even possible in the US, and live very cheaply. Total cost of living with a very active social and cultural life impossible to duplicate in the US which as some of the least options for culture. And my cost of living is $1500 a month, less than utilities alone for one house in California, and that is for 2 people. Last month for example I attended world class opera, ballet and symphonies 9 times, and went out to dinner, in jazz clubs or dance clubs, visited12 top museums, and it was still under $1500 for the month. A pair of tickets to the MET in NYC for lower grade performance, sets, orchestra ad theater, was $1800!! $600 for tickets to drama for 2. Here there 237 drama theaters within walking distance of my city center home, and can walk anywhere at any time of day and be safe due to VERY low crime rates. Free medical is good. I am not citizen but still I had an operation and 10 days in a vip single room for $5300 and despite my insurance I had been paying back in California $824.month, it was going to cost me out o pocket $500,000 and one day in a recovery 12 bed room, and require paid nursing attendant for 30 days. The results were great and was treated like king.\nCanadians have lost control of their government but Americas are screwed regardless, with lower than international standards for everything, with crime, corruption in Washington, extreme cost of living, no access to culture, few if any safe parks. My adopted city is not only far more beautiful than any US city, my GF can walk, alone, anywhere in a city of 7mil at any time of day through any of the 600 beautiful parks open 24/7..at 3am. There are no homeless, and 80% of those over 20yo own their home clear of debt. No college debt despite twice the % of people having degrees. The rest of the world caught up and has surpassed the US and Europe in quality of life. \n\nI have only been back to the US 5 times in 24 years and each time I am shocked by how much the entire society has declined while most of the world outside of Europe, Canada, US, UK or Australia have dramatically improved.\nEvery year since 2008 more Americans leave the US to live elsewhere than legal immigrants arrive.

I joined Canadian citizenship in 2019 hoping for a career and life in Vancouver after I graduate from the U.S. this May. However, the insanely scare job opportunities even in the city and local competition made that impossible. Even though our family is well-off with a home, I don't want to go back long-term because whenever I do, I will be unemployed (even with my BS & MS from top 30 American institutions). Will only be back occasionally to visit HS friends.

We often hear that there is a labor shortage in Canada. True, but the available jobs are Mcjobs, which would not enable a single person to rent a one bedroom apartment in my city. Lots of young people depressed...

Many recent immigrants I have known have left Canada because the cost of living is too high. From my experience they work very hard, usually working 60+ hours a week. After some time they crunch the numbers and realize no matter how hard they try they will not get anywhere so they leave. For those born in Canada we find ourselves being chased out of our hometowns because it is too expensive to live there. For myself it was either stay in Vancouver, surrendering more than half of your income to rent or move out of the city to buy an apartment. In the major cities there is a mass exodus of young people and the strategy has been to replace that exodus with immigration. The problem is that is not sustainable as now new immigrants, seeking a better life are not finding it in major Canadian cities. For those who already own property in the lower mainland the selfish mentality is to do whatever you can to deny construction, thus maintaining the scarcity and value of what little land/housing there is in desirable areas. Zoning laws are beginning to change but progress is slow and municipalities have failed to keep up with infrastructure so the growing pains is going to be immense. It's beautiful here now doubt but if I had no ties and a solid financial footing I would have left long ago. Generations ago you could show up to Canada with no money and thrive if you were willing to work hard. Now hard work won't get you anything.

I'm Canadian too, born and raised, and I have to say this is accurate. Shit health care, insane taxes, low pay, impossible cost of living.... I live in a rural town now (used to live in a city!!) and even here it's becoming unbearable. Genuinely thinking of changing countries in the next 5 years once I get my act together.\n\nThe video also didn't address the political problem. Only 3 serious parties (the rest are niche and don't address Canada properly as a whole), and two of them partnered so you effectively have two parties. One of them has ramped up the deficit and deflected all housing problems, and the other is hellbent on private healthcare, ignoring environmentalism, and helping their rich friends. Impossible to vote for real representation.

The best city in my opinion is Victoria... the infrastructure and geography plus what it offers is an anomaly when compared to all the other big cities... it has the perfect blend of city n suburb without the constraints of solitude

I live in the buildings behind you in the last scene on the waterfront, I love this area but me and my partner are seriously considering leaving, I can work from home and he can't find suitable work in his industry. Within the next year we plan to move in with his widowed mother in her home 1 hour north of the city where we can take care of her health issues and save money.

Toronto is disgusting now. I've lived just north of the city all my life and nobody has anything good to say about it. The transit system also isn't safe and ppl get threatened by psychos routinely. Now, we have anti-Semitic protests every weekend in the core with people chanting death to Jews. It's a terrible place to visit and you couldn't pay me to raise a family there.

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

For housing, something that needs to be and should be discussed is the land base. \nI know some real estate players in BC that laugh when people talk about housing and affordability, they say look at the landbase and who controls it. In BC its a crazy amount to 94% and only 5% available for ownership of the people. No option to apply and buy anymore and only lease. That is why even rural lands in BC 40 to 60 minutes outside of a teir two or three city is still thousands per acre! To the coast to coast to coast average its 88%+ controlled by governments and not the people. Do the math there and you will start to see the connection. \n\nAlso, for health-care, its not free just paid for through taxes by the governments on the people. It is broken in so many ways and most likley too big to fix kr repair now without a full ripdown and build up. \n\nMany orher things but just my initial points.

I was born in Canada, my Mom was too. Yet things are getting so out of hand with the price of living we have to leave the city ive spent my entire life in, to try and find cheaper housing elsewhere.

100%. We live in Windsor, our university and college are all international students from India. Now, my wife and I have to pay a lot more money for our kids to go to college and university outside of our city. That is absolute bullshit, and needs to be fixed. Spread these international students across the whole province. Send them up to northern Ontario , Thunderbay post secondary schools are really short for students.

I'm an immigrant from Latin America myself and i have to agree but it's deeper than that.\nI try my best to assimilate the culture but clearly not every immigrant does the same. \nOne of the reasons i left Toronto a couple years ago was precisely because of the housing crisis. Rent prices was on the roof.\nBesides that there's too many foreigners, half the city is trying to learn English and consequently the city's identity is lost. \nBut i guess this lost of identity is happening everywhere in Canada. It's sad to see.