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NO, the cost of living in Canada has not *always* been high. For someone as young as this woman that may be true, since people usually say *always* to refer to their own lifespan. When I went to Canada (Toronto) in 1967, it was quite easy to find a one-bedroom apartment for $100-130 . Nothing luxurious of course, but acceptable. Public transport cost 25 cents (!), 5 tickets for $1.00. Working-class salaries were in the range of $100-150 per week. The value of the Canadian dollar was 7% less than that of the US dollar. My wife and I were actors who worked in a children's theatre for $45/week. Slim pickings, but with our approx. $370/month we got along all right, went to the movies, bought records and books,, ate in restaurants from time to time, bought food cheap in the Kensingto Market and got a complete tax refund at the end of the year. There was an air of general prosperity Things have changed drastically over the years, obviously.

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 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 immigrated to Canada in 2010, and here are my experiences inside and outside Canada. I am grateful for a good education; having a Canadian passport opened up many opportunities in other countries to build a higher-level career. However, if I had known the amount of stress, health, and financial damage that I had to endure, I wouldn't have chosen to come to Canada. I would have remained in the US or EU countries where I could achieve even more without suffering to the level I did here. \n\nMisleading immigration promotion: The government-sponsored Canadian immigration program oversells what Canada can offer. It withholds information on the cost of living, chicken-and-egg problems like Canadian work experience is required to get a job at the same level as you are in, Canadian credit history is required to rent a proper apartment, Canadian education is required to secure a high-level job, etc. \n\nHiring process: I knew the Canadian system was not ideal for immigrants over a decade ago, but it got so bad now that even the born citizens are unable to survive. The Canadian government and employers lack a basic understanding that ambitious, high-achieving people immigrate to other countries for high-level positions using proper channels. It's ridiculous to see that Canada uses a point-based system to choose highly qualified personnel to enter their country yet expects them to pursue low-paying entry-level or labor jobs just because they have brown/black skin. At first, I thought having a Canadian degree and experience might help me get high-level jobs, and I didn't think how I spoke or looked would matter when I had high credentials to show off. So, I got my masters & Ph.D. from the Univesity of Toronto, which consistently ranks #1 in Canada. I have a bachelor's from a prestigious university in Asia and had a high-competitive, well-paid federal government job in another country. Still, none of that was recognized in Canada, and I had to volunteer for over 6 months, 10 to 12 hours/day, in a research lab that led to a funded PhD program. I worked even harder during my Ph.D. with many accomplishments, like 40+ research and leadership awards, internationally recognized scientific discoveries, and innovative technologies. I checked all the above and beyond in various domains (research, teaching, leadership, business, engineering consulting, collaborations, etc.). Yet, employers couldn't see past my race, gender, age, etc., and refused to give me the opportunity at the level of my qualifications. Luckily, I managed to secure short-term work in the UK & the US, and it changed even how I see myself. I was highly respected for my credentials, given higher positions than I applied for, and paid 3-4 times more salary and benefits. Of course, bias is an integral part of every society, but my race, gender, age, etc., were not as big of an issue to begin my career at the mid-career stage in these countries as opposed to Canada. \n\nHealthcare: Access to healthcare was another big challenge for me. When I moved to Canada in 2010, due to extremely low temperatures, I developed hives all over my body, my eyes got red, and I coughed for many months. The doctor said there was nothing wrong with me and refused to give me any medication. It took us years to get a family doctor, and we got one through my personal network. In 2015/2016, I developed an autoimmune disease, and my eyeballs popped out. As of today, I did not get to see an eye specialist as they have only 1 specialist in the area, and the waiting time is for years for the first consultation. Every time the family doctor told me that I had iron deficiency, even when I insisted that they should run additional tests and they cleared, they were flagged. The doctor never diagnosed my autoimmune condition. Luckily, during my short-term work in the UK, I saw competent interns who completed my care. NHS is poorer than the medical system in Canada... they are understaffed, don't have hospital beds after surgery, or don't have stock of paper gowns, yet the staff are highly competent and caring. Within 1-2 years, they did complete diagnosis by sending me to various specialists, completed eye surgery, and even found a lifelong condition that was preventing me from realizing my full potential. Following, in the US, the doctors confirmed the diagnosis of all the conditions within 1-2 months and put me on two small pills for life. It has dramatically changed my life, and I have even more admiration for the medical profession. While in Canada, I suffered for over a decade, and every time, I was treated as a hypochondriac and never given a single prescription. \n\nQuality of life: Big cities like Toronto are mainly affected by high crime rates, overpopulation, cost of living, low employment, low salaries, etc. A few months back, there was a huge auto theft, and one of my contacts lost their Lexus car within minutes of parking. Despite being a scientist, I have no faith in politicians or individuals fixing these problems. The salaries are not increasing, but the taxes and cost of living are on the exponential growth curve. The ridiculous part is that Canada expects you to pay taxes even when you are not employed or living in Canada! I lived in London and Boston, and they offer a much higher quality of life and pay. \n\nGrowth potential: No wonder Canada, being a G7 country, falls at the bottom of the list in innovation, equal opportunities, economic growth, etc. It has a decent education system but, due to its inherent bias in the hiring process and monopoly of certain businesses, loses talented immigrants and highly qualified Canadians to the US, the UK, and EU markets. Unless there is a dramatic shift in policies, Canadians, especially new immigrants, cannot expect any positive experience in Canada except for being discriminated against and losing valuable time and money by being there.

***National Post***\nMuslim leaders should've condemned Hamas instead of fomenting hate\nIf they had spoken out against terrorism, their advocacy of the Palestinian cause would carry much more weight. \n\nPart of the reason we are seeing division, hatred and unrest in the streets of Montreal, Toronto and other communities across Canada is due to the collective failure of Muslim leaders, in Canada and around the world, to condemn the despicable Oct. 7 terror attack by Hamas on Israeli civilians. \n\nIt was a horrific and cowardly attack by a terrorist group — not by all Palestinians, Arabs or the wider Muslim community. It should have been condemned and contained immediately. Muslims who pride themselves as followers of a peaceful religion should have empathized and consoled the grieving Jews. \n\nThere was a lot of time to do this. There was a lengthy delay between the attack and Israel’s ground offensive in Gaza. Instead of taking this time to condemn Hamas’s slaughter, Arab and Muslim politicians and government leaders promoted anti-Jewish hate to shore up their political support. This is nothing less than encouraging antisemitism. \n\nMuslim political and religious leaders, barring rare exceptions, chose to contextualize, equivocate and, in most cases, justify Hamas’s barbarity. What we have, as a result, is widespread hate bordering on violence in Canada — a country where communities have historically lived side-by-side in peace. \n\nThe situation got worse due to the statements made by community leaders like Amira Elghawaby, Canada’s special representative on combating Islamophobia, who did not hide her partisan and divisive outlook by clearly siding with the protesters on Canadian streets, characterizing them as “peaceful demonstrations,” even though we have seen people supporting Hamas, calling for genocide against Israeli Jews and harassing and intimidating Jewish-owned businesses. \n\nOn Twitter, Elghawaby approvingly cited a quote from a Toronto Star column reading, “The stories I have heard are both fantastical and true. Muslims (and others who silently sympathize with the loss of Palestinians lives) are being disciplined, maligned, isolated and targeted at work.” \n\nInstead of reaching across the aisle and consoling the Jewish community, she has instead chosen to focus her public comments on rising Islamophobia. \n\nSeriously? Remember the Muslim family who were killed in a hate-related attack in London, Ont., a couple years ago? All communities, including the Jewish community, across the political and religious spectrum unambiguously condemned that hate crime. And it brought a sense of relief and security to Muslims in Ontario. \n\nRemember how, after more that 50 people were gunned down while worshipping at mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019, political and religious leaders from all faiths stood behind Muslims and consoled them? \n\nAlso, after the Quebec mosque attack, almost all communities in Canada chose to stand with Muslims. There were images of people in Alberta who formed a human chain to protect Muslims. Similar scenes were witnessed elsewhere in the country. Jewish community leaders spoke out, loud and clear, in support of Muslims and against hate and bigotry. \n\nBut that is not what Elghawaby did. Instead, she makes it sounds as though it is Muslims who are the victims, while failing to mention the barbarity unleashed on Oct. 7. This is not leadership. This is not her mandate. Her job is to promote tolerance as enshrined in Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. \n\nNow imagine a scenario in which Muslims did what they ought to have done in the first place: condemned the Hamas attack, sided with the Jewish victims and dissociated themselves from terrorism. Their voices for the Palestinian cause would have carried much more weight. \n\nWhat we are seeing instead is a rising tide of anti-Jewish hate on our streets, promoted and peddled by Muslim leaders themselves, either by gaslighting the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, or wallpapering it with the political colours of the Palestinian cause. \n\nLet us all come together, not to let hate be poured onto the streets of Canada, but to stand united for a secure and prosperous country. \n\nNational Post \n\nRaheel Raza and Mohammad Rizwan are members of the Council of Muslims Against Antisemitism.

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 an immigrant of two years from the UK. I have to say at the time of moving due to Covid everything was expensive throughout the world and there was uncertainty in most things. Myself and my wife now have our own businesses as we found that the system here does not favour immigrants in getting the jobs Canada claims it needs to fill. The reality is the government and unions don’t want educated people to fill mid to high paying jobs and it’s impossible to get jobs in teaching, nursing, doctors etc if you are not educated here. The government wants immigrants to populate and work the low paid jobs even if they have a bachelor, mba or phd.

Canada is awful. Since I moved here 1,5 years ago I’m just struggling with the depression all this time. There is no joy in this country, no feeling of safety. Crime is happening all the time. I don’t feel safe walking on the streets. My salary is low bcz no employer is willing to pay good money to an immigrant. I’m not able to afford a car but the public transport is just terrible! I can barely afford to split the rent with my partner. Barely can save any money. As an immigrant I will never be able to buy a property here. I lived and worked in another country and I was able to save so much money and have a great life, travel, buy food, have fun. Here I am not able to do this.

Some parents are idiots they literally think there kids are Prince and princess and let them do whatever they want to...most of the time i have seen cranky kids and over aggressive parents who will defend kids garbage.Recently I was travelling via train , it was night time past 11 , one parents they put baby jingles on phone in full volume and gave to kid ,when requested mother said we can't put volume down as baby is enjoying.I patiently waited till 12 ,then had to shout at them.Only then other people supported me.

Technically, I'm an immigrant from the US, but I came on family sponsorship. I'm a permanent resident living in a northern coastal town of about 10,000 residents with a few hundred or more camp workers at any given time. The East Indians have come in hoardes the past couple of years. Domino's opened up in town, and suddenly, there were tons more again. They've taken over several of the food chains and other businesses. Some of them are nice, but the cultural difference (not that Canada has much culture) to North America is vast. Needless to say, my wife and I are planning our escape back to the US.... and she was born here.

You have tried to explain very well the initial struggle faced by new immigrants. This does take years and sometimes decades to settle down properly in a new country for first generation. First generation Indians try to save as much as they can while cutting corners. Things have relatively become much easier as there are plenty of jobs for those who have professional degrees and substantial experience. I personally found Canadian bachelor of engineering was far superior than masters of computer science in USA. I enjoyed spending four years in downtown Toronto while full time studying in late 80’s before moving back to USA. Someone else mentioned here in previous thread that all of their friends are much better off in India. I feel more or less the same way in spite of having three engineering degrees and 40 years experience. I am strong believer in Karmas, your destiny will take you where you’re supposed to be. Good luck to your viewers.

We left Toronto in 2019 after having lived there for almost 20 yrs (separately and as a couple). The city seems to decline a little bit more every time that we come back to the city to visit friends or for entertainment. It's truly saddening to see the state of things, since I remember first moving to the city in 1998 when it was a very bohemian and vibrant place to live. A room cost me around $350/mth, and I was able to live quite comfortably as a student. That's definitely not the case now, with mega-corporations ruling the rental market and charging a small fortune for much needed housing, as well as the constant mismanagement found in city hall. I'm glad that we left all of that behind for a small town on Ontario's west coast

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

It’s been 5 years for me here and I honestly can say I have achieved nothing in my life yet. It scares me when I think I can’t return whatever my parents had invested in me. The fact is you’ll never have a good paying job in Canada being an immigrant. When I say this trust me I mean it. Most you’ll get is a minimum wage job which can make you survive the life here. Taxes are high definitely and what I feel is you’re working to make someone else’s life easier. \n(P.S: people who’ve stayed in Canada will understand who I’m implying to)\nNo one wants to be your freind, scope of socializing is zero coz mostly it’s cold round the year so everyone hardly come out, especially in Northern provinces like Yukon, Saskatchewan, Manitoba.\nHealthcare is a joke. If you feel sick and not well and you wanna see a doctor be prepared to wait for hours and hours. I once had stomach infection and I had to wait 5 hours till someone could see me. I asked for painkiller at-least so I could bear the pain but they refused that as well. You might well see someone you love dearly and with whole heart die in-front of you and you could do nothing. (I’ve experienced it myself hence saying)\nYou’re a lone survivor who’ll always keep fighting. \nThe only person who can make money here is businesses and high paid jobs which are reserved to Canadians. That’s how Canada’s job market is. Canadians’ first and if there’s something left they’ll look at you. By the amount of money people invest here they can establish a nice business back in their country itself and earn accordingly on own terms. \nMost importantly you’ll cut yourself from all emotional supports like family, freinds etc.\nI was social person back in India who liked making new freinds and memories but it’s nothing like that here. \nAnd it’s the same life, no different.\nYou wake up, dress, eat, go to work, come back, eat, sleep. No different.\nNo fun and nothing. You actually don’t live in present, you live in an expectation of a better tommorow.\nYou’ll always have a smile when you greet someone but I guarantee you no one’s gonna check on you to if you don’t start a conversation even with a simple “Hi”. Mostly Canadians are nice but again some will systematically judge you and say nothing but you’ll see in their actions, the way they’ll talk in a twisted way etc.\nYes I’m not saying that Canada’s bad or it’s no good but trust me it will take forever to build a life here especially with the number of people moving here from round the world. \nIf you’re well off financially from back home Canada’s a paradise for you. Indeed it’s a beautiful country with lots of beauty and lots to explore but remember everything comes with a cost here. Everything comes with a cost. People need to stop believing in this fake illusion and come only if they got a purpose here. The only reason why they’ll let you in the country is for money and once you’re in you’ll have to keep spending, doesn’t matter if you’re broke or whatever you have to.\nOnce I earn I’ll happily give up my PR status and go back to India as i very well know what the situation is how it’s gonna be in future.\nSo just one piece of advise to every middle class person like me, guys please invest and spend your money wisely coz we know how hard it is to earn and it’s high time Canadians start appreciating what immigrants like us do for them by burning ourselves day and night and start realizing that their past generation once came from some other part of the world as well and settled here. Being white doesn’t make you a nice Canadian, you’re actions defines you more than your words. \n90% of this country is built by immigrants and that’s how it’s gonna develop in future, so if they keep treating us the same way good luck to them ?.\nAlso a plus note to anyone thinking that Asians are stealing your jobs, go get outside and have the balls to face them and take it away from them. Staying home and ranting and abusing us that we’re taking your opportunities and blah blah isn’t gonna work. We are so successful round the world because we are hardworking, honest and respectful to everyone. Even if we’re earning minimum and barely surviving here we always make sure we’re not burden on the government or anyone else and won’t keep crying.\n\nA big shoutout to all you guys who came here in the hope of a better future but are still struggling.\nKeep hustling and you’ll reach there, if not step down and go back and start your life again on your home soil. There’s no shame in experimenting continuously rather than sitting ideally and crying about future. \n\nAll the very best my people and lots of love to you ❣️

This is good and honest review. You did not succeed because you did not go with that mindset. In my case, I was working in India as a Class I gazetted officer with Govt of India. When I got PR, I resigned from the job, just because I knew there is struggle in Canada. If I have an option, I would have definitely gone back. My Dad and my father-in-law, both Govt officers at that time, were upset with me for resigning. They were OK with me going to Canada, but did not like the idea of leaving such a good job. I did struggle initially and did survival jobs, like working in factories etc, but I DO NOT regret my decision at all. But again, it is individual's choice what is their goal. Mine was to give my kids world's perspective. Now they are free to go anywhere in the world, including India. My elder one 26 and younger one 22, have visited so many countries without taking a single penny from me. Their world view is very balanced ... they are very empathetic - thanks to Canadian education system - including school level.

Multicultural = Failed. Here is why (in my opinion) there is no reason to move in any big cities in Canada, and in Canada in general. \n1. Insanely expensive housing with next to none disposable income left in the pocket. \n2. Inability to get into the real estate market unless $$$ was brought in as an investment. This will leave locals and people who were born in Canada left out for good even further. \n3. Extremely competitive job market. Newcomers will have to suffer for a long time to break-in. \n4. Depression and drug addiction is everywhere. It's more deadly than covid but the government can't address the problem because they lose control for good. \n5. Canada is far away from many other places, which makes things worse as you feel trapped in a workcamp with no place to escape. \n6. The cost of living is getting much faster with the salaries significantly behind year after year. \n7. Canada became the country of failed government, failed multiculturalism, too tolerant as a result. \n8. Retirement in Canada will be impossible for 95% unless you agree to live in the middle of the nowhere until depression kills you. \n9. Many who came to Canada 25+ years ago and still around felt trapped. Canada's source of immigration will likely be the poorest communities who will agree to put up with everything listed above just to get out of where they live right now. \n10. Sad, but true. I have seen a steady decline in Canada since 1998. Things get worse every year.

I always wondered why I had to be here when the snow tilted between 45 and 60 degrees in winter and hit my face at 30-40 km/h.\nquality of food, transportation, service from employees, speed of processing time, etc there were many things that made me really unsatisfied being living in Toronto.\nsame, at the first time I came Toronto, everything looks great. but not anymore \nI'm korean and I feel really unsafe when I go and live abroad. Korea, Japan, Singapore mainly all Asian countries are top 5 in safety all over the world I think. \nAsia especially Korean and Japan have great service, quality of food with reasonable price. I think I don't need to move foreign country. \nmy background is in South Korea but I can say living in Toronto Canada was horrible and harsh for Korean. Because of multiple reasons but the harsh weather is the biggest for me. Feels like winter in Toronto is 7~8 months long if I compare it to winter in Korea. Fall and Spring?? No, they don't have fall and spring and it's all winter. they have snow in early September late April or May. It was horribly hard because the cold air from the arctic and really powerful wind came all together. even though the weather and temperature look a little bit off from Korea, Canada has a much more harsh location with weather. not only harsh weather but they do provide really embarrassing experience such as expensive payment for everything, a lot of factors disturb me from leaking money. I don't think Canada is a good country. my view of this country totally has been changed 3 years ago.

I moved to the US to upstate NY(not even near NY City nor is the crime), and only last a few months before I moved back. I’ve also been to 70% of US States, and every time I’m nervous as everything is just so different and you don’t feel safe. \n\nYour streets are definitely different than ours, and quite dirty to say the least. \n\nI’d rather live on the streets of Toronto, then live in an State in the U.S. \n\nThe only State I’ve been too where I’ve felt a tad bit safe was Idaho, but even then, I was still uptight! \n\nCanada also has higher standards when it comes to hotels, restaurants, grocery stores, food, etc. \n\nI live bordering Buffalo, NY and am even scared to cross for a sports game or shopping, although It’s not that terrible over there. \n\nYour gun laws are scary, and although I have a license to carry here in Canada, the U.S. needs to be much more stricter and also not allow sales of them on every block! \n\nI have hundreds of friends in the US, and sometimes their wait times for appointments are much longer than mine, and I don’t have to claim bankruptcy afterwards.

I’ve lived near Toronto for the vast majority of my adult life. Around 2016 I was working there and started to explore the city a little bit more, living there for a short time. I think the draw and attraction was that it always was a little hectic. Always something to look at, so many different cultures. Also such contrasts, walking through the downtown core and then out to a neighborhood like Greek town. With parks and even forests to be found. It went from tense to a feeling of refuge and a sense of a natural oasis within a chaotic machine. I think the sense of calm which could be found has become a little more rare. Also a certain openness that people and cultures had towards each other has been fading. Discourse with other opinions morphed into the near impossible. It’s all by design and sad to see. It’s a tangible and significant change. When you zoom out at the infrastructure, social and economic level. It’s very hard to see a healthy recovery happening anytime soon. Mostly due to those being in charge not caring. Still lots of beauty there. I would never choose to live there again, but if anyone is still living there and reading this. My advice would be to explore the greenways, parks and forests to be found. The juxtaposition of city and nature gives a heightened appreciation to both realities, and really gives a more balanced/peaceful mindset to explore the good which can be found

I have a cousin in the States. I was shocked at how little he knew about other countries among other things. \n\nThen I vacationed in Hawaii. The newscasts never mentioned anything about what was happening elsewhere in the world (unless it involved the USA in some way. ) Having travelled extensively in the UK & Europe it came as a shock to discover just how insular it is in America. \n\nWhile there I got talking to a girl in one of the shops. Her parents lost their house & everything because of unexpected health issues. I can't even comprehend that. \n\nThe gun culture is another thing I cannot wrap my head around. Some members of my family own guns. They are used only to provide meat for the family and the rest of the time they are locked away safely. Carrying a weapon concealed or openly in day to day life is just crazy. There's been more than 500 mass shootings in the States this year. That's not counting all the other gun violence. Nothing could convince me to live there, and now I won't visit either.

I lived two years in the south of the usa (in Texas) during my childhood in the 90's and it wasn't so bad. Weather was great ! People nice and great ! I did love the school there, I learn English there and math was super easy. In Canada, I went in a catholic schools and we were obligated to say a prayer before class begin. In Texas in my elementary school, everyone is up in the morning before class and there is a swear thing to say not the betray the USA with the right hand on the heart of our chest… \nSo… First day of school in an other country, in an other language that I didn't understand or speak, I did joined my hands together . I was correct by my classroom teacher and make me a sign to do like the other kids. So I did. I had told my parents they pray also before class but in a different way ?\nIn time I learn how to say the words without knowing it's true meaning. Well before I realize what it was when I was able to understand the language, I always sure it was a prayer ?\nCultural choc

I lived in the US for 30 years. I hated every year, except for having my sons there. My American husband is a staunch NRA supporter. At the 30 year mark, when I gave him an ultimatum. I gave him 30 years down there, and the time had come where he needed to do 30 years in Canada. We've been in Canada for 6 years, and he doesn't ever want to go back.\nI feel for the new mothers, who only get 6 weeks maternity leave (8 weeks for C-Section).\nCanadian Mums get a full year. Nurturing your new baby is necessary for a well-balanced child. You can't bond in 6 weeks. \nYour health insurance is nuts. We paid $1500/mo. just for our family. Then you have a $5k deductible first! Just walking into the ER is $500 and THEN add on labs, x-rays, meds, etc. My son was in mental health treatment and our insurance capped mental health at $25k for life. \nThe biggest slap up my head, was when I found out I CAN'T collect my SSI. I paid a lot of taxes, since we made 6 figures/year. So, now I'm screwed, since they won't pay a former Permanent Resident. Had I been a citizen, I could get it. My husband is a PR in Canada, waiting to take his citizenship test. If he applies for SSI, he needs to go down to the States for 30 days and nights, annually. \nI'm from Toronto, born and raised and I am so happy to have my feet back in my own country. My boys are still there, as well as my grandchildren. Thankfully, they fly up twice a year. You couldn't pay me to move back.

Ok, so I live near a border crossing so I’ve been over to shop on many occasions. (Never lived there though.) Here’s an example of a time I was over there, waiting in line at customer service at a store. There was a man in front of me. I patiently waited for him to finish and then went to step forward in his place. A woman behind me basically pushed me out of the way, literally cut me, and then started interacting with the employee like it was an everyday normal thing to do! I had to pick my jaw up off the floor. Manners are something you learn as a child. I had no idea how I’m inconsiderate and rude some people could be. (I have many other examples but of course when I see something like that, I really notice it.)\nNever mind the lack of respect for human life when you’re trying to drive on a Freeway with some. That’s actually terrifying.

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

I've had about 8 friends and 2 relatives who have tried life in the USA.\nOne cousin is still in Colorado after moving there with her 2nd husband, an American, over 10 years ago. The rest have come back to Canada and the biggest general impression I get is that it is simply a huge relief to get out of there. That is a huge contrast to the people I know who had tried life in Mexico, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Europe, Thailand, Japan, VietNam, Australia, and New Zealand: far fewer of them have come back to Canada because they are happy with life there. And the ones who have come back all have things they miss about the countries and most want to go back someday.\n\nMost of the people I know who have come back from the USA are highly critical of the utter lack of a decent health care system in the USA, but for them it was a solvable problem because they had decent jobs and insurance while they were in the USA. What gave them so much relief when they came back to Canada was that during their time in the USA they never felt safe. There is something fundamentally and brutally fucked up about a country where every bank has armed guards, the mall cops are armed, half of the people in your neighbourhood are armed, you're scared to send your children to school, and every time you turn around you see a cop with his hand on his gun.

My husband and I lived in Columbus, Ohio for 12 years. During that time we had two babies, but we had insurance so the price tag wasn't too bad, overall. We made good friends there, all different political views but we got along well and it was great. We lived in Ohio both pre and post 9-11. I definitely noticed a difference in the growing patriotism around us. Even pre-9-11 there was a higher level of overt patriotism than I was used to in Canada. For instance, more people had flags in their yards or America-themed bumper stickers than I was used to in Canada. But post 9-11 patriotism grew immensely, and we started to feel like political views were starting to have an effect on friendships. Also, Ohio passed a conceal carry law (firearms), and I found my awareness that anyone around me might have a concealed weapon unsettling. In Canada the only guns anyone I knew owned were hunting rifles, locked up. But suddenly I had to worry about if there were guns in the houses that my children were visiting. As a Canadian, I just wasn't used to the idea of everyone having guns around. Anyway, we overall enjoyed living in Ohio. The cost of living there was reasonable, the people were friendly, and we only moved when the real estate bubble burst and my husband lost his job. We went back to Canada and, honestly, I've been relieved to be back as I watch the news and see how divided the American people have become. Even some of the friends that I had in Ohio have changed and become a lot less accepting of different opinions. It makes me scared for the future of the US, and the effect it all will have on the rest of the world.

I was really offended by this video! I am Canadian, live in Canada and absolutely HATE CANADA!! \nEverything said about USA and how bad certain things are, it’s the exact same here in Canada! Canadians can’t have a normal conversation about politics or religion! Look at what’s happening here? Locking up pastors or anyone preaching the bible! And don’t get me started about politics here! Absolute disgusting politics here and the insane amount of bat shit crazy left wing people that believe everything on msm as if it’s golden. Liberal government here has got to be the worst government in the entire world! Once upon a time they were normal and like all other political parties but now since the plandemic they are all insane! These left wingers think that the vax was a good thing and line up to get pics done with our top criminal Justin Trudeau! It’s sickening! \nSo there is absolutely no difference between Canada and USA! We have horrible cities that are dangerous just like USA. We have horrible pathetic cops that are power hungry and out to destroy lives. I know cops in Canada who were put through hell because they stood up for doing the right thing against other corrupt dangerous cops! They are a gang that wear uniforms and have the rights to abuse their powers. \nThis bothered me so much as it’s certainly calling the kettle black! People thinking they are better than others! \nIt would do the entire world some good to pick up the bible, read it and repent! Every single person on this earth needs to!

This may have already been mentioned below: apart from healthcare (which nowadays is precarious in Canada), in Canada new parents have compensated parental leave (formerly was just 'maternity leave'). The duration and financial support has expanded over time, and there are some differences from province to province, but when I lived in the US the most shocking thing was women pushing out babies and then running back to work within a few weeks. They could technically take a brief period of unpaid leave, apparently, but that's it. Crazy.

I'm Canadian. I was born here, raised here, and have lived here all my life. However, my parents are American (they came during the Vietnam war), and I have full dual citizenship. I could cross the border into the U.S., get a job, start working and live there for the rest of my life if I ever chose to do so.\n\nHowever, I will never live in the U.S. Why? The cost of healthcare insurance and healthcare in general is definitely a part of that, but another huge factor is the socio-political atmosphere down there that is very unappealing to me. Everything from politics, the gun issue, much higher violence than we have in Canada, more racism issues, the media, and from what I have observed from decades of visits to the U.S.: there just seems to be a lot more people that are on edge and hostile than I am used to compared to Canada as well. For me, the general culture and mindset is just not something I want to live amongst.\n\nThere are some things I enjoy in the U.S., and there ARE wonderful people there too. I have several friends in the U.S. (born and raised), not to mention my entire extended family is American. But for me, the U.S. is a nice enough place to visit, but it's not somewhere I'd ever want to live.\n\nNo matter what kind of trip I take to the U.S., whenever I get back home to Canada it's always like a deep sigh of relief. I feel safer. I feel more relaxed. I feel at home. No matter how good my trip was, when I set foot back on Canadian soil again I always get a feeling of humble gratitude that I live here. For me, other than the warmer weather and some of the sights the U.S. has to offer, I'm much, much happier in Canada. I feel very fortunate to live here.\n\nAs a side note, I have never found our public healthcare system here in Canada to be lacking whatsoever. Any healthcare I, or anyone else I know that has received any, has always been prompt, of excellent quality, and reassuringly delivered in a professional manner.\n\nAs an example, in 1994, my father had a seizure and it was discovered that he had a benign brain tumour that had to be removed. Not even a week later, he was booked for his surgery and he had his procedure. He was operated on by one of the top two neurosurgeons in North America at the time, he spent three weeks in recovery at the hospital, and he had months of rehab afterward. About 2 weeks later, he had another seizure (the last one he ever had), he stayed in another hospital for an additional two weeks.\n\nHowever, all of what I just mentioned, and I mean ALL of it, was paid for by our public healthcare system. All he had to do was show his healthcare card and sign a release form for his surgery, and that was it. Nothing more. There were literally ZERO bills, no insurance companies, no paperwork, no phone calls, and ZERO hassle. Nothing.\n\nAnd no, our family was NOT rich or privileged either. Just an average middle class family. However, my dad's neurosurgeon told us his surgery and all the months of care he received afterward would have cost $180,000 (in 1994!), and our family would have been out on the street if it wasn't for our healthcare system. My dad also had a very minor heart attack in 2007 which didn't require surgery, and he didn't have to pay a dime or do anything else other than show his healthcare card for that either. Since those two events, my father has lived a healthy, normal life thanks to our public healthcare.\n\nIn Canada, EVERYONE receives that kind of care, regardless of if they are a billionaire or they are homeless. Because that's the moral and ethical thing to do, and is just one of the many reasons why I plan on staying here.

Im in Alberta even though i was born in Ontario. Ive lived in almost every province and came back to Alberta years ago. My boys were born here the 1st time i was here. I would never live in any other province but Alberta! We are more like our own Republic here anyways and despise Ottawa which is fine by me considering Trudeau is there. The cold weather sucks in Alberta but very little mosquitos, summers are awesome and businesses are mostly privatized and not government run! Ive traveled in parts of the states mainly in the northern states and i feel sorry for them but i LOVE TRUMP and wish he was here. I do love Premier Smith and no, im not gay. Conservative and straight! ? Cheers!

I'm canadian and have ulcerative colitis. During a flare up I was off work and joined a colitis group online with americans in it. I was stunned at how many were working double shifts at their job while in a full flare up of pain and constant bathroom issues to save up for a specialist appointment and a colonoscopy. The same thing I received for 100% free here. It broke my heart the suffering they talked about and lack of compassion for sick time through their jobs. I fight hard to protect our healthcare here as I know there are forces at work to privatize it though conservative politicians.

Canada has high quality every thing as well. The only issue I have with our health care (in Ontario it is called O.H.I.P. - Ontario Health Insurance Plan) is that sometimes there are long waits for specialists and specialized tests. I have had a reason to be a burden on our heath care system recently. In December of last year I did some major damage to my arm (severed the vein, nerve and muscle that works the inside part of my left arm). I had an argument with my angle grinder while using a thin metal cut off blade. My angle grinder won the fight! I was in hospital for 19 days, had three surgeries, attended an out patient hand therapy clinic for 5 months, had a nurse come to my home to change my dressing twice a week for 5 months, then attended a nursing health care facility for four months, and about 5 follow up visits (so far!) with the plastic surgeon. I know what this cost me in Canada. $0.00. Any guesses what that would have cost with no medical plan in the U.S.? Me either but I know I would have that debt for a long time I'm sure!

Mam, u r. Experience in canda was very real, but ur husband did very bold step to come back to india, no dought struggle n hard work part of life, u find same thing evry where in forign countries, I was there same time when u were there, one thing I observe there quality of life n dicipline is very good.

I was born and raised in Toronto but left in the early 2000s because I saw the writing in the wall back then. Every time I go back to visit I find it more crowded, more dirtier, more dangerous and just generally unpleasant. It used to be a nice city but no longer. I wouldn’t go back to live there.

Hey, be negative. I hate the positivity cult. Be honest. The world is falling apart. Let's not mince words. This is a global crisis. America has been crap for a long time, but it's sad to see Canada now going through the same, and deteriorating. Such a beautiful country. I remember being there years ago, and the energy was so much lighter, uplifting, and I always loved this about Canada in general. It was always the nicer bit of N. America....but now it's much like what the USA is experiencing with insane prices, housing crisis, drugs, crime, homelessness, etc. I don't feel this will get better anytime soon. I think we need to demand some serious changes, and they need to start with forcing down the costs of living, whether they like it or not. It's a giant scam. Anyone who knows what is really going on, and why, knows that it's not even 'the market', but it's predatory price gouging. People are charging high prices because they can, not because it's actually worth that. And no one is stopping them. Same with food, and everything else.

Been in Canada for approximately 25 years. I can say that the effect that Canada has on a legal immigrant is neither here nor there. If you can make lemonade out of any lemon you’re dealt, you will thrive in Canada (and anywhere else where your efforts are not overwhelmingly quashed by corruption, blatant racism or other forms of segregation). \n \nLynn, I was a lecturer in Kenya, went back to school here in Canada after wallowing in culture shock the first year, then circled back to teaching in college again after an arduous journey in school, but this time in a different field. \n \nAfter becoming a single mother of four kids, I had to also hustle on the side to build a small business empire along my life’s ladder. Partnership with God, goal clarity, the get-up-and-go, and relentlessness truly work. It isn’t the size of the dog but the fight in the dog that does it, regardless of where you live. \n \nThe starting point for a new immigrant can be very low due to the weather, unpreparedness and culture shock, but if you know that the only way is up, and are self-motivated, those challenges are soon behind you as the tests become testimonies. \n \nBy comparison people have more human rights here regardless of their status. The wheels of justice grind slow but they do grind fine. Women and children have equal rights with men. Politicians are mostly there to serve not necessarily to exploit. \n \nOpportunities for self-development galore - including being trained to become employable and going to school at any age (sometimes for free while you are still at the bottom of the ladder). There are food banks so you never go hungry if it came to that. The disabled are better treated with dignity. \n \nThere are prolonged parental leaves for both moms and dads for up to 18 months. Commensurate with earnings, parents under certain thresholds are given Canada child tax benefits and other supplements for each child under 18 years of age. \n \nDepending on the number of kids and their ages, the money can add up handsomely. Not to mention that there’s no tuition to pay for primary and high school students. Tuition fees start at post-secondary level. \n \nTo see a doctor is free as it is paid for by taxes. It the meds that you and/or your insurance pays for. Some medical equipments may be paid for by either or both the individual/insurance and the government depending on eligibility. \n \nBy and large, there’s cleanliness of common spaces. There’s also safety and relative peace. At least wherever I have lived, I can’t tell you how many times I forgot to lock my door with impunity. \n \nThere’s a lot more stressful work here in my opinion, but like you said Lynn, systems work a lot more efficiently and effectively. \n \nThe elephant in the room is the extra hard work that those living abroad must put in to fulfil expectations back home. Also known as black tax, the overwhelming financial dependency of relatives on their diasporan loved ones places undue stress on many here, especially because there are no short cuts to getting money here. \n \nAnyway, Lynn, thanks for such a great topical issue you’ve shared. I have to stop here as I have written a lot. Hope this helps someone on this forum. \n \nAnd last but not least, you’ll be proud to hear that even though Canada has been good to me, my face may now be turning towards home to see how I can be of use to mama Africa. Super excited!

As an international student, I am currently in Canada, and the grass is not always greener. The narrative spread out there is contrary to the reality when you get here. Sadly, I worked at an agency back home and I regret all the lies I told people, I was coached to do. Don't make the mistake of coming to Canada without the right papers, most people are scammed by agencies through this, and you will have a hard time. Trust me, you don't want to be homeless during winter, it is brutal. Don't come to Canada, if you don't have lots of money, the cost of living here is insanely expensive. If you have a good life in Kenya and earn over 70K, that will guarantee a better life back home than here.

I live in Canada as a Kenyan and I have been here for sometime .I work as a HR/Payroll Specialist also certified in the field. The problem is not Canada , Canada is a very good county which I love and I am gland God gave me the Opportunity to Come and settle here with my family.. The problem with some people coming here is lacking of knowledge how Canada works .It’s system is very far from how things work in Dubai or Gulf countries. A lot people are thinking than you can just come and get any job even without proper papers or you can earn a lot of money and then build wealth quickly. Which is A BIG FAT LIE. The tax in Canada keeps you humble. That is how Canada funds it's high end life many admire and want to be part of. The more you work in Canada the more tax you pay and many don't know this, and it is one of the main reasons why a lot of people start to regrets, because they realize there effort of working hard is not paying as they hoped. Another thing in Canada is next to impossible to get jobs or rent a place without proper paper work, like work permit, It is not like USA where you can use someone else papers to work. the The main available jobs , easy to get , don’t pay much. And also the cost of living is very high in some provinces like Ontario and BC. They hardly recognize credentials from outside unless you came through a job offer. Also because a lot of things in Canada are paid by the government through taxes, like health care, education. Unless you are tax paper with (and I repeat) Paper work, you cant access the benefit, including thee free food available for the needy. \nMany people forget Canada is looking for people to work for them. Not to grow rich and leave. The system is meant to keep you working. Unless you understand how a system of a country works, one will continue to blame it. Let people get well informed and well educated first , before they jump in the river. And it’s not Canada a lone , but any country in the world. Also a lot of these media post about Canada are misleading. And there is also another trap called debt, a lot of people once they getting working, rush to but things they cant afford and it becomes a stress instead of a blessings.\nIf you want to live well and enjoy Canada . One of the top thing to do is, go back to school once you enter in it, get a good education and you will get a good job. Also give yourself time to adjust. REMEMBER you are starting from square one. You are not continuing where you left in Kenya or in the country you get from. Also, the general social climate is not as friendly as those in USA for example. Not many people are willing to help for free. The most jobs advertised in Canada are the lower end paying jobs, which a lot of people pay a lot of money to come for, just to realize the job they left behind was far much better than this, but no one told them that, just because it said $18 hrs and you converted it to your country and looked a lot, doesnt mean it carries the same wait once you earn in from here. The living expense are very different. The reality is, it is not where you are , but whom you are and determination knows no barrier. Anyone who will trust God for help, work hard/smart and be patience in life, they will make. It might take longer than they expect, but they will get their eventually.

Hi Lynn, this is a very interesting conversation. I moved to Canada in 2003 went to college and became a nurse. First of all it was not easy paying for college I was lucky that husband was supporting with the bills as I went to school. So I would say that I have skills that are very marketable. Our combined family income was over $100,000 CAN. We mortgaged our first home which was very basic for a LOT of money. We had our kids and we had to struggle with childcare as most young families do. By North American standard, we were doing good. We each had a good car ( loaned), we made trips to Kenya every so often but in 2016 we decided we wanted to move back home and we sold our home and we did. I HAVE NO REGRETS. There were several things that made us reach our decision. First, I truly believe that for the Canadian system to work as it does, it has to entrap its residents. Even after 10 years of work we did not have money in the bank. Everything we owned really belonged to the bank. The light bulb moment for me came when I evaluated my net worth. A primary school teacher in Kenya after 10 years of work with good financial management will own a plot, a simple house and will start to invest for retirement. After 10 years of work, there wasn't much in the account, our house would need 25 years to finish paying mortgage and to be honest there wasn't much to show for those years of work. Quality of life really sucks the amount of stress will definitely send you to the grave sooner. This is the case for most first generation immigrants. You might say you are sacrificing and building a future for your children but, my observation was since our diaspora children have not grown in Kenya to see the need for money and what life really looks like without the comforts they are used to, they do not have the same drive as the parents so they often do not excel they are just ordinary. There is also the struggle of growing up as a minority group. A lot of our children because they are seeking acceptance will struggle with self esteem, will have depression or will join the LGBTQ community where they get sense of belonging regardless of their colour. The morals are also different from their parents and they are shaped by the society they grow up in. When I looked at what my life would look like if we kept living there, lets say we eventually pay off our mortgage, when we are old and requiring care, our children will not be able to support themselves and support us because they have to work to sustain themselves so we would to move to assisted living or nursing homes. The cost of senior care is not covered by the government unless you have no money. so we have to sell out home which would be old and outdated but still very expensive and we would have to pay $5000-$10000 per month depending on the type of care we need. so as you can see if we ended in a nursing home for 5 years we will have depleted all the money we made from the sale of our home. So by the time we die, we would not have money to leave for our children. So we worked really hard, supported the economy, and die leaving not much at all for our children, we sacrificed our quality of life, and ended up with children who don't think much of themselves or have very distorted morals. I still remember in my mind as we drove to the airport on our way back to Kenya, I thought of the story of Lot. He was pretty successful in Sodom but I'm very sure on his death bed he had lots of regrets why he ever went there. I know its tough being in Kenya but if you have a job or any way to make ends meet, be like Abraham. God will bless you regardless of whether you are in the dessert.

Hi Lynn. First of, I would like to say that I'm such a huge fan of yours. Since you started at Tuko and still following to date. You are an inspiration to me and so many people out there. I love and respect what you stand for and your work. I completely resonate with everything you are about. Second, I've lived in Canada for over 30 years now. I am Eritrean and was born in Kenya. Moved to Canada when I was about 9 and have lived here since with my family. I have to say that for us, Canada has been a God Send. It has helped us in so many ways, and we are so grateful for the opportunities and life it has given my family. From health care to schooling and job opportunities. We also cane here in 1989. So times and cost of living was very different than it is now. Of course, times have changed now, and the economy and standard of living have too. There are pros and cons to everywhere we live in the world. Everyone is different and has different experiences. There are various factors that may affect everyone's perspectives and experiences when they come to Canada, whether it was a long time ago or recently. Some factors could be, weather, economy, feeling lonely ( no family), language barriers, support...etc. Change is not easy at all and can affect t your whole emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being. Social life here is also not like it us back home...just alot of factors. People here work and work to make it. My mom brought us here as a single widowed mom. My sister and I were very young. But she was determined to give us a better life and worked her whole life, and it has paid off. It depends on how you look at everything and what your goal is. My mother was determined and made it happen and has raised us on her own very successfully. She loves Canada and appreciates it for everything it has done for us. Everyone's experiences are different. You have to do your research before coming and come with an open mind. Overall... Canada for us has been a blessing. \n\nI hope that helps somehow. But again, everyone's perspective and experiences are just as valid and rightfully so. \n\nI hope to meet you someday. Love you, Lynn, From Canada ?? ❤️

Went to visit my daughter in London Ontario. She took me for a drive threw downtown. It was bad last time I was there 7 years ago. Now it looks like videos of places like Philadelphia, Portland, etc.

I used to live maybe a block away from where you used to live in Toronto, I moved to a different city around the time that Rob Ford became mayor I can’t remember what year that was. We couldn’t afford to stay in Toronto after our landlord sold our unit and the new owners wanted to live there, so we moved to a more affordable city. I was really shocked at the massive increase in the number of homeless people in the city that weren’t able to find space at a shelter, I had to ask my sister if I had missed news of a reanimated occupy Wall Street movement, because that was the last time that I had seen that overwhelming a volume of displaced people camping in the parks. I hope that some sort of solution can be found to massively increase the quantity of safe warm and free to the occupant shelters in Toronto before winter.

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

I am the Landowner as Toronto Tribe Mohawk Hollywood Royal as Queen of Canada and Royal Chieftain of Indians of America. I had God bring all Canadians into the Chateaus of Canada and God brought them in for Covid in 2019. Everybody is in the Royal York. I Natalie Helferty am in Hollywood North on Northern Heights Drive as one of myself as a way to End the War against Canada. Toronto is now the Empty City Syndrome just like New York was in the 1990s. There is the Entertainment District only as Hollywood North. New York Rental Rates were through the roof and Racketeering By Russians was driving the prices up so everybody moved into the Waldorf Astoria. Toronto is going through the same thing as Hong Kong Chinese Racketeers drove the prices up with condo rates in Toronto in the 1990s and they never were under Rent Control. Everybody was moving in the 1990s into the Royal York back then as Hollywood Actors could not afford the condo fees as all Movies are for Free and nobody made any money acting. There were no real Rent Subsidies in Toronto like in New York though as the City was not meant for Foreign Nationals to Scam Rent Subsidies out of the Government. Bloomberg as Mayor of New York knew who was from New York and who was not. Toronto is getting to be that way as Hollywood Royalty is all Canadians who grew up in Richmond Hill and were working as Government Staff. There was a need to keep the Racketeering in check so Homeless Shelters were offered instead in Toronto by the City. There are Clones made by Britain who tried to take over Toronto and they became Homeless People on the streets. The Police would arrest them all the time. It became a real problem for the city. There is a neighbourhood watch program that alerted police to vagrants in Toronto who were ruining the city by peeing on the street corner. They were Charles III out with Fred of Balmoral as Vagrants. The Asylum Seekers now are the Butler to Charles III as a way to be belligerent toward the Royalty of Canada who hasts everybody in the Royal York now.

Southern Ontario is ugly as F**k, I was born here and have seen all the woodlands marshes and especially small streams and creeks disappear over the past 50 years. You have to drive a fair distance north to find an appealing landscape even driving to Niagra falls is a big disappointment now that it has become a giant shi*hole of overcrowded tikky takky shops and motels.Everyone thinks Canada is this huge country with tons of beautiful spaces to live while in reality 75% of the country is uninhabitable for farming or houseing which is shown in the rates of low inhabitants living farther north. 90% of Canadians live within a 1 to 2 hour drive of the U.S border for a reason because there is very little livable places to live in Canada if you don't want to live like an Eskimo. There are vast amounts of places to visit in the north in the summer time but to visit not to live. That leads to the question of why is Canada incentivizing peoples from more tropical climates to immigrate to a nation that is frozen 6 or 7 months a year which i think can lead to a lot of immigrants dealing with depression, its hard enough for the people born here but thats never discussed for fear of imprisonment by the government The government had 2 choices to which way to go in this country, the first was to find a way to pay for all the older citizens through CPP and OAS payments in the next 25 years which ment higher taxes and less money for the elderly citizens and the 2nd was mass very mass immigration to pay for these programs and in doing so turned the country into a place where no one can find a doctor no one can find or afford a place to live,cities have become overcrowed because they were not given the time to adjust thier infrastrutures to deal with all the new people and voila you have a giant shithole of a country.

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

I feel for the people who go there with no other choice but given a choice be in your country ,this is very humiliating,there was a time when these countries were poor and there will come a time when other will have their share

I have had a home base in Toronto for the last 20 years, traveling almost consistently for work until covid hit. While I am not a fan of the city tbh, I have stuck it out there this whole time as I have not been able to figure out where else in Canada I'd rather live. The way things have gone in the last little while however, I'm now making plans to leave Canada altogether. Even though I am unaffected by high housing costs as I've owned a home in the city, the general cost of living across Canada is now extortionate for what you get. Toronto was fine for me to use as a base for my traveling lifestyle in the past, but with crappy weather much of the year, a left leaning electorate that keeps voting ultra woke politicians at all levels of government, the now increased cost of living there is no longer worth it to me. I'm headed for the exit. All this said, I don't feel that your coverage about crime in the city was balanced. Yes the news stories you used actually did happen, but I do not feel unsafe in the city. A handful of incidents in a city with the population of Toronto - this is a blip.

When I was young I used to fantasise about going to Toronto Canada as I have some cousins who lived there. Today this makes me quite sad but it is a similar situation here in Sydney Australia but a few years behind you guys but affordable housing is a big issue and a small but growing homeless issue Rising. We don't have the extreme random violence like in Canada but stuff like that does happen in all major industrialised cities around the world. Growing population without good healthcare and infrastructure is a major issue in a lot of big cities around the world.\nWe have a government that wants to increase the population and at the same time acknowledge the fact that we don't have the infrastructure to cope for that and also squeezing that big population in a smaller and smaller space of course causing greater mental issues as a result

Chokor Millionaire, I don't agree absolutely with the blame on the government. At least from what I have seen in Ghana, people are starting businesses.\n\nI am going to say something I observed about Ghana. I found out that women, as usual, are more hard-working. I realised that the men don't have work because they are lazy or have too much pride. I have watched so many videos where so many business owners complain about the ineffectiveness and inefficiencies of the workers. They are not dedicated when they work for other people. I watched these business owners whose workers in the farms are mostly women, and they were very happy that women are easier to control and have good work ethics as opposed to men. The men prefer jobs where they don't use their energies such as Yahoo Yahoo boys, selling in shops where they don't touch anything or lift a finger.\n\nGrowing up, we knew that men were supposed to do the hard-working jobs in society. But these days, men like to idle around and touch nothing. The reasons being that the African culture teaches us that men are not supposed to do anything at home. They are supposed to be served by women. Then, instead of the men going out there to do the hard work and make the money, they wait around expecting cushy jobs that don't make them lift a finger.\n\nLook at China that you mentioned. These boys work absolutely hard. Even in the villages. Look at Muslim countries. You will never see women working on the streets. The men are even the ones who cook the food on the streets and sell. Check countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. In Africa, most things are done by women.\n\nAll this japa that people are fighting for. Have we ever thought of the agenda of these people needing free and cheap labour? I came to realise that we stupid Africans don't yet understand. Our children eventually become strangers, and we remain just surrogate parents. Most of our children are never going back to Africa, and when they get to an age, they become like strangers to us. Whatever we say, they look at us like archaic. What then makes them Africans anyway. We have seen so many of them who barely know their countries of origin and have never ever been there. They do not know their relations. In fifty years' time, that generation has lost their roots, and was that our intentions initially? This all dawned on me recently with my children, and I feel absolutely dejected because they are not interested in our country. All my hard work is gone down the drain, and all that can happen is for us to leave our children behind and live like people who never had children in the first place. For now, most people see it like something to be proud of, and are happy to say ( my children live abroad). Africans are the most stupid people I know, and that is why we are always used for slave labour. Why are they all approving all these visas and allowing all these people to drown at sea? \n\nThese countries allow these fake visas deliberately because they drain African countries to enrich their own since they can't get the minerals easily these days.