Close Reading

As a brit living in Calgary, who is currently trying to jump through several hoops to try and gain PR, it's super tough and disheartening to see so many people here who don't speak english, don't work in a skilled profession, and don't engage with the Canadian community or culture. To expand on that, I have a great job in construction estimating on $85k a year, I speak fluent english (of course), I rent my own condo, my partner is Canadian and I have multiple Canadian friends. Yet, still I'm not convinced my PR visa will ever be granted. Then I walk into Tim Hortons or Subway and the foreign workers there can't understand a word I'm saying... how is that right??

As a Brit I know many decent integrated Indians here. But none of them are recent arrivals. Older immigrants were respectful and wanted to be British and adopt British ways. But newer immigrants act as if we owe them something while acting in disrespectful dirty disgusting ways. For example in India I have to use Indian toilets as Indians do. I don’t pretend I don’t understand how to use them, I don’t need instructions on the door and I don’t break the toilet by standing on it, shytting up the walls and all over the floor and leave it there like that’s normal. I’ve worked in offices where this was routine when Indian contractors were brought in. Integrated Indian men seem to take great pride in dressing smartly and smelling good. But it’s really common for Indians to smell REALLY BAD. Poor personal hygiene plus excessive amounts of Indian food (you’re abroad ffs try some different food!) creates a truly vile odour. Some Indian men also think it acceptable to stare at and harass British girls (although to be fair they do not have as bad a reputation as their neighbours) they are also rude and racist to white people especially women. Some Indians in 2025 still seem to think they’re living under the Raj and Britain is ‘oppressing’ them. They’re not and we’re not. The empire brought benefits to India and left peacefully over 70 YEARS ago. We don’t owe you ANYTHING. This victim mentality means India will NEVER be a proper first world country. You can flood the world with sheer numbers but you will never be respected or improve the world in any way, you will only ever leech off the invention of others. I do not mean to disrespect the many decent Indian people I’m just telling the truth. As a culture your presence outside of India is negative because of the way so many Indians act, trying to create India wherever they go. And they have the cheek to say this is ok because they got colonised. WELL SO DID WE! That is the truth.

As a Brit living in the US, with a big soft spot for Canada. Ill pay for your flight tickets.

I'm an expat Brit living in Alberta with my wife, we've seen a significant downturn in quality of life due to the shocking cost of living, which in turn has driven up homelessness and that's has driven crime and drug abuse through the roof. I fear the far right are going to take hold of the narrative and start to rise here as they are in Europe.

As Brit who emigrated to Canada 30 years this is not new. When i moved here in 1993, my Canadian friends were complaining about how bad things were. It's good and normal when citizens don't just accept the status quo. Living 30 miles from the US, I can tell you that it's av wonderful place to live and raise a family.