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I can definitely see this guy's channel getting deleted for inciting hatred towards a group of people very soon.

I'm a Brampton resident. My family immigrated in the late 90s. I grew up on YTV, TVO kids, Fox Kids, Treehouse TV. I also still grew up knowing my own native culture and religion. I attend one of these temples of worship. Despite this, I still made friends with different races of people. I think my community needs to branch out a little more and learn about other cultures that live amongst us. Maybe we need to have a little less pride on where we come from? I don't know what the exact answer is. One thing I know is we can definitely get along. Just need the community to adapt more and actually learn Canadian culture. Maybe go see a Blue Jays game at the Skydom? Maybe know who Wayne Gretzky is?? LOL.

Very well done video & Thank YOU for showcasing the point of view from "real Canadians". As an immigrant who came to this country & fell in love with its culture 40 years ago, it's appalling to see how our beautiful first world country is quickly becoming a gutter. The newcomers these days are the privileged ones. All of us need to speak up, especially those of us immigrants who retain our original accents &/ non-white because our white fellow Canadians are accused of being racist whenever they do (though many could learn to be more eloquent. ie. go back to your country does NOT help)! I see it as my Canadian duty to remind "misbehaving" newcomers the reason they left their country in the first place. ie. You chose Canada for a better life, so why try to change it into the one you left? ie. Help me understand your logic? Why not leave your hate & war at the border; just like normal folks won't bring stinky garbage into their new homes. Life is challenging enough when you uprooted to a new country (especially our unforgiving cold Winter). So, just focus on the positive things in your new country & leave all your miseries behind... ie. Learn to adapt & enjoy your new country. Canada is a great country because of the love & effort of those before you, so now you are the beneficiary. Join the legacy by enhancing this beautiful country & its culture, so you can pass on this century old legacy for later newcomers to enjoy, like you do now. What dignity do you have & what kind of life lessons to your children by bullying your culture & religion into Canada at the expense of other Canadians? This will fracture Canada if everyone does that. Do you want this country to become so fractured & terrible that your descendants have to leave for a better country, like you did? Is that what your religion teaches you? Does it state it's perfectly fine to satisfy all your whims & wishes at the expense of others? Are you striving for Canadians to think badly of your race/culture? Are you being a good ambassador to your race/community/culture/religion? Canadians are so friendly & helpful, if you need help, just ask, please don't demand. Learn the language & it's ok to speak broken/pigeon English with gestures to communicate. No one expects you to be an English scholar; you gain respect for trying. Apply some basic Canadians manners, which goes a long way... Please & Thank You, Smile doesn't cost you anything, besides it's good exercise for your facial muscles. I worked my entire career with the public, I very seldom encounter negative feedback when I do the above. If they get nasty, I tell them that's definitely not the Canadian way to make friends & wish them Good Luck! I also make a point in telling the wealthy ones "Tax Avoidance is legal (I'm more than happy to show them), but Tax Evasion is not! Then reminding them....Canada will be bankrupt eventually if everyone don't pay their fair share of taxes. ie. You may not suffer, but your children/grandchildren will. Worst Case scenario, you didn't get the necessary medical care when you most needed it!!! We should lobby for a mandatory course that all newcomers have to take & PASS a test about Canadian culture & expectations. If they fail, no citizenship for sure! But that would be another hornets nest because our parliament will debate over definition of "Canadian Culture" for decades. Welcome to Canada!😂

tyler i don't think u realize how bad the usa education system really is. i'm canadian but have lost count of the number of usa teachers who have complained about how bad they are held back from teaching kids properly, how kids can't be failed or held back, how kids graduating gr 12 can't read or write past gr 6 level. in fact recently there was a statistic put out that something like 60% of ALL americans cant read or write past gr 6. considering all your universities that is terrifying. not to mention with gun violence, straight up violence among kids and at teachers, the disrespect and the severe lack of good parenting, kids are not being educated at all. u yourself have done videos on where someone interviews americans and asked them questions about canada and they haven't got a clue. not one clue. yet canadian kids are regularly taught all about their american neighbours. are kids know more about america then american kids do and thats shameful. u need to do some research on this because unless u live in a rich gated elite community and go to private school the public education system in the usa is very dismal and woefully inadequate. \nalso he's right about politics. here we can discuss it rationally and then move on to other topics. in the states ppl are shooting ppl over differences in politics. beating ppl up trashing their cars and property etc. and many police are definitely not presenting themselves with professionalism tons of racism going on. and so many police because everyone is armed. here in canada we are not allowed handguns and pretty much ppl only have hunting rifles. it takes a lot of work and clearance not to mention time and money to take the necessary classes and get the necessary permits to even own a hunting rifle. in the usa show a drivers license and wait 10 days u have a handgun no matter how mental u are. therefore u need way more police than here in canada. i think u have a well to do upbringing so u have not and do not see the true picture of the america u live in. \nalso i have talked to many american friends who had insurance and still cost them about $5000 per birth of a child. with good insurance and working full time. so thats about average. here in canada u pay nothing except maybe parking for hubby while he visits.

Hello Anna and Anastasia your channel is truly a hidden gem full of useful information and insight. I am an international student myself and I agree with all your points in the video, Canada used immigration to fix a deeper problem and that is its difficulty to incentivize the economy by having a heavily regulated environment, high taxes and low productivity. It will definitely alleviate some of the pressure on the system but, the real cause is still there. The first sector that is going to be affected will be the education as colleges and universities became over reliant with the revenue coming from Int. Students (which is not particularly small) and institution will need to adapt. When I first came here I fell in love with the country and I really feel fortunate to enjoy this beautiful place and doing everything to assimilate and integrate myself into the culture. I think here you can have a sense of hope of things improving in the future (something that is not the case in my home country) but if they do not fix the underlying problem it does not matter how much immigration they reduce, Canadians will not see a significant improvement. Keep the awesome work!!!

Glad to see this talk. I will vote for your party again for the third time. Call me a racist, I don't care but the country is going downhill too quickly. I definitely want to get Trudeau and the communism out of the politics in the country. My heart just lies with this party platform. I want Pierre to win but I will vote for this man and his party. I don't live in Canada, I left Canada 25 years ago and live in Asia. But I see and hear and feel how bad it has become. I hope that life in Canada can stabilize at least.

The immigration file has been completely botched and mishandled by an inept and very stupid government. Mass immigration without a plan for increased housing, medical staff, infrastructure help, or even increased staff at immigration centres, etc. is madness, and chaos has ensued. I studied in India for several years, and was careful to respect Indian culture vis a vis dress codes, learning Hindi, and behaviour. It is only normal courtesy to do so. It becomes more difficult when numbers increase drastically over a v. short period of time since people coming here are not widely exposed to Canadian culture. This completely inept and corrupt government needs to go: like yesterday. I think of myself as anti-racist, but when I go for a medical test and see that 95% of patients appear to be of middle-eastern origin, while I haven't been able to find a family doctor for 10 years, I do get a little irritated. And I'm a boomer; younger people in Canada are competing for education, jobs, housing, as well as medical care, so I can understand people becoming angry. I think that currently this backlash is against the government, not immigrants, and not one community in particular. I am cynical enough to think that this government went for mass immigration because they have no economic plan for prosperity, and bringing in several millions would raise GDP. But percapita GNP has been falling for 8 quarters, so we are definitely in a recession. I think Trudeau did this so his economic incompetence would not be obvious. Anyway, that's my appeal: we should be upset at a government that caused this chaos, not at individual immigrants nor a specific community.

I came to Germany from the UK in 1991, and was already fluent in German. In those days the Ausländerbehörde was incredibly unfriendly and demanding. They have got better over the years but there is definitely different treatment of UK citizens people from other countries. When I applied for citizenship before Brexit, it only took a few months. Now although it is supposed to be a faster process, it takes more than a year to even get an appointment, which is completely ridiculous. The reason is the lack of personnel. I accompany foreigners to the Ausländerbehörde and there is definitely different treatment of non-eu foreigners although it depends on the individual person in charge there. Even the period of residency given can vary between applicants by 1 to 5 years, depending on who they see or which Ausländerbehörde. This seems very strange and unfair considering that an annual fee for a residency permit is around 100 euros and involves 2 visits (the foreigner has to take at least a 1/2 day off to attend the appointment).

TFW here, east Asian, a couple of things:\nI am paid the provincial minimum wage, and work in the dairy industry, medium sized farm.\nI started working straight out of high school\n\nFrom what I can see and hear from across the province and largely in the western Canadian provinces, older generation farmers are at the retirement age, but the younger generation is generally very reluctant to take over. \nNot all industries, but definitely in livestock, people sometimes don't realize that, there is literally no breaks, ever! You work every day, holidays, Christmas, and if you do chose to take a few days off, your co-workers, i.e. other family members or workers, have to take up the extra workload. You barely have time for your family, you are often tired around your kids. Farmers have some of the highest suicide rates among all occupations, as well as a difficulty to find partners due to the nature of their jobs.\nThe work is hard, days long, especially during harvests, and if the ever more expensive tractors, equipment fail...\nThere used to be a lot of family owned farms, over the last few decades most have sold their generational farm and left the industry, most because of the cost to operate and because the next generation's unwillingness to take over.\nYong people my age have not been seen applying for my position in a few years now, despite ongoing hiring effort at significantly higher than minimum wage, and I have repeatedly stated that I, although love my job, am ready to step aside at any point so a Canadian PR or citizen can take my position, as required by worker rules. There were a few inquiries from neighboring areas, mostly made by parents, but their children in the end all refused to work, even part time, or seasonal.\n\nOn the other hand, there is the issue of prices: equipment costs have largely more than doubled since the pandemic, grain prices rose... and all that on top of the constant uncertainty of the weather every planting and harvesting season. Most farms don't ever make a profit after the yearly operating cost is deducted from earnings, and the little profit that on occasion appear, goes right back into paying debt or reinvesting in renewing long overdue old equipment.\n\nMy position, and all those similar to mine in agriculture, are in all fairness, very low skilled, with minimum training, and therefore is only worth minimum wage, in my opinion. I was actually offered a higher amount but in the end turned it down because on the job, I discovered the only thing I bring to the table is manual labor (I know that's not really the right way to go about wages, but I do believe that wages should be based on the irreplaceableness of one's skills, and as it stands, although no replacements were ever found, I am very much easily replaceable, skill wise). That, compared to a slightly better paid Starbucks position, with benefits (most farm workers and owners don't have benefits or pension, yes owners too), air conditioning, regular work hours. I mean, if it wasn't for my particular interest for agriculture I'd pick Starbucks any day too!\n\nI think a couple issues are at hand, \n1. Most of agriculture's profit ends up in the corporate processing and supermarkets, that needs to change, workers could benefit, as well as consumers, from distributing that profit between farmers and shoppers.\n2. Agriculture in today's context no longer fit the modern life, although I strongly think that A LOT of people can benefit from getting their hands dirty once in a while and sweating a bit, improve physical and mental health, have better discipline all that jazz. So foreign workers are the temporary solution, if well regulated so that Canadian PR and citizens are ALWAYS prioritized for hire and at a fair wage. This cannot happen unless farmers can turn a profit, stated in point 1.\n3. A new generation of farmers are needed to take over, and they need to be somehow convinced that it is worth the toil, because as it stands, it is not, financially, life style wise. Automation is one solution, although therein lies the huge, foreseeable risk of corporate takeover.\n4. On a specific note, TFW does mandate that workers are provided up to standard housing (not always followed), which puts local workers at a huge disadvantage if they are commuting to work and paying rent, although that rarely happens, and the majority of farms do offer housing to all.\n\n\nI am aware that me being treated up to regulation is not the norm among my TFW peers, which is quite sad and unacceptable. But in my opinion, even if given a leveled playing field, wages , conditions, housing, etc. Canadian citizens and PRs largely will be unable to meet the demand for these jobs, from unwillingness to work really hard physically, unwillingness to live the lifestyle, wanting a career with better prospects... these are harsh words, but I believe to be true, and they also come from a lot of older generation farmers talking about their children and grandchildren. \n\nThis is just in the agri industry, and from what I hear from farmers from all over western Canada : )

I migrated from Kenya to Canada with my family when I was 13. When I turned 26, I left Canada and moved to Australia. It took me 5 years to settle here and get my papers sorted. I almost gave up a couple of times, because as you have stated moving from one country to the next is super hard. However, I can say that I have a much much better quality of life. I visit my family from time to time, and can definitely say the Canada I left in 2017 and the Canada now has deteriorated significantly. It was extremely sad for me to see it in 2023. Hopefully, Canadians will have a change in government within the next year. This will help in turning things around.

The racism against Germans that is so openly expressed in the comments here is unbearable. Yes, there are some bad people in Germany (basically in any country on this planet, unfortunately) who are themselves racist or discriminatory. But that is by no means the majority of Germans. I have lived here for decades and have met the most warm-hearted people. From the comments I rather gather that many who come to Germany simply extremely overestimate the demands they can (and may) make of Germany (or pretty much any other immigration-friendly country). If you come to Germany it is obvious that you have to learn German (or the local language). That is the case everywhere, including France, Italy and Korea - you name it. And if you can't do that straight away that's okay too, most Germans speak English and are very forgiving when it comes to language learners. Nobody shouts at you for not knowing German. Furthermore, Germans are very direct and don't care much about artificial and feigned friendliness. What you see is what you get. And I think that's honest and quite refreshing. \n\nThe thing is, YOU have to approach Germans and can't just expect them to roll out the red carpet for you just because you think they are in need of your workforce. The simple truth is: the standard of living in Germany is very high. The culture is diverse, and anyone who doesn't recognize this should broaden their horizons. Cities like Munich, Berlin, Stuttgart and Hamburg are beautiful, extremely multicultural and anyone who describes them as 'dull' will probably not feel at home in any city on this planet. The people are also nicer than many non-germans claim - that's obvious, because if that weren't the case, Germany wouldn't be the most popular country to immigrate within Europe amongst immigrants. Of course there are problems on the German side too. Bureaucracy, language barriers and discrimination. But they definitely don't deserve the unreasonable racism they face here in the comments. You can't criticize Germans for their alleged discriminatory behavior by unreasonably attacking and generalizing Germans themselves. Anyone who approaches Germans with prejudice and racism should not be surprised if they do not receive a friendly welcome there...

I am a Serbian and Canadian living in Canada for the last 24 years. I love \nthis country I respect this country but my God is so much different than it used to be or it is me. This summer I went with my kids and wife to 6 different countries in Europe Eastern Europe and Central and have seen 2 alcoholic then I come to Canada I see thousands of drug addicts on the street. everything is overpriced ppl do not enjoy in here. When I came in 2000 Serbian economy was low due to the war now it is better and Canadian economy is worse so the gap is very small. you need to make 6000$ to live just ok and I do live well but there is always but. I call it a pressure cooker, I wish all Canadian travel abroad a bit just to realize that they were lied too and that there's a lot of bs. I can give you an example: Condo in Belgrade same size property tax is 200$ per year condo in Qc Gatineau 2500$ plus condo fees 400$ per month basically 7000$ wasted for what? no dr wholes on the street broken system. It will be for sale. I agree paying taxes on my house where I live but for rental property when you deduct all the expenses you invested so much money without any profit. the one that works and the one that scams the system make the same amount of money and we live approx the same. something is wrong there. I will live for many years to come but definitely not spending my whole life here due to many circumstances and expenses. Family values are getting killed and I have issues with that. The more I was pushed to change the more I went to church and believed in old fashioned traditional values. As you said I will always be grateful for what I made but working hard for two jobs in the last 20 years I would make that somewhere else too. Canada has changed too much since I came that's for sure. What triggers me the most fake approach when ppl say I make 100k wow then you didn't get that, that is only on the pay stub. how much did you get 50k that is the real money then you need to add deductions house tax this tax, sewage, water it comes less and less and then you realize that in reality you make more but you spend so much more with less quality of life. who cares how much you make the question is how do you live with the amount that you make.?

Live in toronto, all the above issues mentioned are 100% correct. My wife cut her finger last week, and the cut was really deep. She got 4 stitches. she had to sit for almost 2 hours covering her wound with paper towel, to see the doctor. Plus immigration will get very difficult in coming years in canada. If you know french then you will have chances. And houses which are just made up of wood should not be this costly. I work as database developer and i get paid good for now, but jobs are also not guaranteed and scares. With salary I earn, i should definitely afford house, but Canada have Rahul Gandhi in power, which is making everything impossible for Canadians, so Indians you can figure out what are your chances.

First of all...\nThat guy who's talking all this gibberish, I think he's definitely high on something!\nAll those racist comments, and talking like he owns this delivery guy, I seriously salute this boy's maturity and patience. God bless him. \nI don't know, had it been someone else he might have ripped that stupid customer apart.....\nJust see the arrogance of that man. He's talking like a lunatic continuously and recording the whole incident himself. He's genuinely not concerned when this video will go viral, what might be the repercussions of it....\nDon't worry boss, if you go on like this I can assure you, that you will face the music very soon and someone will teach you a very good lesson. Don't worry.

Nice video. I watched it as I like to learn from other perspectives.\n\nI was born in Toronto, and I must say, this “no time for life and fun” is a new thing. This lack of access to health care is a new thing. I agree with your assessment. It now seems lonelier in Toronto. \n\nCanada used to be different because anyone with a good job could afford at least a condo, but life became unaffordable not just for immigrants, but for everyone unless you are in your 50s-60s and own a home. \n\nI have friends working double jobs supporting family back home in other countries, but for some of them the family back home sound like they are doing better than them and own a home. It’s like they are sacrificing their life to be in poverty or full of hardships and their families get to go out for dinners and drinks with friends. Not them. Not true for everyone, but for some yes and I worry about their own retirement because retirement in Canada without lots of savings means you might be homeless or forced to live with family even if it’s not your preference. \n\n without investments and savings, it will be hard to beat inflation. Getting into debt and getting bad credit can mean not getting an apartment. \n\nThe birth rate is going down because it is expensive to have kids and income isn’t enough to match with living costs. Getting help from government is really not something everyone gets access too. One person might get housing support, 10 others may get nothing. Different governments offer different things. Programs end and change often. \n\nIn Canada definitely bargain and shop around for good phone plans. one idea is to get a pay as you go until “Black Friday” then every year or two when your good offer expires there will be many others. It’s the time with the best deals saving almost half. For instance, I have 50 gigs for $25 for two years from a large provider. Telephone companies are the one place where people must bargain and even ask for better deals as a must.\n\nThe people you see living in big houses, will have kids that can’t afford the same. This is because prices keep rising. The system protects the very rich, but will also drain the middle class often within 1-2 generations. Do not link your business to your personal finance, or creditors can take your home. Some not knowing this lose everything and rich people know better. \n\nPeople live until they are very old, so inheritance is pretty much meaningless to rely on, so no matter what your parents have you must hustle in life. \n\nI do think Canada can become what we want over time. Citizens need to fight the trend of great community spaces, restaurants and bars going out of business and dumb corporations move in with bad boring restaurants. Like a McDonald’s where maybe a popular cultural hang out was. \n\nPart of the problem is a lack of mixed income housing areas, so it’s hard to stay living where you grew up. Artists and musicians help make a city great, but many cannot afford to live here.\n\nFamilies and communities staying together means more support for those with young kids and older relatives when they need help. Yet how is this possible in a city that is always pushing out lower income people when wealthier people desire the area. \n\nIn Toronto, every time you move you have to take what is available and that might mean moving an hour away from everyone you know. This weakens communities. Plus, if you live too far from your work you will have no time to socialize for most the week due to travel time. \n\nI think those who grew up in Toronto do have a certain culture of acceptance with others from many cultures, because your friends at school were from all over. But with new migrants sometimes it isn’t until the second generation that their social circles get diverse. This can be isolating and it’s even isolating as those from Toronto eventually leave dreaming of staying in one spot and not forced to move constantly when a landlord investor sells every house you move into. \n\n\nToronto really needs to protect affordability of housing for at least some housing in every section so that people can save money if they live in the city, and not have to leave their communities and be far from their friends and family. \n\notherwise eventually people get sick of the hustle and it’s too tiring to travel 1+ hrs each way to visit someone during Monday to Friday. \n\n20 years ago any professional could at least buy a condo. Not today. There is too much competition now and investors are allowed to buy up all the most affordable housing that once was a pathway to owning a home. \n\nRich policy makers got greedy and destroyed canada and hopefully diversity in leadership will help make Canada better. But they perhaps people knew to Canada can reject this lonely structure and help us rebuild Toronto into an amazing place. \n\nWe need to make sure everyone can afford housing with 30% of their income. I think that will help

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

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.

1) Toronto is poor value. Getting housing of any kind (buying or renting) is stupidly expensive. And the quality you get for the price is lousy. Especially the newer builds, which are just thrown up as quickly as possible and sold to investors. Policy measures generally all seem to serve to just inflate the price of housing further. The occasional lip service given to affordability is amusing, but ultimately sad. There are lots of people who really do not want the housing bubble to pop. They will fight against it with all they have.\n\n2) It has become kind of boring. There is lots to do if you have money, but it’s harder to find entertainment on a budget. Even the free stuff like parks are filling up. Stuff like sporting events, eating out, going out is very costly across the board. Even the “cheaper” stuff is expensive. It seems like a lot of local culture is disappearing. Even the cool neighbourhoods are filling up with the same chains. I think the high commercial rent and bureaucracy is deflating a lot of would-be entrepreneurs. Most landowners seem to just be banking on cashing out their land for condos.\n\n3) Canada overall has a high cost of living compared to salaries. In the US you can find lower cost of living areas that still give you a real city experience. And in Europe you can be poor but still live a decent, if no frills, life. In Canada the basic necessities are all expensive. Phone bills, grocery bills, rent, insurance are through the roof. Domestic travel is expensive. And the dollar sucks if you want to travel abroad. Health care is free but good luck finding a family doctor or waiting 8 hours in the ER these days. It’s expensive to be poor, or even middle class.\n\n4) Most of the Greater Toronto Area, outside the core, is soulless suburbs with awful transit - very “American” except with worse traffic congestion. You will need a car, which is another huge cost. Row upon row of old cookie cutter suburbs with the same crappy houses. Good luck walking anywhere, and if you do you will need to walk down boring, treeless arterial roads with cars zooming past right beside you, and cross giant eight lane intersections that were never built for humans on foot. In a rainstorm or on a fall evening you have to be really careful not to be run over by aggressive drivers.\n\n5) It is hard to raise a family in an apartment here. You can do it but it’s not very easy, and also you are still kind of judged for it. Lots of young people are feeling stuck and are deferring or avoiding starting a family. Buying any type of house, even a basic townhouse, requires pledging your soul to a bank by taking a massive mortgage with eye watering debt in a volatile market. But few apartment buildings have the kind of sensible gentle density, the family unit sizes and the common amenities, like little courtyards with jungle gyms, that you might find in Europe. No one ever contemplated that anyone would ever desire to raise kids in an apartment. It’s just a cultural thing that has worked its way into how things are planned and designed.\n\n6) The transit system is ok by North American standards but awful by international standards. There are only two real subway lines, one stub line, one line that is permanently out of service after a derailment, and another line that was supposed to open a couple years ago but still has no date for opening. The subways go out of service frequently, sometimes for the dumbest reasons, and then it is a zoo of shuttle buses. The streetcars are nice but so slow. The buses are fine if you find yourself dreaming about riding a daily herky jerky rolling tin of sardines. They are building a lot of transit but it will take decades to get done.\n\n7) There is still a lot of cool multiculturalism and opportunities to experience different foods and cultures - one of the best things about Toronto. Increasingly though it seems to be losing the fun vibe of the 90s, when everyone celebrated each other’s backgrounds and was chill. It seems the immigration is not as broad based anymore and also people are importing a lot of their “old country” grievances here. The immigration system also kind of preys on people abroad by selling them a false fairy tale, so they end up dejected when they arrive and see how things really are.\n\n8) This one might be controversial but it’s kind of an ugly city. There’s nothing particularly of historical meaning or value. Some of the older neighbourhoods are kind of nice, but the last 25 years they have only built giant glass skyboxes, one after another. There aren’t the cool “missing middle” walkups like in NY, Chicago or Montreal (or even LA). There are very few buildings with much architectural character. Some of the buildings they deem “heritage” here are an embarrassment.\n\n9) For safety, honestly on this score I think Toronto is not bad. There are not too many real “ghettos” and it’s night and day compared to much of the US. With that said, there is more vagrancy and social issues these days, with tents and such. It’s very sad but the shelters are full, lots of homeless go into the libraries, parks and transit system. It does make it harder to enjoy these public amenities safely. It is nowhere close to Europe where you might let your kids run free around town. Canadian parents still helicopter their kids and the place again is not designed to really be safe for kids, in the same way as Europe.\n\n10) Finally, a bit of a double edged sword. Toronto had a lot of youthful energy - people coming here from all over. It is definitely not as sleepy as many parts of the world. With that said, it is becoming a bit of a transient place (minus the world class experiences like London or NY). If you are from elsewhere you might find it hard making and keeping friends. I’ve seen lots of people struggle because it’s is hard to build a strong social network. We have a very “shallow” culture here - people are extremely polite but not overly warm and hospitable. We treat one another kind of like neighbours - meaning we’d like to have a cordial, drama-free coexistence and otherwise kind of stick to ourselves.

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 ❣️

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.

You've explained it very well. For people like us who have gone through both systems, details about it are like second nature to us, like breathing. But I really want to correct that express entry in Canada is very varied and you don't necessarily need to have a job offer. A combination of your degrees, or the years of work experience you already have could likely already be enough to be approved. It's a very transparent point-based system that you can calculate on your own. Another thing to mention you forgot to mention is Green Card is still not citizenship. You need to have a green card for 5 more years before you can apply for US citizenship as opposed to only a few years in Canada. I moved from a very high paying job in the US (after studying in a US university) for exactly this reason to Canada. I took a large pay cut (still 6 figures), but I was express entry approved in 1.5 years. A year has passed since, and I'm eligible for citizenship in less than 6 months. \n\nIt is a game-changing system for Canada and it will have massive benefits down the line as skilled talent from the US drains to Canada. It will not be apparent yet, but it will become apparent in the near future. I plan to start many businesses and employ people. Canada took me in when the US did not, and so I will definitely start businesses in Canada instead and create employment here. A lot of skilled talent is reasoning along the same lines and a massive shift in the headwinds is coming.\n\nPS - The one thing Canada is not doing well, is housing. The system is set up correctly, but not enough housing is being built, cities expanded, or any coordination done to make sure people are settling in a more distributed manner. This needs to be fixed ASAP. The prices are becoming outrageous rivalling the US. Canada has always been so sparse, it's not prepared for this. It needs housing construction on war footing. I don't see the current government taking it seriously.

Sad reality is these people are better dressed and look more healthy than 90% of Us citizens. These are definitely not all people that are in fear for their lives. They clearly have had food and water and some kind of life. What about our citizens in violent cities? Especially the ones who have no food, shelter, family, nothing to keep them away from violent people... Where can an American go for asylum? Where can we find refuge from our corrupt politicians? From the mentally illand violent? Its even worse thinking that these people will get treated better than those who have fought for this country. Risking life and limb to protect freedom. I think freedom in America was always an illusion. We were always being manipulated and controlled. Its just before it was less in our face. They don't care to hide what they are doing anymore. They have been successful in making people zombies and slaves. They think nothing can stop them now. They see the finish line and they are running harder at it. Lest everyone wakes up and holds them accountable.

I think you ladies are way out in left field and you really don't know what you're talkin about. Unfortunately for some people it doesn't work out for whatever reason usually because they do not want to assimilate very well. I grew up in Ontario to a french-canadian father and an Italian mother in my life in Canada was so perfect said if I had to dream up a better life I could not have done so. I grew up playing all the sports and enjoyed all the different sports and the changes of seasons. My parents had a summer home on the st-lawrence river and every summer we water-ski swam fished, play golf in the morning and barbecues every night right on the water. Even though my grandfather was in the hotel business I was all about sports and enjoying everything about it. I grew up in a town of about 50 thousand about 40 miles from Montreal. When I wanted some great nightlife just drove a short drive to Montreal and it had everything did anyone could want in Nightlife. I have lived in United States for forty years and I can tell you that it really isn't all that it's cracked up to be. Heaven forbid should you get some kind of catastrophic illness you are screwed. I knew a woman who work for travelers insurance for 30 years at the best insurance a money could buy had suffered a couple of strokes and was on the verge of going broke had she not died when she died. People think that insurance continues to pay his long as you're ill and nothing could be further from the truth. This lady was going to have to sell her house to continue paying for round-the-clock care had she not died when she did. United States middle class is getting wiped out. I've seen enough poverty and hardship in this country to last a lifetime. I find greed to be running rampant in this country. When I grew up in Canada there was always the grass is greener on the other side and when I did move over to the other side the US that is I can tell you unequivocally the dead grass is not greener on the other side. There are more millions and millions of people here that are one or two paychecks away from being homeless. And we're talkin 2023. Now let's talk about violence. There is a mass murder in the United States every single day of the year. And a mass murder is defined by four or more people being killed by one person at one time. Killing these so out of control in the United States that now even six-year-olds are shooting their teacher. I find a tremendous amount of built-up Anger from people. Food is very expensive and shelter is also out of control and non affordable to most people. Again I find United States being able to paint a much Rosier picture then does really exist. And there are more con artists and thieves , Crooks, con-artists, bamboozlers, cheats and scammers then anywhere that I've ever been. And I will say this is it it ain't getting any better and I don't see it ever getting better. I find it is everybody out for themselves no matter who they cheat. I live in Southern California and I can tell you that night life where I live is non-existent. Understand that LA and Hollywood they always have to glamorize everything to sell it to tourists. Just remember that things today are not what they were 40 years ago. Middle-class people in Canada would also be just middle-class people in the US. But if your life means anything to you as far as safety and raising a family then Canada wins hands down end of discussion. People that say Canada is boring is because they are boring. That's what I found to be pretty standard across the board. Life is what you make of it. But I will say that you gals definitely need to move away if you don't like Canada. Do not let the door hit your ass on the way out. And just for your information Canada ranks annually as one of the top countries in the world to immigrate to. Canada is the second largest country in the world by land area and next to Saudi Arabia has the third largest oil Reserves in the world. Canada has huge amount of freshwater which most of the rest of the world seems to be lacking and having spent my Summers on the Saint Lawrence River one of the Great Rivers in this world. I wouldn't change my twenty years in Canada for anyplace else in this world and I will be moving back shortly.

I’m traveling rn, so I talk to a lot of internationals about the pros and cons of American. The greatest pros would be we are definitely the land of opportunity, so if you want make a lot of money there’s no country better. The people also have this optimism about the future that’s not as prevalent around the world, and the country is very diverse which means you can find a state that matches you want. However the downsides would be the stark wealth inequality, and lackluster healthcare. The polarization between the left and right, and the crazy urban sprawl which you never get used to.\n I think the inequality is due to us having this bootstraps mentality when it comes to success. Whenever I tell other Americans how lucky I am they’re quick to say that it’s all due to my worth ethic, but life is a lot more nuanced. Regardless I still love my country, and can’t see myself living anywhere else. ??

Ya let’s add a large city of population to where ? These ppl won’t be moving up into the northern regions; they will be in all then main cities which already have housing crisis, healthcare log jams, traffic delays, good job availability… we already have enough homelessness n lineups at food banks… n until we have an economy where the 100k i gross working 65hrs a week which turns into 67k can at least qualify me for a mortgage for a small house in any city when u make that kind of money and have 150k down; then I don’t see any good in this for any middle class hard working citizen… just liberal politicians who want votes and to look good virtue signalling.. how many of our tax dollars already go to humanitarian aid, and wars in countries 10s of thousands of miles away nowhere near the americas… we have r own problems here but 500 000? A yr that’s ridiculous not definitely not feasible

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