How different is living in Canada from America?

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Pichi

As an American living in Canada, here are the differences I have experienced:

Cost of living is somewhat higher, esp things like furniture, electronics, and food/sundries.

Health care is generally provided to everyone, (exception .. dental, optical, and medicines, you pay for these). However, the level of care, esp. in hospitals, is lower than that in the states. Also, waiting times are far longer. But ... you can at least GET health care, even if you are poor.

People in general are more polite, more reserved, and more patient. They are also less open and friendly. Customer service in most places is a joke ... of course, it's getting like that in the U.S., too ... so ....

Canadians are less materialistic and do not worship consumerism like Americans tend too. Canadians also seem to be less cliquish and far more tolerant.

Summers are lovely all over Canada, and winters are not that bad, except in the plains and in the north. Sure, it snows, but it does in a lot of the US, too. And parts of Ontario and much of BC have moderate winters.

Handguns are illegal, crime is lower, there is far less gun crime, and there are not the extreme slum areas in Canada that you find in places in the U.S.

Canada is a beautiful, clean and pristine country, and it's wonderful!! I love living here.

earthgirl766

the best thing about canada is we dont have a bunch of ignorant americans here

Twiggy

One thing that's better in Canada is our medicare.......you cant beat it...in America you pay threw the nose .............and I know house hold bills are a tad cheap depending on where you live .........

Cherry_Blossom

In Canada we don't have to keep screaming how good we are and we don't walk around like our s hit doesn't stink. We are good and we know we are, we are just more humble about it and don't ram our ideologies down everyone Else's throat.

bon b

The lifestyle is not that different I don't think. Other posters go on and on about our "free" healthcare. There's nothing free about it. We pay about 45% of our salary in taxes. The people are the same, we want the same things. One poster said that Canadians are "slow". I won't get into that argument....but, let's just say he's wrong. There is a lot less crime, that I like.

DoNNy

colder. money is worth slightly less. people say 'eh.' no HMOs to deal with.

Not a bad deal, really.

Alletery

In Canada:
There is no death penalty like there is in many States.
Gays have a right to marry.
Our Toronto police department is internationally known to have the best equipment to identify online makers of child porn and rapists. They even alerted the American police of a girl being brutally raped.
You cannot sell human parts for profit....(you can donate certain parts if you are killed in an accident and gave prior consent). In the States some clinics actually are for profit.
Gambling is not as restricted in Canada as in the USA. If you recall Janet Gretzky (wife of former NHL player Wayne Gretzky) would not have been charged as severely in Canada for the incidences she has been charged with in the USA.
Canada provides free medicare for its citizens.
Many Americans even watch the CBC news because they say that it is far more balanced and objective than the one-sided American view.
Canadian gun shot victim rates are much lower because we don't think that every citizen has a right to bear arms.
In the military Canada does not have rules regarding adultery nor soldiers being gay. These are rules that cannot be fairly enforced because you cannot follow someone 24/7 so in America some are disciplined for it and others aren't----not fair either all or none.
We have already had a female head of state (even though short lived). USA despite the larger population has still not had a female president.
Canada's climate is colder on average. (Nothing beats Florida sunshine).
USA has the respected Harvard University.
USA is a revered superpower. Canada is not.
Canada was not attacked by the Soviets during the cold war because of allegiance with the USA. (Canada would have trouble defending itself if attacked).
In Canada taxes tend to be higher and prices for goods and services too so it is always nice to go south of the border for shopping!
Americans are nice people but the countries are different!!

jar

As a Canadian living in the USA, I have noticed a lot.

The health care-thing is a big issue. While the hospitals and such are nicer in the States, having to worry about co-pays and private clinics with very limited hours of service is annoying. It is far easier to access health care in Canada.

There is a greater amount of disparity in the States. When I drive around my city, I tend to see either gigantic mansions or run-down shacks. Buildings are either pristene and new or old and boarded-up. Everything in Canada is more in the middle - you don't see the extremes of wealth and poverty like you do down here.

Canadians are far more tolerant, in general. There are also some very tolerant Americans, but the more conservative groups are far more vocal. Conservative groups in Canada still exist, but they don't seem to try to form government policies around their beliefs (Alberta does that a bit, but not to the extreme that some US states do).

Seeing "no concealed weapons allowed" signs on malls and schools in the US is a little strange. I think it helps promote an atmosphere of fear to when you have to wonder who's carrying a gun... There are still gun crimes and violence in Canada, but not as much as in the USA.

Americans are very friendly and less reserved than Canadians tend to be. The communities that I've lived in here are tightly-knit and welcoming. Canadians are a bit more distant and detached.

I do enjoy the variety of products in the USA. Canadian tv channels get a lot of American feeds, and there were many times that I would see things that I liked that were only available in the States. Ordering things on-line is also far easier in the US; shipping services like UPS and Fed-Ex are far more flexible and easier to access here. Many internet sites will not ship to Canada, which was frustrating.

I like living in the US, but I do miss Canada. I hope that we can return to the Great White North someday!

Bill S

well, the frogs up there are getting pissed on the immigration policy....same as the USA.....80% of Canadians live within 100 miles of the border......very good north Americans.......glad to have them as neighbors....be glad that Mexico is not dumping their uneducated poor (12 mil) to prevent a revolution to overthrow the 1% that owns Mexico..also the hidden agenda is to regain the so called lost territories from the 1800's.what if France wants to take over the rest of Canada like Quebec...wave the french flag over Canada?..

nbjess

We are in America... North America..? What do you mean..are you asking is it different than South America? If that is what you mean we dont have the rain forest in North America...??

Phone E

Canada is a psychizophrenic country. It's loud and may make you see things.

not much

Steve-o

Think about it: the WARMEST parts of Canida, are the same as the US' COLDEST parts (excludes Alaska)...

My buddy is from freezing cold northern NY; he says theres nothing there at all. But, across the river in Canida, theres major developement (its there warmest place!)

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