Is life in Canada pretty much like life in the US?

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Ponchick

everything is cheaper in US compared to Canada

Jim B

Some things that you won't see in Canada....................

The NRA. The KKK. The NAACP.

None of those groups has a Canadian counterpart.

Some more things that you won't see in Canada.

Political murders. No Canadian political leader has ever been killed, while in office. In fact, it was not that long ago, in the 1970's that the Prime Minister used to drive his own car to work, with no body guards.

No " First Lady ". The wife of the Canadian Prime Minister is NOT asked for her opinion on anything. She has no part in the government, and no one interviews her about government policy. Most Canadians if asked would not even be able to say what her first name is .

Race riots. Never been a part of Canadian history. Of course the fact that the black population of the country is only 2.5 percent may have some thing to do with that. But on the other hand, before and during the American Civil War, where was "the promised land " for escaping slaves ? Canada., and in particular, southern Ontario, and Nova Scotia.

And finally, the whole "gun culture " thing, that is so prevelant in the USA, is not present in Canada. No one here has the "right " to go about carrying a hand gun, and the ownership and licencing of rifles and shotguns is highly regulated. In a year, Canada has about the same number of homicides, in the entire country, as one city ( Washington DC ) in the USA does.

So, yes we are diferent , in many ways. Some are obvious, some are more subtle.

Jim B. Toronto.

MasterPython

It really depends on the city.

oceanchica132

i love canada. not sure wat the cultures are like in america but we have many different cultures here. i dont really follow wat happens in the states. some places taxes are high but others their not. same as the states. and things arent that costly but it depends where u live. as well salaries depend on the jobs as well the area u live in. canada is large just like the states. u have areas that are costly and others that arent. i think canada is very friendly but theirs places that people can be rude just like any country. the nice thing with canada is we have free medical, we dont have to worry about not having money to go see a doctor,

NB Josh

Generally everything is the same. We watch the same sports, the same TV shows, we even get many of the same TV stations as the US. Taxes are generally higher and things are more expensive. Canadian is one of the most friendly places you will ever visit, especially the Maritimes.

Cherrycola, I'm not sure where you live in New Brunswick, but I've never experienced many of the things you have. The 13% tax is annoying though. I know lots of Asian people in New Brunswick too. Here in Fredericton UNB brings in people from many countries around the World.

mj_puce

Well... a lot of our entertainment in Canada comes from America, just like it does everywhere else, but that doesn't mean we're just like them. Our politics would be considered socialist compared to America's. We have a better social safety net. We have a government health care plan, so all citizens get "free" health care paid for by taxes. Our cities are safer and generally I find things more convenient here in Canada. More people walk rather than driving everywhere they go, so there will be shopping districts with everything you need within walking distance, although we do have the big box stores in the burbs too. That's an American influence! Our food, with some glaring exceptions, is generally healthier and better quality . For example I've never been to a restaurant in Canada where you couldn't order a salad as a side dish in place of fries, but it seems common in the States that you can only get fries. Our salaries are pretty high, I think. Maybe there are more people raking in big bucks in the States, but we have a much higher minimum wage, so it's more fair. I don't believe things are more expensive here, but it depends on the area. Friendliness depends on the area too. Most Canadians are friendly, but small town people usually more so, just like the States. We have all kinds of people here. I think most people are more tolerant, but we could stand some improvement on that too.

ellelle_26

I'm in agreement with Kelly.

E.G. Emeritus

Oui.

Â¸.â€¢*Â´`*â€¢.Â¸ CherryCola Â¸.â€¢*Â´`*â€¢.

Jim obviously hasn't been to New Brunswick. Here, there are a ton of skin heads and people who preach that whites are superior. Anyway, I'm originally from what would be considered a small city in the US and now I live in a tiny city in New Brunswick. Things are different. They're really rude here and I know several racist people. My own brother-in-law was asked to join a group similar to neo-nazis. Here sales tax is 13% compared to the 5.6 percent I'm used to. Also, there's more of a french influence on the culture here. Many people speak French and English here. Things are more expensive here but salaries kind of even it out. Certain parts of Canada are friendlier than others. Where I live just isn't one of them. Back in Wisconsin I was used to people saying hi or asking how I was doing downtown. Here, you smile at someone and they give you a dirty look or just ignore you. And I know for my answer I'll get thumbs down but who cares. I've lived in New Brunswick long enough to see how different things really are. Maybe it's just the whole small town mentality they have here. If my husband would agree to moving back to my hometown I would in a heart beat. The people are nicer, the culture is more diverse. It's not just white people and then French-Canadians. there's Asians, Latinos, Native Americans, East Indian, Europeans, African Americans,etc. I also have a friend who's originally from Quebec who agrees that in the US where she lives now people are a lot nicer. So it all depends on where you go.

Thats sort of like saying: Is life in Ireland pretty much like life in England?
We're a bit colder, a bit smaller (population wise), a bit friendlier, and we drink more! But we have pretty much all the same things you can get in the US except in less quantities and we have less fast food outlets, malls etc. Taxes are higher to support our Universal Health Care, Clothes etc. are a bit more expensive, real estate depends where you go, and as far as I know our Salaries are pretty much the same. Overall, the similarities are there, but the general atmosphere is different...

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