What does Canada mean to you?

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Karen C

First and foremost - it is home. Not just Montreal where I was born but the entire country which I have travelled extensively.

Second - the fact that most Canadians are peaceful people (our present leader being an exception. He is really an alien from Uranus.)

Third - we are very tolerant. (Which explains why we have allowed an alien from Uranus to stay here.)

Fourth - Our freedoms - Anyone who has lived in an emerging or third world country as I have really appreciates the freedoms this country has. Being female and having lived in some of the third world where women are shrouded, subservient and abused, I appreciate it even more than most.

Fifth - Safety - Canada is one of the safest places in the world. Not as safe as it used to be, I will grant you, but I have never had anyone pull a gun out of their boots here like it was the norm.I have had this happen in the States. In fact, up here the closest I have been to a gun was my Father's shot gun that we used to scare off the crows and grackles that would otherwise clean out the oat fields if we didn't.

Sixth - this is a beautiful country. Oceans, lakes, mountains, prairies and everything in between.

Seventh - Our Medicare system - it has seen me through two go rounds with cancer and is helping me deal with MS. No it is not free - I paid taxes for over 40 years and the corporations I worked for pay taxes and some of both types of tax goes into paying for it but I have not been left to deal with any of the costs out of pocket except the medications I buy at the pharmacy. (So far that has not exceeded one pill a day!)

Eighth - for a small population, I think Canadians have contributed largely to the scientific and technological arenas among others and I am mighty proud of the Canadians who have made these contributions.

Ninth - Our War vets - Past and Present - They are the BEST!

Tenth - Mother Nature loves us too. We seldom have any of the natural disasters that are yearly happenings in other parts of the world. Most Americans would be surprised to learn that their northern States often experience worse winters than we do most years. Hurricanes most often blow themselves out before they reach our shores. Volcanoes erupt so rarely that most Canadians do not think we have any. Our worst floods would be seen as a joke to people living on the Mississippi, (well maybe not the Red River in Manitoba.) I remember Hurricane Hazel but most Canadians under 60 never heard of it. And I remember the Ice Storm of 1998. But compared to the US and other places around the world, we get precious little in the way of grinding gears from Mother Nature.

I loves this place!!
Oh yeah! We have the best hockey and the best beer in the world! Okanagan and Niagara grow the best peaches. B.C. has the best salmon; Nova Scotia has the best lobster. Quebec has the best MacIntosh Apples, the best poutine and the best Maple syrup. Alberta has the best beef and the Prairies grow the best wheat and flax.
Did I say I love this place? I do!

"HaveYourSay" below me is one sick puppy! Military leeching is an American trait like starting greed wars and leaving them for others to clean up. Somebody put him back in his cage please.

snowbarbie

I was born in England and came to live in Canada when I was 22, so I have lived longer in Canada than in England.

I love this country - I love it's open spaces, it's acceptance of other people who come here to make Canada their home, our standard of living, it's Oceans, it's forests, wilderness and lakes, I love the nature and wildlife that I see every day in my own back-yard (geese, deer, ground-hogs, squirrels, wild birds), I love our National Anthem - my husband was also born in Europe and we both shed tears when we hear "O Canada".

My children all have a good life here - they all own their own homes and have jobs and a good future.

I can't put words to what I really feel about Canada, but when I am away (even for a holiday to visit my family in the UK), I long to be back here.

Canada is Home to me and I appreciate it so much, in a way that those who are born here may not appreciate this wonderful country.

freeside49

Canadian:

- freedom
- safety
- peace
- open spaces

old lady

Canada is one of the greatest countries in the world. It is a brilliant mixture of cultures, and a land of multiple opportunities. It has a political system that is transparent and participatory to the nth degree, it has an excellent educational system and the Canadian health system is the envy of many other nations.

Nicole M

i am canadian i love it here. its the only place id like to live. it means so much to me and my family. the free health care. the people here are amazing. the freedom, the space. the nature of everything. the peace and quiet. best place ever.

Stephanie

you really wanna know....?

8. Discriminatory and Dishonest Immigration System.
Immigration to Canada is based on a point system, obtained with your education, qualifications and job experience. Points are good enough for immigration, but in Canada, they are not good enough to get a job in your field. Amazing, how the credentials that qualify you to come to Canada are the same credentials that don't qualify you for your profession in Canada. The reason is, Canada only wants immigrants to do the labor jobs - pizza delivery, driving taxis, factory work etc.

7. Out Of Control Cost Of Living.
From rent, to utility bills, to shopping, to phone, internet and cable bills, to gas, to car insurance, to eating out, to basically anything you have to pay for or buy, the cost of living in Canada has become astronomical. Recent immigrants are astonished as to how expensive everything is. It is estimated that compared to most countries around the world, the cost of living in Canada is on average five times greater.

6. Health Care Crisis.
Practicing physicians in Canada are in a shortage, 1 in 4 Canadians cannot get a family doctor. Canadian doctors are leaving to move permanently to the United States. Statistics Canada and the Canadian Medical Association both have identified that for every 1 American doctor that moves to Canada, 19 (nineteen) Canadian doctors move to the United States! Doctors in Canada are overworked and underpaid, and there is a cap on their salaries.

5. Very High Taxes.
Yes, you have the GST, the PST, totaling 15%, on practically everything you purchase and many other taxes taken out of our weekly paycheck. You have to pay a whopping amount to the government, out of your hard earned salary, so that the government can turn around and give it to beer drinking, hockey watching welfare bums. Fair? It does not matter, it's Canada.

4. Money Hungry Government.
Canadian Embassies around the world lie to foreigners, painting this picture that Canada is Utopia, because they want them to come to Canada. Why? Because foreigners bring money! So after being deceived, these foreigners come. They must bring with them at least $10,000. Canada has an immigration quota of 250,000 per year. So please do the math, 250,000 multiplied by $10,000 each equals a whopping 2.5 Billion dollars that Canada gains from immigrants every year.

3. No Culture.
Unlike almost every other country in the world, Canada has no culture. Actually American culture is what dominates Canada. When was the last time you had some 'Canadian' food? There are no Canadian traditions and there is no national identity. What does it even mean to call yourself a 'Canadian'. . .nothing really. People living in Canada, still identify themselves with the country they 'originally' came from.

2. Worst Weather.
Yes, Canada has the worst weather conditions of any country in the world. Freezing cold temperatures, snow, ice, hail, winds, storms etc. From the Prairie provinces to the Maritimes, from the Territories to southern Ontario, the weather is so horrific and disgusting that many Canadians leave Canada simply because of this reason alone.

1. No Jobs.
Yes, coast to coast, there are no jobs. Immigrants are highly qualified (MD's, PhD's, Lawyers, Engineers etc.) but they are driving taxi cabs, delivering pizza's or working in factories. Even people with bachelors degrees from Canadian Universities cannot find jobs after graduation. This is the tragedy associated with immigration to Canada. I feel sorry for those immigrants who are stuck in Canada for the rest of their lives. It is indeed a very sad and hopeless future.

Believe

Not Canadian But I will answer anyway. I think Canadians are lucky cause they get to leech of the US economically and militarily. They have a joke of a military, Canadians won't admit this, they no they have no defense policy cause Uncle Sam is right next door.

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