Community Chat

[tuscaloosa]

I have lived in both Toronto and Montreal - 45 years ago. My brother lives in Ottawa. I enjoyed living in Canada. There is a european flavor. I could have lived there forever, My brother still lives there with his Canadian wife. 

[Mominohio]

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@Oznellwrote:

Hi @SahmIam, I have dual citizenship.  Love both Canada and America.  Ontario is a very pleasant place--  relatively low crime, nice educational opportunities, cosmopolitan atmosphere in the cities, courteous people for the most part.  Although, like everywhere, the natural gentility and politeness of Canadians, although fairly true to the sterotype, have worn a little around the edges in recent years.

The drawbacks for me are the ever-encroaching nanny-state, rigid governmental policies, (which didn't really exist during my childhood) and high taxes.  I'm not fond of socialized medicine, personally.  It was very hard to get a specialist even when I requested one.  There can be long waiting lists.  I am personally convinced that my father was discouraged from maintaining a life-giving but expensive treatment because of his age.

I say this not to deride any one system, just to say that, having lived under both, I do not like socialized medicine.  Many people do like it.  You have to know what you prefer, I believe.

But I adore the Canadian people in general.  I love the Canadian sense of humor, the lack of pretensiousness, the low-key friendliness.  And even the reserve and the generally decorous behavior!   I'm generalizing of course.  If there is such a thing as a Canadian "personality," it would be closest to that of a Midwesterner, I'd say.

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I have relatives that have lived in Canada (Alberta) for probably 40 years now, as my uncle's ministry took him there to preside over a college.

They love the beauty of the land, and the people, but they have had issues with the health care. In my opinion, as we age, health care for most of us, becomes more and more important. 

They have had to wait extended times for surgeries, and quite frankly, at least one issue my cousin has dealt with, has been botched repeatedly and she has no relief from the issue. 

I also echo the increase of the nanny state in Canada, and my family has commented on it since they have so many years experience there.

And I agree with @Oznell, the many Canadians we know do have the same 'personality' of the Midwesterner in general.

[Group 5 minus 1]

There is an Ironside (remember that show)about people that went to Canada during the Viet Nam war. It was the Underground Railroad. I did not know it existed until I watched that show.