17 replies to this topic

[berrycurious]

Which would you rather live in and why? I'm still trying to decide myself, having moved here to Vancouver in December as an international student in hopes of becoming a citizen. My perspective has changed a lot since living here for a few months.

Random tidbits...
Canada
-health insurance for $64 a month (no, not free), at least in BC
-dirt oil and resource exploitation industry. Especially the tar sands extraction in northern Alberta.. and coal.. ugh.. Canada first went on with the Kyoto Protocol but then gave up around 2007

Vancouver in particular:
-gorgeous mountain view
-as compared to Los Angeles, my previous city, MUCH lamer art museums and galleries and less to do overall
-there is a large population in East Van of crackeads. Scary ones. Even walking through the area is a real fright.
-a lot of Asians.
-the weather is pretty tolerable. I actually don't mind the rain. Perhaps preferable to the extremely monotonous sun in LA. We don't get any thunder, but occasional snow

[Mind]

Canada might have some problems but I don't think they compare to the U.S. which is going to "hell in a handbasket", IMO.

What the U.S. has going for it are some pockets of tranquility, and few dynamic cities with a least partially safe neighborhoods (New York, Miami, L.A., Silicon Valley, Portland). The dynamic (wealthy & safe) areas are still real leaders in the world when it comes to intellectual, economic, and cultural diversity. If you aren't in one of these areas or if you don't like living in the quiet agrarian heartland, there isn't much left.

In general it seems like Canada is safer and saner. If tumultuous times would happen to hit (wars, economic collapse) I tend to think Canadians would be able to weather the storm better than many countries, including the increasingly totalitarian U.S. Canada also ranks much higher than the U.S. on the index of economic freedom.

[berrycurious]

Canada also has a higher life expectancy. Overall seems like I don't see quite as many obese people here. Maybe it's just Vancouver.

[lunarsolarpower]

Really? The $64 a month insurance bothers you? I still haven't gotten used to the $0 co-pay for doctor's visits. In the US I think I was paying $70 a month for a $10,000 annual deductible catastrophic only policy (with no real health problems). I lived a bit inland of LA for 4 years and I don't miss the smog one bit. I'm always impressed how the job of the government in Canada is to govern the country. In the US it seems like it's the job of the two parties to make each other look bad and hold the operation of the country hostage when it's convenient to their ultimate purpose.

I feel like many Canadians are more concerned about lifestyle and taking time off than Americans (with the exception of the newer immigrants).

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[drus]

Long story short, Canada is the overall better place to live.

[Starwind]

I think I'd rather be in Canada, but I haven't been since I was very young. If anyone has any good info on moving as US citizen let me know. Right now I'm working remote support in IT, but don't have a degree.

[YOLF]

I've also been very impressed with Canadian health care. Here's something I've learned in my life time in the US:

Some jobs have real health insurance that pay all or most health related expenses. Most jobs have insurance that pays less and will leave you in a good deal of debt and struggle if you have a health problem. The growing trend in healthcare, is to have these small policies that pay for up to $2000 of healthcare in a year and pay $30-50 towards your doctor visits and have no real discounts on prescription drugs or anything like that. So in the US, our Royal class has great insurance and great jobs, and the rest don't. Further, the low paying jobs offer a tiny policy to people who might otherwise be elligible for much better insurance (Medicare), thus preventing them from getting better insurance (if your employer offers healthcare, you can't get Medicare, even if your job leaves you earning below the requirements for Medicare).

I have to say that I like the $64 Medical coverage, it simplifies things and gets the necessities of life and health out of the way. The people of Canada speak English too! The only downside is that it's cold and they don't have their own cryonics provider. How long does it take to become a citizen?

[Colour]

I like the Sun
Canada is great in the Summer though.

[Balfi]

To be blunt on the matter (which us uncharacteristically Canadian), you are more likely to surround yourself with reasonable and polite people in Canada, gathering from my own experience. Also, you will be more warmly regarded as a Canadian then as to an American when traveling abroad!

I personally don't really vibe well with Vancouver. Sort of dirty and eerie for some reason. However, I love Toronto. The best of BC is positively stunning. Victoria is awfully nice as well.

Regardless, Canada is an adventurers paradise. Personally, I have had the greatest experience hitch-hiking there. (Asking people at gas stations for rides rather than putting my thumb out). Never did I get a sore reaction and everyone was reasonable about it.


Make sure to check out these diagrams of how different cultures communicate.   They help clarify some essential characteristics of what it means to interact with (or live in) a particular country. (The graphs are also LongeCity approved because they are based on research and studies)   

Also make sure to see some relevant examples of Canadian politeness and lore. 

[Cristopher]

I have been living in both countries. I find Canada a better and safe place.

[scottknl]

The US has more stuff and cheaper stuff and there's more opportunity if you're aggressive with your career.  Canada has better support systems overall for anyone who needs a little help and is probably a better place to raise a family with it's lower rate of violence and crime.  Hands down the Canadian political system is much more representative of the wishes of the people (if you care about that).  I made the choice to move to the US and it has paid off for me, but sometimes I wonder if the bad district where I work will lead to some criminal incident that might reverse the "good luck" in an instant.  A few people die right outside where I work each year from gunshots or stabbings.  

 

I have to say that I think living in the US can be quite unhealthy for those that don't take an interest in preserving their health. People eat in restaurants much more than in Canada because they have higher incomes and less time to prepare food.  Since the food is cheap, people overeat and are quite overweight.  They say it gets worse as you go south :(.  A coworker (originally from Canada) just died of a heart attack a few weeks ago, so it's a sober reminder to take health maintenance seriously here.

 

The usual work ethic is to work very hard and not take too many holidays.  I remember that Canada had around 11 statutory holidays each year, but my wife only gets 5 or 6 where she works.  In the US they seem to work hard & play hard.

[PWAIN]

You might prefer Australia then...

 

I like the Sun
Canada is great in the Summer though.

 

[YOLF]

I like the Sun
Canada is great in the Summer though.

Ever supplemented with D3? Say 3000-4000IUs? Almost just like the sun, though I still crave for going outside from time to time.

[jenifer445]

I'm Canadian and actually just went to Bellingham, Washington this morning to do some shopping. (I live in a Vancouver suburb, 16 km to US border). 

It depends where you live and your lifestyle with respect of it being safe. We are having gang related shootings in Vancouver right now similar to what Toronto had a couple of years ago. However, this is no different than the gang violence in Los Angeles or New York. It's just that it's not expected in Canada, thus makes the news. Both countries have safe places and unsafe places. 

Canada's judicial system is a lot slacker with easier consequences on criminals than in the USA. They still execute people (which I wished we did too). If they did not, their crime would be higher. 

 

But overall, I'm with you, I feel much better/safer in Canada than the US, thus my preference is Canada.

 

[nowayout]

Canada might have some problems but I don't think they compare to the U.S. which is going to "hell in a handbasket", IMO.

What the U.S. has going for it are some pockets of tranquility, and few dynamic cities with a least partially safe neighborhoods (New York, Miami, L.A., Silicon Valley, Portland). The dynamic (wealthy & safe) areas are still real leaders in the world when it comes to intellectual, economic, and cultural diversity. If you aren't in one of these areas or if you don't like living in the quiet agrarian heartland, there isn't much left.

In general it seems like Canada is safer and saner. If tumultuous times would happen to hit (wars, economic collapse) I tend to think Canadians would be able to weather the storm better than many countries, including the increasingly totalitarian U.S. Canada also ranks much higher than the U.S. on the index of economic freedom.

 

I think you are still thinking of pre-Harper Canada.  Inrecent years, Canada has moved so far to the Right on the environment and human rights it is arguably worse than the U.S. now. 

[YOLF]

 

I'm Canadian and actually just went to Bellingham, Washington this morning to do some shopping. (I live in a Vancouver suburb, 16 km to US border). 

It depends where you live and your lifestyle with respect of it being safe. We are having gang related shootings in Vancouver right now similar to what Toronto had a couple of years ago. However, this is no different than the gang violence in Los Angeles or New York. It's just that it's not expected in Canada, thus makes the news. Both countries have safe places and unsafe places. 

Canada's judicial system is a lot slacker with easier consequences on criminals than in the USA. They still execute people (which I wished we did too). If they did not, their crime would be higher. 

 

But overall, I'm with you, I feel much better/safer in Canada than the US, thus my preference is Canada.

 

Where are they getting their guns from? Are Canadians allowed to own them?

[jenifer445]

 

Canada might have some problems but I don't think they compare to the U.S. which is going to "hell in a handbasket", IMO.

What the U.S. has going for it are some pockets of tranquility, and few dynamic cities with a least partially safe neighborhoods (New York, Miami, L.A., Silicon Valley, Portland). The dynamic (wealthy & safe) areas are still real leaders in the world when it comes to intellectual, economic, and cultural diversity. If you aren't in one of these areas or if you don't like living in the quiet agrarian heartland, there isn't much left.

In general it seems like Canada is safer and saner. If tumultuous times would happen to hit (wars, economic collapse) I tend to think Canadians would be able to weather the storm better than many countries, including the increasingly totalitarian U.S. Canada also ranks much higher than the U.S. on the index of economic freedom.

 

I think you are still thinking of pre-Harper Canada.  Inrecent years, Canada has moved so far to the Right on the environment and human rights it is arguably worse than the U.S. now. 

 

please get your facts straight Canada is still better country to live in, i am pretty sure better than USA we dont have OBAMA to ruin it!

 

[nowayout]

 

 

Canada might have some problems but I don't think they compare to the U.S. which is going to "hell in a handbasket", IMO.

What the U.S. has going for it are some pockets of tranquility, and few dynamic cities with a least partially safe neighborhoods (New York, Miami, L.A., Silicon Valley, Portland). The dynamic (wealthy & safe) areas are still real leaders in the world when it comes to intellectual, economic, and cultural diversity. If you aren't in one of these areas or if you don't like living in the quiet agrarian heartland, there isn't much left.

In general it seems like Canada is safer and saner. If tumultuous times would happen to hit (wars, economic collapse) I tend to think Canadians would be able to weather the storm better than many countries, including the increasingly totalitarian U.S. Canada also ranks much higher than the U.S. on the index of economic freedom.

 

I think you are still thinking of pre-Harper Canada.  In recent years, Canada has moved so far to the Right on the environment and human rights it is arguably worse than the U.S. now. 

 

 

 

Please get your facts straight.

 

Oh, so you're a happy Harperite, I see.  Are you guys enjoying playing Dr. Evil, withdrawing from climate treaties and suing U.S. homeowners here to seize their property so you can built your damn tar sands pipeline across the U.S.?  Canada has become one of the worst carbon polluters and are destroying millions of acres of Boreal forest and poisoning the local population to enrich a few billionaires.  In a few years Canada has become one of the worst large-scale forest-destroying countries in the world, on a par with Malaysia and Brazil.  I would be the first to admit that the U.S. is morally and socially corrupt, but how is your behavior better than the U.S.?

 

At least we have places like California with an actually livable climate.  if you can afford it.  But then the more livable regions of Canada are also pretty much unaffordable for any but the wealthy. 
 

By the way, I live part time in the U.S. and part time in Toronto, so I think I am allowed to point out the evils of both systems. 

Edited by nowayout, 30 January 2015 - 02:40 PM.