I'm from SF and wondering should I move to Canada, maybe Vancouver or Toronto. How is Canada different from SF? Nightlife? Politics? Education? Environment? Entertainment? Conserverative/Liberal? job market? ethnicity breakdown? etc...
2006-08-19 19:53:38 · 14 answers · asked by cOcO 2 in Travel ➔ Canada ➔ Vancouver
To the guy complaining that we spend 60% of our incomes towards healthcare taxes.... that's wrong! The average is about 9-10% of our NATIONAL income. And considering the average operation can cost about 30-50,000 dollars, it's a small price to pay to have the security of healthcare. I recently had jaw surgery and am going in again for another soon ~ the totals would have been up to 100,000 dollars if I didn't live in this great country where proper healthcare is provided to EVERYONE without prejudice.
If you want a comparison of taxes paid in different countries including Canada and the US, look at the chart on this site:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxation_in_Canada
We only pay a little more in taxes than the US and look how much more we get out of it. We're also still lower than most other countries.
The politics here in Canada are much more "liberal" in the sense that we have gay marriage etc., but our current government is Conservative.
Some notes about the differences: we are part of the Commonwealth, which means even though we are our own country with our own constitution, we share many things in common with the UK, Australia etc. Queen Elizabeth II is our Queen (but mainly in a symbolic way).
http://www.international.gc.ca/foreign_policy/commonwealth/menu-en.asp
We also tend to value knowledge of other nations and cultures as well as our own, and our education system reflects that. We have 2 official languages (English and French) and French immersion is offered in all provinces across Canada.
We're noted for our love of comedy and especially political satire. Our national sport is hockey, although not everyone is into it. Most ppl have a love of the outdoors and we have many spectacular national and provincial parks. We have many of the same chocolate (candy) bars as the UK as opposed to the US, and quite a variation of other foods as well.
If you're seriously thinking about making the move, I would suggest Vancouver as it would be the most similar to SF in terms of nightlife, environment etc. Vancouver has much more milder winters than the rest of Canada, and it's the closest you can be to SF if you want to go back to visit. We are typically regarded as a multicultural country (esp. Vancouver and Toronto), but most rural areas of Canada are caucasian for the most part.
Here's a site that might help you with all your questions about emigrating to Vancouver:
http://www.vancouver.hm/immigration.html
2006-08-21 07:00:34 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's about the same as SF. The only major factor is the fact that the media isn't as big in Canada (as the population isn't as big) but other than that, it's pretty much the same.
Really, it comes down to lifestyle.. SF is a nice city, Vancouver is a nice city. You may get the "escape to Canada" that seems to be hyped around but really, the West Coast is the West Coast, they're all the same.
Looking at the Vancouver Sun (local newspaper) job offerings, there are jobs around here. Try working.canada.com for a list.
2006-08-20 20:04:24 · answer #2 · answered by Andrew W 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I lived in BC (Near Vacouver) and now live in California (Stanislaus County). To me, San Francisco reminds me a lot of Vancouver, and when I get homesick, I go there. The nightlife in Vancouver is really good, there is always somewhere to go, something to do, something to see. You will find politics quite different. And be prepared for rain ( I love the rain, and miss it). If you haven't been there, I would visit first before you make the move.
2006-08-21 06:48:58 · answer #3 · answered by jtj 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Canada is a great country with more freedoms than you will ever get in the US especially if you are gay. it is a country where everybody is treated as equal whether you are gay, Mexican or Muslim or even if you are a gay Mexican Muslim.
Montreal has the best nightlife followed by Toronto and Vancouver.
All that and free health care too!
2006-08-19 20:00:24 · answer #4 · answered by anthrotistic 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You should research on the internet. By the way; if it's your dream U should follow it. Canada COULD be good. U need to know for sure though.
2006-08-19 20:03:03 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
ya canada is great.. and no we dont ice fish in our houses and its not cold and snowy all year long and we dont live in igloos.. its very nice here and its a free country... education is great we get great health care.. its clean air and u can vote once ur 18
2006-08-19 19:58:26 · answer #6 · answered by unless_you_can_save_me 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why don't you visit first to see if you like it?
Research how long it takes to obtain a work permit before your visit, and if it doesn't take too long, you might find a potential job.
I'm from Tokyo and I like it here ;-)
2006-08-19 21:52:26 · answer #7 · answered by fortuna0820 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Health care in Canada isn't free. It's why we pay 60% of our income in taxes. Stay in the U.S. -- it's much cheaper.
2006-08-20 00:38:14 · answer #8 · answered by stevewbcanada 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
you have to travel to canada to see if you like it. the choice is really yours!
2006-08-20 09:00:03 · answer #9 · answered by BCOL CCCP 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
why move to cananda.. your already in the best country ever! u know how how much people immigrate here. maybe move to another state or somthing its knda like moving to a different country, i was from south dakota and i moved to SoCal. and its likt a totally different country. my uncle and his family lives in toronto. and there gonna be moving here to usa.
2006-08-19 20:02:50 · answer #10 · answered by skuxyliliex 3 · 0⤊ 4⤋