Since there has been so much interest lately for Americans wanting to move to Canada we thought a short comparison would do you good!
If you have lived in both Canada and the United States for at least five years in each country as an adult, which country's citizens live better -- and why do you think so?
From my experience, both countries have positives and negatives.
Canada (good things)
- Natural resources (including 10+% of the worlds fresh water), universal healthcare/welfare-UI, strict gun control laws, good/responsible government, strict banking rules/regulations (protected us from the US financial fiasco a decade ago), multiculturalism (Canada sees its diverse citizens as a mosaic where each culture has its own identity and not a melting pot like the US), pride in kindness/manners, national humility (although this is slowly changing), technical innovation (this can also be a negative because while the country can produce top quality items, it cannot sustain the lead for long periods...i.e., Nortel, Blackberry, Bombardier, Avro, etc.), humanitarianism, immigration (Canadians, for the most part, do want immigration into our country), geographic/geological diversity, French Canada (adds a whole new dimension to the Canadian identity/experience), the arctic (with its unique cultures and unlimited potential), natural & regional diversity, smaller population (big but not to an unmanageable degree), main cities that are world renowned for high quality of life (Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Halifax, Victoria), educated population, good stable and progressive education system, consistently high quality universities and technical institutes, etc.
Canada (not so good things)
- A history of poor (but slowly improving) treatment of first nations (indigenous) peoples, passive/naïve laws & regulations over taxation, land/real estate purchase, etc. (according to the Panama papers, Canada is one of the top places in the world to launder money), increasing religious intolerance (random Jewish/Arab vandalism of holy places, especially in Quebec), multiculturalism (while in theory its a great thought, in truth, Canadians tend to be more accepting of those who are more like them - i.e., second generation immigrants - perhaps we are more like the US with its melting pot philosophy).
USA (good things)
- The American dream (can still be achieved if one is resourceful enough), melting pot principle (you are American first and your ethnic culture second), kind and interesting people (Americans are so friendly, gracious and accommodating, right across their country), civic/national pride (their patriotism is admirable), innovation (TV, computer, the list goes on), etc.
USA (not so good things)
- Unregulated & fragmented gun ownership laws, racism (not only between whites and blacks/Latinos but also the fact that other races get marginalized because so much of the media focuses on these three groups...who talks much about native Americans, Asians [?], etc.), capitalism/consumerism ( its about making a buck and profits and less about the welfare of the workers), self-centeredness (this happens with all global leaders...its citizens are used to being at the centre of it all....they rarely notice those around them like Canada - Canadians know quite a lot about Americans and their politics but very few if any Americans know anything about Canada or Canadian politics).
Bottom line: I love both countries and i was happy living in both, but i find that Canada is a better fit for me right now. Universal healthcare is a big issue for me as is strict gun control laws, improving services for the mentally ill, access to clean water and air, and space to grow and flourish.
Brad Snelling!
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