As an American who actually moved to Canada, how would you rate the decision and why?

If you're in the 50% who are reasonably sane... your best bet would be to move north!!!!!!!!

Allan

I am pleased with the decision. My Canadian neighbourhood has been accepting and genuinely friendly. I have been more than pleasantly surprised at the healthcare system. 

It works much better than what I was used to in the States, and pharmaceuticals are far, far less expensive in Canada, in some instances by a multiple of 10 times less expensive. 

The taxes are certainly higher, of course, I pay full US taxes before “topping up” in Canada, but it is costing me more tax dollars. 

The healthcare system seems a fair offset though. Not being concerned about illness or injury costing me my 401K has been a big relief. 

This will become more of a factor in the future as I get older.

I really like Canadian Tire and the Beer Store. I don’t get the Tim Horton’s thing though, although I go there on occasion. 

A&W in Canada is also far better than in the US. I miss some college football coverage in Canada, but a new satellite dish will help solve that issue. 

I am still not a big hockey fan.

I had to take a Hunter Safety course and firearms courses for hunting and gun ownership. 

I also took a boating course for my operator's license. 

I was the oldest person in all my classes but learned a few things after a lifetime of those pursuits.

I could go on and on but the bottom line is that I am very pleased with my move to Canada. 

Once I fully retire I doubt I even go back to the US beyond an occasional visit to see old friends. 

Life is good here in Canada, and statistically speaking, my life expectancy increased by 4 years.

Mark McClain

Is Canada just a significantly worse version of the United States?

 Dear friends: We thought it was a good idea to pass this answer along!

Allan:

As I sit in a restaurant in Victoria right now I am mulling over my last two days here. I had an amazing tandoori dinner last night for 25$US. I went out for a walk at midnight last night with zero fear of being accosted. I saw a movie (evil Dead Rise) for under 20$US with snacks. I was undisturbed by sirens all night. The people here are always kind to me even when I forget and act like an American.

I make this trip several times a year both on and off-season. 

I am always treated like I live here. 

So no. Canada is not a worse version of the US. 

As anyone on here knows about me, they know if I was eligible to emigrate to Canada I would without looking back.

So with all due respect my fellow Americans, please jam your question as far south inside you as you can. 

The more pain the better!

What is it like living in Canada as a U.S. citizen?

 Allan:

My answer will definitely be influenced by being a naturalized American and having spent a lot of my life i other countries. I have also lived in many parts of Canada. A bunch of thoughts rather than a coherent dissertation.

Overall I think that there is a better quality of life in Canada than the US. Less hype, more work-life balance. But it comes at a cost.

As Americans, we tend to want instant gratification. We expect prompt service, competitive environments for services such as communications, air transportation etc. So - more patience is required. You’ll find that government services make most American services looks mercurial. And be prepared to pay more. The civil service at the federal and provincial levels are much less productive than the US counterparts. Forget prompt mail service.

Canadians tend to be very polite although comments on Canadian newspaper websites suggest that this isn’t uniform.

I find that Canadians have better quality food. But give me Tillamook ice cream over any non-homemade ice cream.

Multi-lingual environments don’t cause issues. People don’t yell at you to speak American - despite no official language in the US.

Very little racism; not zero but very little.

Fewer extremes, less obvious economic stratification.

More willingness to find compromises rather than only divorce style negotiations.

Employers have champagne tastes but ginger ale budgets. Slow to hire (really slow) and slow to correct hiring mistakes. Slow turnover.

Fantastic education system at all levels. So many firsts for a country with a small population.

Life expectancy is high and consistently beats that of the US. But don’t expect to jump the queue unless you want to opt for private clinics but hard to bypass hospitals.

There are more than 2 political parties. And except for some outliers, no extremists. Even the conservative party is liberal compared to the US.

Crime rates are lower. Most Canadians don’t consider crime rates when they select future housing. We don’t feel the need to “stand our ground”, yet we know how to handle rifles, shotguns, and hand guns safely.

Canadians generally treat others (people, cultures, nations) with huge respect. They are kind, tolerant, consistent, educated, global travelers, tough, resilient, passionate, patient, funny and more. Canadians may look like Americans - but they aren’t.

Canada is a great place to live and welcome anyone. Observe, accept and enjoy the experience.

David Stannard

Engineer / software architect. Business person. Traveler

What are the differences between Canadian and American lifestyles?

 On the surface, much seems similar. Americans have cheaper housing prices and are often shocked to discover prices in places like Toronto or Vancouver. But Canadians get many services for free that American’s pay for. We all drive similar cars, tend to have the same furniture in our homes. 

Per capita, Canadians have a higher level of education. Americans are viewed as more vibrant and exciting and they certainly can be. 

While Canadians are accused of being boring but I contend we like it that way. Canadians hold more passports, this could be simply because we like to escape in the winter but I suspect there is more world tourist travel as well, while the Americans travel more on business.

There is more opportunity in the US for career advancement. The US is a major economic engine and has a much greater population. 

That’s why many of our actors and comedians go stateside. 

Unfortunately, this is also true for the sciences. The Canadian government under Harper unofficially declared war on science funding and as a result, many of our scientists are currently working in the States wishing they could find a high-paying job back home.

Canadian society is more egalitarian. Americans will disagree with me greatly on this. In the US there seems to be an attachment of almost god-like attributes to someone who is extremely wealthy. 

In trying to understand why Trump was so popular, I was very puzzled by the “because he is rich” answer from middle-class people. One explanation I was given is the American dream. 

Americans who strive their whole life to become wealthy greatly admire others who have achieved that dream. While Canadians mix their admiration with the niggling question “What did this person have to do in order to step over others?’

Saturday Morning Confusion about who gets charged!

 I found out this week that there is an increasing amount of Internet companies that ship you goods from Canada but charge you in U.S. dollars!

This is just plain wrong folks!

If someone wants to sell in Canada and even has warehouse space here in the country... then there is no reason on earth [sic] for them to be charging us in the more expensive American greenback!

The way I see it anyway!