canada, pros and cons

canadians, what is life like up there? tell me about your govt,healthcare, work conditions, basically the pros and cons of living in canada. i live down south and i've never been. if i wanted to live and work there, what are the laws governing this?
i hear alot of positive things about canada and was curious, i plan on visiting soon.

what are you looking for? Canadian big cities are pretty much like American big cities. ditto for small towns. yes, once you've become a resident then you're entitled to (relatively) inexpensive health care. the details vary between provinces. if you're serious, then come and visit and see if you find someplace you like.

you may find this Canadian Immigration Handbook useful. apparently, not all the articles are online right now, but the immigration links they provide should answer some questions.

btw, enjoying hockey and beer aren't stringent requirements for residency, but it does help get through the long, cold, winter months.

canada is good eh

I hear you're not killing each other all the time. Just what do you do with all your guns anyway?

guns for meat.

skates for killing.

i am really curious about the politics and economics of canada. if there are any sites anyone can refer me to i would be gratefull. i'm currently self employed in the indie movie biz(learning). is the climate always cold everywhere? canadians seem to be more open minded than americans, is this true? i guess i want to know more about the culture and how it differs from america, if at all !!!!!
mmmmmmm...beer good!!!!

it only gets really cold in the interier and north.

btw, "really cold" to a Canadian means 40 below. months of snow and sub-zero temperatures aren't "really cold" as long as you can get the car started and your face won't freeze (literally) while playing hockey outdoors.

I once met a Canadian hooker who'd done prior jail (sorry gaol) time there. She was a PRO and a CON. bwahahahahahaha.

Pros: All the Canadians on SG

Cons: Celine Dion, Bryan Adams, Alanis Morrissette

i'll have to agree with that.

Canada has Synnove!!! so thats all the pro's I need

whatever, where i live it RARELY gets below zero. there's snow for maybe one week of the year. it's very temperate. i love it.

Not for long. She's leaving us for Wisconsin pretty soon.

Pros:
-file sharing is legal here
-gay marriage is legal here
-pot is semi-legal here
-health care is cheap or free
-the drinking age is 18 or 19 depending on the province
-no one will ever try to draft you into the military
-Trailer Park Boys
-Tim Horton's coffee and donuts (fuck Starbucks and Krispy Kreme!)

Cons:
-Nickelback
-Rush
-Tom Green
(and we are very sorry of all of these)

And there's nothing wrong with the weather.

Two Words

Canadian Bacon

wow, that sounds great! i'll have to check out your hometown some day.

taxes!

ok ok ok

PRO: None of these people actually live in Canada.

For a more in-depth look at the more sinister side of our northern neighbors, check out "Canadian Bacon" starring John Candy.

"Am I the only one who remembers what it was like when you didn't have to kick on third down!?" From the only truely great HBO series, NNTN.

I swear at first glance I thought this said "cannible, pros and cons".

Cons: It's socially frowned upon.

I've spent equal time living in the Unites states and Canada. On a personal, day-to-day level I've found Canucks and Yanks to be pretty much the same with one small exception.

Despite popular belief, Yanks tend to be more outgoing and friendly. This is especially apparent in the service industry where the service in Canada isn't as good as it is in the states. Americans seem to strike up conversations with random strangers for no apparent reason other than to be social. It's not that Canadians are against this behavior; they're just not as gregarious.

When it comes to social issues and politics the biggest difference between Canada and the United States is that there seems to be a more effective separation between corporation and state. Ottawa doesn't have the same entrenched lobby system that Washington has and U.S. Presidential elections tend to be organized around a NASCAR like model of corporate sponsorship. Corporate sponsorship isn't totally foreign to Canadian politics, that's for sure; it's just that Canadian political culture isn't so saturated by it. Canadians tend to get edgy when they find out there may have been corporate influence in government decision making policies where I find Americans tend to see it as integrated into their national interest.

.... In my opinion anyway.

^ya^ i'll have to agree with americans being more friendly. everyone sez canadians are friendlier. this is true in the sense they won't swear at you walking down the street, but they won't say anything to you either. americans are way more forward, but in a good way....

Noelle said:
Trade with me, i`m freezing my ass off.


you are welcome to come roast your buns in the warm n.c. beach sand anytime.
that goes for all canadians about to lose their asses to frostbite