The four best – and worst – things about Canada – from a Nouveau-Canadian.

[joco69]

There is much more to what you have been experiencing in Canada. This country has a very diverse and great culture.
Nobody has mentioned the best part of Canada, Québec the french speaking Province which has a lot of history, culture and big spaces to offer. The old world right here in North America.
Canada is a bilingual country which you seem not to have been able to experience, it makes all the difference of being just another part of America.
I have lived in and near Montréal for 40 years and enjoyed every moment of it, the cultural diversity, the friendlyness of french canadians, or québecois as they are called now, have enriched my life. Evenso I have for many years now escaped winters from Québec, I still feel very much part of this place and love to return every spring again.

[KenRobinson]

Your note is absolute rubbish. I lived in Niagara on the Lake and we had snow a couple of feet deep. We needed a snowblower and it was cold. Ok, NOL is pretty, but how many times can you walk along the one main streeet. If anyone plans on moving with children, or plans to seek employment, they will be sorely disappointed. Many schools are closed up or half closed up, jobs are non existent. Frankly, Canada, in particular Ontario is just awful for the average person. I attended high school in Toronto, University in Montreal and held good jobs in Toronto and Vancouver for many years, before moving to Europe. I was lucky. I had the opportunity to experience life as a new Canadian when I moved back to NOL. It was a big mistake, I should have stuck with my memories. Mosty Canadians would move to the USA given that they could, but visas are hard to get, most new Canadians would go back home if they could sell up and raise some cash. Encouraging people to move to this awful place borders on criminal. OK I see your points but it is like they are exaggerated to a native Canadian. Simplistic. But I am sure the differences are glaring to a newcomer. You had a very Western experience too. Come to Ontario-life and gas stations abound. Cities across the border. Communties merging into one another. A quick flight or a drive to American cities/tourist's spots.
Prairie living-well heck thats why most of us drive thru them in a day or 2 and not stop except to gas up or sleep. I mean people who immigrate to the middle of the prairies, or the worst parts of TO are going to have their distinct impressions. Same with Alberta. The regional differences are huge!!!! That influences mindsets. But Canada is SO diverse your experience is very different from another's simply starting at where you decide to locate. And that can be various within 15 minutes of a city in Ontario say... Or 45 minutes north. Sounds like the locale didn't suit you at all. For many places in Ontario it is rare to see bears and cougars are basically seen in BC now-unless you hunt. Heck some urbanites think milk is from the store, not from a cow. It boggles my mind. And that was kids from TO area I met in university. 1-2 hours north they make you feel like a hillbilly. And then others from 4 hours north of that, say you are urban- pratically a Torontorian (!!). So. You can't put your one experience of Canada as definitive you see. Quebec itself feels like another planet to alot of Canadians-and many times we are not warmly welcomed. Alberta is more American in thinking then the East.
Activities are limited to 2 months a year? Hardly, although I get the point you are trying to make. We do fit warmer weather activites in a short time. BUT, why is that a surprise? More like a readjustment. People have activites/hobbies, indoor and outdoor all year long. THis depends on the outgoingness of the person and where they decide to locate and amount/range of activites offered.
Niagara on the Lake and Niagara Falls hardly get touched by winter. When I lived there we had a few snowfalls all winter. One day the inch of snow stayed for 2 days!!! Then grass again... so it can be much, much milder. You really did pick a very cold place to settle. Look at latitudes of locations on the map and see the difference between Southern Ontario and the rest of Canada. The southern tip of Ontario and Canada is the same as northern California.
Alot of us don't watch hockey either. You did mention the obvious but not the subtle, or variations-which are vast like our country. You can be as urban, small town, frontier as you want in this country and everything in between. On grid, offgrid.
When I drove from S. Ontario thru the prairies to Vancouver ,I was amazed at this country. Of course communities emerge with distinct pride and character. Most would say Canadian first!!!THIS I know well. But they would feel very regional too. The land/lifestyle shapes you. However depending on the politcial and economical climate some provinces express a backlash towards central government. They feel the size of the country then and sometimes think the West doesn't need the East and such. Or that regional differences are not understood ( too much money goes from the have provinces to the have not provinces....you can see where people can feel passionate). The West has felt pro USA for years but the rest of the country doesn't feel the same way. If you put European countries together to form a country the size as Canada on a map you would see the diversity and scope it would allow. Climate variations along with geographical differences too. This is a young country, but Canada has done well to be so unified and peaceful even if we are very different.
There is no need to suffer the mall walking or snowshoeing to get the good from Canada. Nor the bear incidents and seeing your pet eaten by a cougar. Granted, that is a hell of an experience for anyone, especially a visitor/new immigrant. But if you live in a place where that is likely then you need to understand it may happen. Canada is rather known for cold and wild carnivores-especially in some places. My cousin as a toddler was taken from the backyard in Vancouver 2 minutes before a cougar jumped the fence. My hubby on his one visit to Vancouver came across a bear on a wooded path in a park/scenic area. For me I am not too comfortable with that because I have lived all over Sw Ontario without having to worry-which I like. That has been in rural areas and not the cities. I did see a bear crossing the road outside WaWa in Northern Ontario. That was no surprise. Driving from Kamloops to Vancouver I was much more aware how up against wildlife the area is. Ontario felt long settled in comparison. I could practially imagine the animals just off the road and in the woods behind the houses. Very different feel from S. Ontario. That was along the main and multilane highway!!
Even mosquitoes(and type) are much less in certain locations.
So I think go southern Ontario next time where we nod our heads to our northern and western or more wooded places where cold, less facilties, and wildlife is expected. It is so different in Ontario, you might really like it here. You can get a win/win pretty much. I know people living so far in the northern bushes they man their traplines all winter and are survivalists, and I know many who never leave the Greater Toronto Area except to go ski or go to an artsy touristy town a day trip away. They are as different as this country. But neither would sum up their experience of Canada the same way. We are big and we probably have a place to suit most folks.[/QUOTE]

[joco69]

KENROBINSON you sure are the exception, but you have no right to talk like this about Canada. Newcomers fit in very well and I know of only a few who would want to go to live in the USA, the last place on earth I personally would want to live.
There is percentage wise higher employment in Canada than in the USA, our country has been living on surpluses and guess what no Bank failures in Canada. Housing prices have continued to stay stable contrary to our southern neighbour.
Most Canadians enjoy winter, its the time to have great parties with family and friends and enjoy the winter sports. Only when Canadians hit retirement age do they start to migrate to the south for a few months, so most of them come back home for the christmas season to enjoy the family.
Hope this puts things into perspective to some readers who might believe what KENROBINSON has been writing about Canada.