Moving To Canada
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Burnout
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 289
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From: Iowa
Moving To Canada
Hey guys ive never posted here on this section but im thinking about moving to canada. Just have a couple of questions for you guys. Can i bring my us car there, and is the job rate there high for mechanics and stuff like that high? I was also wondering if there is a lot of racing up there to? I was talking to this guy and he said its nice up there and you guys are very liberal and stuff is cheap up there to.
Senior Member
Joined: May 2005
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From: above ground
Calgary is a huge hotspot if you want to earn $$ -- especially for any skilled labourer, however the housing market is out of control. You can probably bring your car here, most US cars are registerable in canada except for a select few. Generally you need to do some modifications if it's under 15 years, like daytime running lights, child seat restraints, and stiffer bumper reinforements.
Calgary is a huge hotspot if you want to earn $$ -- especially for any skilled labourer, however the housing market is out of control. You can probably bring your car here, most US cars are registerable in canada except for a select few. Generally you need to do some modifications if it's under 15 years, like daytime running lights, child seat restraints, and stiffer bumper reinforements.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl.../National/home
They've had problems with street racers and Import gang bangers taking out innocent civilians with their aggressive driving, so now they're proposing penalizing EVERYONE in society who even THINKS about modifying their cars. Unless you want to drive a bone-stock Ugo, I'd recommend staying right where you are and enjoying the good old US of A!!
If I was in the US I'd be moving to a state with little or no income taxes (Florida, Texas) a state with realistic speed limits (Texas, Montana), and wherever the price of gas is under $3.00 a gallon (?). Don't bother with Canada.
Thread Starter
Burnout
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 289
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From: Iowa
I want to move cause im sick of iowa and i lived in japan for 2 1/2 years and liked it just the japanese language was hard to learn at least in canada they speak english. Im pretty sure thats not going to happen about the moddified cars thing. I seriously dont know where i would move, i know i want to move to big city like toronto, or calgary. Where would you guys recommend is a good spot to move?
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Double Ds for me to share
Joined: Mar 2005
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From: abbotsford
I live in the Vancouver, British Columbia area and its beautiful. We have a local drag strip and they have racing every friday night, costs $25.00 to race. There is alot of work for people out here that want to work. We have a great local rotary community and some talented rotary builders.
Alright, I'll try to give pros and cons of Calgary as I've lived here for a few decades.
Pro
-many jobs, all fields, everything is growing
-one of the sunniest cities in Canada (note the 333 most sunny days year round and 132 in cold months) http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/weather/winners/winners-e.html
-1 hour away from the argueably the most beautifull mountains in the world (I'm on the hill snowboarding in 1:30 min)
- No PST! (provincial sales tax)
-No smog or pollution clouds ever, due to wind
Cons
-Traffic had become very congested
-House prices have soared see www.mls.ca for listings Avg house price is around half a million
-TAXES in Canada are much higher than in the US. You will pay a max of 47% income tax. There is also a 6% federal tax called GST on all goods and services bought. Some provinces such as BC and Ontario also have provincial sales taxes, 7% and 8% respectively.
-Healthcare, sorry to say is very bad in Calgary right now. We have 3 Hospitals for 1,000,000 people. We're bursting at the seams. This is what worries me most about living here. 6 months to get an MRI.
-Downtown parking is absolutely terrible. We have the most expensive parking in Canada! And per capita we have less vacancies than Tokyo! ( was published in local paper). So imagine paying 600 per month for a parking spot down town. I know some that do.
Personally, I'm on the fence right now as to if I will stay or go. There are plenty of opportunities, but the city has also grown to big too fast. Places like Vancouver and Toronto have grown large gradually. All three are cosmopolitan, offering something for everyone.
On the whole, winters are colder than either Vancouver or Toronto, but we are sunnier.
As for jobs check workopolis.ca or monster.ca
Oh and for the car importation thing, check www.riv.com, it has all information. I imported an Audi A4 recently and all it required was day-time running lights and a 30 dollar child seat tether anchorage.
Hope this helps.
Edit: forgot, you cannot write off the interest of your mortgage on your income tax as you would in the US. Mortgages are also dealt with differently. In the US you buy a mortgage for the full term, whereas here it's every 3 to 5 years you renew.
Pro
-many jobs, all fields, everything is growing
-one of the sunniest cities in Canada (note the 333 most sunny days year round and 132 in cold months) http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/weather/winners/winners-e.html
-1 hour away from the argueably the most beautifull mountains in the world (I'm on the hill snowboarding in 1:30 min)
- No PST! (provincial sales tax)
-No smog or pollution clouds ever, due to wind
Cons
-Traffic had become very congested
-House prices have soared see www.mls.ca for listings Avg house price is around half a million
-TAXES in Canada are much higher than in the US. You will pay a max of 47% income tax. There is also a 6% federal tax called GST on all goods and services bought. Some provinces such as BC and Ontario also have provincial sales taxes, 7% and 8% respectively.
-Healthcare, sorry to say is very bad in Calgary right now. We have 3 Hospitals for 1,000,000 people. We're bursting at the seams. This is what worries me most about living here. 6 months to get an MRI.
-Downtown parking is absolutely terrible. We have the most expensive parking in Canada! And per capita we have less vacancies than Tokyo! ( was published in local paper). So imagine paying 600 per month for a parking spot down town. I know some that do.
Personally, I'm on the fence right now as to if I will stay or go. There are plenty of opportunities, but the city has also grown to big too fast. Places like Vancouver and Toronto have grown large gradually. All three are cosmopolitan, offering something for everyone.
On the whole, winters are colder than either Vancouver or Toronto, but we are sunnier.
As for jobs check workopolis.ca or monster.ca
Oh and for the car importation thing, check www.riv.com, it has all information. I imported an Audi A4 recently and all it required was day-time running lights and a 30 dollar child seat tether anchorage.
Hope this helps.
Edit: forgot, you cannot write off the interest of your mortgage on your income tax as you would in the US. Mortgages are also dealt with differently. In the US you buy a mortgage for the full term, whereas here it's every 3 to 5 years you renew.
Full Member
Joined: Jun 2007
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From: kootenays BC Canada
if i was you i wouldnt move to a big city, i grew up in Victoria BC and spent alot of time in Vancouver. a couple years ago i moved out to the kootenays, while it is fairly far away from major cities(6hours east or west) there are places like Kelowna BC which is growing, its only a few hours away from Vancouver which has weekly races, the countryside is beautiful, and hte population is booming, which is the kind of place you want to go... its got beaches, mountains, ski hills are a couple hours a away...
Calgary while lots of good paying jobs, its expensive to live, you would be paying around 750 for a 1bd apt, not including anything... and as for Toronto, well there is alot of controversy about modified cars in Ontario right now, some politicians have said "we will crush your car before you have even raced it, if we get a tip that you are buying parts to make your car faster we will show up and crush your car and your parts even if you havent street raced yet..." in reality this would never happen its a fear tactic, we do live in a society thats innocent until proven guilty, the same politician said that some 15yr old kid who stole a car and crashed it into a taxi while fleeing cops was street racing...
if you are planning to buy a house i would get it on it right quick before our market bumps up another 20-40%, last year my house was worth 100k according to the BC Assessment, now its worth 129K, and the BCA quotes 20-30K low, im doing renos and after they are complete my house will be worth well over 225K
Calgary while lots of good paying jobs, its expensive to live, you would be paying around 750 for a 1bd apt, not including anything... and as for Toronto, well there is alot of controversy about modified cars in Ontario right now, some politicians have said "we will crush your car before you have even raced it, if we get a tip that you are buying parts to make your car faster we will show up and crush your car and your parts even if you havent street raced yet..." in reality this would never happen its a fear tactic, we do live in a society thats innocent until proven guilty, the same politician said that some 15yr old kid who stole a car and crashed it into a taxi while fleeing cops was street racing...
if you are planning to buy a house i would get it on it right quick before our market bumps up another 20-40%, last year my house was worth 100k according to the BC Assessment, now its worth 129K, and the BCA quotes 20-30K low, im doing renos and after they are complete my house will be worth well over 225K
Full Member
Joined: Jun 2007
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From: kootenays BC Canada
yup but its also one of the only cities that will continue to grow rapidly over the next 10years, it still has room too build out before up so while a house now costs 350,000 in 10yrs that house will be worth over a million... and the job market will be great...
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 405
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From: Airdrie, Alberta
Everyone complains about the house prices being so big in Calgary but the prices of a house in Calgary isn't much different than that of central toronto or anywhere around Vancouver. Calgary also has TONNES of job ooportunities which pay very well. I live in a small city called Airdrie which is just 15min. north of Calgary. I love living here. As stated above the mountains are very close, the weather here isn't too bad except for the wind, and living in Airdrie keeps me out of the big city. Although soon enough Airdrie is going to be part of Calgary.
Rotary Freak
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,711
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From: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
There's another intangible that you may not like, depending on how thick-skinned you are:
Four decades of mainly liberal government at the federal level in this country have succeeded in socially-engineering many Canadians (particularly in eastern Canada) to loathe Americans. I'm not making this up. Liberals in this country tend to lean much farther to the left than Democrats in the states do. Socialism may mean "the equal sharing of misery", but they're gobbling it up like M&Ms. There's a very good reason that some here are now referring to this country as the "S.R.S.K."--- the "Socialist Republic of Soviet Kanuckistan."
Some of the more extreme individuals will hate on their fellow Canadians for the "crime" of not hating Americans enough (!) I've seen this primarily at post-secondary schools, mostly from students but also from teachers and professors, a demographic that seems dis-proportionately partial to ultra-left views. Intelligence and common sense may not necessarily be mutually exclusive traits, but you'd never know it by listening to what these fuckwads spew.
Alberta, being mostly conservative and not anti-American, would be easier to tolerate--- unless you're a liberal.
Four decades of mainly liberal government at the federal level in this country have succeeded in socially-engineering many Canadians (particularly in eastern Canada) to loathe Americans. I'm not making this up. Liberals in this country tend to lean much farther to the left than Democrats in the states do. Socialism may mean "the equal sharing of misery", but they're gobbling it up like M&Ms. There's a very good reason that some here are now referring to this country as the "S.R.S.K."--- the "Socialist Republic of Soviet Kanuckistan."
Some of the more extreme individuals will hate on their fellow Canadians for the "crime" of not hating Americans enough (!) I've seen this primarily at post-secondary schools, mostly from students but also from teachers and professors, a demographic that seems dis-proportionately partial to ultra-left views. Intelligence and common sense may not necessarily be mutually exclusive traits, but you'd never know it by listening to what these fuckwads spew.
Alberta, being mostly conservative and not anti-American, would be easier to tolerate--- unless you're a liberal.
Last edited by Aviator 902S; Jul 5, 2007 at 08:25 PM.
Fortified.
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 440
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From: Grimsby
British Columbia is good for sports and the outdoors, Alberta is good for making lots of money and Toronto is somewhere in the middle, but at a faster pace and more pollution. I also think the automotive community in southern Ontario is by far the best in Canada.
Rotary Freak
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,711
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From: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
[quote=Sizzlenut;7110307]I resent this, living in the 'East' right now. I also don't know how you can pass judgement on people living in the 'East', while you are living in Alberta.
Resentment understood. Kinda like having your sister's ex-boyfriend tell you she's a **** because she slept with the entire football team while dating him. Even if it's true it's still the last thing you'd want to hear.
As for passing judgment, I'll let you in on a little secret:
I was born and raised in New Brunswick, a province that is one of the primary beneficiaries of our socialist system of mis-management. I've been all over most of Canada south of the 55th parallel, and have read the papers in pretty much every region, all the while taking in the biased opinions in letters to the editor and from columnists alike, whether from the right or left. Not to mention engaging in long drawn-out conversations with the residents. I lived in Vancouver for over 18 years (another province that leans very far to the left) before (finally having had enough) moving to Alberta.
I lived in Alberta for a year and came across more people who resented Canadians from the 'East', Americans, natives, black, brown, and yellow, than I had ever before in decades of living in and around Toronto.
It's true about the animosity toward easterners, but that sentiment is more politically driven and based on suspicion that the easterner they're talking to probably votes liberal religiously and views all Albertans as backwards rednecks. An over-generalization for certain, but understandable.
As for the other charges listed above: strange, but I found just the opposite. Mind you, racist attitudes seem less prevalent in the larger cities like Toronto and Vancouver. I've met racists even here in Alberta (mostly in the smaller towns, my wife's Korean-born), but they certainly have nothing on the ones I've known in the small hick towns down east. And while the hatred of Americans here in Alberta seems more limited to the college and post-secondary crowd, I only had to sit at the dinner tables or on bar stools to get bombarded with that backwards rhetoric back east and in BC.
Every weekend I head out to Toronto from Hamilton and half the cars on the highway are from the States- coming here because they have a good time here. If us 'Eastern' Canadians are ultra-left, then why do people keep coming back?
Are you sure they're the same tourists each year? I'd imagine for many of them their first trip turns out to be their last. Besides, there's a big difference between visiting a place for the change of scenery, good beer and (when our dollar was only worth .62 USD) the bargains vs. actually moving to that place. (That would be where the phrase "Nice place to visit..." came from).
British Columbia is good for sports and the outdoors,
Not to mention cheap drugs, anti-everything demonstrations, all-day gridlock, highest-in-Canada property crime rates, some of the highest real estate prices and rain.
Alberta is good for making lots of money
...and sports, road trips , outdoors and sunshine.
and Toronto is somewhere in the middle, but at a faster pace and more pollution.
Agreed. But on a per-capita basis the pollution isn't that bad.
I also think the automotive community in southern Ontario is by far the best in Canada.
This I would have to agree with. With population density comes a wider range of options from which to buy, modify and service cars. For the same reason, prices are lower and bargains the norm.
Alberta on the other hand has the highest car prices (both at dealers and private sales), the sleaziest car dealers and fewer service/ performance shops.
Resentment understood. Kinda like having your sister's ex-boyfriend tell you she's a **** because she slept with the entire football team while dating him. Even if it's true it's still the last thing you'd want to hear.
As for passing judgment, I'll let you in on a little secret:
I was born and raised in New Brunswick, a province that is one of the primary beneficiaries of our socialist system of mis-management. I've been all over most of Canada south of the 55th parallel, and have read the papers in pretty much every region, all the while taking in the biased opinions in letters to the editor and from columnists alike, whether from the right or left. Not to mention engaging in long drawn-out conversations with the residents. I lived in Vancouver for over 18 years (another province that leans very far to the left) before (finally having had enough) moving to Alberta.
I lived in Alberta for a year and came across more people who resented Canadians from the 'East', Americans, natives, black, brown, and yellow, than I had ever before in decades of living in and around Toronto.
It's true about the animosity toward easterners, but that sentiment is more politically driven and based on suspicion that the easterner they're talking to probably votes liberal religiously and views all Albertans as backwards rednecks. An over-generalization for certain, but understandable.
As for the other charges listed above: strange, but I found just the opposite. Mind you, racist attitudes seem less prevalent in the larger cities like Toronto and Vancouver. I've met racists even here in Alberta (mostly in the smaller towns, my wife's Korean-born), but they certainly have nothing on the ones I've known in the small hick towns down east. And while the hatred of Americans here in Alberta seems more limited to the college and post-secondary crowd, I only had to sit at the dinner tables or on bar stools to get bombarded with that backwards rhetoric back east and in BC.
Every weekend I head out to Toronto from Hamilton and half the cars on the highway are from the States- coming here because they have a good time here. If us 'Eastern' Canadians are ultra-left, then why do people keep coming back?
Are you sure they're the same tourists each year? I'd imagine for many of them their first trip turns out to be their last. Besides, there's a big difference between visiting a place for the change of scenery, good beer and (when our dollar was only worth .62 USD) the bargains vs. actually moving to that place. (That would be where the phrase "Nice place to visit..." came from).
British Columbia is good for sports and the outdoors,
Not to mention cheap drugs, anti-everything demonstrations, all-day gridlock, highest-in-Canada property crime rates, some of the highest real estate prices and rain.
Alberta is good for making lots of money
...and sports, road trips , outdoors and sunshine.
and Toronto is somewhere in the middle, but at a faster pace and more pollution.
Agreed. But on a per-capita basis the pollution isn't that bad.
I also think the automotive community in southern Ontario is by far the best in Canada.
This I would have to agree with. With population density comes a wider range of options from which to buy, modify and service cars. For the same reason, prices are lower and bargains the norm.
Alberta on the other hand has the highest car prices (both at dealers and private sales), the sleaziest car dealers and fewer service/ performance shops.
Full Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 154
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From: kootenays BC Canada
well i can tell you where the Anti-american feeling in BC comes from...
first there is the forestry industry... need i say more?
second, there is alot of tourism which is ok i have met alot of really nice americans, however i have met alot more a-typical g w bush lovers who think we as canadians owe them something for being a neighboring country.
and 3rd, i grew up in Victoria its known for tourism, gardens, beautiful scenery and our naval base, which while protecting our country has enabled massive ships from the USA navy to anchor off shore and send there sailors a shore to reek havok.. while the local economy sees a big boom when ever the ships come in, the hospital sees an increase in rape victims, some of whom have been friends of mine... so i have no love for any american in the navy...
as for back east and there dislike i couldnt tell ya, as i have no desire to go east...
but as a whole country Canadians do generally dislike americans, and this isnt a new trend its a very very old one.... and why is that? well not only were a british colony and the USA broke off, but the USA attempted to invade Canada a very long time ago, we fought them off and burned down the white house, and they havent tried to fight us since, instead they now practically own our country...
but hey thats the american way, so you cant hate them for that....
i personally dont judge a person based on where they are from or what ethnicity they are, cause doing so is not fair to them cause its something they can never change... i do judge them on there actions, but thats fair....
first there is the forestry industry... need i say more?
second, there is alot of tourism which is ok i have met alot of really nice americans, however i have met alot more a-typical g w bush lovers who think we as canadians owe them something for being a neighboring country.
and 3rd, i grew up in Victoria its known for tourism, gardens, beautiful scenery and our naval base, which while protecting our country has enabled massive ships from the USA navy to anchor off shore and send there sailors a shore to reek havok.. while the local economy sees a big boom when ever the ships come in, the hospital sees an increase in rape victims, some of whom have been friends of mine... so i have no love for any american in the navy...
as for back east and there dislike i couldnt tell ya, as i have no desire to go east...
but as a whole country Canadians do generally dislike americans, and this isnt a new trend its a very very old one.... and why is that? well not only were a british colony and the USA broke off, but the USA attempted to invade Canada a very long time ago, we fought them off and burned down the white house, and they havent tried to fight us since, instead they now practically own our country...
but hey thats the american way, so you cant hate them for that....
i personally dont judge a person based on where they are from or what ethnicity they are, cause doing so is not fair to them cause its something they can never change... i do judge them on there actions, but thats fair....
Rotary Freak
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,711
Likes: 0
From: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
[quote=Shadao;7111707]well i can tell you where the Anti-american feeling in BC comes from...
first there is the forestry industry... need i say more?
Nope, that's a very valid point. The lumber dispute is indicative of a very protectionist policy on the states' part, and good reason for those affected (ie: BC residents who depend on the forest industry for their livelihood) to be pissed off--- at the small group of greed-driven individuals in the lumber industry south of the border who insist on stacking the deck in their favor and thumbing their noses at what NAFTA dictates. Even here in Alberta we had a similar dispute over the trumped-up Mad cow / BSE scare. But to paint all Americans with that same brush is ignorant and daft.
second, there is alot of tourism which is ok i have met alot of really nice americans,
Well, south-western BC really is a great place to visit, with natural beauty and a vibrant night life that's second to none in this country. And on a per-capita basis there are at least as many nice Americans as their are nice Canadians. The proof is in individual donations to charity. U.S. citizens donate more per capita and a higher percentage of their income than even we Canucks do.
however i have met alot more a-typical g w bush lovers who think we as canadians owe them something for being a neighboring country.
AHA!!! You've just nailed the number one reason many Canadians all over this country have a hate-on for Americans. This isn't just a Bush thing. It's been going on for several decades, since Canada made that huge swing over the last four decades from free enterprise and military presence to socialism and peace-at-any-cost rhetoric. Harper's trying to change that, but he faces an uphill battle against voters weened on peace, love and cowardice.
Americans have understood (and been taught from their early childhood) that freedom is not free and that it's better to die on your feet than to live on your knees. Socially-engineered peacnic Canadians don't share this view. When Americans rub their faces in it for not pulling their military weight well, the truth hurts. Case in point: Look no further than the recent comments from ultra-left NDP leader Jack Layton. He's the next Neville Chamberlain, and makes me wonder what size burka his wife would need if everyone were to subscribe to Jack's philosophies. When he dies I think I'll knock over his headstone and replace it with a yellow (urinal-shaped) one.
and 3rd, i grew up in Victoria its known for tourism, gardens, beautiful scenery and our naval base, which while protecting our country has enabled massive ships from the USA navy to anchor off shore and send there sailors a shore to reek havok.. while the local economy sees a big boom when ever the ships come in, the hospital sees an increase in rape victims, some of whom have been friends of mine... so i have no love for any american in the navy...
So... all male U.S. Navy personnel are rapists? (I'm sure that's not what you meant, but you did say you have no love for any American in the navy). I'll agree that there are more rapists in the U.S. military than there are in our own military. But that's because there are far more US military personnel to begin with. I highly doubt that on a per-capita basis there are more rapists in the US military.
as for back east and there dislike i couldnt tell ya, as i have no desire to go east...
See above.
but as a whole country Canadians do generally dislike americans, and this isnt a new trend its a very very old one.... and why is that? well not only were a british colony and the USA broke off, but the USA attempted to invade Canada a very long time ago, we fought them off and burned down the white house, and they havent tried to fight us since,
Actually it is a trend. It's true that the rivalry has always been there, and that said rivalry dates back to the war or independence and the war of 1812. But the trend I refer to is the spike in anti-American sentiment in this country since we became more socialist , more pacifist and completely holier-than-thou over the States' insistence on continuing to do what it takes to defend its freedom, as well as that of its allies.
As for the statement that after the war of 1812 the US hasn't "tried to fight us since", I can guarantee you that this is not because they fear us or the consequences. I think we all know it would be a very short war, with us ending up being their bitch. The reason this won't happen is because we are currently an ally. The US came to our defense in WWII when they helped us kick Hitler's ***. I know Canadians are sick of having Americans lord this fact over them, but that doesn't make it any less true.
instead they now practically own our country...
but hey thats the american way, so you cant hate them for that....
It's called free enterprise, and it's what both of these great countries were built on. The problem is, our socialist policies have been eroding our own industries little by little. American interests have taken up the slack thanks to the opportunities we've handed them.
Case in point: before the National Energy Program (NEP) introduced by Trudeau in the early '80s as a scheme to steal Alberta's wealth, many of the oil companies operating in Alberta were Canadian-owned. After the bloodbath said companies either went bankrupt or sold to foreign interests. Free-enterprising US-based entities took up much of the slack and capitalized once the NEP was abolished.
Of course, this is not the only example, and the whole situation is a shining example of a drag race between capitalism and socialism--- with capitalism handing socialism its *** on a platter. Such is justice.
Of course, the good news is that even though US-based companies have done extremely well here, it hasn't been at the expense of Canadians. Thanks to NAFTA, 80% of our exports go to the states, providing employment for a full 50% of the Canadian population. Our economy is doing very well right now. This is one of the biggest reasons why.
i personally dont judge a person based on where they are from or what ethnicity they are, cause doing so is not fair to them cause its something they can never change... i do judge them on there actions, but thats fair....
Except for US navy personnel, right?
(Sorry, you handed me that one, I couldn't resist). But yeah, agreed.
first there is the forestry industry... need i say more?
Nope, that's a very valid point. The lumber dispute is indicative of a very protectionist policy on the states' part, and good reason for those affected (ie: BC residents who depend on the forest industry for their livelihood) to be pissed off--- at the small group of greed-driven individuals in the lumber industry south of the border who insist on stacking the deck in their favor and thumbing their noses at what NAFTA dictates. Even here in Alberta we had a similar dispute over the trumped-up Mad cow / BSE scare. But to paint all Americans with that same brush is ignorant and daft.
second, there is alot of tourism which is ok i have met alot of really nice americans,
Well, south-western BC really is a great place to visit, with natural beauty and a vibrant night life that's second to none in this country. And on a per-capita basis there are at least as many nice Americans as their are nice Canadians. The proof is in individual donations to charity. U.S. citizens donate more per capita and a higher percentage of their income than even we Canucks do.
however i have met alot more a-typical g w bush lovers who think we as canadians owe them something for being a neighboring country.
AHA!!! You've just nailed the number one reason many Canadians all over this country have a hate-on for Americans. This isn't just a Bush thing. It's been going on for several decades, since Canada made that huge swing over the last four decades from free enterprise and military presence to socialism and peace-at-any-cost rhetoric. Harper's trying to change that, but he faces an uphill battle against voters weened on peace, love and cowardice.
Americans have understood (and been taught from their early childhood) that freedom is not free and that it's better to die on your feet than to live on your knees. Socially-engineered peacnic Canadians don't share this view. When Americans rub their faces in it for not pulling their military weight well, the truth hurts. Case in point: Look no further than the recent comments from ultra-left NDP leader Jack Layton. He's the next Neville Chamberlain, and makes me wonder what size burka his wife would need if everyone were to subscribe to Jack's philosophies. When he dies I think I'll knock over his headstone and replace it with a yellow (urinal-shaped) one.
and 3rd, i grew up in Victoria its known for tourism, gardens, beautiful scenery and our naval base, which while protecting our country has enabled massive ships from the USA navy to anchor off shore and send there sailors a shore to reek havok.. while the local economy sees a big boom when ever the ships come in, the hospital sees an increase in rape victims, some of whom have been friends of mine... so i have no love for any american in the navy...
So... all male U.S. Navy personnel are rapists? (I'm sure that's not what you meant, but you did say you have no love for any American in the navy). I'll agree that there are more rapists in the U.S. military than there are in our own military. But that's because there are far more US military personnel to begin with. I highly doubt that on a per-capita basis there are more rapists in the US military.
as for back east and there dislike i couldnt tell ya, as i have no desire to go east...
See above.
but as a whole country Canadians do generally dislike americans, and this isnt a new trend its a very very old one.... and why is that? well not only were a british colony and the USA broke off, but the USA attempted to invade Canada a very long time ago, we fought them off and burned down the white house, and they havent tried to fight us since,
Actually it is a trend. It's true that the rivalry has always been there, and that said rivalry dates back to the war or independence and the war of 1812. But the trend I refer to is the spike in anti-American sentiment in this country since we became more socialist , more pacifist and completely holier-than-thou over the States' insistence on continuing to do what it takes to defend its freedom, as well as that of its allies.
As for the statement that after the war of 1812 the US hasn't "tried to fight us since", I can guarantee you that this is not because they fear us or the consequences. I think we all know it would be a very short war, with us ending up being their bitch. The reason this won't happen is because we are currently an ally. The US came to our defense in WWII when they helped us kick Hitler's ***. I know Canadians are sick of having Americans lord this fact over them, but that doesn't make it any less true.
instead they now practically own our country...
but hey thats the american way, so you cant hate them for that....
It's called free enterprise, and it's what both of these great countries were built on. The problem is, our socialist policies have been eroding our own industries little by little. American interests have taken up the slack thanks to the opportunities we've handed them.
Case in point: before the National Energy Program (NEP) introduced by Trudeau in the early '80s as a scheme to steal Alberta's wealth, many of the oil companies operating in Alberta were Canadian-owned. After the bloodbath said companies either went bankrupt or sold to foreign interests. Free-enterprising US-based entities took up much of the slack and capitalized once the NEP was abolished.
Of course, this is not the only example, and the whole situation is a shining example of a drag race between capitalism and socialism--- with capitalism handing socialism its *** on a platter. Such is justice.
Of course, the good news is that even though US-based companies have done extremely well here, it hasn't been at the expense of Canadians. Thanks to NAFTA, 80% of our exports go to the states, providing employment for a full 50% of the Canadian population. Our economy is doing very well right now. This is one of the biggest reasons why.
i personally dont judge a person based on where they are from or what ethnicity they are, cause doing so is not fair to them cause its something they can never change... i do judge them on there actions, but thats fair....
Except for US navy personnel, right?
(Sorry, you handed me that one, I couldn't resist). But yeah, agreed.
Last edited by Aviator 902S; Jul 7, 2007 at 03:22 PM.
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From: Saskatoon, SK & Montreal, PQ
I disagree, B. Canada has one of the world's most educated militaries and though there are the occasional bad apples, per capita it has a far lower rate of crime.
When I was posted to Wainright, in fact, the female Brit engineers were quartered with my guys so they'd be safer than if they were in the Brit barracks. Many (though far from all) enlisted men in the British military are there because they were given the choice between prison or military service by the courts.
The US military spends considerable sums recruiting from the slums, resulting in more members with a lax attitude toward crime. When I was posted to a US base, there were anti-gang procedures in place in an effort to keep Bloods, Crips, etc. from carrying over street grudges to base side, and anti-drug procedures to try to cut down on drug injecting in the barracks - procedures foreign to Canadian troops precisely because ther'es not enough of a problem to warrant them.
There are many fine men and women in Brit, US, and other uniforms who adhere to military codes of conduct, honor, and discipline. Just more bad apples in the barrel per capita than in Canada's.
If Shadao's postulations about increased rape due to US navy presence is accurate, it wouldn't surprise me. Can't blame the whole US navy for it, but US recruitment policy does play a role.
When I was posted to Wainright, in fact, the female Brit engineers were quartered with my guys so they'd be safer than if they were in the Brit barracks. Many (though far from all) enlisted men in the British military are there because they were given the choice between prison or military service by the courts.
The US military spends considerable sums recruiting from the slums, resulting in more members with a lax attitude toward crime. When I was posted to a US base, there were anti-gang procedures in place in an effort to keep Bloods, Crips, etc. from carrying over street grudges to base side, and anti-drug procedures to try to cut down on drug injecting in the barracks - procedures foreign to Canadian troops precisely because ther'es not enough of a problem to warrant them.
There are many fine men and women in Brit, US, and other uniforms who adhere to military codes of conduct, honor, and discipline. Just more bad apples in the barrel per capita than in Canada's.
If Shadao's postulations about increased rape due to US navy presence is accurate, it wouldn't surprise me. Can't blame the whole US navy for it, but US recruitment policy does play a role.
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From: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
I disagree, B. Canada has one of the world's most educated militaries and though there are the occasional bad apples, per capita it has a far lower rate of crime.
When I was posted to Wainright, in fact, the female Brit engineers were quartered with my guys so they'd be safer than if they were in the Brit barracks. Many (though far from all) enlisted men in the British military are there because they were given the choice between prison or military service by the courts.
The US military spends considerable sums recruiting from the slums, resulting in more members with a lax attitude toward crime. When I was posted to a US base, there were anti-gang procedures in place in an effort to keep Bloods, Crips, etc. from carrying over street grudges to base side, and anti-drug procedures to try to cut down on drug injecting in the barracks - procedures foreign to Canadian troops precisely because ther'es not enough of a problem to warrant them.
There are many fine men and women in Brit, US, and other uniforms who adhere to military codes of conduct, honor, and discipline. Just more bad apples in the barrel per capita than in Canada's.
If Shadao's postulations about increased rape due to US navy presence is accurate, it wouldn't surprise me. Can't blame the whole US navy for it, but US recruitment policy does play a role.
When I was posted to Wainright, in fact, the female Brit engineers were quartered with my guys so they'd be safer than if they were in the Brit barracks. Many (though far from all) enlisted men in the British military are there because they were given the choice between prison or military service by the courts.
The US military spends considerable sums recruiting from the slums, resulting in more members with a lax attitude toward crime. When I was posted to a US base, there were anti-gang procedures in place in an effort to keep Bloods, Crips, etc. from carrying over street grudges to base side, and anti-drug procedures to try to cut down on drug injecting in the barracks - procedures foreign to Canadian troops precisely because ther'es not enough of a problem to warrant them.
There are many fine men and women in Brit, US, and other uniforms who adhere to military codes of conduct, honor, and discipline. Just more bad apples in the barrel per capita than in Canada's.
If Shadao's postulations about increased rape due to US navy presence is accurate, it wouldn't surprise me. Can't blame the whole US navy for it, but US recruitment policy does play a role.
But there's another reason for locals to hate on US military personnel. It's as old as war itself, not limited to only Americans in uniform and not talked about as much:
When sailors, regardless of nationality, are on shore leave, they want to do three things first and foremost: Drink, party and get laid. So the clubs become full of them. Most of these G.I.s are well groomed and buff--- just the thing that many of the local single (and not-so-single) local ladies look for. And talk about no strings! Some of these fine ladies will do things on the first night with a sailor passing through town that they wouldn't think of doing with a local.
Now then, how do you think this makes the local boys feel? Many of them have a hard enough time trying to score without competition from a bunch of drunken sailors who have a better shot with these girls while drunk than the local boys do while sober. What's worse, these local lads don't like those "arrogant Americans, with their Bush-loving ultra-patriotic and (allegedly) superior complexes." And let's not forget the sailors' disdain for "peace-nik Canooks."
Of course, said US navy boys already know the score with regard to the local lads' animosity toward them. They look forward to the challenge, especially after a few too many beers.
So here we have a bunch of drunk, horny sailors, a bunch of drunk, horny women and a bunch of drunk, horny and frustrated local boys. In nuclear physics this type of development is known as "achieving critical mass." Let the punches begin.
