I'll wrap up my participation in this threat with a few general comments.
1. Canada just like the US is big and climate and scenarry vary from province to province and place to place. I like BC for the outdoors opportunities it offers. (hiking and fishing)
2. Jobs - it is a nightmare to get a good job because of the lunatic immigration policy
3. Real estate / Rent - costs are high (again due to immigration)
4. Safety - Still safer than US
5 Healthcare - I find it unsatisfactory because of the wait times and the inconvenient clinic schedules. I never needed medical treatment while in US so I cannot tell how it is there.
6 Girls - some pretty ones but I cannot relate to them - I'd have to give it a score of zero.
7 Entertainment - never had enough money to enjoy it. (maybe this was the problem on point 6 as well
)
8 People - many different cultures trying to co-exist together. You are always welcome as a customer. Due to the high unemployment, some tension can be felt when it comes to getting a job or keeping it. Under constant compentition people tend to get less friendly and they also tend to lose their natural curiousity as well as sense of humour.
9 Taxes - income tax of 20-30% can be expected. In addition the GST, PST (HST) will add another 6-15% on goods and services on what's left.
10 Insurance - car, health, property........big money going down the drain
11 Services - Canada post rates are much higher than the USPS and they also collect sales taxes and duties on your international purchases
Not sure how the phone / cable / internet / hydro rates compare to those in the States
12 Government subsidised programs - there are many. Wage subsidy, child care subsidy, subsidised housing, health insurance subsidy. There are programs that can offer you free education too or support with starting a new business. Then there is the employment insurance and welfare
If it wasn't for fishing, hiking and exploration, and if I still had an option I'd be long gone from here.
Hmmm...well we live in the states and can't afford the entertainment, taxes are high, Insurance is high, getting a job is a real nightmare and the healthcare sucks. Are you sure you don't live down here. By the way the AMA came out in 2005 with a report on wait times down here and lo and behold the states have some of the worst wait times out of anywhere in the world. Funny though when you bring that up our loonies down here still say you'll die waiting in Canada. An old myth that just doesn't want to die despite the evidence.
CKA Uber 
CKA Uber 
