Close Reading

Acceptance of international work experience and qualifications has been an issue since I arrived here in 2002. It has all been false promises and a smoke screen by the government and these politicians in all these years. Canada is still far behind when compared to US which is more welcoming to immigrants and which is why it is still one of the most desirable places to live on the planet.

I find it funny and sad that the politicians fighting for universal Healthcare in the U.S. are labeled far left, communists and socialists. I watch American media talk about universal Healthcare like its some weird imaginary concept. \n\nWe got politicians here undermining our universal Healthcare. They drain as much funding as possible, leaving our hospitals struggling to keep up, then they sit back and let the media push the narrative that our system is failing and we need to privatize. It's depressing because some Canadians are falling for it and it's a real possibility that we might not have it if our citizens don't stand up for it.

Well, where to begin Ms McLeod. \nFirstly I couldn't agree more, Toronto is now a mere shadow of its former self. It's a shit-hole actually, unless you have the significant wealth to live behind the iron gates of the Bridle Path, Forest Hill or Rosedale. \nSecondly, the increase in crime is a direct correlation to unfettered and unchecked immigration policies of Liberal socialist governments who continually keep the flood gates open for the undesirable and criminal elements who bring their mentality from off-shore. \nThirdly, the lack of public resources for those suffering from mental health issues is a direct correlation to the disastrous policies in the 1970's of closing of virtually every institution in Canada who dealt with those who needed help. We were told the institutions were trampling on the rights and freedoms these Canadians. Today, there is simply no where for those to turn for help. And politicians of every stripe don't want to touch the issue with a 10-foot pole. Have a look at Vancouver's Downtown East Side - it is an apocalypse of a horrible social experiment gone wrong. The same is happening in Toronto, and even my hometown not far down the 401. \nFourthly, inflation and excessive income tax is a silent killer of hopes, dreams, aspirations and communities. \nI applaud your decision to look elsewhere for your new home base!

This is an interesting overview of Canada and its many issues. I would love to see a follow up video or two looking into these same issues but from a few different perspectives. 1) regionally - Canada is very diverse so our regions are quite different in culture, problems and cause of each. The major regions are: Maritimes/Ontario/Quebec/Prairies/West Coast/ Territories. 2) because of our diverse landscape different races are attracted to different areas. I have not studied this impact on our racism and political issues but would love to see someone like you do so. It appears to me that immigrants are disproportionately gathered along the US/Canada border and big cities, particularly east and west coast. First Nations are disproportionately populated in Rural and northern areas where resources overall are less available to all races. I would expect to find that this population disbursement would also reflect in our political leadership. For example more populated cities are far more likely to have immigrant own businesses and politicians, In rural and northern communities politicians are more likely to be white because First Nations politicians would be more inclined to work within the First Nations political channels where they can actually do more good for their communities. 3) The diversity that makes up 'white' as a race. It appears to me that Canada historically has been more inclined to attract 'White' races versus other 'colours'. We have large populations of British, Swedish, Irish, Russian, Ukrainian, French, Norwegian, and Polish to name a few. All of which have large diversity in their culture and history but are often classified as 'white'. 4) The massive impact the past 5 + years of politics and world affairs have had on the divisions within Canada. Personally I see and feel far, far more judgements between races, economics and regions than ever before.

Currently homeless.. wish we had better ways to help our people. If only our politicians didnt get paid far more than they need. If only we stopped big corporations a long as time ago.

I think people with You Tube videos promoting Canada as a place to live are paid to do those videos. \nYour assessment regarding Canada is bang on. \nI feel sad for people who come here with the belief that their lives will be better, Only to find out that they are far worse off. \nI've noticed the cost of groceries and housing have tripled in the last few years.\nVery difficult to get a Dr in Canada. 50.000 people in my small province are without a Dr. \nPeople are being neglected by Canada's healthcare system to the point of dying right in the hospital waiting rooms or while waiting for an ambulance. Yet, A huge chunk of taxes go toward healthcare. \nHomeless encampments are on the rise as landlords are gouging people for exorbitant rent. Streets are lined with homeless people and with the high cost of living it could be anyone of us carting our humble belongings around in a shopping cart.\nIf you have children I'd avoid sending them to Canadian schools and opt for homeschooling. Your children will be read to by drag queens while sitting on some strangers lap. \nThis week in class my neighbors son class will be showing boys how to paint their nails. They've already been taught about every kind of sexual position and how to use condoms and butt plugs. Yes, Even elementary students!\nThe school libraries are filled with books that promote pedophilia. \nThey want your children dumbed down and sexualized at an early age.\nWars are instigated because the greedy globalists want the land and resources and the politicians regardless of their colors are all in the pockets of a few elitists who rule over the many.\nThe globalists know that war creates all of the things they support. \nDepopulation, Refugees, Who they want for cheap Labor, Land the refugees left behind for the resources to fill their troughs with. \n\nMy apologies for the long diatribe and Thank You Sir for being an honest and informative voice regarding the truth about Canada. \n\nI was born and raised here and my dream is to leave. \nEven Russia or China is starting to look good compared to Canada.

I have no problem with people coming here but do it legally us Americans aren't tryin to keep paying for all of you and none of you pay your fare share of taxes yo for real what the fuck type time are these dems on you know how dangerous that is do you understand how easy it is for Chinese or Russian splinter cells to enter the country like that do you know how easy it would be for them to blend in seeing that we're a country of multiple races of of people none of you think about that do you and it time for America to worry about its own backyard and mind our fucking business and get politicians out-of-office that have personal ties with other countries as far as personal profit gain

I am living in one of the Eastern province and by far Alberta is the best province. The people there are broad minded unlike the folks in Ontario and Quebec. Politicians are crooked…

I have thought this at least 1 million times but 1 million time my mind replied to me, ''Why to go in a country of crooked minded people and lawless state where Policemen are thieves, army men are politicians, politicians are lawless and religious people are sellable & they promote extremism in mosques everywhere in Pakistan, rich are tax-offenders and poor are crushed in poverty. In other words, stones are fastened but dogs are at large''. Someone please do translation my all above words in Urdu and explain to overseas emotional Pakistanis not to think emotionally and do not make wrong decision of their lives. \nFact of the matter is that both doctors are over-exaggerations. It is easy to act on Islam in Europe than in the so-called Medina state or Islamic state of Pakistan. These couple are saying that in UK Schools, they teach about gayism? no, no , no....... they teach them how to be tolerant with them. In schools they teach them how to respect the other faiths and their traditions and do not bad-mouth them the way your society bad-mouth other faiths in their mosques and the social medias. Have not you seen what you guys do with the most vulnerable people, called HIJRAS in Pakistan??? Is is Islamic? You use them for sex, abuse then and look down upon them in Pakistan. Islamic values?????????????huh! Is it Pakistani Islam or real Islam. Real Islam is much bigger than the narrow-minded Pakistani mentality. In the UK, In Hospitals they (European countries) do not hire SAFAARISHEE DOCTORS and their doctors do not strike for money and kill hundreds of patients and do not shoot to police during protests..... Islamic values??????? huh!!. In Europe, They do not patronize your faith, they do not define your faith calling which sect is Muslim and who is not and they let you groom according to your talent in every walk of life. This is called Islamic values. They only dislikes when Muslims try to mess their system and they want their Governments to act like they are Islamic states. I think Pakistan is a really a sickening state, not made for poor but for Nawaabs, rich army men and bureaucrats. Let crocked minded people stay there because this system suits them. When these doctors will be screwed up by Pakistani system of corruption; guess what: THEY WILL RUN AWAY & BACK TO England. Both are Crazy doctors, they are talking like Pakistani politicians now... Islamic values in Pakistan?????????????ridiculous. When they will see TLP goons breaking cars of people, when you will see ambulances stopped from going to hospital, when they will see innocent killings of minorities, when yo both will see discrimination in the name of faith and race in Pakistan and when they will see bribery in every walk of life, they will change their mind. I think acting upon Islam is far easier to follow in England than in Pakistan and its screwed up/lawless system. It is very nice to hear Dr JAVED sb, sugar-coating Pakistan and its so-called Islamic values. Dr sb, Take interview of this lovely couple after two year when they go back to Pakistan and their views will be different. In two years they will be thinking how and when to pack up and kick off from Pakistan which is a breeding land of terrorism, where water is expensive than blood of a poor person.

Quebec is far from being the best province in Canada. Montreal is great but their is a disconnect with the rest of the province. The biggest export of Quebec is young people. Once they graduate from University they leave as the job opportunities are in Ontario and western Canada. The Quebec pension plan now pays out more than it takes in. The academics and politicians are hell bent to push the ‘vive la Quebec and French Uber alles’ that it turns off business and industry. An example is the pharmaceutical industry was all headquartered at one time in Quebec and it moved out to Ontario. The personal income tax rates are higher than most provinces and health care is not the best either.

Canada is what you make of it. You can arrive rich and end up poor and you can arrive poor and end up rich. In between that, you can have a great life that balances your needs. I’ve seen immigrants succeed simply because they see the opportunity in front of them . They worked hard in their own counties to stay just above the poverty line ,but when they apply that same effort here it pays off ten times greater. I feel that compared to a lot of immigrants, natural born Canadians come across as spoiled and a little lazy…we are. We haven’t had to struggle the same way someone from a poorer country might have. I’ve talked to people who’ve worked ten to twelve hours a day just to stay afloat. If you did that here you could make plenty of money to live and have some left over. As far as owning a house goes,yes it’s expensive . I feel that homeownership in any country is relatively expensive. Here is a tip; use that soaring home prices to your advantage. Houses are expensive but you can make a lot of money buying and selling. I recommend putting together a buyers group and share the house for a few years, then sell at a profit, buy a bigger house or two smaller houses.try to buy the worst house in the best neighbourhood and fix it up slowly . That house could double in value in five or six years in the Toronto market. This is nothing new of course ,the people from India and China seem to do this a lot here ,it drives up prices and profits. On the downside to this ,you are now part of the problem. As the housing prices are driven up the non wealthy can no longer afford to own a house . They are at the mercy of high rents with no rewards of ownership. They are caught in a cycle of hard work and (relative)poverty. This could also be you if you can’t keep up the house payments and are forced to rent.\nHow well you speak English is important but your native language is also useful here because Canada is half immigrants . As a Canadian that speaks only english (Irish descent)I have to say to all newcomers that I’m very impressed that you have learned a new language and that you may even speak more than two! Don’t be embarrassed about your abilities . I find that in my experience , Canadians do not look down on people just because they don’t know English. In fact ,I’ve known people that have lived here for decades and still know very little English. They are comfortable in their communities and they function just fine. Learn as much English as suits your needs and be proud of any gains you make.\nOutside of Toronto are other cities that you might consider when looking at southern Ontario.From my experience,most are generally the same, just not as big . There are large immigrant communities in London Ontario, Hamilton and just outside of Toronto where housing is just a little bit less expensive but the commute to work is probably longer. This is just my opinion but in the small towns there are less people of colour , (which is what people of no colour call everyone else . I wonder if I’m called a person of no colour in some other culture ? LoL ). That might make it harder for you to feel integrated ,if that’s what you want. I’m not saying that people from other cultures can’t make it in a small town , I’m just saying that it’s definitely not Toronto . Here, people of any nationality can feel like they have a place where they can belong . It seems that no matter where you are from ,there is a community already here that’s set up restaurants and stores and clothing shops and newcomer support systems. And if your from Portugal or China or India or Africa or the Middle East, there are large groups of your kin here that have established roots for generations and you probably know this already.\nToronto means meeting place and that becomes evident quickly. I was born here and it’s one of the things I love the most about my city. I’m not going to say that there isn’t systemic racism here ,the people of no colour still kind of keep the top position , but as we become a minority in a decade or so ,I hope that will shift to a broader spectrum. It’s certainly happening already. One good thing is that the police department tries to hire people of colour so that racialism may play a smaller role. We’re getting used to seeing our politicians more and more reflect their constituents.\nI have to talk about the weather. Because I’m from here I’m used to the extremes of minus thirty and plus thirty . Eventually you get used to it (somewhat). Dressing in the right clothes is important. Summer is easy , but winter is different. It’s trying to kill you. Spend the most that you can afford on winter cloths . If you can afford a quality parka you should get one. The hood can be drawn around the face and stay out of the wind.\nIf not ,think of layers with a outer layer that blocks the wind. We have things called long Johns that are basically full length thick cotton or nylon pants that go on under your pants and a pair of extra thick socks. Buy your boots to fit your thick socks. Try to get the best boots you can afford ,it’s something that you might spend a little extra for but never regret.\nAll in all we are a fairly organized and peaceful society. Most people are friendly and will give you a chance . We have a good social safety net here and you don’t have to be homeless or starving if you don’t want to. There are people and organizations set up to help ,that truly try to get people back on their feet. It’s a good investment that pays off in ways that matter for the quality of life in a big city. I’m not putting my American neighbours down when I say they do things differently. They have their ways ,we have ours. This is just something that we do because we’re trying to learn how to help those that society has discarded or can’t find their place. Sure we have one or two areas where the homeless have pitched tents and we have some resources for them if they want. Unfortunately The mayor recently forced a small camp to move from a very visible place to more scattered locations. There were social workers involved as well as protesters trying to protect them. I didn’t like that happening and I want to see even more resources dedicated to them ,but on the other hand ,we are trying to avoid something like what happens on the streets when it’s just ignored. When I see YouTube videos of the streets of Philadelphia I’m extremely saddened. I thank the lucky stars that I was born in Toronto Canada.\nFor all it’s pollution and expense and crowds ,I think it’s a great place to do almost anything your heart desires . For every ugly building there is a beautiful park ,for every honked horn there is a birds call , for every cold and dark day there is beautiful sunny one around the corner.

A compelling documentary, thank you. Why is it that black people continue to be so demonised and de-humanised? It is such a shame that follow Asians and even American Natives play such a role in perpetuating racism against African descent people, but I guess they have their issues of identity. Real shame nonetheless, but one thing at the time, we still have a bigger hurdle to overcome.\n \nOf course, it is still not easy to be a black woman, man or child today. Sadly our mothers are still crying for their children being killed or overly punished by the police institution, our kids are still targeted if not simply despised for being beautiful, bright, talented, lively and brilliant beings with deeper skin tonalities, and hair that speaks for us otherwise. It is still dangerous because there is so much hatred across the world against us as we are coming to understand. And hatred is unpredictable. It comes in different ugly shapes. \n\nAfrican descent people are institutionally exposed to a lack of opportunities based on race, leading to the disproportionate poverty levels in our communities, and poverty brings your far closer to crime. That should not be so difficult to calculate. We're faced with higher mortality and disease rates, covid 19 has rubbed that to our eyes, care systems medical world is in less favour and neglect black communities. On a day-to-day, I am so insulted about the security guard that follows me in the shop, it is so disrespectful and embarrassing, that makes me move suspiciously indeed, yet so low and ignorant I don't even want to have to confront the issue. \n\nI agree with the writer who writes about his experience (and shame?) of being a black man in Canada- the same is institutionally reflected in Europe and across the world let's not be naive, we're not welcome but they should know they have no choice. I believe what he really is trying to express is based on the fear of being a black man in a hostile environment, but we should certainly have nothing to be ashamed of. \n\nOn contrary, we should be very proud because we are still here, like any other citizens paying our taxes and playing positive roles in society by major. We have positive role models are everywhere, from the single mother raising her children with force and determination to the black father who teaches at a local school, from the black girl who's achieved top grades to university to the black young man who's been headhunted from the medical school. And all of us who are just trying. \n\nLook closely. While the media will continue to do its good job demonising and stereotyping us negatively, let's not forget that we are real people with real accomplishments who have always made impactful contributions to society. \n\nHere's the thing, we are admired, loved and celebrated because of the brilliance, talent, charisma, swag and wealth we bring to contemporary culture. Everyone consumes black culture, from the filler lip service to the quick fix tan, from rock and roll to hip hop and RnB music, to sports athletes to the amazing creators out there, no need to mention names. But, we also are doctors, politicians, judges nurses, waiters, carers, scientists, builders, bankers, entrepreneurs, employees or unemployed. \n\nSadly on a day-to-day, we are not viewed as equal people, with equal rights and needs, who, by large, just want the good for our children, our families, neighbours and indeed countries. STOP INSTITUTIONAL RACISM. We are real mothers, real fathers, real children who have a birthright to equal treatment, respect and human dignity, whether or not you choose to disagree.