Close Reading

I am a 23 yr old Canadian and I agree with everything you said. I'm trying to figure out how to leave and where I want to go. Something about this country feels so soul crushing, and I grew up poor with limited opportunities and it's so damn hard to get ahead. I want to move to the US but their immigration laws are so strict. I'm considering any other country that I can study in but so many of them don't allow you to work while you study so I feel trapped.

Send them all to Nova Scotia to shack up with this guy and force his kids out of the community they grew up in. The Canadian Government is contributing to overpopulation and global warming with this plan, so stop taxing the sh_it out of the gas for my car. Hypocrites and idiots.

We say anything about immigrants, we are racist so...\n\nWe need to stop, and focus on the ones we have. The amount of immigrants I've met/interacted with(grew up in TO) that don't trust the system, cops or gov cause they never trusted them in their previous country is saddening. Others come, acknowledge where they came from, realize it's a paradise here and intergrates well. \nThe bad AND ignorant ones come here, spread the paranoia, distance and racism. Just redirected from a traumatic past.\nWe were fine with immigration, than the ultra wave of culture shock came, and now it's chaos due to long term culture shock.\nWe need to integrate the ones we have, but libs and gov doesn't want that, they want chaos and they're using some immigrants as pawns and canadians of all races that dont agree as the selected predator.\n It's not about race, gender or creed, because all those are part of the fringe. We are Canadians... and all the haters are just moody tourists(including them ones born here and spreading the hate).\n\nSo if I'm racist, I can live with that. Too much made up stuff now, I'm not even sure if these demons know what racism and discrimination are anymore. ...they certainly don't know what discussion, inclusion and tolerance is.

I dont get the reasons that are not the Taxes/High cost of living/Healthcare\n\nEverything else is really just subjective, weather, lifestyle and homesickness are things I've never had an issue with, this is subjective to where you live in Canada as well. I love that I have hot summers and cold winters, its the best of both worlds. I was raised here by immigrant parents so maybe this is an issue they've had but I grew up in a extremely multicultural area in Toronto, I experienced my culture much more than the Canadian Culture and others as well.\n\nIn my opinion, while Canada isn't perfect now, it will only get better in the future. As long as people don't abandon the Country and the government doesn't abandon its Citizens than I have high hopes for Canada. Specifically Toronto, it has the potential to become even more massive than it already is.

I am always kinda of shocked when talking to people and finding out that they have never really lived outside of the place they grew up. It's really hard to have any appreciation or perspective on culture, cities, and people, if you have never really spent anytime in other places. Travel even within your own country can be illuminating even more so when you leave the red colour country on the map to a different colour country.\n The one thing that is nice about the country of Vancouver is you can always come back and it will probably be very similar to what you left. A lot of (new) Canadians can't say that.

Multiculturalism is a failure every world leader has said so.Lots of Canadians feel the same way this guy feels,wheres the Canada he grew up in? How much immigration is enough?

I was born in Quebec, I grew up there, studied, worked, lived almost all my life, except for a few years in Toronto and Ottawa for studies and work, where I never really felt at home, but like in a foreign country. I love Quebec, its history, its culture, its language, its way of life and Quebecers in general. I get used to its climate, its six months or so of winter, but still with nice, hot summers. I also put up with the high cost of living due to the multiple taxes to be paid, the highest in North America, which means that, paradoxically, it still costs less to live here than elsewhere in Canada and to the social safety net Quebecers benefit and which is the envy of many citizens elsewhere in the country. The shadow on the board: the hostility and racism of English Canada, including most Anglophones in Quebec and the allophones who join this recalcitrant community towards Quebec and Francophones in general, the ambient wokism, the complacency of the mayor of Montreal, Valérie Plante, who has transformed the city into a huge bike path, Justin Trudeau's hypocrisy regarding Quebec legislation for the protection of language and secularism, which he intends to challenge before the Supreme Court of the country . If I weren't so attached to Quebec, these would be the main reasons that would make me leave Quebec, but to go where, like the wandering Canadian of song, banished from his homeland... Where? Any informed suggestions?

I’m not gonna hate on you, but I am gonna say something that is directed towards your comment section and your opinion. I’m sick of Americans and Canadians bitching and saying Europe is better. Europe most of the time sucks, especially Eastern Europe where I originally grew up. Europe happens to be more depressing also than the USA/Canada in my opinion. For me personally moving to Ontario was the best decision ever and I would never, in a hundred years move to Europe. Maybe Italy or the Netherlands are one of the only countries in Europe which life would be as great, as it is here.

How discouraging to hear you and even after I read the comments about Canada ,,, I'm French Canadian but have lived in Australia for over 35 yrs , since 1982 ,,, now I'm divorced , and no family here ,, feeling very homesick and missing my family back home ,,, I'm 71 yrs old now ,, and I would like to return to Ottawa to live where I grew up, but listening to all of you ,, and to see how bad Canada became ,, just makes my heart cry ,,, what am I to do ,,, now ,, even though I'm part of a church group ,, but they are not even friends , just acquaintances , ,, and have no family here , my children live in Ottawa as well,, even though I've checked out many things in Ottawa about finances and rentals for seniors , to prepare myself for what I'm up against ,, , and that's another thing , I'm on the pension ,, and my health is starting to make me weaker in many ways ,,, anyway , listening to all these info ,, I really feel scared and so alone ,,, I suppose I could give my life totally to God , and forget about my family and everything ,, since I can see that if I do return to Ottawa ,, my life will be a worse living hell than here ,, ,what would you do knowing all this info ,, where can I go ,, nowhere it would seem ,, God help me ,,, and show me the way ,,, I have nowhere to go,

I am a 62 year old Canadian and I do believe things in North America were'nt always this way. I grew up in a semi-rural area. We knew who our neighbours were and knew a lot about them . In those days it was unnatural for kids to spend most of their days inside rather than running around the neighbourhood. Most people either were connected to a church or the Legion etc. There would be hockey , church dinners etc. That drew people together. Too much has changed but I don't think is consumerism alone that is the cause.

Great video. I am a Canadian that works with newcomers. I have lived abroad and back again. We recently did a trip to the U.S. A great trip overall but I agree with a lot of your comments about the suburbs. We saw some beautiful neighbourhoods in the US (and here in Canada) but there are almost no signs of life. I grew up in the suburbs and it was nice as a kid because we were always outside but as soon as I finished school, I couldn't wait to get out. My old neighbourhood is now a bedroom community built for the car. Now, I live downtown in a major Canadian city. My house is very small and old but I wouldn't trade it for the world. I always see people, rain or shine, snow or hail. I see families, dogs, dogwalkers, children, seniors with canes. I love it because I see life. Living in a neighbourhood like the one in this video would indeed feel lonely and isolating.

I am Canadian, having grown up in Canada. I left for the States in 1998, after securing a green card and have no desire to return. Canada offered me nothing except unemployment, debt, and cold weather. Good riddance. It is very difficult to find work and housing in Canada. Education is a joke, because your degree does not guarantee you a career or the job you desire. The Canadian government has a historical record of offering citizenship to immigrants with false promises. Shame on this corrupt, self-serving, money-hungry Government. When I was growing up, one in 1000 people were non-white. Then the floodgates opened to nontraditional countries and multiculturalism was born. The Canadian culture I knew and grew up with was gone. Everyone is suddenly from somewhere else. Canada really has no culture. I don't even visit my family. They come to me! Good riddance Canada. Immigrants beware! You may be better off where you came from.

I grew up in Edmonton and left Canada 30 years ago because the Edmonton Police simply would not leave me alone. I couldn't even drive my car around the block without winding up in a courtroom. The police harassed my parents for years after I left hoping to find me. (i.e. STAASI). Now I live in subtropical Australia and still drive the same Oldsmobile. I never have legal problems here and at one stage owned three houses. In Canada I am labelled as a racist but here I have a Chinese wife and my daughter is fluent in Mandarin. The reason that taxes are so high in Canada is that Multiculturalism costs money. Every time some monument or cultural center is built, someone has to pay for it. My greatest disdain of Canadian society is the political correctness. I remember before 1984 when one could tell a joke without fear of incrimination.

I'm calling bs. I grew up in Scarborough, the schools in my area were mixed Caribbean, Canadian, European, Indian (and other South asain), Chinese (and other East Asian), middle Eastern, African, Latino, everyone went to the same school. Everyone's families were and are poor going through the same struggle. By the time I got to highschool I took the higher level courses, I went to class everyday, I wasn't a smart kid I didn't get to uni, I took a bridging program in college and got into uni. It's not hard to climb the latter in Canada if you work for it. Meanwhile at the same school a large percentage of Carribean and Somalian black students do not go to class, they skip, they dont care. In fact these same kids picked and made fun of the Asian kids that did go to school. They have zero respect imo. You can call me whatever you want I am just speaking my personal experience. School never seemed like a priority to them. I'm not Chinese or Indian but those 2 cultures always seemed like the hardest working. Those kids went to every class and got the best grades. Again Caribbean and Somalian black students in my area were more likely to be distruptive in class and get into fights. As were Greek kids and Canadian/Irish white kids. I am only pointing out the black students in relation to this video. Personal accountability is important, I don't disagree there is problems with the system but let's not act like there isn't a problem within black and even poor white culture itself. Sometimes you have to look in the mirror.

The first time i travelled across Canada on a road trip, heading west, going town to town along the TransCanada Hiway, i choose a black friend to accompany me. I choose him because he was really easy to get along with and i knew he was an auto mechanics enthusiast, which, as it turned out came in handy on the trip. We were on the road for a few months. I grew up in a city in a little multicultural bubble of liberalism and was taught as a child not to judge others based on skin colour or sex; to be respectful towards people of all ilks and ethnicities. The thing is, i was young enough to not really realize that i was in a bubble. As we travelled though parts of Saskatchewan and Alberta, where there are few to no blacks in many towns, i began to realize that Canada is quite racist in the outback and little towns mid country. I was surprised and actually angered by it. My friend took it in stride however. For example, i was meeting people, getting invited home for dinner and meet the wife and kids sort of thing, and my friend couldn't even get a conversation going with most people, they just totally ignored him and gave him a wide berth. I know underlying all of that is just the fear of an unknown quantity and the fact that a lot of Canadians watch American news sometimes which tends to be chock full of black in gang wars, shooting each other and committing violent crime so they get a false view of black culture because the news at that time rarely showed blacks unless they were committing a crime.

I agree Drew, I am a native Californian who grew up with relatives from Canada. They used to vist back in the 60's-70's when the Canadian dollar was worth more here than in Canada. We are sister/brother countries just as we are with the UK, and Australia.

I’m white (European French), ow Canadian but grew up in Oakland, Calif, had a black boyfriend in High School and now have a black daughter in law so I’m comfortable and familiar with many racial issues. When Kathleen mentioned she felt uncomfortable with a white man touching her hair and saying it was beautiful, I thought that was taking her perceived racism over the top. If she had been white with the same hair only blonde it would have been equally uncomfortable. I completely agree that racism is rampant and terrible, I see it frequently but it’s important to not make Everything about racism.... that can become a problem in itself

She said she grew up in a small whyte dominate Canadian town... How I wish... Black and Native people could have their own small towns... Without hateful wypipo coming and destroying them... How I wish!

Racism has always been in Canada, dont be fooled. It may not be as prevalent as in other countries but racism is in fact here in Canada, I grew up here, Im a black born Canadian and dealt with it all my life. Mostly just taunting and name calling but one thing is certain, wherever you find white people you will find a lot of ignorance and even the good ones seem to always be a step or 2 away from a racist rant when they agitated. As long as they don't get violent with non whites then I guess we can deal with the slander and name calling. As a person with a darker hue, you will always be looked at like you are an Alien to them.

I grew up in BRAMALEA, now incorporated with Brampton. BRAMALEA was an idyllic community made up primarily of Brits, European, and African-Canadians. Then Justin’s Dad (Pierre) opened the floodgates of immigration in the ‘70’s to ensure his re-election while transforming Canada into a Socialist Society (Socialized “Free” Health Care paid for by mammoth taxes on the middle class) while promoting “Multiculturalism” as the new Canadian Utopia. In his later years, while close to death, Pierre declared that “Multiculturalism DOESN’T WORK!” And, guess what? Neither does “Free” Healthcare!” As each culture swelled, they felt as though they didn’t need to assimilate. When I return to Canada/Brampton to visit family, I’m disgusted! The Indian residents (who Now comprise about 90% of BRAMLADESH’s population) do NOT look after their housing/property. The older/original neighborhoods where I grew up (well-cared for homes with manicured lawns, lush green-belts with pathways connecting neighborhoods and parks) now borders on slum-like conditions. It’s sad and downright depressing when I visit. All of my high school friends have fled the dilapidated area, and no wonder! Canada’s lax immigration laws, failed “Multiculturalism” and Socialist welfare system have all destroyed Canadian culture AND their middle class (strangled by immense taxation). I was fortunate to have grown up in the BRAMALEA of old, but I am so blessed to have escaped when I did! ??

Before I moved to Brampton, I had no idea HOW MANY Indians actually lived here. I'm of south Asian descent but I grew up here as a Canadian. I still keep my culture but I'm Canadian FIRST. It's true too, some of them don't believe in deodorant, holy shit I literally had to tell a guy who sat beside me on the bus that he smelled. I know it was rude but if someone doesn't tell these people, they will think not wearing deodorant is normal. I miss the Canada I grew up in. My friends were mostly white but there was a nice mix of us: white, black, asian so we all got along. Today, everyone is in their own groups, strangers are the enemy, there is so much more segregation than there has ever been. Not long ago at a Tim Hortons I heard an Indian guy who was clearly new to the country telling his friend he didn't have to learn English because everyone in Brampton speaks Punjabi, it was insulting hearing that.....Listen up Indians and any immigrants coming here: BEFORE you come here, learn English, LEARN the customs and learn the CANADIAN WAY. You owe it to Canada, give something back before you start taking.

men get discriminated everyday in court, alot get alienated from their children, but you can't even tell a muslim woman to take off the mask in court, and they feel not safe? fuck you, you are safer then some Canadians that grew up here and been paying taxes for 30 years, Canada is lost its culture, its all about bullshit now, just a bunch of fucked up bullshit, fake racist people.