Close Reading

As a Canadian, who lived in the USA for a couple of years, now living a 15 minute drive from the border, I used to visit the USA very often - My American ex-wife used to work in Washington state 1 mile accross the border and commuted there daily. Nowadays though, since the vaccine debacle, most of my friends and family members no longer cross the border on a regular basis. With the way that politics has gone, the lack of gun controls and general lawlessness in the USA, travelling south of the border has lost all of it's appeal. As for moving there? NEVER !

Well, as a Canadian, I guess i'll pitch in.\nWould I move to the US? The short answer is no. But I will explain more in detail.\n\nFirst, I do not see any advantages to the US compared to Canada. Americams often tout their country as the beacon of freedom and the land of opportunities, but I don't feel that Canada is so different there. We're actually higher on the world freedom index, and its not like our economy was in shambles and everyone dirt poor... We pay more taxes, fine, but we also get more services in return, and that last part has the advantage to remove a big layer of worry. Like, for healthcare, I don't have to worry if i'm covered by insurance or not, or if the insurance carrier will drop me on some technicality. I'm a citizen. All the basic needs are covered; no questions asked (and the healthcare quality is not half bad. We just prioritize urgent cases over non-urgent; so if you go to the hospital for something non-urgent, you will wait, and more urgent cases will pass before you. Annoying when it happens, but I understand and agree with that in the end)\n\nSecond, I do see a lot of disadvantages. All the points raised in the video are valid, from the private-sector healthcare system, the gun control laws (or lack thereof), the social policies and legislation in some states; they don't agree with me.\n\nI think it comes down to some specific social and cultural ideas that are prevalent or at least present in a substantial manner in the american society. Bear in mind that I am generalizing here, not every american believes these points, but many do. I'm talking about ego, nationalism/patriotism, secularism etc.\nI feel that the US often has a really overinflated vision of itself. Like, the idea that America is the best. At everything. Wich is factually not true, but this idea also poisons the debate on many issues, and tends to limit social introspection that could lead to real advances.\n\nI've also noticed that the american basic school system is strongly patriotic. Everyone in the US is taught a lot about the US themselves in school, but not much about the rest of the world. Not great for open mindedness and introspection when you have little comparison points.\n\nAndlets not delve into the religious aspect. I've seen a poll somewhere where 48% of americans were AGAINST the separation of church and state. For me thats not only insane, its dangerous. It fits the individualistic mentality where people can more easily start thinking that their way is THE way. It creates a very polarized society much more prone to high volatility.\n\nSo, yeah, no, I wouldn't live in the US. I'd much rather stay in Canada where i don't have to worry if I get sick or hurt, if some agressive drunk idiot in a bar is armed, or if some fundamentalists from some religious congregation is gonna be able to try to politically force their point of view.

I’m Canadian, lived in the states, still own a home there in one place, it’s really no different anymore, the only thing that ever annoyed me was the money was all the same colour and people were generally even fatter than than in Canada.

It's very rare to meet Canadians who express desire to live in America. I'd say maaaaaybe 5% of people have desire to move south, but generally not.\n\nUsually if you DO meet someone who would it's for a very vapid reason like, wanting to live near hollywood or Disney or new York, often for the optics of what they imagine those places are like from TV etc.

I am French Canadian and I would move to the USA if I was allowed to move there. For the weather and for the Americain mentality in general, being more free thinking. I don't really care about the canadian healthcare either because it's so low quality that I have been paying for private care most of my life anyways even though I live on a very small income. If the USA opens the door, I'm coming! ?

Tyler, thanks for your entertaining and fun videos. My grandfather is a dual citizen but has never renewed his passport or anything and when asked to do so, he outright refuses. He says he hated living there. We live in the Vancouver area of Canada right now. My wife is finishing her registered nursing degree and we are considering moving to washington state, within an hour or so of the Canadian border on temporary work visas (TN1) for a few years. The main reason is the cost of living differences, mostly in housing but a lot of things are cheaper down there too. For example though, the costs of rent or to buy a house in the Vancouver area is insane - 1.5 million is generally a starting point. The cost of a detached house south of the border between Bellingham and Blaine starts around $400,000 ($500,000 CDN). If renting, it's crazy cheaper than here. \n\nThe area we are considering going to is very close to the canadian border, I've never heard of major violence problems in the area. Like one of the other comments you read, we're basically considering moving there to take advantage of a lower cost of living and higher salaries for a bit to try to get ahead. Living in the Vancouver area is such an absolute DRAIN on our finances that it is intolerable. If we didn't move to the US, we'd have to find another place in Canada to go to, but we do like the climate on the coast here. I'd actually just keep commuting to Canada daily to work in Canada since it's so close to the border, and writing the bar exam to be able to practice law in any US state except California, Massachusets, or New York is a pain in the backside to even be able to write it, let alone prepare for it. Just easier for me to keep working here unless we decided to try to make a permanent move somewhere further from the border.\n\nIf we decided to change our minds and apply to stay in the US in the future, there are a lot of the other considerations that other people have raised on top of my own ability to continue as a lawyer. Gun violence in the US is crazy, extreme polarized political views and increasing intolerance against diversity of race, culture, religion, (and while it doesnt affect us directly, it bothers us how LGBTQ people are increasingly targeted with backwards policies and by certain segments of the public), the health care system in canada has it's problems but it's also got it's strong points. We'll never go bankrupt because of a health care issue since we can move back to Canada IF it's ever a problem. Thankfully we are all pretty healthy so it shouldn't be much of a problem for a while at least. And we wouldn't even move there at all if her employment as a nurse doesn't offer health care and better pay than she can obtain here. \n\nOur kids will probably attend post-secondary (college/university) in Canada as dual citizens unless they get a scholarship to a top US school. The costs of post-secondary in Canada appears to be much cheaper than in the US and we have some good colleges/universities that consistently rank high globally.

After being born in Canada and lived here all my life (57 years), I could not ever think of myself as an American, nothing against Americans in general...

Lack of affordable housing -- lack of housing in general -- is the main reason people already living here are being priced out and why so many refugees and immigrants cannot afford the cost when they move here. When these people come to Canada for a better life and/or to escape the suffering that they were living in, they cannot bring their homes with them. It is the government's responsibility at all levels to ensure that these newcomers have a place to go when they come here. A homeless shelter should not be the answer. Buy up office spaces and convert them (if safe to do so with whatever codes need to be met) into affordable housing units. For years we've been seeing hundreds of news articles about vacancies in office buildings being at all time highs, yet only a handful of them are being converted. 500,000 people a year entering a country where there isn't enough housing for them (let alone the people living here already) is irresponsible on the government's part. If this is your pledge, at least give these people a better life and not send them to shelters or onto the streets as soon as they arrive. If Canada is to truly be a safe haven for immigrants and refugees escaping their hardships, it's paramount that the government does what it can to make these people actually feel like their life will change for the better. I'm all for immigration since it helps the economy and knowing that Canada can put people in a better position for themselves and their families, but it's the lack of preparation from the governments that makes me question their pledge in this way.

Sameer bhai my sister is already in canada ?? with canadian passport. \nI am living in kuwait ??, i did general ILETS to apply for canada ,,, want your suggestions … how can i apply from here with family

Im 24 and been searching for a job for 1 year now. Not even 10 interviews. Im applying for EVERYTHING. Retail, production work, general labour, overnight work, housekeeping, cleaning / janitorial work, painting, customer service, call center, sales, factories..etc \nI'm applying in different cities and willing to take GO transit to work. \nI live near lots of big cities and somehow although they claim to be understaffed, they aren't hiring. \n \nI'd like to know the reason for this? There's nothing improving, homelessness is a MAJOR issue that is not being addressed but we are still taking in more people. These people are suffering and so many trying to get a job. \n \nI've contacted MANY agencies and they have had no jobs available FOR MONTHS \n \nCanada is only going to increase in homelessness. Theres been no improvement :(\n\nPeople suffering from homelessness and depression have been taking the euthanasia route because it feels like there's no hope or other option.

We lost our republic in the 1870s and since then corporate America has controlled every aspect of our lives. We’ve lived under an elusive veil of freedom for over a century. You have to pay the government their share for everything, private business isn’t legal without government permission, can’t hunt/fish without government involvement, can’t build a self sufficient home without government involvement and regulation. Antibiotics and anti diarrheal and any REAL medicine that isn’t some deadly pharmaceutical is federally controlled and not accessible to the general public, historical and scientific information is withheld from the population. We even made up our own version of history just to brainwash these past few generations. And it worked, because people have had the collective knowledge of human history at their fingertips since the late 2000s…. It’s called the fucking internet, And maybe 5% of Americans took advantage of that and informed themselves. The other 95% just soaked up YT and Tik Tok while they make repugnant Baaa Baa claims about the left and right. Just constantly feeding into this division THEY created. The left and right are owned by THE SAME PEOPLE and the these people put who they want in office. There’s underlying parts of our government that fight this, and get people they don’t particularly like in the door. Like the Kennedy’s and Trump but we have no value in voting. It’s just another way to suck on that big red white and blue dick. The truth is we are the sovereign people, and we hold sovereignty over this country, and it’s our goddamn responsibility to fight the fucking corruption that’s in our government. And we’re just a nation of pussies, we have legislation called the 2A that explains in detail those responsibilities. The 2A was never about guns, it was about protecting the republic. Look at the world right now, the people in countries that don’t have legislation like the 2A are rising against their governments. And we just sit and cower and bitch about piss poor wages and expensive gas and do NOTHING. land of the pussies, home of the brainwashed… \n\nIf you read this far congratulations, you can consider yourself well informed. \n\nWhen you start to entertain the truth you will see it everywhere.

You forgot 1 major point-\nAt least here in Canada, we don't have to live in fear of gun violence. We don't send our children only for them to be massacred in their schools. At least our politics doesn't revolve around Jesus, guns and abortion (though our politicians are also crap). At least we don't have to break bad to pay for even simple medical procedures. At least our cities aren't overrun by homeless while our rural areas are not overrun by hillybillies. \n\nWhile yes in general Americans are richer, the fact is that only the top 10 percent live better. Not the homeless piling up in the cities, not the 3rd world shanties in the Appalachians and south and certainly not the thousands living in the American jail system. It's crazy how bad a country can be despite being rich.\n\nI was born and raised in the US. I have lived in Canada and much poorer countries like Spain and Portugal. Let me tell you, Americans live the worst life out of all. In much poorer Spain, people still have universal education till university, good healthcare, good public transportation system and they don't have to eat the frozen crap most Americans eat. Spanish people eat fresh meat, fruits, cheese and vegetables and drink some of the best wine, despite earning much less than Americans and working astonishingly low hours. Moreover, their cities are livable, not like the concrete jungle of Texas. \n\nYes America is rich but DUDE, Its seriously third world, if you arent rich and successful.

Canada is well represented around the world. But you don't really know someone until you live with them. This country basically shuts down for at least 4 months a year during the winter. Sure people still do stuff but any Canadian can agree that winter, compared to the other seasons is night and day. \n\nIt sells itself well in real estate especially with foreign investors but deep down nobody really wants to live here Jan-April. \n\nPersonally I moved to the states cause I'm in a field that presented better opportunities, better pay, better quality of life year round, cheaper life in general without huge taxes.\n\nThat's the trade off, either work more and not deal with winters or deal with winter and get some support for not working as much.

As a 21 year old who's lived in the UK for a year I miss how down to earth and genuine people are. Of course it's a generalization but when you find decent people this tends to be true. They're more open and not bothered by long conversations which I feel like is impossible to have with people my own age here in Toronto and this makes me feel very depressed and isolated. My European friends and I used to go for walks together and you easily lose track of time together, next thing you know you've been walking and chatting for 3 hours ?.

Hi! Great video and generally balanced in terms of the ideas expressed. Having lived in Canada for a very long time, I have to say that it's a good place to be but the two glaring problems are: 1- the healthcare system is broken. It's very hard to see a doctor and even harder to see a specialist. We pay a lot of taxes and at the end of the day we don't get the services that we paid for. I'd rather pay out of pocket but get to see a doctor when I need one. 2- Canada is a Nordic country so you'd better like winter when living here. By contrast in the US you have a variety of climates so easier to find something that works for you. The cost of living is, I agree, very high in Canada, but it all depends. If you compare it to living in California or New York City, I'd say that our cost of living is cheaper. But in the US you do have the choice to live in a more affordable mid-size city, while in Canada options are much more limited (big cities only include Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary).

I've lived in both. Canada is a better place to raise your family for sure, and as a society I think it's a better place to live. It's cleaner, safer, and more diverse (and I'm talking real diversity like Aba mentioned, not segregation). There's some cool stuff about the States, don't get me wrong, but my girlfriend (who is American and has visited Canada with me) and I are strongly contemplating moving to Canada. The US has a better night life culture generally speaking and like Aba said there's more to do, but generally speaking I just want a peaceful and simple life.

Biggest difference USA has was more places to live every variety of climate you could ask for. It has way more opportunity because of the higher population. Way more jobs, way more national parks. They're extremely similar countries but I have to give it to the US is the variety of places to live. Canada may be bigger but most of it is a desolate wasteland. The only nice places to live in Canada are cities directly on the border. As far as how nice people are Canadians are just polite not always genuine. If an American is nice to you odds are they actually like you or they're someone you can't trust. But generally if a Canadian in nice to you they could hate your guts. An American seeing how Canadians act gives them a idolized view of who we are. If an American doesn't like you you'll know it and if they do like you you'll know it. This is the perspective of someone who grew up on a border town.

We already pay to much to live with rent/mortgage fees, groceries General cost of living I'm not going to pay for these clowns migrating to our country getting everything for free while the struggling canadians need to pay for them because you can bet trudeau won't pay out of pocket its our tax dollars

Quebec (montreal): Medical care, any public services rude, irresponsive and bureaucracy sucks n complicated (example: people wait for uncertainty just to renew their driving license), THE CRUELEST THING IN QUEBEC INCLUDING MONTREAL IS MEDICAL SERVICES (my god reminds me of third world countries i have ever been in), they will just ignore you heartlessly even if you have RAMQ (quebec heath care coverage), u have to have family doctor n u have to sign up to get one IN UNCERTAIN TIME, some they get family doctor within 3 years, others 5,7 years so on so forth so uncertain, so if u dont have family doctor u wont get treated, and if u have family doctor u will hve to stick to where your family doctor works at only, and to get appointment at some clinic they will put you on wait for some days or even weeks if u get the availability slots for u, if u got emergency u will wait 8,10,12 or 14 hours in pain. I feel bad for montreal citizen i swear, they r so patient with all of this while the tax is one of highest in canada. \n\nNow for rental (apartment in general), the check is crazy long it takes around 2 weeks just to rent, if u r lucky u will get taken if u r not then the landlord will take others, the 1 year lease means 1 year, so far to my experience in alberta like for example, 1 year lease but minimum period u have to stay usually around 3-6 months n after that u can leave with notice to the landlord to vacate the unit. \n\nBut in montreal, u have to find other person to transfer the lease, n if u found the person like i told u earlier, the landlord will check the person n the approval/ disapproval is by the landlord. I had to stay for one year living like hell cause the neighbors freaking so loud n partying every week end night till dawn. Couldn’t even have good sleep for work, so I called 911 two times, the police couldn’t do anything, yet the landlord n the building management kept on saying that they gave warning etc to that tenant, but they didn’t take any further action toward that, n i know they dont care, they care only for money. When i started to file complaint to the TAL(quebec rental board, they r irresponsive, complicated procedures, n in the end they dont solve any problem, on their site said that renter or landlord has to retain lawyer, the hell they r there for then? \n\nThe apartment building is tiny, tight old, the wall is thin, u can hear everything from your neighbour upstair, downstair n on your side too.. \n\nMONTREAL IS ALSO SO DENSED AND TIGHT, the main road so tight with cars parked on both sides of the road to ways only one lane on each way, cos mostly apartment building they dont provide parking spot, so they have to park on the road side, i feel bad for the bus driver i swear, with snow mounting on both side of the road makes driving bus is just so stressful, almost every neighbourhood looks dirty, trashes, people littering every where. Im Not complaining but that’s what it is, im living in montreal currently for more than one year but im just gonna move out of here lol

I was born in Canada, and lived to see the change from traditional values to this mess...\n\n1 - homelessness\nthe rents and other things went up, and welfare does nt match it. even minimum wage does nt cover it in some cases, \nit s a given that you will finish on the sidewalk, and that does that many will turn to drinking and drugs.\nit will not last long however, as winter comes and there are nt enough shelters, so they conveniently die.\nyou could invest billions, it will not help if you have bad management, you have to dig deeper...\n\n2 - racism\nit s a bit of a backward country in that sense, many rural areas were very late in receiving immigrants,\nso they re not used to see diversity, unlike the US lets say, so there are parts of the country where acceptation\nwill be low, they will discriminate and gossip for sure, but it s more backward as it is racism.\nin time, when they get to know you, it goes away, and they realise how dumb they were.\nI live in Quebec, and you can blame feminism for that, they see Muslims as a symbol of patriarchy and feel threatened.\n\n3 - medical\nit s been like that since about the 90s, again, bad management made the system crash for some reason.\nI admit that I m not sure of what happened exactly there, not enough doctors for sure.\nmaybe it has to do with income, as they can get more revenue in the US or elsewhere.\nI suspect that hospitals s management - administration is too slow and crowded, but I m no expert.\n\n4 - technology\nyeah, well, it s expensive here, cell contracts, internet, probably because of distance, but I suspect\nthat we re being cheated a little too, and since again, we re a bit backward, we re used to the old methods.\nwe re not fast to adopt new trends or fashion either, it s very traditional here mostly.\n\n5 - taxes\nwe have federal and provincial taxes, plus purchase taxes, so yeah, we pay a lot of them.\nexactly, it can vary from 30 - 60% for sure, overtime does nt pay that much, 2 nd jobs can build you a big bill.\nyou re better to save on expenses than trying to earn more, you have to be cheap.\n\n6 - Canadian experience\nI m born here, but I heard of many stories about immigrants s credentials not fitting the local standards.\nin some cases, it sounds ridiculous, and closed minded, not accepting outside concepts and ideas.\nI did nt know about speaking English, but I sure know about French in Quebec...\nhere, it s very insecure about the language, almost paranoid, without speaking French, you will have many troubles.\nagain, it s mostly about bad management, and rules and mentality that self sabotage.\n\n7 - housing\nlike mentioned before, the real estate in general has jumped tremendously.\nI m no financier expert, but an overview of economy tells me that banks compete between countries,\nand they will recourse on artificially inflating the value of real estate, and that plainly kills people.\nthis is the main reason of the homelessness you see on the streets.\nyeah, the soundproofing is quite poor, and some very old buildings can cost a lot in heating.\n\n8 - well, crime is on the rise, and citizens supporting the law and public safety is not very encouraged by the system in place.\nin some way, you re better to shut up than supporting the police... this has to change!\n\n9 - the social services are biased, and impose their vision if you want help.\n\n10 - the mental health policy is too wide, and makes you ill instead of helping.\n\n11 - the pharmaceutical companies are too influencing, and make people sick instead of helping.\n\n12 - the food regulation is lacking, it is not strict enough, allowing chemicals, gmo, and radiation.\n\n13 - feminism is almost radical, especially in Quebec, they segregate genders, and dividing us, it makes the country weak.\n\notherwise, you pretty much covered it well.\n\ngood work sissses.

Not only in LA, but US states, in general, are racially segregated. You either have Blk and Hispanics living in the north or south and the white in the east and west of the city.

I think most of your information are either too general or too specific. Australia is a great country, not less than Canada. Both have their shortcomings so it comes down to each individual preferences because if you choose either of these two countries to move in, you are set for the best countries to live on earth (for immigrants).

I live the UK and love it here. Given a choice, Australia would be my pick. As a black guy, Sydney or a state where there is a decent number of blacks. I prefer hot climates generally anyway.

Lived in NJ????California ?????? Texas???? currently in Georgia ?????? once i get my finances together, i am definitely back to Texas?. Yes, the environment and people in general are different. Since i moved here, the people i have came in contact most of them are aggressive,rude(no southern hospitality for me) and ATL have the worst drivers and traffic. Living cost is way more than Texas. I need to visit Canada one day!

I’m from PG County, Maryland, and have lived in Alberta for 14+ years (family is Canadian)… Canada does feel safer, however I miss the sheer amount of “choice” you have in the states. Whether it’s airline, mobile phone company, places to shop/eat, USA just had wayyy more to choose (obviously because of the larger population). USA and Canada each have pros and cons. Generally, I don’t see a massive difference though.

I’ve lived all over, and I gotta say financially and general enjoyment, bc was the best for me

Montreal rents in pretty good and in Quebec in general. Ontario is a fair bit more expensive. However even Ontario rents aren't that bad compared big US cities. Where Canada is really expensive is the cost of *owning* housing. I also don't really agree about food being more expensive in the US, I'd say it's pretty close, maybe even slightly cheaper in the US.\n\nAnd I don't think Columbus, OH would be that bad to live in. Sure, it doesn't have the big city life like Montreal or Toronto or even Vancouver, but it's probably on par with Edmonton, Winnipeg or London, ON or Kitchener-Waterloo? Maybe even like Ottawa, Hamilton or Calgary? (but warmer than all of the above).

Cost of living is cheap in Montreal but not in Vancouver or Toronto. Groceries way more expensive in Canada too. I remember going to Hawaii (which is an island in the middle of no where) and all the Americans were complaining about the cost of groceries there - yet the Hawaiian prices are probably cheaper then Toronto groceries. And yes, LA and NY are expensive, probably Miami and some other trendy cities too - but generally real estate prices are cheaper in the US and mortgages are tax deductible - I assume in most places rent is cheaper in the US.

In general the cost of living is much higher in Canada than it is in the United States about 30% higher

Americans generally do not wish to live in LA or NY (city)....

I moved to Canada 3 years ago and I can tell you life here is much better financially than London, England where I moved from. Building wealth isn’t hard in Canada unless you live in a city like Toronto. I sold my 1 bed Condo in Toronto for $700k and bought a massive 4 bed, 3 bathroom detached house for 500k in Edmonton. Yes it’s colder here but the wages are much higher and the tax is much much lower. Cost of living in general is much cheaper… Gas as of today is 1.11 per litre at my local Costco!\n\nMy advice to anyone living in Toronto is, move out as soon as you can and also avoid Vancouver because it’s no different!

In defense of Preach, I lived in the states for most of my life on the east coast. Been through the entire thing multiple times, lived in various areas and recently I moved to cali for 6 months before finally heading overseas to Japan. From my personal experience and even talks with other men who have been to even just only the east and west coast who live in the states; east coast women tend to be “rougher” than west coast women. The femininity thing is one angle sure, I think the New York style of talk is it’s own unique angle. But simply from a look’s perspective you are FAR MORE LIKELY to find attractive women on the west coast then on the east. I think a major contribution to this is the diet unfortunately. The diet on the east coast, the daily selections and just general culture around not eating clean really lends itself here. Many more overweight women on the east coast then the west. Overseas both coasts get blown out the water imho. Again largely due to what I suspect are better eating habits. Also what women wear around here tends to show better. America is really heavy on the yoga pants, buns in hair, etc. I rarely see that around here and if I do….. it’s an American women.

I am not going to lie the food and general cost of goods thing in being higher didn't make sense to me. I live in NY state by the border and I saw a lot of Canadians coming to the states for shopping general goods pre-covid.\n\nWould always hear about how clothes and other goods are so much cheaper in the US. That's with NY state taxes which are considered higher than most places in the US.\n\nYou can go down south for 3 dollars get a big ass burger fries and a drink.\n\nThat being said it doesn't really matter when a visit to the hospital cost any where from a down payment on a apartment to a down payment on a mansion.

I’m generally happy that I live in Canada instead of the US, but the one thing that pisses me off is the difference between our telecom companies. Whenever I watch American TV ads, Sprint and T Mobile are always offering cheap unlimited data plans, meanwhile in Canada, Rogers and Bell will take your kids from you if you go over your bandwidth

Aba’s observation of the racial separation is spot on. When I visited Toronto, it seemed common that all heritages intermingled without effort. Here in ATL, if I want a really good Thai place I generally have to head to Buford Highway given the ethnic makeup of the area. We try but it’s not evident. Where I live there may be 4 black households in this neighborhood. Granted I came during the pandemic/lockdown but to this day, I have to jump out of my skin to say hello to some of my neighbors. They are NOT interested. I’m a renter too so I’m not on the HOA board…but let there be an election…all in my face! Next few weeks, crickets. No wave, nothin’ once they realize I don’t have a vote.

I live in Ohio and I’m happy no one wants to visit us ? Cleveland is called the mistake on the lake but i honestly can’t imagine living anywhere else! But I agree with Aba New Orleans is pretty much my favorite. But Preach is right the women are generally rough compared to Canada!

Every country has good and bad spots to live in. When it comes to baseline things like government laws and such I can't live anywhere besides the US. Just won't part with freedom of speech and my 2nd amendment. It's not a perfect country by far, but I'm glad the corruption is coming out in the open. Might finally make it possible to fix some things. In my general opinion people do better in different places and nowhere is perfect. \n\nKind of a nothing comment but hope it helps your algorithm.

I live in Montreal the healthcare system is a disaster can’t even walk into a walk in clinic here everything is by appointment or you have to go to emergency and wait 20 hours , French people generally hate English speakers , the weather is terrible super cold in winter and super hot and humid in summer. The English elementary and high schools are very underfunded a lot don’t even have playgrounds and teachers are overwhelmed with lack of resources .Only good thing is that rent is cheap so you can relax pretty much even with a lower salary only reason why I live here and food is pretty good . Also you don’t need a car in Montreal it’s very easy to go around by metro everywhere you go .

Everything you guys said is because as you said your entire experience is based on LA and Miami. As You said, U.S. is a big place. I personally think it more to do with who you are hangingout with in LA and the location. Remember, lots of riots and lots if fires where some people burned down all of their grocery stores and stores in general. but to be honest LA is crap hole and agree that due to traffic, cost of living, and general safety issues. I would live anywhere else.

As a 25 year old man living in the U.S. I will say that girls around my age generally suck and are overall pretty boring.

love it! a much needed conversation that often turns into generalities. as a Canadian who lived 20 years in the US, thanks very much for slowing down the conversation to point out that both countries are large and incredibly diverse. one's experience in one part of either country can be wildly different from another part so clearly we need to talk about individual experiences. also massive shoutout to point to our clean drinking water; an important resource that most people overlook. hit me up if you ever want to talk about how Toronto is the new Constantinople....

I live in New York and I've gotta agree with Preach on the women, generally, especially in the city.

Cost of living is a hard one. Dallas, TX has a lower cost than Vancouver or Toronto. But Toronto is cheaper to live than San Francisco, NYC or LA. Very hard to do a generalization like that.

I live in what is generally considered the worst major city in Canada (Winnipeg) but from what I've experienced of big American cities it's honestly leagues ahead of a lot of them in terms of quality of life. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of places in the US that are much nicer than Winnipeg, but we wouldn't come anywhere near the list of worst cities if we were an American city.

I live out in the country. I own enough property to start a small family farm. I feel safe as fuck out here and we're a legit half hour from the nearest cops. People around here generally don't fuck around cause they sure as fuck don't wanna find out. Probably cause most people around here carry heat. \n\nI know this is mainly just talking about cities, just sayin living out in the country works for me.

I haven’t lived anywhere else, but I’ve been to several countries at this point. People seem less friendly/approachable to me in the US and generally (with some exception) more friendly/approachable abroad.\n\nThough tbf I live in NYC ?

As someone who was born and spent decades growing up in Toronto who moved to the US years ago and spend time regularly in multiple states, I disagree vehemently with what Aba said about safety. Aba did not recognize that not only is the US like 50 different countries, with each state being somewhat unique unto themselves, but the cities are like an amalgamation of 2 or 3 different cities. What I mean by that is about the safety and security aspect, it all depends on where you live and where you hang out. Undoubtedly, US ghettos and the sketchy clubbing districts are generally worse than Canadian housing projects and such. If you live in the regular or especially good parts of the city, it's totally safe. \nBecause most US towns and cities are built around neighborhoods, security and safety is always a big selling point. As long as you avoid the ghetto and late night 'action' areas, it's generally safer than Toronto. Toronto suffers from an outbreak of car break ins, car thefts, home break ins and recently car jackings all over. Many US neighborhoods and areas have no such thing. On a side note, as a POC, I also have experienced far less racism in the US than I used to in Toronto. Without getting into a can of worms, if you live in a Democrat controlled city vs. Republican one, you are going to experience more crime, more homeless, higher unemployment, etc. You guys are referencing LA, which has become far worse, like San Francisco and New York. \nAnd the cost of living comment is ridiculous. Again maybe LA and NYC which are shadows of what they once were. Canada has far higher tax burden, way higher inflation, prices of food, energy, clothes and homes are off the charts. In Texas, Florida, Tennessee and Washington, we have ZERO income tax as well as lower tax than the HST. No way, Aba and Preach are dead wrong on these issues, because they are using LA or NYC as a reference. There's a reason the movies Escape From New York and it's sequel Escape From LA are such prophetic movies.

Hard to rank the provinces because they do each have their particular charms. New Brunswick is my No. 1, mostly for sentimental reasons, but it is a great place to visit because it is compact and has such a varied geography, whether it be Fundy, the Saint John river system, the Acadian coastline, or the Miramichi. Helps if you know people there, but people are generally welcoming and friendly. \n\nI currently live in Montreal and have had two extended periods living here. I don't want to knock it too much, but there are two seasons, winter and construction season. Some day, Montreal will have rebuilt itself, but it is a major pain in the arse getting around and drivers are oftentimes stressed to the hilt. The rest of Quebec is nice and all, but agreed, you have to speak the language and even then, don't expect miracles in terms of gaining acceptance by the locals. However, I do give full marks to a province that seems to finally have its act together and set to prosper in the green economy.

You are very biased. For some owning a gun might be more important than having gov. decide if you should. You also didn't look at weather and geographic variation which US would win in no time. What about infrastructure, travel, and food cost, cost of living in general? US would take all of those. What about pension systems (Canada might be ahead on this one)? That lame half a point is just that, it's lame. US has some real sore spots: racial tensions, healthcare, weak labour laws, inaccessible higher education. But we pretty much get beat at everything else and I am Canadian.

I lived for 8 years in Alberta (Edmonton) and for the last 30 in the GTA (Toronto, Whitby, Oshawa). Previously I lived in New York, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, and California. So I have been around a bit. Every country, state, province has its plusses and minuses. I have enjoyed every place we have been. For Canada I am especially appreciative of the health cares system. I don't fret about whether I have the money for the care I need. I appreciate the general civility of individuals. Yes there is homelessness, but I find that everywhere. Yes homes are expensive, but this largely applies to places such as as the GTA and Vancouver area. Yes, there is racism, but have you ever been (especially) in the U.S. South? My snese is that the complainers are more bitter over their own experiences than they are objective.