Close Reading

I live in Toronto (born and raised) and I’m moving to Costa Rica in the new year. This video is interesting to me because these are all things I truly agree with but have never given any real thought to as negatives about Canada. I usually get quite defensive when people try to compare to the states and call us (Toronto in particular) less then American cities. I think that’s more so linked to my love for the raptors though ?

Canada is boring?! Where the hell are you guys leaving?! Canada is one of the biggest countries in the world; come on now... 10 provinces to visit and discover. I'm sorry but some statements in that video are so unfair (IMO)... Regarding racism, I think it's worst in the States and in Europe. I'm a Canadian, born and raised, and I wouldn't live anywhere else. No country is perfect but Canada is definitely not a bad country to live in. Of course, if you're not happy somewhere, the best option is to leave...

You are right ladies , I’ve been living here for 4 years , the health care system is messed up, you have to wait several months or over a year to get an appointment with a specialist, taxes are very very high , you need to have 2 jobs to be able to pay for expenses , I was in college our teacher told us ( we were like 30 students ( his kids were born and raised and Canada and they moved to England and get a better job $$$ and they left , the teacher at the end told us become citizens and go …… to USA , I have 2 jobs and I’m paying taxes like a crazy , I can’t handle that anymore is affecting my mental health

Trust me, born and raised in Canada, totally agree with you, that is exactly I feel. If you ladies have an idea of where a skilled Canadian can go live and work....let me know!

I'm a blk American born and raised and l have serious interest in moving to Canada. Since my people are from the US this is all l know so Im acclimated to the racial climate of the states. A lot of your cons are the same issues many face in the states. Taxes are crazy cost of living is insane wages are stagnant and you basically live to work. I live in Minnesota which is not far from the Canadian border but originally from New Jersey so I'm used to the cold. The health care system is sh*t here. Noone really has money to pay privately that's why our care is funded by employers. At the current moment there is also a shortage of medical professionals so often times you still have to wait months for appointments but you know what l would rather wait and have my taxes pay for my doctor then go into medical debt. My biggest issue with America is you pay all these taxes and reap nothing at least in Canada you can kinda see where the money is going.

I was born and raised in Canada and still live here (my roots are in Jamaica and Tobago). The last 5-10 years has made me so sad to see what’s happened to what was once such a great country. Rent and housing costs are out of control… car prices… food… utility bills… this government (led by Trudeau) has almost completely eliminated the middle class. Now there’s only the rich and the poor. And let’s not even talk about the issues with forced vaccination and stripping citizens of their charter rights… I never experienced any real racism and have never thought of Canada as a racist country. I still don’t. It’s just this woke agenda that is being pushed recently that is dividing everyone. Also very sad to see. I used to think that I would retire here but now I’m not so sure…

I was born and raised in Canada and left 30 years ago. I went to Vancouver about 10 years ago to visit family and I also found it ugly. The big glass buildings looked so dirty and outdated. It felt like an old outdated logging town. Like most Canadians, I used to be proud of the medical system but now I've realized it doesn't cure people it just keeps the citizens sick. Everyone I know there is sick and they are all proud of how many operations they've had and how many pills they take. I remember paying 30% in taxes as a University student with a part-time job. It just wasn't fair. The last straw was when I saw how the Trudeau government responded during covid. They hijacking the news stations and brainwashed the citizens. And then, they froze bank accounts of those who dared to protest or even support protesters. I lost a lot of respect for people there who I thought were intelligent and It made me realize how that place turns people into drones. Now I'm ashamed to be Canadian. Most Canadians live in a bubble and think it's the best country in the world but that's because they don't know what it's like to live. Good for you for leaving. I wish you all the best.

Canada is to me the best country in the world. Having in various European countries for a decade, and born and raised in Africa, I frankly can’t complain about life in Canada. I’m not earning a high income but thank God, I live a decent life. No debts, all my expenses are funded by my decent income. Plus, I travel around the world since I got my Canadian passport.\nI understand all the arguments in this video but I will not leave Canada for another country.

Thank you for sharing this with us all, it's all very true. I've been born and raised here not an immigrant at all and find the same issues, kind find a good job not enough money to live. Constant struggle and that's not a way to truly live our lives, lol not sure how people even save enough money to even travel let alone move. They have a lot of work to do here as mental health and quality of life is a huge issue here. Thanks Ladies ??

Don't come to USA its the same way but worse. The rent is very high. I can save you a trip. I was born and raised here in USA. Texas and Las Vegas would be good for you two. But people work like dogs with no benefits in Vegas. Only a few Jobs have benefits. I lived there. Also do your research here. Food prices, gas, housing is expensive. . People work paycheck to paycheck. It sounds like the healthcare is still the same since 2008 in Canada. They came here to get a procedure because Canada took to long. You tww are young and buetiful. Study 1st. Houston Texas .

Please be informed that ALL Western countries and similar societies follow a particular model, so if anyone has lead you to believe that the US is a better place to live than Canada, that is a lie! The very same issues you've mentioned in Canada are probably doubled in the US. People are overworked, underpaid and lately blatantly disrespected particularly people of color. Furthermore, ageism is a theme in the US people are very often let go without notice or provocation and unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to maintain a descent standard of living if you fall prey to this. So, don't believe the hype as a citizen who was born, raised and educated in the US in my opinion melinated people should return to their places of origin and help to sustain their country. This in turn, will help to maintain your culture and the standards of living in which you are used to. If you don't believe me you should check out videos of the high rates of homelessness and crime in nearly every major city in the US!

7:00 No, diversity is not strength, it is weakness. The non-European immigrants see Canada's open door immigration policy as a weakness. I live in Vancouver and large parts of it, including my suburb, have become Sinified (Chinese) because they have used real estate to park their funds in this city. The properties are left unoccupied or Chinese-occupied as the prices are too high for the born and raised to afford. It is a type of Chinese colonialism which the Canadian government has allowed. And there is a huge South Asian cluster in Surrey, Vancouver. Neither assimilate and why would they, because they see there is not much of a Canadian culture to assimilate into. So you end up with a mosaic of cultures that mostly remain separated from eachother and foreign ownership has become excessive.

If Trudeau would rather have money laundering than let him have those crooks, decent Canadians will gladly leave now. \nI was born and raised in this country and I will leave as soon as I get the opportunity. A lot of my friends and even my bro dipped to the USA the chance they got because the pay is much higher and more benefits to live there then here (Canadian dollar is also weak compared to USD).

I guess I'll be the one to keep it real...\nWhile geographically, Canada is the most beautiful country on the planet, full stop.\nThe people are not as friendly as the stereotype would infer...housing is criminally overpriced. Taxation is laughably bad. Seriously do the math its approaching 40-45% tax. Meaning after income taxes(23-28 cents on the dollar) then you got sales taxes, excise taxes, provincial sales taxes(another 10-15 cents on the dollar, after tax income on every purchased product). The economy was not that great before trudeau, now trudeau and his bullshit have decimated our national economy and is spending Canada into generationally deep federal deficits of 100s of billions of dollars. Don't believe the hype surrounding Toronto or Calgary or Vancouver, there are catches and trade offs for every plus.\nBtw, I'm born and raised in Toronto and live in Calgary. Canada simply as not as good as the rhetoric would try and sell you

Hello and thank you for sharing your experience living here in the United States. I was born and raised here. It looks to me as if you live in a north eastern state. I do too, Michigan. And to be fair it can be very boring living here in the winter unless you like being outside in the cold. If you do there are so many fun things to do like skiing, sledding, snow shoeing skating ect.. But in the summer months everyone has fun and socializes where I live in my town. We have a lot of kids . 4 parks all different to enjoy. We have 4 or 5 lakes to enjoy and a large river that runs through our town. People are always walking, running, riding bikes and playing sports all around here everyday all summer. There are also many different clubs and groups you can join with people of like interests all year round. I would say if you are the type who likes a lot of interaction then get out and look around. Not everyone is sitting in the house all day. Also maybe try another neighborhood or state if your not happy where you are. Also if you feel disconnected from your neighbor's then may I suggest having a BBQ and inviting everyone to come and bring a dish to pass to get to know everyone. We have one in our neighborhood every summer and it started with one new neighbor who moved in and wanted to get know everyone. I hope you will receive my suggestions in love as I feel sad that you feel so lonely here and I hope it gets better. You could be the one to change everything for your neighborhood. ?

True. I was born and raised in the countryside in Mexico. Even in the cities in Mexico and other Latin American countries, life is more vibrant. I remember when I used to live in the city in my home state in Mexico, you couldn't even tell if it was a weekend or the middle of the week because there were always many people sitting around in the parks and central plazas enjoying life. Businesses used to close two hours for lunch so the employees had plenty of time to go home or eat anywhere before going back to work in the afternoon. Life wasn't just about work, but here in the United States it seems like everything revolves around work, work, work, and work... and that doesn't seem to be a healthy lifestyle (physically and psychologically).

I am born in America in the suburbs north of Boston.Your words are so correct. I am now 74, and my childhood was idyllic, playing outside every day, roller skating, bike riding, climbing trees and long walks with my girlfriends. Sadly, due to the scourge of the drug trade and gun violence all communities everywhere have been adversely affected. Parents are fearful of letting their kids play outside. I have lived in Egypt for 20. years with returning to the states every summer for 3months I became to realize the problem.\nThen I returned to Florida USA for 8 years to work.The difference was huge from the friendly Egypt. Definitely, isolation is the norm now in the states, and it is impossible for someone to adjust who is from Africa and be happy.\nThank you for clearly warning of the culture clash...it is real. The only option for an African is to live in the big cities like N.Y.. Miami, Chicago, but it is so tough to raise children there due to the gangs.\nThis Ramadan, I pray hard that Allah will change things. But Quran says Allah does not change the condition of the people unless they change what is in themselves.

All he is saying is not true. Sorry, I don’t know where he lives but I was born and raised in the southern part of the USA. My experiences are so opposite of what this man is saying. You must know that foreigners from other countries will not have the same experience as born/raised Americans. I am very travelled, yes there are various differences from countries to countries but it’s up to an individual to find meaning in life no matter where they are.

I am an African, born and raised in Angola, I ve already experienced western life style. I' vê rather stand the biter cold and live a decent life...schools, food and a good house.\nI am sick and tired of living with corrupt people, greedy, selfish that only think of themselves.\nWhy African football players...basketball players dream of playing in western countries and not in África, if This is the credly of happiness?\nSorry,but This is my opinion!

Born and raised Canadian from Toronto. \nIm adding my 2 cents simply because it needs to be stated. Canada is NOT a good country to live in. \nThe last 30+ years between the constant increases in taxation. The criminally high cost of housing, high cost of commodities, i.e. food, clothing, fuel, utilities, and since we are now suffering from the ineptitude of Justin trudeau, more and more canadians are looking to leave the country, myself included, for the sake of our financial wellbeing, our peace of mind, and reprieve from the seemingly endless cycle of hurry up and wait for healthcare needs, personal matters, and dealing with multi tiered, multi layered government regulations for nearly everything. I personally have contacted consulates general of 12 different nations from the EU to the pan Asian region as well as the US, and will not be living in Canada by summers end 2022. Besides, if Canada was to do a complete 180 on its economic and political directions it will take a generation or more to correct what has been systematically dismantled over the course of the last 30 to 40 years.\n\nTo a university educated, well to do successful entrepreneur and skilled multi trades professional, such as myself, its NOT worth waiting for...

As someone who is born and raised in Quebec (Montreal area), Saskatoon caught my eyes lately. I feel like the city is calling me so for anyone who live there, can y'all tell me more about it? Thank you ??

I've lived 2 years in Toronto. Plusses, it's all there, sports, theatre, music, amazing restaurants. Negatives I found the people difficult to get to know, I usually felt I wasn't breathing fast enough, and no mountains. I've lived 10 years in Calgary. Plusses, people are incredibly open and friendly, mountains, energetic without being frenetic, affordable. Minuses, very cyclic economy, everything always under construction with little sense of history or culture. I was born and raised in Victoria and returned here 34 years ago. Plusses, ocean and mountains, sense of history, laid back and friendly, amazing climate. Minuses, completely unaffordable (if I hadn't bought my house over 30 years ago I couldn't afford it today). Enjoyed them all but wouldn't voluntarily leave Victoria.

Anyone have an idea of where a Canadian born and raised would be welcome to live? I want out of this dark, cold, impossible to get ahead place! lol I'm full of piss and vinegar and want room to explore and expand but I can't do that if I'm slaving from pay cheque to pay cheque! :(

Thanks guys for making this video. Born and raised Canadian and I totally agree. I have felt an improved quality of life living in other countries. I love the diversity of Canada, the weather is not great. It can be very boring but a safe place. You just have to know what its really like here and make it work for you. If you are a refugee its a great place. If not, you do have to work hard, pay alot of tax, so its not all that easy living here. To each his own. Do what is best for you.

Canada is a land with great resources, great opportunity and potential, but for a place with so much supposedly smart people they do alot of dumb things. Been here 7 years now and I have seen so many issues that have obvious solutions but because of some weird culture or heritage or whatever they just keep doing the same thing until it hurts them. The real estate market is an absolute MESS and everybody knows. Money laundering, realtors colluding to set prices, blind auctions etc you name it. But they are just gonna keep doing the same thing until the country is in a major recession. Then everybody is going to be crying for bailouts. The health system is a MESS. Trying to find a doctor is like finding a needle in a haystack. They have them driving taxis instead, claiming that their qualifications arent as good. Yet they dont have enough doctors or nurses to support anything. Coworkers whose spouses work in those industries let me know they have to be working ridiculous shifts because there are not enough people. The taxes are ridiculous. I work in I.T. and taxes are like roughly half my salary. Many coworkers have told me all the illegal stuff they do to get around the taxes. Which I don't do because I wasn't raised like that. But people get taxed so much everyone is doing some thing to try to bypass it. And if you dont know the tricks or dont want to do them, you just get screwed. People don't talk about real issues here. There is alot of fake positivity and optimism because they dont want people to get sad and suicidal from the really long and harsh winter. I used to wonder why there were so many train delays until some one explained to me that many people commit suicides in winter by stepping in front of the trains. The only thing propping up this country is the constant influx of immigrant slave labour through the college system, (Like a ponzi scheme). But the immigrants are going to stop coming here if they cant even afford to live at all. Even the regular citizens cant afford it. So what will the country do after that, since there is an elderly population and not enough people to support the industries? Right now most of the immigrants come here and save up there money to go somewhere else or back home after they realize what a shitshow it is. I even have coworkers born and raised in Canada who are telling me they want to leave. Canada needs to stop patting itself on the back for doing stupid apologies and stuff like that, and actually do economically sound things to stop digging themselves into this hole. Great potential for this country but I don't know if it will ever be realized.

I find its a real hit or miss. The reasons you've laid out are legit points, IF you naturalize through the proper process. Unfortunately I see a ton of immigrants who make a great living here using loopholes. I was born and raised in Toronto, I still live here. My wife on the other hand is one such person who struggles to adapt, she looks for and stays only within her cultural circle who make a better living then me because of these loopholes. One such family's husband found work that on paper, pays very little but 80% of his income comes in the form of cash. So come tax season, he claims very little and gets back a nice chunk, and is able to claim more on child tax benefits vs me. I find there are a ton of immigrants that work this way, some are even able to claim welfare while I'm struggling to get by on 3 jobs.

Born and raised francophone from Québec, that has seen ALL of Canada and I love it ALL. Every province and territories are amazing. Also lived in Ontario, Alberta and BC.

I am Canadian, born and raised. I agree with this video. Even I left Canada because it was hard for me to find a career-type job and it's super expensive to live in Canada. Also, there are many smaller countries that don't require people to commute by car.

@ Make That Change, you are missing some topics!! A person who is born and raised in Vancouver before the 1980's and where both parents were also born and raised in Canada. Since the year 2000, the cost of owning a detached home has risen 10 folds. You could buy a corner lot house in a nice area and good location for an average of $160,000. Now that home would cost 10 times that cost in the last 20 years. Why? Foreign investors and immigration based on supply and demand as this also includes the increase in rent cost. People spend on average about $1000 to 1500 for a room to rent not their own suite in Vancouver. Twenty years ago, you could rent a whole house with a yard for that price on the waistcoats of BC. \n\nAnother issue, there are Canadians who do travel to USA due to people being in desperate need of care. USA has a wider spectrum of medical options in comparison to Canada. Canadians travel to USA because the waiting list is often way too long. Canada is nota complete free medical system as people hear and rehabilitation expenses are not free unless it is inside a hospital. It was from at one time as Medicare was founded on the grounds in the 1960's by Tommy Douglas, former premier of Saskatchewan, who initiated Medicare but it was no sustainable. \n\nJust because a person gets referred to a doctor, particularly a specialist when there are very few doctors in that area of care, it does not guarantee you will receive the treatment. I waited 2.5 years for a treatment in a hospital, only to be told that I was not a candidate for that treatment even though they did not screen me as a precursor before making a rational decision. DEVESTATING! Canadians if they have money often go to USA or Mexico when in desperate need. \n\nThere is a lack of doctors as many people do not have a family medical doctor who know their case personally. Complex diseases do not receive proper care as Canada does not have an integrated medical system of care amongst other doctors for patients. It has been on the news media where people have died being on the waiting list, returning back to hospitals where the hospital emergency because the concern of the disease was undermined with the overcrowded medical system.\n\nThere is a increased gentrification in the metropolitan cities that is an issue as the richer are now richer and the poorer are more poor. As there is an INCREASED immigration there is a huge stress in cost of living as there is not enough affordable housing and increased homelessness in Vancouver and Toronto. Vancouver is the worst place in North America as it is known as the drug hub called Skid Row. You can google this information as there are article written for 2021 and previously. Expo 86 and the 2010 Winter Olympics skyrocketed tourism and immigration that many people who are born and raised here before 1986 are very angry and resentful of how drastic the decline of how the quality of life has become.

Canada is going down the toilet. I’ve lived here most of my life, born and raised, and it’s just a disgrace now. Forget about all the obvious things that have been stated like ridiculously overpriced homes, high taxes, crap weather etc. \nOne thing I’ve really become more aware of throughout my years here after travelling abroad is that Canadians are truly boring people. Everybody sticks to themselves in their own bubbles and no sense of community or fun. \nBilly Bob Thornton said something many years ago on what he thinks about Canada in an infamous interview on the CBC:\n “Mash potatoes and no gravy”\nDude is crazy and messed up but, you know, he is right in what he says. Perfect description.\nA lot of people here are mindless drones. People are so scared to be speak their minds. \nIt’s a messed up, almost “1984” Orwellian type of society in some ways. Disturbing stuff going on here. But, yay, free healthcare...which has horribly outdated facilities and overcrowded hospitals and waiting lists for certain surgeries where you can wait for years....oh and a lot of doctors who are very cold and no empathy...??

Racism was far more prevalent in Canada decades ago. I remember hearing stories from my aunts and uncles about the types of things that would happen when they first arrived in the country. People would heckle and threaten visible minorities. \n\nBut I can say I have personally never experienced systemic racism in Canada. This country gave my family and I opportunity, safety and a just system. I was born and raised in Canada, and this is my home. There is no other country I would want to live in.\n\nLong live Canada and what it stands for. God bless this land.\n\n\nEdit: I forgot to add that the post secondary program I graduated from had a disproportionately high percentage of students belonging to visible minorities. This is the case with similar programs across Canada. One could argue Caucasian students are grossly underrepresented in this program. Does this not fit the definition of systemic racism stated in this video?

I'm Canadian born and raised living in America and I've never faced racism here like I have in Canada its terrible!!

I am a powerful woman raised by my grandparents and my parents in an amazing family. I identify myself as a woman of colour, amazing colour, it embraces me and reflects back my beauty for all around me to see. We were given every opportunity to explore the world where we lived and had passion for reading books, I was encouraged to explore so much of the world and ideologies. Issues of racism existed around me and this was unquestionable, but we had a safe place in a family with committed parents to develop and make our mark on the world. How refreshing to explore the world from a safe place and our parents especially my father encouraged us to mix with people of all cultures, because he firmly believed and I also believe there is only one race, the human race. We look different on the outside but let’s enjoy the fact that God made of one flesh all people. So, impressed with my amazing grandparents and parents... I love myself and I love the world that we live in, even though everyone is not perfect, we are are amazing. I was born in Jamaica, raised in England, UK, and now live in Canada.

I was born and raised in the US but I have been going to Canada for my entire life. I live here now because of college and I love the US a little more because that was home. But where I live in Toronto, is pretty diverse. Canadians are nicer but so are Americans but are more racist down south. Canada's government is led by a real leader but the States is led by an idiotic annoying orange.

I was born and raised in Windsor ,Ontario, Canada , and I am originally from Djibouti in the Horn of Africa.I lived in Canada for 15 years and I faced so many racial profiling

We need to have a little bit of compassion for Muslims who are struggling with this. Imagine that you were born into Islam. You didn't ask for it. You just happened to be unlucky enough to be born into a Muslim country and raised under it. It's not their fault that they believe what they believe. \nWe need to help them to free them from the chains of Islam. The way to help them and free them from Islam is by educating them with the truth. It's difficult for them to accept because they have devoted their entire life to it. It's also quite a shock when they see all of the errors in the Quran which is supposed to be the pure word of an all-powerful and all-knowing God. Then they see things like- the sun revolves around the earth and sets in a pool of muddy water. It's like somebody telling you that your dear friend has been lying to you for the last 50 years of your life. You just can't believe it. You don't want to believe. You defend your friend, you love your friend. \n\nSo instead of insulting these poor Muslim people try helping them by suggesting that they read the Koran cover to cover from beginning to end. Then they will see for themselves that this 7th century book conflicts with modern scientific and historical knowledge. That's when they will realize that Muhammad invented the entire thing so that people would obey him and treat him like a god on Earth. That's when they will realize that he was a 7th century man who knew nothing about the scientific knowledge that we have now in this century. That's when they will realize that the Quran is filled with threats of punishment and violence for not believing and not obeying the supposed word of God given to them by Muhammad. Muhammad put harsh punishments in it so that they would submit out of fear. This is why Islam is so violent. \n\nTo our Muslim friends in humanity. I'm so sorry that you were lied to. So sorry that you wasted much of your life devoting it to Islam. I'm so grateful to those of you who have not followed the violence of Islam commanded in the Quran. But now you are free with the truth. Go and live your life in Peace and freedom. Love your fellow humans and help your fellow humans. Try to spread the truth to other Muslims and help them. Follow the example of apostate prophet who is trying to help Muslims with his you tube videos.\n I urge all Muslims to read the entire Quran. Don't let non-muslims like me know more about the Quran than you do. If you don't think that the scientific facts conflict with the Koran, then read the entire Quran and look up the scientific facts. If you really search for the truth you will find it.

I'm Alaska Native, was born in Alaska and raised in North Carolina. I've been racially profiled and racially stereotyped in both states. People telling me that I'm just a drunk bum that lives on the streets from both Alaskan people and people from North Carolina. I've also been followed in stores, malls and even libraries.

Im a Canadian citizen (born in Toronto) who hasn't lived in Canada for over a decade. I left and declared non-resident status. I visit nearly every summer, spending around $8-10k a trip as well as sending money back to support my parents in Ottawa. I get nothing from Canada, and rightly so. I have to purchase my own health insurance when coming back. That's completely okay with me because I haven't paid into the system for over 10 years. How in the hell is someone who hops over the border with no previous ties to Canada entitled to ANYTHING though? They should be shipped back to their country of origin and duties assessed on any imports from that country should be raised to cover those costs or some other method of recouping that money should happen.

Lady you reacted wrong right from the start even if someone says something to you stick and stones may break your bones but names will never hurt you. What a low end way to react. Canadians don’t act that way we pride our Selves of all being from some where else and living as a happy easy going country. I was born and raised here also and listening to you made me ashamed that you were born and raised here. You would think you learned a thing or two and apologized for your actions but instead it’s poor you no one heard the other side. That’s who you are not Canada we should deport you