Close Reading

Might want to keep looking

It's infuriating and heartbreaking watching my hometown of Surrey British Columbia be totally taken over with not one ounce of respect or common courtesy for our land and its people 🤬the immigrants keep to themselves only hire family and friends refuse to learn the language the whole culture is Superior and exclusive but we're look down on if Canadians speak up‼️they might as well be spitting in our faces😢🤬P.S to anyone in the comments don't gave me the bull€hit Europeans and natives scenario that was years ago does not affect anyone living today and why would you want the same evils put on Canadian citizens now 🤦‍♀️😬

The future is uncertain, no matter where you live. People often expect their country to provide stability and resist change, but these are difficult promises to keep. Just look at Ukraine.\n\nCanada, too, may be failing its citizens in some ways. It doesn't seem to inspire a deep sense of patriotism or love for the country. Many are distracted by the allure of greener pastures, lured by promises and travel ads. There's little gratitude for those who sacrificed their lives a century ago or those who built the safe, secure nation we have today. Instead, they are often labeled as colonizers, with their statues torn down.\n\nPerhaps the concept of a nation is fading. But if you drift away, you may find yourself replaced, and no one’s going to say, “How dare you!”\n\nPopulations are becoming fluid, and countries are no longer rigid containers. Moving to a new place might not be as meaningful if the concept of nations dissolves.\n\nA nation is more than just borders; it’s an accounting system. Consider this: How long do you need to work in a country to earn a pension? In the USA, it’s 40 years. If you haven’t put in the time, you might be leaving money on the table. As a retiree, I say thanks!\n\nBut will you ever collect that pension? I am. I spent two years in the USA and returned. My parents had health problems—remember them? They didn’t work 40 years in the USA either. And those Canadian dollars don’t stretch far in the States. Tricky, eh!\n\nSometimes, countries struggle to manage pensions. The country might be too big, its borders too porous, its economy too fragile, and its people too ready to abandon it. Yet, Canada’s natural resources, like Ontario’s 20% of the world’s fresh water, guarantee its revenue. That will be gold soon enough, and you can bet the USA, the global superpower, will want a piece of it.\n\nThe immigrants coming to Canada are smart.

There are now quite a few news stories in Canada of immigrants leaving the country - some back home and others to the USA and other places. Many just get a Canadian passport and then leave. There are public health care and pensions, so it can be an asset and also a convenient travel document to have. A lot of Canadian university graduates have a very hard time finding work in their fields and a lot of them look to the US for a better future. Both immigration and unemployment in Canada are much higher that in the US - so more people are chasing fewer jobs that often pay less and are taxed more than in the USA. Opportunities are generally a lot fewer in Canada than the US, and the business environment is not as favourable, and taxes significantly higher. You would be getting some of the entrepreneurs from Canada moving to the US for more favourable conditions as well to launch a business and also now a lot more rich investor types, so-called high net worth individuals wanting to relocate, because they just raised the capital gains tax in Canada. Capital gains is also triggered on inheritance in Canada with a deemed sale of property and assets, so rich people would prefer the American system and want to be residents there for tax purposes and have their assets grow in value in the US compared to Canada. There are very large numbers of foreign students and other categories of immigrants which may have as their goal going to the US after getting a temporary visa to Canada which is easy to get - maybe something like half a million to a million people in those categories depending on the year, plus around another half million regular immigrants and refugees now. The Trudeau administration has increased immigration to record numbers. It has been steadily going up over the years for several decades since 1990. Because of family re-unification it can have a snowball effect and could significantly exceed 1 million per year. A lot of the sending countries have much larger populations than Canada, so there are a lot more that can be potentially sent to Canada in the future. About 1/4 of the population of Canada has been added in the past few decades. Add to that visitors and temporary visas - that is a lot of people potentially moving to the US. Before the 1990s Canadians visiting the US were not required to have a passport and a drivers' license or birth certificate was adequate. Now a passport is required. It is impossible to effectively control the long Canada-US border, so there could be some unified policies in that area agreed on between Canada and the USA on immigration and refugees. Canada currently has a very open immigration policy with the government actively seeking out more immigration beyond its current processing capacity and trying to take rejected immigrants from other countries. The Canadian government, especially in recent years under Trudeau is immigration hungry. It might be the only country in the world doing that. What some news reports are now saying is that some immigrants are actually leaving, since they find it so difficult in Canada and some are worse off than they were in the countries they came from, which were considered to be less developed than Canada. \nWashington currently has more immigration controls and administrative competencies than Ottawa, so US pressure and influence is a faster way to get reforms into the system than waiting for local politicians to do anything, which is unlikely. Canada is seen by some as a backdoor into the US. Biden's immigration policies could be seen as very conservative in Canada compared to Trudeau's. It used to be in the news about how refugees were trying to get to Canada and walking across the border in Quebec and out west from the US earlier, but now there are more news stories of immigrants leaving Canada trying to go the other way, probably due to high costs and unemployment because the government took in more people than it could absorb into the economy. They have the idea that immigration drives GDP growth so that they can borrow and spend more, expand the civil service, etc. without making any cutbacks or efficiencies, supposedly without the Debt to GDP ratio getting worse, just by bringing in more people as if that would drive the economy. A lot depends on who you bring in as well. Are they going to go on welfare, are they going to increase crime, will they somehow contribute to society, are they a net tax benefit or cost in terms of government services, will they invest money, will they start a business and create jobs for others ? Those issues do not factor into government decision making in Canada for the most part. Ontario Premier Doug Ford did say there were too many foreign students. It is bad planning not to consider those factors since there are other costs that grow with those policies as well, and infrastructure has to be expanded. I think that the real immigration numbers to Canada are not transparent or made public, nor are the costs involved, if anyone even knows what they are. Nor is the impact on crime. You can guess from what the reports are in other countries. The Fraser Institute has made some estimates on the net costs of immigration to the government budget a few years ago, which were very high and which by now have increased - the cost equivalent of several new aircraft carriers each year. They are big numbers which are not publicized, but it amounts to the fact that immigration is subsidized by the taxpayers in Canada and it is not paying for our pensions as an ageing society as has been claimed. There is less money for education, health care and pensions per person, and those social benefits will probably have to be reduced over time. Social programs can only be delivered to the extent that the government has money. The bigger social system a county has, the more such immigration policies are going to cost. Trudeau has been expanding various social programs as well, so higher taxes and debt are likely with that approach. Then more productive people and companies will want to leave Canada and go to the US. Probably the government does not know what the actual numbers and costs are and doesn't actively keep track of that information beyond what is required. Probably nobody knows what the true immigration figures and their associated costs are in Canada, and hardly anyone has even studied those issues. If they can just walk across the US border and get papers so easily making an asylum claim, it is not surprising, since it would take them longer to get a regular visa and work permit if they did it legally. You could call that a loophole in the US immigration system which is being exploited. The US is better governed in general and has a better system in many ways, but I am not sure if it is the same on that. People have arrived on boats and have not been sent back. At least in the US you have more open information about those issues. In Canada it is hard to find out anything about it. Deportations from Canada are very few. \nOn other issues in Canada when voting in federal elections you have to show a government issued photo ID like a drivers' license or passport to vote and bring a card that was mailed out to eligible voters that gets updated addresses when a person files their taxes. I have never heard of mail-in ballots in Canada, but there are remote areas of the country in the far north who may have special system for voting. It is easier to get a Canadian citizenship than US and many more citizenships are handed out in Canada each year in proportion to the population than in the US. Canadian might be one of the easiest citizenships to get in the world. The official line now is that it is a country of immigrants. Based on current trends, will very little opposition to it in the parliament and most MPs supporting it, future immigration to Canada could increase to several million per year because of the rapid growth of population in the world, and the momentum already growing of immigration to Canada, so it may change significantly in the future. Historically around the world you can see many examples that country names, borders, flags and languages change over time with population changes, so it might not be called Canada anymore in 50-100 years. For example, Bulgaria used to be called Thrace which had been a powerful kingdom in antiquity and had a different language which is barely known about anymore. Over the past 2,000 years it has gone through a number of changes and had various regimes governing it, has been independent and also part of several different empires. Canada has only been a country for a short time in comparison and has been been going through significant changes. Trudeau has said that Canada is a post-national country. Canada is also going through a period of critical self-examination and deconstruction-revisionism. A lot of what had been viewed as positive from its history now is seen more critically, with re-naming and removing historical figures now seen as negative.\nDiscussing immigration policy critically is considered by many to be taboo in Canada, unless a person is saying good things about it in general. You can hear people say that the government isn't processing enough people, for example, but not often that there are too many or that it costs a lot of money. The trend of migration from Canada to the US would only increase much more in the future as it is going currently, and its role as a stepping stone to migration to the US could increase. The way this would be seen by many in Canada is that they are losing valuable people to the USA whom they consider assets, since a lot of officials have been trying to bring in more people into the country, but not everyone wants to stay in Canada nowadays because of a lack of jobs and opportunities. Canada is quite laissez-faire about migration, with Toronto being a sanctuary city as well.

Let’s be honest you really think when whites go to other countries they adapt and simulate into that culture? ?look look at Britain when they conquer India did they assimilate into the Indian culture? They were there for more then 200 years did didn’t assimilate actually look at Canada did they assimilate into the native culture who were here before the whites took over? Your logic doesn’t apply, without immigrants the country would fail because the whites aren’t having kids anymore like before and getting older you need young people to stay and do work and pay taxes to keep the economy going otherwise most western countries not just Canada would fail so please do more research on this matter I understand your white audience might not appreciate the facts but doesn’t matter who’s wins next elections, if Trudeau loses won’t matter because of the fact I listed above, the politicians will say things you might want to hear to get your vote but after that you will see same thing happens

Vancouver real-estate is essentially a money laundering operation for rich foreigners looking to stash their money somewhere. Protections were put in place a little to late back in 2016 with the foreign buyers tax. But honestly most of these foreigners can either be exempt from this tax with their citizenship loop hole (anchor baby) Or honestly they just pay the fine since they can afford it and just need to get their money out of the country they are coming from. Its quite dystopian because building more homes like the government keeps promising isn't going to solve the problem either. This is because its just going to add more to the volume of housing that the foreigners can buy up from the locals and adding more fuel to the problem. Immigrations Canada is lying to new comers. To top it off, BC just recently passed a law in 2024 where you can no longer build single family residences in the lower mainland area. WHERE are the families going to go then? Can anyone even afford a family anymore? Vancouverites like myself who were diligent and saved every penny are walking away from mortgages in droves because who wants to lock into a 30 year term amortization period where at rate plus prime your looking at 5.5%-7% where the bank makes more than double in interest from you. Over the course of 30 years you still lose because even if your property appreciates past double. Capital Gains will take into effect. Your loosing money no matter what! It truly is a nightmare designed to enslave you financially. This is simply wealth creation suicide. Came from immigrant parents in the 1990s, I slaved for 10 years during my twenties, didn't come from wealth, didn't party, didn't have fun, studied hard, and started a business and I still cant break into the Vancouver market. So I ended up just barely squeaking into the market in Abbotsford. Vancouverites as a whole are screwed. Time to pack up and move to Alberta I suppose. I will also preface by saying that most of BC is empty and that it would make sense to built outside of the Vancouver area as Vancouver has now basically become fiscally unlivable. It might make sense for the next government that come into power to decide to invest in building in other towns and cities around BC to incentivize Canadians to move.

I'm an immigrant and my immigrant friends and I were talking about exactly this just the other day. I'd like to add some context on why so few international students stay: they can't. Schools prey on this very fact. In international recruiting, these schools use the promise of thriving local industries and trot out graduates working locally as major draws to these expensive programs. Then once students are in Canada, many of these schools couldn't care less: they offer little or sometimes no housing support, no immigration advice (or in my case and many of my friends' cases: they give straight-up false immigration advice that can screw you over or even get you in trouble). There absolutely needs to be regulation and accountability for these predatory schools; I think a good starting point would be capping the number of visas they can apply for based on the number of housing units available (either on-campus or via local development subsidy and homestays). Tons of students come to Canada completely unprepared due to false promises made by these schools, and then get spit out into an egregiously inefficient and broken work visa system.\nMy immigrant friends and I are all highly skilled in our specific field. There are only a handful of people in the world (let alone in Canada) who can do what I do at the level I do it, so I would be incredibly difficult to replace if I left Canada. Despite that, and despite being Canadian-educated (Canadian resources invested in me that you'd want to keep in Canada), remaining in Canada has been a massive struggle for me and my friends. We individually spend hundreds and even thousands of dollars every year to apply for permits that have to be renewed annually, but take the government 6+ months to process. Because the government is so backed up, we have to apply for *extra* permits to bridge that gap (more money, and more work added to IRCC's already-long line of applications). I'm in limbo for the majority of the year where I can't switch employers, can't leave the country, etc. It's horrible. \nBut I have it better than most. Of the international students in my year, only I and one other student are still in Canada because the transition to work permits is so needlessly long and difficult. Even a graduate who does manage to get a work permit might have to sit unemployed for 6 months or more before that permit is active. How is a student supposed to survive without work for that long? In order for employers to even apply to sponsor a graduate, they often have to do a lengthy labor market impact assessment, and so these graduates are stuck in a holding pattern, and they're the lucky ones. Immigration is absolutely vital to Canada and I hate how quickly these stories turn to xenophobic rhetoric, but we have to make space in the conversation to take a look at how schools are exploiting students and policy loopholes, and why they're doing it, and address those problems. The current system isn't fair to anyone.

It’s been 5 years for me here and I honestly can say I have achieved nothing in my life yet. It scares me when I think I can’t return whatever my parents had invested in me. The fact is you’ll never have a good paying job in Canada being an immigrant. When I say this trust me I mean it. Most you’ll get is a minimum wage job which can make you survive the life here. Taxes are high definitely and what I feel is you’re working to make someone else’s life easier. \n(P.S: people who’ve stayed in Canada will understand who I’m implying to)\nNo one wants to be your freind, scope of socializing is zero coz mostly it’s cold round the year so everyone hardly come out, especially in Northern provinces like Yukon, Saskatchewan, Manitoba.\nHealthcare is a joke. If you feel sick and not well and you wanna see a doctor be prepared to wait for hours and hours. I once had stomach infection and I had to wait 5 hours till someone could see me. I asked for painkiller at-least so I could bear the pain but they refused that as well. You might well see someone you love dearly and with whole heart die in-front of you and you could do nothing. (I’ve experienced it myself hence saying)\nYou’re a lone survivor who’ll always keep fighting. \nThe only person who can make money here is businesses and high paid jobs which are reserved to Canadians. That’s how Canada’s job market is. Canadians’ first and if there’s something left they’ll look at you. By the amount of money people invest here they can establish a nice business back in their country itself and earn accordingly on own terms. \nMost importantly you’ll cut yourself from all emotional supports like family, freinds etc.\nI was social person back in India who liked making new freinds and memories but it’s nothing like that here. \nAnd it’s the same life, no different.\nYou wake up, dress, eat, go to work, come back, eat, sleep. No different.\nNo fun and nothing. You actually don’t live in present, you live in an expectation of a better tommorow.\nYou’ll always have a smile when you greet someone but I guarantee you no one’s gonna check on you to if you don’t start a conversation even with a simple “Hi”. Mostly Canadians are nice but again some will systematically judge you and say nothing but you’ll see in their actions, the way they’ll talk in a twisted way etc.\nYes I’m not saying that Canada’s bad or it’s no good but trust me it will take forever to build a life here especially with the number of people moving here from round the world. \nIf you’re well off financially from back home Canada’s a paradise for you. Indeed it’s a beautiful country with lots of beauty and lots to explore but remember everything comes with a cost here. Everything comes with a cost. People need to stop believing in this fake illusion and come only if they got a purpose here. The only reason why they’ll let you in the country is for money and once you’re in you’ll have to keep spending, doesn’t matter if you’re broke or whatever you have to.\nOnce I earn I’ll happily give up my PR status and go back to India as i very well know what the situation is how it’s gonna be in future.\nSo just one piece of advise to every middle class person like me, guys please invest and spend your money wisely coz we know how hard it is to earn and it’s high time Canadians start appreciating what immigrants like us do for them by burning ourselves day and night and start realizing that their past generation once came from some other part of the world as well and settled here. Being white doesn’t make you a nice Canadian, you’re actions defines you more than your words. \n90% of this country is built by immigrants and that’s how it’s gonna develop in future, so if they keep treating us the same way good luck to them ?.\nAlso a plus note to anyone thinking that Asians are stealing your jobs, go get outside and have the balls to face them and take it away from them. Staying home and ranting and abusing us that we’re taking your opportunities and blah blah isn’t gonna work. We are so successful round the world because we are hardworking, honest and respectful to everyone. Even if we’re earning minimum and barely surviving here we always make sure we’re not burden on the government or anyone else and won’t keep crying.\n\nA big shoutout to all you guys who came here in the hope of a better future but are still struggling.\nKeep hustling and you’ll reach there, if not step down and go back and start your life again on your home soil. There’s no shame in experimenting continuously rather than sitting ideally and crying about future. \n\nAll the very best my people and lots of love to you ❣️

I live in Canada as a Kenyan and I have been here for sometime .I work as a HR/Payroll Specialist also certified in the field. The problem is not Canada , Canada is a very good county which I love and I am gland God gave me the Opportunity to Come and settle here with my family.. The problem with some people coming here is lacking of knowledge how Canada works .It’s system is very far from how things work in Dubai or Gulf countries. A lot people are thinking than you can just come and get any job even without proper papers or you can earn a lot of money and then build wealth quickly. Which is A BIG FAT LIE. The tax in Canada keeps you humble. That is how Canada funds it's high end life many admire and want to be part of. The more you work in Canada the more tax you pay and many don't know this, and it is one of the main reasons why a lot of people start to regrets, because they realize there effort of working hard is not paying as they hoped. Another thing in Canada is next to impossible to get jobs or rent a place without proper paper work, like work permit, It is not like USA where you can use someone else papers to work. the The main available jobs , easy to get , don’t pay much. And also the cost of living is very high in some provinces like Ontario and BC. They hardly recognize credentials from outside unless you came through a job offer. Also because a lot of things in Canada are paid by the government through taxes, like health care, education. Unless you are tax paper with (and I repeat) Paper work, you cant access the benefit, including thee free food available for the needy. \nMany people forget Canada is looking for people to work for them. Not to grow rich and leave. The system is meant to keep you working. Unless you understand how a system of a country works, one will continue to blame it. Let people get well informed and well educated first , before they jump in the river. And it’s not Canada a lone , but any country in the world. Also a lot of these media post about Canada are misleading. And there is also another trap called debt, a lot of people once they getting working, rush to but things they cant afford and it becomes a stress instead of a blessings.\nIf you want to live well and enjoy Canada . One of the top thing to do is, go back to school once you enter in it, get a good education and you will get a good job. Also give yourself time to adjust. REMEMBER you are starting from square one. You are not continuing where you left in Kenya or in the country you get from. Also, the general social climate is not as friendly as those in USA for example. Not many people are willing to help for free. The most jobs advertised in Canada are the lower end paying jobs, which a lot of people pay a lot of money to come for, just to realize the job they left behind was far much better than this, but no one told them that, just because it said $18 hrs and you converted it to your country and looked a lot, doesnt mean it carries the same wait once you earn in from here. The living expense are very different. The reality is, it is not where you are , but whom you are and determination knows no barrier. Anyone who will trust God for help, work hard/smart and be patience in life, they will make. It might take longer than they expect, but they will get their eventually.

I was born and raised in Canada. My family immigrated in the 70s. Growing up I was proud to be Canadian but after living in other parts of the world I can tell you, Canada isn't it! \n\nFirstly our Prime Minister is a puppet he works for the Commonwealth and whatever they say goes, they profit off all of your hard work. \nThey keep you sick so you rely on the health care system. Medicate you instead of solving the problem. Doctors are exhausted, rude and over worked, emergency rooms are a disaster and if you book an appointment to see your doctor...be sure you're waiting at least a week. If you go to a walk in clinic you risk getting a doctor that seems like they paid for a fake degree.\n\nYou know when you go to a mall in one town and then hear about a mall in another town that has really cool different things??? Ya, not here! Everything is monopolized! Same stores everywhere you go. there's a mall in Toronto called Vaughn Mills mall, when I was in Calgary they have an exact replica just a different name. Small businesses are hard to keep because everything is so expensive. There needs to be more indoor things for people to do in the winter. \n\nWhoever said Canadians are polite, has never been to Alberta!!!! I've never experienced racism in my life like I did out west, not just Alberta but also Northwest Territories and Manitoba. \n\nOn top of that they want everyone to be gay and not believe in God, they push the agenda so hard in the schools, they institutionalize and confuse your kids. If you believe anything different they literally hate you. The children are hypersexualized...teenage girls looking like they're 30 year old drag queens. They bully kids so badly in school, especially boys. Parents have no time to get involved because they're busying working multiple jobs to pay for their 4000 dollar mortgage, husband and wife barely see each other. And because they're not involved the children have no respect for their elders or teachers. the teachers don't care to get involved like they used to because everything's a liability...a problem. We had a 13 year old girl call a male teacher a pedophile for pushing a little girl on the swing. He quit on the spot, because now he's worried for his career. Kids have no shame anymore. \n\nIF YOU WANT QUALITY OVER QUANTITY (WHICH YOU MIGHT NEVER GET), DON'T COME HERE! or, Come here and send all your money home but don't educate your kids here unless you have enough money to put them in private schools and there are good private schools. If the only thing you want out of your life is freedom, freedom to just be left alone and no one hounding you...you like being alone. Then, that you can have here. \n\nIf you are from a colonized country we are all slaves to the system!

100% I was born here and lived in the US growing up. And its alot to give up for a better healthcare system. The healthcare system is honestly so good by comparison that I'd say this keeps Canadians here. But it is not far or equitable in any way. And with the pandemic it has accelerated this inflation people have felt... but are now fully aware of that impact our lives in meaningful ways every 5 years. We are now like ten years or more in the future on what that impact looks like.\n\nI don't want to work because there is no point. I am working but I don't care like I used to. I don't care about advancement anymore. I don't care about what it might mean for my future in the workforce when there is always a reason to ensure thst my money goes nowhere for me.\n\nThis winter is going to be very hard.

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.