Hi Canadians! Soliciting your opinions:

The more concerned I get about the upcoming U.S. election, the more my thoughts turn northward. I looked into emmigrating to Canada after the '04 election, but ended up not following through. I still don't want to leave my home, but I'm afraid the writing is on the wall and it may be necessary to leave while we can.

I'm wondering about a few things and hoping to get some opinions from you.

Are Americans generally welcome in Canada?

I know your current President is pretty conservative. Are things getting bad there, too? Do you feel your freedoms are threatened?

How is the economy? I am a bit short of a college degree, have a good work record of over 20 years, management experience, computer skills, and in the process of finishing my degree in behavioral sciences. After that, I hope to get a certificate in web design. Would someone with this general type/level of skills be employable there?

Anything else you think I should know?

Thanks in advance!

You ask:

Are Americans generally welcome in Canada?

Absolutely.

I know your current President is pretty conservative. Are things getting bad there, too? Do you feel your freedoms are threatened?

Our Prime Minister is very conservative, way more conservative than any other we've had. If he stays in power, then yes, I fear for my freedoms. But he is way out of step with majority opinion, so I don't think he will get re-elected.

How is the economy?

A bit stronger than yours right now, but time will tell.

Anything else you think I should know?

You should learn about the immigration laws, which involve allocating points to applicants to determine if they are eligible to become residents.

Here's a handy calculator to calculate your point score...

http://www.skillclear.co.uk/canada/canada-skilled-worker-points-calculator-1.asp

Hope it all works out for you.

- B

And thanks for pointing me to that site. It has a lot of good info. i took the quiz and got a 71, which means I passed, but is not as good of a score as I would have liked. Anyway, it's a good start and thanks again!

I seem to recall several posts similar to yours.

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Our official site is

<<<< click the pic



And a Canadian Legal Firm specializing in visas, work permits and so on.

CANADAVISA.COM

On the topic.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/index.asp

All people are generally welcome. But, there are always some "bad apples".

The government in Canada is a bit different than that in the US. Here the premiers, or as you would say govenor, have much more power than the equivalent position in the US. This may all seem mundane, but it is part of the fabric, even though many of the Cons look for a decisive war monger as a president as they have seen in the recent years. As long as the US people accept things, we can not feel that our freedoms, or our right are threatened.

Economy is good from where I sit. But I went through a downturn 25 to 30 years ago that no one would like to experience.

It seems that we are short of qualified people for many years into the future. We are taking people to work as help in motels and the food industry from many diverse countries in the world. However, that doesn't answer your question about your situation.

Perhaps you should investigate a short term arrangement where you could maintain your relationship with your home.

This may all seem very clinical. But changing your home is a very huge change in a life style.

There is plenty of work for someone with your skills, I think.

It was -35 Celsius this morning in Edmonton. CBC Newsworld claimed the wind chill was below -50C, but it didn't seem that bad to me. Calgary was a little warmer, about -30C.

But it's a dry cold.

With John Edwards dropping out today, I am even more inclined to move. You have given me great information and I am already following up on all of it.

I think there will be more people following suit.

I would be happy to receive any additional opinions and information, too!

After Bush was elected the first time. I'm a dual citizen now, though I don't plan on returning to the States. I've found Canada more than welcoming - especially here in Toronto (56% of the City was born outside of Canada somewhere).

You might also like http://www.wmtc.blogspot.com/">this blog


Harper is definitely one of the bad guys, a US style neo-con trying to pretend he's not. But he has a minority parliament. Almost 70% of the people voted for a party to Harpers left and the poll numbers have never given him anything near a majority. Harper will eventually be gone and in the meantime he is handcuffed to an extent by the other parties in parliament and by the general lack of public support for most of his ideas.



That's a bit tougher to answer. You have to qualify to be able to immigrate. I've also found that employment here depends alot more on your social network than it does on your resume. Still, have a look at some of the various job boards and see what there is in your field. Web design is especially competitive in Toronto. There are alot of people who went to various art schools who are primarily working in web design.

If you have additional questions don't hesitate to give me a shout.

From the perspective of an expat looking at the US from the outside the country is in a whole lot more trouble than most Americans think and there is no one still in the running who even begins to recognize that, or who is offering solutions that will do much to reverse the situation. Even Edwards wasn't proposing anything that would have seriously turned things around.

wmtc is my partner Laura's blog. It has become perhaps the best place to get information about moving to Canada, what to avoid, what to look out for, etc. Some readers who contacted her after the 2004 "election" have applied and are already here -- and she gets dozens of emails every month from people asking questions. Many of the people who write to her are same-sex couples who are sick of being second-class citizens.

We applied to emmigrate in March 2003 and got the okay about 18 months later. Moved in September 2005 and have never regretted it. Got jobs quickly, taxes are the same (despite what the wingnuts say) as we paid in New York City. And housing is affordable and plentiful.

Please note, also, that everything reported in the US media about the health care system up here is completely wrong. Not some of it, ALL of it. Assume the opposite if you read anything in the Times, Post, CNN, etc.

Americans are VERY WELCOME. We could not believe the warm wishes we got as we settled in -- at the bank, grocery stores, cable guy, mail carrier, neighbors, everybody was insanely friendly. At first they could not understand why we moved from Manhattan to the Toronto suburbs if it wasn't for work, but once we mentioned the conservative drift in the US, they smiled and nodded.

Many people think it was Bush that prompted the move, but while he was one of the last straws, it was really everything that has happened since 1980/Reagan. We got sick of being so angry all the time and we wanted to live in a place that better reflects our values.

Look through her archives or the list of greatest hits-type posts -- a lot of your questions should be answered. If not, send her an email!!!

Good luck!

I'm going to dig into that blog. What a valuable resource!

Even Edwards wasn't proposing anything that would have seriously turned things around.

This is an important point.

Wingnuts liked to tell us that we moved because "our man Kerry" lost in 2004.

No. We applied in the spring of 2003. And we are well aware that no Democratic president would overhaul the US as it needs to be overhauled -- fund public education, cut the military by 75%, provide health care to everyone, etc., etc., etc.

There has to be a social revolution in the states -- America society needs to be stripped and taken down to the foundation and rebuilt -- and Kerry would not do that, Edwards wouldn't do it. Anyone who would do even some of that will never be allowed to get powerful enough to actually win the White House. The powers that be will cut him or her off way before we know the person exists.

I don't see how that it possible. It seems like a lost cause.

The two parties are like a good cop, bad cop routine. Some act like your friend, some yell in your face -- so you might like the nice one -- but they are both cops after the same thing.

There were two presidential elections that were obviously fradulent. And the Dems did absolutely nothing about it. Actually, things have gotten worse.

If a country does not have fair elections, can it call itself a democracy?

Clinton was too right wing for me, started doing research as soon as it was announced that Bush was elected (even before the Supreme Court made it official). I was already in process when 9/11 happened. I just finally decided that you can only run around for so long telling people that the ship is sinking, and having people not believe you, before you get yourself in a lifeboat.

I really like John Edwards and I think he is very sincere about poverty. But, the powers that be are deeply invested in keeping the status quo and real change may be impossible. Many of us think the reason Edwards was pushed out was because he really could have won, and they won't allow that. they might allow Clinton or Obama to get elected, but that is because they are part of the elite.

My desire to move is mainly because we have had two fraudulent elections and I don't really think this one is going to be any more legitimate. I hoped that with Edwards we could have someone win by a large enough margin to supersede the election stealing methods they have used the last two times. But, they are very clever. Faced with someone that could win the general, they tampered with the primaries. there are many indications that the elections in NH, FL and SC were tampered with and there was voter intimidation in the NV caucuses. So, while I HATE Bush, the bigger issue is that we seem to have lost our democracy. And of course, we are now losing our civil liberties, piece by piece.

It is really, really sad and also very scary. It's also pretty maddening that so few people see what has been happening and even fewer think they should do anything about it. As time has gone by, more and more people acknowledge that the 2000 election was stolen, but they are just resigned to it. And some of those same people resist the idea that 2004 was stolen. But I live in Ohio and I saw it first hand. It was definitely stolen. I was part of the movement that got the recount in Ohio. But, the recount was fraudulent. There is proof of all this. Lawsuits have been hung up in court for years. It costs a lot of money and the powers that be throw speed bumps up everywhere they can. And the Democratic party does not help us with this. Now we are trying to get election observers lined up and ready for this year's election. God, how frustrating.

don't even get me started on how the Dems in congress have refused to move on impeachment.

I'm really glad to have made this contact with all of you. Thanks to everyone for the great info and insights!

One of the issues I really struggle with is trying to figure out when to leave. In other words, I don't want to wait too long, and be unable to get out, but I don't want to give up on the U.S. too soon. There are a lot of us trying to fight the corporatist neo-con controllers (whatever we should call them), but can we really succeed? And in the long run, is it worth it?

I feel like I'm an American through and through, because I really believe in the Constitution, but I think I am part of an ever-shrinking minority. this might be one of those changes that after I make it I feel really relieved and think, why did I wait so long?

Honestly, I don't think so. The problems run too deep.

Things will likely get worse -- much, much worse -- before they truly get better.

I know your current President is pretty conservative. Are things getting bad there, too? Do you feel your freedoms are threatened?

People like to paint Harper as Bush-lite, but on most issues, Clinton and Obama are more conservative. Bill Clinton would have fit right in as leader of the Conservative party in Canada.

Harper is bad, certainly, but as the previous poster said, he's got a majority and with any luck, he'll be out on his ass shortly.

I am a bit short of a college degree, have a good work record of over 20 years, management experience, computer skills, and in the process of finishing my degree in behavioral sciences. After that, I hope to get a certificate in web design. Would someone with this general type/level of skills be employable there?

You should have no problem at all.

I am told by my better half that "housing is not considered affordable in Toronto or Vancouver. Housing is very expensive in both cities, similar to NYC and San Francisco, altho not as bad. Housing is affordable in the suburbs, tho - and elsewhere thru Canada".

I also goofed and said Harper has a majority -- he obviously does not.

Also, once we become citizens (we can apply after being residents for 3 years), we can vote -- and vote for a party that actually represents our interests -- plus they hold some power in Parliament. An actual leftist party! NDP, baby!

check it out:
http://www.wmtc.blogspot.com/

I'm really a city person and my thinking was first choice, Toronto, second choice, Vancouver. I really should look into other cities as well. I don't care for suburbs much. right now I live in the inner city in a neighborhood that most people would not consider living in, but I love it. Because it is a so-called "bad neighborhood" the rent is cheap. The neighbors are more diverse than elsewhere and there are plenty of artists, writers, musicians and other creative types which is great. Maybe I would be able to get something cheaper because I prefer the inner city, or maybe Toronto is like NYC - very expensive no matter where you go. In any event there are lots of cities I could look into.

If you run around calling Harper the President of Canada you'll take alot of grief for it.

I know that, but saying president is just second nature. I have to keep reminding myself.

I have been perusing the WTMC blog and finding all kinds of great info.

I clicked on the link to "sign the petition" out of curiosity as to what it was about. Wonderful! A petition to end interleague play in MLB. I would like to see the end of interleague play, but much more importantly I would like life to settle down to the point where I could put energy into interests like baseball again, instead of obsessively worrying about politics all the time.

What a beautiful omen!

a comment from laura/wmtc:

"pls tell the person i don't mean to put her off toronto. it's a very nice city, hugely diverse and there are lots of good places to live. if she wants to move there, she should consider it and not let the price of housing scare her off. if she has enough income to emigrate, she can afford to live in toronto. tell her she's welcome to email me if she wants, address on the wmtc sidebar."

Toronto, according to the U.N. is the most culturally diverse city on the planet. 56% of the city was born outside of Canada and a recent survey where people were asked to name their first language (the language they are most comfortable with) resulted in 130 different responses with the top 25 being English, Italian, Chinese, Cantonese, Portugese, Punjabi, Spanish, Polish, Tagalong (Phillipino), Tamil, French, Urdu, Greek, Russian, Arabic, Persian (Farsi), German, Viatnamese, Korean, Mandarin, Gugarati, Ukranian, Hungarian, Hindi and Kroatian (at 20,265) in that order. It should also be noted that Toronto adds an additional 100,000+ immigrants a year from outside Canada alone.

Toronto is constantly in the midst of one festival or another - the Toronto International Film Festival is now the premiere film festival in North America and 2nd only in the world to Cannes beyond that there are ... just too many to name, literally hundreds and hundreds of cultural festivals, neighborhood festivals, arts festivals, music festivals etc., it could well be as many as 1,000 now. And while you wouldn't know it to walk down the street there are thriving art, music, literary, film, theatrical etc., scenes in every nook and cranny of the city. On any given day there are probably a hundred or so solid choices for 'what to do today' - from musical performances, gallery openings, museum exhibits, open mics, authors readings, film screenings, theatrical performances...note: the hundred or so does not include the night clubs and multiplexes or the sports teams - baseball, basketball, football (CFL and soon some Buffalo Bills home games), hockey (and the NHL hall of fame), soccer and lacrosse

If you don't have money, or just don't feel like doing any of that there are alot of parks, neighborhoods that are good to take a walk in and although it's not my thing I'm told it is great for shopping. Compared to most US cities Toronto is extremely walkable, and making the city more pedestrian and bicycle friendly is high on the list of priorities at city hall. Toronto also has one of the world's best public transit systems. If you feel like getting out of the city - Montreal is a short train ride away (and I could come up with a spiel almost like this one about Montreal) and like everywhere in Canada unspoiled nature is never far away.

Despite what you'll hear from other parts of Canada people here are generally nice and crime is low (though we tend to freak out about it because it's not part of our culture). Finally, Toronto gives me hope for the world because hundreds of cultures come together here and mesh, without much friction and even make music and art and dance and sing and play together.