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Lived in Canada while working in the US for almost 20 years. Sadly although I had many friends I was often shocked by the attitudes of my colleagues. They almost all looked at other countries as inferior. Racism is absolutely a thing .There was no curiosity about other cultures. I knew people that died because of their hesitation to seek health care. The school shootings, although maybe they don’t happen ‘all’ the time there seems to be no desire to fix that. The US is going the wrong way regarding voting rights. My town actually sends out extra busses if you need a ride to vote. The support of the LGBTQ community and women’s rights are also problematic. US is good if you want to get yours but I personally don’t want to take two, when others aren’t even getting one. I am happily no longer working in the states.

I've traveled and worked in many parts of the USA. In most cases, I've found people to be more friendly, helpful and outgoing than Canadians because we tend to be more reserved.\n\nThe exceptions are when Americans feel afraid or threatened for some reason. Then things get really scary very quickly. The gun culture is one reason for this. At a coffee break in Houston my coworkers started talking about guns because one of them had been held up at gunpoint. His car was in the shop to repair a bullet hole in his front fender. This triggered talk about where people kept their guns at home, in their cars and on their persons. A small pile of 3 handguns ended up on the table while we talked, two of them from women's purses. All but one of the people had never used their guns except at a shooting range. The exception blew out a neighbor's over-loud outdoor speakers with a shotgun. He felt this was justified because he paid his shocked neighbor double the destroyed equipment's value in cash. Most of the Texans didn't agree with him but understood his rationale.\n\nI can handle a rifle and shotgun. Many Canadians hunt, but I can't think of a place in Canada where I could have had this conversation.

You being shocked that gun violence in schools is this much of a sticking point for Canadians, but consider in Canada we don't have:\n- Metal detectors in schools\n- Armed school guards\n- Active shooter drills\n- Even the discussion of gun training for teachers\n\nI can understand we humans can get used to anything and don't see it anymore. But any of those things in a major culture shock for people outside the US.

I went to the Atlanta suburbs a few years ago for corporate training (I was working in Canada for a US based company). There were people from all around North America there, who did not know each other before meeting there. What shocked me the most, even more than the constant subtext racism between people, in the news, everywhere basically, more than the senseless political debates where people take for one side just because, no matter the truth and lies, the arguments or even the crimes comitted by one side or the other, is the fact that 2 americans, never having met before, were talking about their prefered gun makes and ammunition types literally 5 minutes after having met the first time. THAT is unhealthy! THAT is scary! I just went with the flow and accepted it, and I kept noticing it for the 2 weeks I was there. In Canada, we talk about the weather to break the ice with strangers. In the states, you talk about guns. That is what we call gun culture and that, more than anything else, is why I'll never live in the US.\nOh, and just to make it worse, when I tried to explain why we did not feel like we had to have guns on our person in Canada, not a single American I talked to could ever begin to understand. Not centering your life around the fact that you can or cannot have a gun is just impossible for Americans, it seems.

Tyler, with complete respect you DON'T get why we generally have no interest in moving to the US. You constantly talk about 'you just have to find the right place to live'. True of anywhere, but here the choice would be about preferences and afordability, NOT to avoid gun violence or shunning because of political views.\nThere is no where in Canada I could move to where gun violence would be a big factor to consider (we have rough places, and gun violence, but STRICT gun laws). Let me give you some perspective. In 2019 the USA had 37,038 gun related deaths. (No other causes of death- JUST all gun death). In Canada, in 2019, our death by illegal means (which does include suicide, as it is illegal) was 5,874. (That is for ALL types of homicide, not just guns). And the government was shocked by the increase that year and tightened gun restrictions further.\nYou talk about having certain States more Red or Blue. We aren't bi- partisan, so our politics are a melting pot. You might have people you disagree with everywhere you go, but you will also always find an equal group who thinks similar (unless your an extremist). And even the people who think different will generally agree to dis- agree. There is next to nowhere in Canada where your political views would get you run out of town. \n\nYou are USED to thinking like an American. (Fair, your American; I think like a Canadian) Trust me, as a Canadian, there are aspects of the accepted American culture (your country's way of life) that is boarderline terrifying to people here.

Maybe Canadians are more concerned about gun violence than Tyler feels they need to be, BUT HERE IS WHY! \n\nAccording to USA today and Forbes magazine there have been more than 300 mass shootings so far this year and 200 people were shot on the 4th of July alone. These articles are dated July, 2023. A mass shooting was defined as 4 or more people killed or injured. There is a bbc article from May 2023 that states 48,830 people died of gun violence in 2021 in the US; that’s the population of a small city in Canada. Half those deaths were suicides, which occur because the guns are available. All of these articles mention the shear number of guns in the US, more guns than people, 120 guns per 100 people. So yes, I think Tyler is exhibiting his American bias and has become desensitized. His statements that it’s only in some places and to choose carefully where you live because violence isn’t every where are not borne out by the stats. These shootings happen in all corners of the country and every time they do people are shocked that it could happen in their safe little town. Think back to Columbine, Sandy Hook, Parkland, Uvalde these were not violent communities yet their schools were targeted. \n\nThe gun culture is high on the list of reasons I wouldn’t move to the US but do is politics, women’s rights, anti 2SLGBTQ legislation, health care, environmental protection laws ( or lack there of), lack of social programs, etc. Canada certainly isn’t perfect but I’ll take it warts and all over a US option. Don’t get me wrong I love to visit the US but living there is a whole different ball of wax. Thanks but no.

I did move to and live in Florida for a year and a half and it was the worst decision I ever made. It was awful and to say it was a culture shock is an understatement. I moved from Victoria BC to Fort Lauderdale Florida. I was yelled at for wearing a mask in the grocery stores, I was called a pedophile and a groomer for being gay, I was told repeatedly that Canada is a communist, socialist evil woke empire. When I finally moved back to Canada it was like a breath of fresh air and a relief.

Hi there gal we don’t say guys, it’s sexist!\n\n \n\nInteresting take on your move to the great white north.\n\nI can imagine coming from Russia to Canada was a shock.\n\nYou have pointed out so many things that are so normal in the west.\n\nAs I have never lived in Russia, I have no idea what it must be like there.\n\nJudging by your reaction to your observations of Canada Russia must be so\n\nmuch easier place to live..?\n\nYour comments on homeless, work-market, tax system etc. gives me the impression that\n\nthe Russian system must be so much better…?\n\nFrom my experience from living in numerous western countries, I regard Canada as average.\n\nThe UK and the USA are awful places to live. Although this is not the case if you have money, same as anywhere else. The same can be said if you are poor life is an awful struggle.\n\nWell except in Russia…?\n\n \n\nI have stayed in Canada on numerous occasions and I have never experienced any real cultural clashes.\n\nWell some of the newer Canadians seem to think that if anything goes against them it’s discrimination. Moreover, some of the newer Canadians are very racist towards the more established immigrants i.e. who have been living there for more generations.\n\nThe fact that some companies have “white” non-immigrant boards is reflection on the competence factor. I have experienced companies that have employed new Canadians with non-western backgrounds that are totally disasters because they have no idea about the work culture, language, way of treating staff etc.\n\nI think that you YT page is like a lesson about how immigrants from non-western countries perceive and misinterpret the west’s work culture, society and culture.\nHave experienced some new immigrant bosses who are so elitist and discriminating i resigned. Wrote review about the company on LINKEDIN.\n\n\nDon’t expect that there is any discrimination in Russia…?

05:42 YES YES A THOUSAND TIMES YES! I'm from the states, NJ to be exact. Before starting nursing school I visited Canada during the summer. I stayed in Montreal and visited Quebec (I had a bit of culture shock being in Montreal because of how CLEAN the city was. Compared to places like Philadelphia and NY). Without a doubt the quality of food is different in Canada vs. the states. For the first time I ate Nox for breakfast in Montreal (Salmon with cream cheese on a bagel) and was like wow this is good! When I ate it back home, the taste, texture was different. \n\nMontreal Nox tastes like and had the texture of salmon. Where as in the US it's like mushy and a bit jellish.

The grass really was greener on the other side when I went to Canada. The first time I came up there, it was a complete culture shock, and it’s only right over the border! Like people have always had it better in Canada though in many ways. That’s why enslaved people used to migrate there. More peace.

I’ve been to Canada (Toronto, Scarborough to be exact) at least 2-3 times when I was married to a Canadian and I can say that I had very good experiences except for dealing with some of the French. Definitely a culture shock in some aspects. The diversity is very strong which is a plus. Only downsides are the gun laws and the unavailability of sweet tea (yeah I’m southern). But overall Canada is very nice.\n\nBut one thing you’re not lying about is the WATER. Different locations in the states have different tasting water. If you want water that smell like eggs then Florida is your spot. If you want fresh water, buy a water well. \n\n\nYour experiences may vary.

I came from a 3rd world country in the Middle East. I thought Canada is a developed and first-world country like European countries, the US, Japan, South Korea, Australia, News Land, and Singapore with the western standard, and also I thought is one of the best. The first time 2018 I arrived in Vancouver, I was shocked. I saw a lot of homelessness, trash, crime, ugly urbanism, and rusty houses in downtown and east Vancouver. I saw, homeless people, pooping and peeing everywhere and it's so common. nobody cares. I was shocked again. I endured for 3 years but every day going worst. late in 2022I decided to move to the east coast because I thought that place has a stronger culture. I chose Montreal. I had heard it is the capital of art and civilization in Canada. it was absolutely wrong. Canada is Canada. I was shocked again, again, and again. the wave of homelessness, graffiti, vandalism, bad smell, terrible infrastructure especially roads in or out of the city, and above all, you can see trash everywhere. plastic bags, tissues, water bottles, and disposable cups. You cannot see any street or park or public place without these. This is impossible. surprisingly nobody cares. neither the people nor the government!!!!!!! please, don't be fooled by the advertisement about a good Canada. please, be careful. most of the things about a good Canada are deception. comparing Canada to other developed countries is wrong because Canada is only a developing country with a lot of serious problems. maybe a 2nd world country.

I came from a 3rd world country in the Middle East. I thought Canada is a developed and first-world country like European countries, the US, Japan, South Korea, Australia, News Land, and Singapore with the western standard, and also I thought is one of the best. The first time 2018 I arrived in Vancouver, I was shocked. I saw a lot of homelessness, trash, crime, ugly urbanism, and rusty houses in downtown and east Vancouver. I saw, homeless people, pooping and peeing everywhere and it's so common. nobody cares. I was shocked again. I endured for 3 years but every day going worst. late in 2022I decided to move to the east coast because I thought that place has a stronger culture. I chose Montreal. I had heard it is the capital of art and civilization in Canada. it was absolutely wrong. Canada is Canada. I was shocked again, again, and again. the wave of homelessness, graffiti, vandalism, bad smell, terrible infrastructure especially roads in or out of the city, and above all, you can see trash everywhere. plastic bags, tissues, water bottles, and disposable cups. You cannot see any street or park or public place without these. This is impossible. surprisingly nobody cares. neither the people nor the government!!!!!!! please, don't be fooled by the advertisement about a good Canada. please, be careful. most of the things about a good Canada are deception. comparing Canada to other developed countries is wrong because Canada is only a developing country with a lot of serious problems. maybe a 2nd world country.

I randomly looked at videos from downtown Manchester and Concord in New Hampshire - Philadelphia - Detroit - Chicago - New York - Baltimore - Denver - Atlanta - Nashville, and Knoxville in the United States, Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and London in the UK, Paris, Marseille, Lyon, and Toulouse in France, Frankfurt, and Hamburg in Germany, Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane in Australia, Tokyo, Yokohama, and Osaka in Japan, Busan, Seoul, and Incheon in South Korea, Toronto - Quebec - Montreal - Winnipeg - Calgary - Vancouver - Victoria - Ottawa and Thunder Bay in Canada. we should be fair. The bitter truth must be accepted. Without any exaggeration. Completely impartial. I have to say that I didn't see a single piece of garbage in any of the other country's videos to convince myself. Without exaggeration, in all Canadian cities, you will find a piece of trash or garbage on the ground less than every hundred meters. It must have an important reason. I do not know. But this is a bitter truth. You can try. This country should be brought closer to its exaggerated claim. Certainly, some Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and even Malaysia are much cleaner compared to Canada. Of course, we should not forget that Canada claims to be one of the 10 cleanest countries in the world. And cities like Vancouver and Toronto claim to be one of the 5 cleanest cities in the world. I am 50 years old and from a country in the 3rd world in the Middle East called Iran (with the most dictatorial regime in the world) and have traveled to 26 countries. Canada is far from its claims. At this time I live in Saint-Sauveur with my family. I work 5 hours a week as a volunteer person to clean the sides of roads, streets, national parks, and public places in the city. I lived in Vancouver for 4 years, this city is a disaster. when you drive or walk on East Hastings, Victoria Drive, Commercial Drive, West Georgia, Broadway, Main Street, Granville, and most places downtown, you never believe this city is in Canada. they're worst than some places in Africa or the 3rd world countries in Asia. I love this country and try my best to help. I came for peace. I thought Canada is a developed and first-world country like European countries, the US, Japan, South Korea, Australia, News Land, and Singapore with the western standard, and also I thought is one of the best. The first time 2018 I arrived in Vancouver, I was shocked. I saw a lot of homelessness, trash, crime, ugly urbanism, and rusty houses in downtown and east Vancouver. I saw, homeless people, pooping and peeing everywhere and it's so common. nobody cares. I was shocked again. I endured for 3 years but every day going worst. late in 2022I decided to move to the east coast because I thought that place has a stronger culture. I chose Montreal. I had heard it is the capital of art and civilization in Canada. it was absolutely wrong. Canada is Canada. I was shocked again, again, and again. the wave of homelessness, graffiti, vandalism, bad smell, terrible infrastructure especially roads in or out of the city, and above all, you can see trash everywhere. plastic bags, tissues, water bottles, and disposable cups. You cannot see any street or park or public place without these. This is impossible. surprisingly nobody cares. neither the people nor the government!!!!!!! please, don't be fooled by the advertisement about a good Canada. please, be careful. most of the things about a good Canada are deception.

Canada, country of homeless and trash. I'm so sorry for Canada. Most things about a good Canada are not true, Including clean cities - beaches, and forests. It's a big lie. The first time I arrived in Vancouver in 2018, I was shocked. As soon as I left the airport door, I saw tissue, disposable glasses, and other garbage left in the city. The further I went, the more I saw them. Before I moved to Canada, I lived in Georgia, Armenia, Turkey, Serbia, The United States, and for a short time in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Netherland, Germany, and England, but I have never seen the amount of garbage that people leave in different Canadian cities. Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, and Quebec are no less than Vancouver. Canadian and Canada Governments don't care about this tragedy. I think everything that says about Canada as a clean and powerful culture is not true. You don't need to travel to Canada to see this. Just watch some videos about walking in downtown Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, and Quebec. You will find the truth. Impossible for you to walk in a Canadian city and you don't see the dark side of that. Everywhere you will see garbage. You will never see this in Europe, Australia, the United States, Japan, and Korea. This amount of waste is not even seen in Malaysian, Indonesian, or Thailand cities. It is impossible for you to use public transport and not see a lot of garbage at stations or on the route. You will be surprised to find a lot of garbage even in the woods - by the rivers and on the beaches in Canada. I wish the Canadians woke up and had no enmity with their country.

For a guy like me living in India, this is a sort of cultural shock! I never knew this side of US and Canada. I guess that’s something to do with the type of governance. It seems like it’s a baggage of capitalism. Focus on “you”. When India was socialist (still is, to a lesser extent than 90’s, people were more open. If a person was going to city from village, a dozen of villagers would accompany him till he boards the bus. That’s gone. Here, sometimes, the socialising is too much. You’ll be asked about personal questions like why are you not having a kid. When you’ll get married etc etc. Some people feel big cities are better. There is socialising but people mind their own business. I am so very glad that I was born and brought up playing and dancing on streets!!

It takes me 3 months to get a doctor appointment in the US here in Seattle and I was just told several months to see my eye doctor. Depending on medical plan the insurance means you do not go to the specialist without a referral. So Canadians may not have as much to complain about. My parents were immigrants to Canada because it was easier (my father was in Danish Merchant Marine and was in China Sea when his appointment would come up in New York). They did not have it easy because they did not speak the language and worked hard to learn. Working as a housekeeper was the norm for females and my mother's education meant nothing when she expected to work in a bank. Danes stuck together and helped each other to get jobs, with carpentry (most had apprenticeships like brick laying), to socialize, etc. and this is normal for immigrants. Working multiple jobs was normal and having a great home was their American dream instead of a government apartment. It is true for all immigrants that their kids will do better than the parents. The kids will have no accent if they learn English by age 12. There are age cutoffs on learning a language in child development. During the hiring process the jobs are given to people the interviewer perceives as being like themselves. This is proven by psychologists (I am one). This puts immigrants at a disadvantage unless they have a rare skill without competition. Dad got his house and Mom took my sister and went back to Denmark because of health issues and the US has garbage medical care and social services for the elderly (poor sister didn't speak Danish because it wasn't allowed in case it impacted our English skill). As a daughter of immigrants I worked 20 hours days and weekends almost all my life. I put myself through school and have been successful despite being female and making much less than men. Immigrants need to realize that it will be their kids who make the big bucks and succeed while the parents who immigrated will struggle. As a cultural mix (US, Canadian and Danish citizen because of wacky sexist rules) I have had a lot of confusion over the years trying to fit in and figure out what my values are. I have had to ask my US husband is that behavior normal? Of course different states in the US or going 200 miles north to Canada means a different language to speak (Canadian or Spanish in the South) and different values, ways of dress, etc. so being an immigrant can mean just traveling 200 miles north or to an insane state like Texas or New York. Culture shock is everywhere but most of us move for the money. I am thinking of going back to Canada but my home was Vancouver and that now looks like a hell hole. My husband had over a million dollars in medical care and I really do not wish to lose all my assets to medical costs in the US. So now I am trying to choose between death by earthquake in BC somewhere or death by tornado or perhaps fire storm in Calgary due to climate change.

I'm a Canadian, and can comfortably state that Canada's reputation was cemented in the early seventies, and anyone choosing to come here based on that reputation, does so under false pretences. The majority of the immigrants I have come into contact with quickly become disillusioned with Canada, and eventually feel compelled to leave. The cost of living, combined with a lack of opportunities, and low wages, means that leading a normal life here is largely out of the question. Crime is a huge problem in BC, as Vancouver has become the de facto money laundering centre for North America. As a result, Canada is now extremely attractive for all the wrong reasons. At present, Canada is experiencing internal mass migration patterns driven by economic necessity, as the cost of living is prohibitively expensive in most urban centres. There is also a corresponding mass migration pattern of those who were born here away from the major cities, as Canada now lets in 500K, largely unvetted, immigrants into the country each year, most of whom are from war-ravaged, or third world, countries. With so many disparate languages and cultures from all over the world, it makes life utterly chaotic. The different nationalities never mix, and there is no effort expended to integrate with the Canadians who were born here. The Chinese live in Richmond, the East Indians in Surrey, and they have NOTHING to do with each other. Having traveled abroad, it's shocking how primitive it is in Canada. My advice to anyone thinking of coming here: Would you buy a ticket for a cruise on a ship that has a massive hole under the waterline?

Look it took me 5 ir 6 swipes to get back to the top of the comments, so let's be honest with each other here. RACISM is real and EVERYWHERE. Some just hide it better, others don't recognize that they, are sadly but truth is... As an American Citizen and Veteran, I use to wonder why so many family members and former soldiers would stay overseas after the military. That is till it was my turn..! I had my culture shock on my return to the States, I had gotten use to being judged on my merit and personality there instead of my color here. Hey, we even discriminate against our own race at times. Life is, What YOU Make It and How YOU Take It... Canada isn't as bad as here and other places I've been.

This silliest part of this story is that if he could write a resume listing all that construction work that he has done he could easily find work that pays comparable wages to what he gets in Canada or the US in most Latin American countries. And he wouldn't even have to deal with documentation problems and culture shock. Construction businesses in those countries would be delighted to have workers capable of working to North American standards.