Close Reading

I'm Canadian. A senior\nA topic I would like to see any blogger address is the number of Cdns that are not able to work because of drug addiction compared to the number of willing immigrants that will fill those positions. \nI raised my son to have good work ethics and was considered a strict parent but man-o-man am I ever thankful that I did. Nearly every one of my son's HS friends have made nothing of their lives.\nI keep seeing an endless stream of who I assumed to be new to Canadians working their arses off willing to do whatever to make a life for themselves.\nI suppose my question is why aren't' they falling victim to drug addictions? Many of our Canadian born youth are unemployable. Can't even keep gas separate from oil when asked to do the simplest tasks. My last Cdn employee quite simply couldn't be taught to run and maintain a simple lawnmower. Very few even have licences to drive. AKA: Useless

Getting ill causing a month long stay in the ICU left me homeless as living paycheck to paycheck causes once the cheques stop , I was placed in a Toronto homeless shelter 3 years ago and I can tell you that African refugees enter a shelter and no more than 3 weeks later are housed usually 5 at a time all Getting a fully paid market value 1 bedroom apartment average price $2,600 monthly that with a monthly welfare cheque and free food dental medical prescriptions clothing WIN WIN WIN the Canadian born homeless shelter residents get put on a 38,000 name waiting list for Ontario's drug infested housing ghettos the Africans are being housed under a kept secret program called COHB secret from us Canadian homeless that is and I've witnessed this now at 5 different shelters I've been in, having befriended one of the African migrants who is a little unstable drinking alcohol and smoking pot so he hasn't been housed but he has shown me the paper work that has been housing his fellow illegal immigrants and I say illegal because they all came as visitors only to claim asylum as soon as they land he also told me they all borrow the money for their plane tickets from a gang who once they land and start instantly getting welfare have to send half the proceeds back to this gang in Africa for the next two years , in this shelter donated clothing comes in everyday and two African shelter residents fold and sort the clothing taking all the name brand clothes what they didn't hand out to the other Africans they walk to the post office and ship it back to Africa I'm not making this shit up after we complained to staff which also happen to be made up from the Africans themselves yes they've hired wolves to watch over the other wolves so they now aren't walking out the front door everyday with garbage bags full of clothes at least not in front of our eyes DON'T CALL ME RACIST I know that's the go to word when this insanity is made public , what do you think is the first thing these Africans do when they walk into their free apartment? Make phone calls back to the friends they left in Africa saying Get on the next plane to Canada free apartment free food free clothing free medication free dental and free money every month Canadians need not apply

They aren’t “immigrants” \nThey are UNWANTED INVADERS

When you do everything for people who aren’t your own, there’s a problem. And when Canadians say “hey wtf is going on here” they aim the media out at people to call them racists or insult their intelligence. \n\nI’m all for immigration, and giving people opportunities but without proper background checks and when you don’t even support people who are already here, how the hell can you justify 500,000 more people every year?!\n\nTrudeau is Trudebt

Canada no longer has Canadians just a country full of residents . Canada has turned into India . Most of the students aren’t here to study it’s just a way to get pr There is a job shortage not a labour shortage You have Indians. Every were in ever single business and most of the time you can’t understand them. There is a shortage of work know . Reckless mass immigration is to blame . Those students didn’t come here to study it’s just a way to get In to the country to WORK . The liberal government just wants votes that’s way they keep brining in so many people . We need change we need a new government liberals have messed Canada up conservatives will not be any better but what other options do we have weather liberal or conservative

I hear a lot of the same, too many immigrants, but we've always had immigrants coming in, majority of people in Canada are immigrants ever since 1960s policy changes. The problem with allowing immigrants in NOW is that we don't have jobs and we aren't producing anything to give immigrants real jobs. A lot of companies are folding in Canada or mass layoffs. We aren't creating wealth. And the institutions are solely relying on Immigrants to keep their schools profitable. It's a vicious cycle that was working, but now that the house of cards are falling, there is no way to clean it up, without a complete reform.

True North has a lot of good news articles as does Rebel News. Its a joke what Turdeau has done but at least all these immigrants aren’t getting $3000/mth - free credit cards, eligibility to vote federally right now, free cell phones, $3000/mth living allowance, free health care, free education etc etc as are the American immigrants, or are they?

The only thing you're filling is hotel rooms and shelters. 90% of these illegal immigrants aren't working!!

Government wants immigrants for cheap labour while Canadians aren’t working it’s to ruin the country

Yeah it's not just immigrants it's also born here Canadians. We are tired of the state of country, our lack of freedom and democracy, our failing healthcare and healthcare facilities, laughable education system, lack of infrastructure for new comers and Canadians alike. No party in Canada, neither Liberal, Conservative, NDP and Green, no one really represents Canadians and really listens to the public. We learned there is NO future here for us or our family. We're done with a country that I pay taxes too, believed in, it's not my fault that I have to leave, it's CANADA and decades of bad policies, investing in wars instead of our home and people. Trudeau spent more time demonizing anti-vaxxers and truckers and funding Ukraine rather then helping starving Palestinians and Congolese people, families struggling here locally to feed their family, kids are who aren't getting a proper education, elderly unable to pay for their medicine or food. We are all suffering because no one in our govt wants to actually help our country get back on track. So our govt is essentially pushing us OUT. We don't want to leave, we have no choice.

we can’t even house our own people on the streets or continue to create jobs for those already here. Being a youth from small town Alberta, unable to land work, seeing our local job market being bought up by immigrants and seeing those jobs handed right to their family members is disheartening. Immigrants receive a median pay of $44,600 while the median of the Canadian born population is $38,800. This is Trudeaus Canada where Canadians aren’t even the priority anymore.

Immigrants aren't stupid. Anyone with grade 1 math can quickly figure out the cost of living far out weight your income. People get citizenship and leave and if they are rich enough they'll buy a place on their way out further exacerbating life for those who stay.

This is only part of the story.\n\nInternational student visas aren’t permanent residence applications. It’s just one pathway to becoming a permanent resident in a process that takes years. The pandemic and a backlog of all sorts of applications at the IRCC likely had an impact as well.\n\nCanada is a big country with a diverse geography. Immigrants from the Punjab have been arriving in B.C., where they started farms and worked in the lumber industry, for over a century. It’s a different story in Quebec which is seeing meeting more and more immigrants from France, Africa and South America.

He's full of crap and makes me sick, no one likes you Resign, smoke screen, nothing to do with international students, has everything to do with his record immigrants he's let in that take priority housing over Canadian homeless, 2.5 million and still going, tens of thousands Ukrainians in the next month, why aren't they living on the street? Hmmm! Maybe because they're housed long before getting here, Trudeau is a disease and needs to LEAVE NOW! No one wants u in office and u alone are destroying any chance liberals have to get in

I'm perfectly happy with Canada and being Canadian. My business is thriving. I don't own a house (i'm 50) and probably won't. They aren't good investments and both a recession and a housing crash are necessary to lower prices. \n\nLet me say something about the housing crisis - it's not immigration. Canadians are overleveraged. Many own second, third and fourth properties that they rent out. Once they have to renew into the teeth of higher rates you'll start to see a correction like what we saw in the 1980s. Couple that with higher unemployment and you have a recipe for a crash. Everyone wants lower house prices -- until we get them. Go try to renew your 600,000k mortgage on your million-dollar house that's now worth $800,000. \n\nHealth care is a problem - but where isn't it? The UK? The US? Many parts of the US are close to third-world countries. \n\nI'm happy here. The rest of the world seems bonkers by comparison. Go ahead and leave.

This guy conveniently ignores the massive immigration increase Trudeau is doing which puts pressure on housing and the fact that we aren't building enough houses and Trudeau is simply giving out checks rather than ensuring housing is being built. They always find a way to make Liberals and Trudeau look good on CBC conveniently

From this issue alone, I come to understanding that Canadian government is quite reactive to situations. Aren't they supposed to foresee the housing and cost of living crisis and put the cap way before it's become the issue? I agree that there are benefits of immigration for Canada but uncontrollable migrations only makes Canada worse.

While this is a great thing in general...\nIt doesn't benefit the country or the immigrants when things like housing and jobs and health care aren't in place to support this influx of people. \n\nThe thing is...Canada REFUSES to fix its own problems on its own. If the excuse is don't do this because of health care then when will the right time be? Canada's health care has been at dangerous levels for OVER 30 YEARS! Always working at or near peak with long wait times. Maybe in 30 more years this will be fixed?\n\nHousing is a problem because no one builds affordable housing. The system is fully corrupt. When you hear that 500k houses have been built...then odds are 99% of those were NOT affordable housing. Meanwhile well over 50% of Canadians REQUIRE affordable housing. So how many more years will it take to fix this problem when we're not even trying to address it?

Basically, the euphemism Canadian experience is a polite way to shield in my humble opinion, a form of chauvinism and bigotry to cut out immigrants from connecting into the labor market and protecting the labor market for what employers consider real Canadians\n\nThe way the whole immigration system is work. You have to work from the bottom up that includes investing in education in Canada and getting credentialed In Canada\n\nFrom my observation, they may need professionals, and they may release the skids with your professional degree and professional experience, overseas, and more importantly, with your youth, so that you can work and contribute to the economy, and then finding an employer to sponsor you at a very low wage\nLower than you can survive on require you to have to get a second job\n\nFrom what I hear from the infrastructure and the business opportunities are limited in Canada\n\nEstablish those raised and educated their often for times, find themselves having to choose to mow to the United States for about 5 to 10 years in order to earn a living and then they go back to Canada\n\nThis is not unlike Canadians, especially in the prairies, wanting to travel east, and having to drop down to drive-through the United States, and then re-enter Canada, because the highways aren’t available or to take a flight from one American city to the next near the border because the cost of flights are a lot less\n\nDoes not have the infrastructure or the business opportunities to support a growing economy yet they need to accommodate immigrants because their own population is not reproducing effectively\n\nLooks like a rock and a hard place

Post secondary institutions love foreign students. They charge waaaaay more and make that much more.\nThe response against more foreign students by liberal media is the threat that your tuition will go up with limits on foreign students.\nWhat about spaces? For every foreign student there's one less space for Canadian students.\nHousing is the biggest issue today.\nPrevious to Trudeau, the issue was the cost of detached homes in big cities going up but today it's insane rental costs across the board that no one can afford.\nI have been dumb founded as to why after decades of predictable increases and stock suddenly, year after year, cost went up dramatically as stock dwindled.\nI see the same places available, no one's tearing down masses of cheap 70s built rentals so what happened?\nThen I saw the immigration numbers. Canadians aren't having kids so who is taking all this housing? It has to be immigration.\nClearly, it's time to turn the taps down and allow housing stock to catch up.\nThe ripple effect is that no one can work an entry level job in the city. Who can afford a minimum $1000 month on minimum wage? Even at $20 hour, everyone is hiring but no one is filling positions in cities where there's nowhere to rent. Even these way over priced rentals, a bedroom in a run down house has line ups to rent at $800 month.\nThe only people accessing affordable housing are people on the street or on disability who qualify for it. Low income workers are the most screwed class of people especially if single.

Immigrants pay mortgages, pay taxes , do horrible jobs that European Canadians don’t do, aren’t immigrants building Canada , this is just political news , in reality immigrants are progressing Canada

Canada needs to limit immigration based on available infrastructure.\nPrices have skyrocketed and people can't find places to live. One building owner laughed in my face and said we aren't building these apartments for Canadians. He explained that he can get one years rent up front from international people and he keeps raising prices.. It's plain to see there is a problem.

Stop capping our resource sectors so much , start ramping up the procurement and processing of those resources . Our processes are way more eco friendly than the other main international providers . It would help drastically reduce emissions from non eco friendly sources while providing our economy with the huge boom it needs to upgrade our housing production and infrastructure. Look at the real stats on our worldwide emissions... Canadas emissions are a tiny blip of the worldwide emissions ... our government acts like we're this massive air pollutant scourge and we just aren't. We can go net zero pretty fast of we stop stepping all over our energy and resource sectors ... then immigration would be supportable ...

Those who are leaving to the privileague to leave, cause they aren´t tighten to jobs or living situation. They have resources and good income. Mostly rich people leave the country for tax-reasons and not for political or social siutations. On the other way many people want to immigrate to canada.

The elephant in the room here is race. Everyone ignores it but new immigrants aren't like old immigrants and now it's irreversible.

There is only one reason Canadians are leaving Canada, and it’s Trudeau.... that’s it.\n\nTrudeau and many United Nations countries are being run by an outside entity called the World Economic Forum WEF. You and about 500,000 people he has been immigrating every year over the last 8 years. He is trying to over burden our healthcare system, our housing shortage, and our job market; and also quadrupled the increase of the useless carbon tax which causes inflation on all of our housing, food, gas, and heating, and our dollar.\nTrudeau and the WEF want to crash the Canadian system so that they can move to a one world government that includes all of the United Nations Countries.....this is your answer, and this is why real Canadians are leaving the country.\nTrudeau wants to control peoples lives through digital ID, digital money, and 5 minute cities, and track everyone’s carbon footprint.... all of this leads to NO MORE FREEDOM.\n\nSo most of your video is only the impacts of these much bigger issues, and if you aren’t watching Trudeau in parliaments question period every day, then you won’t see between the lines and see his real snake like intentions.\n\nI am an Albertan who’s family that has been here 2 years before Canada became Canada, I would leave Canada but I’m waiting to see if Pierre can become our new Prime Minister and undo what Trudeau’s WEF infiltrated government has done to our country; if Trudeau gets back in; I’m waiting to see the civil war that will undoubtedly take place.\n\nThis is the real information you are looking for, now your guess work is done, now you need to figure out if you are going to stay or leave.

I love how the commentator acts like these fn Immigrants aren't loving Canada because their aren't abandoned indian kids defecating in the streets! I guess by those standards, yea Canada would be high on the list

As a native Canadian I totally understand your stand on winter and inflation. As a native Canadian I think we don't inform immigrants and outsiders that winter climate does to alot of people. There is a seasonal affective disorder (very prevelent) in my father's family and even my mother unfailing optimism get's like you fatigue at the very least. Kids love winter but yes as a adult or even a teen many people retreat and feel isolated. As for inflation, I do hope you find a country where the gouvernement(s) aren't denying the insanity that is going on. To be honest, after centuries of being a Quebec native, I have fantasized very heavily about moving myself because even with a good salary things each year since Covid-19 have become just terribly expensive and it affect primarily basic shelter and food needs. It's absurd! Good luck on your way settling where ever you will!

These aren't immigrants are not starving or suffering from malnutrition make y'all life better in your own country

I really do wish u all the best, but coming from a Muslim country myself immigrating to Canada recently, I’d say don’t get your hopes up, because so called “Muslim” countries aren’t much different, and having to live in a country where u can hear the athan is nice, but unfortunately is not enough. This is actually my problem with Western Muslims, romantacizing Muslim countries. I literally practiced Islam fully and more freely in Toronto than in Cairo or Dubai. There is no such thing is a “Muslim country” the way you guys having it painted in your minds! People in those countries are as just “people” they sin and as. corrupt as societies in the West but in a different way.

Except he will say all of Israel is Palestinian land.\n\nI really hope those who are immigrants aren’t in support of this ideology, or you’re a hypocrite.

Justin Trudeau has more than double the national debt of the country.... Heck, if immigrants aren't afraid for themselves, they should be TERRIFIED FOR THEIR CHILDREN'S future!!! Heck, I''m a native and I wonder how my kid is going to pay this wholesome of a debt in ten years from now....

There isn't any mass immigration and there aren’t any refugees / economic asylum seekers in Islamic countries, because - unlike guilt ridden Western countries - the Islamic countries kept their borders shut, since they aren’t especially keen to re-import the Islamic terrorism they are trying to export to the West.

I came to Canada over 20 years ago. My own thoughts are that Vancouver is a place where people tend to immigrate and often stay in their own ethnic groups. Particularly Chinese and HK people. I live in a part of Vancouver that is now almost all Chinese and HK people and they mostly don't speak English, and I don't speak Cantonese or Mandarin except for a few words, so we'll never know anything about each other. So, you write off ever knowing your neighbors'. Also the people born in Canada or who came here as small children and went through school together, particularly high school tend to have friend groups that are exclusive to them and it's hard to get past that you aren't one of the 'original' group members. Also, it's dark and rainy here for a good 5 months of the year and there is absolutely nothing going on outside that you can just casually go and do. There's skiing and things, but if you are from a country that has busy street life and street food and night markets, here is the opposite.. go outside in December in the dark and rain and see almost nobody and if you do they probably will just look at the floor. My friends are mostly other immigrants, and that's cool! But for me Canada has been a success financially and a bust socially. I'm fortunate that I bought my house 15 years ago, but if I had to pay the ridiculous rent that people have to pay, on top of the boring social life here I'd be gone from here !

This is a horrific mess!!!And the problems are just beginning,they came to the immigrant center in San Antonio.There is not enough of anything for them even sanitary facilities it's ruined the neighborhood and business in that area.A nightmare with no end.They bring them in at night when people aren't out to see it happening.Thank you Biden ,Democrats Liberals!Now you got them here what are you going to do with them?Destroying our country from the inside out!!!!!?

Most of this is accurate, except there are plenty of homes in Canada under $400 000. The problem is with the higher rates and stress test (which is another huge factor as to why people are leaving) it's difficult to be approved for enough to even purchase a cheap home. Also the competition for cheaper homes is brutal. Even with an income over $70 000 a year your looking at maybe being approved for $270 000 right now. Not many livable houses for that price in Ontario near jobs. Canada is not the same place anymore. Another problem is wages going down or becoming stagnant due to immigration. I have personally seen both security and the trucking industries nearly destroyed because of this. When entry level and mid-range trained jobs aren't making the wage you need to live, you don't have many choices but to go somewhere you can afford.

I can't stand this place and especially people! It's sooo dreadful, if I spoke truthfully the comment would get auto deleted. So since it turned out to be the polar opposite of the propaganda and how Canadians talk about themselves to the world (and the type of immigrants who fled poverty and had absolutely nothing back home and for whom Canada is actually an upgrade of sorts), I'll just use Canada as a stepping stone to get back to the US where I studied and got all my degrees and the place was infinitely better than Canada in almost every area. And there people are actually normal, like they'll talk to you, invite you to their home or to go out, make sure you aren't alone for Thanksgiving, etc. In Canada there's none of that, you're on your own! To me living in Canada is a nightmare!

Nice content, loved your English. As an immigrant myself and being Asian living in Canada, I literally didn’t have any big dreams when I decided to move to Canada. But only expectation I had was people would be more friendly, educated and so on, and I didn’t noticed that much about(i won’t like to call it racism) but the way local see and behave the other different countries people but now after living here for couple of years I can so easily see how the local treat you, behave you. That’s my biggest disappointment. It might be just my prospective or the phase that im going through and so on. But just wanted to share. Again i know I’m not the first or only person who felt it. And yes I know the local very closely too and how and why they feel that. Some of the immigrants aren’t respecting the rules, tradition or so on here. Well i guess it is what it is. \nJust wanted to share my experience. \nAnd I myself been thinking about leaving Canada for good too and I totally agree with your points. \nHopefully at least housing and rent goes down.

On my way to work this week, I was stopped at least 7 times by new immigrants \nwith a suitcase on wheels looking for a foodbank but could not speak a lick of \nEnglish. (They were lucky I could understand bits of their Mexican / Spanish)\n\nThey aren't my problem. They are Trudeau's problem. I never invited them here.\nI'm just glad I opened up my own business years ago and became successful \nbecause Trudeau's Canada has all the Govt jobs reserved for indigenous, black,\nlgbtq and other exclusive liberal groups. \n\nIf he can't even give jobs to those 'special groups' which I'm not a part of, then \nthey aren't my problem. I had to go get mine so go get yours.

Not just the housing crisis, but just the general economy. Immigration in the current circumstances is nothing more than a threat of allowing ideological extremists and other such 'enemies' into our country, while simultaneously making everything more expensive for the average Canadian, ON TOP OF our tax dollars being funneled into wars halfway across the globe that *DO NOT CONCERN US,* and probably diverting a significant portion of that into hidden accounts of our 'supreme leaders', and finally 'Multiculturalism' is just a failed experiment that weakens our values, culture, and ethics.\n\nI don't hate or blame the individuals that are coming here because they aren't the ones at fault, they're just reacting to world circumstances. No, I hate the people who are funneling them here, paying them greater benefits than I myself can qualify for as a *CITIZEN,* or are sending them here with the intention to drain us dry. So basically, the government.

Well we dont have to do a 300.000 research on this matter ,look around and see with your own eyes only benefits the corporations that thrive of minimum wages the people dont there the one the goverment work for and the people are the ones that suffer and dont tell me there aren't workers to fill in the job's market ,if they were paid wages according to inflation but not to many Canadians are going to work for minimum wage but when you share a rental suite with 5 people than ,a total failure Canada used to be a nice place to live ,no infrastructure but bring in 1.200.000 people per year immigration and students ,total failure of the government no racism but facts

And many immigrants are leaving Canada apparantly because theres nothing for them here, they aren't any better off. The government basically lies to them to bring them into Canada with false hopes and promises in their immigration advertising.

Immigrants aren’t the only ones feeling this, you should be reporting all Canadians

100% bang on.. I've lived in Dubai (traveled to many other countries).. this is nowhere near being considered as developed anymore (GDP criteria is outdated)..Canada got developed and they forgot to update and even upgrade..!! The drug situation is so bad that I really hope that you didn't come across crackheads/homeless who are under the influence of drugs at all times.. No doubt there are way more homeless people in India, but they are working or at least trying in some way to make their life better and they never hurt you at least, here, it's the opposite, as they literally can do anything.. you can find them roaming all over on the streets of Old Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa.. You can literally find them everywhere.. someone commented earlier that you should give 2 years.. Bro or sis.. it's a complete waste as I am at the same point.. and on top of it when you invested 2 years, it even becomes tougher as it becomes even harder to go back as you have spent so much on furniture, house, car, tools, n all and most importantly - 2 YEARS of life. I left my pregnant wife and have been staying away from her and a 1-and-a-half-year-old baby boy hoping that we'll create a better future and can afford to struggle right now.. its been 2+ years.. Honestly.. I am still not able to figure out whether there is any future or I have spoiled my present looking for a future.. its a dilemma beyond explanation in words, with no relatives or anyone based here.. I've a lot at stake currently and that's the only reason I am stuck otherwise leaving this place seems to be inevitable.. \n\nI travel extensively all throughout and forget about expressways anywhere in Canada (Except 407 which has an insane toll rate) it's a 4-lane highway just 80 km from Toronto to the rest of 450+ kms to Montreal which are 2 major cities of this so-called developed country.. same is for Ottawa, the same hold true from Calgary to Edmonton, and any other major town/city!! on top of it, they are struggling to even maintain those (always under construction - even construction is a wrong word to use as they aren't adding anything new.... it is just being repaired in true words) Same is true with adding new infra in terms of hospitals or any other facility... Banking sucks.. Still dealing through the mail (Postal mail).. (Mails not e-mails). I simply can't get that.. the tax agency - CRA sends communications through the mail, and the same with any other agency.. Comon.. grow up is what I feel at times..!! People are literally not willing to work (Except hard-working immigrants), Govt. doesn't have any plans for the future regarding the economy and development... just bringing in immigrants.. that's it..\n\nYou've made a very smart decision and really at a very good time.. wish you, and your family all the best..!!

You lost me at #2. It doesn't get talked about much because it is absolute nonsense. East Asians make more money than White Canadians. Culture matters. Two parents in the home matters. An inconvenient truth. Nine of the top ten countries from which Canada draws its immigrants are non white. Is that something a racist country would do? Let a generation pass before you complain there aren't enough poc in top positions. Are you supposed to run the bank the day you arrive? A qualified, capable, hard working poc is the most privileged person in Canada. And there has not been a single body unearthed at any residential school. Sorry lady, you are way off on this point.

Of course everyone is leaving. The governments unending progressive policies completely forget that you have to actually produce houses and allow medical systems to grow to accommodate the increase in population. \n\n1. Money is worth way less than it used to due to inflation from excess money printing \n2. There aren't enough jobs for full time employment\n3. The medical system is massively shorthanded resulting in huge ER wait times, no family doctors and long specialist wait times (up to a year)\n4. Unnecessary excessive taxation with very little to show for it in terms of public services\n5. Massive housing shortage - Only 1 house being built for every 7 new immigrants coming to Canada\n6. General lack of infrastructure to allow for the increased population in most cities

1) Toronto is poor value. Getting housing of any kind (buying or renting) is stupidly expensive. And the quality you get for the price is lousy. Especially the newer builds, which are just thrown up as quickly as possible and sold to investors. Policy measures generally all seem to serve to just inflate the price of housing further. The occasional lip service given to affordability is amusing, but ultimately sad. There are lots of people who really do not want the housing bubble to pop. They will fight against it with all they have.\n\n2) It has become kind of boring. There is lots to do if you have money, but it’s harder to find entertainment on a budget. Even the free stuff like parks are filling up. Stuff like sporting events, eating out, going out is very costly across the board. Even the “cheaper” stuff is expensive. It seems like a lot of local culture is disappearing. Even the cool neighbourhoods are filling up with the same chains. I think the high commercial rent and bureaucracy is deflating a lot of would-be entrepreneurs. Most landowners seem to just be banking on cashing out their land for condos.\n\n3) Canada overall has a high cost of living compared to salaries. In the US you can find lower cost of living areas that still give you a real city experience. And in Europe you can be poor but still live a decent, if no frills, life. In Canada the basic necessities are all expensive. Phone bills, grocery bills, rent, insurance are through the roof. Domestic travel is expensive. And the dollar sucks if you want to travel abroad. Health care is free but good luck finding a family doctor or waiting 8 hours in the ER these days. It’s expensive to be poor, or even middle class.\n\n4) Most of the Greater Toronto Area, outside the core, is soulless suburbs with awful transit - very “American” except with worse traffic congestion. You will need a car, which is another huge cost. Row upon row of old cookie cutter suburbs with the same crappy houses. Good luck walking anywhere, and if you do you will need to walk down boring, treeless arterial roads with cars zooming past right beside you, and cross giant eight lane intersections that were never built for humans on foot. In a rainstorm or on a fall evening you have to be really careful not to be run over by aggressive drivers.\n\n5) It is hard to raise a family in an apartment here. You can do it but it’s not very easy, and also you are still kind of judged for it. Lots of young people are feeling stuck and are deferring or avoiding starting a family. Buying any type of house, even a basic townhouse, requires pledging your soul to a bank by taking a massive mortgage with eye watering debt in a volatile market. But few apartment buildings have the kind of sensible gentle density, the family unit sizes and the common amenities, like little courtyards with jungle gyms, that you might find in Europe. No one ever contemplated that anyone would ever desire to raise kids in an apartment. It’s just a cultural thing that has worked its way into how things are planned and designed.\n\n6) The transit system is ok by North American standards but awful by international standards. There are only two real subway lines, one stub line, one line that is permanently out of service after a derailment, and another line that was supposed to open a couple years ago but still has no date for opening. The subways go out of service frequently, sometimes for the dumbest reasons, and then it is a zoo of shuttle buses. The streetcars are nice but so slow. The buses are fine if you find yourself dreaming about riding a daily herky jerky rolling tin of sardines. They are building a lot of transit but it will take decades to get done.\n\n7) There is still a lot of cool multiculturalism and opportunities to experience different foods and cultures - one of the best things about Toronto. Increasingly though it seems to be losing the fun vibe of the 90s, when everyone celebrated each other’s backgrounds and was chill. It seems the immigration is not as broad based anymore and also people are importing a lot of their “old country” grievances here. The immigration system also kind of preys on people abroad by selling them a false fairy tale, so they end up dejected when they arrive and see how things really are.\n\n8) This one might be controversial but it’s kind of an ugly city. There’s nothing particularly of historical meaning or value. Some of the older neighbourhoods are kind of nice, but the last 25 years they have only built giant glass skyboxes, one after another. There aren’t the cool “missing middle” walkups like in NY, Chicago or Montreal (or even LA). There are very few buildings with much architectural character. Some of the buildings they deem “heritage” here are an embarrassment.\n\n9) For safety, honestly on this score I think Toronto is not bad. There are not too many real “ghettos” and it’s night and day compared to much of the US. With that said, there is more vagrancy and social issues these days, with tents and such. It’s very sad but the shelters are full, lots of homeless go into the libraries, parks and transit system. It does make it harder to enjoy these public amenities safely. It is nowhere close to Europe where you might let your kids run free around town. Canadian parents still helicopter their kids and the place again is not designed to really be safe for kids, in the same way as Europe.\n\n10) Finally, a bit of a double edged sword. Toronto had a lot of youthful energy - people coming here from all over. It is definitely not as sleepy as many parts of the world. With that said, it is becoming a bit of a transient place (minus the world class experiences like London or NY). If you are from elsewhere you might find it hard making and keeping friends. I’ve seen lots of people struggle because it’s is hard to build a strong social network. We have a very “shallow” culture here - people are extremely polite but not overly warm and hospitable. We treat one another kind of like neighbours - meaning we’d like to have a cordial, drama-free coexistence and otherwise kind of stick to ourselves.

Meanwhile, Canada's broken immigration system is nobody's secret weapon. It's just broken. There aren't enough homes to go around.

The people leaving aren’t immigrants, they are Canadians who discovered that the country they were born in is gone.

Canada is just a tool for other countries to benefit from, and I don't mean that in the context of immigration, I meant that in the context of everything that matters being owned by non Canadian entities. Politicians don't decide anything, their sponsors do. Their sponsors aren't Canadian nor do they have any Canadian interest past the exploitation of our people and resources. This country is the poster child for wasted potential.