Close Reading

As a Canada who speaks both French and English and who follows politics quite closely, I have to say that the headline and some of the reporting here is quite misleading. A reduction in immigration has broad support across Canada. I wouldn't say that notion is dividing the country in any significant way. You do have certain industry groups that disagree, but among the population these reductions have broad support. This is a historic change in public opinion in Canada, but it has been driven by the unprecedented increase in immigration under the last term of the Trudeau government. To put this in context, non-permanent residents in Canada numbered around 1.5 million on Q3 2023, but by Q3 2025, that number sat a just over 3 million. The previous government increased immigration targets by 3 or 4 times over what they had been for years, which caused a number of economic issues. Essentially, the volume was simply too high for the economy and society to support. This was unfair to both Canadians and new comers, many of which could not find employment or afford a decent place to live. The changes being suggested are largely bringing Canada back to what the targets were for over a decade before, though a bit lower to account for the sudden surge. Canada remains one of the most pro-immigration countries in the world. However, and this is where I think DW's reporting is misleading, there is a distinction to be made between policies at the federal level and policies at the provincial level. Immigration, per our constitution, is a federal matter, however, Quebec in particular is distinct from other provinces. I don't mean only culturally and linguistically, but also in the powers that have been devolved to it by the federal government. On the question of immigration, Quebec has more powers and more ability to set its immigration targets and programs than any of the other 9 provinces. The particular program discussed here, the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ), is a particular immigration stream that only existed in Quebec. So what is happening with that program cannot be labeled as a whole-of-Canada thing. Where the changes to the PEQ are controversial, unlike the general changes at the federal level, is that people who immigrated under that specific program were promised certain things. There was a multi-year time line to Permanent Residency and then Citizenship. Many of those people have been in Quebec for 5-8 years already. However, the changes made to the program were done in such a way where people who many years into the program, had gotten an education, started a career, had children, ect. are now being told they can't continue and must leave Canada. There are even stories of people who married Canadians, now have children, and the one parent who was under this program now faces the possibility of having to leave Canada and be separated from their family. All through no fault of their own. That is what many people see as unfair, and I agree, however limiting future applications under the program, to bring in less people, that is not controversial. Canada has no responsibility to bring in people who are not already in Canada, but Canada does have some responsibility towards people who uprooted their lives to move to Canada and built new lives here based on promises and representations made to them by the Canadian and Quebecois governments. We should no simply kick those people out of the country.

Even Quebec is closing it. lol.

Any urbanist would tell you Canada is just a sprawled and poor transportation as America . It’s just Canada has a population smaller than CALIFORNIA for the whole damn country. The big five cities have transit no better than say DC Metro at best. Definitely not NYC esque. It just looks better because it’s only 10 cities worth a damn in all of Canada to live in. But Montreal (2nd biggest Canada city) vs LA? Not even close. Toronto is like DC Or Chicago transit wise . It’s great - for North America . All North America outside NY, DC, T Dot , Montreal, Chicago, and the Bay Area and maybe Vancouver and Boston/Philly have awful transit. It’s a NORTH AMERICAN issue. Nova Scotia Transit is shit. Same with most of the other non Ontario, Quebec, and Alberta cites and of Course greater Vancouver- the rest of Canada is Colombus Ohio- who the fuck cares

Some of the stats cited here are straight up wrong or... creatively employed, and there's a lot of contradictory information and the typical conservative 'the sky is falling' sensationalism and misattribution. That said, the bas supposition isn't wrong. The bubble we've been sitting on for 20 or so years has completely burst. As someone born and raised in the Toronto area, it's impossible for me to afford to own a house or apartment here on a teacher's salary. Even rent pushes me to the limit unless I want to live in a... less than nice area. I'm living hand to mouth and enjoying the benefits of living in a 'developed' country less. Here's why:\n\n1. Wages aren't really even close to keeping up with the cost of living. The first tick upwards a bit. The second just keeps rising on the back of housing, food, amenities, and inflation: the four horsemen.\n\n2. Our grocery cabal ruthlessly raise prices whenever we look away, and their lobbyists are all ensconced within the leadership of our three major parties, particularly the Conservatives (so if anyone thinks that electing them will help, they're in for a nasty surprise).\n\n3. We're experiencing 'labour shrinkflation': increasing duties are downloaded onto workers and more is expected: more productivity, more availability (almost 24/7 in some jobs), and higher qualifications. Meanwhile, real wages are decreasing relative to living cost, more positions are 'contract', which is basically a way for employers to not have to give you benefits, and job security is tenuous for a lot of people.\n\n4. Houses are being bought by investors and not owners. Foreign entities are money laundering. The wealthy upper crust of high population countries are moving here and buying property because Canada is (still) more safe and stable and less repressive than their home countries in most cases. \n\n5. There's a cycle beginning: as people are squeezed and forced to spend more on 'needs', they spend less on eating out, entertainment, and other 'wants'. These are significant drivers of the service economy and they're being hit hard. So, what can they do? They can let go of workers or lower product costs to remain profitable, but they their quality declines and, in a market where people are pinching every penny and looking for quality for their dollar, they're less likely to go back. They can raise their prices, of course, but then they price people out completely and their profits still tank. I went to a decent steakhouse for my dad's 60th last week. I can't remember the last time that I went to one before that. \n\n6. Our politicians and news cycles focus on the most niche and irrelevant stuff because it'll stoke anger and get tongues wagging. This carbon thing is almost a non-issue, but our conservative leader is harping on about it like it's singlehandedly the death of the Canadian economy when it's a drop in the bucket. Trudeau focuses on 'equity' measures, hoping for a bit of cheap good press, while his efforts are, for the most part, just window dressing and the issues, while meaningful, are often not of paramount importance or even applicable to the vast majority of the people who elected him. Meanwhile, the middle class is pretty much evaporating as he speaks. The NDP keep talking about this in a pretty real way, for what it's worth, but Jagmeet Singh is giving off an increasing vibe of just being another fat cat politician beneath his rhetoric these days. Also, third-party trolls and screeching conservatives try to bury him on social media whenever he speaks... a lot more than other leaders as well, oddly. I wonder why? Oh yeah, the Greens exist and there's Quebec and the conspiracy theory party.\n\n\nUltimately, what we're experiencing is the revenge of the feudal system. Instead of paying rents to your lord and doing labour on the land for him whenever commanded to, you pay rent to your landlord now and go to work even when you're sick or when work hours are over because you have no union protection or are working 'on contract'. Unless we want to live in the armpit of nowhere, 95% of us are going to be wage slaves living hand-to-mouth, not owning our own property, and working to please our corporate overlords if current trends continue unchecked. While some of Canada's problems are unique, I fear that most aren't. As for me, I'm headed to the 'armpit of nowhere' where I can at least have a ghost of a chance of affording life.

Fabulous video! US viewer here. But we often vacationed in Quebec’s Laurentians and our daughter went to Ontario’s University of Toronto for her undergraduate degree about 15 years ago. UofT was rigorous, to say the least, but she did it in 4 years, unlike some of her peers. She LOVED it, and made many friends, including internationals. They’ve stayed close on FB, and even get together (some flying in from other countries, including the Middle East and Asia) every 2 years or so back in Toronto. We’ve found the easiest way to make friends is by going to university or college together and living in residence, rather than once we’ve enter the workforce.\n\nThat said, and as unpolite as it may be, the root of Canada’s problems are exactly its politics. IMO Canada’s misguided liberal policies are to blame for its stratospheric taxes, cost of housing, increasing crime, tolerant drug culture, and deteriorating health care system. That Canada now encourages voluntary euthanasia to reduce health care costs should say it all. Margaret Sanger would be proud. And it promises to get worse as long as Justin Trudeau and his ilk are in power. His lionizing climate change intervention at the expense of what really impacts Canadians is sheer madness. Conservative Party Pierre Poilievre and like-minded politicians could fix it all.\n\nHappily, here in the US, the conservative movement is growing and energized. Once-liberal, especially ‘minority,’ voters are understanding how little the left really offers in the long run, and are switching sides. They’ll be voting for Trump in November.

I mean the reasons listed are already reason enough, but additional reasons:\n\n- our labour laws tend to be superior to the majority of states (seriously, Wisconsin has no workers rights, maternity leave is barely a thing in most states let alone parental leave)\n-social security net in the event of losing a job (during the start of the pandemic, even though we did have to suddenly change the system, the fact that we already had a safety net to begin with was a huge relief to many)\n- the racism, while still obviously present, is significantly lower (experienced more racism in Edmonton than I do in a tiny town in rural Quebec). This before even beginning to consider how the police forces in the USA would be more likely to target someone like me whether I am guilty or not (have personally had nothing but good experiences with the police anywhere I have lived personally).\n\nThe only things that have ever tempted me in particular have been the lower housing costs, but… that’s clearly only the immediate monetary cost, and for me has never even come close to making up for the other significantly more important things that I would have to deal with / be concerned over.

I was born in Canada, and lived to see the change from traditional values to this mess...\n\n1 - homelessness\nthe rents and other things went up, and welfare does nt match it. even minimum wage does nt cover it in some cases, \nit s a given that you will finish on the sidewalk, and that does that many will turn to drinking and drugs.\nit will not last long however, as winter comes and there are nt enough shelters, so they conveniently die.\nyou could invest billions, it will not help if you have bad management, you have to dig deeper...\n\n2 - racism\nit s a bit of a backward country in that sense, many rural areas were very late in receiving immigrants,\nso they re not used to see diversity, unlike the US lets say, so there are parts of the country where acceptation\nwill be low, they will discriminate and gossip for sure, but it s more backward as it is racism.\nin time, when they get to know you, it goes away, and they realise how dumb they were.\nI live in Quebec, and you can blame feminism for that, they see Muslims as a symbol of patriarchy and feel threatened.\n\n3 - medical\nit s been like that since about the 90s, again, bad management made the system crash for some reason.\nI admit that I m not sure of what happened exactly there, not enough doctors for sure.\nmaybe it has to do with income, as they can get more revenue in the US or elsewhere.\nI suspect that hospitals s management - administration is too slow and crowded, but I m no expert.\n\n4 - technology\nyeah, well, it s expensive here, cell contracts, internet, probably because of distance, but I suspect\nthat we re being cheated a little too, and since again, we re a bit backward, we re used to the old methods.\nwe re not fast to adopt new trends or fashion either, it s very traditional here mostly.\n\n5 - taxes\nwe have federal and provincial taxes, plus purchase taxes, so yeah, we pay a lot of them.\nexactly, it can vary from 30 - 60% for sure, overtime does nt pay that much, 2 nd jobs can build you a big bill.\nyou re better to save on expenses than trying to earn more, you have to be cheap.\n\n6 - Canadian experience\nI m born here, but I heard of many stories about immigrants s credentials not fitting the local standards.\nin some cases, it sounds ridiculous, and closed minded, not accepting outside concepts and ideas.\nI did nt know about speaking English, but I sure know about French in Quebec...\nhere, it s very insecure about the language, almost paranoid, without speaking French, you will have many troubles.\nagain, it s mostly about bad management, and rules and mentality that self sabotage.\n\n7 - housing\nlike mentioned before, the real estate in general has jumped tremendously.\nI m no financier expert, but an overview of economy tells me that banks compete between countries,\nand they will recourse on artificially inflating the value of real estate, and that plainly kills people.\nthis is the main reason of the homelessness you see on the streets.\nyeah, the soundproofing is quite poor, and some very old buildings can cost a lot in heating.\n\n8 - well, crime is on the rise, and citizens supporting the law and public safety is not very encouraged by the system in place.\nin some way, you re better to shut up than supporting the police... this has to change!\n\n9 - the social services are biased, and impose their vision if you want help.\n\n10 - the mental health policy is too wide, and makes you ill instead of helping.\n\n11 - the pharmaceutical companies are too influencing, and make people sick instead of helping.\n\n12 - the food regulation is lacking, it is not strict enough, allowing chemicals, gmo, and radiation.\n\n13 - feminism is almost radical, especially in Quebec, they segregate genders, and dividing us, it makes the country weak.\n\notherwise, you pretty much covered it well.\n\ngood work sissses.

Montreal rents in pretty good and in Quebec in general. Ontario is a fair bit more expensive. However even Ontario rents aren't that bad compared big US cities. Where Canada is really expensive is the cost of *owning* housing. I also don't really agree about food being more expensive in the US, I'd say it's pretty close, maybe even slightly cheaper in the US.\n\nAnd I don't think Columbus, OH would be that bad to live in. Sure, it doesn't have the big city life like Montreal or Toronto or even Vancouver, but it's probably on par with Edmonton, Winnipeg or London, ON or Kitchener-Waterloo? Maybe even like Ottawa, Hamilton or Calgary? (but warmer than all of the above).

Let's be honest, you can live in Quebec even if you speak only english as long as you work in Montreal city or very close. I highly recommend to learn french but it still possible without it. Most of people born in Quebec like me got to learn english, being surrounded by english nations don't give to much choices, need to learn english to get better careers. Most of poeple living in Montreal area speak french and english.

Quebec,did you get drunk before you did your laughable evaluation.BCis number 1 all day,not even close

as a Canadian born and bread I am sadden to hear the challenges of new comers but there are a couple pieces of advice I can offer. even Canadians have to build references at adulthood. there are ways to start out. volunteering provides not only references but a sense of contribution and and community. educators and agencies you engage with as do religious institutions and any organizations you may come evolve with for references. as far as the climate dress in\n layers, invest in sturdy boots with good tread in the colder months and to get outside and learn not only to embrace but enjoy the colder months. hike the trails. the trails year round. you can pick up a cheap pair of grippers for your boots in the sporting goods department of any Canadian tire. pick up a cheap toboggan and slide down a hill. snowshoeing after a fresh fallen snow requires endurance but very little skill. its lovely how quiet how still and silent the woods are in the winter. how bright and visible the winter landscape is at night and how lush and green the woods in summer. if in Ontario definitely visit the falls. you can find culture and history in both Montreal and Quebec especially old Quebec. most people in both are bilingual in French and English and even a word or two of French is appreciated and you can be sure of a response in English.youd also be surprised at how possible it is to communicate even with a language barrier. if you are close to Toronto, you can explore many different cultures in both neighborhoods and events. I wish you all the best in where ever your futures lie xoxo