Close Reading

Isn't it interesting that cities which attest to such heights of civilization can pursue policies that lead to their ruination? Isn't there an experiment with rat over population that demonstrates when too many are packed into the same place their behavior goes haywire?

My daughter is nearing the end of 2 great years in Canada on an IEC (backpacker) visa from Australia. She’s loved the people, the landscape (mostly lived in BC and Alberta) , and working there…. She picked up interesting jobs, worked very hard, just about made ends meet, has been great. \n\nShe was even offered a permanent job by a major Canadian co last year (she was working for them on a one year role at the time) that would’ve paved the way for her to apply for PR…but she turned it down without a second thought….. for all the reasons you would know about \n\n- Wages aren’t great (maybe 20% less than australia), \n\n- taxes are high (incl having to pay CPP…in australia the employer pays all pension contributions, on top of wages), \n\n- groceries prices out of kilter, \n\n- rents consume most of what’s left…. \n\n- AND, even if you could save a deposit for a house, or shoebox apartment….what’s the point, could never afford it. \n\nShe’s seen nearly all her Canadian friends resigned to their fate of being perennial renters, of being perpetually skint. It’s no life. She’s sad to see it - coming from a country of perpetual optimism and opportunity, to learn over time how such a (on many levels) similar country isn’t like that, that has somehow got it all so wrong. \n\nIf you are thinking of “australia” as your answer, it’d be a fair call\n\n- Avoid Sydney if you can (a less expensive Vancouver) but rest of the place is “workable”. \n\n- Average wage in Perth is $100k (C$90k) and average house (full size…not an apt or townhouse) price is about $700k (C$630k) …so do-able, if tight to start with, for youngsters (like you..!) \n\n- I’ve been to Vancouver’s East Hastings St, and so can confirm is nowhere close to that in Oz. Are sketchy parts of all cities, but it’s definitely not community wide\n\n- are small pockets of homelessness (esp but not only indigenous community) but the governments are mostly (sort of…) “on it” \n\n- sun, sea, sand… and the sharks rarely come close to shore!

That video isn't telling you all the truth. In fact Germany needs more foreign labour. But the amount of money you can make hear depends on your education. You have to differ between a software engineer and a nurse.\nAnd the second issue is where do you want to live. Cities like munich and Berlin are extremely expensive.\nBut small place like Magdeburg or Kassel are quite cheap,. but not very interested at all

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

*shrugs* Canadian here. No interest in leaving, especially to the US of all places.\n\nI mean think that through. My income tax is around 17% of my income. My capital gains on investments is around 15%. I get free health care (which while obviously not free - is paid out of my taxes, yet isn't rationed or in-network restrictions, doesn't have copays and cover 90% of my medical needs). I have a government that even at its worst, is orders of magnitude more rational and public serving than the US (and god help you if Trump gets back in). Not to mention a country that doesn't literally have a major gun violence/mass shooting even EVERY FRICKING WEEK, unlike the US.\n\nAnd yes, I live in Metro Van and I have an 850 sq ft two bedroom apt I'm renting for $1250/mo - so maybe the problem isn't simply that the housing market is too tight (which it is), but that you've picked a city in high demand that's boxed in on four sides - ocean to the west, mountains to the north, US border to the south and what little farmland the lower mainland can sustain to the east. You could, of course, move elsewhere in Canada like Edmonton or Calgary, but yeah...not whiny enough, I guess.\n\nSorry, you're entitled to you views of course, but I can't help thinking most of your problems are self-inflicted... so yeah, move to the States.\n\nI'm SURE it'll work out better for you....

Thank you for sharing this video ❤ it really resonates with me because I am in the US born to Pakistani parents and am planning on leaving InshaAllah when the timing is good. Im single with no kids and it already worries me sending kids to public schools ? This craziness is getting only getting worse. I would love to go to an Arab country to continue practicing as a nurse bc I feel like PK isn't the safest in the cities. But im still looking at my options. It'll be interesting to see where you guys settle InshaAllah!

Tell me that this isn’t really happening is this our Great Britain ?? or not our prime minister and so called mayor of London need to get a grip that is if they are still interested or have any interest in this country if you don’t then let someone who now how get this country of ours back on track and save our great city’s and our history and our way of life our beliefs it’s not being racist it’s just common sense our flag our national anthem god bless England and all UK where is Churchill E P

big problem with the housing is also trudeau taking in so many immigrants and refugees before having enough available housing for everybody. I think they were taking in 200k people a year. while we need atleast 1million new houses within the next 10 years in order to supply enough to the population. There was also an issue with forieign purchases where people from other countries were buying houses in canada and nobody living in them. Trudeaus votes comes from majority indian people and arabic since thats a lot of the population in canada, and to win those votes and get more hes friendly with them accepting a lot of immigrants from those countries, its not a bad thing since a lot are very well educated and their peaceful people for the most part, but the problem is there isn't enough housing. Even renting has become competitive , owning is near impossible without help. Trudeau really messed up the country, houses are riduclously expensive and they often go into bidding wars if in a good area, banks interest rates keep going up now, loans are harder to take out, sadly we need to limit the amount of immigrants that come into the country until the right number of houses are built in the country, if anything new and major cities need ot be build in other locations with jobs in order to get more people spread out around the provinces. Once there is enough houses and jobs i believe the doors should be open to whomever wishes to come (obviously with a background check) but until then there should be a limit so the houses stop going up.

Interesting points. I have friends that have moved out to Canada and they now complain about it for different reasons some of witch what you've mentioned as drawbacks for Australia. Property in Canada is expensive, people work longer hours for less money and the cold weather most of the year (not to mention black ice in winter). Some people have also mentioned facing racism in Canada. Also cities over there are boring/not much to do (that's what I've been told). The grass isn't always greener on the other side. Also, you seem to have lived in one of the most boring and isolated cities in Australia. There's a reason why Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane are more populated than Perth and make the most liveable cities top list every year.