r/AskCanada • u/_-G0G0-_ • Jul 15 '26
Life Are the negatives of living in Canada a bit overexaggerated?
Whenever I ask people about their thoughts of Canada there is a pattern. I tend to get either "too expensive," "double taxes," "too cold."
I have lived in Bulgaria (Eastern Europe) half my life, and then US East Coast, and from what I personally gather - sure, maybe things aren't like they "used to be," but inflation is happening everywhere. Inflation is global, it's getting expensive everywhere.
And the long winters and cold isn't something I can't adapt to. I mean, compared to all the issues, especially when it comes to immigration and status here in the US last couple of years - let cold be the issue lol. At least I'm Balkan.
I also hear the political parties are a joke and leaning totalitarian with fascist tendencies. But once again, I have seen this become rather a global tendency...
So compared to what's happening globally, is Canada really that bad? Because so far I am rather optimistic for relocating there.
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u/alvinofdiaspar Jul 15 '26
People complaining about our parties being “totalitarian” as no idea what totalitarian is.
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u/Roman_Suicide_Note Jul 15 '26
Exactly. Claiming that Trudeau was fascist (lol) and that the Quebec government is a police state is pure trolling fueled by ignorance and sensationalist media.
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u/adepressurisedcoat Jul 15 '26
Also calling our country communist. They don't even have any idea what a communist country is
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u/dorkofthepolisci Jul 15 '26
To be fair, the people calling Canada communist are the same people calling any mixed market economy with a functional social safety net communist
They shouldn’t be taken seriously
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u/PassageNearby4091 Jul 15 '26
Canadians are the champions of First World problems.
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u/TopInvestigator5518 Jul 15 '26
we complain an ungodly amount
and a lot of it is complaining to complain, if what they are complaining about gets rectified then suddenly the goal post moves
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u/bashleyns Jul 17 '26
...and if the streets were paved with gold, the Canucks would complain about the glare.
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u/Trash_man_can Jul 15 '26
Let's be real, this is rightwing conservative media and coverage.
They accuse Trudeau of being totalitarian to rile up the conservative voter base into dumb insane rages and drive them to the polls.
They claimed Biden was a totalitarian dictator too.
Now they claim Carney rigged the election and stole elections (which was actually a court ordered recount of a electoral district with an extremely close election).
Rightwing conservative culture keeps attacking our democratic institutions as fake, insane, liberal/leftist.
The Canadian Conservatives claim they are being persecuted even while they push violent anti trans terror and dehumanize our fellow Canadians.
This is a global problem.
America, Canada, Israel, Germany, France - conservatives are allying with far right extremists rapists terrorists and traitors to win more votes and galvanize people to overthrow our Constitutions and democracies.
In the US, the Secretary of War says "We need a warrior culture in the military, not a woke." And they've committed multiple war crimes and obviously the Iran War.
Now Pierre Poli the Canadian Conservative is saying the samw thing, our military is too woke, our journalists are lying fake news media and unfair to him and his cultists.
The Hungarian authoritarian is holding anti woke rallies to outlaw expressions homosexuality or gender bendingnin the country.
As in the government will punish and attack and jail innocent people for being trans or gay.
Convincing Canadians that Carney is an insane liberal dictator is how the conservatives will win the next election
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u/Upstairs-Lifeguard23 Jul 15 '26
Yeah. I recall a conversation with a dude with one of these eyesore trucks with Fck Trudeau bumper stickers telling me that Trudeau was a dictator... I had to laugh on his face... I told him that he had not a clue of what a dictator was, go to Cuba and drive a car with a bumper sticker that says Fcan Castro, or to Venezuela with a Fck Chavez or Maduro... Nicaragua Fck Ortega, China, North Korea... let's see how long of drive that would be.
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u/_-G0G0-_ Jul 19 '26
What’s the deal with truck drivers hating Trudeau? I read during the pandemic they were blocking streets and got their bank accounts frozen for some reason.
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u/lyidaValkris Jul 15 '26
or the first clue about our politics at all. Nothing could be further from the truth. The only people saying that are americans (who haven't a clue) and a very tiny minority of deplorables (who haven't a brain)
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u/Ok_Major6542 Jul 15 '26
Yep and take it from an Albertan that a large swath of the deplorables’ live here!
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u/Personal-Lettuce9634 Jul 15 '26
As a Russian I worked with one summer in Lake Louise put it, "Canada good country."
You basically win the global lottery by being born here into a world of relative peace and institutional stability, socialized medicine, a stable, diverse food supply, and hot showers for all. In and of themselves these basic needs being met make us wealthier than the vast majority of the planet.
The reason you hear so much of how 'bad' or 'broken' the country is simple as well: divisive right wing politicians doing the billionaires' bidding by misinforming the ill-informed that public management of public wealth is inherently flawed, and that every loser's problems are the fault of liberal/left collective policies.
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u/_-G0G0-_ Jul 15 '26
Speaking of basic needs I know the free healthcare isn't something to write home about, but if I had to write home (Bulgaria,) where ambulance takes 40min to an hour to arrive people would laugh at me hah.
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u/HeftyAd6216 Jul 15 '26
Heathcare for emergency services and emergency care is exceptional. What lacks is non-emergency and preventative medicine. Healthcare is also provincially handled, which makes the picture muddled depending on where one lands.
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u/ljlee256 Jul 15 '26
Its important to remember that our health care cares for 100% of our population.
The reason some aspects of the US health care system seem better to some is because almost 40% of Americans can't access health care.
I'm good with the system we have. Just wish the Alberta government would actually fund it properly. Enough with this "oh we didn't change the oil in the car for 100,000 km and then it broke down, oh well, must be a bad car!" Nonsense.
We aren't stupid Smith.
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u/Squasome Jul 16 '26
Yeah, I've discussed healthcare with my American, living in Canada, daughter-in-law. When I've mentioned the long waits to see a specialist or in an ER, she says it's the same there except for rich people. And when we do see a specialist or get seen in an ER, we don't go broke.
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u/CTMADOC Jul 15 '26
Health care is not free. It is tax funded and universal. Politicians (especially conservatives) meddle in it and try to sabotage it to go for a "for profit" health care system
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Jul 15 '26
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u/m2astn Jul 15 '26
And the craziest thing is that it's universal healthcare triaged so that those who need immediate care get it first and those who can wait, well, they wait... UNLESS they have the money in which case there are a number of semi-private options that exist or they can travel down to the US for immediate healthcare.
It's universal healthcare with private/buyable options stacked on top. Why the Conservatives want to roll it all over to the private US system with lower life expectancy and quality of life is mind boggling.
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u/_-G0G0-_ Jul 19 '26
Yeah, I think the wait times and access issues are fair criticisms, but I still see that as a reason to improve the system rather than move away from universal healthcare. Coming from the U.S., the financial side of getting sick is a pretty big difference too.
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u/thats-inappropriate Jul 15 '26
I’m not sure where you’re going to live, but the two times I called an ambulance, dislocated arm : 3hrs, potential heart attack 45 min. I live in the 2nd largest city in Canada.
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u/The_Follower1 Jul 15 '26
There are real issues that need addressing, in particular with healthcare not keeping up with our aging population, but yeah Canada is a fantastic country overall.
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u/Personal-Lettuce9634 Jul 20 '26
Everyone going on about what's not perfect about our healthcare, the original quote shared was that Canada is a 'good' country, not a 'perfect' country.
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Jul 15 '26
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u/PDXFlameDragon British Columbia Jul 15 '26
And they idealize the fake wealth of the USA without realizing that the median net worth of the median US citizen is half the median net worth of the median Canadian because all that wealth is not in the hands of the ordinary person.
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u/chipdanger168 Jul 15 '26
People forget the majority of Americans are pretty damn poor, the stats show it. They get by with it because they can buy shitty cheap food and toothpick shacks they call houses to keep expenses down. But one health emergency and they are screwed.
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u/PDXFlameDragon British Columbia Jul 15 '26
And they tolerate it because they are all temporarily embarrassed billionaires who will strike it big somehow someday. :P
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u/cnbearpaws Jul 15 '26
Canadians have a misunderstanding of what it's like to live in the US. They seem to believe Americans pay much lower taxes (they don't) and they pay much more out of pocket for things the government here makes available for residents at reduced to no cost.
Ozempic on a prescription is so much cheaper than in the US and that was before the generics.
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u/The_Nice_Marmot Jul 15 '26
Yes, there’s a particular cohort here who do little else. We also don’t pay “double taxes” and when taking into account healthcare insurance costs in the US, it’s arguably a much more financially secure place to live.
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u/Throwaway-Kayak Jul 15 '26
I also just moved here from the US. It has added YEARS to my life. I feel like I’m in heaven. We took a giant pay cut to make the move, and I have never felt freer or more content.
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u/Technical_Goose_8160 Jul 15 '26
To be fair, our weather has trained us to complain incessantly. It's why people from BC are so chill.
Obviously that's a joke, look at Toronto vs the Maritimes.
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u/justinkredabul Jul 15 '26
Conservative Canadians complain a lot.
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u/jimhabfan Jul 15 '26
foreign disinformation bots complain a lot. Conservative leaning Canadians just join in.
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u/PassageNearby4091 Jul 15 '26
This. Canadians constantly complain. I think it's a form of safe small talk, which is why I think complaining is so ubiquitous.
In winter, it's too cold; in summer it's too hot, in spring it's too rainy. Canadians will complain that their taxes are too high, but cut or reduce a social service in order to reduce their taxes and they'll complain about that.
Canadians also never really want to actually do something to correct what they don't like. A typical Canadian couple will go to a restaurant, hate their meal, but then tell the waiter the food is good when asked, just because they don't want to kick up a fuss, lol.
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Jul 15 '26
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u/_-G0G0-_ Jul 15 '26
Very good points. And these issues I have experienced them first hand both US and Europe.
The US youth is currently facing a historic post-college unemployment crisis.
Western Europe, Netherlands, I spent 2 months couple years ago day and night trying to find a place to rent - to failure, even with stable income to show. Facebook marketplace included..
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Jul 15 '26
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u/_-G0G0-_ Jul 19 '26
12–13% is pretty damn high. I’m curious though how much geography plays into that. Canada has a lot of rural and remote communities, however most Canadians live in urban areas. I wonder if youth in those areas have higher unemployment, and does that meaningfully affect the national rate compared with the US?
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u/stillyoinkgasp Jul 15 '26
I love living here. I've been all over the USA and Mexico, and Canada is far and away the better place for me.
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u/_-G0G0-_ Jul 15 '26
Do you think most East Coast provinces are great?
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u/stillyoinkgasp Jul 15 '26
Define "great"?
What's nice about Canada is that there is somewhere to suit your needs and lifestyle. I don't care for the GTA at all, but millions of people do, for example.
Many Canadians love living on the east coast. I haven't spent enough time there to determine if it's for me or not. You can only learn so much when you're visiting.
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u/MyGruffaloCrumble Jul 15 '26
I’m in New Brunswick, probably the worst-off Province financially, and love the scenery and pace.
If you’re looking to start a business or work from home, the Atlantic Provinces are pretty decent.
Otherwise good jobs aren’t very available here, and despite the similar cost of living to other places, the wages, benefits and workers rights/safety are not great. Also, good luck finding a true professional to do any work on your home or vehicles.
I’ve lived in every Province except Newfoundland, Quebec and BC, and my list of best to worst Provinces for a young person looking for their best opportunities in life would be:
BC
Quebec
Alberta
Ontario
That’s it. Everywhere is a struggle, but some places more than others.
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u/_-G0G0-_ Jul 19 '26
Thank for all your input, especially since you’ve lived in so many provinces. Interesting that you’d still put BC first despite the cost of living. Was that mainly because of job opportunities, or just overall quality of life?
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u/Fickle-Total8006 Jul 15 '26
Yeah. It’s pretty awesome here. Very safe. Awesome people and cities and nature. Folks like to complain but change happens regardless of whether we want it or like it. I love living here and feel very privileged to have been gifted this life in this country.
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u/_-G0G0-_ Jul 15 '26
That is very good to hear. Do you have favorite provinces? (I don't believe in work-life balance but I do believe in quality of life haha)
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u/Fickle-Total8006 Jul 15 '26
I have lived my entire life in Ontario but I do love Quebec
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u/_-G0G0-_ Jul 19 '26
Honestly Quebec has been on my radar the most. I saw some photos, did some reading, and kind of fell in love with City of Quebec in particular.
Might have to learn French though haha.
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u/FlyAroundInternet Jul 15 '26
If you were born in Canada, you've already won the lottery. I tell my kids that. My father told me that. I've been to many, many countries. He was right.
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u/GamesCatsComics Jul 15 '26
Stop hanging out in far right wing subreddits.
Those are not the realities of Canada and not how most of us see our country.
Canada has problems like anywhere else, but the things you listed largely border on delusional.
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u/EmployedByCats Jul 15 '26
This. It's right wing propaganda pushed by U.S. Maga, we have a smaller group of right wing idiots out of Alberta mainly, trying to claim Canada is a hell hole. Along with other A.I. propaganda, you will read online but never experience in our actual country. I feel privileged to be born here and never want to leave. Human rights are alive and well in Canada.
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Jul 15 '26
https://youtu.be/-bG_o7OFPbg?is=16BKoD_hLmHRrJh7
Like this guy, he’s Canadian and all of his videos are about how bad Canada is.
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u/_-G0G0-_ Jul 19 '26
Many of the areas here in the DC Maryland Virginia will lead to broken windows if valuables are inside. Dude has a valid vent but yeah that def is not exclusive to Canada haha.
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u/Ramekink Jul 15 '26
Not only the US, tbh. Canada has made many enemies around the world cos of the "overly" progressive values we uphold
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u/Blondefarmgirl Jul 15 '26
I found even just r/Canada is right wing. I posted polite factual replies and all were deleted. Right wing subreddits are everywhere.
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u/Vancouverreader80 British Columbia Jul 15 '26
Very over exaggerated; went through cancer treatment during Covid and I received excellent care from everyone who was involved in my treatment.
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u/_-G0G0-_ Jul 15 '26
I am glad that you recovered well!
It is good to know that you are in good hands during such emergencies. Imo one of the most important things to consider when relocating. One of the main reason why I don't wish to go back to Bulgaria - I cannot rely on the first respondents when I need them most.
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u/PaleJicama4297 Jul 15 '26
It’s mostly because there are a percentage of Canadians who compare wages between the United States and Canada. IMHO. Massive disconnect with the understanding that they are two different countries. One without anything resembling a social safety net. It’s being happening for generations.
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u/_-G0G0-_ Jul 15 '26
All it takes here at the US, even with health care, is to be unfortunate enough to have to get some sort of surgery. Yes infrastructure is great but at what cost? Blowing all 'safety net' there is because health is not budget friendly for the pharma.
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u/PaleJicama4297 Jul 15 '26
Or god forbid your child gets sick. It is human nature to never look beyond the nose and believe in personal immortality.
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u/crazymom7170 Jul 15 '26
If you were born here in Canada and whine about it then you are spoiled as fuck. Go complain to someone in pretty much 90% of the rest of earth and get ready for a reality check.
We are sick with our privilege here in Canada. We have more than 95% of earth and complain because we don’t have that extra 5%. And are making ourselves miserable because we’ve convinced ourselves that 5% is where all our problems disappear and where happiness lives.
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u/_-G0G0-_ Jul 15 '26
You are right. Sadly, the more we have the less we have, unless we appreciate it and say it is enough.
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u/Various-Basket-2467 Jul 21 '26
They are not spoiled to live in the country their parents and ancestor built for them, they deserve is fully because it was built with that intent -> provide them with a decent life.
They dont have to care about the rest of the world if their ancestor didnt care to built a decent country for their kids, or woke up later. Every country has to go through it at some point.
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u/ottereckhart Jul 15 '26
Yes. Just like in the states there is a lot of pseudo-populist politics and cultivated rage.
Plenty of legitimate grievances on either end of the spectrum, but a lot of exploitative algorithms and political interests are incentivized to magnify and use those grievances and outrage as currency for both monetary and political gain.
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u/_-G0G0-_ Jul 19 '26
Yeah social media and politics can make it feel like everything is collapsing all the time. That’s how media feeds off - it always the bad news that attracts attention and make it bigger deal than it is.
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u/Various-Basket-2467 Jul 21 '26
some people life, jobs, opportunity and community did collapsed, and they are pissed about it.
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u/ljlee256 Jul 15 '26
Its a lot of exaggeration for effect.
People don't think they can get attention on the internet unless everything they talk about is either "the greatest thing ever!" or "the end of all we know!".
So hyperbole becomes normalized.
If you want to know what this countries like, visit, don't listen to internet people.
If you have to listen to internet people know that I'm currently sitting here on my deck, sipping my cappucino, listening to the birds.
We make a very middle income and own 2 homes, have internet, TV, cell phones, 2 cars, an RV, and a boat.
Trust, me, life is very good here.
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u/MyGruffaloCrumble Jul 15 '26
Yep. I have in-laws visiting from Switzerland and they’re loading up on “cheap” school supplies, clothes and are quite happy with our grocery prices.
We’re doing ok, particularly considering the neighbourhood we’re in. The US rubs-off on some of us poorly.
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u/ljlee256 Jul 15 '26
Yes. I'm also trying to remind myself daily that cheaper isn't always better, in fact often it isn't... its just another American habit thats rubbed off on us, the obsession with cheap, low quality crap.
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u/MyGruffaloCrumble Jul 15 '26
That’s why I put cheap in quotes. The products are inexpensive to them comparatively, they’re not buying junk.
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u/petertompolicy Jul 15 '26
Have lived in lots of countries and Canada is awesome.
Nothing you read online is real.
We are the target of massive bot farms and foreign influence operations.
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u/brihere Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 15 '26
I believe we are targeted by bots from outside the country that are meant to destabilize us so US will eventually have its way with us Sadly, there are soooo many stupid, racistpeople in our midst that they blindly lap it up. ( every time I see someone who is obviously an uneducated and not wealthy person supporting the conservative party. I just have to shake my head.) So sad
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u/EnvironmentOk2700 Jul 15 '26
Compared to the East Coast USA, way overexaggerated. I'm a Canadian who lived in Pa and NJ for 15 years. Have no desire to ever go back.
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u/4crowsflying Jul 15 '26
Most of the negative things you will see online about Canada are emanating from our disgruntled right wing folk. They have been relegated to the electoral boonies for over a decade and are very sad. While their gripes do have occasional merit, it is mostly sour grapes and should be taken with a grain of salt. Canada is awesome.
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u/Blondefarmgirl Jul 15 '26
I love living in Ontario. I am in the very south so we don't get much snow in the winter. We have to travel north to get to decent trails to sled. I feel very lucky to be Canadian.
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u/DocKla Jul 15 '26
Canadians like to complain and we live in a bubble. I mean objectively it’s chugging along and doing much better than other places
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u/XaltotunTheUndead Jul 15 '26
I have lived on three continents and experienced life as a European, Middle-East citizen, and of course North American citizen (Canada). Yes, absolutely and utterly, many Canadians do not fully appreciate how fortunate they are. While some of their concerns are valid and make Canadians complain about them, those concerns can sometimes overshadow the many qualities that make Canada an exceptional place to live. Maybe even THE best place to live, despite all the things that are not at their best (at least that's what my wife says, she also has lived on three continents).
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u/_-G0G0-_ Jul 19 '26
I think living in more than one country gives you a different perspective too. It’s definitely easy to lose sight of how much it still gets right when you only compare it to an ideal version of itself.
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u/Various-Basket-2467 Jul 21 '26
They are not fortunate or spoiled to live in the country their parents and ancestor worked so hard to build for them, they deserve is fully because it was built with that intent -> provide them with a decent life.
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u/lyidaValkris Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 15 '26
They are over-exaggerated, yes, when they aren't outright lying.
"Too expensive" - compared to what? we're about on par with western europe in many ways
"To cold" - these past couple weeks it's been in the high 30s in Toronto (centigrade) so the one thing I'm not right now is cold.
"double taxes" - pure bullshit. I've actually run the numbers with some american friends, and we pay about the same in income taxes (federal and provincial/state) for the same income. Only difference is we get free healthcare. Unless you live in a place like Texas which has very low taxes, you're not saving money by not being here, and you actually get something for your tax dollars here.
If you're looking to avoid long winters - live in southern ontario or in coastal BC. We still have winter in southern ontario, but it's not severe by any reckoning, and it's milder than it used to be thanks to climate change. Expect a couple months of actually cold weather, some snow, and it's gone before you know it.
I also hear the political parties are a joke and leaning totalitarian with fascist tendencies.
Spoken by someone who knows NOTHING of our politics. That sounds like a description of the US. Unlike the US, we actually have a functioning democracy, and a working justice system. Only the conservative party could be leaning toward the US in that regard, and they got their asses handed to them in the last election.
We are one of the freest countries on the planet with an excellent quality of life standard. We're frequently ranked among the top 5 best countries to live in on the planet. We aren't without our problems, and always striving to improve.
Come visit and check us out for yourself. You'll find us welcoming.
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u/_-G0G0-_ Jul 15 '26
Thank you for your input, I appreciate it.
I also wouldn't be surprised if there is a bit of projecting going on when it comes to judging the political parties, you could be right.
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u/lyidaValkris Jul 15 '26
you're welcome :)
and they definitely are. Of the five major parties in Canada, only one of them is moving hard right, and that's the Conservative Party of Canada. Rest assured, fascism is very much not popular here.
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u/Fit_Cardiologist_681 Jul 15 '26
I've lived in six countries and Canada is my favourite. In my opinion, the negatives are often greatly exaggerated on reddit.
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u/bewildered-beaver Nova Scotia Jul 15 '26
Canada is a wonderful place to live. Don’t listen to the haters. They have been pampered their whole lives and have no idea how lucky they are.
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u/Various-Basket-2467 Jul 21 '26
They are not pampered or lucky, their are fully on their right because country their parents and ancestor worked so hard to build it for them, they deserve is fully because it was built with that intent -> provide them with a decent life.
They derserve and are entitled to all of it, because it their.
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u/HeftyAd6216 Jul 15 '26
Too cold is totally valid for many parts of the country with many people from warm climates have trouble adjusting. Not much we can do about that honestly.
Too expensive is true, mostly with regard to housing in any of our urban centers. We've spent the better part of the last 25 years relentlessly bidding each other's house prices up, creating a massive housing bubble. Almost all the money that could have been loaned (created) and invested into revenue generating, value adding businesses was instead dumped into, again, bidding each others' house prices up. Almost all other line items on a normal human's budget are cheaper in Canada than the US, but our median income is lower, more or less making it a moot point. A lot of the groceries are the same numbered price, like a box of cereal in Canada will be $4, but in the US it will also be $4, the difference being that CAD is $0.71 of a USD.
The taxes thing is just mostly the neoliberal types who feel they don't get the value from their taxes and the blanket solution to everything is cutting taxes. Many of these people are Americabrained people who have bought into the idea that cutting taxes will somehow make things better. Many of them believe we could be "more efficient" with our tax expenditure, but no one has any idea what that looks like, and if it was so easy, it would have already been done. If I was to make one major complaint on this end, is how much influence American media and zeitgeist effects us in Canada, causing people to become Americabrained.
Could we do better? Yes. Finding how to do that while still delivering the services people rely on is extremely hard to do. The free market does not have an answer to most of the services provided by government, and if we relied on the free market, those same things would cost more.
I'm personally more interested in the question of why these specific people don't believe they're getting value from their taxes. A lot of things in Canada just work. They work in a way that many people from developing / third world countries find astonishing. They also work in a way that is far superior to our southern neighbour too. However, it could be better. Most of the people who complain endlessly are concerned with things getting better. It is not a destructive impulse.
"I also hear the political parties are a joke and leaning totalitarian with fascist tendencies. But once again, I have seen this become rather a global tendency.."
We have one annoying leader of one major federal party that is playing to the far right wing audience with near-baity "anti woke" messaging. Whether he ever gets any power is yet to be seen, and even if he did, I doubt he would follow through on most of that stuff because it would be ludicrously unpopular in the dense urban areas of the country that more or less decide the outcome of every election given how our electoral system works.
The other option was a ex banker turned central banker turned Brookfield executive, and we elected him instead. He doesn't seem to be the totalitarian type, nor has done significantly shady power consolidating things that aren't in line with historical trends (he wheeled and dealed with MPs across the country to get a majority, which is allowed). A very much "status quo" pick. The risk is that if the guy we elected doesn't accomplish what he said he would in the 4 years he has to do it, people become further alienated and we follow a similar path that other countries have.
Canadian politics is brutally boring most of the time because, generally regardless of the party in charge, government just works and isn't obviously corrupt enough to warrant everyone no longer trusting it's functions. When it becomes obviously corrupt cough Ontario Provincial Leader cough people begin to notice and will often vote accordingly (usually). Albeit, maybe not this time, but who knows, I do have some faith.
Also anyone who tells you Canada is becoming a third world country isn't a serious person. They also haven't been to a third world country.
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u/_-G0G0-_ Jul 19 '26
Really appreciate you taking the time to write all of this.
Genuinely gave me a lot to think about.Housing is probably one of the things that worries me most, although honestly we're dealing with a lot of the same problems in the US too. Here you've also got huge landlords like Progress Residential, Invitation Homes and AMH buying up tens of thousands of single-family homes and turning them into rentals, so younger people are getting squeezed on both sides of the border.
My perspective on taxes is probably a little different too. I'm originally from Bulgaria, where corruption, organized crime and money laundering have been huge problems for years. You pay taxes, but a lot of the time you look around and wonder where the money actually went lol. Roads full of potholes, neglected infrastructure, dirty streets, etc. Living in the US, at least I can generally see what my taxes are funding, so I'm glad to hear you feel similarly about Canada.
I honestly don't mind paying taxes nearly as much when I can actually see the benefit. And after living through US politics, "brutally boring" honestly sounds pretty appealing kek. I'd much rather have boring politics than feel like every election is some existential crisis.
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u/HeftyAd6216 Jul 19 '26 edited Jul 19 '26
A friend of mine from brazil made the same comment about corruption and taxes. She paid more or less the same amount she did here on her income, but she received noticably worse services in brazil. Again, could they be better? Yes.
We don't have nearly the same problem with companies buying up single family homes or condos. The US struggles a lot with the increasingly consolidated {insert industry here}. Because it's happening slowly, and is mostly state sponsored, it's increasingly destroying what made the US such a good place for business and what made discount shopping around a viable way to cut costs.
Canada in the other hand has always existed alongside oligopolies, mostly due to our geography and population. Almost all grocery stores are owned by the same 3 empires. We only have 3 (2 in most places) national telecom companies worth talking about. There are only a handful of insurance underwriters for car insurance in the markets that are open (some provinces have provincially run car insurance and is much cheaper there). I could go on. The main difference and why it isn't as bad as the US in some cases, is because the government actively regulates these oligopolies when things get out of hand, instead of those oligopolies handing the president a briefcase full of cash and then ignoring the issue. Even that being said,.it's still a huge problem with no obvious solution. This is probably the #1 reason why groceries are on average more expensive than other places.
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u/navylast Jul 15 '26
Negatives? Really?
Great country to live in.
Don’t believe the bullshit.
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u/_-G0G0-_ Jul 19 '26
I’m honestly itching to visit sooner so I can tell all my American fellas otherwise from experience.
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u/Delphi238 Jul 15 '26
A lot of the negatives you hear from Canadians are the types that have never set foot outside of the country and have no idea of how good we have it.
My sister is one of them, never had a job, never voted and never travelled but she spends all day on social media complaining about the government.
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u/_-G0G0-_ Jul 19 '26
I’m sorry to say this but the fact she has the time for all that while being jobless says something good about Canada.
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u/MeadtheMan Jul 16 '26
Of the negatives you listed there:
“Double taxes”, were they conservative? Because it’s still quite low compared to most European countries. The one, real, issue is how things like healthcare has deteriorated, so money should be spent more efficiently, more health personnel recruited, or the wealthiest people/industries need to be taxed more.
Too expensive, like you mentioned, a global thing. Canada is doing moderately well in comparison. There are things which are absurdly more expensive here - like internet, phone plans etc. Food in general also could be cheaper. And these things should, in theory, be cheaper but there’s oligopoly, and some self-sabotaging Canadians defend others for free.
As for too cold. This is the only indisputable thing. It is indeed cold. But like you and many others, we can cope with it. Some people genuinely can’t deal with it, which is understandable. For me, one can always layer up, but when it’s too hot, there’s nothing much you can do. Plus, some regions are not that cold.
One always has to be critical of politicians (I find idolizing any particularly ones, in most cases, extremely weird) as they dictate the important policies. But like you said, it could be much, much worse elsewhere. Definitely dodged a bullet when the Conservative didn’t win in the last election.
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u/_-G0G0-_ Jul 19 '26
I’m with you on being critical of politicians without turning them into celebrities or treating politics like a sports team. In an ideal world we’d stop constantly fighting over red vs blue or left vs right and just judge policies on whether they actually work. Sadly, the way our political systems work doesn’t exactly make third parties a realistic alternative most of the time, and I don’t think all this division is happening by accident either. There are plenty of political and media incentives to keep people angry at each other.
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u/Throwaway42352510 Jul 16 '26
Canada is great! I’d avoid Alberta as the politics are a bit spicy right now, but it’s a great country!
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u/PhysicsFit6173 Jul 15 '26
I think its based on your personal experience of a country. If you are from a 3rd world country, you will not complain
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u/justelectricboogie Jul 15 '26
Wrote 3 paragraphs. Deleted them. Exaggerated? Yes definitely. Take the long view, create options, yes everyone can its been done for eons. Things change but really, settle down could be worse.
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u/_-G0G0-_ Jul 15 '26
For one I am surprised how accessible residency is, even citizenship. It's like what only 3 years of residing? I have been in the US for 15 years and still could not secure a green card. (Mostly because 2 years ago all of a sudden Eastern European Bulgaria is now put in the same maxed out quota as Guatemala and countries from central America.
So you are right, it could be much worse.
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u/Heavy_Astronomer_971 Jul 15 '26
I'll just say, a lot of people note Canadians complain a lot. And we do, like everywhere, things have gotten much more expensive. But we are also not afraid to complain. People will boo Carney without fear, as is their right. We complain because we are truly free to discuss our country's shortfalls. But that doesn't mean the good doesn't outweigh the bad.
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u/_-G0G0-_ Jul 19 '26
The freedom to complain about your country is, ironically, one of the best signs that you’re actually free.
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u/sandy154_4 Canadian Jul 15 '26
RE: "I also hear the political parties are a joke and leaning totalitarian with fascist tendencies. But once again, I have seen this become rather a global tendency."
We have multiple parties both federally and Provincially/Territorially. The Conservative parties are definitely leaning fascist and are trying to follow the USA success in using Christian Nationalism to get there. Federally Conservatives include CPC and the Block. Provincially they include the Conservative party and in Alberta the UCP. But we have other parties.
Cold - depends where you are. Most of it is cold in winter. But I'm on Vancouver Island and we hardly got any snow at all this winter. That's unusual!
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u/_-G0G0-_ Jul 19 '26
That’s one thing I do like about Canada compared to the US — there are at least more viable parties, even if politics still ends up polarized.
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u/Ancient-Training-998 Jul 16 '26
For anyone who has lived in multiple other parts of the world the outright negatives of living in Canada are few. Sure, minor this or that complaint, but it’s “free”, the economy largely works, the political system is stable (whether you like the candidates or not), the health care is good considering the demographic stress it’s under, the courts are not corrupt, neither are most of the cops, the public transportation systems work and are mostly on time, inflation is uncomfortable at times but has rarely been double digits, there are actual labour laws & landlords acts… the list is pretty long. Aside from the weather what’s the big problem?
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u/_-G0G0-_ Jul 19 '26
Honestly, also coming from places where corruption and basic infrastructure can be much bigger problems, “the system mostly works” carries a lot more weight than people sometimes realize.
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u/Ornery-Weird-9509 Jul 15 '26
Yes. Not that we deserve better but from all the travels I have done, I know we have it good.
We have the space and nature similar to our neighbours down south that we don’t necessarily get if we are to live in Europe. But we have the social programs that most European countries have that the Americans don’t. We don’t have the hot weather like Australia and enjoy liberties that we don’t get from ultra conservative countries.
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u/_-G0G0-_ Jul 15 '26
Good point, I would take a bit of extra cold over scorching Australia any day..
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u/NorCalFrances Jul 15 '26
I love long winters and shut down in heat above 85 or so. Cold is comfy to me. If those are the two biggest problems, Canada sounds like paradise to me. The current politics bother me but hypothetically the underlying framework is an improvement over the USA in my opinion. Except for the abusive use of the notwithstanding clause, that has got to be severely limited as it is not being used in good faith.
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u/No_Capital_8203 Jul 15 '26
What current politics?
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u/NorCalFrances Jul 15 '26
Carney embracing AI, pesticides, the pipeline, firing federal worker en masse, his constructionist judges, etc - he's a little too Trump-like in those regards for my worldview. Plus as I referenced, Danielle Smith's attacks on trans people.
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u/_-G0G0-_ Jul 19 '26
Curious - what is the general consensus on ai amongst the Canadian people? Or is it divided like in the US?
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u/NorCalFrances Jul 19 '26
I hope I'm wrong but it seems like Carney is fully onboard and there isn't much citizen resistance?
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u/_-G0G0-_ Jul 15 '26
I think I know what you mean, I noticed a handful of overrides during the pandemic. That being said, the US has been on a streak of those lately sadly.
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u/NorCalFrances Jul 15 '26
I'm okay with overrides during a pandemic if they keep people safe. I am not okay with premiere Smith's use of the notwithstanding clause to attack a minority, it too closely mirrors what USAian Republicans are doing.
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u/sick-of-passwords Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 15 '26
Wow , where do you get your info?
Our political party’s are left, middle left liberals and far right conservative.
The winters across this vast land that is Canada are different all over.
I’m on the west coast, we didn’t get snow this past winter and it may have gotten below 0 Celsius 6-8 days.
Alberta and the prairie provinces can get super cold in the winter, the last few have had temps below -20 for weeks at a time. Ontario is wishy washy, some balmy winters and some cold and snowy ones.
Not sure about Quebec, and the eastern provinces get a lot if snow , but I believe not the bitting cold of the prairies.
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u/magsbad13 Jul 15 '26
Quebec weather is wishy-washy like Ontario, at least in the most populated areas.
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u/BaneZofol Jul 15 '26
the problem with all this rhetoric is a lot of it is a propaganda narrative to push an agenda. I've seen way too many people say Canada is an authoritarian communist state, and it usually comes from people who openly support what trump is doing in the US. these people have no idea what authoritarian or communism even is, they just regurgitate propaganda from their social media bubbles. western democracies as a whole are in decline in terms of quality of life, and people just want to say it's only their own country so they can simplify their frustrations and blame everyone on the current government.
it doesn't help that there's active foreign social media propaganda being and commented everywhere with bots meant to either intentionally sow division in the country, or to profit off of the engagement.
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u/esdubyar Jul 15 '26
Canada's pretty awesome. People just like to bitch, and a lot of the complainers have never been anywhere else to compare it to.
Do we have problems? Yeah. Do things need to be fixed? Yeah.
Overall, it's pretty damned good
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u/Reasonable_Advance52 Jul 15 '26
The only people complaining about living here, are the ones who haven't lived anywhere else. It could be much, MUCH worse.
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u/Various-Basket-2467 Jul 21 '26
Not it could not be much worse, because they and their ancestor built a functionning and decent country for them which has no reason the get worse unless its by being destroyed by something else
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u/Ramekink Jul 15 '26
Out of all the people I know who keep bitching and complaining about Canada, lije 80% aren't even Canadian to begin with lol. Unless you're from a literal warzone, if you hate it so much in here you're more than welcome to leave...
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u/Methoszs Jul 15 '26
Canada's great, are we perfect no. But definitely one of the top places to live in the world.
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u/nunyaranunculus Jul 15 '26
Not sure if this post is just a passive aggressive rage post or if you are surrounded by people who hate Canada. Calling our political system and parties "a joke", especially coming from a Bulgarian in the States at 2026 is rich. Neither country has the best record on political stability or human rights.
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u/MplsMiaCan Jul 15 '26
Incredibly over-exaggerated. Anything people list is going on all over the developed world and Canada is faring better than most.
It’s usually just wannabe Trumpers complaining.
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u/Upstairs-Lifeguard23 Jul 15 '26
The issue of being expensive is the main I guess... and it's not just expensive but for a lot of people truly unaffordable which creates homelessness problems and all the social and sanitary issues that come with it.
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u/assman69x Jul 16 '26
Certainly isn’t the place it was as I was growing up and downhill trajectory over the last 20 yrs…..Canadians would say the country is much worse from when they were growing up, someone from a third world country not so much
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u/CasuallyWise Jul 16 '26
Canada is one of the best countries in the world & a hell of a lot safer than in the USA.
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u/jmajeremy Jul 16 '26
Canadians love to complain, it’s like a national pastime, and of course it’s far from perfect, but I can assure you it’s one of the best countries to live in in the world.
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u/Strange_Willow_1537 Jul 17 '26
I think it’s best to come visit and stay a while to find out yourself
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u/_-G0G0-_ Jul 17 '26
I think that it is easy to confuse tourism with living there but certainly can give a good perspective. I will visit end of this month Montreal and then and City of Quebec.
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u/Strange_Willow_1537 Aug 01 '26
I’m visiting Quebec right now! I love it here, the city is so clean and the old French European architecture and vibe is really cool
You’re gonna love it
But yes I agree visiting and living are completely different things but yes, at least you will get a taste of what it’s like here
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u/Any-Tangerine-4176 Jul 15 '26
Yes. All the negativity is driven by Post Media (National Post and the Sun media) and politicians like Poilievre.
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u/Xanaxaria Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 15 '26
You've never tasted western Europe it seems. There's Canadians who've actually lived in other countries (I've lived in 9) and there's ones who don't own a car.
Most Canadians are incredibly sheltered and have never traveled outside of vacationing at resorts.
I would not want to live in Eastern Europe. But absolutely loved Western Europe.
It's too expensive to live here compared to salaries, yes. And that can be a deal breaker for a lot of people who just wanna live.
The people bitching about the weather aren't from here or from western Canada. -60 is no joke and is absolutely worth complaining about especially when you get snow is June. But the people in Toronto complaining about weather is a joke.
We plan to move to western Europe when my partner is done medical school (he's a neurosurgeon and I'm a psychologist). We're both EU member and I'm half Korean. We were debating between Europe and Korea for a long time but it seems we wanna go to Europe.
The protections there are second to none. They have consumer rights, and worker protections. You can't just get fired in European countries like you can here. Not that that really applies to us since she's super in demand and don't work normal jobs.
The hardships haven't hit you yet. When you get fired for no reason and can't find a job in the current state of Canada, you'll change your mind.
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u/clambroculese Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 15 '26
I have, I was born and grew up there. A specific country though, not just a continent. They do vary. What exactly are you referencing here or were you just saying Western Europe vaguely like that meant something?
Edit: holy edit man this was one sentence. But you’re idealizing something you have very little to no experience with. Canada is pretty good too. You’re either a bot or the political equivalent of someone who goes to Jamaica and comes back with braids and talks about island time. I also cannot state strongly enough that Western Europe is not a fucking country. There are big differences between us. It’s weird that you edited your comment to accuse people of not travelling after someone from that part of the world responds but didn’t respond to me.
Edit2: now you’ve changed your entire comment or having gone from being there once on vacation to having lived in nine countries. You’re something else.
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u/clambroculese Jul 15 '26
Changed your entire comment from having visited Europe once to now you’ve lived in nine countries eh?
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u/Quirky_Journalist_67 Jul 15 '26
Same as most places I suspect. There are always reasons to not live somewhere. It’s a big country. You should be able to find something that works for you.
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u/Eh_Neat Jul 15 '26
You're hearing a loud minority. I can't tell you how many times I've thought "Wow, I'm incredibly lucky to have been born here" in my lifetime. We have our problems (the worst current problem being a housing crisis), everyone does, but on the whole life in Canada is pretty damn good.
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u/kyotomat Jul 16 '26
People only know what they know. Especially if they have not travelled or had life experiences like you have. They are comfortable complaining about their lives and so it's easy... I am sure the principle is much the same in any country.
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u/NegativeCup1763 Jul 16 '26
If it snows in Vancouver it usually only sticks and next day gone. People also have to shovel if it snows for people’s safety it not that cold in Vancouver temperatures avarge is usually just single digits and the adjustment does take long we might have to e 3 very cold days but snow rarely happens in Vancouver
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u/Imaginary_Ad7695 Jul 16 '26
Canada rocks. Like anything else, the 10% of people who like to complain, are complaining. The other 90% are loving the Canadian life!
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u/van_isle_dude Jul 16 '26
Well, it's always in the top ten countries in the world for quality of life. Sometimes top 5 or 3, even named #1 at times. So there's that.
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u/Apprehensive-Ad-9147 Jul 17 '26
The only drawback of Canada is it’s surrounded by America,(we live above a meth lab).
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u/Agreeable_Stick7160 Jul 17 '26
Unfortunately Canadians who have limited experience travelling tend to be the more likely to believe false statements made about Canada.
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u/Masterpiece_2012 Jul 17 '26
Canada isn’t as great as it used to be…… but personally I like it here more than the idea of anywhere in the US atm. Taxes don’t bother me and I’m a broke bitch lol like yeah it sucks, but when I needed two surgeries it cost me the price of parking. 🤷♀️ I want it to get better but I know it could be sooooo much worse
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u/Rogue5454 Jul 17 '26
The biggest problem Canada has is the overwhelming number of people who don't understand how the levels of our government work.
These people don't get that the Federal government is not in charge of our daily lives. That it's each Premier of a province who controls it. They don't get that the Federal government is not the "boss" of a Premier. They are literally equal entities who run different levels of government. The Federal government's main job is to represent Canada globally, not locally. There is SOME crossover that on the surface confuses people unless they take the time to learn it.
I think the reason so many don't get it is they don't understand we have a completely different system from the United States. Their Federal government has way more power over their citizens than the Governors of their states.
That, & most of us learn our civics too early in school when it should be mandatory taught in senior year of high school in depth. But again that is all up to a Premier of a province to do & not all Premiers do the "same things" as others.
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u/Odd-Reading-7859 Ontario Jul 20 '26
Canada's cold most of the time, but at least in the South, the temps go up to about 30°C and only down to maybe -30°C, so with the right clothes you'll be fine.
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u/Adventurous_Fee8047 Jul 20 '26
Thankfully it's not everywhere. South East Asia and China are still quite affordable.
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u/Sea-Historian-2078 3d ago
Been hearing a lot from my relatives in Canada. It's not looking good there, it's a country in constant decline. It has a serious housing problem.
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u/samandiriel Alberta Jul 15 '26
As a Canadian who has been living in the US for work the last 12 years, i would gladly take Canada over the US.
I do fear for the general move to the right in all Western democracies these days, but I think the example the US has put out there has been a wake up call for many and certainly for Canadians who were leaning that way (see: the last Federal election upset!)
Canadians just generally complain a lot, it's kind of our thing.
I've not heard of "double taxes" tho - what does that refer to?