Is your weather negotiable?

I just spent 2 hours in an information session about recent changes in health coverage for us State of Illinois employees. Complete chaos. Even the state has no clue what’s happening. I just sat there thinking, “All this because we were too stupid to go for single-payer”. Canada’s looking pretty good.

US for hubs and me.

The American health care system is not ideal but it’s not terrible. Most employers pay for the employee’s insurance, so if both people work, it’s not a big deal. Costly, but not difficult.

Canada looks interesting though, but cold. How about that Toronto crack mayor?! All over our news here.

@thorninmud The west coast is not bad as far as weather.

Canada

@KNOWITALL Yeah the mayor is embarrassing, I know. But, that’s just one mayor in one city. You know?

@janbb Why pick Canada?

Beauty, healthcare, civility and not being the cops of the world. My main objection used to be the cold but I think it will be nice and toasty soon!

Been a proud Canadian all my life and the states scare the crap out of me,with their ridiculous over priced health care insurance that they seem to be proud of,they seem to think that universal health care is communism ,their crime rate ,unemployed,and so on, will stay north of the border very happily.
So Canada all the way!!!

@Mama_Cakes It’s ridiculous that it’s such a big deal. Clinton did some thing’s, too, and a lot of people loved him because it made him human and fallible, like the rest of us.

@KNOWITALL Right, but that’s not what the question is about.

I’d pick Canada.

Europe likes you more. And that’s where all the cool people are.
You don’t have to be rich to be treated for your illness.
A lot of the best beer comes from Canada.
People are nicer.
The weather is lovely (at least, it sounds that way).
Bunch of cool people came from Canada. (Shatner, Rick Moranis…)
Some of my favourite Jellies are Canadian.
During WWIII, it’ll probably be the only country no one wants to nuke.

My significant other and I will be submitting graduate school applications to a few universities in Canada so living there, at least temporarily, is a very real possibility for us.

I don’t know how I would feel about leaving the United States. I have never been to Canada but I love the idea of its weather and landscape. I would prefer one of the citites that have a stronger population diversity as that is what I am accustomed to at home, but one that had a different tempo than L.A.

I also need to look into gender discrimination laws are like as I am unfamiliar with many of the laws in Canada that would impact me. California, with the exception of Prop 8, has been a relatively accommodating place to grow up as a concerned equal rights advocate.

Canada.

For the reasons @janbb wrote. Civility is high on my list, and there’s a great lack of it here.

“California, with the exception of Prop 8, has been a relatively accommodating place to grow up as a concerned equal rights advocate.”

I think that you’re going to feel right at home here.

Canada. Because that’s where all the cool kids are going.
But also because of many of the reasons listed above.

Also, they pronounce my last name correctly.

@tom_g Well, the cool kids from Canada come here to make more money and a lot end up staying. Some of our big stars are from Canada, so maybe if jellies go and big stars come here, it’ll be an even trade…lol

Canada, obviously. :P

@KNOWITALL Yeah, when you have to choose between the crack mayor (Toronto) and the mob mayor (Montreal), things are not good in municipal politics. But these are just two major cities in a big country, and those cities are greater than the sum of their rather horrible mayors. On the whole, I’d still choose Canada every time.

@glacial You just want to meet more frozen friends.

@tom_g Let me guess. A french name. :) Like Benoit. haha

^ oui

I thought I already answered this.

Canada, I lived there as a tot I cannot remember it though. My family said it was a great place to be. Too cold was the only down side. Canada has a better reputation for a lot of things over America. Better manners and more caring people. Whether that is true per capita I have no idea at all. That is how most people see it who live outside of the US and Canada.

@tom_g Gagnon? Okay, I’ll stop. ;-)

OK, this is where we set up a new “underground railroad” leading to the promised land. @Mama_Cakes , your code name is “Moses”. We’ll identify each other with the password “Goin’ to the frizzer”.

@thorninmud Lez do it!

Unfortunately, we’ll have to kill @KNOWITALL . She’s not going, and she knows too much.

As someone who has lived very close to Canada all my life, I have dealt with many Canadians. The only issues I’ve ever had with Canadians are with Leafs fans. So, if you keep me far away from them, I would be happy in Canada. For the most part I prefer the politics in Canada over the States’ (although Harper is a dick). Personally, I like the cold so the weather is no problem for me. I’ll gladly give up handegg for more hockey too (just not the Leafs, anyone but the Leafs).

The only downside I see is it’ll take me forever to learn to say “sorry”, with a long O, over every little thing.

@thorninmud Geesh, yo, if it gets to THAT point, I’d come check it out, at least I (with hillbilly proununciation) parlez un peu francais! lol, don’t make me sing Dominique!

Canada. At least you wouldn’t have to put up with Obama and his pack of thieves, liars and cheats.

It’s a toss-up if you just consider politics. Canada might be to the right of the U.S. on domestic policy, with Harris’ slope-browed neo-cons exerting even more control over their country than the U.S. Tea Party.. The USA does not have a monopoly on nuts.

Ford is on unusually theatrical, but he doesn’t exist in a vacuum.

@bolwerk Ford is just one guy.

@KNOWITALL OK, OK…If we’re stopped by the RCMP, keep your mouth shut and we’ll tell them you’re mute.

@thorninmud Just keep the beer coming and I’m in. :)

I feel like I’m stereotyping Canada, surely there’s much more about it to love? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

Canada is never in the news. That is my sort of country.

@KNOWITALL It’s the best damn country. Really. :)

You need to come up. You’ve been in the South too long. ;-)

Anyhow, my partner would love to come this way. We’re going to try and make it work.

I wouldn’t mind staying in Ontario.

@Mama_Cakes Turn on your heater and I’ll get up there. Seriously though, when is your warmest time of year?

@KNOWITALL April – May (milder temps), June, July and August (hot), and September/October (mild). Nov-Dec (getting colder), Jan-Feb (colder than a witch’s tit), March (warming up).

The worst of it is Jan and Feb, really.

@KNOWITALL ,our summer here in the interior of B.C gets very hot we see temp of around a 110f for weeks and our winters here in the west are mild as well we only get an average snow load of 8inches,but just a hour north of us they get around 2 and a half foot snow load,our cold snaps do get down to about 0*f for a week or 2 but most of the time it is just around the freezing mark.

@tom_g It’s really not that cold here. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go feed my sled dogs.

@bolwerk Who is this Harris you speak of?

@SQUEEKY2 Brrrrrr…..I’m more of a head to Mexico kind of gal. So besides the weather what’s unique there?

I live in Ontario. @KNOWITALL the warmest time is not right now, that’s for sure. Of all those towns that @Mama_Cakes showed, I have been to them all. We experience all 4 seasons. Beautiful I tell you. St. Marys is great , my husband lived there as a child for a time. They have the quarry that you can go swimming in depending on the season. It is a tiny town though filled with limestone.

Stratford is nice too. It’s where Justin Bieber is from and also where I bought my car :) Colm Feore also goes there a lot. I saw him at a Starbucks in my town, amazing he can just walk in and get a coffee around here like no one knows who he is. Then again Rachel McAdam’s was raised not far from me. Ryan Gosling also.

I don’t mind it here. I don’t like much change. Moving to another country would be too much of a cultural shock for me I say that right now because I am comfortable…but who knows under certain circumstances I may do almost anything.

I’ll stick with the U.S but it really depends on the person. What criteria is more important? For example, the U.S has the best Universities in the world but if you cannot afford them, then it would be meaningless to you, so Canada would be a better option.

Some criterias such as unemployment, crime, healthcare, cannot be accurately compared due to states v.s whole country, small population v.s large, population density, etc. It also has the same issue as mentioned before – we may have some of the best hospitals/doctors in the world, but if you cannot afford them, then Canada would suit you better.

The problem with a lot of these studies that measure these criterias is they judge it as a whole rather than per university/hospital/doctor.

The following criterias are easier to compare though..

Per-capita-income in the U.S is $52,000
Per-capita-income in Canada is $42,000

Cost-of-living:

Consumer Prices in United States are 16.47% lower than in Canada
Consumer Prices Including Rent in United States are 13.45% lower than in Canada
Rent Prices in United States are 5.53% lower than in Canada
Restaurant Prices in United States are 18.30% lower than in Canada
Groceries Prices in United States are 17.26% lower than in Canada

So the U.S pays more and charges less than Canada.
Canada pays less and charges more.

People tend to confuse wealth with income. Wealth is the quality and availability of a product or service. Income is how little/much money one makes to buy that type of wealth. So if you’re a millionaire who is stuck on an island filled with rocks and sand, your income is meaningless. Your wealth is 0. Your standard-of-living is 0.

@KaY_Jelly I think you’d (because we’ve talked so much) like it down here, laid back, beautiful, water flowing everywhere in creeks, rivers and huge lakes, beautiful caves with indian drawings, ice cold spring waters that are beautiful, clear and unpolluted, gorgeous fall leaves in our Ozarks mountains.

Maybe we need a life swap for a week…lol

@KNOWITALL Let’s start with it’s beauty.

Toronto is the most multicultural city in the world.

Oh, and the country is clean and we have the pretty great lakes. There’s more, but I don’t have the time. Look it up yourself.

And we don’t have a bible belt. :)

You couldn’t pay me to live in the South.

@Mama_Cakes We have a few mini Bible-belts.

Not as bad as the South. There are parts of Michigan that scare the shit out of me, too!

Yup! I suspect I came close to getting shot in Michigan this summer.

@Mama_Cakes I wonder if ya’lls bible belts are like ours….hmmmmmm.

^ You had me at “we don’t have a Bible belt”

@Seek_Kolinahr you can come over anytime! :)

@glacial We’re thinking ‘round the Muskoka area. :)

Yeah, there’s that pesky needing $60,000 CAD to declare before moving in. And having, y’know, a place to move and jobs and all that jazz.

Only rich people are allowed to expatriate to escape being one of the tortured poor. Haha.

The weather in Canada is a big draw back for me. Maybe I could handle Vancouver. But, in terms of healthcare I would like to try the Canadian system, even thought that also is not my ideal system. America is scary right now regarding healthcare and has been for many years. Assuming you can go back for care at any time, I don’t think it should be a huge factor in your decision. But, I don’t know if you can go back for care. My friends who can do it live half the year up there.

It’s true we don’t have a bible belt. It is why I freak out sometimes when talking about religion out here, because I’ve never actually encountered that until here.
I can wear a cross on my head around my town and all I will get is a few good laughs and a couple of stares. Depending on what I say I might get a trip to the mental hospital.
In the city closest to me Canadians have been so nice they left a suspicious looking package which when found was actually explosives but they were without the electronic charge found to set the explosives off, thank god! And they left this packages behind the store.

“In the city closest to me Canadians have been so nice they left a suspicious looking package which when found was actually explosives but they were without the electronic charge found to set the explosives off, thank god! And they left this packages behind the store.”

Huh?

@Mama_Cakes Aw, that’s beautiful. And I love the chairs. ;)

Canada is a great place if you like to fish (which I do).
Otherwise, the people are beaten down and cynical.
Americans are still, in spite of it all, vibrant, and individualistic.
My pick is USA.
Unless I decide to do nothing but fish.

@josie When was the last time that you were here? Where did you go?

You’re so wrong.

@Mama_Cakes I am there about four times per year.
Ottowa, Torona, and fishing.
Maybe I am wrong, but lots of folks are wrong about Americans too, so no surprise.

John Candy was Canadian.

‘nuff said…

@Mama_Cakes I was being a little sarcastic, pretty scared and very thankful all at the same time I was near the store at the time.

@josie “Ottowa, Torona”

Evidently, you are here often enough to pronounce these city names correctly – better than some Canadians I’ve known. ;)

Now, can you do Montreal?

@josie I have mentioned this place plenty times before but go fishing here. And now say it in a sentence I can guarantee you’ll pronounce it bang on.

Canada, in a heartbeat, if not for the cold weather.

Canadians, how about if you invade, conquer, and annex the U.S.? I could live in the warmth of Miami, which would then be known as New Ottawa.

Supernova Scotia?

@KaY_Jelly
That is a great link. It would be wrong to change the name. For starters, think of the loss of tourism when people stopped going there to get their picture taken with the sign. If that name goes, the town becomes invisible.

Not sure if you’ve ever been to Michigan, @josie, but there’s some great fishing there!

@josie I’m glad you like the link :) I agree with you. If you came to my place first it would take us basically 2 days to get there driving. Its pretty far from me. Newfoundland is great though and probably one of the most beautiful countries in Canada, imho. :)

Watch this

Also Newfoundland has more dialects than any other place on the planet.

Good lord you have to see this one.

You’d think I’m a travel agent lol…sorry I can’t help it the place is absolutely beautiful.