But … muh mountains!
— Vancouverites
I think I’ll end it here … the point is sufficiently made. (This isn’t even including all the little mountain cities and gorgeous resort towns that easily compare with Banff, etc.) I won’t even bother with a section on the coastal cities/beaches.
But I know … Vancouver’s are better because they’re Canadian !
How to escape Canada? It depends on the specifics of your situation and destination. Most visas are based on employment, marriage, or family.
You may be able to obtain a green card if you have “immediate relatives” who are U.S. citizens:
1) spouses of U.S. citizens
2) parents of U.S. citizens who are over 21
3) children of U.S. citizens who are under 21
There are also “family preference categories” whereby a relative can petition for a greencard on your behalf. (This is a lengthy process which can take several years, so attempting other avenues first is recommended.)
See: information. (USCIS website: Green Card through Family)
If you have a Permanent Resident relative, they can apply for a green card on your behalf if you’re a spouse or unwed child of theirs (see: USCIS information).
Marrying a citizen from another country will generally allow you to apply for citizenship after a set period of residency (3-5 years on average).
K1-VISA – (Fiance): for marrying a citizen within 90 days of entering the U.S., then applying for permanent residency (USCIS website info).
Marriage Green Card: granted ‘temporary status’ and will have a set date to apply for ‘permanent status’ by. Same-sex marriage is legal in all states and eligible as well (USCIS website).
H1-B VISAS:
These are temporary visas for working in the U.S. in a high education field or specialty occupation (see: USCIS info). You’ll need a guaranteed job and your employer must apply for the visa on your behalf. You must apply by certain dates within the year and meet requirements.
The visa is good for three years, it can then be renewed for another three. After this, you’ll need to exit the country for a year before reapplying – unless you have requested permanent residency (which you can do on this visa).
Foreign owners of U.S. companies may be able to sponsor themselves for H-1B visas if the owners have a bachelor’s degree or higher in a specialized field and the company will employ the owner in that occupation.
This is granted to specific occupations through a mutual NAFTA agreement. The status is valid for three years, and is considered easier to get than the H1-B. You can apply through a POE (Port of Entry) or the USCIS website.
Before applying you must: have a job offer from a U.S. employer; be a Canadian citizen; show an intention to return to Canada after expiration.
L-1A: allows a U.S. employer to transfer a manager or an executive from an affiliated Canadian office to one of its U.S. offices. It’s valid for three years and spouses and children can live in the U.S under an L-2 status.
L1-B: is for intracompany transferees who work in positions that require specialized knowledge. Your employer must apply on your behalf.
This is for “Canadians of Extraordinary Ability”.
O-1A: individuals who possess extraordinary ability in the arts, sciences, education or athletics.
O-1B: those with extraordinary achievement in the motion picture or television industry.
Only a U.S. employer or agent can sponsor you for an O-1 visa. You can’t apply for an O-1 without a job offer.
For Canadians investing in a business in the U.S. in exchange for a green card. Required amount is between $900,000 USD to $1,800,000 USD and it must create at least ten jobs.
Your spouse and children can also qualify for green cards under the same investment.
If you’re Aboriginal with a Status Card and a Canadian citizen you’re eligible for a Green Card.
– A card obtained through marriage or adoption is not valid.
– You must be able to prove your heritage (50% or more Aboriginal) and have been born in Canada.
You may be able to obtain a visa as a ‘student’ if you are studying full time at an approved institution or pursuing other vocational studies/training.
An F1 visa is issued to international students who are attending an academic program or English Language Program at a U.S. college or university.
Vocational Student category: includes students in vocational or other nonacademic programs, other than language training.
For those who wish to take part in work-and-study based exchange and visitor programs in the U.S. These programs are sponsored by an educational or other nonprofit institution, which must be accredited.
Some examples: Au Pair, camp counselor, physician or research program, teacher or intern program.
J2-Visa is for spouses and children, but eligibility is determined by the program.
It’s important to note the countries we know today as the “United States” and “Canada” were both former colonies; historically they didn’t exist in the exact manner they do today: they were created piecemeal by various territories, states and provinces joining together; formerly owned by England, France, and Spain.
When we speak of the two countries we are talking about nations which have expanded and contracted at different stages in time. Most would argue that the United States existence began in 1776 (“thirteen colonies”) with the Declaration of Independence, while Canada’s began in 1791 with the formation of the colonies Lower (Quebec) and Upper (Ontario) Canada. [Technically speaking, Canada was formally created in 1867, almost one hundred years after the United States.]
Or you could argue that anything north and south of the border (“Treaty of Paris 1783”) between the two nations after the American revolutionary war ended would suffice in drawing distinctions.
If we go by the 1776 and 1791 dates – you’ll note that slavery was still legal and existed in “Canada” proper, as well as the United States. It should also be noted slavery was often practiced before it had an official term or was formalized into law – in both nations.
So how do the two nations compare? (Blue for USA / Red for Canada)
1619 – The first slaves arrive in Virginia
1632 – First known Black slave in New France; none would be documented for another 25 years
1641 – Massachusetts is the first colony to legalize slavery
1650 – Connecticut legalizes slavery
1652 – Rhode Island passes laws restricting slavery; forbidding enslavement more than 10 years
1663 – Maryland legalizes slavery
1664 – New York & New Jersey legalize slavery
1671 – French settlers begin to acquire Amerindian slaves
1688 – French governor and Intendant formally request Black slave shipments
1688 – Pennsylvania Quakers pass first anti-slavery resolution (first formal protest of slavery)
1689 – King Louis XIV authorizes importation of Black slaves; they are delayed 8 years due to war
1700 – Pennsylvania legalizes slavery
1701 – King Louis XIV grants a second royal sanction; slaves delayed by 11 years due to war again
1709 – Intendant Raudot makes slavery legal under formal law
1712 – Pennsylvania prohibits importation of slaves
1715 – Rhode Island legalizes slavery
1721 – Intendant Begon submits request for slave shipment; not ultimately fulfilled
1738 – Georgia permits the importation of black slaves
1752 – Black slaves are advertised for sale in Halifax
1760 – Conquest by British, under Articles of Capitulation slavery continues under the British
1774 – Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Georgia prohibit the importation of slaves.
1775 – Free Blacks allowed to join continental army; Blacks fighting for the British will be liberated
1776 – Declaration of Independence is signed (slavery still legal in the 13 colonies)
1777 – Vermont abolishes slavery
1778 – Virginia prohibits importation of slaves
1780 – Pennsylvania begins gradual emancipation. A freedom clause in the Massachusetts constitution is interpreted as an abolishment of slavery.
1781 – St John’s Island (now Prince Edward Island) passes an Act stating that baptized slaves will remain in slavery, as will any Black not freed by owners
1784 – Rhode Island and Connecticut begin gradual emancipation
1785 – New York passes a gradual emancipation law, prohibits the importation of slaves
1787 – The Northwest Ordinance forbids slavery, except as criminal punishment, in the Northwest Territory (later Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin).
1791 – Prince Edward Island [then St John’s Island] encourages white settlers by offering “forty shillings for every negro brought by such white person”
1793 – Pierre Louis Panet submits a bill for the abolition of slavery to the House of Assembly in Lower Canada; the bill is not passed
Upper Canada passes law prohibiting introduction of new slaves into the province
1794 – Congress prohibits slave trade between the U.S. and foreign countries.
1799 – Montreal slave owners ask the House of Assembly in Lower Canada to rule on the status of slaves (abolition or continued enslavement); there is no ruling
1800 – Slave owners request again that the legality of slavery be clarified, there is no ruling … followed by more bill attempts the next year and until 1803; no rulings
1803 – Chief Justice William Osgoode begins court rulings in favor of runaway slaves
1804 – Underground Railroad is established in Pennsylvania
1819 – Attorney General John Beverley Robinson’s Pronouncement: Canada would not return fugitive slaves
1820-21 – Last known advertisements for slaves appeared in Halifax (20) and in Quebec (21).
1829 – Mexico abolishes slavery and becomes a refuge for fugitive slaves (within months, Texas is exempted from that order)
1832 – Kentucky forbids residents from buying and importing slaves
1834 – Britain abolishes slavery in all its colonies, effectively ending it in Canada
1836 – Texas wins independence from Mexico and legalizes slavery (it joins the Union 9 years later)
1844 – Oregon prohibits slavery
1848 – Connecticut prohibits slavery
1862 – Utah abolishes slavery
1863 – Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation (slaves in Confederate territory are freed)
1864 – Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri and Maryland abolish slavery
1865 – Tennessee abolishes slavery
13th Amendment to the Constitution is passed – abolishing slavery
Of course this very basic time line still leaves much out. The topic is extensive and even just chronicling the numerous changes in law between states would triple the length of this short overview.
I wanted to post it simply to prove a point: Canadians self-congratulatory view on slavery is false. Canada had slaves and legalized slavery while other places were attempting to abolish it or at least prohibit its growth. It’s not so clear cut as saying “Americans had slavery, Canada didn’t” or that Canada was the “land of freedom”.
Lastly, as the post on Canada’s Forgotten Slaves makes clear: Canada can’t claim any moral superiority on the subject. Canada was prevented from having extensive slavery due to wars, being a poorer colony and other factors beyond its control; citizens did try to import slave shipments. Citizens also exported slaves to the Caribbean, including “troublesome” indigenous peoples.
Canada didn’t abolish slavery, Britain did. While Upper Canada prohibited new slaves from coming to the province, it still allowed slavery to continue. It did have a gradual emancipation plan, but was thirty years or more behind some American states! When confronted with the issue numerous times, Lower Canada failed to act in any meaningful way.
While not justifiable in any sense, the economic reasoning for Black slavery in the south at least has some logic, whereas in Canada it didn’t even merit that – having the more loathsome reasons of pride and social prestige. Most slaves in Canada were Aboriginal, corresponding with Canada’s economic imperative the fur trade, and declined in numbers once that industry waned (not through any sort of sympathetic morality).
Since Canada covered up its slavery and is only now beginning to be honest, it’s difficult to come by any great wealth of information. I will update this post periodically when I can add to it and try to learn more.
Anti-American sentiment and propaganda is prolific in the caker kingdom; I’ve written anecdotally about it many times. What never fails to amuse however are cakers denying this when it’s convenient, or downplaying it around Americans when face to face. I wouldn’t suggest all Canadians ‘hate’ Americans, I will suggest that broadly speaking an overwhelming majority consider themselves superior … I don’t need to say any more about that, the delusion speaks for itself.
So to confirm I speak the truth, here are some quotes directly from The Canada Guide (culture section).
“Judging, teasing and even hating America is a central part of the Canadian identity, and forms a persistant bias that runs through most aspects of Canadian society and culture. For various reasons, the default position of a great many Canadians is that America, Americans, and American things are generally bad, and need to be opposed…”
“Canadian politics frequently embraces the latter principle to an exaggerated degree, with America often presented as a deeply dysfunctional, broken nation, and thus a country that Canada should be very careful to avoid copying.
It’s exceedingly common for Canadian politicians to describe ideas they don’t like as being “American-style.” Someone who supports looser gun laws might be denounced as favouring an “American-style” approach to gun control. Someone who wants to tinker with Canadian medicare will be blasted for favouring “American-style” health care. A proposal for Canada to ditch the monarchy and become a republic would be condemned as ushering in “American-style” government.”
“If a Canadian character is witty, worldly, sophisticated and modern, you can count on the American character to be hickish, dumb, boorish and sheltered. Another favourite is the stereotypically ignorant American painfully uninformed about Canada; a yahoo who expects to see dogsleds on every street corner and a beaver-skin hat on every head.”
“As discussed in the pop culture chapter, made-in-Canada media is not tremendously popular in Canada, and most Canadians are fully capable of enjoying (and relating to) the American actors, characters and settings found in American movies, TV, and books without much difficulty. But this can breed a kind of insecurity unto itself, and aggressive reminders of “why we’re better” delivered through anti-American jokes, gags, stereotypes, and insults remain popular tropes of Canadian entertainment.”
“Generally, the most commonly held conclusion is that by vilifying America, Canadians are able to create a collective identity for themselves. Especially in an era where Canadians and Americans are becoming more similar in their lifestyles, behaviour and culture, there is strong pressure for Canadians to focus on the ways their country still remains different, and indeed, superior.”
“Canadian history books usually make much of episodes like the War of 1812, Irish-American attacks on Canada during the mid-1800s (the “Fenian Raids“) and other instances where Americans seemed to be plotting the “annexation of Canada.” The implication is Americans have a long habit of looking at Canada with hungry eyes, and Canadians must remain ever vigilant.”
“In the end, however, Canada’s cultural anti-Americanism should not disguise the very real way Canadians often casually or unconsciously think of themselves as Americans in day-to-day life. Most Canadians generally take it for granted that American studies or polls on topics like social behaviour, spending habits, family trends and personal psychology apply equally to their country..”
And there is an honest, fairly succinct summary of the facts. As one comment put it: Canadians are “Americans not allowed to live in America for starters”. Culturally ‘American’ yet painfully aware they are unable to emigrate, they delude themselves with boasts of ethical and intellectual superiority.
As previous posts show – this is absurd. One only needs to look at the past history of slavery, treatment of Aboriginals, treatment of Asians, treatment of Jews, treatment of Blacks, racist laws, segregation, the Ku Klux Klan and much more to see the parallels; with Canada often decades behind in important rights and affairs.
So the next time a caker denies the TRUTH, simply point him or her right to the culture page of the Canada Guide:
“The Canada Guide is an in-depth reference website for all things Canadian. Whether you’re a student doing research, a tourist planning a trip, an immigrant studying for citizenship, or a local looking to learn, if you’re seeking clear information on this vast and complex country, you’ve come to the right place.”
Just felt like throwing this out there for all the times cakers run their mouths about Americans but don’t have guts to back it up when it counts. Sure, you’re nicer and smarter and superior, why not just admit it to their faces if you’re so confident?
And no I will NOT be shot in the United States, but thanks for the fear-mongering concern.
I’ve just finished watching the first season of the series The Handmaid’s Tale. It’s based on the dystopian novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood. The series greatly improves on the novel by fleshing out the material a little better and expanding on the original idea.
I was greatly amused but not at all surprised to see Canada portrayed as “paradise north” in the show. Canada is the great “escape” for citizens of the nation of Gilead (formerly the USA): a violent theocracy which came to power after birth rates plummeted and procreation became a rarity. Citizens attempt to escape to Canada “the land of the free”.
Thoughts:
Fleeing north is somewhat reminiscent of southern slaves and the Underground Railroad. What’s ironic about this however is the fact Canada also had slavery which was only abolished due to British law and was the consequence of being a British colony. While it’s true that Canada’s slavery never reached the same level as the U.S., as we now know this was only due to the wretched poverty of Canada’s poor laborers and its relative poverty to the wealthier United States. Canada also practiced slavery with Aboriginals (something which also happened to a limited degree in the U.S.).
Other comparisons can be made: African Americans in the U.S. were legally guaranteed the right to vote in 1965; Status Indians in Canada were able to vote in 1960. The Inuit are generally accepted as having legitimately ‘gained the right to vote’ in 1962. (source)
In 1920, women in the U.S. were given the right to vote (the 19th Amendment). Twelve states held out on ratifying the amendment, dragging it out for decades more. Prior to the amendment 18 states had granted women the right to vote.
In Canada, women’s right to vote varied by province: the first province to grant voting rights was Manitoba in 1916; the last province would be Quebec in 1940. (source)
The closer one looks at these neighboring nations the more one begins to glimpse the parallels. Far from being ethically superior, Canada begins to look disturbingly similar to America. Lean in closer to observe the historical and legal cracks in its claims to higher enlightenment.
In the USA, women’s rights to abortion varied by state prior to 1973. A federal law (Roe vs Wade) came into effect that year guaranteeing national rights, brought on by a plaintiff from Texas. Abortion only became fully legal in Canada in 1988. Previously the Criminal Code had been amended (1969) to allow abortion if a woman’s life was in danger or a board of doctors signed off. In 1990, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney attempted to criminalize abortion again, but failed. Accessibility to abortion services tended to vary by province, and abortion wasn’t available in the province of Prince Edward Island until 2016.
I will briefly mention there have been some differences in religious beliefs and movements between the USA and Canada – a topic I will leave for another post.
Religious fervor versus wimps:
Reflecting on the matter, despite more fundamentalism in the United States – I believe Canada is a far more likely candidate for a dystopian theocracy than the U.S. First there are the numbers: 35 million inhabitants being far easier to dominate and control than 320 million. Second, is the geography: Americans being spread out over a vast terrain of diverse lands, while nearly all Canadians live grouped together along the southern border in limited regions.
Third, Americans have the right to self-defense enshrined into their constitution through the Second Amendment which says in part … “the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed” and which was upheld by the Supreme Court, guaranteeing Americans the fundamental right to bear arms for protection.
In the United States there are an estimated 270 million guns, conservatively. It’s believed just over roughly a third of citizens own a firearm. (source) That’s approximately 96 MILLION individuals who own firearms.
The United States is often lambasted for its internal divisions, but in this case it may be a blessing in disguise. The country tends to be very divided politically: mainly between Republicans and Democrats; each group fiercely unapologetic about its beliefs. It also tends to be divided socially: between the more conservative religious base, and the liberal-progressives. If a theocracy or autocratic regime were to attempt to establish itself, then roughly half the nation would oppose it – creating a momentous civil war.
In order to establish dominance, a regime would have to resort to destruction on an unprecedented scale (which is simpler in theory than action). For example, take the guerrilla warfare well known in other areas: Ireland, South America, Israel and Palestine, to name but a few. Hold out factions of rebels, criminals or other groups can last decades; Afghanistan comes to mind.
Meanwhile in Canada, residents aren’t even supposed to have pepper spray. Guns mainly belong to law enforcement, hunters and farmers, while the words “self defense” induce liberal gasps of horror among the self-proclaimed intelligentsia. Canadians can hardly run a bath, let alone a rebellion.
And so the two nations carry on along their parallel paths, but Canadians lack Americans’ rights to self defense, bearing arms, free speech; not to mention their combativeness, blunt honesty and rebellious nature. Canadians still have MONARCHY in the 21st century – something Americans abolished two centuries ago!
If anybody is going to live under the thumb of lunatics, it will be Canadians far before Americans, in my humble opinion.
Post Script: I gave up on this show.
” … I find the people here to be overly racist. Especially against Americans. In my time in California, I never even heard Canada mentioned (let alone bashed). Here, almost every week at work, I’m hearing some sort of comment about “stupid Americans”. I don’t know, but I think comments like these reflect more on YOU than Americans.”
“That is it in a nutshell…Americans do not sit around and obsess about Canada. In all the years I live in the US I can’t remember anyone talking bad about Canada. You have to move here to get a firm grip…on how much of a loser country Canada really is.”
(Quotes)
I get comments and swearing emails from Canadians insulting me (the “American”) and trash talking the USA. They automatically assume anyone who criticizes Canada must be an American. They can’t fathom that a fellow brainwashed caker would dare to insult the almighty Canada. In one sense they are correct as I don’t consider myself Canadian, but nonetheless, not everyone who hates this place is American. They come from all over the world: Europe, South America, India, you name it.
Even if Canada could prove itself superior to the USA (it can’t), there are over a hundred other countries to compare this place to, many of which are superior on numerous levels. But Canadians won’t look that far, they need to console themselves with the fact they live in ‘the best country in the world’. To admit otherwise would be painful, considering most of them don’t qualify to leave. Consider it a type of Stockholm-syndrome: a psychological barrier they construct so they can survive.
Every other day I hear some insult about ‘Americans’ or the USA. Canadians write me, frothing at the mouth and obsessing over the USA. But down in the States nobody cares; nobody mentions Canada, nobody thinks about Canada. Canada is so irrelevant to them that they can’t even be bothered to care about it, let alone insult it. The odd time they do is usually a joke to watch the hysterical reactions of cakers.
I write about it is as an outlet for stress, seeing as I am stuck here against my will. Nothing would make me happier than to leave here and NEVER RETURN for as long as I live. Unfortunately, due to family and business I’ll likely be required to return at least a handful of times over the years. I would love to leave this dump and never have to THINK about it as long as I live.
When I do escape here, I won’t be writing about it. I won’t be thinking about it too often. Why? Because I don’t care. Canada is a pathetic, cold, boring dump. Nobody cares.
Again: NOBODY CARES.
‘Leaked FBI data from 2014-2016 suggests more ‘suspected terrorists’ enter U.S. by way of Canada than Mexico’ From CBC:
An investigative report from an American website claims that the Canadian border may in fact be more of a security liability than Mexico’s.
“The report quotes unnamed FBI and Department of Homeland Security officials as saying far more “suspected terrorists” are being encountered at the U.S.-Canada border.
“We are looking in the wrong direction,” the story quotes a senior Homeland Security official as saying. “Not to say that Mexico isn’t a problem, but the real bad guys aren’t coming from there — at least not yet.”
The story points to leaked FBI data collected between 2014 and 2016 that showed the number of “suspected terrorists” trying to enter the U.S. from Canada at land border crossings was in some months twice that encountered at the Mexico-U.S. border.
The Mexico-U.S. border is the main entry point for economic migrants seeking work in the U.S.”
This is followed by the suggestion that the terrorist watch-list is “too broad” and encompasses a spectrum of people, many of whom may not be truly dangerous. When asked about sources, the reporter said:
“I was given them, frankly, by sources who largely agree that there should be some sort of border wall … but who think both sides need to be looked at,” Winter said.
“Plus, the more that you’re on TV talking about the southern border as the only threat — as one of my sources pointed out — if you were a terrorist trying to get into the country, and you weren’t incredibly stupid, you would probably go to the border that isn’t the focus of every single conversation.”
The Canadian government has responded to the story by pointing out that “no terrorist attack has ever been carried out by individuals entering the United States from Canada.”
Yet. Just give it time.
I don’t understand why people can’t see the Canadian border for the huge liability it really is. Apparently this obvious issue is finally being recognized.
The Mexican border is the focus of a good deal of American politics: it has border guards, bounty hunters and volunteer groups patrolling the territory. There’s a lot of focus by agencies because of the drug cartels and domestic trafficking.
Meanwhile, nobody is paying any attention to Canada. The northern border is just as large as the Mexican one, without even a fraction of the spotlight. Consider that within 15 years, 100% of Canada’s growth is projected to come from immigration. Also, consider that Trudeau and the Liberals opposed revoking terrorists’ passports or citizenship, claiming Canada should rely on its ‘Criminal Code’ instead. For now the government still holds that right, but laws could change in the future.
And it’s not just crossing the border by stealth in cars or such, people can simply walk across!
Take the news stories from the last week, in regards to illegals crossing due to Trump’s ban:
From Global News: since November, 91 refugees have crossed from the US into Manitoba by walking frozen prairie fields.
“Since late summer, 27 men from Ghana walked to Manitoba from the United States, Yeboah said. Two lost all their fingers to frostbite in December and nearly froze to death.”
And in 2016:
“… Over 2,000 more entered “irregularly” during a similar time period, without official authorization, such as across unmonitored fields.
Four hundred and thirty asylum seekers crossed Manitoba’s border irregularly in the first nine months of 2016-17, up from 340 the entire previous year, CBSA said…
In Quebec, 1,280 refugee claimants irregularly entered between April 2016 and January 2017, triple the previous year’s total.
In British Columbia and Yukon, 652 people entered Canada irregularly in 2016, more than double the previous year.”
Now these are people leaving the U.S. because of an executive order; refugees without money or cars and look how easy it is! Now just imagine sophisticated criminals and well-financed terrorists heading the opposite way! In my opinion, it’s only a matter of time until something happens.
Of course, Canadians won’t take responsibility when security is beefed up after an incident. Instead they’ll blame Americans for wanting to protect their own borders and national security.
If whistle-blowers are leaking information from FBI and Homeland Security departments to journalists, they’ve got to be pretty concerned. It’s apparent they should be.
According to the Latin Times:
“Canadians lead U.S. immigrants in unauthorized visa overstays, according to first-ever estimates from the Department of Homeland Security. Just under half of all immigrants in the country illegally are Mexican nationals, according to Pew Research. That share may decrease in the coming years, as Central American migrants to outpace Mexican in unauthorized land-based border crossings. But what about immigrants who come to the U.S. legally with a business, tourist or student visa? Most are from Canada, not Mexico … DHS now estimates 93,000 Canadian overstays, more than double the amount of Mexican overstays (42,000) and about the same as the combined total of South America. Canada has a smaller population than Mexico and Latin America, so its citizens also have a higher rate of overstays in addition to just raw figures.”
Now that’s pretty rich when you consider all the jaw flapping going on up here about ‘Canadian superiority’ and such. But as American border guards and others have pointed out: if Canada is so great, why are Canadians going down to the U.S. to work and vacation? In fact, why do so many leave and never return? Why would people rather live there as illegals than return to Canada?
Also amazing to me is the the fact Canadian overstays are double Mexican ones, when you consider the violence going on in Mexico due to the drug cartels. People would rather put up with living in poverty and violence in Mexico than be forced to stay in Canada – no joke!
And sneaking over the border is not just a Mexican pastime, but happens from Canada too. According to the website U.S. Immigration:
“The common image of an illegal immigrant sneaking into the U.S. involves a Latin American huddling for cover in the brush of an expansive desert. It’s hot, dry, and desolate. Perhaps they are attempting to swim across the Rio Grande as it meanders through the dusty climes of the southern U.S. or jump a fence in the middle of the night. There is a different, much less publicized form of illegal immigrant—the kind coming from Canada …
… Last year, in an attempt to slow the flow of illegal immigration from Canada, CBP spent $20 million on a surveillance system that monitors 34 miles of the St. Clair River bordering Michigan and Canada—a popular destination for illegal immigrants crossing from Canada.
… Michigan is a particularly popular crossing point. Many lakes and rivers compose the border between the state and Canada and illegal immigrants use the rugged vastness of the terrain to their advantage. Kyle Niemi of the U.S. Coast Guard division charged with patrolling Michigan’s waterways has said, “It’s a very complex system. … You have lakes that are akin to seas—they’re humongous. And then there are rivers that in the winter months you can walk across. It’s a fragile system.”
There you have it, folks. When the Liberals make living in Canada so unaffordable even prostituting yourself won’t work, you know where to go!
According to the Department of Homeland Security report there are roughly 93,000 Canadians living illegally after expired visas.
In 2015, the governor of Wisconsin floated the idea of building a wall across the Canada-US border. Nothing came of it, because it was generally shrugged off as something silly and unnecessary. Most Canadians living illegally in the U.S. do so by overstaying legitimate visas, not sneaking across. It still makes you wonder about the future ...
In my opinion, Canada is headed for a massive decline. Brain-drain to the U.S. has always been a problem, but now it won’t merely be the brightest minds leaving, also people who want better opportunities after years of failing to qualify for emigration.
Let’s look at a few key facts:
Right now twenty percent of Canada’s population is the result of immigration. This is an attempt by the government to keep the population at sustainable levels.
From Statistics Canada:
“According to all scenarios, population aging would continue in the coming years. Over the next two decades in particular, the proportion of seniors aged 65 years and over in the population would grow rapidly as the large baby-boom (1946 to 1965) cohort reaches age 65 and over. Thus, by 2030, the year in which the youngest baby boomers will reach age 65, close to one in four persons in Canada would be aged 65 years or over (22.2% in the high-growth scenario, 22.8% in the medium-growth scenario and 23.6% in the low-growth scenario) compared with 15.3% in 2013.
The number of persons aged 65 years and over per 100 persons aged 15 to 64 years would also increase, from about 22 in 2013 to 37 in 2030 according to the medium-growth scenario.
During the same period, the working-age population—persons aged 15 to 64 years, most of them being in the labour force—would decrease according to all projection scenarios, from 68.6% in 2013 to about 60% in 2030. Between 2030 and 2063, this proportion would remain fairly stable.”
On top of the aging population, we have other factors, mentioned in previous posts. First, drama with the Chinese over their spying in Canada and influence through key officials. Next, terrorism from the immigration population and the locals who have been radicalized (it’s already becoming an issue and will only get worse). Third, the home-born citizens lashing out because by 2030 – 100% of population growth will come from immigration; cue: culture clashes, resentments, minor conflicts. All of this will be exacerbated by idiot politicians needing to be politically correct and ignoring their constituents for votes from immigrants.
Then there is the cost of living (which is rising exponentially and hitting ridiculous levels), coupled with the lousy economy and staggering debt of the provinces – particularly Ontario.
Not good times ahead for Canada. The irony is that all the politicians and rich bigwigs mouthing off about ‘stupid, racist, idiot ‘Merica‘ will be the ones flying down there for health care, vacationing in Florida, and likely moving permanently (they will have the money). It’ll be the typical buffoon working-class Canadian without the option to leave who remains, muttering self-assurances of superiority, and slaving to pay the extortionists in charge of basic necessities.
Maybe in the end, the best thing for Canada is for Canadians to be stuck there among their own: forced to contend with their own self-created society. Perhaps then they will stop looking down on others and actually make the country livable.
Time to get building that wall – the hordes of Canadians are coming!
Canada: land of cognitive dissonance.
Here is one example of Canadian contradiction:
Blacks
Black people have been in Canada since the early 1600’s and unknown to a large segment of Canadians, they were also slaves in early colonial Canada (black history in general is overlooked or completely ignored).
Few enough think about the experience of black Canadians: regular racism, discrimination, lack of empathy and dismissive attitudes about their hardships. Most Canadians flippantly tell them that racism against blacks is a problem in the USA, not here.
Most Canadians know about issues of racism against Aboriginals, but believe that racism against blacks is minimal in Canada. Canadians love to shake their finger at their American neighbors and self-righteously proclaim themselves so superior in issues of race – particularly regarding black people. But as is so often the case with cakers, their self-image and reality are at blunt odds…
The data shows that when it comes to hate crimes, black Canadians are the number one victim! They account for roughly half of all racial hate crimes, which is parallel with American stats.
The USA has 10x the population level of Canada: 35 million vs 318 million. Black Canadians make up 2.9% of Canada’s population while black Americans make up 13.3% of the population. Which begs the question: who has the bigger problem here?
It should be noted that the likely reason hate crimes against Aboriginals are so low is because half their population resides on remote reserves, and a large percentage of the rest live on reserves inside cities or on the outskirts.
What can we conclude from all this? Cakers are no better than their American neighbors, and in fact a whole lot worse in most ways!
Canada has a problem with racism. In fact, Canada has many problems … all swept under the rug so as to look good in front of the world.
Note: While re-posting this, I updated it with current stats. I knew they would be no different because Canada never changes.
Update: since this post, Statistics Canada has stopped compiling hate crimes information on individual groups and has combined them together.
Stats Can:
2017 https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/181129/t001a-eng.htm
2015/16 https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2018001/article/54915-eng.htm
2014/15 https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2017001/article/14832-eng.htm
2013 https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2015001/article/14191-eng.htm#a11
2012 https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2014001/article/14028-eng.htm
2009/10 https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2012001/article/11635-eng.htm
From Maclean’s:
“For a country so self-satisfied with its image of progressive tolerance, how is this not a national crisis?
The racial mess in the United States looks pretty grim and is painful to watch. We can be forgiven for being quietly thankful for Canada’s more inclusive society, which has avoided dramas like that in Ferguson, Mo. We are not the only ones to think this. In the recently released Social Progress Index, Canada is ranked second amongst all nations for its tolerance and inclusion.
Unfortunately, the truth is we have a far worse race problem than the United States. We just can’t see it very easily.
Terry Glavin, recently writing in the Ottawa Citizen, mocked the idea that the United States could learn from Canada’s example when it comes to racial harmony. To illustrate his point, he compared the conditions of the African-American community to Canada’s First Nations. If you judge a society by how it treats its most disadvantaged, Glavin found us wanting. Consider the accompanying table. By almost every measurable indicator, the Aboriginal population in Canada is treated worse and lives with more hardship than the African-American population. All these facts tell us one thing: Canada has a race problem, too.
How are we not choking on these numbers? For a country so self-satisfied with its image of progressive tolerance, how is this not a national crisis? Why are governments not falling on this issue?
RELATED: Welcome to Winnipeg: Where Canada’s racism problem is at its worst
Possibly it is because our Fergusons are hidden deep in the bush, accessible only by chartered float plane: 49 per cent of First Nations members live on remote reserves. Those who do live in urban centres are mostly confined to a few cities in the Prairies. Fewer than 40,000 live in Toronto, not even one per cent of the total population of the Greater Toronto Area. Our racial problems are literally over the horizon, out of sight and out of mind.
Or it could be because we simply do not see the forest for trees. We are distracted by the stories of corrupt band councils, or flooded reserves, or another missing Aboriginal woman. Some of us wring our hands, and a handful of activists protest. There are a couple of unread op-eds, and maybe a Twitter hashtag will skip around for a few days. But nothing changes. Yes, we admit there is a governance problem on the reserves. We might agree that “something” should be done about the missing and murdered women. In Ottawa a few policy wonks write fretful memos on land claims and pipelines. But collectively, we don’t say it out loud: “Canada has a race problem.”
If we don’t have a race problem then what do we blame? Our justice system, unable to even convene Aboriginal juries? Band administrators, like those in Attawapiskat, who defraud their own people? Our health care system that fails to provide Aboriginal communities with health outcomes on par with El Salvador? Politicians too craven to admit the reserve system has failed? Elders like Chief Ava Hill, cynically willing to let a child die this week from treatable cancer in order to promote Aboriginal rights? Aboriginal people themselves for not throwing out the leaders who serve them so poorly? Police forces too timid to grasp the nettle and confront unbridled criminality like the organized drug-smuggling gangs in Akwesasne? Federal bureaucrats for constructing a $7-billion welfare system that doesn’t work? The school system for only graduating 42 per cent of reserve students? Aboriginal men, who have pushed their community’s murder rate past Somalia’s? The media for not sufficiently or persistently reporting on these facts?
Or: us? For not paying attention. For believing our own hype about inclusion. For looking down our noses at America and ignorantly thinking, “That would never happen here.” For not acknowledging Canada has a race problem.
We do and it is bad. And it is not just with the Aboriginal peoples. For new immigrants and the black community the numbers are not as stark, but they tell a depressingly similar story.
If we want to fix this, the first step is to admit something is wrong. Start by saying it to yourself, but say it out loud: “Canada has a race problem.”
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