1. cost of living 2. high taxes for subpar social services 3. limited and lacking public transit 4. long distances to get anywhere 5. problematic healthcare 6. poor quality produce 7. weather 8. drug use normalization 9. frivolous attitude towards debt 10. ideological polarization
Making drugs illegal has been the cause of death of the overwhelming majority of drug addicts. I'm a recovering addict with nearly 18 years sobriety. I now work as an Addictions Counsellor at a treatment centre. When you understand the drug problem, then you see the problems with drug prohibition.
@@bench3885 At our treatment centre we see approx. 60% of our clients remain sober for at least 2 years. We do surveys 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after grad. The money wasted on drug prohibition is at least 100 times more than what we'd spend if drugs were supplied to addicts at no charge to them, provide them in clinics set up for the purpose, only allow the drugs to be consumed at the clinic and can never leave the facility, and they are given options for entering detox and treatment within 2 hours of asking for it. That would also save the vast majority of the lives that are lost due to drug prohibition, and the supply being managed by criminal gangs.
@@robrobert9541 The way the govt is handling this is criminal. It is ruining parts of cities, they are unsanitary, dangerous. Human feces on public sidewalks, used drug needles in parks and on public sidewalks. Businesses have to shutdown. And we pay for this with taxes. Enough!
I have lived in Toronto for most of my life and always thought it was one of the best cities in the world. I devoted myself to providing women’s health care to Canadians and have paid many millions of dollars in various taxes. But over the past five years I cannot recognize my city or country anymore. Rampant, uncontrolled immigration has ruined the country for Canadians who have contributed to this society for decades. I can’t wait to leave for all the same reasons you described so well. I lived in Europe when I was younger and I am planning to retire there. Most Canadians who say things like “don’t let the door hit your backside on the way out” simply haven’t lived elsewhere and don’t realize how badly Canadians are treated by our own government. It makes me very sad to see how much Canada has changed. I love this country but I simply can’t afford to live here anymore.
You must be new. Take Canadian history seriously. From Pierre Elliot Trudeau through Mulroney, Liberals, Reform Party Conservatives and the real estate crisis and then the pandemic. Our dollar used to be on par with USA. Alina is too young to recall the first ever food bank in Canada in 1983 Edmonton. The Manufacturing tax became the GST. We had HST and then NAFTA sold us out to the USA. Read NAFTA and the new trade agreement. Quebec is a have not province yet they sit on $40B of natural gas. Ontario, BC and Alberta subsidize everywhere else. Canada has alot of rural. There’s no Greyhound buses. Comparing BC at 650000 sq miles to a 50000 sq mile state in USA who is also has no infrastructure. I think Alina can compare Russia and their trains or China. In Europe you can be in four countries in a day. It all balances out. What worked for one doesn’t work in Asia or UK. Bulgaria has people who never leave the farm. They live in their farm and visit the village once in a while. Everything is family oriented. Some people go to France/Italy/Sweden and one person loves it and the next person doesn’t. Vancouver had 700 people pass away from heat in 2021. Lytton and other towns burned down. Don’t worry drug use will be coming to other cities. Rose-colored glasses. The drug war has been happening for decades. Alina you’re loving Trump-style politics right about now. People drink. People live for now. You could get hit by a bus tomorrow. Too many what if’s and you’re young. No kids, husband and you’re a traveller influencer. You can’t even have a dog or cat. It’s interesting how you flip from anti to pro. Good luck with Bulgaria. I know a family who have embraced rural life. Wouldn’t fit your lifestyle. 25 years of Canada is 21st century metrics. 🤷🏻
@@nafeeahnaf6296 These are not heady concepts it opinions based on whatever you imagine. Young oilers fan, you wouldn’t understand. a) Because you’re in Alberta b) You don’t know much about history and haven’t travelled much c) Context is key. d) You’re hypocritical if you don’t include the op’s rant and their criteria/context. Travel, read/write more, and touch grass. Maybe pick a topic and focus. 🧘♀️ 🤦🏻♀️
Born and raised in Canada. In Toronto 35 years. All countries encounter major turning points in their histories. I think Canada is at one now. We will either change course to more prosperity, more sanity, and more freedom, or sink into a increasingly restrictive and impoverished socialist quagmire. The per capita GDP of Ontario is lower than every US state except Arkansas, Mississippi, and West Virginia! Among the poorest in the US. And none of them even have a Bay Street to boost their numbers. All the comparable states around us on the Great Lakes like Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin...all more productive. We should be way richer than we are. But we are so slow to change and so hamstrung by big government, special interests and regionalism. But our biggest issue is in our own heads - our reflexive anti-Americanism. All any politician needs to do to kill an idea they don't like is brand it 'US-style' and all the CBC addicts will have their lawn signs out opposing it the next morning. We need to clear our heads. We need to look at our big neighbour to the south and see what they do right, what they do wrong, and stop with the bias that blinds us. Take the good, make it our own, and leave the bad! Americans get 30 year government backed home mortgages and they can write off the interest on their taxes. Is that so horrible? Adjusted for our incredible 40% currency exchange (another thing that keeps Canadians trapped in low productivity), Americans still pay 35% less for gasoline than us. Is that so horrible? We need to steal good ideas from America and everywhere else we can to turn this place around big time in the next decade or the country we love is going to have lower living standards and major brain drain that will be irreversible. No young person with any prospects is going to stay here if we don't do something. I hope we can get over ourselves and get to dry land because we're drowning.
I've been living in Toronto for 30 years, I love this city and I'm not planning on moving anywhere. That being said I do agree with all your points. 😅 I would even add these: 11. The immigration issues: Insane spike in the levels of immigration/asylum seekers/refugees and also international students in the last few years... the issues it creates. 12. The absurdity of finding a job (the whole system/process is dumb) from gohst job posting, no salary info on posting, so many temporary jobs, the shitty benefits offered, the rounds of interviews, the ghosting... all of it is so toxic, dumb, inefficient. 13. The problems of the ever eroding "free speech" how we can't even share a news article link on facebook anymore..
@@AlinaMcleod Don't be afraid to speak about the unchecked immigration and the policies that encourage exploitation of our support infrastructure and the welfare system and the reason we're experiencing the lack of housing and jobs...ie: Tim Horton hiring and exploiting this demographic...
@@ShockwavesdogNero I have to imagine it's still a radioactive subject where if you don't say the party line of "diversity is our strength' you'll get tanked in the algorithm.
Hi Alina, Your choice of a new country is high on my list. I was born in Toronto, 77 years ago. I am truly shocked at the poor quality of life now, here in Ontario. What do your mum and dad feel about conditions here. We have huge natural resources, an unbelievable amount of land , abundant fresh water and unbelievable homelessness. Something is very wrong . I may see you in Bulgaria some day. 😮 Wish you the life that you dream of. Thanks for following your dreams.
Because of Trudeau and endless immigration of unskilled labors from mainly India along with bringing in refugees without giving a damn about how are they gonna survive here
@@ronnie-d6u WRONG lol. Look at all those who VOTED for him either once or twice and you will get your answer! I was living and working abroad in SE Asia at the time in 2016 and I think I got a better perspective. It was clear that Canada was headed off a cliff anyway, and nobody was going to help, especially definitely not THAT guy. Sure he's probably one of the worst candidates you can imagine and I could see it RIGHT away in 2016 - how did the Millions and MAJORITY of Canadians completely failed to see any red flags when they were really bright and obvious? - you can blame that guy all you want but you are completely FAILING to address the root cause yet again... I think I'm clearly implying what the real root cause of many issues in Canada is, but it's one of those things that can be really hard to fix
@@ronnie-d6uyeah! The Ukraine war had caused fuel prices to skyrocket resulting in very high inflation, and then Trudeau came and increased the carbon tax (a few times??) making things worse. He is a foolish PM.
I left Canada when I was 18 and come to visit sometimes. Currently living in Argentina and have lived over 15 years in Asia myself. I look forward to randomly running into you in some random European Café and enjoying a tea together. All the best in your journey. 🙏🏼✨
@@Ladym98go look at the peoi from Argentina and South ami, Mexico, Iran, Iraq, China, parts of euo, and most of the middle East on the American Mexican border trying to enter the Us illegally.
Dead is an understatement! Everything in Canada, epecially in major cities like Toronto is way over-priced for the quality and services offered. It's like a mediocre 3-star hotel charging it's guests 5-star rate. It's not livable even if you are earning $60K annually. Also, people aren't as nice as it used to be.
Too many people were let in. Trudeau killed the golden Canadian goose. Worse yet, lot of the people complaining about these issues voted for it. Consequences.
Canada is a rip off. taxes are so huge. I can't comprehend the situation that you can actually become homeless if you can't pay property tax. The tax property in Romania Bolgaria is really small.
In Yugoslavia there was no property tax,what is yours is yours ,crazy that in communist country they respected more private property then in capitalist courtly .After Yugoslavia Croatia did not change it so there is still no property tax ,govermant would like to tax it but know that people would be angry
The only place Canada is not a rip-off is in Ukraine, where 500,000 men are being slaughtered @ the obscene rate of $1,000,000 per dead guy - Canada is very generous towards that crime.
@dzonikg Many post sovet republics haven't imposed a property tax similar to one in Canada or US ((about 1% of municipal assessment). One can say that a property tax is negligible across Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus .
Canada is worth fighting for, but unfortunately no one is ready to take on that change required…make Canada more self sufficient. Canada will have a rough time in next 3 years, or all of Canada can get moving to rebuild the country.
Law abiding businesses can’t compete with Hindu Varna Caste Slave Labour. It’s hopeless. Indians “sponsor” family members and make them work off the money for years for free. They don’t pay into the system but use government services and food banks.
I wish you the best in Bulgaria! I left Canada 26 years ago. I love your story about your father and the strawberry. It made me laugh because when I travelled back to Canada with my partner he couldn't believe how tasteless the fruit was in Calgary. And that was in May!
Thank you! Yeah it's really sad about some of the produce. It's unfortunately not just the growing season but certainly whatever chemicals they're spraying with.
Alina agree with you 100%. I'm in that 60k bracket you mentioned can't make ends meet, grocery/rent prices constantly going up, salary stagnate. Can't find a doctor for the last 3 years for my son and I, since he dropped us for moving too far away from him. Have been paying into this government system since I was 17 and its only getting worse. You have to make like 150k/year to be able to get a mortgage for a crappy house. No future here for the common woman/man, the land of the rich you can have it back!. Best wishes for your European dream!.
As a former addict and homeless person, born and raised in Vancouver, I agree with what you said about Vancouver and the provincial and federal drug policies. Clean and sober for 14 and a half years {since 2010} I had to not only leave BC to find help and a treatment bed but I had to leave Canada. I got back to BC in November 2011 and BC has, since those times, 15-20 years ago, gotten 15-20 times worse in every way, particularly in the last decade or so. I am moving to Australia soon, and I know it has similar issues with housing, cost of living, addiction, and homelessness, everywhere does to some extent, but at least the climate is much better, and the government is far stricter on not putting up with nonsense and my money will go a lot further. If any of the "experts" on addiction here in Canada or anybody else is giving you a hard time for leaving Canada, they don't know what they are talking about. I like your videos, especially the ones with your Dad in Saskatchewan. To each his/her own...good luck in your new home country. Sounds amazing 👍 🙏
wow. that was so accurate. I can relate on any of this point but especially about "strawberry" :) as an immigrant myself, i was so shocked how tasteless the food in Canada is, especially fruits and vegetables
Thanks Alina! I couldn't agree more. I immigrated in 2020 to be with my Canadian wife but i am deeply disappointed. I have been trying to pin down exact reasons in my head and your video helps. I would only add driving standards. They are terrible. There are some folks driving around who know what they are doing but every time i drive, i see atrocious standards. People get into their own little bubble and forget about others. The worst of Canadian society I feel. People need to take responsibility and slow down. In life too in general. Any country with the social problems you rightly list cannot ever ever be considered developed. I look forward to seeing your journey to Bulgaria!
@@AlinaMcleodyeah fair point... I am half Greek so i know where you're coming from haha! I did feel vindicated recently when i saw CBC special reports on corruption in truck driver training in Ontario. As you say so many of these problems exist in so many other places...I just wish i had known the Canada of your childhood! You're not the only one I've heard this from :)
@@AnetaMihaylova-d6freasons? Bulgaria is getting better each year whilst the west is getting worse. If the year was 2010 I would've agreed with you though.
My 22 year old daughter has been ill for just over 3 years. It took 2 years of appts, specialists, ER visits, scans, scopes, wrongly ordered and read tests, doctors who were rude, gaslit my daughter, treated her like she was an addict as she had a prescription for pain meds, to find out she had a vascular syndrome called Nutcracker (a compressed left renal vein). We are now awaiting a new vascular surgeon consult that will be 7 months away and almost 5 hours away, as we only have a couple handfuls of doctors across Canada, who have experience diagnosing vascular compressions and doing surgery for them. Her pain management appt in Toronto took a 20 month wait to get in. Its absolutely crazy to see people who have serious issues having to end up going out of country to resolve their issues, as they cannot get help or timely help for their illness here and paying 10s of thousands of dollars for care elsewhere. We thought at one point, we were going to have to go to the US for additional testing, and surgery, aß we were literally getting nowhere here.
@@GDC-zw4og Haven't heard of any people resolving their vascular compressions there. We have a doctor list for those looking outside the US or Canada, and nothing there.
Yes..I’d go to US or Asia where healthcare is cheaper, still high quality and accessible. Any Asian countries a specialist is 1-3 days appointment away and on time in case of emergency. I’d go to India, China, Thailand, or S Korea where healthcare is incredible. For a flight ticket of 2000-2500$ cad.
I lived twice in Canada as a foreign diplomat (Toronto and Ottawa) and I absolutely loved everything except the weather of course, and something that you did not mentioned: the fact that wines are only sold in the stores of the liquor control boards, are extremely expensive compared to the US, and the selection quite limited. Get the government off my wines! 😂 I now live in California, where you can buy wines everywhere, even in supermarkets and pharmacies. A paradise for wine lovers.
@@AlinaMcleod The gas station, convenience stores and supermarket I visit, only sell Canadian wines. Except for the ice wines, Ontario wines taste disgusting.
@@AlinaMcleodwe’ll be patient.. things change.. you’re not going to find paradise anywhere.. as for drug use.. just wait till you get to other countries.. they are no better!
Hi, Alina! Great video! Great points. I'm a bulgarian guy, who used to live in Canada (Toronto and Winnipeg) and other countries as well. I can totally understand what you mean. The cost of living in Canada is super high. I remember paying a lot of money for a 1bed apartment in a not very nice area of Toronto (Eglinton &Jane). Taxes, cost of fuel, food and everything was through the roof. The thing that I miss about the country might be a shocker for you, and that's the cold winter. Now I live in London, UK and we barely see snow! It's so frustrating to not have a proper winter and white Christmas. In regards to Bulgaria I don't know what to say. I have left the country when I came out of highschool, so I am completely disconnected from it. I do hope you like it and have a great time there. All the best.
Welcome to Bulgaria, Alina! Ultimately, quite probably, you will come to the situation when in Bulgaria you will miss what was better organized and functioning in Canada, and in Canada you would be missing things to which you would get used and appreciate in Bulgaria! In any case, enjoy the best you can find in each of the countries and finally one feels best where he/she is mostly loved an welcome!
Living in Canada has been eye-opening, but not in the way I expected. Despite my hopes for a better quality of life, every dollar spent here feels like it slips through my fingers without real value. I used to live in the UK and the Middle East, where the cost of living felt far more reasonable, and I never imagined I'd feel so disillusioned. Since 2021, I've been trying to buy a new car, yet dealerships keep saying there's a shortage due to production issues-an excuse that’s worn thin. Ontario, in particular, has hit me with its high prices, far removed from my experiences in Saskatchewan, where life felt far more manageable. Here, it’s a different story: expenses pile up, but the benefits don’t match. Even mobile plans feel outdated; Canada limits data while India offers unlimited options. I’m beginning to wonder if it’s time to look elsewhere, a place where I’m not working just to cover endless bills but where the cost of living feels like it gives something back.
@@TruthSayer-g2m Sometimes it's sad to be proven right. I recall back in the 90s, telling people they were work slaves, and it was only going to get worse. Lots of mocking followed, people saying that's crazy, etc. And here we are.
Bulgaria is located at the same latitude as Toronto. Northern Bulgaria is at 43-44 parallel, Sofia is at 42 parallel. The last 5-6 winters in Bulgaria have been quite mild with less snow. But the normal winters, which here in Bulgaria we remember from the past, had periods with snow storms, -15 degrees and accumulation of thick snow cover. 50 days with snow cover every winter and a height of about 30 cm was normal for the Bulgarian winter of the past. But in recent years, the climate in Europe has warmed. In November 2023, we had 25 cm of snow in Bulgaria, also in Sofia, but it melted quickly in 3-4 days. After that there was almost no snow, in January 2024 there was a cold period with a new snow cover of 10-15 cm, but nothing serious. The last cold winter in Bulgaria was in 2016/17, when throughout January all days were covered with snow, and daytime temperatures on 5 days were lower than minus 10 degrees. But this wasn't a normal winter either, it was colder than normal.
Hi Alina. As usual very informative and to the point videos. I'm also from Ukraine and emigrated recently. A long time ago I thought Canada was some kind of dream land for immigrants, but after researching this topic over past years I've come to the same conclusions as you. All points you raise, both pros and cons, are confirmed by other Canadians. Thanks for your efforts and good luck at the new place ;)
As an American with no criminal record, Canadian immigration treats me horribly every time I go to Canada.. the last time I put I wanted to stay for 60 days and they sent me through multiple-agents, searched all my stuff, I eventually just bought a flight out in 10 days and showed them that and then they left me go.. Its ridiculous..Very low-quality employees work for Canadian immigration and so unprofessional too! Some were thuggish/ghetto types!
If you were a Sikh Indian from Punjabi state you probably would have been welcomed into the country , given a 5 year work visa just in case you decide to stay, maybe even a free healthcare card too.
10000% agree. when I fly come to Toronto Airports, it's all Indian emplyees, playing on their cell phones. I have a person that can't speak English as my Canadian immigration officer..lol😅😅
@@jakearsenta2144 yes USA with its murderers and school shootings you dipshit. Never met I've met American I liked. Arrogance and ignorance the top American traits fuxk usa
The Canada I grew up in is goner, most of it attacked and destroyed over the last nine years, what happened in that nine years that have possible could have destroyed it, one word TRUDEAU.
There are 3 levels of government: federal, provincial and municipal. The feds are why we have lots of immigration but healthcare and housing are provincial and municipal responsibilities. Ontario is taking money meant for public nurses/doctors and sending it to private clinics and sending you a $200 cheque, while Toronto is purposefully not allowing any affordable housing to get built.
You hit it on the nail. I have lived in 4 provinces landing in BC. Everyone thinks winter is better here, but I hate the long grey rainy days - I prefer snow. I am only here because of a grandson.
True Canadians don’t abandon their home. Leaving your country during tough times is not a solution, it’s a sign of giving up. I could have left the company I worked for when it hit a rough patch after years of outstanding success. But I stayed. Why? Because I believed in its potential. And guess what? Today, that company is thriving more than ever. It wasn’t easy, it took time, resilience, and a team of dedicated people working tirelessly to turn things around. But we did it. Our success soared, and so did our rewards. Leaving is the easy way out, but true strength lies in staying and fighting for what you believe in. If you care about your country, you stick by it. Canada isn’t like some nations that have struggled for centuries, we’re simply weathering a storm, and I’m confident we’ll come out stronger. I refuse to give up on my country, because I believe in its future!
It would be interesting for me to hear about your experience in my home country Bulgaria especially because I've lived in North America for many years of which 5 years in Toronto.Canada was my dream country ,I definitely felt happy there for some time,but reality hit once the pandemic started. Due to how things were handled back then I decided to relocate back to Europe. I miss Canada in some ways,but it has changed a lot since 2020 and the costs of living no longer make sense. Good luck with the move,Alina, I hope Bulgaria doesn't disappoint !
Hi Alina, as a Bulgarian living in Toronto, I agree with you 100%. I come in Canada in 2000 and saw with my own eyes the decline of this great city. I congratulate you on your choice to relocate to Bulgaria. For sure, Bulgaria is not an Eartly Paradise, but thankfully the number of social parasites is nothing compared to Canada. I hope you'll succeed and find many new friends.
Bulgaria is a preferred destination for people from all over the world. For living and why not for vacation, summer and winter, we have mountains, we have the sea and resorts... Tourists say that they are satisfied with our sea, the service is at a level and the prices are the lowest in Europe. For example, I know more and more English people who prefer small villages, in nature, where they have freedom. Properties are much cheaper here than in Western Europe. Obtaining Bulgarian citizenship is a difficult and lengthy process, but I hope the Bulgarian government will think seriously about this issue.
Love the point you make about public transit. I grew up in Ottawa and I go back to visit family and the public transit there is horrible. They got a new light rail system the breaks down every week. Currently I live in Yellowknife in the Northwest territories. There is public transit system here, but it runs up to 6 o’clock, and it does not run on Sundays and holidays. I remember when I used to work in Saskatchewan, I would travel to different cities and take the greyhound bus. But since the Greyhound has been discontinued, it’s impossible to get from Saskatoon to Meadow Lake or even to Prince Albert If you don’t drive . There are still private shuttles that go from Regina to Yorkton or Weyburn but otherwise you have to have a car or you are out of luck. I wish I had the courage to leave. I will follow your adventures in the hopes of getting some inspiration.😊
It's long dead. It was in 2006 when I moved to Clownada and very fast I understood that this herd can be devoured by one wolf. This wolf came in 2016 and the name of the wolf was Trudolf. The country is gone. Forget about this country, it's an empty shell
Alina, I think you handled yourself well with this. As a canadian, it is sad to see how much has changed in Toronto and the rest of Canada. I wish I could say it is an isolated thing, but it is across the country. So, I fully support your choice to move. The food comment you mentioned kind of reconfirmed what I learned. Recently, I went away on vacation to my parents home country in South America. I was there for 2 weeks, and in that time, I enjoyed the food and lost some weight. It made me think that the food in Canada is being tampered with. There are too many preservatives added, and might be bad in the long run. You pointed out the same many things I don't like about Canada, so I won't repeat them here. We all have to make the best of a situation until we are able to leave it. Alina, keep that optimism, and pursue your dreams. Victor
Thank you very much, Victor and glad I'm not alone in my thoughts. I love this country too and who knows might come back someday, but I figure it's a good opportunity while I have it to go and see what life is like in other places!
This place has a huge weather problem, some of the worst in the world for living and there's nothing that can be done about it except leave, we should have never come here to settle in the first place.
@@Caareenkm6726 you must be thinking I'm an indian immigrant who came here in the last century to be saying that. I'm talking europeans as a whole should have never come to settle here when they could have gone elsewhere where it was better.
@@ekesandras1481 actually, western europe has a specific climate due to the tilt of the earth and the atlantic current bringing milder winters to the region. cananda above ~50 degrees north is not habital due to climate and the type of land available.
But in Europe we care about roads, like removing the snow from them just right after it starts snowing or with public transportation, so you can easily commute from one place to another. We have grocery stores closer to us and they are smaller and more affordable, packages aren’t so big so even if you are old or alone, you can easily go shopping without a car even. When in Canada, especially in Calgary it is extremely opposite. I’m also planning to move out from Calgary, Canada because this place is unlivable, and it is even not because of weather but because how people deal with it here. They just making their lives harder without any reasonable reason 😅
The Canadian dream is completely dead. The only way you can get ahead going forward is by inheritance. I was saving up for a place in Canada, but then realized I could retire with that amount overseas. So I left Canada and now live a relatively stress-free life somewhere much sunnier and warmer!
So excited your move is to Bulgaria! I am American, but appreciate much about the country and their culture as my grandfather was from there. I was there last year with my family for 2 months, mainly in Burgas and we didn't have a car most of the time. It was nice renting one you go across the country and make some interesting stops. Definitely try the thermal pool right outside of Sofia. (Swimming Pool Korali Pancharevo). The water was very warm and soothing.
yes guys thanks for raising our rents and properties there too so we cant afford to live instead of fixing your own countries. had to say it and not sorry.
In Bulgaria, there is a direct night train from Sofia to Istanbul. It is possible to get by train from Bulgaria to Budapest, via Bucharest or Craiova Romania. Serbia is currently building a high-speed line, and when it is ready, perhaps there will be a faster and more convenient connection from Sofia to central Europe. There is also a ship once a week from Burgas to Batumi Georgia. It costs 100 euros but it travels very long 2 days and 2 nights. So when you live in Bulgaria, you can travel to other countries even without using a plane, if you have enough free time.
You've hit the nail on the head in describing the massive decline in living standards for the average citizen. The fact alone that somebody who makes an average salary in our country can't even afford a modest one bedroom apartment is staggering. The only area I have to disagree is when people say that our taxes are excessively high. Our taxes are actually slightly lower compared to other developed countries however I agree with the sentiment that we don't see an appropriate return of services in exchange for them. I wish you a bright future and a better one for us who've decided for various reasons to stay :)
I live in Vancouver with my wife. You need 1.5 or two of those average incomes for a couple, but it's a pretty damn nice place to live. We're not going anywhere. I can't slag on the healthcare system even though it can be a little frustrating sometimes for routine issues. But they cured my wife's Stage IV ovarian cancer and got me a kidney and a transplant in a reasonable period of time, so we are grateful. We were both treated like gold and not a penny out of pocket. Pretty sure we'd be bankrupted in the US, even with insurance.
Point number #2 is spot on. In Europe we have taxes included in our food. We don't see any extra sales tax added onto sticker price. But we do get our health benefits deducted from payslip. One thing you will learn is that income to rent ratio is around 30-40% across Europe whereas in Toronto and van it's over 90% of income but avg across Canada is still 60%
Alina, i have lived in three continent with three passport, i concluded that THERE IS DREAM (whether canadian dream, EU dream or southeast asia dream), but any dream always comes with Pro and Cons because our earth is round. This is life.
Of course there's pros and cons to all places. I mentioned before it's guaranteed there's things about Bulgaria I won't like. But I figure it's a great opportunity I have right now with my work set up that why not try it?
@AlinaMcleod agreed and encouraged. always set up your dream and pursue it, i pursue it to three continent and found my dream down under, still not perfect, but it's near perfect.
interesting subject. But the earth being round is not a problem. The issue is morality. It has gone down the drain, worldwide, especially in so called advanced countries. People moving around, bringing their way of life and thinking, from gangs to driving habits, THAT is a big problem which does put the populations at odd with mass immigration, or rather invasion. Let alone bringing half a million each year in a place where the people cannot afford any place to live in, nor the seniors, and others, find a doctor anymore! BRAIN FOG??
I'm an American. I lived in Montreal from 1993 to 2000. I thought the quality of the healthcare there was terrible in comparison to the US; however it was free and it's extremely expensive in the US.
Totally agree, especially on the taxes front. It is quite bad in Québec with the 15% sales tax, provincial tax declaration above the federal one, the health system is falling apart with doctors leaving for private practice, nurses high burn-out rate, the education system is in ruins (both from a personnel perspective and the actual buildings)... There are so many regulations for to start a business (again, a dual system provincial/federal) and we could go on and on and on. Looking forward to change my fortune elsewhere, but it will be done in a careful and proper manner, just like you did.
Omg I agree with all the points so much! I came to Canada (Winnipeg) from northern Europe (so weather didn’t really scare me) in January this year. The cultural shock was intense. Still, I consider myself extremely lucky cause I managed to get a good apartment, a job, friends. And even with all of that, I decided to move back to EU. Lifestyle, environment, infrastructure, crime - all of it here really isn’t what I expected. And it just feels that it’s not worth it. I have dreamed about living in Canada for 10 years. The level of disappointment that I got when I came is heartbreaking🫠 How come is it one of the safest, most economically sound and most developed countries in the world? Where is it? Here are some many issues that have been fixed a long time ago in other parts of the world, it makes me deeply sad
So which crime related country are you in now? How’s the illegals and the high rate to the economy? Guarantee when running from one place in hopes of greener pastures it’s not always green! 😂
Thanks for the video Alina, yup I'd have to agree to alot of your stuff on your list. Wishing you all the best on your move and looking forward to your future work as well. Thanks again !
This was very good. I enjoyed it. I do find the Quebec Province which is the one I know best because I live in Vermont, USA is wonderful. I do find the taxes to be honestly deadly. Credit Card interest rates are over the top. The one thing that the U.S. has that is a huge plus here is that when you buy a house here, say with a 30 year mortgage the interest rate is fixed for the entire 30 year period which really allows you to manage your finances while in Canada the term may be 30 years but the rate changes based on whether it's 1, 3 or 5 for example before you have to renew the mortgage. Then there is the Welcome Tax and the Goodbye Tax when you sell. Of course the exchange rate is a plus for the U.S. but when in Canada I call its' currency 'funny money' because of the two taxes on everything you buy; so when you break a 20 dollar bill for instance it is really gone, gone, gone. There is obviously much more that factors in Canada being expensive such as Universal Health Care and a small population.
The reasons Canada is struggling are: 1. Rapid population expansion through immigration and migration. Massive population expansion always results in diminished quality of living. 2. Total government censorship of "forbidden" topics like immigration, LGBT, Islam, etc. 3. Lack of a true "conservative" / "Canada-first" / "closed border" option in government. 4. Refusal to adopt America's "cultural melting pot" approach to immigration, thereby resulting in cultural replacement. 5. Immigration not focused on addressing needs (ie: doctors) but just adding people to the population who are unemployed and adding nothing to the economy. 6. Caring too much about the environment when Canada's contribution to global pollution is almost nothing compared to China, USA, and India. 7. Ridiculous "woke" ideology has taken over the country. 8. Ridiculous pandering, segregation, and privileged treatment of Indians versus Canadians. 9. Terrible taxpayer funded education system. Cancel over 50% of what colleges/universities are teaching today. 10. The most oppressive laws. Canadians lack freedom.
And better creatures of all sorts. Who would care much for grizzly s or moose when you have Inland taipan or salt crocs. And black bears? Meh, Sydney funnel spiders are far cooler. And there is plenty more of cool creatures, like mm death Adler?
Well reasoned and thought out. I was born and raised in Canada, now 71 years old. Seen lots of changes and also fortunate to have a sense of connection to the previous two generations. It is not the country it once was but I do belief it can come back, not to what it once was, but to something that has the same merit and integrity.
Beautiful sharing. Although I have never visited Canada, this country is my first choice for traveling. Since it's so beautiful and I might live there for some time, I will continue to enjoy your videos to experience your adventures through your lens.
I live in Canada for 66 years, wouldn't live anywhere else. For all those unhappy, chronic hateful complainers, please get out , fo t let the door hit you, and never ever come back. Promise??
Thank you Alina for putting all of these key points together in a very well harmonized approach. I am retired and own my home in Ottawa in a beautiful neighborhood, but preferred to move Overseas part-time to balance my budget... And, the latter is well above average... This is just to say that the average you mentioned is for sure insufficient to make the ends meet in Canada these days... Let alone, the other issues you have well articulated... I arrived in Canada in 1983 as student. Canada was really a paradise. People were so nice and so welcoming. Today, even answering machines have stopped working, and when you're lucky to find a human, the only wish you have is a translator to English or French, as service desk is now being outsourced to offshore companies... You're not complaining and I look forward to hearing from you with analysis from the other side of the ocean...
Hey Alina, I think you are a very pretty woman and polite and well-mannered as well and I wish you well for your upcoming journey and chapter in life! I understand that Canada might have deteriorated in recent years but I still think it is one of the greatest nations to exist and a very good place to live! I think that both legal and illegal immigration to Canada must be cut drastically like 90% and preserve the existing Canadian people of today and encourage their fertility and growth and finances of raising their kids! Only allow small number of people to Canada each year who are capable of paying their own way and more importantly who genuinely likes or loves Canada and will respect Canadian laws! Demonizing your opposition is not nice but I suppose that is part of human nature and not something that is at all specific to Canada! I personally like cars and I think riding in them is comfortable and nice! Anyway, I wish you well for your journey and I also wish the best for Canada! Cheers!
Bulgarian here, people like you are most welcome in our country! :) On a more serious note, some of the things you mention are to also be expected in BG. Most notably the last point about the 'great divide'. Bulgaria is incredibly polarised at the moment, which is evident from the political deadlock that the country is facing at the moment. That being said, you, as a 'foreigner', will probably not feel it on a day-to-day basis. Public transit in the cities can be great indeed, Sofia has made huge progress in that regard over the last decades. But don't expect bullet trains for intercity travel. You'll mostly have to rely on busses or slow(-ish) trains (current max speed is ~150 km/h and in very small parts of the system). Healthcare can also be a bit of a hit-and-miss situation. Sometimes you get excellent treatment for free, other times you need to pay extra and are faced with decrepid buildings and poor service. Also... winters get cold! But not always and definitely not for long periods of time. The rest of your problems with Canada are definitely not issues in Bulgaria (yet). I hope it helps and I hope you have a great time here. :)
300 000 a years are coming to Canada, experiencing the Canadian dream. It is beautiful dream, but only when you sleep. With the qualities that you show, you will have very vibrant , happy and long life in Bulgaria. You are 100% right . As a short
Overall Canada once was a great country till 2010, I believe. Unfortunately, what I see is a destructed country, people are fighting over entry level jobs like a store associate or a hotel receptionist. I am from Iraq and in my country these jobs are mostly given to immigrants from Syria, Iran, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Yes, I think the immigration system is playing a big part of the game as it did not encourage brilliant and talented people to come and stay rather it encouraged the talented workforce to leave. I am here for 3 months and not single day passes without thinking going back to Iraq! . What is really surprising me is that some Canadians still think less of other countries, believe me if you pay a visit to middle east and gulf countries you would be shocked of the living standards here in Canada. I hope the best for this country and become great again.
I completely agree that it is important to offer rehabilitation services for those who struggle with drug addiction. But decriminalization of hard drugs was a huge policy disaster. It made it easier for dealers to make a living and it made it easier for them to find new clients, by offering more toxic, more addictive drugs. We need to now reverse that, which will be an uphill battle that will likely take a decade. Addiction is very complicated, and as a first step I think all safe injection sites should only allow injection of drugs supplied by the clinic, as part of a supervised program to treat addiction and help individuals return to a productive life in society.
All of the reasons that you've listed are so valid. These situations are not only relevent for the current times, but also have long-standing ramifications into the future. The by-products of high costs of living include homelessness, the accumulation of debt, the loss of business, the inability ot have a family. All of those issues are real and serious. I've seen them in my family and all around me, and this is why my family is considering moving to Europe. You can only sit in a bad situation for so long until you have to start thinking seriously about how much longer you can deal with it, and how it's going to affect your long term future.
@@jelenajm1160 I recently learned that birth rate on Canada dropped below that on Bulgaria. It becomes costlier to raise kids. Young couples prefer pets. A road to nowhere.
May I add one? People in Canada are becoming ruder and ruder. This can be experienced by the drivers on the roads, shoppers in the malls, and even pedestrians along the sidewalks. Canadians are known to be peaceful and nice, but now it is not the case any more. Sad.
Ou Alina, for the weather in Sofia. before for the January and February it was normal the temp. to drop to -20C, -25C in the early mornings with max temperature of -10C, -15C. But this was in the past, now with the climate changes our winters are much warmer and we almost lost the snow. it snowing like twice for the whole winter and the lowest temp are around -5C. But be prepared, the normal winter can always come. :) Sofia is after all the coldest big city in Bulgaria and it's the second highest capital in Europe after Madrid.
Thanks for the honest description of the ten reasons. I agree with each and everyone. I have to add, in my personal case, I am allergic to North American air, must be something from the exhaust of ICE cars (due to the additives in gasoline?) because this problem does not exist when I go to the Caribbeans, South America, Asia, Africa, etc. I'll always follow you Alina, keep up with the good work and let the great videos keep coming.
My neighbor came from Guatemala and in 2 years bought a house for him and his wife and two kids. He worked 7-3pm and an excellent guy. It wasn't the fanciest house but it was a house with a nice front yard and a nice backyard. Do you think anyone can come to Canada with a family work a steady 7-3pm and buy a house in two years? lol so there you go. While we fight over petty issues, the rich are milking this country like they've done for millennia.
I live since 2020 in Algarve, Portugal and it’s so good for the quality of Life. Before I lived in Canada. High standards of living, but not so good for the quality of living. Bulgaria, I heard good and bad.
Great video and very true. You are correct that we have to rely on our cars. Do you remember saskatchewan had its own bus service and we used to have Greyhound. Unfortunately those services are gone. There was a time when you could jump on a bus and go anywhere in the country. Sad we don’t have those services anymore.
Hi Alina, hope you find better life here in Bulgaria!We have lots of problems, but definitely different ones from Canada.Am sure you will manage to integrate easily, and just enjoy living in a small but beautiful country!All the best!
In 2004 I wrote a somewhat famous article called 'Top 8 reasons not to immigrate to Canada'. In short, the Canadian authorities tried to destroy my life. They made it so that I could not be employable in Canada. So I moved to the U.S. in 2005 and then some years later I moved permanently to the Philippines. I am happy that so many years later videos like yours are saying essentially the same things that I did. I was ahead of my time. I will never go back to Canada. Not to live, not to visit, not even a connecting flight. Too cold, too expensive, taxes are astronomical, no culture, no freedom, no jobs, no opportunities, only modern slavery, worst healthcare system, unbearable political correctness, crime infested/drug infested, xenophobic people, too depressing. It has become a North Korea style dictatorship in the western world. There are many reasons why Canada has fallen apart. But the number one reason is ‘multiculturalism’. My friends, multiculturalism simply does not work. Different cultures do not come together and mix, different cultures come together and clash. The world is divided into different countries for a reason: because people hate each other and only want to be with their own kind. The number two reason for Canada’s demise is ‘socialism’. In this modern era of aging populations, it is mathematically impossible for socialism to continue. The government does not have the money to take care of old people and provide healthcare, pensions, welfare, unemployment benefits, disability benefits and the numerous other programs, even with the astronomical taxation that burdens hard working Canucks. Well Canada, you had a good run. Time for Canucks to move to an emerging country. We welcome you here in Southeast Asia. Multiculturalism destroys the fabric and identity of a country. Socialism bankrupts a country.
I won't go into the theoretical argument of whether or not socialism can or cannot work, or more simply, at what tax rate should people ideally be taxed, but your point here on multiculturalism is for sure wrong. Such is not incompatible with the human spirit. People love it, and cultures do mesh plenty. There are pockets where people are more reserved, and there are spaces where people create new networks. It is whatever you wish to make happen
I come from a mixed race, and your comment is *VERY* racist to say the least. People who cause problems because they don't like a certain race or culture should just stay in their homes, because multiculturalism is the way life *SHOULD* be. We are *ALL* God's creatures. People who 'think' their culture or race is better than others are narrow minded individuals. Not all people like you 'think' this way. Life would be *VERY* BORING if we ate the *SAME* food everyday, dress the *SAME* way everyday, live in the *SAME* boring town everyday. Time to open the door, and breathe that FRESH air. Multiculturalism *WORKS* IF you let it.
@@weirdthingstoeat7198 Nobody cares that you are mixed race. I am not the racist, it is YOU that is the racist who looks for racism even when someone is talking about immigration. You should be ashamed of yourself. Multiculturalism destroys the fabric and identity of a country.
@@weirdthingstoeat7198 Nobody cares that you are mixed race. I am not the racist, it is YOU that is the racist who looks for racism even when someone is talking about immigration. You should be ashamed of yourself.
We have Lots of the same points miss Mcleod. People in their 30's and 40's are leaving non stop for couple of years now, with their families, not sustainable, loyalty to your "home" has its limits, simply searching for quality of life we deserve
Who is embezzling your taxes? How can you pay so much taxes and have terribad social services? Does Canada have a doctor/medical professional shortage? Why is that? Is the education too expensive? Well, the high taxes should help pay for that.
I completely agree with you in everything. I am completely disappointed in Canada after 3 years of living here. Before that I lived in Bulgaria for a short time but I want to tell you that the products there are also not very good quality. For me personally the meat there is even worse than in Canada. So keep that in mind. But yes, there are many things that are better there. Good luck to you.
I never really considered Canada as a dream land, or at least how people in the developing world see English North America, especially the US. The US is what I used to know as the Land of Opportunities, where someone who was poor or not having the means to live with the 'essentials' of life could actually do that in the US. But not Canada. Canada never seemed to appear on my radar as such country. So, why did I migrate to Canada then? Maybe, precisely of that. It's not a country to become 'rich' but to be able to 'raise your standard of living' To me, it was more important to know that I could have covered good education, essential health care and generally speaking, a liveable place to move around without fears of being robbed, murdered, captured, and so on. And LEGALLY. The US goes out of its way to make residency a long and tedious process. I just don't want to live in a country where I am not legally established. I also experienced the US while in College and didn't like much how kids were raised there. So, I found Canada a 'tamer' version of that, if you know what I mean. So, Canada WAS that country. Is it now? I still think it's kept its values at its core, but it has changed. It is changing and maybe because I'm getting old I feel like it. But, that's one of the risks that you take when you move to another country. You don't get all that you wish but if you get what you envisioned (which I think I did) then, I see no major fault. We just need to make sure that the country keeps going in the right path. All the Best!
Well, Very Interesting Alina. I'll say I only sort of disagree with one point that being the weather. I take a perverse pride in having worked and play in the out doors at -40 Celsius for periods of time. However, that said I don't love extended, more than a week of that kind of temp. -20 Celsius to -10 Celsius is nice winter weather. Yes, I know I'm weird. On the other points I feel Canada has fallen pray to the slogan culture. Canada has the best (insert topic) in the world. Then they pick the worst place for that topic and compare it to best out come in Canada. Since seventy to eighty percent of Canadian don't travel much of the world, they don't realize that average service in Canada isn't the best nor do the realize that many places are overall superior to the Canadian average. For years the slogans have been assumed to the truth and unless you were directly impacted by one of these topic you believed the slogan. Now the realities are starting to impact more Canadians, and the slogans aren't believed quite as much as they used to be. Is Canada the worst, No. Is Canada as good as it could be Hell No. That said, for me it's were I'm going stay, cause I can make it work for me at this time. Really, that's all one can do in the short term. That is why you need to do what you think is right for you, right now. As always, time will tell.
Yup you are exactly right. There's nothing wrong with having national pride, but it's another to be blind to issues that have gotten worse and need to be addressed. Of course Canada is still far ahead of many other countries in life quality for their citizens, but there is certainly A LOT we can learn from other nations.
Hi Alina I also grew up in Saskatchewan. One benefit of being Canadian is the freedom of movement. If you don't like the city, province. or country, you have the right to leave at any time. Bon Voyage.
Dear Alina, there are no speed trains in Bulgaria either. Actually the trains are dirty and very old and go about 60km/h. Nonetheless I hope you will enjoy my country. 🥰
I actually didn't mind the trains in Bulgaria! Sure they're old and not that fast but the country isn't that big so not that difficult or long to get around. Main thing for me is the great European flight options out of Sofia!
Train tickets in Bulgaria are cheap as chips tho. Try slightly better trains, quite fast but tickets are 400 return from Liverpool to London for two. That's if they don't get cancelled due to a strike, rain, wind and my favourite - leaves on the line.
The problem with Canada, apart from electing Trudeau an unbelievable two times, is that you didn't go through the financial crisis of 2007. The debt bubble didnt burst and was allowed to inflate to an unbelievable level.
I appreciate the comments but in the end I absolutely love living on the East Coast and specifically Nova Scotia. Tons of hiking, cycling, and one of my passions, ready access to Off Road riding. Love it, combine all of this with small towns and cities, great people all over the province…it’s just a really nice place to live. A lot of the comments reflect pretty much any of the larger cities in North America, does it need to change, sure. Our kids have had a really tough time trying to get a reasonable rent and or buying a house. Post COVID, prices have gone through the roof.
You might be right in all points but as an immigrant from Austria, I don't understand how anybody would move to Bulgaria with its widespread poverty, no rule of law to speak of etc. Unless it's your home country, of course. Will you report from Bulgaria with telling us about everything that's wrong there? I immigrated here at age 42 and I love this country and it's people. My home country Austria has better living and housing standards than here plus excellent food and food quality. I just love it here. Canadians are good people. The Austrian politicians are pretty ridiculous and the migrants changed things a lot. If you have money, you will live well in Bulgaria and in Austria. In Canada as well. If you want to get rich, you either have to have connections or a business in Bulgaria or you have to immigrate to the US. For me, the people matter here. My life has not been easy here but I will never go back. Especially not to a poor country like Bulgaria although it's in the EU.
with her Canadian passport she can always move back if things go sour, with her youtube and other income she will have a cheap and comfortable life there.
Well not only Canada look about US there are million if drug addicted....Alina will find one Bulgarian Macho and travel the world with him...hope will be me :D
Hi. I live near Chilliwack which is 1 hr, E of Vancouver. I generally agree with your views on our (beautiful) country. I just wanted to emphasize for your readers that your desription of the drug situation is not exaggerated but is actually significantly worse than that. it is heartbreaking!
1. cost of living
2. high taxes for subpar social services
3. limited and lacking public transit
4. long distances to get anywhere
5. problematic healthcare
6. poor quality produce
7. weather
8. drug use normalization
9. frivolous attitude towards debt
10. ideological polarization
Migration
The biggest problem is that there are too many Indians.
I hope our leader must realized this huge list 🙏🏻😇
@@meowththatsright7881 Brain drain . . . Capital flight . . .
Gangs, criminal stalking.
People addicted to drugs are like empty shells, their spirit is gone. It is so tragic and so sad. Feeding their addiction is murder.
Making drugs illegal has been the cause of death of the overwhelming majority of drug addicts.
I'm a recovering addict with nearly 18 years sobriety.
I now work as an Addictions Counsellor at a treatment centre.
When you understand the drug problem, then you see the problems with drug prohibition.
@@robrobert9541 You don't have a substance abuse problem, you treat them substances better than most
@@robrobert9541 so how many do you think will have an outcome like you? .. be honest.. the money wasted can save lots .. but wasted on few
@@bench3885 At our treatment centre we see approx. 60% of our clients remain sober for at least 2 years. We do surveys 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after grad.
The money wasted on drug prohibition is at least 100 times more than what we'd spend if drugs were supplied to addicts at no charge to them, provide them in clinics set up for the purpose, only allow the drugs to be consumed at the clinic and can never leave the facility, and they are given options for entering detox and treatment within 2 hours of asking for it.
That would also save the vast majority of the lives that are lost due to drug prohibition, and the supply being managed by criminal gangs.
@@robrobert9541 The way the govt is handling this is criminal. It is ruining parts of cities, they are unsanitary, dangerous. Human feces on public sidewalks, used drug needles in parks and on public sidewalks. Businesses have to shutdown. And we pay for this with taxes. Enough!
I have lived in Toronto for most of my life and always thought it was one of the best cities in the world. I devoted myself to providing women’s health care to Canadians and have paid many millions of dollars in various taxes. But over the past five years I cannot recognize my city or country anymore. Rampant, uncontrolled immigration has ruined the country for Canadians who have contributed to this society for decades. I can’t wait to leave for all the same reasons you described so well. I lived in Europe when I was younger and I am planning to retire there. Most Canadians who say things like “don’t let the door hit your backside on the way out” simply haven’t lived elsewhere and don’t realize how badly Canadians are treated by our own government. It makes me very sad to see how much Canada has changed. I love this country but I simply can’t afford to live here anymore.
You must be new. Take Canadian history seriously. From Pierre Elliot Trudeau through Mulroney, Liberals, Reform Party Conservatives and the real estate crisis and then the pandemic.
Our dollar used to be on par with USA. Alina is too young to recall the first ever food bank in Canada in 1983 Edmonton. The Manufacturing tax became the GST. We had HST and then NAFTA sold us out to the USA. Read NAFTA and the new trade agreement. Quebec is a have not province yet they sit on $40B of natural gas. Ontario, BC and Alberta subsidize everywhere else. Canada has alot of rural. There’s no Greyhound buses. Comparing BC at 650000 sq miles to a 50000 sq mile state in USA who is also has no infrastructure. I think Alina can compare Russia and their trains or China. In Europe you can be in four countries in a day. It all balances out. What worked for one doesn’t work in Asia or UK. Bulgaria has people who never leave the farm. They live in their farm and visit the village once in a while. Everything is family oriented. Some people go to France/Italy/Sweden and one person loves it and the next person doesn’t. Vancouver had 700 people pass away from heat in 2021. Lytton and other towns burned down. Don’t worry drug use will be coming to other cities. Rose-colored glasses. The drug war has been happening for decades. Alina you’re loving Trump-style politics right about now. People drink. People live for now. You could get hit by a bus tomorrow. Too many what if’s and you’re young. No kids, husband and you’re a traveller influencer. You can’t even have a dog or cat. It’s interesting how you flip from anti to pro. Good luck with Bulgaria. I know a family who have embraced rural life. Wouldn’t fit your lifestyle. 25 years of Canada is 21st century metrics. 🤷🏻
@@Varonno You just spouted a whole bunch of nothing lmao
@@nafeeahnaf6296 These are not heady concepts it opinions based on whatever you imagine. Young oilers fan, you wouldn’t understand. a) Because you’re in Alberta b) You don’t know much about history and haven’t travelled much c) Context is key. d) You’re hypocritical if you don’t include the op’s rant and their criteria/context.
Travel, read/write more, and touch grass. Maybe pick a topic and focus. 🧘♀️ 🤦🏻♀️
You are a freeloader who got the job because of your race to begin with......spare us the rant about paying taxes...lol
cya!!! theres the door!!!
Born and raised in Canada. In Toronto 35 years. All countries encounter major turning points in their histories. I think Canada is at one now. We will either change course to more prosperity, more sanity, and more freedom, or sink into a increasingly restrictive and impoverished socialist quagmire. The per capita GDP of Ontario is lower than every US state except Arkansas, Mississippi, and West Virginia! Among the poorest in the US. And none of them even have a Bay Street to boost their numbers. All the comparable states around us on the Great Lakes like Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin...all more productive. We should be way richer than we are. But we are so slow to change and so hamstrung by big government, special interests and regionalism. But our biggest issue is in our own heads - our reflexive anti-Americanism. All any politician needs to do to kill an idea they don't like is brand it 'US-style' and all the CBC addicts will have their lawn signs out opposing it the next morning. We need to clear our heads. We need to look at our big neighbour to the south and see what they do right, what they do wrong, and stop with the bias that blinds us. Take the good, make it our own, and leave the bad! Americans get 30 year government backed home mortgages and they can write off the interest on their taxes. Is that so horrible? Adjusted for our incredible 40% currency exchange (another thing that keeps Canadians trapped in low productivity), Americans still pay 35% less for gasoline than us. Is that so horrible? We need to steal good ideas from America and everywhere else we can to turn this place around big time in the next decade or the country we love is going to have lower living standards and major brain drain that will be irreversible. No young person with any prospects is going to stay here if we don't do something. I hope we can get over ourselves and get to dry land because we're drowning.
Socialist quagmire, blah, blah. Get a grip, Sappy.
I've been living in Toronto for 30 years, I love this city and I'm not planning on moving anywhere. That being said I do agree with all your points. 😅
I would even add these:
11. The immigration issues: Insane spike in the levels of immigration/asylum seekers/refugees and also international students in the last few years... the issues it creates.
12. The absurdity of finding a job (the whole system/process is dumb) from gohst job posting, no salary info on posting, so many temporary jobs, the shitty benefits offered, the rounds of interviews, the ghosting... all of it is so toxic, dumb, inefficient.
13. The problems of the ever eroding "free speech" how we can't even share a news article link on facebook anymore..
Fair points made and yes, especially the finding a job aspect I've heard is absolutely insane nowadays!
@@AlinaMcleod Don't be afraid to speak about the unchecked immigration and the policies that encourage exploitation of our support infrastructure and the welfare system and the reason we're experiencing the lack of housing and jobs...ie: Tim Horton hiring and exploiting this demographic...
@@ShockwavesdogNero I have to imagine it's still a radioactive subject where if you don't say the party line of "diversity is our strength' you'll get tanked in the algorithm.
Don't forget 95 percent of Canadians are out of shape and don't even exercise.
Hi Alina, Your choice of a new country is high on my list. I was born in Toronto, 77 years ago.
I am truly shocked at the poor quality of life now, here in Ontario.
What do your mum and dad feel about conditions here.
We have huge natural resources, an unbelievable amount of land , abundant fresh water and unbelievable homelessness.
Something is very wrong .
I may see you in Bulgaria some day. 😮
Wish you the life that you dream of.
Thanks for following your dreams.
look at your Prime Minster and his policies and you will get your answer.
Because of Trudeau and endless immigration of unskilled labors from mainly India along with bringing in refugees without giving a damn about how are they gonna survive here
@@ronnie-d6u WRONG lol. Look at all those who VOTED for him either once or twice and you will get your answer! I was living and working abroad in SE Asia at the time in 2016 and I think I got a better perspective. It was clear that Canada was headed off a cliff anyway, and nobody was going to help, especially definitely not THAT guy. Sure he's probably one of the worst candidates you can imagine and I could see it RIGHT away in 2016 - how did the Millions and MAJORITY of Canadians completely failed to see any red flags when they were really bright and obvious? - you can blame that guy all you want but you are completely FAILING to address the root cause yet again... I think I'm clearly implying what the real root cause of many issues in Canada is, but it's one of those things that can be really hard to fix
@@ronnie-d6uyeah! The Ukraine war had caused fuel prices to skyrocket resulting in very high inflation, and then Trudeau came and increased the carbon tax (a few times??) making things worse. He is a foolish PM.
Change the PM. He's the root of the problem.
You good people of Canada have to thank Justin Trudeau for turning Canada into an unaffordable dump.
I hate Trudeau but it started happening before him
He will be gone next year. So we will see if anything changes for the better
You're downright! Shame on you, Tredeau!
It started long before Emperor Justin was even born.
His father made the deepest wounds to Canada - we've just been bleeding out ever since then.
Indians love Justin, they happily live in Canada.
I left Canada when I was 18 and come to visit sometimes.
Currently living in Argentina and have lived over 15 years in Asia myself. I look forward to randomly running into you in some random European Café and enjoying a tea together.
All the best in your journey.
🙏🏼✨
Oh wow! Argentine girl here. How do u like my country? I’m planning to leave Canada for Argentina…🤣
@@Ladym98good go why advertise?
@@Ladym98go look at the peoi from Argentina and South ami, Mexico, Iran, Iraq, China, parts of euo, and most of the middle East on the American Mexican border trying to enter the Us illegally.
Dead is an understatement! Everything in Canada, epecially in major cities like Toronto is way over-priced for the quality and services offered. It's like a mediocre 3-star hotel charging it's guests 5-star rate. It's not livable even if you are earning $60K annually. Also, people aren't as nice as it used to be.
Too many people were let in. Trudeau killed the golden Canadian goose. Worse yet, lot of the people complaining about these issues voted for it. Consequences.
Canada is a rip off. taxes are so huge. I can't comprehend the situation that you can actually become homeless if you can't pay property tax. The tax property in Romania Bolgaria is really small.
In Yugoslavia there was no property tax,what is yours is yours ,crazy that in communist country they respected more private property then in capitalist courtly .After Yugoslavia Croatia did not change it so there is still no property tax ,govermant would like to tax it but know that people would be angry
The only place Canada is not a rip-off is in Ukraine, where 500,000 men are being slaughtered @ the obscene rate of $1,000,000 per dead guy - Canada is very generous towards that crime.
@dzonikg Many post sovet republics haven't imposed a property tax similar to one in Canada or US ((about 1% of municipal assessment). One can say that a property tax is negligible across Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus .
Go to Nordic countries and you will see what high taxes are about.
also in China, no property tax.
Canada is worth fighting for, but unfortunately no one is ready to take on that change required…make Canada more self sufficient. Canada will have a rough time in next 3 years, or all of Canada can get moving to rebuild the country.
there are many canadians fighting in their own ways bless them.
Law abiding businesses can’t compete with Hindu Varna Caste Slave Labour. It’s hopeless. Indians “sponsor” family members and make them work off the money for years for free. They don’t pay into the system but use government services and food banks.
I wish you the best in Bulgaria! I left Canada 26 years ago. I love your story about your father and the strawberry. It made me laugh because when I travelled back to Canada with my partner he couldn't believe how tasteless the fruit was in Calgary. And that was in May!
Thank you! Yeah it's really sad about some of the produce. It's unfortunately not just the growing season but certainly whatever chemicals they're spraying with.
Alina agree with you 100%. I'm in that 60k bracket you mentioned can't make ends meet, grocery/rent prices constantly going up, salary stagnate. Can't find a doctor for the last 3 years for my son and I, since he dropped us for moving too far away from him. Have been paying into this government system since I was 17 and its only getting worse. You have to make like 150k/year to be able to get a mortgage for a crappy house. No future here for the common woman/man, the land of the rich you can have it back!. Best wishes for your European dream!.
Thank you and sorry to hear it has been so challenging for you. It shouldn't be that way with a good job making an average wage.
As a former addict and homeless person, born and raised in Vancouver, I agree with what you said about Vancouver and the provincial and federal drug policies. Clean and sober for 14 and a half years {since 2010} I had to not only leave BC to find help and a treatment bed but I had to leave Canada. I got back to BC in November 2011 and BC has, since those times, 15-20 years ago, gotten 15-20 times worse in every way, particularly in the last decade or so. I am moving to Australia soon, and I know it has similar issues with housing, cost of living, addiction, and homelessness, everywhere does to some extent, but at least the climate is much better, and the government is far stricter on not putting up with nonsense and my money will go a lot further. If any of the "experts" on addiction here in Canada or anybody else is giving you a hard time for leaving Canada, they don't know what they are talking about. I like your videos, especially the ones with your Dad in Saskatchewan. To each his/her own...good luck in your new home country. Sounds amazing 👍 🙏
Thank you for sharing your insight and hope you have a great move to Australia!
@@AlinaMcleod I will, thank you!!
wow. that was so accurate. I can relate on any of this point but especially about "strawberry" :) as an immigrant myself, i was so shocked how tasteless the food in Canada is, especially fruits and vegetables
Thanks Alina! I couldn't agree more. I immigrated in 2020 to be with my Canadian wife but i am deeply disappointed. I have been trying to pin down exact reasons in my head and your video helps. I would only add driving standards. They are terrible. There are some folks driving around who know what they are doing but every time i drive, i see atrocious standards. People get into their own little bubble and forget about others. The worst of Canadian society I feel. People need to take responsibility and slow down. In life too in general. Any country with the social problems you rightly list cannot ever ever be considered developed. I look forward to seeing your journey to Bulgaria!
haha I agree the driving could be A LOT better, but to be honest it is way crazier in most other countries I've visited, including Bulgaria!
@@AlinaMcleodyeah fair point... I am half Greek so i know where you're coming from haha! I did feel vindicated recently when i saw CBC special reports on corruption in truck driver training in Ontario. As you say so many of these problems exist in so many other places...I just wish i had known the Canada of your childhood! You're not the only one I've heard this from :)
Moving to Bulgaria is big mistake you are making @AlinaMcleod
@@AnetaMihaylova-d6freasons? Bulgaria is getting better each year whilst the west is getting worse. If the year was 2010 I would've agreed with you though.
My 22 year old daughter has been ill for just over 3 years. It took 2 years of appts, specialists, ER visits, scans, scopes, wrongly ordered and read tests, doctors who were rude, gaslit my daughter, treated her like she was an addict as she had a prescription for pain meds, to find out she had a vascular syndrome called Nutcracker (a compressed left renal vein). We are now awaiting a new vascular surgeon consult that will be 7 months away and almost 5 hours away, as we only have a couple handfuls of doctors across Canada, who have experience diagnosing vascular compressions and doing surgery for them. Her pain management appt in Toronto took a 20 month wait to get in. Its absolutely crazy to see people who have serious issues having to end up going out of country to resolve their issues, as they cannot get help or timely help for their illness here and paying 10s of thousands of dollars for care elsewhere. We thought at one point, we were going to have to go to the US for additional testing, and surgery, aß we were literally getting nowhere here.
I wish you and your Family all the best. As a parent and grandparent, it is very stressful when your child is sick.
far from Indian doctors
@@GDC-zw4og Haven't heard of any people resolving their vascular compressions there. We have a doctor list for those looking outside the US or Canada, and nothing there.
That's terrible. I'm so sorry to hear that and hope she is able to find adequate help.
Yes..I’d go to US or Asia where healthcare is cheaper, still high quality and accessible. Any Asian countries a specialist is 1-3 days appointment away and on time in case of emergency. I’d go to India, China, Thailand, or S Korea where healthcare is incredible. For a flight ticket of 2000-2500$ cad.
I lived twice in Canada as a foreign diplomat (Toronto and Ottawa) and I absolutely loved everything except the weather of course, and something that you did not mentioned: the fact that wines are only sold in the stores of the liquor control boards, are extremely expensive compared to the US, and the selection quite limited. Get the government off my wines! 😂 I now live in California, where you can buy wines everywhere, even in supermarkets and pharmacies. A paradise for wine lovers.
lol absolutely agree. Thankfully they just overturned things here in Ontario and now it can be sold in grocery stores and convenience stores!
@@AlinaMcleod The gas station, convenience stores and supermarket I visit, only sell Canadian wines. Except for the ice wines, Ontario wines taste disgusting.
alcoholic?
See your vlog in bulgaria adios bravo
@@AlinaMcleodwe’ll be patient.. things change.. you’re not going to find paradise anywhere.. as for drug use.. just wait till you get to other countries.. they are no better!
Hi, Alina! Great video! Great points. I'm a bulgarian guy, who used to live in Canada (Toronto and Winnipeg) and other countries as well. I can totally understand what you mean. The cost of living in Canada is super high. I remember paying a lot of money for a 1bed apartment in a not very nice area of Toronto (Eglinton &Jane). Taxes, cost of fuel, food and everything was through the roof. The thing that I miss about the country might be a shocker for you, and that's the cold winter. Now I live in London, UK and we barely see snow! It's so frustrating to not have a proper winter and white Christmas. In regards to Bulgaria I don't know what to say. I have left the country when I came out of highschool, so I am completely disconnected from it. I do hope you like it and have a great time there. All the best.
Welcome to Bulgaria, Alina!
Ultimately, quite probably, you will come to the situation when in Bulgaria you will miss what was better organized and functioning in Canada, and in Canada you would be missing things to which you would get used and appreciate in Bulgaria!
In any case, enjoy the best you can find in each of the countries and finally one feels best where he/she is mostly loved an welcome!
Yup you're absolutely right :)
Living in Canada has been eye-opening, but not in the way I expected. Despite my hopes for a better quality of life, every dollar spent here feels like it slips through my fingers without real value. I used to live in the UK and the Middle East, where the cost of living felt far more reasonable, and I never imagined I'd feel so disillusioned. Since 2021, I've been trying to buy a new car, yet dealerships keep saying there's a shortage due to production issues-an excuse that’s worn thin.
Ontario, in particular, has hit me with its high prices, far removed from my experiences in Saskatchewan, where life felt far more manageable. Here, it’s a different story: expenses pile up, but the benefits don’t match. Even mobile plans feel outdated; Canada limits data while India offers unlimited options. I’m beginning to wonder if it’s time to look elsewhere, a place where I’m not working just to cover endless bills but where the cost of living feels like it gives something back.
Welcome to the slave system
@@TruthSayer-g2m Sometimes it's sad to be proven right. I recall back in the 90s, telling people they were work slaves, and it was only going to get worse. Lots of mocking followed, people saying that's crazy, etc. And here we are.
Please return to India. You are the problem. We never asked you to come here. A traitor government did.
Bulgaria is located at the same latitude as Toronto. Northern Bulgaria is at 43-44 parallel, Sofia is at 42 parallel. The last 5-6 winters in Bulgaria have been quite mild with less snow. But the normal winters, which here in Bulgaria we remember from the past, had periods with snow storms, -15 degrees and accumulation of thick snow cover. 50 days with snow cover every winter and a height of about 30 cm was normal for the Bulgarian winter of the past. But in recent years, the climate in Europe has warmed. In November 2023, we had 25 cm of snow in Bulgaria, also in Sofia, but it melted quickly in 3-4 days. After that there was almost no snow, in January 2024 there was a cold period with a new snow cover of 10-15 cm, but nothing serious. The last cold winter in Bulgaria was in 2016/17, when throughout January all days were covered with snow, and daytime temperatures on 5 days were lower than minus 10 degrees. But this wasn't a normal winter either, it was colder than normal.
Hi Alina. As usual very informative and to the point videos. I'm also from Ukraine and emigrated recently. A long time ago I thought Canada was some kind of dream land for immigrants, but after researching this topic over past years I've come to the same conclusions as you. All points you raise, both pros and cons, are confirmed by other Canadians.
Thanks for your efforts and good luck at the new place ;)
As an American with no criminal record, Canadian immigration treats me horribly every time I go to Canada.. the last time I put I wanted to stay for 60 days and they sent me through multiple-agents, searched all my stuff, I eventually just bought a flight out in 10 days and showed them that and then they left me go.. Its ridiculous..Very low-quality employees work for Canadian immigration and so unprofessional too! Some were thuggish/ghetto types!
If you were a Sikh Indian from Punjabi state you probably would have been welcomed into the country , given a 5 year work visa just in case you decide to stay, maybe even a free healthcare card too.
America is the best country in the world! Why you would want to visit Canada is beyond me. It’s no different from America
10000% agree. when I fly come to Toronto Airports, it's all Indian emplyees, playing on their cell phones. I have a person that can't speak English as my Canadian immigration officer..lol😅😅
@@jakearsenta2144 yes USA with its murderers and school shootings you dipshit. Never met I've met American I liked. Arrogance and ignorance the top American traits fuxk usa
Many officials at the Canadian Immigration Service are of Indian descent
The Canada I grew up in is goner, most of it attacked and destroyed over the last nine years, what happened in that nine years that have possible could have destroyed it, one word TRUDEAU.
Why you elect him?
The Canada I grew up has changed. Some things are worse, homelessness for example, some things are better, government support programs to name one.
@@MbisonBalrog That's the fundamental problem with democracy. When you have an uninformed electorate, it can make bad choices (such as Trudeau).
@ lol this whole vid is about high govt services are terrible
There are 3 levels of government: federal, provincial and municipal. The feds are why we have lots of immigration but healthcare and housing are provincial and municipal responsibilities. Ontario is taking money meant for public nurses/doctors and sending it to private clinics and sending you a $200 cheque, while Toronto is purposefully not allowing any affordable housing to get built.
You hit it on the nail. I have lived in 4 provinces landing in BC. Everyone thinks winter is better here, but I hate the long grey rainy days - I prefer snow. I am only here because of a grandson.
True Canadians don’t abandon their home. Leaving your country during tough times is not a solution, it’s a sign of giving up. I could have left the company I worked for when it hit a rough patch after years of outstanding success. But I stayed. Why? Because I believed in its potential. And guess what? Today, that company is thriving more than ever. It wasn’t easy, it took time, resilience, and a team of dedicated people working tirelessly to turn things around. But we did it. Our success soared, and so did our rewards.
Leaving is the easy way out, but true strength lies in staying and fighting for what you believe in. If you care about your country, you stick by it. Canada isn’t like some nations that have struggled for centuries, we’re simply weathering a storm, and I’m confident we’ll come out stronger. I refuse to give up on my country, because I believe in its future!
Let’s fight with JT and Jagmeet
You said it . I am a true Canadian citizen and will not go anywhere. Justina out.
It would be interesting for me to hear about your experience in my home country Bulgaria especially because I've lived in North America for many years of which 5 years in Toronto.Canada was my dream country ,I definitely felt happy there for some time,but reality hit once the pandemic started.
Due to how things were handled back then I decided to relocate back to Europe.
I miss Canada in some ways,but it has changed a lot since 2020 and the costs of living no longer make sense.
Good luck with the move,Alina, I hope Bulgaria doesn't disappoint !
Hi Alina, as a Bulgarian living in Toronto, I agree with you 100%. I come in Canada in 2000 and saw with my own eyes the decline of this great city. I congratulate you on your choice to relocate to Bulgaria. For sure, Bulgaria is not an Eartly Paradise, but thankfully the number of social parasites is nothing compared to Canada. I hope you'll succeed and find many new friends.
Thank you very much!
Bulgaria is a preferred destination for people from all over the world. For living and why not for vacation, summer and winter, we have mountains, we have the sea and resorts... Tourists say that they are satisfied with our sea, the service is at a level and the prices are the lowest in Europe. For example, I know more and more English people who prefer small villages, in nature, where they have freedom. Properties are much cheaper here than in Western Europe. Obtaining Bulgarian citizenship is a difficult and lengthy process, but I hope the Bulgarian government will think seriously about this issue.
Permanent Residency would be good enough for me!
Love the point you make about public transit. I grew up in Ottawa and I go back to visit family and the public transit there is horrible. They got a new light rail system the breaks down every week. Currently I live in Yellowknife in the Northwest territories. There is public transit system here, but it runs up to 6 o’clock, and it does not run on Sundays and holidays. I remember when I used to work in Saskatchewan, I would travel to different cities and take the greyhound bus. But since the Greyhound has been discontinued, it’s impossible to get from Saskatoon to Meadow Lake or even to Prince Albert If you don’t drive . There are still private shuttles that go from Regina to Yorkton or Weyburn but otherwise you have to have a car or you are out of luck. I wish I had the courage to leave. I will follow your adventures in the hopes of getting some inspiration.😊
It's long dead. It was in 2006 when I moved to Clownada and very fast I understood that this herd can be devoured by one wolf. This wolf came in 2016 and the name of the wolf was Trudolf. The country is gone. Forget about this country, it's an empty shell
As all countries are and becoming! 😂
@Caareenkm6726 I am sure you lived in all countries
Alina, I think you handled yourself well with this. As a canadian, it is sad to see how much has changed in Toronto and the rest of Canada. I wish I could say it is an isolated thing, but it is across the country. So, I fully support your choice to move. The food comment you mentioned kind of reconfirmed what I learned. Recently, I went away on vacation to my parents home country in South America. I was there for 2 weeks, and in that time, I enjoyed the food and lost some weight. It made me think that the food in Canada is being tampered with. There are too many preservatives added, and might be bad in the long run. You pointed out the same many things I don't like about Canada, so I won't repeat them here. We all have to make the best of a situation until we are able to leave it. Alina, keep that optimism, and pursue your dreams. Victor
Thank you very much, Victor and glad I'm not alone in my thoughts. I love this country too and who knows might come back someday, but I figure it's a good opportunity while I have it to go and see what life is like in other places!
You r such an excellent speaker. I find your thoughts so organized. This channel is very informative and realistic.
This place has a huge weather problem, some of the worst in the world for living and there's nothing that can be done about it except leave, we should have never come here to settle in the first place.
Then go to India! You won’t be missed! 😂
@@Caareenkm6726 you must be thinking I'm an indian immigrant who came here in the last century to be saying that. I'm talking europeans as a whole should have never come to settle here when they could have gone elsewhere where it was better.
Northern Europe has about the same weather and people are not complaining.
@@ekesandras1481 actually, western europe has a specific climate due to the tilt of the earth and the atlantic current bringing milder winters to the region. cananda above ~50 degrees north is not habital due to climate and the type of land available.
But in Europe we care about roads, like removing the snow from them just right after it starts snowing or with public transportation, so you can easily commute from one place to another. We have grocery stores closer to us and they are smaller and more affordable, packages aren’t so big so even if you are old or alone, you can easily go shopping without a car even. When in Canada, especially in Calgary it is extremely opposite.
I’m also planning to move out from Calgary, Canada because this place is unlivable, and it is even not because of weather but because how people deal with it here. They just making their lives harder without any reasonable reason 😅
The Canadian dream is completely dead. The only way you can get ahead going forward is by inheritance. I was saving up for a place in Canada, but then realized I could retire with that amount overseas. So I left Canada and now live a relatively stress-free life somewhere much sunnier and warmer!
nope
Canada still has no gift tax so you can gift all your money to your heirs before you die.
10 logical reasons Alina! You have a really good grounded outlook on life etc which makes your videos so great to watch. Thanks!
Thank you so much!
So excited your move is to Bulgaria! I am American, but appreciate much about the country and their culture as my grandfather was from there. I was there last year with my family for 2 months, mainly in Burgas and we didn't have a car most of the time. It was nice renting one you go across the country and make some interesting stops. Definitely try the thermal pool right outside of Sofia. (Swimming Pool Korali Pancharevo). The water was very warm and soothing.
yes guys thanks for raising our rents and properties there too so we cant afford to live instead of fixing your own countries. had to say it and not sorry.
Great to hear!
In Bulgaria, there is a direct night train from Sofia to Istanbul. It is possible to get by train from Bulgaria to Budapest, via Bucharest or Craiova Romania. Serbia is currently building a high-speed line, and when it is ready, perhaps there will be a faster and more convenient connection from Sofia to central Europe. There is also a ship once a week from Burgas to Batumi Georgia. It costs 100 euros but it travels very long 2 days and 2 nights. So when you live in Bulgaria, you can travel to other countries even without using a plane, if you have enough free time.
She's got plenty of times and that ship trip from Bulgaria to Georgia could be very interesting...
You've hit the nail on the head in describing the massive decline in living standards for the average citizen. The fact alone that somebody who makes an average salary in our country can't even afford a modest one bedroom apartment is staggering. The only area I have to disagree is when people say that our taxes are excessively high. Our taxes are actually slightly lower compared to other developed countries however I agree with the sentiment that we don't see an appropriate return of services in exchange for them. I wish you a bright future and a better one for us who've decided for various reasons to stay :)
@@Sabine-a- 25 years ago it was no problem finding a family doctor.
These days are gone. Yet taxes are the same, spent on gender propaganda.
I live in Vancouver with my wife. You need 1.5 or two of those average incomes for a couple, but it's a pretty damn nice place to live. We're not going anywhere. I can't slag on the healthcare system even though it can be a little frustrating sometimes for routine issues. But they cured my wife's Stage IV ovarian cancer and got me a kidney and a transplant in a reasonable period of time, so we are grateful. We were both treated like gold and not a penny out of pocket. Pretty sure we'd be bankrupted in the US, even with insurance.
Yes many people don’t realize how lucky we are with the healthcare system that we have, it’s definitely worth fighting for and working to improve
Point number #2 is spot on. In Europe we have taxes included in our food. We don't see any extra sales tax added onto sticker price. But we do get our health benefits deducted from payslip. One thing you will learn is that income to rent ratio is around 30-40% across Europe whereas in Toronto and van it's over 90% of income but avg across Canada is still 60%
Alina, i have lived in three continent with three passport, i concluded that THERE IS DREAM (whether canadian dream, EU dream or southeast asia dream), but any dream always comes with Pro and Cons because our earth is round. This is life.
Of course there's pros and cons to all places. I mentioned before it's guaranteed there's things about Bulgaria I won't like. But I figure it's a great opportunity I have right now with my work set up that why not try it?
@AlinaMcleod agreed and encouraged. always set up your dream and pursue it, i pursue it to three continent and found my dream down under, still not perfect, but it's near perfect.
what country did you come from and what country did you go to @@lmvcnn
interesting subject. But the earth being round is not a problem. The issue is morality. It has gone down the drain, worldwide, especially in so called advanced countries. People moving around, bringing their way of life and thinking, from gangs to driving habits, THAT is a big problem which does put the populations at odd with mass immigration, or rather invasion. Let alone bringing half a million each year in a place where the people cannot afford any place to live in, nor the seniors, and others, find a doctor anymore! BRAIN FOG??
I'm an American. I lived in Montreal from 1993 to 2000. I thought the quality of the healthcare there was terrible in comparison to the US; however it was free and it's extremely expensive in the US.
Totally agree, especially on the taxes front. It is quite bad in Québec with the 15% sales tax, provincial tax declaration above the federal one, the health system is falling apart with doctors leaving for private practice, nurses high burn-out rate, the education system is in ruins (both from a personnel perspective and the actual buildings)... There are so many regulations for to start a business (again, a dual system provincial/federal) and we could go on and on and on. Looking forward to change my fortune elsewhere, but it will be done in a careful and proper manner, just like you did.
Hope you find the right fit!
Canada is like a nightmare you just cannot wake up from.
lol
Omg I agree with all the points so much! I came to Canada (Winnipeg) from northern Europe (so weather didn’t really scare me) in January this year. The cultural shock was intense. Still, I consider myself extremely lucky cause I managed to get a good apartment, a job, friends. And even with all of that, I decided to move back to EU. Lifestyle, environment, infrastructure, crime - all of it here really isn’t what I expected. And it just feels that it’s not worth it. I have dreamed about living in Canada for 10 years. The level of disappointment that I got when I came is heartbreaking🫠
How come is it one of the safest, most economically sound and most developed countries in the world? Where is it? Here are some many issues that have been fixed a long time ago in other parts of the world, it makes me deeply sad
So which crime related country are you in now? How’s the illegals and the high rate to the economy? Guarantee when running from one place in hopes of greener pastures it’s not always green! 😂
Thanks for the video Alina, yup I'd have to agree to alot of your stuff on your list. Wishing you all the best on your move and looking forward to your future work as well. Thanks again !
I personally feeling that Canadian dream is almost over. You have taken the best decision of your life about relocating to Bulgaria.
This was very good. I enjoyed it. I do find the Quebec Province which is the one I know best because I live in Vermont, USA is wonderful. I do find the taxes to be honestly deadly. Credit Card interest rates are over the top. The one thing that the U.S. has that is a huge plus here is that when you buy a house here, say with a 30 year mortgage the interest rate is fixed for the entire 30 year period which really allows you to manage your finances while in Canada the term may be 30 years but the rate changes based on whether it's 1, 3 or 5 for example before you have to renew the mortgage. Then there is the Welcome Tax and the Goodbye Tax when you sell. Of course the exchange rate is a plus for the U.S. but when in Canada I call its' currency 'funny money' because of the two taxes on everything you buy; so when you break a 20 dollar bill for instance it is really gone, gone, gone. There is obviously much more that factors in Canada being expensive such as Universal Health Care and a small population.
There is NOT a small population! The amount of people is killing us!
The reasons Canada is struggling are:
1. Rapid population expansion through immigration and migration. Massive population expansion always results in diminished quality of living.
2. Total government censorship of "forbidden" topics like immigration, LGBT, Islam, etc.
3. Lack of a true "conservative" / "Canada-first" / "closed border" option in government.
4. Refusal to adopt America's "cultural melting pot" approach to immigration, thereby resulting in cultural replacement.
5. Immigration not focused on addressing needs (ie: doctors) but just adding people to the population who are unemployed and adding nothing to the economy.
6. Caring too much about the environment when Canada's contribution to global pollution is almost nothing compared to China, USA, and India.
7. Ridiculous "woke" ideology has taken over the country.
8. Ridiculous pandering, segregation, and privileged treatment of Indians versus Canadians.
9. Terrible taxpayer funded education system. Cancel over 50% of what colleges/universities are teaching today.
10. The most oppressive laws. Canadians lack freedom.
You should have just listed "Marxism" as number one and saved a whole lot of time. Cheers.
You are so on point!!! It has taken me 5 years to get a family doctor. It's insane!!
That's very sad to hear.
Exactly the same issues in Australia. Australia only gets you better weather not a better economy but the sunshine and beaches are free.
Also better healthcare generally. Especially if you can afford private. It’s nice to have a choice to do stuff quicker
i feel better weather does help physical and mental health , because it makes it easier to exercise, spend time outside, get sunshine!
And better creatures of all sorts. Who would care much for grizzly s or moose when you have Inland taipan or salt crocs. And black bears? Meh, Sydney funnel spiders are far cooler. And there is plenty more of cool creatures, like mm death Adler?
The people are nicer there too.
*climate
Well reasoned and thought out. I was born and raised in Canada, now 71 years old. Seen lots of changes and also fortunate to have a sense of connection to the previous two generations. It is not the country it once was but I do belief it can come back, not to what it once was, but to something that has the same merit and integrity.
Of course it is. Nonsense and politics at an all time high. Cost of living is ridiculous. Way to ruin a country Castro.
Long live castro
Beautiful sharing. Although I have never visited Canada, this country is my first choice for traveling. Since it's so beautiful and I might live there for some time, I will continue to enjoy your videos to experience your adventures through your lens.
It's crazy how much damage can be done to a country in a mere nine years.
I lived in Canada for 5 years. It's a beautifully country but you would get depressed, no one is willing to speak in public 😅
I live in Canada for 66 years, wouldn't live anywhere else. For all those unhappy, chronic hateful complainers, please get out , fo t let the door hit you, and never ever come back. Promise??
A very good video, Alina!❤❤
Thank you Alina for putting all of these key points together in a very well harmonized approach. I am retired and own my home in Ottawa in a beautiful neighborhood, but preferred to move Overseas part-time to balance my budget... And, the latter is well above average... This is just to say that the average you mentioned is for sure insufficient to make the ends meet in Canada these days... Let alone, the other issues you have well articulated... I arrived in Canada in 1983 as student. Canada was really a paradise. People were so nice and so welcoming. Today, even answering machines have stopped working, and when you're lucky to find a human, the only wish you have is a translator to English or French, as service desk is now being outsourced to offshore companies... You're not complaining and I look forward to hearing from you with analysis from the other side of the ocean...
Hey Alina, I think you are a very pretty woman and polite and well-mannered as well and I wish you well for your upcoming journey and chapter in life! I understand that Canada might have deteriorated in recent years but I still think it is one of the greatest nations to exist and a very good place to live! I think that both legal and illegal immigration to Canada must be cut drastically like 90% and preserve the existing Canadian people of today and encourage their fertility and growth and finances of raising their kids! Only allow small number of people to Canada each year who are capable of paying their own way and more importantly who genuinely likes or loves Canada and will respect Canadian laws! Demonizing your opposition is not nice but I suppose that is part of human nature and not something that is at all specific to Canada!
I personally like cars and I think riding in them is comfortable and nice!
Anyway, I wish you well for your journey and I also wish the best for Canada! Cheers!
Interesting video. Apart from the cold like in Canada, Sydney has the same problems. Good luck in Bulgaria. Looking forward to your next video.
If your dad was surprised by the taste of Jordanian strawberries..he should try the nectarines in South Africa..
Bulgarian here, people like you are most welcome in our country! :)
On a more serious note, some of the things you mention are to also be expected in BG. Most notably the last point about the 'great divide'. Bulgaria is incredibly polarised at the moment, which is evident from the political deadlock that the country is facing at the moment. That being said, you, as a 'foreigner', will probably not feel it on a day-to-day basis. Public transit in the cities can be great indeed, Sofia has made huge progress in that regard over the last decades. But don't expect bullet trains for intercity travel. You'll mostly have to rely on busses or slow(-ish) trains (current max speed is ~150 km/h and in very small parts of the system). Healthcare can also be a bit of a hit-and-miss situation. Sometimes you get excellent treatment for free, other times you need to pay extra and are faced with decrepid buildings and poor service. Also... winters get cold! But not always and definitely not for long periods of time. The rest of your problems with Canada are definitely not issues in Bulgaria (yet).
I hope it helps and I hope you have a great time here. :)
As canadian, I moved 2016 in Spain 🇪🇸 .
I work with some guys from Canada and they told me alot of the same isuues!! I subscribed and luv your flicks!!
Canada Dead? It is dead all right. One must be asleep to believe the dream still exists. Canada is nothing but a memory.
I suggest you pack, go to the nearest airport and get the hell out of my country Canada.
300 000 a years are coming to Canada, experiencing the Canadian dream. It is beautiful dream, but only when you sleep.
With the qualities that you show, you will have very vibrant , happy and long life in Bulgaria. You are 100% right .
As a short
The flight ✈️ is waiting for you. Goodbye.
You did not mention the amount of immigration we have... it's a lot.
Canada is FINISHED and is never coming back for that reason alone. We used to get immigration only from Europe till 1970.
Overall Canada once was a great country till 2010, I believe. Unfortunately, what I see is a destructed country, people are fighting over entry level jobs like a store associate or a hotel receptionist. I am from Iraq and in my country these jobs are mostly given to immigrants from Syria, Iran, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Yes, I think the immigration system is playing a big part of the game as it did not encourage brilliant and talented people to come and stay rather it encouraged the talented workforce to leave. I am here for 3 months and not single day passes without thinking going back to Iraq! . What is really surprising me is that some Canadians still think less of other countries, believe me if you pay a visit to middle east and gulf countries you would be shocked of the living standards here in Canada.
I hope the best for this country and become great again.
Nothing negative, everything you said is accurate. Canada is no longer what it used to be. Such a tragedy what happened to our country
Hopefully things improve!
I completely agree that it is important to offer rehabilitation services for those who struggle with drug addiction. But decriminalization of hard drugs was a huge policy disaster. It made it easier for dealers to make a living and it made it easier for them to find new clients, by offering more toxic, more addictive drugs. We need to now reverse that, which will be an uphill battle that will likely take a decade. Addiction is very complicated, and as a first step I think all safe injection sites should only allow injection of drugs supplied by the clinic, as part of a supervised program to treat addiction and help individuals return to a productive life in society.
All of the reasons that you've listed are so valid. These situations are not only relevent for the current times, but also have long-standing ramifications into the future. The by-products of high costs of living include homelessness, the accumulation of debt, the loss of business, the inability ot have a family. All of those issues are real and serious. I've seen them in my family and all around me, and this is why my family is considering moving to Europe. You can only sit in a bad situation for so long until you have to start thinking seriously about how much longer you can deal with it, and how it's going to affect your long term future.
@@jelenajm1160 I recently learned that birth rate on Canada dropped below that on Bulgaria. It becomes costlier to raise kids. Young couples prefer pets.
A road to nowhere.
May I add one? People in Canada are becoming ruder and ruder. This can be experienced by the drivers on the roads, shoppers in the malls, and even pedestrians along the sidewalks. Canadians are known to be peaceful and nice, but now it is not the case any more. Sad.
Yeah I sadly noticed that too.
Those are new comers.and.NOT canadians
I think Canadians are fed up. Weve been tolerant and welcoming for too long and look where thats got us.
Ou Alina, for the weather in Sofia. before for the January and February it was normal the temp. to drop to -20C, -25C in the early mornings with max temperature of -10C, -15C. But this was in the past, now with the climate changes our winters are much warmer and we almost lost the snow. it snowing like twice for the whole winter and the lowest temp are around -5C. But be prepared, the normal winter can always come. :) Sofia is after all the coldest big city in Bulgaria and it's the second highest capital in Europe after Madrid.
Oh boy. The articles online are incorrect then! I guess I will be spending some time in Dubai or something lol.
Why Dubai are you Muslim or something? Do you not enjoy alcohol?
Thanks for the honest description of the ten reasons. I agree with each and everyone. I have to add, in my personal case, I am allergic to North American air, must be something from the exhaust of ICE cars (due to the additives in gasoline?) because this problem does not exist when I go to the Caribbeans, South America, Asia, Africa, etc. I'll always follow you Alina, keep up with the good work and let the great videos keep coming.
My neighbor came from Guatemala and in 2 years bought a house for him and his wife and two kids. He worked 7-3pm and an excellent guy. It wasn't the fanciest house but it was a house with a nice front yard and a nice backyard. Do you think anyone can come to Canada with a family work a steady 7-3pm and buy a house in two years? lol so there you go.
While we fight over petty issues, the rich are milking this country like they've done for millennia.
If they came from usa or uk, and buy a house, you would be also so suspicious?
@@aspanforever you can't read, can you?
I call BS
Ask your neighbor if he earned a minimun salary in Quetzal which is like 5000 dollars...per year. And what kind of house he can buy with such salary.
I totally agree with you. Canada has changed compare to 20 years ago when I decided to move here. Best of luck to your new endeavour! 👍
Thank you very much!
Was there ever a "Canadian dream"? I've just never heard anyone say "Canadian dream". I've only heard "American dream".
I live since 2020 in Algarve, Portugal and it’s so good for the quality of Life. Before I lived in Canada. High standards of living, but not so good for the quality of living. Bulgaria, I heard good and bad.
Great video and very true. You are correct that we have to rely on our cars. Do you remember saskatchewan had its own bus service and we used to have Greyhound. Unfortunately those services are gone. There was a time when you could jump on a bus and go anywhere in the country. Sad we don’t have those services anymore.
Hi Alina, hope you find better life here in Bulgaria!We have lots of problems, but definitely different ones from Canada.Am sure you will manage to integrate easily, and just enjoy living in a small but beautiful country!All the best!
In 2004 I wrote a somewhat famous article called 'Top 8 reasons not to immigrate to Canada'. In short, the Canadian authorities tried to destroy my life. They made it so that I could not be employable in Canada. So I moved to the U.S. in 2005 and then some years later I moved permanently to the Philippines. I am happy that so many years later videos like yours are saying essentially the same things that I did. I was ahead of my time. I will never go back to Canada. Not to live, not to visit, not even a connecting flight. Too cold, too expensive, taxes are astronomical, no culture, no freedom, no jobs, no opportunities, only modern slavery, worst healthcare system, unbearable political correctness, crime infested/drug infested, xenophobic people, too depressing. It has become a North Korea style dictatorship in the western world.
There are many reasons why Canada has fallen apart. But the number one reason is ‘multiculturalism’. My friends, multiculturalism simply does not work. Different cultures do not come together and mix, different cultures come together and clash. The world is divided into different countries for a reason: because people hate each other and only want to be with their own kind. The number two reason for Canada’s demise is ‘socialism’. In this modern era of aging populations, it is mathematically impossible for socialism to continue. The government does not have the money to take care of old people and provide healthcare, pensions, welfare, unemployment benefits, disability benefits and the numerous other programs, even with the astronomical taxation that burdens hard working Canucks. Well Canada, you had a good run. Time for Canucks to move to an emerging country. We welcome you here in Southeast Asia.
Multiculturalism destroys the fabric and identity of a country. Socialism bankrupts a country.
I won't go into the theoretical argument of whether or not socialism can or cannot work, or more simply, at what tax rate should people ideally be taxed, but your point here on multiculturalism is for sure wrong. Such is not incompatible with the human spirit. People love it, and cultures do mesh plenty. There are pockets where people are more reserved, and there are spaces where people create new networks. It is whatever you wish to make happen
I come from a mixed race, and your comment is *VERY* racist to say the least.
People who cause problems because they don't like a certain race or culture should just stay in their homes, because multiculturalism is the way life *SHOULD* be.
We are *ALL* God's creatures. People who 'think' their culture or race is better than others are narrow minded individuals.
Not all people like you 'think' this way.
Life would be *VERY* BORING if we ate the *SAME* food everyday, dress the *SAME* way everyday, live in the *SAME* boring town everyday.
Time to open the door, and breathe that FRESH air.
Multiculturalism *WORKS* IF you let it.
@@weirdthingstoeat7198 Nobody cares that you are mixed race. I am not the racist, it is YOU that is the racist who looks for racism even when someone is talking about immigration. You should be ashamed of yourself. Multiculturalism destroys the fabric and identity of a country.
@@weirdthingstoeat7198 Nobody cares that you are mixed race. I am not the racist, it is YOU that is the racist who looks for racism even when someone is talking about immigration. You should be ashamed of yourself.
We have Lots of the same points miss Mcleod. People in their 30's and 40's are leaving non stop for couple of years now, with their families, not sustainable, loyalty to your "home" has its limits, simply searching for quality of life we deserve
You will like Bulgaria, it's a nice country. I left Canada 12 years ago and have settled in Romania. Good luck!
Who is embezzling your taxes? How can you pay so much taxes and have terribad social services? Does Canada have a doctor/medical professional shortage? Why is that? Is the education too expensive? Well, the high taxes should help pay for that.
Our taxes are money laundered to the corrupt politicians on the left!
I completely agree with you in everything. I am completely disappointed in Canada after 3 years of living here. Before that I lived in Bulgaria for a short time but I want to tell you that the products there are also not very good quality. For me personally the meat there is even worse than in Canada. So keep that in mind. But yes, there are many things that are better there. Good luck to you.
I never really considered Canada as a dream land, or at least how people in the developing world see English North America, especially the US. The US is what I used to know as the Land of Opportunities, where someone who was poor or not having the means to live with the 'essentials' of life could actually do that in the US. But not Canada. Canada never seemed to appear on my radar as such country. So, why did I migrate to Canada then? Maybe, precisely of that. It's not a country to become 'rich' but to be able to 'raise your standard of living' To me, it was more important to know that I could have covered good education, essential health care and generally speaking, a liveable place to move around without fears of being robbed, murdered, captured, and so on. And LEGALLY. The US goes out of its way to make residency a long and tedious process. I just don't want to live in a country where I am not legally established. I also experienced the US while in College and didn't like much how kids were raised there. So, I found Canada a 'tamer' version of that, if you know what I mean. So, Canada WAS that country. Is it now? I still think it's kept its values at its core, but it has changed. It is changing and maybe because I'm getting old I feel like it. But, that's one of the risks that you take when you move to another country. You don't get all that you wish but if you get what you envisioned (which I think I did) then, I see no major fault. We just need to make sure that the country keeps going in the right path. All the Best!
the best description of Canada. It is shame that you understand problems in this country better then anyone in Canadian government.
Well, Very Interesting Alina. I'll say I only sort of disagree with one point that being the weather. I take a perverse pride in having worked and play in the out doors at -40 Celsius for periods of time. However, that said I don't love extended, more than a week of that kind of temp. -20 Celsius to -10 Celsius is nice winter weather. Yes, I know I'm weird.
On the other points I feel Canada has fallen pray to the slogan culture. Canada has the best (insert topic) in the world. Then they pick the worst place for that topic and compare it to best out come in Canada. Since seventy to eighty percent of Canadian don't travel much of the world, they don't realize that average service in Canada isn't the best nor do the realize that many places are overall superior to the Canadian average. For years the slogans have been assumed to the truth and unless you were directly impacted by one of these topic you believed the slogan. Now the realities are starting to impact more Canadians, and the slogans aren't believed quite as much as they used to be. Is Canada the worst, No. Is Canada as good as it could be Hell No. That said, for me it's were I'm going stay, cause I can make it work for me at this time. Really, that's all one can do in the short term.
That is why you need to do what you think is right for you, right now. As always, time will tell.
Yup you are exactly right. There's nothing wrong with having national pride, but it's another to be blind to issues that have gotten worse and need to be addressed. Of course Canada is still far ahead of many other countries in life quality for their citizens, but there is certainly A LOT we can learn from other nations.
Hi Alina I also grew up in Saskatchewan. One benefit of being Canadian is the freedom of movement. If you don't like the city, province. or country, you have the right to leave at any time. Bon Voyage.
But the country side will change soon, look at the USA the country side is changing.
Dear Alina, there are no speed trains in Bulgaria either. Actually the trains are dirty and very old and go about 60km/h. Nonetheless I hope you will enjoy my country. 🥰
That's better than the homeless filled, smelly trains here in Canada, public transit is garbage here
I actually didn't mind the trains in Bulgaria! Sure they're old and not that fast but the country isn't that big so not that difficult or long to get around. Main thing for me is the great European flight options out of Sofia!
Train tickets in Bulgaria are cheap as chips tho. Try slightly better trains, quite fast but tickets are 400 return from Liverpool to London for two. That's if they don't get cancelled due to a strike, rain, wind and my favourite - leaves on the line.
Bulgaria is getting high speed rail to Turkey as part of the Silk Road Initiative.
The problem with Canada, apart from electing Trudeau an unbelievable two times, is that you didn't go through the financial crisis of 2007. The debt bubble didnt burst and was allowed to inflate to an unbelievable level.
It sounds like you're talking about the UK; we have similar problems.
I appreciate the comments but in the end I absolutely love living on the East Coast and specifically Nova Scotia. Tons of hiking, cycling, and one of my passions, ready access to Off Road riding. Love it, combine all of this with small towns and cities, great people all over the province…it’s just a really nice place to live. A lot of the comments reflect pretty much any of the larger cities in North America, does it need to change, sure. Our kids have had a really tough time trying to get a reasonable rent and or buying a house. Post COVID, prices have gone through the roof.
You might be right in all points but as an immigrant from Austria, I don't understand how anybody would move to Bulgaria with its widespread poverty, no rule of law to speak of etc. Unless it's your home country, of course. Will you report from Bulgaria with telling us about everything that's wrong there?
I immigrated here at age 42 and I love this country and it's people. My home country Austria has better living and housing standards than here plus excellent food and food quality. I just love it here. Canadians are good people. The Austrian politicians are pretty ridiculous and the migrants changed things a lot.
If you have money, you will live well in Bulgaria and in Austria. In Canada as well. If you want to get rich, you either have to have connections or a business in Bulgaria or you have to immigrate to the US.
For me, the people matter here. My life has not been easy here but I will never go back. Especially not to a poor country like Bulgaria although it's in the EU.
She can't afford Monaco, Monte Carlo or Beverly Hills.
with her Canadian passport she can always move back if things go sour, with her youtube and other income she will have a cheap and comfortable life there.
QC is the only hope in Canada. Montreal is the only major city with affordable housing and without excessive immigration.
Woww that’s extremely sad 😢. Canada has really changed for the bad.
Well not only Canada look about US there are million if drug addicted....Alina will find one Bulgarian Macho and travel the world with him...hope will be me :D
Hi. I live near Chilliwack which is 1 hr, E of Vancouver. I generally agree with your views on our (beautiful) country. I just wanted to emphasize for your readers that your desription of the drug situation is not exaggerated but is actually significantly worse than that. it is heartbreaking!