I was born and raised in Toronto and I hate the passive aggressiveness in the country. I find it much easier to make friends with people from the US and Europe than actual Canadians.
Same. Toronto born/raised. Feels like a revolving door of a city, no incentivization for interactions beyond the obligatory surface-level politeness. Even that is crumbling though in recent years. Anytime I've visited the US, I'm blown away how friendly people are. There definitely are friendly people here, but you have to dig deeper than you would with Americans.
@@koshka02 I've experienced the opposite. I guess this depends if you're white or not. Toronto is much more comfortable for immigrants and visible minorities. The US is friendlier if you're white or white passing. If you've ever traveled to a small town in the US as a visible minority the discrimination you face is crazy. And I've been across the US with similar experiences, east coast, midwest, the south, and pacific northwest. They have their nuances but for the most part it's not friendly to visible minorities.
I liked the closing advice, "Don't take yourself too seriously." I am new to Canada and, as a French speaker living in Ottawa, I have learned to be patient.
Stay away from white canadians, as an african i'm warning you. Europeans like this lady and even americans are better. Actually anyone but white canadians or (wasps) as they're called. JUST STAY AWAY! They're shifty and sketchy people, 2 faced and one second they're smiling, next second god knows what mine you stepped on lol
@@KamBar2020 Montreal is such a nice city on paper. Cheaper than any other major Canadian city, good public transport, pretty walkable. But the culture and the language are a nonstarter for me.
@@nicktankard1244According to my experience,MOST of the English-Speaking Quebec Natives are pretty kind and polite but the ones who don't speak English are so conservative ,who cannot think beyond their French language.So,even in Quebec,there ARE two DIFFERENT SIDES OF A COIN! It's a just a matter of the attitude to adapt to a global language,English and the various shades of the culture that comes along with it!
It’s only on your channel that I find this kind of content. Very insightful and the type of information that’s rare to come across, but essential for integrating into the community and achieving success. 🤩
Great video. It took me a while to realize that "who you know" is an integral part of your qualifications when applying for a job in Canada. Highly educated, and highly accomplished immigrants will often struggle to find work in their field because they don't have anyone local to vouch for them. Even the government doesn't trust its own government issued IDs and requires references on passport applications. It's practically insane you cannot get a passport unless someone else vouches for you! It's that "Canadian subjectivity" that still makes me question my move to Canada, and it's seen everywhere in Canadian life... and I'll never get used to it.
Thanks for sharing your experience, I admire your positive attitude. For me the thing that I underestimate the most was masked discrimination. I read a lot about how welcoming Canadians are, how much they value immigrants and how easy it is to integrate and feel at home here. Unfortunately reality struck me hard. It took me more than one year to find work in my field, then I realized how underpaid I was. My education credentials didn't matter at all, even though I immigrated as a skilled professional. I networked, tried to make friends, volunteered...etc, but I was never able to have a meaningful relationship. I always felt as a foreigner. After eight years in Canada I'm better financially than the majority of Canadians, but due to sacrifices, not because of thriving, I'm severely depressed, obese and on the brink of divorce. Looking back I believe I made the biggest mistake of my life moving here. My advice to people wanting to immigrate is to move here temporarily for two years and then decide if you want to move permanently. Best of luck.
That is good advice to people. I feel Canada is over-sold regarding its "welcoming" nature. Relative to other countries, it is at least somewhat true that we are generally more welcoming. But there is also xenophobia here not only toward foreign nationals, but even toward other born-in-Canada citizens who move from one region of the country to the other. We Canadians should be more honest and upfront about that, while also being honest that we do try, perhaps to a greater extent than other nations, to embrace multiculturalism. The high expectations about "being welcoming" that Canada sets about itself can and do cause immigrants to feel misled once they settle here. In many cases, being an immigrant here is a lonely experience. I really hope that things improve for you. Connecting with at least one and ideally several people with whom you have a sense of community is something all humans need to thrive.
Your story is one of many who are going through it and even more who have gone through similar. After being here for over a decade and aging, I question the value of life. We have one life to live. The life in Canada for me was work and continuous education. Re-education took a large chunk of money when I should have been at the top of my earning years. After studying, I got a job that does not recognize my previous decade of non-Canadian experience, though I worked globally. I am very underpaid up to today and only working to pay the bills, no ability to save for house or land, car, and no family, children etc. A busy life in a cold society has meant loneliness and my few connections also left over the years. Life should have been a lot more for me given my sacrifices here. I am leaving this year for a new beginning regardless of my age!
Discrimination and xenophobia is on the rise world-wide, not just in Canada. Not an excuse, just a fact. True, it is more "masked" here, but look at what's going on the the U.S. and in northern Europe. How would you like to be a Haitian immigrant living in the United States right now? At least we're not threatening to lynch people. But yes, we do pride ourselves on the myth of the tolerant Canadians. Unfortunately, we don't appear to be as tolerant as we once were, if in fact we ever were as tolerant as we prided ourselves in.
Why would you be underpaid compared to a Canadian with similar credentials and experience? Did you contact your superiors and request a raise? Your claim sounds questionable. Eight years is a long time to _never_ make friends. Perhaps your expectations were out of touch with reality. Not sure where you are from, but if you were in a major city, you can at least touch base with other immigrants from your home country. Where I live, many immigrants new and old gather in clubs or societies, to network and socialize and have fun. In life there are no guarantees. No one is promised an easy time or a dynamic social life. Not even people born in Canada are assured that.
I immigrated to Canada many years ago and people were friendly at that time. It's a totally different story now. Food is expensive and hardly able to support the family. I have lived in whitby for more than 10 years It used to be a nice and safe city. Unfortunately, it changed a lot now. Lot of homeless and auto thieves in whitby area. Please be careful when you go out. Let me know if you need any help. Take care
@@whatdoyouwantfromme1029 Even I'm Canadian for many years, I'm extremely unsatisfied with the government especially health care. It's free health care. However, you can hardly get any doctors because they don't accept new patients. My doc retired two years ago and I couldn't find any doctor to take me until few months ago. A lot of people here have no doctor. When they are sick, they are either going to the walk in clinic or ER at hospital. Canada is dying and I'm thinking to move out of the country
@@stevenstevens9584 it's not "free" it's payed by the taxpayer that's why our taxes are so high. However this creates lack of competition in the job market for health care because doctors of the same field get paid the same. So they go to the states where they can set up a private practice and get paid infinitely more
Im born and raised in Toronto and your giving me GREAT advice. Stuff i never thought of. I hope you enjoy your learning curve! I think you stay your a fantastic asset to our country.
As an ex PR of Canada and resident of Switzerland, more than 10 years living outside own country I think it is impossible to truly prepare for living in a new country. No amount of reading will help because we all have own perspective, experience and background and remember how "easy going" and "Relaxed" attitude was driving me mad. My Canadian experience was mixed neither as great or as horrible as others described. I've been living for almost 5 years in Switzerland, hard years due to external situations but I have not encounter half of problems described. I had no problems with Swiss administration or ppl, neighbors. Switzerland seems less about networking than Canada, probably due to village sprawl but again it depends on a person. I value Canada for teaching me how to be a foreigner, how to live in a foreign country. Canada took pink glasses from my nose and made me more realistic about Switzerland. Personally I think Switzerland is better country for me as my mindset is more Swiss but Canada is great place. There is no ideal country.
Thank you for sharing your experience. It’s fascinating what you’ve learned. Switzerland does sound like a dream country. Is there something you don’t like there?
@@MakeThatChange Switzerland is a great country, but not for everyone. This is not the best place for those who seek nightlife, clubbing, multicultural experience in many ways it is the opposite of Canada. It is changing but still, this is more for nature lovers. My list of cons: 1. The biggest is healthcare. I hate it to its core. It is private and there is lack of public healthcare. I hate idea of private healthcare as I am oppose of the very idea of combination of capitalism and saving of life. It is expensive but not good. With my limited German I am struggling to even get to a doctor and need to commute 30 km to family doctor. On the countryside no clinic even accept me as a patient. Maybe this is just my bad experience but I hate it. 2. Termination of rental lease. When I was living in Toronto in years 2014-19 all I needed to do was to give 90days notice if I wanted to leave the apartment. In Switzerland lease can be terminated only twice per year and between I need to pay unless someone suitable and accepted by a landlord is found. From my experience all is taking forever to fix and I need to pay for it. Maybe this is just usage of foreigners or my bad luck. Apartments are nice and clean but this termination is annoying. Getting a lease is a nightmare in places like Zurich due to supply and demand. Even dossier is sometimes needed to rent. It is hard, but depend on a region. 3. This is minor to previous but.... lack of freshly chopped sausages and ham in a supermarkets. All is packed and for freshly chopped I need to go to Austria and Germany. 4. Switzerland is very capitalism-driven so money, money, money but standard of living is high. 5. This is my pro but for many cons: Swiss are very into being on time and being organized. No spontaneous actions. Ordnung muss sein, I like it but working hours of wastebin. There are no places to recycle glass or alu near blocks so one needs to walk or drive to a place. 6. Theoretically German is a official language but in fact there are many local dialects which can be confusing. This is not really a cons, but something good to know.
Deeply insightful. Each point resonated with me. I'm glad to have found your channel and appreciate the hard work your put into this video. Lot of immigrants underestimate the complexity of immigration. It's encouraging to see you mention not just problems but also solutions to overcome them. Subbed!
Depression and weight gain resonates with me as immigrant. Thank you for doing the video. Makes me realize that I was not the only one suffering alone❤
It Canada it's important to use indirect "cushion" words and phrases when addressing a negative situation. Rather than saying "so that we can win" (which directly addresses the fact that the team always loses) it would have been well received if you said something like "we can up our game" or "take our games to the next level".
My family has lived in Canada for several centuries now, and I want to compliment you on your astute observations about certain elements of the dominant culture here. Even though we have been here for a very long time, at numerous points in my life other Canadians have told me I seem more like an American. They do not mean it as a compliment, but not really like an insult either (they seem to be wanting me to understand that sometimes I am "too much" or too direct in my manner). You might find that Canadians who have many American relatives and, as you point out regarding your Toronto soccer team, Canadians who have immigrated here not too long ago are more frank in their manner of speaking than are many Canadians. I wish you all the best in your new life here in Canada...immigrants to this country are constantly renewing and enriching our overall culture.
@@arijuju7303 Newsflash: the land mass known as Canada has been here for a bit longer than 200 years. Additional newsflash: Europeans have been coming to Canada for just a titch more than 200 years (massive sarcasm, in case you missed it). Quebec City must blow your mind. And, I never said I was "more Canadian" than anyone else. The length of time my family has been here is context for the length of time of my family's immersion in Canadian culture. I guess there's definitely a language and culture barrier between you and me.
Thanks so much, Anna. Honestly, there are aspects of this video that I so much relate to and although I regret it, I will ensure that my siblings do not go through what I have gone through immigration-wise.
I came to Canada purposely for the sake of receiving a Canadian passport. After completing a PhD in Germany, I wanted to go west for greener pastures. I managed to have job offers from the American and Canadian universities and chose McGill for reputation and Montréal for the European wibe. In a year and half, I got a PR in Quebec and later citizenship. Had some challenges with learning French but eventually learnt it enough to pass job interviews and transitioned to pharma industry. Ironically, for the last 10 years I haven't used French at work at all as pharma speaks English. I leant early in a grad school about the importance of professional networking so I started growing my network right upon arrival to Montreal. It was proven helpful on many occasions. It's harder to move around with a family,however, I wouldn't mind relocating to the US or back to Europe (Switzerland) for better pay.
This is a great vid and excellent presentation of content. The algorithm led me here somewhat mysteriously. I am a senior whose family came a while ago, in the year 1765. Perhaps the algorithm got confused by my interest in leaving for a country near the equator and the searches I have been doing. You see, I am beyond disheartened and at times furious about the turn this country has taken. Imagine having 250 years of familial hard work and contribution to development of a country, being tarnished within a very short time. Us old timers do not recall Canada being so poorly governed in our lifetime. I realize I have gotten politcal here and I apologize for that. I will close and extend wishes for your success, wherever you may call home. You are thoughtful and articulate, I am sure that you will continue to do well.
Excellent video. Wise words. As someone who immigrated to Canada 57 years ago when I was 26, I have never had any regrets about my choice. But I would certainly have done certain things differently, along the lines of some of your suggestions. Maybe then I might have had better mental health and more Canadian friends. Despite my love of this beautiful country, I still feel lonely sometimes, and I recognise that it is because I am an immigrant who can never totally adjust to the Canadian way. 🇨🇦
I am a 16 year old from Algeria who's planning to immigrate to Canada as soon as I graduate college. I am a person with very big dreams and I believe that they can't be pursued in my country, not to mention of how almost everyone are drug dealers, alcoholic, and thiefs, and the city just looks so bad from the rubbish thrown all over the place to the horrible smell of the sewers flood everywhere. I love my country but I seriously don't think it's where I belong or want to live my entire life in, that's why I chose to immigrate to Canada. I really love this channel, it's very informing and the fact it's all for free is just amazing
If you happen to come to Canada just avoid all the expensive places as for places to live. Especially Toronto and Vancouver. That's the way to get ahead and save some money up.
Uhhhhhhmmmm, who exactly are you getting your information from? I can assure you just about everything you have stated is not accurate. Furthermore, if you are from a fairly conservative country in terms of social expectations it may be a shock especially if you have children as they will be molded by what's acceptable here. I strongly urge you to take time to find out about the social atmosphere (are you comfortable with transgender, gay marriage, open and supported drug use, medically assisted suicide, medical system providing crack pipes, drugs, drug paraphernalia to addicts which is paid by taxes, limited freedom of speech, limited rights, government making decisions for you, etc, etc, etc)
If you knew the staggering number of Canadians who wait too long to invest, or just never bother learning about it... I applaud you for taking the time to do so.
Considering the cost of living here, I would think most aren’t simply uneducated regarding the benefits of investing. Many are living paycheque to paycheque and have been doing so for a very long time. I live in Vancouver, and unless you’re pulling 6 figures a year with no debt, you ain’t saving a dime, and you’re sure af never owning a home. Even with a 6 figure income, you’d be lucky to own a home.
Good points about investing but not many people do it because of the cost of living and low wages. Many people just don’t have any money to invest. Lots of Canadians are deep in debt as well, so they need to pay it off first before investing.
One can always invest or at least save little by little, you need as little as 10$ these days to start investing. It’s just a cup of coffee or a few cans of beer. The challenge is when instant gratification comes before longer term planning for the future.
@@MakeThatChange yeah you said about 10$ but that will not change your life in any way. It’s good to learn how investing works sure. But 10$ per week will not affect your bottom line even after 5 years. So unless you have at least a couple hundred to invest each month it’s pretty much pointless from the money perspective. But to see real impact you have to invest even more.
I would respectfully disagree. I used to have a round up feature on my credit cards. It would round up every purchase I made to the nearest dollar, save it and invest in a managed account. In 2 years I pulled that money to spend on an all inclusive vacation in the Caribbean. It wasn’t fancy, but sure a great example of how even the smallest amounts could make a difference. Sadly that roundup product doesn’t exist anymore but Questrade can offer something similar.
It fluctuated actually, some weeks were more, some less. If you look at it, $10 a week is $520 a year or $1040 in pure savings (enough for an average vacation in the Carribbean). If you just use a high interest savings account at 3%, you'd end up with $1,070.46, including $30.46 interest earned over 2 years ( it's not much, but better than $0). In 10 years, that'll be nearly 800 bucks in interest made, which could get you a new phone for literally doing nothing! It's fascinating how much it compounds, investing ( even thought riskier) could bring on average 8-12% which could be nearly $3000 over 10 years, assuming we keep the pace of $10 a week. Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to sell anything here, just sincerely fascinated by the power of compounding.
Great video, relatable content for most immigrants I would say. As an immigrant myself, I realize that we all have a similar concern about difficulty in making friends. If we’re all experiencing that, why don’t we all get together? What’s preventing us? 🤔
I'm sorry you regret moving to my country. I can certainly sympathize. I was born and raised in Canada. My family has been Canadian for nearly 200 years. Still, I understand. We are hard people to get to know and also hard to understand---even for us Canadians, it can be difficult. What you said about the social connections is completely true. When you come to a new town, often the locals have been there for a very long time. There is a social structure and the people make you figure out how you are going to try to fit. They usually will do nothing to help you. They are not necessarily unfriendly, but they are not friendly either. On the other hand, there are cultural differences between Ontario and other provinces. Where I live, yes, the people are typically Canadian--they are taciturn people who mostly want to be left alone to go about their own business. But if you are in trouble, you need help, etc---they are right there to help you. They don't expect thanks or expect you to do something to pay them back. Helping other people is just part of day to day life. Many, many times I've had my countrymen help me with car problems on the road and so on. And every time, they 've helped me (and I've helped then, as well) and it's been no problem. These are things that set us apart from our American neighbours and other people; what gives us our own culture. I like to think of it this way. We Canadians have a sense of solitude about our lives. Yes, we have friends and spouses and families, but in some sense, each and every one of us is alone all the time; especially rural Canadians who live in the country or small towns. We have this relationship with nature and solitude. It's hard to explain in a youtube post. Our personal space is bigger. We speak quietly. And we almost never use a new person's name. It's a way to maintain distance. Anyhow, best of luck. I mean, you could always move south and join the Americans who talk louder, stand closer, and are so much more gregarious.
Thank you for sharing this! I have found that the immigrant journey is nothing like anything else you will do in life. I immigrated to Canada from the UK in 2020 and it I have had my own share of challenges especially with my mental and physical health so your video and wise words resonate with me completely. I can't imagine how ultra hard it must be for people whose first language is not English and also come as refugees for example. I chose to come to Canada under the spousal route. What was so surprising to me was it is easy to assume every day living as a "westerner" is the same as in the UK. It is not! I am trying not to write an essay about what I have found to be different and sometimes even shocking so I will stop here haha. We all have to try remember the phrase, "it's not better, it's not worse, it's just different". My wife and I recently moved from Calgary to Fredericton for a quieter life - I hope we find it here :). Thank you so much for sharing all of this - to all immigrants everywhere: you are not alone!
We are actually planning to immigrate from UK to Nova Scotia in 2025. A little worried after watching all the videos and reading comments from others about their experiences. Was there anything in particular that was really hard for you to get used to or build your life in Canada? Thanks
@@arthurosipenko8332 things have got more expensive for sure. Try to avoid Halifax if you can for example, price wise. I know the NHS isn't perfect but there is a very tangible lack of health care professionals across all the provinces. The driving standards are not as high either. I have many examples to share of dangerous choices of drivers that I had never seen before while driving in the UK and several other countries. Lots of impatience and speeding. It can be hard to integrate as people are not as friendly as you would believe, and strangely enough many times, people have struggled with my accent which can be embarrassing depending on the context. Lots of social problems too, homelessness and hard drug taking in busy commercial areas in broad daylight - in the cities, not sure about rural areas. There is also some dangerous Trump style politics going on. On the plus side, the scenery is breathtaking and when you do have conversations people by and large are nice like anywhere in the world. If you can come for 2 weeks to help make your decision, that would help. Drive around, see a couple of cities and get your own vibe. Happy to give you more if you need!
I really enjoyed this video... balanced and honest. I was born and raised in Edmonton and worked my entire professional career in Vancouver. Living in Canada has changed so much especially since 2015. We no longer call Canada our home... We relocated back to my wife's home country of the Philippines in July this year when I retired. Even with the cost of private health insurance our cost of living is less than half of what it costs living in Canada.
Concerning your networking advice, an important part of Canadian culture is volunteering. Helping to serve others will broaden friendships, add purpose, and both introduce and integrate you into a larger community. Volunteering is a huge part of Canadian culture - it's why our military absolutely kicks ass when the country is at war. Service is not a job, it's a duty.
Compare to many countries as a truly Canadian personnaly I feel more secure and mind you I have been in Europe and the United States many times. I feel my country is one of the safer and I do beleive it. Our traditions are different in some ways but it is nice to live here. If you are not happy go back where you are coming from. If you did chose Canada it is because your original country did not give you what you want it. I do think you are looking for perfect world and do not forger there is nothing perfect in this world.
OH yeah, lets remember the first immigrants to come to Canada, the English,leaving their place for better opportunities. Because? things must of gotten uncomfortable on that little island. hehe If you dont like what Canada's becomming you can always go back too. No one was here first technically all life share the same ansecotor so no one was on the land first, not even the natives. We all were, so we have to learn to share, or go back to where we came from if we dont want to :) We canbe rascist and xenophobic back in our home countires eh? but not here...
I just found this channel, trying to find adventure and change from my pretty already difficult life in America. The more research I did, the more negative things became, it almost felt hopeless. People online who live in Canada can be really negative about their personal experiences, making it seem like there’s only negatives. I’m willing to fight for what I think I deserve, and I believe somewhere south west BC is a good spot. I love the scenery and it’s close to Vancouver and Victoria. Any places you guys see that may work? I’m a tech savvy person who is currently a computer hardware technician. Thinking Chilliwack looks nice! Thanks for inspiring hope
Moving to any country is challenging! You have to except that it takes time to learn the Canadian ways! I teach at a University and I am tenured. One new colleague who is from Eastern Europe said you have such a great schedule and you are lucky to have this and this and this, but she does not realize it took me 21 yrs to get this schedule and to have earned it. I know some new comers what what other Canadians have in terms or jobs, benefits etc. I hope they will get this too, but it take time to earn it!!
as a canadian, thank you for coming! thank you for putting up with our quirks. sorry as well! definitely we dont care about winning like in the soccer club, but that is probably because we have both the UK and America as big brothers to compete with and we never win, so we just gave up and focus on other things
I moved to Canada almost 3 years ago. I kinda regret it but it might work out in the end. Also I live in Vancouver which is notorious for being the least friendly city in Canada. Also a big portion of the population here are not Canadian.
@@MakeThatChange I have considered it. But Vancouver is the only place in Canada I actually like. Mostly because of the weather and how walkable and nice it is. The rest of Canada is just too cold and/or car-dependent for my taste. I haven’t made any friends here. Absolutely none. It’s a very common complaint with newcomers to Vancouver.
@@MakeThatChange thanks. For now I’m just focused on making money and getting citizenship. After that I will probably leave Canada. Don’t really see a future here unless something changes.
@@nicktankard1244 There are other cities that meet both conditions in BC. For example, there is Victoria and Abbotsford. Of course ,how walkable each one seems depends on what parts you live, as in downtown or suburbs. But both tend to be rated high in walkability.
all of this is made so much harder when you are pushing 40 and disabled. sadly means i will likely never be able to move to canada. but thank you for all the information.
Even though networking is key it is obvious it has to be done with the right people, sometimes you invest money in gatherings and people only talk about themslsves-monopilizing the covnersation- or try to sell you something but that is all, no reciprocity on their end, hence it hence it is key to: identifyy who is actually wiling and able to commit in networking
I think there's a lot of apathy in Canada (I'm Canadian, btw). The idea of joining a soccer leader is fun for people because they get to say they do a thing to increase their social status, while putting bare minimal effort into it. We only want people to see us as fun, nice, exciting people, without actually having to do the work. And I think the same is true for a lot of other aspects of Canadian living.
Excellent video... this is quite encouraging... I have been your quiet subscriber. This video is all i needed to come out of my shell...😂 Thanks a lot❤
Nice video, appreciate the candidness, but that investing portion was awkward. Not sure if it was a sponsored segment , maybe I missed it, but perhaps separate the details into a separate finance video.
I moved to Canada 8 years ago, and I agree that it can be challenging, but sometimes your work colleagues can become good friends or even your neighbours. Stay open to opportunities!
I think you are what we call 'too uptight' to find Canada good to work in. I found the people very laid back when I was there. That's on the British Columbia, Vancouver side though!
Canada is very expensive at this time and we have to much immigration for the housing and health care supply. People come here and don’t realize how hard it is to survive and how hard we work to live.
You bring up a lot of important points. I went through it too when moving to Canada over 35 years ago. Canada is more complicated than most people realize, but keep in mind that so many people are immigrants too, so "Canadians" are most likely to have roots in other countries. The reality is that immigrants are doing better on average than native Canadians, especially the indigenous community. Another thing is the difference between provinces. You live in Ontario, so do many Canadians, but The GTA and its surroundings is just a small part of Canada. As such it is very different from most other places in this country. Your experience is incomplete if you stay in that region.
I have never had the urge to please anybody in my life and so I just try to be myself wherever I go. In some situations, I feel a bit awkward but I get over it. Also, I never over think when it comes to adapting to a culture. If people like me I like them. If not, I just forget about them because I work hard to stand on my own two feet and I owe nothing to anybody. I am born with this attitude and even though like everybody else I was bullied many times in my life, my contributions in the work place have gone unnoticed, and some colleagues (insecure ones) even to this day ignore me because they think they are superior, I have always been able to do quite well in my life. Most Canadians especially from the East coast and West coast, Americans (50%), Europeans, Latin Americans have treated me fairly well so far but others not so much. For this reason, I only go on vacations to these countries. I sometimes think that I like myself more than I like anybody else (except close family members) because I have seen a lot of fake friendships and maybe this is the reason why I am more resilient than many other people.
Anyone coming to Canada now has missed the boat. One of the best investments was real estate. Now, real estate is only safe if you don't need a mortgage.
I think there’s still plenty of opportunities out there. Very few people ever got rich off real estate alone. Technology is the next decade’s best investment! 🚀
I came to Canada at 19 and went to university here. My closest friends are those with whom I attended university. That was 40 years ago. My other friends are people who were connected to other friends that I had
Good video. I think for the most part this video is about community and belonging. And the major difference between Europe and Asia vs North America is the North America is way more individualistic. Socialism is a 4 letter word. In Europe (perhaps because the countries are smaller) and in Asia (because of tradition), collectivism is way stronger and valued more. In Canada it's about carving out a niche of like-minded individuals. In the US it's about assimilating to the existing communities. I think some of the things you're highlighting are experiences that people have throughout USA and Canada regardless of whether you're an immigrant or not. For example in corporations getting validated for delivering good work is universally a problem if you don't already have built in personal relationships with your immediate leadership.
I’m Canadian and Canadians will be be polite but will stonewall you for being direct. They will pretend to be your friend but actually, they don’t like you. You will never know it but you will feel it.
I couldn’t see where you immigrated from but it appears from Europe or Australia to me. Canada would be more conservative than what you may be used too (I wish it were not) but it is still the most liberal in North America. Sorry about your experience. 😜
I left 25 yrs ago ....just returned to it cause my only son living here has cancer of throat! What a nitemare!!!! There's no Canadian culture anymore! This country has become 3 or new 4 world....As a ret RN I could not believe the emergency Room flooded with elderly people who obviously did not live here nor contributed to social system. Most did not speak English!!!!! Sorry but it going to be 40- 50 yrs if ever to change! Canada sucks! Don't believe me ? Come and take a look....bring lots of money. It's double or triple what's across US.
This profound "shaking" going on is happening in every sphere of life. My question to you is, were you to return to the country you came from, would you even recognize it, given that 5 earthshattering years have affected the entire globe? Another question that comes to mind: from the soil of these years, are any signs of precious life springing up in your heart? An adventure you didn't see coming? Perhaps this part of your journey has been the nutrients needed to prepare you for the realities you have yet to face. Keep Faith, Hope and LOVE ever before you..."...and the greatest of these is Love. KNOW that you are much-loved by the Hands that formed you in your mother's womb Psalm 139...and, because of His Great Love, you are also invited to BE loving.❤ Humor helps! Erma Bombeck, an author from a wee while back, wrote a funny book called, "If Life is a Bowl of Cherries🍒, then what am I doing inThe PITS?! A saying I heard lately: Ya gotta laugh till ya cry, and cry till ya laugh!❤
lol as a First nations person in Canada I can definitely say the hardest part for any immigrant would be knowing when to keep the mouth closed in Canada, its a bad habit brought over by the English and French lmao
There is no place in the world that has a good economy, high paying jobs, stable politics, cheap homes, safety, low crime rate, freedom, democracy, low costs of living. I think if you make a list, Canada is still one of the top.
There absolutely is. At least one on each continent. I'm not sharing those countries on this video because moving there will be more difficult if it gets flooded by Canadian requests when people start to flee.
As an autist I felt the discussion around communication challenges viscerally!! I hate the fake niceness and icing out that happens when you don't just magically read people's minds. You think if the problem was a lack of mind-reading, they'd just tell you the problem directly. For Whitby, I'm familiar with it. I think they were insulted that you suggested that they even try XD This is just something they kill time with and an excuse to meet with their friends. And then people complain that it's boring around there, hahaha. It's incredible how much I relate to you as someone who grew up here, on the networking thing too. All the boomers just assume you know the rules and ice you out or just look at you sadly when you won't or can't pick it all up at once. I'm having to learn how to network and job search properly at nearly 30 and realizing what an idiot I was for assuming I'd just passively absorb what I needed to know, or that it wouldn't matter now that I was in the club. My biggest regret is letting my passion die down for the work I was doing because my day-to-day demands were low and I wasn't recognized the times I did attempt to do more. If I'd invested time in an opensource project or something on the side, even if it would have been a lot of work I'd be in a far better position than I'm in now.
You would have been more welcomed in western Canada, where competitiveness and straight talk are the cultural norm. Ontario is not representative of the culture in the rest of the country.
Hi. Canadian here, born and raised. I wish people making videos about countries would stop generalizing their personal experience to the whole country. You should present it that way: your own anecdotal personal experience. Things can be quite different from one region to another. Toronto is not Canada, just like NYC is not the US, Paris not France or Moscow not Russia. For example, people in my region are not adverse to practicing in order to win. Things can also be different from one work place to another. Also, being a country with a strong immigration, things will also vary depending on people's background. It would also be interesting to know where you're from, so that maybe we can learn something about the region you're from. I hope you still build a nice life for yourself here. But please, stop generalizing.
Thank you for sharing your feedback. The whole purpose of our channel is sharing our own anecdotal experience to inspire a conversation; sometimes, we sprinkle it with some statistical data to validate or invalidate our experience. Thanks for stopping by 🙌
@@MakeThatChangeI understand. Maybe it's just a matter of choosing the right words. Instead of saying Canada or Canadians, if you said "in Toronto" or "the company where I work" or "people I've met", etc, I think that would be more accurate. And it's not just you. I see that regularly in YT content. Someone from one country goes to another country, spend a few weeks (or more) in one city and they feel they can explain the whole country to us. A large population is not a monolithic block. Cheers.
I was born in Canada 1960 and never really minded newcomers and seen many people do well, but so many newcomers now I’m sick of my own country, it’s a complete joke, Trudeau has destroyed my homeland, culture is a mess . Sure come to Canada and enjoy your life but leave your BS at home, try fitting in ,
Hello, new to your channel. I had to move to GTA regarding job but before I was in the Durham region and studied in Oshawa. Peaceful neighborhood, I would say. Now if I get the option to do remote/hybrid work that is possible from there, I would move again without a doubt.
Very good informative vlog! I wish the information you just presented had been progressively taught throughout grade school. Warren Buffett, Chairman & CEO, Berkshire Hathaway, recently stated he will expand his Canadian holdings and is looking at a couple of major investments. If it's good for that Warren then it is good for this Warren ... hahaha. 👋😎
Hi there. I hope you are doing well. Thanks for sharing your experiences, facts and info. Please tell me how can I learn investing. Is there any online education or courses in Canada? 🌷
I definitely want to know how your experience went for medical attention in Canada. That's one concern I have about moving to Canada. After all the high taxes paid, what benefit is there in healthcare. Especially when you get old.
My balance as an immigrant in Canada: 2018 No jobs No friends No romantic partner Healthy and mentally sharp Renting basement apartment 2024 Okay job Only colleagues but no friends No romantic partner Healthy but recovering from mild depression Renting condo studio Conclusion: some but slow progress
This problem is 50 years coming. But… what do you trade for no fear? Fear is subconscious. Positive attitude because everyone finds personal oppressions.
Man that part about "building connections" sounded so utilitarian. That's what I don't like about so called first world countries, everything is about money and carreer. Like literally everything revolves around that.
Having connections also helps in everyday life, it's common to ask your friends if they know a doctor or a lawyer or a travel agent etc, when needed. Or have connections to learn about various events, opportunities, deals, and so much more.
Firstly, Canada is a very expensive country to live in, and many ppl are and have been living paycheque to paycheque for many years. Most can’t afford to live month to month, let alone be able to contribute consistently to TFSAs and RRSPs. Also, we are a generally polite ppl as a whole, at least compared to many other places, but I think people who move here sometimes naively believed the stereotype of Canadians in media and were expecting saccharine sweet goofballs who would give you the shirt off their backs and their last bottle of maple syrup lol. It depends on where you move, of course (ie Maritimers and ppl from the prairies are usually friendlier, while Vancouverites and Torontonias are generally rude af, and that’s coming from a Vancouverite lol), but we’re quite reserved and the politeness if a formality.
Thank you it is very informatif. But you are very diplomat in your describing about acceptance of other. As you said it is not matter what you know but who you know. I left the country where i born because of this mentality, and too sad in a modern and industrialized society as Canada we find the same culture of who you know. We can not change a negatif culture without naming the problem of systemic racism.
Immigrating is not an easy thing. A French immigrant that have been in Quebec for a long time helps guide French would be Canadians to settle in Quebec. She says it takes about 1 year to prepare them in many aspects to have a successful move for the immigrants and the country of adoption. Now if they already share the language and many values already and it takes 1 year of investment… how hard and successful do you think a fellow say from Bangladesh that arrives here illegally will be? How do you think it’s going to work for him and Canada?Immigration isn’t easy for the would-be Canadian and it takes a lot of time, homework and personal investment to succeed. Trudeau sold you a bad dream. And just a word of advice: in Rome you do like the Romans. Best way to better your chances in having a good experience.
I was born and raised in Toronto and I hate the passive aggressiveness in the country. I find it much easier to make friends with people from the US and Europe than actual Canadians.
Same. Toronto born/raised.
Feels like a revolving door of a city, no incentivization for interactions beyond the obligatory surface-level politeness. Even that is crumbling though in recent years.
Anytime I've visited the US, I'm blown away how friendly people are. There definitely are friendly people here, but you have to dig deeper than you would with Americans.
Same brother
@@koshka02 I've experienced the opposite. I guess this depends if you're white or not. Toronto is much more comfortable for immigrants and visible minorities. The US is friendlier if you're white or white passing. If you've ever traveled to a small town in the US as a visible minority the discrimination you face is crazy. And I've been across the US with similar experiences, east coast, midwest, the south, and pacific northwest. They have their nuances but for the most part it's not friendly to visible minorities.
Try vancouver. Probably worse
@@t.yop9 yeah, US is 50/50.
I liked the closing advice, "Don't take yourself too seriously." I am new to Canada and, as a French speaker living in Ottawa, I have learned to be patient.
Stay away from white canadians, as an african i'm warning you. Europeans like this lady and even americans are better. Actually anyone but white canadians or (wasps) as they're called. JUST STAY AWAY! They're shifty and sketchy people, 2 faced and one second they're smiling, next second god knows what mine you stepped on lol
With Canadians, its always reading between the lines. The politeness comes with a shade of grey.
Cannucks of British ancestry tend to be polite and French counterparts tend to be Obnoxious 😮Chinese and Indians in Canada are kinda exclusive 🤯
@@KamBar2020 Incredibly broad and silly generalizations.
@@danc1513 ever lived in Montreal or other cities in Quebec ❓ Thank me later
@@KamBar2020 Montreal is such a nice city on paper. Cheaper than any other major Canadian city, good public transport, pretty walkable. But the culture and the language are a nonstarter for me.
@@nicktankard1244According to my experience,MOST of the English-Speaking Quebec Natives are pretty kind and polite but the ones who don't speak English are so conservative ,who cannot think beyond their French language.So,even in Quebec,there ARE two DIFFERENT SIDES OF A COIN!
It's a just a matter of the attitude to adapt to a global language,English and the various shades of the culture that comes along with it!
It’s only on your channel that I find this kind of content. Very insightful and the type of information that’s rare to come across, but essential for integrating into the community and achieving success. 🤩
Glad you enjoyed it Francois!
Aww God bless you. Some things you cannot plan for but you seem to know what to do.
Great video. It took me a while to realize that "who you know" is an integral part of your qualifications when applying for a job in Canada. Highly educated, and highly accomplished immigrants will often struggle to find work in their field because they don't have anyone local to vouch for them. Even the government doesn't trust its own government issued IDs and requires references on passport applications. It's practically insane you cannot get a passport unless someone else vouches for you! It's that "Canadian subjectivity" that still makes me question my move to Canada, and it's seen everywhere in Canadian life... and I'll never get used to it.
Thanks for sharing your experience, I admire your positive attitude.
For me the thing that I underestimate the most was masked discrimination. I read a lot about how welcoming Canadians are, how much they value immigrants and how easy it is to integrate and feel at home here.
Unfortunately reality struck me hard. It took me more than one year to find work in my field, then I realized how underpaid I was. My education credentials didn't matter at all, even though I immigrated as a skilled professional.
I networked, tried to make friends, volunteered...etc, but I was never able to have a meaningful relationship. I always felt as a foreigner.
After eight years in Canada I'm better financially than the majority of Canadians, but due to sacrifices, not because of thriving, I'm severely depressed, obese and on the brink of divorce. Looking back I believe I made the biggest mistake of my life moving here.
My advice to people wanting to immigrate is to move here temporarily for two years and then decide if you want to move permanently.
Best of luck.
That is good advice to people. I feel Canada is over-sold regarding its "welcoming" nature. Relative to other countries, it is at least somewhat true that we are generally more welcoming. But there is also xenophobia here not only toward foreign nationals, but even toward other born-in-Canada citizens who move from one region of the country to the other. We Canadians should be more honest and upfront about that, while also being honest that we do try, perhaps to a greater extent than other nations, to embrace multiculturalism. The high expectations about "being welcoming" that Canada sets about itself can and do cause immigrants to feel misled once they settle here. In many cases, being an immigrant here is a lonely experience. I really hope that things improve for you. Connecting with at least one and ideally several people with whom you have a sense of community is something all humans need to thrive.
@@joannebutlersterthank you for taking time to write these kind words. I’m sure this will help all who read your comment.
Your story is one of many who are going through it and even more who have gone through similar. After being here for over a decade and aging, I question the value of life. We have one life to live. The life in Canada for me was work and continuous education. Re-education took a large chunk of money when I should have been at the top of my earning years. After studying, I got a job that does not recognize my previous decade of non-Canadian experience, though I worked globally. I am very underpaid up to today and only working to pay the bills, no ability to save for house or land, car, and no family, children etc. A busy life in a cold society has meant loneliness and my few connections also left over the years. Life should have been a lot more for me given my sacrifices here. I am leaving this year for a new beginning regardless of my age!
Discrimination and xenophobia is on the rise world-wide, not just in Canada. Not an excuse, just a fact. True, it is more "masked" here, but look at what's going on the the U.S. and in northern Europe. How would you like to be a Haitian immigrant living in the United States right now? At least we're not threatening to lynch people. But yes, we do pride ourselves on the myth of the tolerant Canadians. Unfortunately, we don't appear to be as tolerant as we once were, if in fact we ever were as tolerant as we prided ourselves in.
Why would you be underpaid compared to a Canadian with similar credentials and experience? Did you contact your superiors and request a raise?
Your claim sounds questionable. Eight years is a long time to _never_ make friends. Perhaps your expectations were out of touch with reality. Not sure where you are from, but if you were in a major city, you can at least touch base with other immigrants from your home country. Where I live, many immigrants new and old gather in clubs or societies, to network and socialize and have fun.
In life there are no guarantees. No one is promised an easy time or a dynamic social life. Not even people born in Canada are assured that.
I immigrated to Canada many years ago and people were friendly at that time. It's a totally different story now. Food is expensive and hardly able to support the family. I have lived in whitby for more than 10 years It used to be a nice and safe city. Unfortunately, it changed a lot now. Lot of homeless and auto thieves in whitby area. Please be careful when you go out. Let me know if you need any help. Take care
@@sylviasass501 That seems like a random anti-immigration comment. In what way is it relevant to the original comment?
If you came to Canada expecting it to be paradise I wish you all good luck with that 😑🇨🇦👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻
" taxes in Canada keep people living below the poverty line 🙏👎🏻😑
@@whatdoyouwantfromme1029 Even I'm Canadian for many years, I'm extremely unsatisfied with the government especially health care. It's free health care. However, you can hardly get any doctors because they don't accept new patients. My doc retired two years ago and I couldn't find any doctor to take me until few months ago. A lot of people here have no doctor. When they are sick, they are either going to the walk in clinic or ER at hospital. Canada is dying and I'm thinking to move out of the country
@@stevenstevens9584 it's not "free" it's payed by the taxpayer that's why our taxes are so high. However this creates lack of competition in the job market for health care because doctors of the same field get paid the same. So they go to the states where they can set up a private practice and get paid infinitely more
Im born and raised in Toronto and your giving me GREAT advice. Stuff i never thought of. I hope you enjoy your learning curve! I think you stay your a fantastic asset to our country.
Could agree with the hypersensitivity part, stay strong sis 😢❤️
Hugs!
@@MakeThatChange Hugs indeed 🫂✨
As an ex PR of Canada and resident of Switzerland, more than 10 years living outside own country I think it is impossible to truly prepare for living in a new country. No amount of reading will help because we all have own perspective, experience and background and remember how "easy going" and "Relaxed" attitude was driving me mad. My Canadian experience was mixed neither as great or as horrible as others described. I've been living for almost 5 years in Switzerland, hard years due to external situations but I have not encounter half of problems described. I had no problems with Swiss administration or ppl, neighbors. Switzerland seems less about networking than Canada, probably due to village sprawl but again it depends on a person. I value Canada for teaching me how to be a foreigner, how to live in a foreign country. Canada took pink glasses from my nose and made me more realistic about Switzerland. Personally I think Switzerland is better country for me as my mindset is more Swiss but Canada is great place. There is no ideal country.
Thank you for sharing your experience. It’s fascinating what you’ve learned. Switzerland does sound like a dream country. Is there something you don’t like there?
@@MakeThatChange Switzerland is a great country, but not for everyone. This is not the best place for those who seek nightlife, clubbing, multicultural experience in many ways it is the opposite of Canada. It is changing but still, this is more for nature lovers. My list of cons:
1. The biggest is healthcare. I hate it to its core. It is private and there is lack of public healthcare. I hate idea of private healthcare as I am oppose of the very idea of combination of capitalism and saving of life. It is expensive but not good. With my limited German I am struggling to even get to a doctor and need to commute 30 km to family doctor. On the countryside no clinic even accept me as a patient. Maybe this is just my bad experience but I hate it.
2. Termination of rental lease. When I was living in Toronto in years 2014-19 all I needed to do was to give 90days notice if I wanted to leave the apartment. In Switzerland lease can be terminated only twice per year and between I need to pay unless someone suitable and accepted by a landlord is found. From my experience all is taking forever to fix and I need to pay for it. Maybe this is just usage of foreigners or my bad luck. Apartments are nice and clean but this termination is annoying. Getting a lease is a nightmare in places like Zurich due to supply and demand. Even dossier is sometimes needed to rent. It is hard, but depend on a region.
3. This is minor to previous but.... lack of freshly chopped sausages and ham in a supermarkets. All is packed and for freshly chopped I need to go to Austria and Germany.
4. Switzerland is very capitalism-driven so money, money, money but standard of living is high.
5. This is my pro but for many cons: Swiss are very into being on time and being organized. No spontaneous actions. Ordnung muss sein, I like it but working hours of wastebin. There are no places to recycle glass or alu near blocks so one needs to walk or drive to a place.
6. Theoretically German is a official language but in fact there are many local dialects which can be confusing. This is not really a cons, but something good to know.
I watched a few of your videos and I like you, and your videos are interesting. I subscribed keep up the good work
Deeply insightful. Each point resonated with me. I'm glad to have found your channel and appreciate the hard work your put into this video. Lot of immigrants underestimate the complexity of immigration. It's encouraging to see you mention not just problems but also solutions to overcome them. Subbed!
Thank you. Welcome aboard! 🙌
Depression and weight gain resonates with me as immigrant. Thank you for doing the video. Makes me realize that I was not the only one suffering alone❤
You’re not alone ❤️
I just hope everyone watching this video takes it to heart . It's got highly valuable and sound advise.
🙏
@@franciscotorres5916 I hope people watch the entire video, so they benefit from the balanced message the creators are conveying.
It Canada it's important to use indirect "cushion" words and phrases when addressing a negative situation. Rather than saying "so that we can win" (which directly addresses the fact that the team always loses) it would have been well received if you said something like "we can up our game" or "take our games to the next level".
Thanks for the tip!
My family has lived in Canada for several centuries now, and I want to compliment you on your astute observations about certain elements of the dominant culture here. Even though we have been here for a very long time, at numerous points in my life other Canadians have told me I seem more like an American. They do not mean it as a compliment, but not really like an insult either (they seem to be wanting me to understand that sometimes I am "too much" or too direct in my manner). You might find that Canadians who have many American relatives and, as you point out regarding your Toronto soccer team, Canadians who have immigrated here not too long ago are more frank in their manner of speaking than are many Canadians. I wish you all the best in your new life here in Canada...immigrants to this country are constantly renewing and enriching our overall culture.
@@arijuju7303 Newsflash: the land mass known as Canada has been here for a bit longer than 200 years. Additional newsflash: Europeans have been coming to Canada for just a titch more than 200 years (massive sarcasm, in case you missed it). Quebec City must blow your mind. And, I never said I was "more Canadian" than anyone else. The length of time my family has been here is context for the length of time of my family's immersion in Canadian culture. I guess there's definitely a language and culture barrier between you and me.
Thanks so much, Anna.
Honestly, there are aspects of this video that I so much relate to and although I regret it, I will ensure that my siblings do not go through what I have gone through immigration-wise.
All the best, you’ve got this 🙏
I came to Canada purposely for the sake of receiving a Canadian passport. After completing a PhD in Germany, I wanted to go west for greener pastures. I managed to have job offers from the American and Canadian universities and chose McGill for reputation and Montréal for the European wibe. In a year and half, I got a PR in Quebec and later citizenship. Had some challenges with learning French but eventually learnt it enough to pass job interviews and transitioned to pharma industry. Ironically, for the last 10 years I haven't used French at work at all as pharma speaks English.
I leant early in a grad school about the importance of professional networking so I started growing my network right upon arrival to Montreal. It was proven helpful on many occasions.
It's harder to move around with a family,however, I wouldn't mind relocating to the US or back to Europe (Switzerland) for better pay.
This is a great vid and excellent presentation of content. The algorithm led me here somewhat mysteriously. I am a senior whose family came a while ago, in the year 1765.
Perhaps the algorithm got confused by my interest in leaving for a country near the equator and the searches I have been doing.
You see, I am beyond disheartened and at times furious about the turn this country has taken. Imagine having 250 years of familial hard work and contribution to development of a country, being tarnished within a very short time. Us old timers do not recall Canada being so poorly governed in our lifetime.
I realize I have gotten politcal here and I apologize for that. I will close and extend wishes for your success, wherever you may call home. You are thoughtful and articulate, I am sure that you will continue to do well.
Excellent video. Wise words. As someone who immigrated to Canada 57 years ago when I was 26, I have never had any regrets about my choice. But I would certainly have done certain things differently, along the lines of some of your suggestions. Maybe then I might have had better mental health and more Canadian friends. Despite my love of this beautiful country, I still feel lonely sometimes, and I recognise that it is because I am an immigrant who can never totally adjust to the Canadian way. 🇨🇦
You are just amazing !! Best information youtubers. You guys deserve all the best in life ❤️
Thank you so much 😀
Melomeme how are you?
I am a 16 year old from Algeria who's planning to immigrate to Canada as soon as I graduate college. I am a person with very big dreams and I believe that they can't be pursued in my country, not to mention of how almost everyone are drug dealers, alcoholic, and thiefs, and the city just looks so bad from the rubbish thrown all over the place to the horrible smell of the sewers flood everywhere. I love my country but I seriously don't think it's where I belong or want to live my entire life in, that's why I chose to immigrate to Canada. I really love this channel, it's very informing and the fact it's all for free is just amazing
If you happen to come to Canada just avoid all the expensive places as for places to live. Especially Toronto and Vancouver. That's the way to get ahead and save some money up.
@@MiceDnP Thank you for the advice! I'll keep that in mind
Wishing you all the best in your journey! You’re going to go far 🙏
@@MakeThatChange Thank you! I really appreciate that! 💗
Uhhhhhhmmmm, who exactly are you getting your information from? I can assure you just about everything you have stated is not accurate. Furthermore, if you are from a fairly conservative country in terms of social expectations it may be a shock especially if you have children as they will be molded by what's acceptable here. I strongly urge you to take time to find out about the social atmosphere (are you comfortable with transgender, gay marriage, open and supported drug use, medically assisted suicide, medical system providing crack pipes, drugs, drug paraphernalia to addicts which is paid by taxes, limited freedom of speech, limited rights, government making decisions for you, etc, etc, etc)
If you knew the staggering number of Canadians who wait too long to invest, or just never bother learning about it... I applaud you for taking the time to do so.
Considering the cost of living here, I would think most aren’t simply uneducated regarding the benefits of investing. Many are living paycheque to paycheque and have been doing so for a very long time. I live in Vancouver, and unless you’re pulling 6 figures a year with no debt, you ain’t saving a dime, and you’re sure af never owning a home. Even with a 6 figure income, you’d be lucky to own a home.
Happy for you that you progressed and leading a successful immigrant life
Thank you
Good points about investing but not many people do it because of the cost of living and low wages. Many people just don’t have any money to invest. Lots of Canadians are deep in debt as well, so they need to pay it off first before investing.
One can always invest or at least save little by little, you need as little as 10$ these days to start investing. It’s just a cup of coffee or a few cans of beer. The challenge is when instant gratification comes before longer term planning for the future.
@@MakeThatChange yeah you said about 10$ but that will not change your life in any way. It’s good to learn how investing works sure. But 10$ per week will not affect your bottom line even after 5 years. So unless you have at least a couple hundred to invest each month it’s pretty much pointless from the money perspective. But to see real impact you have to invest even more.
I would respectfully disagree. I used to have a round up feature on my credit cards. It would round up every purchase I made to the nearest dollar, save it and invest in a managed account. In 2 years I pulled that money to spend on an all inclusive vacation in the Caribbean. It wasn’t fancy, but sure a great example of how even the smallest amounts could make a difference. Sadly that roundup product doesn’t exist anymore but Questrade can offer something similar.
@@MakeThatChangeI bet it was much more than 10$ per week. 10$ per week will earn you less than 500$ in 5 years. Definitely not enough for a vacation.
It fluctuated actually, some weeks were more, some less. If you look at it, $10 a week is $520 a year or $1040 in pure savings (enough for an average vacation in the Carribbean). If you just use a high interest savings account at 3%, you'd end up with $1,070.46, including $30.46 interest earned over 2 years ( it's not much, but better than $0). In 10 years, that'll be nearly 800 bucks in interest made, which could get you a new phone for literally doing nothing! It's fascinating how much it compounds, investing ( even thought riskier) could bring on average 8-12% which could be nearly $3000 over 10 years, assuming we keep the pace of $10 a week. Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to sell anything here, just sincerely fascinated by the power of compounding.
Great video, relatable content for most immigrants I would say. As an immigrant myself, I realize that we all have a similar concern about difficulty in making friends. If we’re all experiencing that, why don’t we all get together? What’s preventing us? 🤔
True
I'm sorry you regret moving to my country. I can certainly sympathize. I was born and raised in Canada. My family has been Canadian for nearly 200 years. Still, I understand. We are hard people to get to know and also hard to understand---even for us Canadians, it can be difficult. What you said about the social connections is completely true. When you come to a new town, often the locals have been there for a very long time. There is a social structure and the people make you figure out how you are going to try to fit. They usually will do nothing to help you. They are not necessarily unfriendly, but they are not friendly either.
On the other hand, there are cultural differences between Ontario and other provinces. Where I live, yes, the people are typically Canadian--they are taciturn people who mostly want to be left alone to go about their own business. But if you are in trouble, you need help, etc---they are right there to help you. They don't expect thanks or expect you to do something to pay them back. Helping other people is just part of day to day life. Many, many times I've had my countrymen help me with car problems on the road and so on. And every time, they 've helped me (and I've helped then, as well) and it's been no problem.
These are things that set us apart from our American neighbours and other people; what gives us our own culture. I like to think of it this way. We Canadians have a sense of solitude about our lives. Yes, we have friends and spouses and families, but in some sense, each and every one of us is alone all the time; especially rural Canadians who live in the country or small towns. We have this relationship with nature and solitude. It's hard to explain in a youtube post. Our personal space is bigger. We speak quietly. And we almost never use a new person's name. It's a way to maintain distance.
Anyhow, best of luck. I mean, you could always move south and join the Americans who talk louder, stand closer, and are so much more gregarious.
Thank you for sharing this! I have found that the immigrant journey is nothing like anything else you will do in life. I immigrated to Canada from the UK in 2020 and it I have had my own share of challenges especially with my mental and physical health so your video and wise words resonate with me completely. I can't imagine how ultra hard it must be for people whose first language is not English and also come as refugees for example. I chose to come to Canada under the spousal route. What was so surprising to me was it is easy to assume every day living as a "westerner" is the same as in the UK. It is not! I am trying not to write an essay about what I have found to be different and sometimes even shocking so I will stop here haha. We all have to try remember the phrase, "it's not better, it's not worse, it's just different". My wife and I recently moved from Calgary to Fredericton for a quieter life - I hope we find it here :). Thank you so much for sharing all of this - to all immigrants everywhere: you are not alone!
I hope she’s not treating you like a puppy on a leash.
We are actually planning to immigrate from UK to Nova Scotia in 2025. A little worried after watching all the videos and reading comments from others about their experiences. Was there anything in particular that was really hard for you to get used to or build your life in Canada? Thanks
@@arthurosipenko8332 things have got more expensive for sure. Try to avoid Halifax if you can for example, price wise. I know the NHS isn't perfect but there is a very tangible lack of health care professionals across all the provinces. The driving standards are not as high either. I have many examples to share of dangerous choices of drivers that I had never seen before while driving in the UK and several other countries. Lots of impatience and speeding. It can be hard to integrate as people are not as friendly as you would believe, and strangely enough many times, people have struggled with my accent which can be embarrassing depending on the context. Lots of social problems too, homelessness and hard drug taking in busy commercial areas in broad daylight - in the cities, not sure about rural areas. There is also some dangerous Trump style politics going on. On the plus side, the scenery is breathtaking and when you do have conversations people by and large are nice like anywhere in the world. If you can come for 2 weeks to help make your decision, that would help. Drive around, see a couple of cities and get your own vibe. Happy to give you more if you need!
@@sohalvr Hmmm, if the scenery is "breath-taking" then it is also much more likely to come over and try to eat you! 😉
Very nice video my friend!
And I definitely want to hear more about your experience with the healthcare system in canada
Assimilation to Canadian culture is hard regardless if you’re a new immigrant or been here for a while. Thanks for sharing your experiences 🙏
Thanks for watching 🙏
I really enjoyed this video... balanced and honest. I was born and raised in Edmonton and
worked my entire professional career in Vancouver. Living in Canada has changed so much
especially since 2015. We no longer call Canada our home... We relocated back to my wife's
home country of the Philippines in July this year when I retired. Even with the cost of private
health insurance our cost of living is less than half of what it costs living in Canada.
Concerning your networking advice, an important part of Canadian culture is volunteering. Helping to serve others will broaden friendships, add purpose, and both introduce and integrate you into a larger community. Volunteering is a huge part of Canadian culture - it's why our military absolutely kicks ass when the country is at war. Service is not a job, it's a duty.
Well said.
Thank you for your video. Amazing how my experience coming to canada is so similar!
🙏
Oh my goodness I feel that I watch me 😂 Great video a lot of love from Edmonton❤
Compare to many countries as a truly Canadian personnaly I feel more secure and mind you I have been in Europe and the United States many times. I feel my country is one of the safer and
I do beleive it. Our traditions are different in some ways but it is nice to live here. If you are not happy go back where you are coming from. If you did chose Canada it is because your original
country did not give you what you want it. I do think you are looking for perfect world and do not forger there is nothing perfect in this world.
Well said
OH yeah, lets remember the first immigrants to come to Canada, the English,leaving their place for better opportunities. Because? things must of gotten uncomfortable on that little island. hehe If you dont like what Canada's becomming you can always go back too. No one was here first technically all life share the same ansecotor so no one was on the land first, not even the natives. We all were, so we have to learn to share, or go back to where we came from if we dont want to :) We canbe rascist and xenophobic back in our home countires eh? but not here...
What do you mean as truly Canadian? I thought N. America was made from Europeans? We all are immigrants
I just found this channel, trying to find adventure and change from my pretty already difficult life in America. The more research I did, the more negative things became, it almost felt hopeless.
People online who live in Canada can be really negative about their personal experiences, making it seem like there’s only negatives.
I’m willing to fight for what I think I deserve, and I believe somewhere south west BC is a good spot. I love the scenery and it’s close to Vancouver and Victoria. Any places you guys see that may work?
I’m a tech savvy person who is currently a computer hardware technician.
Thinking Chilliwack looks nice!
Thanks for inspiring hope
Moving to any country is challenging! You have to except that it takes time to learn the Canadian ways! I teach at a University and I am tenured. One new colleague who is from Eastern Europe said you have such a great schedule and you are lucky to have this and this and this, but she does not realize it took me 21 yrs to get this schedule and to have earned it. I know some new comers what what other Canadians have in terms or jobs, benefits etc. I hope they will get this too, but it take time to earn it!!
My biggest regret is to move to New Zealand because of a guy. Now moving back to Canada with 61 is really a challenge
Hi I'm sorry to hear that but I'm deciding between the two countries, any thoughts on quality of life? Cost of living? Every day life?
Hope things work out
as a canadian, thank you for coming! thank you for putting up with our quirks. sorry as well! definitely we dont care about winning like in the soccer club, but that is probably because we have both the UK and America as big brothers to compete with and we never win, so we just gave up and focus on other things
Thank you for watching and stopping by to comment, it means a lot. People like you make this country such a great place to build a future in ❤️
Just moved from Eastern Europe in Whitby month ago, it is challenging but at same time fun lol
I moved to Canada almost 3 years ago. I kinda regret it but it might work out in the end. Also I live in Vancouver which is notorious for being the least friendly city in Canada. Also a big portion of the population here are not Canadian.
You’ve got this! Have you considered moving cities? Have you made some friends?
@@MakeThatChange I have considered it. But Vancouver is the only place in Canada I actually like. Mostly because of the weather and how walkable and nice it is. The rest of Canada is just too cold and/or car-dependent for my taste. I haven’t made any friends here. Absolutely none. It’s a very common complaint with newcomers to Vancouver.
That makes sense. I hope you get to meet some amazing people soon 🙏
@@MakeThatChange thanks. For now I’m just focused on making money and getting citizenship. After that I will probably leave Canada. Don’t really see a future here unless something changes.
@@nicktankard1244 There are other cities that meet both conditions in BC. For example, there is Victoria and Abbotsford. Of course ,how walkable each one seems depends on what parts you live, as in downtown or suburbs. But both tend to be rated high in walkability.
all of this is made so much harder when you are pushing 40 and disabled. sadly means i will likely never be able to move to canada. but thank you for all the information.
Good luck! ❤️🇨🇦
DON'T GIVE UP HONEY 🍯🍯🍯 STAY SAVE STRONG ❤️🙏❤️❤️🙏❤️❤️
Even though networking is key it is obvious it has to be done with the right people, sometimes you invest money in gatherings and people only talk about themslsves-monopilizing the covnersation- or try to sell you something but that is all, no reciprocity on their end, hence it hence it is key to: identifyy who is actually wiling and able to commit in networking
This is a really good advice!
I think there's a lot of apathy in Canada (I'm Canadian, btw). The idea of joining a soccer leader is fun for people because they get to say they do a thing to increase their social status, while putting bare minimal effort into it. We only want people to see us as fun, nice, exciting people, without actually having to do the work.
And I think the same is true for a lot of other aspects of Canadian living.
Thank you for the advice, send you a big hug ❤
Thank you! Sending hugs back 🤗
@@MakeThatChange gracias 🤗
Excellent video... this is quite encouraging... I have been your quiet subscriber. This video is all i needed to come out of my shell...😂 Thanks a lot❤
Glad you did! Welcome, great to have you here 🙏
Good advice, whether one is a new Canadian or not. But, yes, for new Canadians it’s next level.
When Can I Get TACOs from Tim Hortons ❓ It's Next level 🌮🌯
I'd love to see a video of your experience with the Ontario health care system.
Nice video, appreciate the candidness, but that investing portion was awkward. Not sure if it was a sponsored segment , maybe I missed it, but perhaps separate the details into a separate finance video.
Thank you for your feedback. It wasn’t sponsored, it is truly one of my big regrets.
I agree with many things you said , but making network and friend is almost impossible
I moved to Canada 8 years ago, and I agree that it can be challenging, but sometimes your work colleagues can become good friends or even your neighbours. Stay open to opportunities!
I think you are what we call 'too uptight' to find Canada good to work in. I found the people very laid back when I was there. That's on the British Columbia, Vancouver side though!
Canada is very expensive at this time and we have to much immigration for the housing and health care supply. People come here and don’t realize how hard it is to survive and how hard we work to live.
You bring up a lot of important points. I went through it too when moving to Canada over 35 years ago. Canada is more complicated than most people realize, but keep in mind that so many people are immigrants too, so "Canadians" are most likely to have roots in other countries. The reality is that immigrants are doing better on average than native Canadians, especially the indigenous community. Another thing is the difference between provinces. You live in Ontario, so do many Canadians, but The GTA and its surroundings is just a small part of Canada. As such it is very different from most other places in this country. Your experience is incomplete if you stay in that region.
Totally agree with you
I have never had the urge to please anybody in my life and so I just try to be myself wherever I go. In some situations, I feel a bit awkward but I get over it. Also, I never over think when it comes to adapting to a culture. If people like me I like them. If not, I just forget about them because I work hard to stand on my own two feet and I owe nothing to anybody.
I am born with this attitude and even though like everybody else I was bullied many times in my life, my contributions in the work place have gone unnoticed, and some colleagues (insecure ones) even to this day ignore me because they think they are superior, I have always been able to do quite well in my life.
Most Canadians especially from the East coast and West coast, Americans (50%), Europeans, Latin Americans have treated me fairly well so far but others not so much. For this reason, I only go on vacations to these countries.
I sometimes think that I like myself more than I like anybody else (except close family members) because I have seen a lot of fake friendships and maybe this is the reason why I am more resilient than many other people.
Yes would like to hear about experience with healthcare system
Anyone coming to Canada now has missed the boat. One of the best investments was real estate. Now, real estate is only safe if you don't need a mortgage.
I think there’s still plenty of opportunities out there. Very few people ever got rich off real estate alone. Technology is the next decade’s best investment! 🚀
And If you have ended In Québec it would have been twice the work to adapt with the language and cultural differences compared to English Canada
I came to Canada at 19 and went to university here. My closest friends are those with whom I attended university. That was 40 years ago.
My other friends are people who were connected to other friends that I had
Oh that was relentless, it will help an information detox camp.
Good video. I think for the most part this video is about community and belonging. And the major difference between Europe and Asia vs North America is the North America is way more individualistic. Socialism is a 4 letter word. In Europe (perhaps because the countries are smaller) and in Asia (because of tradition), collectivism is way stronger and valued more. In Canada it's about carving out a niche of like-minded individuals. In the US it's about assimilating to the existing communities. I think some of the things you're highlighting are experiences that people have throughout USA and Canada regardless of whether you're an immigrant or not. For example in corporations getting validated for delivering good work is universally a problem if you don't already have built in personal relationships with your immediate leadership.
I’m Canadian and Canadians will be be polite but will stonewall you for being direct. They will pretend to be your friend but actually, they don’t like you. You will never know it but you will feel it.
I couldn’t see where you immigrated from but it appears from Europe or Australia to me. Canada would be more conservative than what you may be used too (I wish it were not) but it is still the most liberal in North America. Sorry about your experience. 😜
I left 25 yrs ago ....just returned to it cause my only son living here has cancer of throat! What a nitemare!!!! There's no Canadian culture anymore! This country has become 3 or new 4 world....As a ret RN I could not believe the emergency Room flooded with elderly people who obviously did not live here nor contributed to social system. Most did not speak English!!!!! Sorry but it going to be 40- 50 yrs if ever to change! Canada sucks! Don't believe me ? Come and take a look....bring lots of money. It's double or triple what's across US.
This profound "shaking" going on is happening in every sphere of life.
My question to you is, were you to return to the country you came from, would you even recognize it, given that 5 earthshattering years have affected the entire globe? Another question that comes to mind: from the soil of these years, are any signs of precious life springing up in your heart? An adventure you didn't see coming? Perhaps this part of your journey has been the nutrients needed to prepare you for the realities you have yet to face. Keep Faith, Hope and LOVE ever before you..."...and the greatest of these is Love. KNOW that you are much-loved by the Hands that formed you in your mother's womb Psalm 139...and, because of His Great Love, you are also invited to BE loving.❤
Humor helps! Erma Bombeck, an author from a wee while back, wrote a funny book called, "If Life is a Bowl of Cherries🍒, then what am I doing inThe PITS?!
A saying I heard lately: Ya gotta laugh till ya cry, and cry till ya laugh!❤
lol as a First nations person in Canada I can definitely say the hardest part for any immigrant would be knowing when to keep the mouth closed in Canada, its a bad habit brought over by the English and French lmao
I've been in Canada for 6 years, and I'm still not convinced I want to stay. The major issue is that I can't save.
I’m Canadian, born in Montreal. The Quebecois are so racist here that all my friends are immigrants. I love my friends candour.
I can relate to that.
There is no place in the world that has a good economy, high paying jobs, stable politics, cheap homes, safety, low crime rate, freedom, democracy, low costs of living. I think if you make a list, Canada is still one of the top.
If you like Turd'eau telling you what to do and what you can say, yes, you are totally absolutely right
There absolutely is. At least one on each continent. I'm not sharing those countries on this video because moving there will be more difficult if it gets flooded by Canadian requests when people start to flee.
As an autist I felt the discussion around communication challenges viscerally!! I hate the fake niceness and icing out that happens when you don't just magically read people's minds. You think if the problem was a lack of mind-reading, they'd just tell you the problem directly. For Whitby, I'm familiar with it. I think they were insulted that you suggested that they even try XD This is just something they kill time with and an excuse to meet with their friends. And then people complain that it's boring around there, hahaha.
It's incredible how much I relate to you as someone who grew up here, on the networking thing too. All the boomers just assume you know the rules and ice you out or just look at you sadly when you won't or can't pick it all up at once. I'm having to learn how to network and job search properly at nearly 30 and realizing what an idiot I was for assuming I'd just passively absorb what I needed to know, or that it wouldn't matter now that I was in the club. My biggest regret is letting my passion die down for the work I was doing because my day-to-day demands were low and I wasn't recognized the times I did attempt to do more. If I'd invested time in an opensource project or something on the side, even if it would have been a lot of work I'd be in a far better position than I'm in now.
Hi, I'm going through everything you went through and I'm feeling sad and lonely.
You would have been more welcomed in western Canada, where competitiveness and straight talk are the cultural norm. Ontario is not representative of the culture in the rest of the country.
Hi. Canadian here, born and raised. I wish people making videos about countries would stop generalizing their personal experience to the whole country. You should present it that way: your own anecdotal personal experience. Things can be quite different from one region to another. Toronto is not Canada, just like NYC is not the US, Paris not France or Moscow not Russia. For example, people in my region are not adverse to practicing in order to win. Things can also be different from one work place to another. Also, being a country with a strong immigration, things will also vary depending on people's background. It would also be interesting to know where you're from, so that maybe we can learn something about the region you're from. I hope you still build a nice life for yourself here. But please, stop generalizing.
Thank you for sharing your feedback. The whole purpose of our channel is sharing our own anecdotal experience to inspire a conversation; sometimes, we sprinkle it with some statistical data to validate or invalidate our experience.
Thanks for stopping by 🙌
@@MakeThatChangeI understand. Maybe it's just a matter of choosing the right words. Instead of saying Canada or Canadians, if you said "in Toronto" or "the company where I work" or "people I've met", etc, I think that would be more accurate. And it's not just you. I see that regularly in YT content. Someone from one country goes to another country, spend a few weeks (or more) in one city and they feel they can explain the whole country to us. A large population is not a monolithic block. Cheers.
Sadly controversial content is what gets most attention, so the social media rewards content with blanket statements that infer strongest reactions.
I was born in Canada 1960 and never really minded newcomers and seen many people do well, but so many newcomers now I’m sick of my own country, it’s a complete joke, Trudeau has destroyed my homeland, culture is a mess . Sure come to Canada and enjoy your life but leave your BS at home, try fitting in ,
Hello, new to your channel. I had to move to GTA regarding job but before I was in the Durham region and studied in Oshawa. Peaceful neighborhood, I would say. Now if I get the option to do remote/hybrid work that is possible from there, I would move again without a doubt.
Very good informative vlog! I wish the information you just presented had been progressively taught throughout grade school. Warren Buffett, Chairman & CEO, Berkshire Hathaway, recently stated he will expand his Canadian holdings and is looking at a couple of major investments. If it's good for that Warren then it is good for this Warren ... hahaha. 👋😎
right on! 🙌
I want to learn to invest.thank you for this
Do you need directions to the nearest airport?
Only if you take me there dear.
Be glad you are there…..America just went to hell in a hand basket.
Well done 🧠
Hi there. I hope you are doing well. Thanks for sharing your experiences, facts and info. Please tell me how can I learn investing. Is there any online education or courses in Canada? 🌷
Sounds like an infomercial. Canada is a bad country to invest in, especially with the unsettled FN land claims.
You can (and should) have a diversified portfolio and invest in whatever you want, not only Canadian stock market
I definitely want to know how your experience went for medical attention in Canada. That's one concern I have about moving to Canada. After all the high taxes paid, what benefit is there in healthcare. Especially when you get old.
My balance as an immigrant in Canada:
2018
No jobs
No friends
No romantic partner
Healthy and mentally sharp
Renting basement apartment
2024
Okay job
Only colleagues but no friends
No romantic partner
Healthy but recovering from mild depression
Renting condo studio
Conclusion: some but slow progress
This problem is 50 years coming. But… what do you trade for no fear? Fear is subconscious. Positive attitude because everyone finds personal oppressions.
Man that part about "building connections" sounded so utilitarian. That's what I don't like about so called first world countries, everything is about money and carreer. Like literally everything revolves around that.
Having connections also helps in everyday life, it's common to ask your friends if they know a doctor or a lawyer or a travel agent etc, when needed. Or have connections to learn about various events, opportunities, deals, and so much more.
Thank you for this video! I will surely dive in topic of investments and won’t wait a minute longer. Have a beautiful day 😇
You got this!
Welcome to Canada. As we Canadian say …gulp gulp bottom up 🍺🍺
🍻🍻
Definitely need to know about the healthcare system separately since only hearing negative stuff about it
I was arriving in 2020 to Canada and the immigration agent if I wanted to stay. I answered heck NO
I'd ne interested to hear about your experience with the Canadian healthcare system and a comparison to the Russian system.
If you are not careful and caution enough the Canadian healthcare system can kill you.
Firstly, Canada is a very expensive country to live in, and many ppl are and have been living paycheque to paycheque for many years. Most can’t afford to live month to month, let alone be able to contribute consistently to TFSAs and RRSPs. Also, we are a generally polite ppl as a whole, at least compared to many other places, but I think people who move here sometimes naively believed the stereotype of Canadians in media and were expecting saccharine sweet goofballs who would give you the shirt off their backs and their last bottle of maple syrup lol. It depends on where you move, of course (ie Maritimers and ppl from the prairies are usually friendlier, while Vancouverites and Torontonias are generally rude af, and that’s coming from a Vancouverite lol), but we’re quite reserved and the politeness if a formality.
Thank you it is very informatif. But you are very diplomat in your describing about acceptance of other. As you said it is not matter what you know but who you know. I left the country where i born because of this mentality, and too sad in a modern and industrialized society as Canada we find the same culture of who you know. We can not change a negatif culture without naming the problem of systemic racism.
Immigrating is not an easy thing. A French immigrant that have been in Quebec for a long time helps guide French would be Canadians to settle in Quebec. She says it takes about 1 year to prepare them in many aspects to have a successful move for the immigrants and the country of adoption. Now if they already share the language and many values already and it takes 1 year of investment… how hard and successful do you think a fellow say from Bangladesh that arrives here illegally will be? How do you think it’s going to work for him and Canada?Immigration isn’t easy for the would-be Canadian and it takes a lot of time, homework and personal investment to succeed. Trudeau sold you a bad dream. And just a word of advice: in Rome you do like the Romans. Best way to better your chances in having a good experience.
This is one persons experience. Does not mean it would be everyone’s experience.
100%
I'm amazed how offended some people got over this video 😂
Story about health care in Canada should be😊