Why NOT choose Canada?
One of the mistakes many of us probably tend to make when moving abroad is to fall in love with a country and start to idealise it a little. It feels much better to read about it, to gather information that confirms our impression that the destination country we have chosen is the most ideal one we can find. No one likes to spoil their own fun, and the best thing to do is to try to keep things real, however sympathetic our ‘chosen’ destination may be.
written by: Attila Peringer
Of course, we still don’t want to dissuade anyone from moving/expatriating, but on the plus side it is also important to be aware of some (possibly) negative aspects. Here’s a half-serious, half-funny list of reasons why you should NOT choose Canada if you’re planning to emigrate!
Canada is far away
This is a cliché statement, and obviously it is relative to who considers the distance to be far. Compared to the fact that you can fly from Europe to the farthest corners of the continent in 4-5 hours at the most, Canada is definitely quite far. By contrast, a trip to New Zealand, for example, is unlikely to take less than 24 hours, and may even seem quite close. The point is that a Budapest – Montréal trip is still about 10 hours. In fact, even within Canada, there is plenty of justification for the word ‘far’, as it takes nearly 5 and a half hours in the air to get from Montreal to Vancouver.
Distances in Canada are vast
Continuing the previous line of thought, as Canada is a huge country, the phrase ‘I’ll just pop over to the next town, I’ll be right back’ doesn’t always hold water. To give you a concrete example, the closest big city to Vancouver is Calgary, which is nearly 1000 kilometres away. If you decide to drive across this, you should be prepared for a drive of about 11 hours, weather permitting (more on weather later).
You’re better off if you can drive and have a car
Public transport in Canada does not necessarily have a good reputation, and many places are simply inaccessible by public transport. The result is predictable; the vast majority of Canadians drive. According to a 2016 statistic, only about 12% of Canadians used any form of public transport to commute between home and work. Which means that the ‘remaining’ 88% actually hopped in their car every morning. The predominance of cars may be related to both long distances and often otherwise inaccessible places, but in any case, it is better to be prepared for the fact that it will be difficult to survive in Canada without a driver’s licence and a car. Even so, you may still be in for surprises, as each province has its own Department of Transport, for example, with often different traffic rules. Or there’s winter driving, which is a very real challenge in Canada (we’ll get to the weather later).
It’s cold in Canada
Again, a cliché statement, but the reality is still high. Of course, it’s mainly in the winter months, and it also means that Canada still has real winters. While the white Christmas and the cold of December are becoming a distant memory here, in Canada’s big cities it is not uncommon to see temperatures plummet to -40 degrees Celsius in winter and up to 30–40 centimetres of snow in a day. In addition, winter can easily last up to 4–5 months and not only the minimum but also the average temperatures are freezing (Toronto’s average winter temperature is around -5 degrees Celsius).
You may need French as well as English
There are two official languages in Canada, English and French. Many people believe that knowing English alone may be enough to move to Canada. This is true in most cases, but there are many advantages to learning French as well as English. If you choose Quebec as your home province, there is almost certainly no way of avoiding the extra language learning. In Québec City, Montréal or Ottawa, you are more likely to be spoken to in French than in English (the Québec City-Montréal axis has the second-largest French-speaking population in the world). If you are thinking of emigrating and are determined to study in Québec, it can only be to your advantage to have a verifiable knowledge of French as well as English, which will earn you extra points when your visa application is processed. Not to mention that many Canadian jobs are advertised as requiring candidates to speak both languages.
Finding a job in Canada is not easy
It is widely known that Canada is one of the most immigrant-friendly countries in the world. However, the fact that the country will open its doors to nearly 1.5 million immigrants by 2025 does not mean that it will immediately have enough open positions for all of them. What is most likely is that even if you find a job roughly matching your qualifications, you will have to start at the bottom of the ladder, as you are not yet proven in the Canadian labour market. At the same time, getting your qualifications recognised is no small task, and matching your qualifications and their level with similar levels in the Canadian system can be a real ordeal.
Housing costs are very high
This problem isn’t necessarily specific to Canada, but the fact is that housing prices in the country have rocketed in the last few years. According to 2021 figures, while the average price of a home in the US was around $410,000, in Canada it rose to as much as $750,000 in the same year. In big cities like Toronto and Vancouver, up to $2 million is being asked for a property slightly larger than a doghouse. And the labour market and the cost of housing go hand in hand: there is a chance of finding cheaper property in less popular and more sought-after areas, but the number of jobs in these places is usually much lower.
Canada is a country of nature lovers (and hockey is sacred!)
Finally, Canada is almost certainly not your country if you’re the homebody and rarely stick your nose out of your room. Although over 80% of Canadians can call themselves city dwellers, they spend their free time in nature whenever they can. They have everything from snow-capped mountain peaks to impossibly blue lakes. What is particularly important to bear in mind is that in Canada, the worship of ice hockey has almost religious dimensions, and is a defining element of their national identity. It is by no means compulsory, but it is recommended that you learn a little about this interesting sport, which will certainly help you to integrate. If you say you’ve never heard of it, even a famously well-bred Canadian will almost certainly raise an eyebrow.
If you have questions about immigration, visas or employment in Canada
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Did you know?
If you like a challenge and love to drive, there are plenty of opportunities to indulge your passion on a Montréal – Vancouver tour. The journey is over 4,500 kilometres, and the fastest way to do it is to drive most of it across the USA. In total, you’ll cross 10 states – 3 in Canada and 7 in the US – and 4 time zones.
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Source(s):
Original article: Miért NE válaszd Kanadát? Translated by: BOGI – CONTINENT SURFER
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Like what we do?
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You will help us to come up with useful information regularly, so please support us every once in a while or even on a monthly basis! Thank you!
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