19/12/2024
In my still untitled book on Exile for Americans I will have region and country chapters. These will contain my personal views on the country's feasibility as a permanent home for Americans. Here is my first chapter, on the neighbor to the North, Canada.
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There is much to be said for simply moving down the block or in this case directly North or straight down South. You will always be near home, if that makes you feel more secure but it will still be a foreign environment. Canada, our neighbor the Great White North, is a mostly-English-speaking country, a NATO ally and NHL Hockey teammate, full of lakes, fishing & hunting, plaid woold jackets, knit beanies (tewks!), pickup trucks and barrels of pure maple syrup. In the mi-1960s a Canadian Prime Minister, Pierre Trudeau, granted asylum to young American men who wished to evade the Draft and the War in Vietnam. Most of these political exiles remained until the war ended in1975, then returned home through an amnesty by President Gerald Ford. Most recently Canada opened its doors, homes, and hearts to 20,000 Syrian civil war refugees, with PM Justin Trudeau (Pierre’s son) greeting the first of them at Toronto’s Pearson airport with flowers, clothes and toys. This alone speaks volumes about Canadians and how you might be received your new hosts there.
Canada has a positive image as a much more liveable, more amicable, safe and sane place to live, work and raise a family in. Its reputation is well-deserved as these recent statistics suggest:
• In 2022, three Canadian cities, Vancouver, Toronto, and Calgary, were ranked among the top 10 most liveable cities in the world by the Economist (the magazine) Intelligence Unit's Global Liveability Index.
• A 2023 report indicated that the overall crime rate dropped by approximately 5% compared to the previous year, providing residents with an enhanced sense of security.
• Canada's healthcare system is ranked among the best globally, providing access to essential medical services to all citizens. In a 2022 survey 85% of Canadians rated their healthcare system as good or very good.
• As of 2023, Canada’s life expectancy was approximately 82 years, one of the highest in the world, reflecting a high standard of healthcare and living conditions.
• In 2023, Canada's GDP growth was around 3% despite global economic challenges, underlining the country’s strong economic resilience and job creation. Add to this a low national unemployment rate of about 5%.
• Green Canada has nearly 9% of its land area in protected parks and reserves as of 2022, promoting biodiversity and outdoor recreational activities. Approximately 60% of Canada’s electricity was generated from renewable sources in 2023, highlighting their desire to address a protected environment. Note: Canadians can do almost anything within the confines of a canoe.
Finally, 20% of Canada’s population was foreign-born as of 2023. This diversity enhances a vibrant, multicultural society together with cultural exchange, culinary variety, and social dynamics in all big Canadian cities.
That’s the good news. However as nearly 90% of Canadians live near their Southern border with the USA and given Canada has long followed the lead of the United States in many areas of culture it would appear that some of the negatives have also crossed the border. Crime, much of related to hard-drug sales have left some inner city unsafe after dark. Home grown Canadian racism, anti-LGBT intolerance, and ‘Canada First’ opinions have surfaced in recent years in reaction of government policies promoting diversity and openness. Add a few mass-shooting incidents over the years and things may not look so promising for the near future.
As Canada is a hop, skip, and a jump away it will be more than easy for you to take a short trip up to have a serious look at the life and lifestyle before you commit to anything serious. I enjoyed a week in Vancouver where I was flabbergasted to learn that a carton of beer could only be purchased in a state-monopoly liquor store. The city was almost invisible in one of their seasonal pea-soup fogs and when we went up to Whistler to visit the ski slopes we looked down at the city enveloped by Venus-like clouds with only a skyscraper or two jutting out to prove it was still there. I was able to ingratiate myself with my Canuckian hosts by knowing more than a few factoids about Canada such as their biggest WWII battles were at Dieppe and Juno Beach on D-Day, that they didn’t have the Maple Leaf flag until 1965, and that Quebec stayed in Canada by a margin of 50.1% to 49.9% in a referendum in 1980 which settled the issue for good. Finally, I could tell them that I once had drinks with Bobby Hull, the ’Golden Jet,’ an NHL legend at the Hotel Intourist in Moscow. It almost grants me honorary Canadian status.
Canada remains a good bet for Americans who wish to live in a country and society which is different but still mostly familiar without the disorientation and culture shock that comes with a completely different language and environment (unless you choose to challenge the French in Quebec in return for quality cuisine and a Gallic ambience). You will feel secure as you will always be a 1-2 hour drive from Buffalo, Detroit, or Seattle if you get really homesick and need to set foot on American soil. But you will be living abroad and making a new life with a mostly tolerant and accepting people who might not notice your accent if you can add a few ‘ehs’ as particles in your sentences. But as far as true, distant exile it will be kind of kiddy-pool version, with a beaver lodge and a layer of ice over it in the Winter.
