Things To Know Before Moving To Canada from the USA

It's come to my attention that more than a few people have indicated they'd move to Canada after the November Presidential election.  Now that the elections is over and President Trump has been sworn in, the interest in Canada has grown.

I made a career decision to move to Canada 26 years ago and Canada is my home.  With that in mind, here are 10 things you should know if you're planning on making the move.

• The Canada health system is what people in the USA would call "Socialized".  It has it's issues, however it works well overall.
• Leave your guns at home.  Canada has gun laws that will likely leave most of my fellow Americans wondering how Canadians survive.  We do have guns in Canada as hunting is part of Canada's history and tradition, however the laws are specific on what you can own.
• Sports are similar, however Hockey and soccer are the nations most popular sports.  Canadians do play football, however you'll need to adjust to a larger end zone and 3 downs.  Fortunately US television is available, including sports.
• Politics are quite different in Canada.  Thankfully elections are short and sweet.  The minimum length of a campaign is 36 days after an election is called and because campaign spending is strictly limited, most election campaigns hold to the 36 days.  A federal election must take place every 4 years, however it can be called earlier if the Prime Minister chooses.  Also, the political system is based on the parliamentary system and is considered a constitutional monarchy.  Suffice it to say, it's different than what you're use to.
• Canada is as much of a "melting pot" as the USA, perhaps even more.
• If you think gas prices are high in the USA, you'll be in for sticker shock once you get to Canada.  That "nice" looking price you see at a Canadian gas station is for 1 litre of gas, which is slightly more than 1/4 of a gallon.
• Speaking of litres, Canada uses the metric system.  When you see the speed limit is 100, remember that's kph.  60 mph in US terms.
• One of the best things about Canada is the currency.  I'm not talking about it's value, but it's colour.  $5.00 is light blue, $10.00 is dark blue, $20.00 is greenish and $50.00 is redish.  Canada has a $1.00 coin called the Loonie and a $2.00 coin called the Toonie.  Canada recently discontinued the Canadian penny.  The bottom line here is when you look in your wallet, you have a good idea of how much you have based on the colour.
• Contrary to popular belief, Canadians live in houses, not igloos.
• Finally, Canada is a bilingual country.  You'll see English and French on everything you buy in the store.  You'll also find English is a little different as well, with "Eh" and "Hey" being used a lot.  

BONUS:  If you do choose to "escape" to Canada following the outcome of the November election, you'll get to file taxes in Canada and the USA.  The USA is one of only a few countries that require citizens to file taxes regardless of where they live or work.

Enjoying a Canadian summer

Gerald Trees
Musings And Observations Of An Adventurous Life Seeker

Politics...

I'll admit that I've taken an interest in the 2016 Presidential race in the United States, my home country.  I've lived the last 26 years in Canada and watching this race from north of the border, while being asked by friends in Canada what I think has been "interesting".

My interest has been less about the positions and views of the candidates and more about the "marketing" that's being done and what's "working" on the consumers (voters).

After the Republican debate last night (March 3, 2016), my advice to the voters would be to get your money back and find a set of candidates that have some self respect and who have intelligence enough to discuss and debate the issues at hand and not the size of one of the candidates hands.

The childish behavior that took place in this debate should sicken voters who should demand their candidates to show leadership, if they even have it in them.  Americans deserve more from their leaders then what they're getting now and if this is the best that are willing to step forward, Republican and Democrat, it's time for a change to the current system.

Better yet, perhaps it's time for people to step up as a whole and make their own communities better, showing the "leaders" how it's done.

Gerald Trees
Musings And Observations Of An Adventurous Life Seeker

It's All Been Done Before - Do It Anyway

One of my favorite books is "Travels With Charlie - In Search Of America" by Charles Steinbeck.  The book is about Steinbeck's journey around the US and his observations, both predictable and not so predictable, of what he saw and the people he met.  Steinbeck's trip took place in 1960, 4 years before I was born, and published in 1962.

The first time I read the book I found myself shocked at how little people had changed since 1960.  In 1960 there were concerns about the rapid advancement of technology, the economy, politicians, security and the direction of the United States.  If one were to change a few dates and lines in this book, it would be easy to believe that it was written last year.

Much of what we think is new or unique to our time, really isn't.  Simply pick up a book, newspaper or magazine from 50 years ago and you'll find out little has changed other than styles and our "gadgets".

Too often we rely on others to tell us what the world is like, it's beauties and dangers.  Sometimes what we hear, see or read took place years ago and things have changed for the better.  Sometimes what we hear, see or read is from the perspective of the "reporter", which will always reflect something about the them, good and bad.

Steinbeck had been writing about people from his past and those he met in his travels but felt that he'd lost touch with America and the subjects he was writing about.  This trip was his way of regaining that lost connection.  He wanted to experience places, things and most importantly people and write about those experiences.

The point of all of this is simple.  Even though most things have been done before, do them anyway.  Experience life for yourself and form your own opinions, tastes and memories.

Gerald Trees
Musings And Observations Of An Adventurous Life Seeker