Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Canada Compare life in the USA, vs, Canada?

Canadians on this site are sharp folks.

Two country's, much alike, but still very different.

What do you think?

From what I can tell, Canadians still trust their government.

That's pretty much over in America,...with good cause.

It will be over with in Canada pretty soon.

I'm of the generation that grew up watching Mickey Mouse Club in the afternoon. We lived on a south facing hillside and with a tall antennae we were able to pick up Seattle TV stations . We all listened to Rock and Roll., watched the same TV shows. I thought there should be very little difference. It was as shock when we were old enough to drive and crossed the border.. The girl I was talking up , unsuccessfully I might add, had an accent . We were only a few miles across the line.. Later I had an American girl friend , there was quite a difference, American girls were a lot faster. I had to be very careful what I said otherwise I could have ended up married .I'm no authority on women, so this is only a guess.,, Canadian girls were thinking it, American girls were saying it. It was another ten years before I would even think about settling down.

As politics have diverged, it has spurned a great deal of study. .

I went to Canada 4 times in my life. Once in 1976 and went to Niagra Falls. Canada was nice and we crossed the river into Buffalo, I was shocked how filthy Buffalo was. The next time was my honeymoon in July 1987. We went to Sault Ste. Marie. I really liked that town. The people were nice, the town was clean. I even asked the waitress if State people came up here to live. She looked at me with a firm NO. The next time we went for our 30th Anniversary to the same town, Sault Ste. Marie. The Michigan side was real nice, but the Canadian side was dirty, run down and very poor looking compared to when we went in 1987. I was really dissapointed how bad that town had gotten. In 1998 I went to Quetico Park. It was a super canoe trip into the wilderness and much better than the Boundary Waters ( Minnesota side.).. The fishing was good and the place was beautiful.

one kicked the red coats and the other ones are still paying for a queen without knowing what is the purpose ...

There are probably not too many Yankees on here that have lived in (or otherwise spent substantial time in) Canada for long enough periods of time to actually form a worthwhile opinion. Nonetheless, I expect a lot of strong opinions. USA is definitely #1 in thinking that we are #1.

As for myself, I strongly contemplated changing teams from the Yankees to the Canucks when the conman cheetoh got elected. Turns out it is fairly challenging and expensive, and you guys have both a higher cost of living and lower pay for Registered Nurses. That did not appear to be the case outside of BC/Alberta, but I wasn't too interested in signing up to freeze my ass off half the year to live in a boring place.

I don't know anyone who trusts this Government, but I live in a far away land that has little say with the voting populace of Canada.
We hate Trudeau, and he hates us.

Trust our country? You gotta be kidding. Trudeau has had three ethics accusations -- stealing and lying.

I have relatives on both sides of the 49th parallel. Some of them give Americans a bad name -- others give Canadians a bad name -- maybe I am one of the latter.

I love my country ---- it's my government that leaves me chilly.

I would like to see the gun laws up here loosened up a bit.

I was born in north Idaho and raised in Idaho, Wyoming, British Columbia , and Alberta. I graduated from high school in Idaho. I served in the US Army. I have an American son and a Canadian daughter. The son lives in Alberta and the daughter lives in Florida. I have brothers on both sides of the line and extended family all over the west. I have lived and worked in Alabama, Idaho, Washington, British Columbia (north and south)and Alberta. I have more experience than most regarding conditions, as they affect the average working class people, on both sides of the line, than most people because I have lived there.
When we first moved to Northern B.C., in 1957, the societal differences were marked. Taylor, British Columbia was very much British and Scottish influenced. Especially when compared to Worland, Wyoming and Potlatch, Idaho, from whence we had come. It occurred to me, years later, that we were playing a large part in the Americanization of that part of the country. Keep in mind, a great deal of the difference in the two places was a result of the relative remoteness of the Peace River country as compared to even North Idaho, which was certainly anything but progressive! There was no television, limited radio and the effects of the American invasion had yet to be felt. In essence, by moving north 1000 miles, we had also moved back in time by about twenty years. So, there was a significant societal difference between those portions of the two countries where I had some life experience. Over the next four years, we moved back and forth between the two cultures and, even as a kid, the differences were easy to see. Keep in mind, this was at a time when western Canadians still embraced their relationship with the British Isles and lived under the red Ensign flag. This was before Canadians, pressured by Quebec and the eastern urbanites, decided to refute Britain. They cast aside their identity and it should have come as no surprise, with the improved modern communication media, that the void was filled, to a considerable extent, by American culture.
To return to the subject at hand, we saw, first hand, the teaching of patriotism in the US compared to the relatively detached observance in Canada. We travelled the length of the Alaska highway, in 1959 and, again, the difference at the border seemed to be less of a difference in politics than a difference in time. America was aggressively advancing, economically and socially, while out part of Canada was just living and living in the past at that. Not a bad thing, really.
A move to Calgary, Alberta put the shoe on the other foot. Now, we were living in a comparatively cosmopolitan environment while our family members in North Idaho were in the social backwater. There were other forces in play, of course. The difference between a new, constantly evolving, oil, gas, and petrochemical industry in which my Dad was involved and the timber industry and farming background of the Idaho branch. During the next several years, I lived with one foot in each country. I attended school in Idaho and Alberta. I worked in both places. Finally, I settled in Idaho and stayed there. I got drafted, I had my life put on hold, to a large extent, for a couple of years, then picked up where I had left off, in Idaho. By this time, there was much less apparent difference in the two countries, at least in those portions of the two countries with which I was familiar, than there had been in the past. Of course, the Vietnam war experience with the resultant divisiveness in the US had a great effect and in some ways, it may have been the first time that Canadians began to take an active interest in American politics and, perhaps, began to be more aware of the influence happenings in the US had on Canadian life. In many ways, the two countries began to converge and amalgamate. At the same time, there was a marked divergence in philosophy and ideology between the two countries. In the US, most of the money, by far was spent on defense and in the support of the military/industrial complex. In Canada, much more was spent on social services and support. In Canada, building and supporting medical care for everyone was seen as a big deal. In the US, medical care was something of an inconvenience, as far as the government was concerned, and any medical care was strictly profit driven. To the working man, on either side of the border, the difference was not all that great, as long as he didn't get sick or hurt! Wages were similar, taxes, at least income taxes, were slightly higher in Canada and the application of import duties and taxes made the cost of goods a bit higher. Americans were a bit more restricted when it came the purchase of rifles while Canadians were way more restricted when it came to the purchase and use of handguns. They drove the same cars. They listened to the same music. The watched the same movies and a lot of the same TV programs. Attempts by some Canadians politicians to try and stem the tide of American influence, mostly failed.
Over the last forty years, while the two cultures may have diverged somewhat, they have changed more from themselves than they have from each other. A thirty-year old office worker in Denver has a lot more in common with a thirty-year old office worker in Calgary than he does with a rancher in Lamar. Just as his Calgary counterpart has little in common with the rancher in Pincher Creek. I will always feel a strong affinity for the lumberman in North Idaho and an antipathy for the lawyer in Toronto.
It is my belief the the international boundary does not mark a separation of culture. Cultural differences are international. They are economic, they are social, they are racial. Both countries are seeing their identities fractured and divided and neither country is on a good path. With each passing year, the concept of dying becomes less and less intimidating. Give it a few more years and it will be welcome! Someone with a different background or some education will indoubtedly see things differently than I. GD

Well said greydog. I have spent a lot of time in Canada over the decades, although not nearly as much as you, and count some of my best friends as Canadian. The only thing I would add to your comments is what some of my Canadian friends have said to me, and that is - Canada could not have its wide ranging social services without the US, the reason being is that Canada knows that if it is threatened the US will not allow any country to try to dominate it. Not having to spend a huge percentage of their GNP on defense allows them the luxury of having their social programs.

drover

My history is much like Greydogs. I was born in California, and grew up in the Peace country of northern BC. Did a stint in the US military, logged in BC, Alberta, and Colorado. Worked as a mechanic for a time in MO before getting married and moving back to BC, then in the 80s to the Yukon. Still have lots of family/friends in the US. I agree with GD for the most part. Like the US, eastern Canadians are different than westerners. Ive spent some time in the eastern US and the people there are different than the west coast in many ways. Some of the biggest differences I notice, is how passive Canadians are. There is an old joke that holds a lot of truth, " how do you get 10-Canadians out of a swimming pool"? The answer is just ask them to get out. An American would ask why. Like GD mentioned patriotism isnt really a thing in Canada, where in the US it is.

My wife and I saw something in Chicago a few years back that really illustrated another big difference in the two countries. One of her relatives was in the hospital there and we were in the area so went by for a visit. On our way back out as we neared the lobby, we could hear someone speaking real loud. When we got down there we see this big black guy standing on a chair, preaching a sermon. There was about 50-people in the lobby, and they were sitting there listening without complaints that we heard. Nobody came and threw the guy out, he finished his sermon and left. You would never see that here. A guy was telling me just the other day that a lot of Canadian Christians have started moving to the US, especially since the covid crisis.

I think that brings up another difference, although maybe along the same lines. Look at what Canadians are being forced to do right now when they come back to Canada from abroad. They are required to spend a few days at a quarantine hotel, that they pay for. Been a few news stories on it recently, and two different friends of mine have gone through it in the last month. Americans would never stand for that kind of treatment.

As far as earning a living in the two countries, taxes are the biggest difference that I notice. I read somewhere that .52 out of every dollar a Canadian earns now goes to taxes of some sort. Im not sure if that number is 100% accurate, but I do know in Canada you have to make way more money for the same standard of living. Americans enjoy more disposable income, and if they are smart, will resist going down the road Canada has. Its gotten to the point up here now that its really hard to find an incentive to start a business. Between the red tape and taxes, its hard to make it pay. You need at least $30 an hour here to make a go of it, and you wont have a lot left at the end of the month. The carbon tax just went up, so maybe $30 isnt even enough any more.

wabigoon;
Good evening to you my friend, I hope that the weather's been cooperating for you folks as far as your agricultural needs and that all in your world are well.

The question you've posed isn't as simple as it might first appear in that you'll get a diverse number of answers I'd think.

Those answers will depend upon the geographic location of the respondent, the line of work they're in or were in and likely the actions of their provincial or state government over this past tumultuous year.

Speaking broadly, since I live just a few hours south of my cyber friend 673, it's a very conservative leaning area, but as he's said, the voting system here is such that the decision as to who will be in power is made before BC heads to the polls. While BC had - up to the outbreak of the beer flu - a GDP higher than all the Atlantic provinces combined - we do not get a similarly weighted number of seats in the House of Commons. Thus when the Atlantic provinces or eastern Canada as a whole wants a handout from the west, it's easy for them to accomplish as they have the majority of the seats.

Again like 673 stated, I honestly do not know anyone who has even a small degree of "trust" in the current federal government, other than to trust that they will follow their own agenda regardless of whether or not it contravenes the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Speaking personally, I "trust" them to spend too much money on too many useless projects and vote buying ventures.

Having had a fair bit of time over the years traveling in the western US states - Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North and South Dakota, Colorado and a week in south Texas, I got to talk to a fair few people and I must say was always treated wonderfully by them all with the sole exception of a Homeland Security officer who was younger than some cowboy boots I own and apparently needed to vary his diet from mainly crab apples.

The states are similar to the provinces - as I understand it wabigoon - in that there's different laws for setting up and operating businesses, interstate sales of goods and to some degree health and safety regulations. Again, we're different in BC than Alberta or Saskatchewan - having lived in all those 3 provinces I can state that.

Overall, I felt as if I was able to make connections with people who had similar backgrounds as me, so to some degree that's geographic but not always. I recall in Cody, WY one night talking with a fireman into the wee hours of the next day about how frustrating the political systems were which gave both of us the feeling that our voices didn't really and truly matter.

He was there fishing with his father, was a part time elk guide and that alone gave us a couple hours of visiting - which is no surprise really.

On the other hand someone who has only lived and worked say in Toronto may well have very little common ground with a country mountain redneck such as myself and we'd have to work at it to find grist for the communication mill at times no doubt.

While that might not have answered your question, it's a start perhaps or at least my take on it.

All the best to you all wabigoon.

Dwayne

I've trucked across Canada and trucked in 42 states. There are good and bad people on both sides of the border. Chit holes in every city. Better roads and truck stops in US. Montana is my favorite US State. Alaska is second. US has much better system of government than Canada. Health care is a coin toss as far as I'm concerned. I love my country but hate our present government. Trudeau 2. 3 grandparents from US 2 from Iowa 1 from Illinois. Good quality of life in both countries. IMO

Patriot's...The Patriotic, usually, Christian Canadian's are the one's who have been the intended target of relentless attack in this Country, like other's.

As I pointed out previously, our populace has been divided, by race.
The Native population has been taken out of the equation by... policy... and frankly...the curious blend of money and guile.

My paternal grandparents were Canadian citizens and lived in Canada. Spent much time there growing up and my parents still own the place.

Canada is not a bad place. Odd laws for many Americans and it’s very very liberal for the most part. Conservative Canadians are very much the minority.

Canadians and Americans have very different expectations from life in my experience and Americans are far more materialistic...well the baby boomers are.

While very conservative and extremely proud to be American I think Canadians are generally happier.

They tend to think America is all guns and crack. Something like 90% of em live within 50 miles of the border IIrc. Food in Canada is awful compared to the US. Well to be fair their dairy is better in my experience but their meat and seafood is terrible.

Americans have much much more freedom and I’m not just referring to the 2a.

Canadians are also far more anti-American than Americans are anti Canada. Not to be snarky but I believe it’s because Canada is internationally insignificant and they have an inferiority complex.

Canada is also loaded with Chinese and Arabs and pakis. We have the you know who’s

Also would add...Canada is a beautiful country and Id rather share a border with them than just about any other country on earth.

You’ve been hanging out in the wrong parts of Canada.

LOL, that's what I was thinking.

673 & Jordan;
Good morning to both of you fine gentlemen, I hope that it's more than less spring in your respective parts of the country and that all who matter to you both are well.

As mentioned in my post above, most of my travels have been in the north western states so that doesn't make me an expert on much at all, but we did both stay at a few Suntree Inns and ate at a whole pile of US restaurants, cafes, diners and truck stops.

While I'd opine that 30 years ago the service in US dining establishments was a bit better, in our experience the servers on this side of the medicine line improved their game immensely in that period. As far as the quality of the meals goes, well I'll say that I've paid for meals in San Antonio for instance that were north of $250USD for 4 of us that were far, far less tasty than meals up here at similar "class/grade/price point" dining establishments.

Please note I use that number not to brag in any way, only to say that it wasn't the worst dive we could find in either case.

As far as ethnic diversity or lack thereof, well that's fairly community specific in our part of the world in my experience as well, but then again since both my grandfathers were refugees when they came here from eastern Europe - Germans from Russia and Romania - I've always had a soft spot for folks who want to come here, work hard and add to the community.

Where I grew up on the flat lands, every town had at least two families who had Chinese lineage and most of them had been there since their ancestors came to build the railway. One owner of the local Chinese restaurant loved two things in life - golf and hunting whitetails - so in his establishment along with the requisite for the time Chinese posters on the wall and such, were golf trophies from local tournaments and huge Saskatchewan whitetail racks and mounts!

While I do believe that some of our fellow citizens might be inclined to believe the anti-US rhetoric espoused by some of the media, I'd like to believe that less and less of us are taking anything they say at face value anymore, you know? Other than watching the Kelowna station for local news I've pretty much quit watching the propaganda networks for news... well I've actually nearly quit watching TV anymore for that matter.

All the very best to you both from the not so sunny south Okanagan this morning.

Dwayne

Canadian standard of living in material things has always been less than our American cousins . I really have American cousins. Years back the difference was explained as the most popular car in the States was the Ford Taurus and in Canada the Chevy Cavalier. The. 08 recession changed things somewhat. In Canada we have more and better bank regulations, so internally it barely touched us. But as a trading nation, we still got hit.