O Canada!
Now that Canada Day has come and gone, many of you might be a tad more familiar with the culture and landscape of the United States’ polite neighbour to the north. If you find yourself considering the possibility of moving there and are just looking for an excuse to grab a visa, these five facts might just be all the motivation you need!
#5: Low Violence and Crime Rates
No one is naïve enough to believe that Canada, however friendly, is without violence and crime. There are all too often incidents of theft, homicide, and abductions across the country, but Canada looks like Disneyland compared to crime rates in other countries. For instance, in 2010 there were 554 cases of murder in Canada, compared to a whopping 12,000 or so in the U.S, about 25,000 in Mexico, and at the top of the list, Brazil with approximately 40,000. Canada may not be perfect when it comes to violent crime, but what country is? There may be some bad eggs living among them, but for the most part, Canada has no room for hate in its heart.
#4: Balanced Politics
Americans often threaten to move to Canada when politics at home aren’t going their way, because they think Canadians have it better than they do. They don’t know the half of it. For starters, living in Canada could add years to your life since the life expectancy is among the highest in the world, landing somewhere between the top 10-15 at approximately 81 years old depending on the source. And their Rocky Mountain, Fresh Atlantic, Warm Pacific, and cool Arctic airs might be contributing factors. Need to take time off after having a baby? No problem! In Canada, you can take almost a year off – though if there are two parents involved, this time would have to be shared – but you’d still be paid over 50% of your salary. Also, Canada is a secular country, giving citizens the freedom to follow their own beliefs and lifestyle choices – case in point, gay marriage has been legal since 2005, a full decade before the United States.
#3: Education
As of 2014, Canada was the 7th most popular destination for international students. Why? Because young people from all over the world travel to Canada specifically to study there. McGill University, located in the city of Montreal, is not only one of the top universities in the country; it’s also typically ranked within the top 30 universities in the world. Otherwise, institutions like the University of Toronto and of British Columbia are also praised for their excellence. International students mostly spend just as much on tuition as where they came from, but for Canadian citizens, tuition costs are insanely low.
#2: Peaceful
Canadians are pretty laid back, so they’d much rather do their own thing than pick fights with other countries. What is there to fight aboot anyhow? Canadians are generally a happy lot and you’d be hard pressed to find a country with a major beef against the nation. Don’t get us wrong – the Canadian military is certainly considered world class, but Canadians grow up in a country where people of different colors, cultures, religions, and sexualities make up much of the population. If they have to fight, they will. But peace, kindness, and acceptance are for the most part ingrained in them from birth, and Canada tends to focus their energy more on peace keeping missions than all-out war.
#1: Free Health Care
Okay, so the term is rather misleading, since health care in Canada isn’t ‘free’ per se. What it means is that, since Canadians all pitch in towards health care through taxes, the cost of health care becomes significantly cheaper. The specifics of coverage vary between provinces, but as a rule of thumb they get free clinics, which – sure – inevitably lead to long waiting times. But at least those wait-times show that people are taking advantage of the system; in some other countries, waiting rooms are empty because medical attention is too expensive. There’s also limited coverage for vision and dental care. But what it really boils down to is that, in Canada, the country’s health is in the hands of its citizens, who are therefore able to get the care they deserve for next to nothing.
Be sure to check out the video below to see our picks for the Top 10 Canadian Stereotypes Debunked!
11:41
