Are most Canadians happy with Canada?

[Sarah89]

What are your gripes. Things that could be improved and what do you think Canada is currently doing well?

[SignalHillHiker]

Are most happy? Absolutely.

What is Canada doing well? Maintaining the federation despite all odds. Avoiding the worst excesses of populism thus far. Reality-based political decisions in most jurisdictions. Addressing the pandemic.

What could be improved? The equalization and transfer formulas. Dental care and drug funding. Interprovincial transportation links. Founding immigrant communities in smaller cities and rural areas, primarily through decentralization of related federal jurisdiction. Everything that leads to shit like this:

[suburbanite]

I'm pretty happy with Canada. I think we do a good job balancing the opportunities provided for immigrants from around the world, without as much of the social dysfunction that we get a continual feed of from South of the border. I like that we have very few areas of our cities that look completely destitute. That there's almost nowhere in my city (or the other ~10 largest in the country) where I wouldn't feel safe walking around at any time. I like that politics in Canada (at least on the surface) doesn't appear as divisive as other Western countries.

I think we've developed a comfortable living for ourselves, but it's primarily been built on feeding the American machine for the last ~70 years. I wish innovation thrived more in Canada, and the entrepreneurial spirit wasn't based on growing a company to be an attractive buyout target for a larger American corporation. We need an economy whose fate isn't decided in a boardroom in Riyadh, or that doesn't rely on a ponzi scheme combination of immigration and real estate.

[Sarah89]

All is rosey except;

The housing crisis

stagnant wages

Canadian style supply side economics

not enough support for refugees

growing homelessness in large and mid sized metros

lack of abortion care and womens healthcare

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Sarah89

All is rosey except;

The housing crisis

stagnant wages

Canadian style supply side economics

not enough support for refugees

growing homelessness in large and mid sized metros

lack of abortion care and womens healthcare

I agree with points 1, 2 & 5

I however appreciate supply side economics as a stabilizer for our farming communities.

Canada is a fairly generous country in terms of it's support for refugees IMHO. I am more concerned with the status of our northern reserves (safe drinking water etc).

I am not aware in Canada of any tremendous deficiencies in abortion access anywhere in the country. NB is probably the worst, with patients from Saint John and Fredericton required to drive to Moncton to get the procedure performed.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Sarah89

All is rosey except;

The housing crisis

stagnant wages

Canadian style supply side economics

not enough support for refugees

growing homelessness in large and mid sized metros

lack of abortion care and womens healthcare

Not sure what any of that has to do with the topic. They are just challenges to be addressed whether people are happy or not.

[WhipperSnapper]

Unfortunately, finances play are a major part in how happy I am. I'm generally content but, I'm worried about the future.

House prices are increasingly unaffordable. Wages in the private sector are stagnant. The stats don't show the stagnation as wages in the public sector are seeing large percentage increases. Social spending is up but, it's overburdening middle class taxpayers. As one example, There's been a huge effort to add many more layers of protection to trust funds of the wealthy while proposing the home tax policy that effects the middle class as homes represent their largest investments.


This is happening in varying degrees everywhere. I feel the situation is a lot more fragile in Canada than most other places.

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by Sarah89

All is rosey except;

The housing crisis

stagnant wages

Canadian style supply side economics

not enough support for refugees

growing homelessness in large and mid sized metros

lack of abortion care and womens healthcare

I have empathy for refugees. My parents were refugees in Europe after WW2. The problem is and it's one that no one wants to talk about is that the Feds are not screening like the non profit groups and we are ending up with a bunch of people that have no desire to be anything more than a burden on our systems. This burden eventually falls onto municipalities that are barely afloat themselves. It's a non issue if we could afford it. We can't. RE: growing number of homelessness.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

I have empathy for refugees. My parents were refugees in Europe after WW2. The problem is and it's one that no one wants to talk about is that the Feds are not screening like the non profit groups and we are ending up with a bunch of people that have no desire to be anything more than a burden on our systems. This burden eventually falls onto municipalities that are barely afloat themselves. It's a non issue if we could afford it. We can't. RE: growing number of homelessness.

Source? Afaik, there has been no change in the way the GofC screens refugees.

[MolsonExport]

I work in one of the most international fields that there is (academia). The standards defining good research (and teaching) are basically the same around the world, and it is thus very common for academics to live and work in several countries during their career.

One issue has always been brain drain: up until maybe a decade ago, we were losing many of our top researchers to the United States (and to a lesser extent, the UK, with smaller numbers to Hong Kong, Singapore, China, France, Germany, etc.).

Tables have turned dramatically. The number of (extremely) high quality applicants we see applying for positions here in Canada has risen at least 10-fold. Trump and all the worst aspects of America that he represents has made the USA much less attractive for newly minted Canadian PhDs, whereas Canada, relatively speaking, is looking much more attractive to Canadian (wanting to return to Canadian) and non-Canadian scholars currently working in the United States, as well as to many Australian-based scholars (hit with the double whammy of an anti-intellectual government that has slashed spending on tertiary education, compounded by the huge reliance on Chinese students for funding, for which the ability to charge premium tuition rates has largely evaporated due to Covid), and European-based scholars (especially in the UK, which has also seen massive budget cuts, precarious funding models in about 30% of the universities, and a dramatic drop in foreign students). Canadian universities have seen budgets slashed (big time here in Ontario), but not to the same extent as the USA, Australia, UK and many European countries (of which many deliver education primarily in English now). Asia used to look quite attractive given the massive research grants offered to up-and-coming academic stars, but that has withered due to travel restrictions (covid again) and the more belligerent tone adopted by China (with knock-on effects on Hong Kong universities). China aggressively pursued Western scholars, but many are now looking for a bolthole.

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

I have empathy for refugees. My parents were refugees in Europe after WW2. The problem is and it's one that no one wants to talk about is that the Feds are not screening like the non profit groups and we are ending up with a bunch of people that have no desire to be anything more than a burden on our systems. This burden eventually falls onto municipalities that are barely afloat themselves. It's a non issue if we could afford it. We can't. RE: growing number of homelessness.

Good post but many will somehow view it as racist or rightwing when in actual fact it’s common sense!

I have no problem with immigration if those immigrants provide skills or an education that advances Canada or even bringing in refugees from war torn countries but in a sensible organized manner. Allowing uneducated and unskilled people to cross the border unchecked and falsely claiming refugee status after living in the USA or another host country for years because they get more benefits here makes no sense!

[ssiguy]

We, like all countries, have our challenges but frankly I think anyone who is not happy with Canada needs therapy with a healthy dose of realism.

We love to bitch about this and that but the reality is that we don't appreciate just how good we've got it. Canadians have built for themselves a remarkably progressive, peaceful, and prosperous society backed by endless and beautiful topography.

When it comes to countries in this world Canada really is the envied "one percent" and anybody who doesn't know or even accept that fact needs to do a little more travelling outside our borders.

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Source? Afaik, there has been no change in the way the GofC screens refugees.

I've heard it from several sources in the field. Unlikely, there has been an official change of policy or documentation. This is very pro immigration government.

[GeneralLeeTPHLS]

We're all in all, doing pretty well for ourselves with our political structure, our healthcare system and general management of resources and unified policies and directives.
I'm more concerned on our future, as WS mentioned. Also....addressing some issues which have been dragged around for a few decades. Namely:

- ensuring homelessness/mental health is something invested in to ease these issues and make things more manageable in communities big and small.

- helping indigenous populations and reserves, the lack of safe, consumable water in many communities is rather concerning...also the state of housing and opportunities for indigenous/Metis individuals really needs to be addressed (As well as M&MW...I know the feds have worked on a report, which was delayed due to the virus....but serious action should take place)

-propping up our economy to be more sustainable for the future (less polluting and fossil fuel based) and also lucrative/ready for the future by researching into new technologies, perhaps for manufacturing jobs

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by ssiguy

We, like all countries, have our challenges but frankly I think anyone who is not happy with Canada needs therapy with a healthy dose of realism.

We love to bitch about this and that but the reality is that we don't appreciate just how good we've got it. Canadians have built for themselves a remarkably progressive, peaceful, and prosperous society backed by endless and beautiful topography.

When it comes to countries in this world Canada really is the envied "one percent" and anybody who doesn't know or even accept that fact needs to do a little more travelling outside our borders.

You can tone down the rhetoric. Spend some time in the poorest neighbourhoods of Toronto to see things are more serious than how one income bracket compares to the rest of the world or is seen by the rest of the world. I really don't care about that. Canada is still a great place but, our quality of live and standard of living won't remain that way by simply brushing the growing divide between have and have nots, the unfair system that doesn't really help the most in need, etc., under the rug.

My neighbourhood is quite wealthy and, in our same district, is one of the poorest so the stats are skewed to make it all seem like its middle class. I'm finding this is purposely done as I've gotten more involved. The likely theory is the typical trickle down rationale from rich to poor. We all know that just more political rhetoric. The figures make things look a lot more rosy than they are and who doesn't like rosier figures

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by GeneralLeeTPHLS

We're all in all, doing pretty well for ourselves with our political structure, our healthcare system and general management of resources and unified policies and directives.
I'm more concerned on our future, as WS mentioned. Also....addressing some issues which have been dragged around for a few decades. Namely:

- ensuring homelessness/mental health is something invested in to ease these issues and make things more manageable in communities big and small.

- helping indigenous populations and reserves, the lack of safe, consumable water in many communities is rather concerning...also the state of housing and opportunities for indigenous/Metis individuals really needs to be addressed (As well as M&MW...I know the feds have worked on a report, which was delayed due to the virus....but serious action should take place)

-propping up our economy to be more sustainable for the future (less polluting and fossil fuel based) and also lucrative/ready for the future by researching into new technologies, perhaps for manufacturing jobs

Great post. Commodities including real estate are exactly what I meant as fragile.

We should do all we can to help the indigenous population but there also needs a forum where everyone has a voice and not just the representative leaders. I get a feeling from them that preservation of the lifestyle is more important than providing opportunity for youth to move wherever they want.

[GeneralLeeTPHLS]

I agree. Their way of life has had to adapt greatly to our own capitalist and economic driven lifestyle. And better representation is really important...it's a bit confusing currently since they tend to have two kinds of chiefs currently...their own appointed (which is fine), and then the elected one that's recognized and generally seen as the one to communicate with other governments. (I don't fully understand it still, so my explanation is most certainly wrong...but I know this representation model is very problematic)

[Peggerino]

We're not perfect but all in all things are pretty good here. Doesn't feel like we're a complete idiocracy yet unlike our neighbours to the south and our government is relatively competent. As many other countries turn to shit due to right wing politics (US, UK, Australia, much of Europe) or authoritarianism (same list of countries but also much of Asia) I can see Canada becoming even more so attractive on the world stage.

Our bad treatment however of indigenous groups seems to be gaining more attention by the day and I could see that having the potential to turn many off of Canada including Canadians (something I see among a lot of Winnipegers). I often see people on the left say something along the lines of "were no better than Americans, we're just better at hiding our problems" which personally I feel does a massive misjustice to the problems down there.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

I've heard it from several sources in the field. Unlikely, there has been an official change of policy or documentation. This is very pro immigration government.

I’m not following. Refugees and immigrants are not the same thing and undergo different processes.

[Maldive]

I'm pretty happy about Canada. So much beauty... even on-line, like this forum where everyone gets along and celebrates all our cities with equal aplomb.