People still ask me where I came from.  If I say Alberta, they ask the question again with the word "originally".  I understand it when people see my skin colour and hear my accent as a basis for this question.  However, if you still ask my pre-teen daughter who speaks exactly like you the same question, there is a problem.  The problem gets magnified if you are not asking the same question from a girl who just arrived from Russia and could barely speak English or a fair-skinned boy with a clear Cockney accent.  Similarly, if you are Chinese, you are assumed to be extremely smart (especially good in the Mathematical Sciences) and hardworking but likely to be a bad driver.  If you are Indian, your are a computer guru and eat a lot of onions.  If you are a muslim, and have beards, you are a terrorist.  If you are African; you smell, you are extremely stupid, likely to sell drugs, you are lazy and waiting for government handout, you should work in the cleaning department of the hospital etc!  These are the day-to-day prejudices that occur in Canada.  I live in Western Canada and hope it is because the so-called "red necks" live here.  By the way, my neck has also probably become red because I believe in many of their principles here except the issue of subtle racial discrimination, something I don't want to generalize to a specific political leaning.  My feeling is that there is this general phobia about being different.  The government should engage in an extensive educational campaign first to address this issue before investing in immigration.  Take it or leave it, the world has more coloured people now and they will continue to appear in increasing number on Canadian streets in the coming years. They will grow stronger and succeed in spite of all odds.  Please, think of the danger of the so-called "reverse racism" in Canada by the year 2150AD!

December 03,  2006

Dear fellow Canadians!

I am a Canadian, one of many who feels cheated and lied to by the Canadian
system, so I had a very limited budget to spend on a holiday. I spend most
of my money on taxes, fees, and living expenses so enjoying actual traveling
through this scenic country is mostly reserved for foreign tourists or
wealthier Canadians.

First my family who were educated business immigrants from Holland/The
Netherlands were cleverly fleeced and ripped of by a well designed industry
which awaits immigrants to separate them from their lifetime earnings.
My parents had owned a Hotel in The Netherlands and bought two licensed
Travel agencies as an investment and pre-requisite to get their Canadian
citizenship.

I think that Canada is a type of bureaucratic, fake democratic dictatorship.
The average people are wonderful and the nature and scenery are spectacular
but the ruling class, supported by their throngs of lawyers and media
friends are tyrants and slave drivers.

WARNING > potential new immigrants! Canada and its henchmen are scouring
the Earth for new slaves with empty promises and armed with propaganda
materials of wide open spaces and alluring fake possibilities, because I and
quite a few friends are Canadian slaves who have escaped.

1) Oh you need Canadian experience!
2) Oh there are more jobs in Eastern Canada!
3) Oh move to the west coast, the tourism industry and Film industry is
booming there.
4) If you just had a Canadian education!
5) Maybe you should get a Masters Degree or PHD!
6) Go back to school and learn computer IT!
7) Learn an extra language, that will help. (Most of my friends speak 4 or 5
languages near fluently)
8) Oh you're sick and need medical insurance, sorry but there is a
mandatory 6 months residency requirement for this province.
9) Why don't you join a job search club? Oh you already have 4 times well
this one is different!
10) You should be willing to take any job, and then you'll find
opportunity!
11) Well, it just takes a little time and everything will work out!
12) Perhaps you have been looking in the wrong industry or sector.
13) Maybe you need some help with your resume skills and employment search
tactics.

Sincerely Hugo Stam
Soon to be EX Canadian
hugostam2005 @ hotmail.com

December 02,  2006

Is a funny Country Canada, they think of them selves as a liberal and left oriented society, the left means Union jobs with benefits and pensions, they are the Aristocracy of the Country, you don' t need brains for this jobs, just contacts or family members, this is the aspiration of any ordinary Canadian, any thing else will be less than the real thing.

So they know that new immigrants are far away from getting this jobs, this has created an unproductive bureaucracy with good wages, miserable workers (they claim more sick days a year than working days) and a lazy attitude supported by the Canadian charter of rights, as an immigrant I support Harper more than the hypocrites of the NDP or the pickpockets of the Liberals. For the ones who want and need to remain in the Country, continue to open new web pages, continue to write and get involved in politics (it pays better than a janitorial job).

I have kids with a Canadian and have done the wrong choice of having them in Canada, so if you are in love with a Canadian better have the kids somewhere else in your original country, your Canadian family will not help you in any thing at all, they will rob you as the same of the rest of the country. Many years of harm and misery waiting for my kids to be 14 and take them forever out of Canada. I'm European and I sympathize with all you immigrants.

Diane Zimmerman
dianezimmerman911 @ yahoo.ca

November 30,  2006

You overlook one very important fact and that is that we real Canadians do not want you immigrant foreigners here !
We have been too generous , let too many of you third world invaders here and you have proven one thing and that is that you are a bunch of whiney losers.

Go away !!! leave us alone.

We want European immigrants we do not want our culture or lifestyle smudged with yours. Most of you people we only ever saw in National Geographic, now you live across the street.

If your culture is so great, immerse yourself in it, in your country not ours. We were doing fine till the Liberals opened the floodgates.

Get out !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ps. by the way, no one ever gave anyone anything here in Canada. Everyone who has come here for the past 200 years worked their tails off. The recent immigrants have an outrageous sense of entitlement.

Canada was 95 % white until the mid 1980's, and still is, outside of a couple of the major cities. You forget that , excuse us if this invasion is all foreign to us

Brian Jackson
sempron141 @ yahoo.ca

November 28,  2006

November 26,  2006

November 22,  2006

Dear friends,

I am happy that that websites like notCanada.com is helping the point-based immigrants in exposing the canadian system impinging on dishonest and farcical claims on the international arena. When we are in our mother countries, the picture painted by the canadian embassies and immigration lawyers is entirely plethora of lies and lame promises.

I was an insurance professional in India. After coming to Canada, I started upgrading in the field of Insurance and now I am doing Fellow of Chartered Insurance Professional which is a degree tagged with Vice Presidents Of Canadian Insurance Companies only. I mean to say this degree decorates the name plates of highly placed Insurance Professional in Canada. But I am applying for entry level jobs in Canadian insurance marker but I have not received even a single offer so far. The are expecting Minimum One year Canadian Experience which I can get only when I will given an opportunity to work in this field. No body is ready to give this opportunity because insurance field is the domain of white community only. I am doing odd jobs for about three years and consistently upgrading hoping that I will break the myth one day that brown people are inferior to whites. We are not stupid but we have been compelled to fight their mental bankruptcy of feeling of 'superiority of white skins' which will drain this community one day.

Pankaj Sharma
pankajshaarma @ yahoo.ca

November 18,  2006

Dear Sir/Madam:

I am a native born Canadian and a retired police officer. You have forgotten one of the most important negatives about Canada, which should be added as #9 reason not to immigrate.

Since there are no consequences to crime in Canada, it has one of highest crime rates, including violent crime, in the western industrialized world. Check United Nations crime statistics to verify this. The Canadian government traditionally promotes Canada as a safe and peaceful society in order to attract foreign investment, but the truth is that Canada is a dangerous place to live.

Brian Cox
brianncox @ shaw.ca

November 15,  2006

Some interesting thoughts from website of William Gairdner, author, teacher, Olympic decathlon athlete and businessman (and Canadian):

"Canada in 1945 had a mere 10-15 billion dollars of federal debt accumulated in the 78 years since Confederation. Today, Canada carries over 550 billion dollars in federal debt alone, which is considered “structural” because it cannot be paid off without ruining the country.

Canada also carries many billions of dollars more in debt in the form of “unfunded liabilities” such as the Canada Pension Plan, which is a debt instead of a resource because no actual pension fund exists. It is a Ponzi, or a Pay-Go scheme in which younger workers pay for the retiring old, every day.

As a consequence of all this, almost a third of every tax dollar raised in Canada is used to pay debt. In effect, we are all asking future generations - citizens not yet born - to pay for our current consumption, as we are paying for much of the consumption by our predecessors. This is an immoral obligation laid upon all future Canadian children from which they cannot escape."

ciaocanada @ hotmail.com

November 08,  2006

To whom it may concern,

I heard about your website from watching W5 on CTV. I could not forget this
website and I will tell you the reason why.

I am a Canadian citizen born in Kitchener and raised in Mississauga. I was
born to two parents who immigrated to Canada, my mother came to Canada in
1969 and my father in 1971, the Trudeau era. I read everything in your
website and I strongly agree to everything in your website. However I think
that justifying the cold weather as a reason not to come to Canada is not
rational, man cannot control mother nature. All other reasons such as job
discrimination I agree to 100%!

Although I am a Canadian citizen born and raised, I will admit that I love
Canada for its heritage, diversity, natural landscape, and civil liberties.
Unfortunately I as a Canadian citizen has faced the same dilemma as several
immigrants of colour. Yes I have received educational opportunities and I am
also licensed to work as a teacher, but the reason why I was faced with the
same dilemma as immigrants is simply because I am a black person.

If Martin Luther King was still alive today, he would have written a speech
to shame down Canada. Unfortunately he is dead, his wife also passed away, and
we have nobody to really stand up in tactful radical action for immigrants
who are ostracized and disenfranchised.

It is because of this kind of disenfranchisement why I as an educated black
professional teacher decided to pack my bags and start my teaching career in
Korea, because Korea has opened the doors of opportunity for me and I owe a
lot to Korea because of that.

I don't want to tarnish my country, I wear the poppy to remember the
sacrifice that our Canadian soldiers made for freedom, but unfortunately
Canadians are tarnishing our freedom to perpetrate job discrimination
against people of colour who are either immigrants or black men like me who
are Canadian citizens.

Now that I am working in Korea, I am living very comfortably in a nice
apartment (bigger than the one I had in Windsor, ON) and I do not have to
pay rent as a foreign worker. My utility bills are far more cheaper than
what I would pay in Canada, and the public transportation system is more
superior.

Now and then as I meet the people of Korea, I will tell them, even their
young people that if they learn English very well, if they want to leave
Korea and live somewhere else, my recommendations for them would not be to
live in Canada, neither the US. I would recommend for Koreans to live in the
UK, Australia, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, South Africa, or any country
where English is spoken and they could get opportunities there for high
paying jobs. If Koreans ever wanted to come to Canada, it should have been
30-50 years ago, but not now! Canada's immigration system is in a complete
mess! Shame on Canada, shame on Stephen Harper, I am so embarrassed to be
Canadian because of this mess!

Sheldon Walters
formerly in Windsor, now in Korea
sheldonw_7 @ hotmail.com

November 04,  2006

I wanted to write in, in support of your website.

I would like to sincerely apologize for the experience that more recent immigrants (past 15 years) are having in Canada. As a third generation Canadian I am deeply troubled by the failure of my nation to provide the same opportunities to new immigrants that were provided to my family. I do want to provide a little context and address the top eight reasons for not immigrating to Canada.

I truly believe that it is a symptom of not government in general but rather the Liberal Party of Canada. We have just recently barely removed them from power and have a minority government under the Conservative party. The Liberals were the most corrupt government in Canadian history under former Prime Minister Jean Chretien. They truly are a political party of lies who stand for absolutely nothing.

I wish I could write in and dispute the claims on your web-site but the fact is that I can not. I have friends who are immigrants to Canada and they talk of their struggle. My wife and I are third generation Canadians and our families have been in Canada over a hundred years but even we are leaving Canada. She has her PhD in Neuroscience and I myself have 2 degrees. We are leaving Canada for New York where she has been recently offered a position and I myself will have a mid-level position with a firm in the financial district in New York. The fact is that I will be making over twice as much even in a mid-level position in New York, while my wife's opportunities are even higher.

We can not wait any longer for tax policies to improve but perhaps others can. The Liberal Party of Canada is the greatest threat to the livelihoods of all Canadians new and old in my view. They are the greatest threat to the nation as a whole. They have created division throughout the nation as it serves their interests. East vs West, French vs English, Natives vs non-natives. Even if you do not agree with the Conservative party then vote for the NDP party, at least these two parties stand for something that is clear. The Liberal will flip flop with whatever they believe will get them elected, they will say anything and then lie further in a deluded attempt to maintain their power rather then act for the good of the country. New immigrants have gotten a very clear taste of these lies. Remember the Liberals have been running Canada for the last 15 years. Top eight reasons:

8. Discriminatory and Dishonest Immigration System.
Again this is the Liberal Party of Canada, they have formed the immigration policy and the idiocy of it is clear. Canada needs blue-collar workers, Canada does not need any immigrant professionals. There are many blue-collar labor level jobs, so if you are a new immigrant who is a welder or willing to do labor so that your children will have access to a better life. Canada still may be ok, but if you are a professional there is no opportunity, even my wife and I are leaving for far better jobs and far lower taxes in the United States as we are both professionals in our fields.

7. Out Of Control Cost Of Living.
Your are right, the price of real estate is exploding in Canada and if you do not own a home now, then entering the market at a working class salary is slipping out of reach. I do want to mention though that if you are willing to move to small cities throughout Canada the cost of living relative to your wage may still be ok. I admit that wages in Canada are largely out of step with other countries, this is tied into high taxes though.

6. Health Care Crisis.
Right with this one but this problem is very difficult. I don't know if any political party can solve it. The true culprit here is the same enemy Tommy Douglas had when he fought to create public health care in the first place. The real enemy is the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. This body purposely maintains a low supply of doctors, artificially high education standards (keeping out immigrant doctors from entering the system) so that doctors can continue to have high salaries Trouble with taking on doctor's though is that when they walk off work, people die and that is political suicide.

5. Very High Taxes.
Your right, but again this is the Liberal Party of Canada, I have hope that it will fall under the Conservatives, they have already lowered the GST a little. NDP may not change this but it is up to you how important this is and how you want to vote. Just don't vote for the Liberals.

4. Money Hungry Government.
Again Liberal party, when you are taking money and literally handing it in envelopes to your Québec elite what else is there to say...

3. No Culture.
Your right but again it did not use to be like this. Before Trudeau and if you talk to any Canadian that was here before 1970 there was a very clear Canadian Culture. Think of Australia. We knew who we were, we were a British colony with a French minority. Now no one knows what Canada is because the idea of our British history was so offensive to Liberal Elitists that it had to be destroyed and replaced with another Liberal idea "multi-culturalism" which is essentially a code word for no culture at all for Canada.

2. Worst Weather.
Yes, Canada has the worst weather, that is why we skate around and play hockey. : )

1. No Jobs.
There are jobs but they are not professional jobs. I am not going to argue, my wife and I are leaving because we have professional jobs but they pay poorly after we are done paying twice as much taxes as we would in the U.S.

The Liberal Party though has mesmerized the Greater Toronto Area / Ontario who now believe that the source of Canada is the very party who did such incredible damage to it. I have hope and we may move back here when we retire but we certainly plan to make our livings in the United States hopefully in 30 years Canada will be fixed but it will never be fixed under the Liberals. Vote in the NDP or the Conservatives, anything but the Liberals.

Harvey Delaine
New York, USA
hsdelaine @ hotmail.com

October 31,  2006

Canada is desperate for bodies.

Some years ago there was a study done on Canada’s declining population. Later it turned into a joke, that being ‘by the year 2150, there will be only one person left in Canada, it would be a woman living in the Northwest Territories’

But kidding aside, the trend they studied was indeed happening. For a few reasons I will outline below.

First, on average, white Canadians do not have as many kids as people in other countries. Perhaps it is culture or the high costs associated with raising a child in Canada.

Second, people are not as interested in immigrating to Canada, like several decades ago. The rest of the world has caught up, while Canada has remained dormant.

Finally, born and raised Canadians are leaving the country for better jobs and opportunities elsewhere. Many (most) never return.

So Canada is left in a situation where they desperately need people to come and pay taxes to support their economy. So that is why the government so frantically tries to lure and recruit people from overseas.

Canadian immigration officials, Canadian immigration lawyers hold seminars in big five star hotels all over the world. They do their very best to lie and attract the richest foreigners to come to Canada.

After these foreigners arrive in Canada however, the reality is a different world.

Erik Manso
formerly of Ontario (now in California)
emanso @ yahoo.com

October 25,  2006

Wow,

I have never read so many comments from clueless people in my Life...

Why are you under the illusion that Canada owes you something???? What you
should of researched or had the common sense to fathom, is that Canada could
give you the opportunity for a better life...

The wording here is precise...COULD....Not should or will!!! Could...

What you make of that opportunity is up to you. But if it doesn't work
out...Hold your hands up and be honest...Say(for whatever reason) you need
to justify to yourself..i.e Government conspiracy, racism, unlucky, etc and
move the Hell out..

Making room for more deserving, grateful people....

The rest of us Canadians live in 12 bed roomed castles, drive Mercedes and
are chauffer driven to work....

Why should you get that right away when we have toiled our whole lives in
this country and you are newbie's????

If you are Lucky enough to move here have realistic expectations and assume
you will not be given opportunities till you have earned them.

Foreign qualifications, although recognized by Immigration will not be
recognised by any one else..Look into bridging qualifications or resitting
the same qualification in Canada.

You have lived here for all of 2 minutes...what makes you so special????
Be realistic, learn the language, pay your dues, acclimatize and most
importantly...

If you don't like it or it hasn't worked out for you...Leave..Canada owes
you NOTHING....

Mark Edge
mountieuk @ hotmail.com

October 24,  2006

Your comments posted on notcanada.com don't seem to make any sense at all.
They clearly lack valid arguments and by the nature of your thoughts you're
also misinformed. However, I felt compelled to respond for several reasons.
First, if you always write in that fashion and claim you have a bachelor's
degree, I would really doubt about your attendance to any well-established
Canadian University. (By the way, it is properly written "bachelor's", when
writing in first person. Not bachelor) e.g. I have a bachelor's degree!
Additionally, you should get the "facts" and inform yourself better before
making any claims referring to the so-called "Canadian standards". Do your
homework.

If you're to speak about "STANDARDS" you'll notice (by reading and
researching) that many countries have equal, if not higher "STANDARDS"
compared to Canada's in many areas such as education, science, technical
research, engineering, medicine, and even arts.
Not to mention that the great majority of scientific and technological
advances are imported into Canada, and not developed in Canada or by
Canadians as you may think.

The fact of the matter is that expressions and views such as "Standards",
"Go back to your country", and "Moving to Canada is a step forward and a
privilege, not a right" are being used by people like you, when no other
intelligent arguments can be set forward, and makes the rest of us
(Canadians) who believe in an open and fair society (such as Pierre Elliot
Trudeau did) look like idiots.

Patrick Kavanagh
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
djcoma @ msn.com

October 21,  2006

Hello "Not Canada":

Well your name says it all doesn't it? If you don't like Canada, why move here? Move to the US if that's what you prefer. Or better yet, move back to your home country. There's a reason why doctors or engineers or lawyers can't find work here right away, it's called "STANDARDS". Obviously, Canadian standards for professions is going to be different than foreign countries, we are a developed nation. I work in a pharmacy company, and the comment I hear most is how different Canadian pharmacy is different from back home, from foreign pharmacists, and they can't wait to do their upgrading to become licensed here. In the meantime, they go to community college and become pharmacy technicians. They actually know that they have to work for what they want to have in their new country, they don't just expect everything.

They know that coming to Canada is a PRIVILEGE, not a RIGHT. Even if immigrants have to work as a taxi driver or in a factory, guess what? In Canada you have freedom, quality of life, no human rights abuses and a rich country that will look after those down on their luck. Quite a difference from many countries in Africa and Asia where human rights abuses and lack of freedom are a daily fact of life. Moving to Canada is a step up in itself! This is a country where if you work hard, you will be rewarded. Immigrants with your attitude don't want to work hard. Foreign experience or education by itself doesn't count? No it doesn't, Canada and Asia and Africa are totally different places in the world, so obviously you will need Canadian experience and education and upgrading.

Yet there are people who expect to be able to come to Canada and practice their profession right away? I'd be scared to be treated by a foreign doctor or pharmacist without them being trained to Canadian standards. When foreign professionals are trained to Canadian standards, they are able to practice. For those too lazy to upgrade, then yes they will get the jobs that Canadians don't want. Why should I as a Canadian professional be displaced by someone who just came here when I've been here all my life and paid taxes all my life? I haven't gotten a free ride, and I'll be damned if someone not even born here gets one over me. Work for what you have like Canadians do! Be honoured that you're finally in such an exceptional country! I thank God I was born here vs. somewhere in Asia or Africa every day!

I have a Bachelor degree from Canada, and while it took a while for even me to become established in my career, now I will have no problem. It's called working your way up, and while professional immigrants seem to want the world handed to them on a silver platter at the expense of actual Canadians, it doesn't happen that way. The day I am displaced from my professional job by someone from another country with no Canadian experience or equivalency, when I worked my ass off for my experience, is the day I move to the US.

I am not against immigrants in any way. Born here, my parents and grandparents were immigrants. We are a country built on immigrants. But just like the generations of Europeans who built this country and had to work their way up for what they have, you're damn right that current immigrants from Asia and Africa will have to do the same. Work for what you have the way Canadians do!

Thanks!

Christine S.
leadlady @ hotmail.com

October 20,  2006

Hi everybody,

I am glad, that I came across this site and share a few thoughts with you. I came to Canada, because of the slow economy in Germany. And the canadian consulates are doing a great job selling and promoting Canada.

Canada is only looking for low cost worker that can fill in the positions, that no canadian would take. I am very happy about the fact, that I have kept my family back in Germany and not moved over here. After being confronted with the real world, I can only say, CANADA is not worth it. I will not stay. I thought we had a drug problem back in Europe.

I will not support this system with my skills and hard work and all I say is: Don't listen to any immigration agent.

Hope, that you all make the right choice

Harald - Alberta
haraldengling @ aol.com

October 13,  2006

Hi there,

I have seen your website and I really admire your effort to help people immigrating to Canada to avoid a real waste o time, money, and effort.

But, I think that your website has no use if you do not include it in google and yahoo searchs, for example, when someone searchs for "immigration canada" it would be great if your website appeared in the search list because that way people could notice it and read it.

I personally would not have had immigrated to Canada had I seen your website before, in my country the canadian and quebec consulates are really "selling" the idea that Canada is a great place to live and work and that is the reason why so many people go there, waste their time and money just to end up going back.

This situation helps canadian local people live at a luxury level, that is very unfair.

We should try to lower immigration into that country because it is a total fraud. Canadians are totally fake people, they just take care of their image a lot, but inside they are all racist.

I hope something can be done to place your website in google and yahoo searchs so that people can see it ahead of time and do not immigrate there, to the land of "waste"

Thanks

J.M. Red
jmred @ web.de

October 05,  2006

"There is hunger crisis in the GTA." taken from www.dailybread.ca click on the "Who's hungry..." link. The Daily Bread Food Bank is a food bank in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

So sad that there are so many hungry people in this "first world" nation. Yeah, any proud Canadian may say "this is a great country, that's why we have the food banks to feed the lazy people." Well, some news for you, proud Canadian: most of these people aren't lazy, they are working but the money they make is so low that it isn't enough to feed their families.

"Working Poor: More than half of the people who are working and using food banks earn a wage of $10/hr or more. However, food bank clients work an average of just 25 hours per week. Most say they want more hours, but are unable to get them..."

"Immigrants: Over 40% of food bank clients in the GTA are foreign born. Nearly half of these immigrants have been in Canada for 4 years or less. Many are prevented from working in their fields because their professional credentials aren't recognized. They are unable to find jobs, even though close to 2/3 have post-secondary education..."

To the people who are planning to apply for Immigration Canada (or even thinking about it): another BIG thing that this "GREAT" country has to offer is HUNGER for YOU and YOUR FAMILIES!!!

Moving South is an option for those who are stuck here. Just wait 3 years, get your Canadian passport, and apply for a job and work permit in the USA. In my case, I've just got one more year to leave this living hell.

Christian Collantes
collanteschristian @ yahoo.ca

October 05,  2006

I have been reading posts of disillusioned immigrants sharing their bitter experiences and responses by regular Canadian citizens partially agreeing or vigorously defending Canada. I am sure that complaints posted by those immigrants have merit but the irony to me is that the members of the least prejudiced and probably most immigrant friendly nation have to defend their country while the actual culprit is the Canadian government and not a regular Canadian citizen.

It took me only a few days and not weeks or months that Canadian government is an inefficient one that breeds complacency. The government of course is failing the immigrants by not having a coherent and functional system to help them get jobs related to their skills. It’s primarily government who is responsible for a high cost of living. Just about everything here is more expensive here than in US and I wonder why

1. Canada produces and exports oil to US and yet it’s more expensive here than in US.
2. A decent house with upgraded appliances and furnishings in Texas or in most US states costs two or three times cheaper than one in suburbs of Toronto while land, lumbar or just about anything you need to build a house is available here in abundance.
3. I used to pay about $200 or $250 auto insurance in most states in US for six month period and here and it averages about $200 a month.

Yes, they have medical treatment almost for free but on the flipside its costing tax payers a lot and if only they relax the acceptance system only a bit there are thousands of immigrant’s doctors willing to join the workforce that will bring the cost per patient down and improve the quality of service. They are the same doctors who spent years in their own countries to treat people with probably more complex medical issues back there. I was told upon arriving in Canada that the medical system and Insurance companies are like a mafia here. I tend not to disagree and only add that the government is the Godfather.

I personally have no complaints to a regular Canadian. They surprise me with their tolerance towards immigrants and the culture they bring along. I just request them to please understand that it’s the government most complaints and whining are directed to or at least that’s what I understand.

One thing that I’d strongly disagree from notcanada.com is that “there are no jobs”. Availability of jobs depends on the economic process and these days you really can’t say that there are no jobs. There is gold rush of jobs in Calgary and Edmonton and in general, economy is good but yes you have to be qualified for that.

And in case you are wondering, I am an immigrant who is a native of Pakistan, lived 14 years in US and immigrated to Canada and running a successful business here. My personal situation has no bearing on my opinion but on my observation of the government, the people and the system.

Regards
Motor Head
speedxtreem @ yahoo.com
 

October 03,  2006

To Notcanada.com
 
I have been reading this forum for a while now and the posts talk about many things, but I think many have missed the point.
 
Canada, like any other country, will use what they have to make money. Some countries have produce, some countries have oil, some countries have diamonds. Canada
has something very unique, and that is 'first world country status'. Who gave this status to Canada? Lord only knows, but the fact remains that Canada has it.
 
So they will use it to make money. How? Immigration.
 
All over the world, Canadian embassies have been trained to lure foreigners to Canada. These embassies paint this picture that Canada is the greatest place in the Universe. Free health care, free education, free everything. Jobs, just waiting for you, as soon as you get off the airplane you will be hired. Because, there is a shortage of everything in Canada, shortage of doctors, shortage of skilled workers, shortage of tradesmen etc.
 
None of this is true.
 
But Canada is succeeding in luring foreigners to Canada. Why? Because they have this ‘first world country status’ and people overseas believe that this ‘status’ makes Canada better than their home countries. So they seek that (worthless) Canadian citizenship.
 
I grew up in Canada and honestly I would rather live in a second world country. I eventually moved here to the U.S. because Canada had nothing to offer me. So to those who think ‘I will move to Canada for my children’s future’ let me tell you, trust me, your kids have no future in Canada. We, the ones who grew up there, had to permanently leave the country in order to make something of our lives.
 
Dr. Bruce Lin
Queens, New York
dblinmd @ yahoo.com

Sept 21,  2006

Dear Friend Shannon Fraser,

I was going thro notCanada.com where I saw your writing which shreds anger. You are son of the soil and have a full right on what you say.

But friend is it really nice to blame the immigrants. Your government and its agencies are bringing out big adds in our country telling lousy stories of Canada. People are fooled to believe that gold coins are on the roads. Immigrants are coming from those countries where net is not popular so they are not able to verify websites. They trusts your Governments advertisements. They believe in the advertisements only where your government avoids telling about taxes. We are coming to know details only thro this websites like notCanada.com and also from the writing of the frustrated immigrants.

The writers are mostly qualified and having hands on experience having good potential demand in their country. It is because of the intelligent advertisement of your government that they were lured and is now victimized. Many are staying because of their ego. Just tell me is it fair on your government part to lure a doctor and force him to become a van driver. In this case whom do you blame?

So now you Canadians should come out in the road and ask your government to stop kidding. make it clear that professionals have no opening here in Canada. Those willing to do blue color jobs only should come to Canada. Since the Government is elected by you we blame you for this way to earn foreign exchange at the cost of innocence of migrants.

With best wishes.
Yours loving friend

Subroto Sarkar
India
kittu_pondy @ hotmail.com

Sept 18,  2006

I find it rather funny when Canadians boldly claim that they have the best city in the world, namely Vancouver. I lived in Vancouver and let me tell you that it is very far from being the best. Here is the list of the serious problems I can think of in that city:

1. Crime/Drugs

Being a port city, drug trafficking is a big problem in Vancouver. It tends to be the hub for a lot of the drug traffic. This leads to crime such as property theft which is very prevalent throughout the city. Many cars and bikes are stolen daily. Houses are broken into regularly. Most of the thieves are after property where they can sell it for quick cash.

2. Increasing real estate prices

It is becoming increasingly expensive to live in Vancouver. A lot of real estate has doubled in price over the recent years. It is getting outrageous. This is not a good situation for the average working civilian. Back in the old days, a family could afford to buy a house if you worked hard for a few years. Nowadays, average citizens have to work an average of 30 years to pay off the mortgage on a house.

3. Business/Jobs/High taxes

Overall, Vancouver isn't a good place for business or finding good jobs readily. There are not many opportunities here compared to places like Dubai, New Delhi, New York, Tokyo or some of the bigger cities of the world. Our population is relatively small and the taxes are very high. The average person pays about 50% in taxes if you count all of the semi-hidden semantic words for tax (gas tax, insurance, property tax, environmental levies, license permits, income tax, goods and services tax, tips, etc.)

4. Education

People who want to learn should have the opportunity to have an education. Due to increasing tuition costs, many students cannot afford to pay for their education. This is a waste of talent.

5. Health Care

Canada does have some of the most advanced medical technologies and researchers in the world. It's too bad the system as a whole is on life support. People are dying due to the fact that there are not enough practicing doctors, nurses and hospital facilities. Some are in urgent need of critical surgery but due to the long wait lists for surgery...by the time they have an open spot for the surgery, the patient has passed away.

As a city and nation, I believe it's important that the average citizen should be able to have a reasonable job, have a little money left over each month and be able to afford to live in a house if they worked hard. However, this is becoming more of an exception rather than the norm.  

If the ones at the top continue to be selfish at the expense of the average citizens, this would eventually lead us all into a downfall. It didn't take many people at the top to ruin the once powerful USSR. It is an example of what can happen when the few people at the top only care for their own short-term benefits instead of the citizens of the nation in the long-term. People can achieve a better outcome in the long-term if they worked together as a team instead of against each other.

Andy Kim
akim74 @ uwaterloo.ca

Sept 15,  2006

Hello everyone, As an immigrant that came here in March 2001 from the USA
and after reading all the comments posted on here I thought I would like to
put in my own opinion as Canada is a free country where everyone is entitled
to their own opinion even though others may disagree with them.

I truly sympathize with the new immigrants and all that they are going
through as I know the frustration that they are going through. However hard
work and persistence does pay off. I like so many new immigrants started out
working night shifts in a warehouse. Many a time I wondered why I was doing
this when I did have a good job back home. Let me tell you this, work at it
and do not give up hope. I was there for 5 years and had a good paying job
in my field of work, a nice house (no doubt it may have been out in Milton
but never the less its HOME :)

I came to Canada with the mind set that I was willing to start at the very
bottom and thats exactly what I did. Do not go there expecting to start at
and maintain the same job and standard of living that you had in your home
country. The taxes may be high but let me tell you this... where else in the
world would you have excellent health care at the cost of $0.00. I took time
off from work for 6 months and got paid (Yes got paid for those six months)
and got to spend time with my daughter. Being from the US let me tell you
how many days you get of parental leave... NONE. Maternity leave is about 6
weeks and thats it.

Now I am back in the US and just wanted to say as an former immigrant and
now proud Canadian Citizen. Its hard but you can make it, and I am sure
there are many other success stories out there too. Just dont give up and
don't complain and work at it and you will succeed.

Please do not be racist against anyone, everyone here were once immigrants
and worked hard to get to where they are. People here are a lot more
welcoming that in the United Sates. Being bitter isn't going to solve
anything nor is it going to land you a job.

Good luck to all the new immigrants out there.

Lance Fernandes
Nebraska USA (Milton, Ontario)
lancef @ hotmail.com

Sept 15,  2006

If you are simultaneously a "visible-minority" and "language(English/French)-no-speak."

Me, I am a 2x-year-old guy who resides in Quebec.  I have two Master degrees (MSc and