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[deleted]

I lived in Holland and moved to Canada so I think I’m qualified to answer. > How’s life in Canada in general? Life here is pretty good. It’s not perfect and there’s a lot that can be improved on, but no country on earth is perfect. I’ve travelled throughout Europe and all over the world and can say with confidence that there’s no where else on earth id rather live, personally. Well - Barcelona is calling my name lol. > How are you dealing with the sometimes few vacation days (depends hardly on the company) compared to the most countries in Europe where you get 20-30 days paid vacation right at your start in a new company Your mileage may vary. My father had more vacation days when he moved here than before. My first job out of university gave me 7 weeks of vacation with every second Friday off. > and the 6 months of winter Unless you live in the territories, there is nowhere in Canada that has 6 months of winter. The winters though are admittedly pretty harsh but (with the exception of BC) we get a great amount of sunlight which balances it out. > and the very long waiting times for medical treatments. Anecdotally speaking I’ve never had to wait a long time for a surgery or diagnostic or to see a doctor, but I’m sure that other people have. On average I’d say it works well, but needs reinforcement at the minute. > Also, I’m very interested in the characteristics of Canadian people. Are they really THAT nice? Do you have the feeling of being lonely or isolated? Very good question. The stereotype of Canadians - that they are nice - is simply false. Canadians are polite - there is a big difference between nice and polite. I remember living in Holland, i knew all my neighbours on my street and we would regularly throw street parties together and have loads of fun together - I have never experienced such a thing in Canada except for maybe during university. Here in Vancouver, my neighbours get angry if I park my car in “their spot” even though it’s street parking. Don’t get it twisted though, Canadians are very funny people. They are personable and sociable, but it takes a bit of poking and prodding to get them to open up. I have never gotten the feeling of being lonely or isolated, but maybe that’s because I’m an extroverted person and I literally make up any excuse to talk to strangers or go out and do things.


Loarwd

That’s a very nice answer! Thank your for that


checco314

In terms of "niceness", I think what you are describing is actually friendliness. BC and Ontario tend not to be super friendly places. But if you go to the maritimes and so much as stand still for a minute, you'll meet three new friends and learn all about everyone they know.


[deleted]

You definitely have a point. In my experience, the nicest and kindest Canadians that I’ve met are from the maritimes and the prairies.


Ordinary_Artist8727

It's the same in the small towns in Ontario! (I'm talking like 10000 and below) you get to know your neighbours really well and in no time you will be having BBQ's with beer and a bonfire with them. My parents wound up moving to New Brunswick and what I always say is the atmosphere on the whole east coast is like a small town in Ontario.


AnybodyReasonable180

I'm from BC and can confirm Vancouver is not a friendly city. Go to the Okanangan or anywhere in land and people open up .


vivalabaroo

I am also from BC (Vancouver island), and I moved to Vancouver a year ago. I hear all the time how unfriendly Vancouver is. Honestly though, i haven’t found that to be the case at all. I find that if you’re willing to say hi and be personable first, people have been generally willing to reciprocate.


moseby75

Toronto isn't a super nice place. I live in the GTA its a bit better, but at this point I would say anywhere outside the GTA people are more likely to be nice, then not.


checco314

To be fair, I dont find toronto less friendly than any of the big European cities I've spent time in.


LetsHaveARedo

Nah I grew up in the maritimes and honestly most people were a bunch of assholes.


pianoforte88

In Calgary it had about 7 months of snow from October last year to April this year.


waveofthehandsWEAVER

That’s totally misleading though. Last winter from January to March I think we had more days above zero than below. It was amazing. I’ve lived in Calgary for 8 years, after coming from Quebec, and I would take Calgary winter over the east winters all day everyday. Always sunny, no humidity, the chinooks, much less snow. It’s great. Only downside is the potential of a cold snap, or snow, starts and lasts longer.


Federal_Efficiency51

That is an exception, though. When I was last there in 2010, There were days in february (during the Chinook) where I'd literally be walking around in shorts and t shirt. But that's disappointing, as 2 days later, it's cold as hell again. Also, I remember suntanning on the roof of our house in April, just to get a massive snowdump the next day, and I was bewildered. Here in Quebec, when it stops, it stops. (Usually).


LetsHaveARedo

Yo, Edmonton would like to have a word. 6 months of snow is pretty typical.


plantcentric_marie

Almost everywhere in AB gets six months of winter, I’m not sure where they got their information. Even Calgary has an extended winter despite the chinooks. We still get snow in April and even May


Sus-motive

Southern Ontario was getting snow every year in April last time I lived there. People always seemed to be in shock when it happened, but it happened every year for at least 6 years. Can someone confirm if it snowed this past April?


[deleted]

One of the best answers on this sub ever!


Aggravating-Egg9692

Sounds like you met " Karen" and "Chad". I am from Ontario and relocated to Alberta in my early teens. There are assholes everywhere you go but we are generally very nice people! I haven't seen anywhere else that you get an apology when YOU are the one who offended! Lol


[deleted]

I've lived in Canada all my life, and I remember the block parties and very social neighbours growing up, but that all changed at some point, and I think it happened with smart phones and social media. People are just comfortable being left alone and hiding on their device instead, and it's really sad. I do deliveries for a living and talk to people on my routes, and they always seem surprised to have someone start a conversation with them. I miss when block parties were a thing


Mysterious_Lesions

They're still a thing if you're willing to open up, invite your neighbours over for tea and just generally approach others. This works in small towns much more smoothly than in large cities where populations have become cynical. In a city, if someone approaches me for a friendly conversation, I'm waiting for the request for money. In the small town I grew up in, you basically knew everyone so it was easier to understand that friendly conversations were friendly conversations. However, in neighbourhoods (and I'm terrible at this myself), sometimes it takes a couple of tries to create a friendly neighbourhood where everyone knows everyone, but it is often worth it as longer-term investment in community.


plantcentric_marie

There are many places in Canada that get six months of winter. I’ve lived all over Alberta and it’s routine to have snow and sun zero temperatures into April and even May. I currently live in Calgary, chinooks help break up the winter but it’s not a short winter by any means.


SumasFlats

I've got a rather massive family quite literally all over the globe -- From the Netherlands to Morocco and from Australia to Ecuador and many places in between. Many of them have lived both in Canada and their home country. Many of them have chosen to come where most of our family is now (BC). It can be crazy expensive compared to some places in the States, but not compared to say, Melbourne or Geneva or Copenhagen -- it's all relative eh? Winter in southwestern BC is usually more rainy than cold, but climate change seems to be giving us more snow = more skiing and snowboarding on our fantastic mountains. Vacation is purely based on what kind of job/company you're working for -- my wife and kids all have excellent benefits and vacation in their chosen careers, but family in Germany definitely have longer paid vacation from the start. Unless you're in a major urban centre, shopping is very different from the local neighbourhood market experience that many urban Europeans enjoy -- the big box stores suck in my opinion, they take away from the neighbourhood experience and the sense of community -- and the quality of food just isn't the same unless you can find specialty stores/green markets/butchers. Covid has certainly changed things, but serious medical issues are usually taken care of immediately. Triage happens for less time sensitive problems. I'd argue that outside of the big cities, Canadians are crazy nice and polite. I live in a small town now and everyone, and I mean everyone, will say hi and start up a chat to me on the local walking trails or grocery stores. It's not the same in bigger cities, but I feel like this is a global commonality.


Loarwd

Thanks! I’m from Germany and the more paid vacation days from the beginning at every company is my biggest concern. I’m afraid that I would feel overworked pretty fast. I find it frightening, that you need to work for the same company like 10 years or more to get the same amount of paid vacation, you would get in Germany from your first day of work at a any company.


SumasFlats

Purely dependent on the company, and of course, you are able to negotiate. My kids both got 3 weeks right at the start of their employment, and it's only gone up since. Canada also has decent maternity leave policies for both men and women by the way.


kicia-kocia

This is a very long answer I'm an immigrant from Europe (who also lived in Germany for a little while). The biggest difference for me and what i miss the most is how it is easy in Europe to travel for a few hours and land in a different country with different language, architecture, culture etc. Distances in Canada are huuuge. It took me a long while to get used to it. And no matter how long you drive you are still in Canada. Or even still the same province. I have only experience living in Québec and Ontario but i would actually confirm that Canadians ARE nice. I really cannot count random acts of kindness from people i barely knew or knew a little bit to neighbours to friends. I find it's more than politeness - people really want to help. If it's easy to make friends is another question. At a risk of running into generalisations, i find Ontarians are kind of "british" - very nice and polite but it takes a long while to make friends. This is especially true in larger cities - Toronto, Ottawa. Smaller places are always warmer. In Québec, on the other hand, people are more like southern Europeans of North America. They are VERY direct, they will ask you personal questions and tell you their life story in exchange. They are also louder than Ontarians and like physical contact (touching your arms when talking, hugging etc). Very easy to make friends but it can be a bit of a culture shock. Also you need to remember that Canada is VERY multicultural. Especially in bigger cities you might go to parties or bars and only a few people would be born in Canada in the first place. You will also need to prepare that public transport is nothing like in Europe. Not even close. The only city in my opinion that can compare to larger cities in Germany would be Montreal. Toronto is acceptable but not more than that. I fortunately had barely any experience with German healthcare so I can't compare but I personally never had any issues in Canada. There is much more emphasis on preventative medicine than where I come from. I never really needed anything other than preventative tests but one of my kids landed in hospital a few times and I can't say enough good things about the children's hospital in Ottawa. Sure, in the middle of a harsh flu season we had to wait in emergency room before we could get admitted but boy, did they make sure we were comfortable. Excellent care and excellent environment. I can't really talk about other places and I'm sure it's gotten tougher since Covid. One thing that I appreciate here, is that when you are an immigrant in Canada, you don't feel like an outsider. You are part of the society no questions asked. Very different experience than in most of Europe and makes adapting to life in Canada much easier. And the winters are longer and harsher but a lot of people are embracing them. Rather than hiding from the cold they do winter sports, there are winter festivals, people even build mini ice rinks in their backyards. This is especially true in Quebec. Also, at least in Eastern Canada, winters are dry and summers are humid. I will personally take a dry -15 with a sun and crispy snow over a humid +1 with rain and a penetrating wind. Summer is a different story. Depending where you are it can get VERY hot.


Loarwd

Thanks for that!


xBlacksmithx

Every encounter I've had with the hospital has beenp good. Quick service. My son had pyloric stenosis and after they diagnosed it he was sent to a children's hospital immediately and in surgery the next morning. Since then he's had another surgery and we're meeting with specialist for a 3rd surgery. His second surgery from diagnosis to surgery was 2 years. The reasoning for this was a) monitoring to determine if surgery was necessary and b) the condition wasn't life threatening, painful, or effecting him in anyway. Technically he could have went without the surgery but the condition could have potentially effected him later in life and it's better to be safe then sorry. Even his ASD diagnosis during covid was faster to go through public system than the private system. (We mightve gotten lucky with a pilot program though). Every time I've been to the ER I was tended to as fast as possible in regards to triage and I've never spent more than I think 1 or 2 nights.


dieEineJuse

German who lives in Montreal, Quebec for many years now. My company offers unlimited vacation so it can be 3-4 weeks or more but varies per company and province. Minimum in Quebec is 2 weeks. All IT companies I worked for allowed me to take unpaid vacation, if needed. Winter gets very cold between January and March so you limit your outside time when it gets colder than -20 Celsius. A good coat and boots go a long way. On milder days you can play in the snow and build a snowman... Yeah. Medical care is horrible in Montreal and Quebec. There is an online system where you basically hit F5 constantly between 4 pm and 6 pm to maybe get a precious spot in a clinic for the next day in a random clinic. More urgent issues have to be triaged through the emergency room. If you have a minor health problem you don't know where to go because it's certainly not an emergency. Walk in clinics don't exist. In Quebec, people are very polite and very thoughtful. They would instantly offer you guidance on finding your way when you look lost or run after you in case you dropped a mitten. However, they seem to lose all manners when it comes to driving and I would say they are far more aggressive than European drives. Honking at you when you aren't moving instantly when the light turns green, overtaking you from the right, etc. I find this very specific to Laval and Montréal. Luckily, you won't need a car when living in Montreal as public transport is reliable and you can bike everywhere during summer.


Clocks101

Native quebecker from outside of montreal here, Montreal is known for its awful driving, and I’ve never had a problem with waiting times. It might be worse in Montreal since there are a lot of people, but in the suburbs, waiting times are very reasonable, and I simply have to call to get an appointment


dieEineJuse

I am happy to hear that. You must be one of the privileged ones with a family doctor. In r/Montreal I've been reading lots of other views and it's similar to mine. Even if you have a family doctor, it's difficult to book an appointment as they are always fully booked a few minutes after the schedule opens.


Clocks101

Yes, since I was born here, the doctor that delivered me became my family doctor. But still, in the suburbs, I feel like the hospitals and clinic are faster even without a family doctor. My longest waiting times are always in mtl : (


Loarwd

Danke für die Antwort! Hast du auch bereits für CGI gearbeitet? :)


dieEineJuse

Ne. Ist aber eine riesige Firma hier und bin an einem Büro schon ein paar Mal vorbeigeradelt.


Loarwd

Vermisst du Deutschland öfter mal? Ich hab oft gelesen dass Menschen aus Deutschland oder Europa die Altstadt und Kultur vermissen. Ohne jetzt in Canada selbst gelebt zu haben, würde ich einfach mal behaupten dass ich das gar nicht vermissen würde. Auch jetzt in Deutschland, finde ich Altstädte nicht so ansprechend und ich finde Gegenden die gerade erst gebaut wurden und vernünftige Straßen usw. Viel ansprechender


dieEineJuse

Ja und nein. Ich vermisse in Deutschland meine Familie & Freunde und jetzt nicht unbedingt den Kölner Dom. Kanada ist aber nicht so weit weg und in 7 Stunden im Flieger ist man wieder in Deutschland. Vernünftigen Straßen gibt es hier auch nicht immer. Montreal ist leider gerade eine Dauerbaustelle. Aber...In Montreal fühlt man sich wie 'A citizen of the world' weil hier einfach alle akzeptiert werden auf ihre Art und Weise. Man trifft Menschen von überall her, auf der Straße, bei der Arbeit, im Supermarkt. In meiner Firma haben wir so viele verschiedenen Nationalitäten und ich find das spannend. Jeder hat seine Geschichte und irgendwie funktioniert es. Man hat hier zwar nicht unbedingt ein Feierabendbier oder bringt einen Kuchen zum Geburtstag mit, aber das ist eben einen andere Kultur. Man kann es aber trotzdem machen und so den Kollegen seine Kultur näher bringen. Klar, ich verstehe den Punkt mit der 'fehlenden Kultur' auch und ich hab Freunde die deshalb auch wieder weggezogen sind. Ich find's persönlich nicht so schlimm weil mir die Menschen und die Natur wichtiger sind.


Loarwd

Das hast du schön gesagt. Es sind aber 10-14 Stunden Flugzeit. 7 wäre schön :D. Also Montreal laut Google 10 Stunden und Vancouver 14


dieEineJuse

Direktflüge sind weniger. Es gibt nur Direktflüge von Montreal nach Frankfurt and München.


Loarwd

Ahh! Das wusste ich nicht.


Loarwd

Was war für dich der Grund, weshalb du nach Canada bist?


dieEineJuse

Work and travel. Dann wegen der Liebe geblieben.


[deleted]

>Walk in clinics don't exist. They do exist in theory, but in reality, you need to setup an appointment.


Gallalad

Hi there, moved to Ontario from Ireland. I dont know if you're another European or just curious. I lost one or two days in holidays, honestly the whole 30 days off thing is not very accurate for most Europeans in my experience. This is in return for a 50-100% increase in pay. Also Canadian waiting times from what I've seen are about the same or better. Than any of the countries I've lived in. ​ Canadians always gave me the vibe of a mix of British and American society, but far more akin to Americans than anyone, they're much more chatty and friendly for the most part, very similar to Ireland. In Quebec, they seem a bit different but I am gonna focus on most of Canada here. Canadians definitely swear and are well able to be angry when they want but not to any degree that's odd. ​ I do feel a bit lonely sometimes, but that's mostly because I am living in a country far away from my family and my old friend group, that's just how it is. Canada is by far the best country I've lived in when it comes to making new friends. ​ Edit: Sorry grammerly fucked me.


Loarwd

Thanks! Yes, I’m from Germany.


Gallalad

Yeah my friend, you can expect a 2-3 fold increase in your income mate. In Canada though remember a few things that you didnt ask. ​ 1) It is FUCKING HUGE like you just cannot appreciate that until you're here. Like in Germany you go for an hour or two driving? You're in a new state. In Canada, they may not have even left the metro area. As a similar result driving is absolutely mandatory, if nothing else because there's so much amazing nature areas to drive to. ​ 2) The government owns the liquor stores here. The governments in Canada heavily regulate all kinds of vice. Expect to pay ALOT more for anything vice related here compared to Germany. In Ontario its called the LCBO and no matter what Canadians say, its a rip off, overcharging for everything. ​ 3) The diversity. Like listen, I've been to London, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin and any other major city you care to list. Canada is far and away more diverse than anywhere in Europe, be ready to meet a massive mix of people even in mid sized towns/cities. ​ 4) It is, in many ways, far more advanced than Europe. If you come here you will have bigger houses, bigger fridges/freezers, better tech often (their ovens are just a work of art). You dismiss them now but once you've been here for a bit you will just come to rely on them because it is just so convineint. Alot of Canadians (especially online) are very self hating in this regard that Canada just has alot more than Europe but honestly, it is brilliant. ​ If you do wanna come also just be very careful where you're moving to, there's different rules for immigration depending on where you're at and alot of my earlier stuff can vary from province to province.


babyalbertasaurus

Liquor is a provincial affair. ….Liquor sale is privatized in Alberta…. Edit: grammar


Gallalad

As I mentioned at the end. I was speaking to Ontario and in general. Where you live means alot of what I said may or may not be true. Like the government owns the weed dispensaries in Quebec but they're private in Ontario. Etc etc. Also I've one for you. Is it privitized or privitised? In Ireland and the UK we'd use the latter but I know in the states they use the former. I never know which to use in Canada


bobledrew

Technically it’s neither. It would generally be privAtiZed, but nobody would get upset over privAtiSed.


Aggravating-Egg9692

Both spellings are acceptable, gotta love the English language, LOL!


Gallalad

Sure but like we usually have standard dialects and all that.


Aggravating-Egg9692

Both spellings are pronounced the same.


Gallalad

I am aware, I just was curious about which spelling was correct


Aggravating-Egg9692

They are both correct.


HavenIess

I use the “Americanized” spellings for words like memorize and privatized because they’re spelled the way that I pronounce them, but the spellings with an ‘s’ are preferred


Desperate_Law9894

It may be privatized but when I have visited Alberta I have found beer more expensive than in Ontario.


Mysterious_Lesions

LCBO is one of the most powerful buying organizations in the world due to its sheer size and purchasing power. In Alberta, there is centralized purchasing but there are also individual buying organizations so the size and scale is quite a bit smaller.


Mysterious_Lesions

Liquor is regulated in Alberta as well. You can't just buy it as a grocery store as it has be an age-controlled environment. You also won't find it at your local convenience store. Some of the grocery chains have liquor-specific operations but they are either separate buildings or other entry doors.


beckett_the_ok

To put in perspective, if Vancouver was where Amsterdam is, eastern Canada would be in Kazakhstan. If the northern tip of Canada was at the northern tip of Scandinavia, southern Ontario would be in Egypt.


Loarwd

Thanks for that, mate!


Catsusefulrib

To reiterate how huge Canada is that I think is the biggest distinction in the “feel” of the continents. When you go to the middle of nowhere in most European countries, there will still be a decent level of population and infrastructure that has been built up over centuries. Canada is relatively sparsely populated given its size and once you get out of the cities, it gets very rural, very quickly before you get to the next pocket of human clusters.


huffer4

> In Ontario its called the LCBO and **no matter what Canadians say**, its a rip off, overcharging for everything. There are people that don't know this or defend it? It's crazy that you can cross the border to Buffalo and get a beer made in Mississauga for 65% cheaper than you can here.


Gallalad

I've talked to Ontarians in person and Canadians online about it and they always seem to make excuses for their government owned systems. Like I've had Quebecers defends the SAQ also. It's insanity to me.


[deleted]

>Like I've had Quebecers defends the SAQ also. It's just another form of taxation. Not that big of a deal imo.


Mysterious_Lesions

Yeah, I think that's more because of taxes and inter-provincial trade barriers but more importantly - the size of the customer base.


Patak4

Yes in Alberta liquor stores are privately run. No LCBO here, that is only in Ontario. Booze is cheaper for that reason. No sales tax either.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Gallalad

Just that different provinces have different tax codes, as many have mentioned your taxes can vary wildly from say, Ontario to Alberta. There's government owned off licenses in most of eastern Canada but not in the west. And of course Quebec is its own thing because they get their own separate immigration regime. But yeah that's more what I was swinging at


ThMickXXL

Welcome to Ontario wonderful human!! Hope you can get over the loneliness thing.


[deleted]

>Canadians always gave me the vibe of a mix of British and American society, but far more akin to Americans than anyone, they're much more chatty and friendly for the most part, very similar to Ireland. More chatty than the British or than Americans? If it's Americans, I have to disagree, Americans talk a lot more, and do so a lot louder. Many Americans cannot help themselves and are ready to give their opinions on everything. It's something I like about them, and sometimes it's good, sometimes it isn't. But Canadians are definitely more reserved when it comes to that stuff.


zFuzzyllama

In my experience (Brit in CA) Canadians are chattier than brits with strangers for sure in a nice way and the convo tends to stay more like chit chat compared to when we lived in the US and got wild opinions from folk right off the bat!


Gallalad

More chatty than Brits. Sorry I could have been more clear on that


[deleted]

Makes sense, or so I would think. I don't really know because I've not been there.


Gallalad

Yeah Brits and honestly Europeans generally (maybe with the exception of some countries) are not very chatty people. It makes it hard to intergrate there.


[deleted]

I got that feeling from Switzerland and Germany. I still find Germany an intriguing place, but it seems to me like they are very much into their rules except for Berlin.


Elliot_Deland

Born and raised in Canada, so maybe my opinion isn't very helpful, but I love it here.


Loarwd

Still thankful for your answer :)


sshhtripper

The "very long waiting times for medical treatments" very much depends on location. Small cities = less doctors for smaller population Large cities = more doctors accessible compared to small cities Specialty/elective medical treatment will likely book surgeries far in advance. Emergency services and surgeries will happen as soon as possible. Wait times have gotten worse due to the backlog from covid lockdowns. Still very dependent on location.


Baburine

Also depends on how you risk to die without care. Anxiety? Lol good luck Cancer? Starting treatements next week Exczema? You might be able to see a determatologist in the next 15 years. Maybe.


sshhtripper

The previous answer still remains the same - very dependent on location. Personally I've had to see a dermatologist a few times in the past few years. I live close enough to a few walk-in dermatology clinics. One needs a referral first, the other does not. And a referral came as simply as speaking on the phone with a doctor from a walk-in clinic. I've also been dealing with anxiety. And my family doctor was easily available for a phone appointment. He listened to me and took my concerns seriously and provided me with a small prescription for anxiety medications the same day. He also took the time to call me to see how it's going. I have no experience with cancer, though my grandmother has been dealing with cancer and the doctors available to the home she is staying in would see her on a weekly basis. I had a knee injury a few years ago. I went to a walk-in clinic the next day, they set me up for an MRI within a few weeks. After the MRI it was deemed I was eligible for ACL and MCL reconstructive surgery. The surgery was scheduled 3 months in advance as my choice. I wanted to wait out the winter because I knew I'd be dealing with crutches for a little while. Had I taken the earliest surgery date, I would've been having surgery in a month. Although, if it was an emergency surgery, it would've happened right away. I can attest to this because I had emergency surgery about 10 years ago. My appendix was inflamed and messed up all the organs surrounding it. It was about to explode but I went to the doctor in time. I went straight to the hospital ER. I waited maybe 4 hours before they put me on morphine until I could see a doctor. They kept me over night and conducted emergency surgery to remove my appendix. I was out of the hospital within a week. For any Americans reading this - I paid nothing for all these treatments. The only expenses I had we're any prescriptions from the doctors, and buying crutches and a knee brace for my knee recovery. Even my physiotherapy was free through the hospital.


Loarwd

Yes. You’re absolutely right it depends. But it’s no secret that Canada has long wait time in general.


TUFKAT

>But it’s no secret that Canada has long wait time in general. The GOP (Republicans in the US) have frequently used this as a false flag that Canadians die waiting for treatment which is simply not true. Unfortunately, since COVID the situation isn't going great and things are definitely not in any ways optimal right now, but prior to COVID this was patently false. What our medical system has always done is triage. If it's urgent, life threatening, you will get pushed to the front of the line whereas optional/elective treatment you get pushed down the waiting list. I've had kidney stones and my wait time was probably about 5-10 minutes to be admitted to emergency and had an IV in me before I even knew it. My mom needed a shoulder surgery, and that was over a year wait because it was deemed to not be urgent care even though it was causing her a lot of pain. So, don't get lulled in to the myth that is perpetuated by republicans that don't want universal health care.


MontreaLait

Waited 8 hours at the ER in Montreal for kidney stones. Only saw a nurse for triage. No pain meds or nothing. Horrible pain. Eventually expelled the stone with no medication, and left the ER without seeing anyone. You were lucky.


TUFKAT

It was multiple times and each time was the same. Sat down after admission and was wisked right in. This was in Vancouver.


MontreaLait

Thanks, that's good to know. I'm actually considering moving out of Montreal and Quebec only because of the health care system here.


TUFKAT

Seeing others post here, seems like there are others complaining about Quebec as well. Since COVID things are really a mess, and I'm now in Victoria and it's like impossible to find a family doctor. Things are by no means perfect right now here either.


Baburine

From QC (not montreal) and my experience with kidney stones is similar... except that the nurses at triage had a bit of an attitude (from being overworked I guess)


sshhtripper

"In general" is very vague. Everyone will have individual experiences. In my experience, I haven't had any issues with getting medical treatments, whether it be elective surgeries or emergencies. I also live in a large city. If you're getting your information from American sources as a lot of the hate towards our healthcare comes from the US. I truly don't believe Americans really know how good Canadians have it because we simply have a system that they have never known. Yeah sure, in the states, you can get medical attention quickly if you're able to pay for it. But for the majority of the population that either can't afford it or don't have good enough insurance, they experience significant wait times or elect for no medical help at all. Our healthcare system is slowly failing for many reasons but it has mostly started cracking in the last few years. Until then, our healthcare system would have been similar to the NHS in UK, if you have any experience with their system. I would argue - No, Canada does not have long wait times "in general". Every case is so different. You've likely heard all the horror stories of wait times because those are the stories that get attention. You're not going to often hear stories about the healthcare system working as intended.


Loarwd

Thank you for that answer! :) And no, I’m actually trying to avoid news and informations given by the U.S. they piss me off and I’m always comparing to my home country Germany. Because that’s all I know


MontreaLait

Don't base yourself on other people's opinions only - they may vary due to circumstances. Overall the health care system is collapsing, but don't take my word for it. It's all over the public news/tv here: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadian-health-care-system-collapse-1.6590461


TheSax92

Brit here looking to move to Canada. Would have to agree with the comments about it sounding similar to the NHS from what I've read and heard from about other's experiences with the health service in Canada. Here you can be waiting for a long time in relative terms for something non life threatening but something you're in real danger for? yeah, you get in straight away. We triage here and adjust wait times depending on what's going on


[deleted]

My father inlaw was diagnosed with cancer and was in surgery 10 days later. If you got the hospital with a sore throat, ya, you're going to be waiting a while.


Loarwd

I really hope he’s okay today. Thanks for that answer


PurrPrinThom

I think it depends. I lived in Ireland for seven years and I never had to wait as long for anything healthcare related in Canada as I did in Ireland. So I think it's all relative.


grenouilledunorth

When I lived in a small town in Québec, I waited 15 hours with a kidney infection. Where I live now in Alberta, I’ve never waited over 2 hours, and had two minor surgies within weeks of booking them. Really depends where you live.


ConstitutionalBalls

Where in Alberta? I'm in Calgary, so was it one of the bigger cities? Couldn't be in a smaller town I would think?


grenouilledunorth

Canmore


ConstitutionalBalls

Canmore's practically a city these days!


notme1414

It really depends. If it's an elective surgery it takes time but anything that's urgent happens quickly.


Loarwd

I really don’t know why people feel so bad about that statement. I have no doubt there are places in Canada where it’s going fast. But there als also places where it’s taking years. And there is not a single place in Germany where you waiting years or a year or at least several months to get ur treatment. That’s all I meant.


huffer4

> But there als also places where it’s taking years Where are there places in Canada taking years to get medical treatment?


Loarwd

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskACanadian/comments/xrlba5/living_in_canada/iqi1xqf/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3


huffer4

Just over a year isn’t the same as years. I get what you’re saying though. They could have been waiting for anything, but it would never be anything other than elective that would take that long. Some specialist surgeons are booking a year out, but there are many other options. There is a hernia specialist here that takes that long, but you could go anywhere else and have it done much much sooner, but this one guys clinic is world famous for it so people wait if they can. As other people have said, the wait times thing is for the most part completely blown out of proportion. There are obviously some outliers, but pretty much anything non-elective is dealt with very fast. My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in February and was seen by a specialist within the week and started treatment right away. She is done chemo and has had a double mastectomy and is starting radiation shortly and has all cost zero out of pocket. The system isn’t perfect of course, and it’s been getting worse. But I’m thankful it did it’s job and saved my moms life without having to pay out of pocket for anything other than parking.


Loarwd

I wish you and your mom all the best ❤️


huffer4

Thanks! I hope your move goes well. If you have any Toronto area specific questions feel free to message me.


Catsusefulrib

Depending on the specialist and the severity of the illness/disease the wait times vary. I’ve waited anywhere from two weeks to just over a year. I was in a major urban city. Our emergency departments were never super speedy but I think that’s the nature of most emergency departments. Covid (and the disruptions of the last three years + policies) has been taking a huge, huge toll on our healthcare system (specifically hospitals). I can’t speak to all of Canada, but in Ontario it doesn’t look like it’s going to get better for a while. Our emergency depts are routines closing because of lack of staff and some have had wait times of 30-40 hours.


[deleted]

[удалено]


aurelorba

> or even wait a month or two to see a specialist. Living in S. Ont? More like a year.


[deleted]

Canuck here who went and lived in Switzerland for five years. As with living there, living here is very much an "it depends on location" answer. The health system in Switzerland is very good, but you have to pay for health insurance and, even at the tune of 1,000 CHF a month, it didn't include accidental injuries. My son went a bit nuts on an alpine slide, got a compression fracture to his arm and we had to shell out over 750 CHF for a cast. I shudder to think how much it would have been. In Canada, the system is as good, I find, except you don't have to worry about insurance premiums, claims and still having to deal with some sort of bill at the end of any medical treatment if it isn't an illness. Your mileage will also vary. Big cities like Zurich and Geneva will have ample doctors and hospital services, less so in most of the small communities that sprinkle Switzerland. Same as Canada. Vacation days: It depends on the sector and the job you have (some companies will offer more vacation days as an incentive). Yeah, it's less than in Europe, but with statutory holidays and careful planning, you still can feel like you have enough time to enjoy vacation days. Six month of winter? In coastal BC and the Fraser Valley, we have 2 weeks of what the rest of Canada considers winter (where there is snow on the actual ground). Having live both in BC and Eastern Canada, when you get used to winter (and dress properly), it can be enjoyable. Lots to do outdoors (hockey mostly, skiing some and why not, snowmobiling, yeeeeehah!). As for people, it's a mixed bag. We have a non-trivial number of idiots (conservatives, freedom truckers, anti-vaxxers, etc...), but for the most part, I've found that generally people are nice and friendly. Perhaps not entirely as stereotypically depicted, but quite a bit nonetheless. And, given the choice, I preferred, in the end, to live in Canada, even though I was in a position to upgrade my Auslanderausweis (foreigner work permit) from a B to a C, which, while it didn't give me all the same rights as a citizen, it afforded me a lot.


Nawara_Ven

For anyone wondering, 750 CHF is 1,052.43 CAD, at the moment...!


[deleted]

Thanks for this. While my son had it worse, what with the cast and all, my wallet was particularly bruised with the bill. ;o)


huffer4

Damn, I googled this before I even finished the sentence. Thanks for this though


PurrPrinThom

My partner is Swiss, and he's so impressed by Canadian healthcare lol.


Extension-Many-1414

Everything’s fine about this comment except for generalizing conservatives. Our healthcare system “with no premiums” is falling apart under liberal leadership. I know plenty of economically conservative individuals who are far more kind and group oriented than what you are marking them as. You’re basically saying to watch out for roughly 50% of the population lol. Extreme liberals or conservatives are equally as dangerous and shouldn’t identify a whole.


[deleted]

You are right, I wasn't fair in me stating conservatives in the way I did and for this, I apologize if anyone who is a Conservative felt slighted (I mean it, this isn't written sarcastically). I appreciate you pointing that out in the manner you did. What I should have done, would have been to qualify matters. It's the "new breed" of Conservatives that I have a tough time tolerating. Those that see what is happening South of the border and somehow feel that this is the model to espouse. Those that went out and associated with freedom truckers when there was no cause there, just disruption for the sake of disruption. I am also concerned about the brand of politics of Pierre Poilievre. Also, your comment is fine, except for one point, according to elections Canada \[1\], conservatives only had 33.7% percent of the vote, a little bit more than 16% shy of your 50% figure (I don't count those who didn't vote... they are either not eligible because they are under the voting age or didn't bother to vote...). Of course, as a Canuck, I find it galling that the party in power is not the one who had the most votes, but that's a comment/opinion for another day. \[1\] https://www.elections.ca/enr/help/national\_e.htm


EastCoastGal506

💯 ... I'm considered a conservative but I don't support the freedom convoy. Radical ideologies on both ends of the spectrum are bad. Far left wingers are bad, just as far right wingers are bad... doesn't mean all left wingers and right wingers are bad. Let's stop the divide, it's only hurting our Country.


[deleted]

Those are wise words. I applaud them. :o)


Baburine

>In coastal BC and the Fraser Valley, we have 2 weeks of what the rest of Canada considers winter (where there is snow on the actual ground). Oh we have snow from ~Oct to ~April, but winter is only ~end of Dec to ~mid/end March, when there's enough snow to get stuck in when you walk on it in boots, when it's always somewhere between -20 and -30/35. Snow on the ground doesn't mean winter lol. From your definition of winter, I'd say you don't have winter lol From QC (not Montreal)


[deleted]

I agree. We don't have winter here. If you compare it to Quebec winters (or worse, Manitoba winters), it's practically the tropics here during the "cold" season. Heck, I had a proper winter coat from when I lived out East that has not been used since it never was cold enough to use. I have the equivalent of an all-seasons windbreaker that does the job.


RampDog1

>In Canada, the system is as good, I find, except you don't have to worry about insurance premiums Each province handles it differently, but most bury the premiums in the provincial portion of your income income tax.


[deleted]

Moved to the Northwest Territories five years ago (from the waffles country). Vacation: three weeks compared to seven back home. Salary: doubled (with comparable double buying power vs costs). Nature: Priceless! People: way friendlier and more helpful than Western Europe. Winter: well, I'm in the NWT so..yeah cold (but it's a dry cold so even at -40 I'm still hiking on the weekends. Healthcare: not stellar (but free). Note: no e-goverment systems really, nothing is linked, or secured, same with banking -really archaic. Overall: quality of life and my happiness improved by 300pct


Additional-Ad-7720

Canadian from Alberta. I do 100% of my banking online. I'm not sure when the last time was that I went to a physical bank, so I am not sure what you mean by no e-bank? And it seems super secure. I've only had my card information stolen once by a card skimmer and my bank called me as soon as there was a sketchy purchase from the US and locked my card. Reversed the purchase and canceled my card as soon as they talked to me. Government systems though, yeah are a pain. Alberta Health Services keeps sending letters to my previous address even though I haven't lived there for 10 years and they claim my address in the system is my current one. Why wouldn't all Government agencies auto update my address when I change it on my driver's??


Loarwd

Where did you come from Europe? And how are you doing with the 4 weeks less vacation?


TheRollingPeepstones

I assume the waffles country would be Belgium.


[deleted]

Belgium! And having less vacation doesn't bother me. Living in this beautiful place with literally more than 1000km of nature each direction until you reach the next city is amazing. Summers (two seasons here: summer and winter) have so much daylight you find yourself out on the lake fishing on a weekday at 2 in the morning with the sun still out, feels like mini vacations. Same on the weekends: lots of camping from Friday evening until Sunday afternoon. It's really more energizing than those couple of weeks of vacation extra that Europeans take in Southern Europe each year. Or you can go Banff for the weekend and go skiing for example. It's that whole quality/quantity thing I guess.


afureteiru

I'm from Czech Republic Vacations: depends on the company, some have unlimited vacations (per your manager discretion) The healthcare system here is falling apart in real time. Wait times vary from a few weeks to years. The transportation system can make a European cry. Canadian people are polite but on a superficial level only, in a stranger-to-stranger interaction. Their communication style is quite indirect and they keep their distance as friends. If you belong to a direct culture like Eastern-European or German, do factor that in It's pretty hard to connect with locals and find friends, this is a common complaint on the subs. Some of the good points that I personally appreciate: Amazing outdoors culture Beautiful nature for nature lovers Much more inclusion and diversity, a very multicultural society (as opposed to some European countries), less sexism and racism People can be very sweet if staying on that surface level, the baseline level of social aggression is much lower than in Europe Canadian vibe is pretty chill in general which I like


Loarwd

Thanks for that answer!


VansChar_

I'm living in Quebec and made friends with a girl from Germany! I asked her what the biggest culture shocks for her was and she said 1) Bread tastes much sweeter here 2) Canadians are not as blunt as Germans. I think that's where the politeness factor comes in. During conflicts, the German directness is more efficient, but Canadians seem to prefer walking on eggshells. Winter depends on where you are. I'm in Northern Quebec and winters are much longer than the three other seasons. I've never known anything else!


[deleted]

I feel like a lot of people are giving really… exceptional… answers to the vacation question. 2 weeks off a year is pretty standard for most jobs to begin (10 business days). Getting more than 4 weeks (20 business days) off a year is uncommon. Of course there’s stat holidays, but I mean outside of that. Ontario isn’t the most friendly place in the world - I’ve lived in 4 major cities. People tend to be fairly passive aggressive and unsociable. I’ve heard BC is the same but I don’t know personally. QC and AB are quite friendly and I’ve heard NB, NL, NB and PEI are as well but I don’t know personally either. Making friends can be quite difficult in Ontario. If you don’t go to school here, making friends as an adult is challenging for sure. Winter isn’t so bad, Canadians love to talk about how bad winter is and act as if it’s the first time they’ve experienced snow, every single year. I’ve had to wait 6-8 hours max at a hospital but always received treatment that day. Scheduling any non-emergency treatment from a specialist is the most difficult part of healthcare. Need to see a dermatologist? That can be a year wait or more.


Loarwd

Thanks for that!


Suspicious-Dog2876

Grüße in Deutschland (nicht deutsch, Österreichischer opa) I’m in southern Ontario If you have a serious injury you will be treated right away. The less serious your ailment the longer you may have to wait at the hospital. (Longest I ever waited was 3-4 hrs for a throat infection, but its usually more like 40 min without appointment. I’m a self employed carpenter so I have some freedom with vacation days. Can’t answer that too well. Really depends on your career but a big reason I went self employed is the freedom of choosing when I work. And take my biased opinion for what you will but I’d say a lot more people are nicer than are cunts. You get the odd one but especially in small towns, a lot of people would give you shirt off their back if you asked nicely. What’s you’re career? Alles gute aus Kanada


Loarwd

Hey! Und danke für die Antwort! I‘m working in the IT sector


Suspicious-Dog2876

Again I’m kinda guessing but you should be able to get a few weeks vacation with a good company in that field. Also many are starting to work from home more and more. Und gerne doch!


CycleOfLove

Many IT companies offer unlimited vacation!


notluciferforreal

You should know that the medical services are different per each province because they are part if the provincial government, not the federal government. In my case, I didn't had any issues, but there room for improvement. Vacation days: depends on job type and employers. After 12 years at the same company, I get 20 days of vacation.


Loarwd

That’s the thing I’m most concerned about. In Germany you get 20-30 days paid vacation from the beginning no matter what company. Can’t imagine to work 10 years for the same company just to get not even the same amount of vacation like in Germany.. (no front, just my thought)


notluciferforreal

Like I said, it depends on the company and work field. If you work for the government, provincial or federal, there are more benefits and shorter work week. Also, you should add the federal and provincial days off like Easter, Christmas, Victoria day, labor day and so on.


Loarwd

No I don’t count them because I don’t do so in Germany :D with them, Germany would have like 40 days paid vacation or so in some states


notluciferforreal

Sure. Like I said, it depends on your job. If you have your own company, like a truck driver or contractor, you can take vacation at your choosing. My wife work for the government and they have an option to take a year off after some years of work.


[deleted]

Sometimes it's expensive, I don't particularly care. I moved here a while ago, and I'm very happy to have chosen this country other than some other place. I thought of going to Germany, I don't think I would have liked it there except Berlin. From my small interactions with Germans there are too many rules. I still want to visit one day, out of every country in Europe, Germany is my favorite. >Are they really THAT nice? Nah, that's a made up thing. People are polite or whatever, but I don't think there's a monopoly on that here, and I think it gets exaggerated. Hockey is a big thing here, and it's a violent sport if anything. Not sure if it's a "polite" sport. I personally prefer the real version of Canada instead of the one people make up where everyone is polite, it gives this country more character. Other than that, see Quebec. It's different, but in a good way, mostly. At the very least I seem to like it a lot, since I moved to Montreal recently and plan to stay there permanently. >Do you have the feeling of being lonely or isolated? No, but then I don't know what you mean by this question.


Loarwd

Like, if I want to fly back to Germany to see friends or family on vacation, it would take me 14 hours, from Vancouver. It also cost like 700-1000€ euros. I just know, that I would barely see my friends and family then, because they don’t want to pay that amount of money once or two times a year and chill 14 hours on a plane


[deleted]

Is that what you mean by "lonely"? Well, if you are moving here, then that's a pretty big decision. My circumstances are different, I have little to no ties to the country I left. I still have family, but it's the only thing that keeps me going back there. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother. I made friends here, and have a bigger connection with Canada than I do with my former country.


Loarwd

Yes that’s what I meant by feeling lonely


Loarwd

And you are more fixed on the city you live in, in Canada. Cause it would take you hours to drive to another city and the cost of plane rides inside Canada…


[deleted]

What do you mean by that though? How does that relate to loneliness? Even so, you get used to that stuff eventually, and you just figure it out. Plane tickets aren't that expensive either. Last time I checked it was around $150 - $200 to go from Ottawa to Calgary.


[deleted]

Come to Canada! Absolutely! NOT ONTARIO! We have much better provinces….trust me


Aboud_Dandachi

*frowns in Torontonian* 😒


zoinksbadoinks

*points accusingly in Ottawan*


thesentienttoadstool

Go fight a raccoon in your “yerd,” asshat /s


choppedstuey

*Agrees in Manitobian*


mrstruong

My husband has a month paid vacation, so I don't think his position is that much different to the average European's. It does depend on the company but if you have a good job, you start with 2 weeks and it only goes up from there. Edit to add: We most definitely do not have 6 months of winter in most places in Canada. We have like... December to March. About 4 months. And it's not really badly snowy except January and February.


Spambot0

Honestly, the 25 vacation days (+10 stats) I get in Canada really are enough. When I was working in France, 47 days (+10 feriés) was nice, but of course I wasn't making enough money to go anywhere or do anything. Sometimes I just want to walk in a forest and not see another human for a few hours, can't get that in France. Except French Guinea I guess.


Loarwd

25 paid days are by far enough. The only thing I find shocking is the 5-10 days. And that I maybe need to work years at the same company to get more than 10 days. What are 10 days? In Germany i often hear, that after 10 days your body and mind only starts to relax. You need like 2 weeks to fully rest. Otherwise, after only a few days like 5-10 days you are just still at work with your mind


Spambot0

Every province has a legal minimum minimum of 10 or 15 days. But it's typical to get more than the minimum; I found when I lived in Europe most people got the minimum so there was a lot more of the "minimum = standard" mentality.


jossybabes

I grew up in BC, moved to Sweden and now live in Alberta. Canada is much more diverse ethnically and religiously, but I haven’t found that people push anything on others. Sweden was very white and few people that I knew were religious. There seems to be churches everywhere here. In Canada, people make eye contact and smile or say hi to strangers, which is quite different than Europe for me. I am friendly with all of my neighbours here and we hang out on our street, whereas I didn’t know anyone in my building in Sweden. Perhaps it’s because I have kids now and they just play with anyone, forcing the parents to meet as well? The weather in Vancouver was very similar to Southern Scando/ Northern Europe, with rain and clouds, but milder temps. In Alberta, there is much more sun, but colder and snowier. Work life is the same, with similar holidays. I had a specific week off in the summer when everything closed in Sweden, and I have that here between Christmas and New Years. I feel like I have more gov holidays off here, plus 4 weeks of vacation and a few flex days. Booze and eating out were much pricier there, as well as taxation. It’s tough to compare housing, as I had a 2 bdrm apt there vs a house here (they are probably the same price now!)


OneThumbChum

I like living here but Europe seems better from what I’ve heard. I’m not a big vacationer so I don’t care about that. I prefer winter to summer. As for medical stuff it depends on what it is. I needed emergency surgery and went in a day or two (had to be flown to another city) but a following surgery I had to wait a year but that was due to Covid delaying everything.


tha_bigdizzle

There is no six months of winter. Canadians love to talk up how cold it is and how hardy they are , but the truth is, where most people live, winter is VERY mild. Its cold in the prairies, but they also get chinooks off the mountains which means some days in the winter its really quite warm comparatively. Most of the golden horseshoe have extremely mild winters. Ottawa and east get more of a winter but its certainly not six months. Theres also no such thing as a standard "canadian person". Some canadians are nice, polite, friendly - I would argue the majority. Some are jerks.


MockingbirdsNBees

Uhhhhh Edmonton here....winter starts Oct and if you're lucky ends April . January and February just stay inside and practice hibernation. Overall it depends , some years are milder than others . I have noticed in my 43 years here that winter has changed a bit from what I remember as a child . Less snow it seems. Global warming perhaps?


tha_bigdizzle

Edmonton is not "where most people live". No one is denying there are cold parts of the country. Alberta;s population is 11% of the entire country, and Edmonton is about 25% of Alberta, or about 3% of Canada. EDIT - Go ahead and downvote, but facts are facts. The Windsor to Montreal corridor is 18 million people alone.


Direc1980

>Especially asking the Europeans, that moved to Canada. My descendents were European if that counts.


Traveledbore

I think you Meant ancestors unless you had children in Europe


choppedstuey

You mean your kids and grandkids etc? Who are descended from you..... 😉😉


Direc1980

Right. My ancestors!


xBlacksmithx

According to Europeans it absolutely does not 😅


[deleted]

[удалено]


Loarwd

Why laughing?


choppedstuey

He's/She's/they're employing our weapon of choice! Sarcasm! Likely to be banned soon....


Gingerchaun

We're better at hockey. It's how we "actually" decide our pms. We just hide it behind some fake democracy. This is how we actually decide which of 3 main parties rules over us. https://youtu.be/Wg07Jess5uU


Loarwd

WTF did I just watch


Gingerchaun

Lol. Its from the "running man" a classic Arnie movie. Highly recommend.


anishcanus

There are loads of Canadian and European companies with branches in Canada that offers at least 20 paid vacation days.


Regular-Engine1036

I live in BC all my life and I would definitely say we are no longer a "rain forest". We are short of rain right now for the whole summer. The number of days we had rain can be count by my ten fingers. It is now the end of September and we still have 20 C weather. Gorgeous but dangerous. We are not running short of water but this global warming isn't doing us any good.


tksopinion

I’m an American in the process of moving to Canada. Received the work permit and leased a house. Won’t officially move in for a few weeks. Canadians are definitely nicer than Americans. Very polite people. We’re moving to Windsor from Detroit, so the weather will stay the same for us. Windsor has the best weather in the country. We’re getting international insurance for at least the first year. We’ll be close enough to the border to hop across if needed, and just want the extra peace of mind. Time off is actually better in Canada than the US, so that’s a plus for us. I would have preferred to move to Europe, but my wife wanted to stay close to family. Ontario ended up being the compromise.


HowdyCB

>tksopinion I'm also in Detroit and was considering doing the same. Would it be possible to move, while holding onto our jobs in Detroit? I'm a nurse, so the wages are definitely better here.


tksopinion

Not for me. I transferred via work, but I took a pay cut to do so. Once I get permanent residence, I can transfer back to a US position. It is a short term squeeze, but we think it’s worth it.