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O, Canada! More Americans Heading North

ganjavih

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http://www.abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=3433005&page=1

O, Canada! More Americans Heading North
The Number of Americans Moving to Canada in 2006 Hit a 30-Year High

By MARCUS BARAM
July 31, 2007

It may seem like a quiet country where not much happens besides ice hockey, curling and beer drinking. But our neighbor to the north is proving to be quite the draw for thousands of disgruntled Americans.

The number of U.S. citizens who moved to Canada last year hit a 30-year high, with a 20 percent increase over the previous year and almost double the number who moved in 2000.

In 2006, 10,942 Americans went to Canada, compared with 9,262 in 2005 and 5,828 in 2000, according to a survey by the Association for Canadian Studies.

Of course, those numbers are still outweighed by the number of Canadians going the other way. Yet, that imbalance is shrinking. Last year, 23,913 Canadians moved to the United States, a significant decrease from 29,930 in 2005.

"There has been a definite increase in the past five years — the number hasn't exceeded 10,000 since 1977," says Jack Jedwab, the association's executive director. "During the mid-70s, Canada admitted between 22,000 and 26,000 Americans a year, most of whom were draft dodgers from the Vietnam War."

The current increase appears to be fueled largely by social and political reasons, says Jedwab, based on anecdotal evidence.

"Those who are coming have the highest level of education — these aren't people who can't get a job in the states," he says. "They're coming because many of them don't like the politics, the Iraq War and the security situation in the U.S. By comparison, Canada is a tension-free place. People feel safer."

One recent immigrant is Tom Kertes, a 34-year-old labor organizer who moved from Seattle to Toronto in April.

Kertes attributes his motivation to President Bush's opposition to gay marriage, and the tactics employed during the war on terror since 9/11.

"I wanted a country that respected my human rights and the rights of others," he says. "We joked about it after Bush won re-election, but it took us a while to go through the application."

Kertes, who moved with his partner, is happy in his new home. "Canada is a really nice country. My mother is thinking about it. My stepfather has diabetes and has health issues. So, he'd be taken care of for free if he moved up here."

Not that Kertes doesn't get homesick every once in a while. "I have no intention of giving up my citizenship. I have an American flag at home on the wall — I didn't have that in Seattle. All of a sudden, I'm a nationalist. On the Fourth of July, I really missed being home."

Jo Davenport, who wrote "The Canadian Way," moved from Atlanta to Nova Scotia in December 2001. She also cites political reasons for her move, saying that she disagreed with the Bush administration's decisions after 9/11.

"Things are totally different here because they care about their people here," she says, explaining that she's only been back home once or twice.
 
Does anyone remember the National Post of the late 1990s when every headline screamed out how the Brain Drain was destroying Canada and the "Productivity Gap" was going to send us to third-world status?

Of course the answers were tax cuts, deregulation and two-tier medicine. Guess what? It was all bull crap.

Even Conrad Black wants back into Canada.
 
lets not get full of ourselves though. it's the WE'RE NUMBER ONE! mentality that degraded the quality of the US.

we must always aim higher and never be drunk with pride.
 
Well a good start would be to stop making it so unbelievably difficult for Americans to immigrate. We could be getting 50,000 a year, every single one of them well-educated, instantly integrated, and progressive to boot. Right now, the paperwork is endless and it takes well over a year to process an immigration application from the States. Most Americans simply don't have the patience or the time. Check out the Citizenship and Immigration website for a wait times listing around the world. Some of them are just unbelievable (60+ months).
 
Moving up north

As someone who will be adding to that statistic this year I can say that I know many people who want to do what we are doing, but it's a long process. We are 18 months into it now and still not done. You really need to be committed to going through with it. Although compared to the US immigration process it's a breeze.

I look forward to living in a country where healthcare is more important than warfare. One where my family will be treated equally under the law.
 
Thanks

I appreciate your warm welcome. We are looking forward to living there and finally being able to relax.
 
One recent immigrant is Tom Kertes, a 34-year-old labor organizer who moved from Seattle to Toronto in April.
That's just what we need. Forget this wanker, we want our nurses back that Harris exiled. We want our doctors back that our high taxation pushed out. We want our IT guys back that our lack of opporunity and pimple cream shortage forced away.
 
That's just what we need. Forget this wanker, we want our nurses back that Harris exiled. We want our doctors back that our high taxation pushed out. We want our IT guys back that our lack of opporunity and pimple cream shortage forced away.

I resent that remark, my pimples cleared up about 20 years ago...
 
There was a pimple cream shortage?


I feel so out of touch with the needs of my fellow citizens.
 
You will be happy to know I am bringing my job with me. So chalk one small victory up for Canada!
 
:) Just a great boss and a terrific company that takes care of their employees.

My transfer is now with the legal department working out the details. I am keeping my fingers crossed it will transition smoothly.
 
I think the politics is only one factor. When you are talking about larger movements of people it is more an issue of a basket of factors. When we spoke in the 90's about brain drain etc. the simple fact was that on balance Canada was a less competitive region. I think now while we are less competitive in many respects the differences are less conclusive and hence it makes more sense for some Americans to immigrate here. On a purely economic basis we remain less competitive even given our social programs however the gap might be closing for average Americans with the rise of the Canadian dollar and financial stability of the government. Speaking from the perspective of urban issues I think that further enhancement to the quality of our major city regions also makes it more attractive for American's to contemplate moving here.
 

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