|  Nearly
10 years ago I immigrated to Canada. I gave up a successful
legal practice and my other business interests to start a new
life in Canada. People ask me all the time why I and my family
chose Canada. What makes Canada unique and special?
Although I did lots of research before making the decision
to move to Canada, over the past 10 years I have discovered
for myself what makes Canada special and why the country and
its cities are consistently ranked amongst the top places to
live in the world by the UN. I have discovered what it means
to be truly Canadian and to really appreciate what Canadians
so often refer to as Canadian values and to understand how important
they are to being Canadian.
Canada is a country that is built on immigration and and immigrants
continue to play a very dynamic and important role in the development
of both the economy and culture of the country. It is very rarely
that you will come across a Canadian who will not be able to
trace his or her roots back through their parents, grandparents
or great grandparents to another country in the world. That
is of course if they themselves are not an immigrant.
Canada needs immigrants. It needs people who have the ability
to become economically established and who can add to the cultural
fabric of society. But that doesn't mean that Canada is desperate.
Far from it. There are many people waiting in line (some have
been waiting a really long time too!) to be considered for permanent
residence visas and there are many of those applicants who regretfully
will not meet the selection criteria. For those who are selected,
the adventure and a new life will begin when they arrive in
Canada to take up their residency. It will be a very worthwhile
reward at the end of a lengthy and complex process. And they
will start to understand what it means to be truly Canadian:
People in Canada can live their lives according to their individual
value system. Canadians see richness in diversity and what makes
each of us different, rather than seeing this as a divisive
factor. This is apparent in everyday life and not just something
protected in the constitution. Differences in lifestyle and
divergent opinions are respected and accepted rather than criticised.
Canadians care about Canadians. Canada has an excellent health
care system. An acquaintance of mine recently experienced some
chest pains - what followed was an ambulance ride following
a 911 call, admission into hospital, the attention of a cardiac
specialist and other doctors, an ECG and Catscan. He was discharged
the next day with a diagnosis of severe indigestion. Cost to
him:$0 other than the very reasonable monthly premium he pays
to the government. I have my own private family physician, however
if I wanted, I could drive a few kilometers down the road and
visit one of our local walk in clinics (there are about 4 in
close proximity to where I live). I could see a doctor immediately.
Again, outside of the very affordable premium I pay to the government
each month, there would be no cost to me (the same would apply
if I saw my own doctor).
We don't like guns in Canada. In fact we have strict gun control
and only people who have a very good reason to possess a gun
are permitted to do so. Compared to most countries in the world,
Canada has a very low rate of crime. Where I live, (a 30 minute
drive from the city centre of Vancouver), our biggest concern
are the bears that wander through the garden in the Summer
One or two of the larger cities may not be as clean as the other
cities in Canada, but on the whole our cities are clean and
have low levels of smog and pollution. The roads are in great
shape and the environment is very well maintained.
Things work in Canada. Levels of service are high and there
are few instances where you will find that you are not be treated
courteously and with respect.
Canada is a true democracy. The quality of life factor is high.
The economy is in great shape. For people with drive and initiative
the sky is the limit in Canada. It is a privilege to call myself
Canadian.
Warmest wishes to you from Canada
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OUR HOMEPAGE FOR MORE ABOUT CANADA
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Buying a Home
Before coming to Canada you may want to prepare a resume that
you could use to help you secure a job in Canada. A word of
advice: Make sure that you prepare a resume in the accepted
Canadian format. In Canada the word resume and not curriculum
vitae is used and it would be wise on your part to start using
the local terminologies so that you can show that you are quick
to assimilate into Canadian culture. 