5 Things I Hate About Living in Canada 

In 2004 I wrote a somewhat famous article called 'Top 8 reasons not to immigrate to Canada'. In short, the Canadian authorities tried to destroy my life. They made it so that I could not be employable in Canada. So I moved to the U.S. in 2005 and then some years later I moved permanently to the Philippines. I am happy that so many years later videos like yours are saying essentially the same things that I did. I was ahead of my time. I will never go back to Canada. Not to live, not to visit, not even a connecting flight. Too cold, too expensive, taxes are astronomical, no freedom, no jobs, no opportunities, xenophobic people, too depressing. It has become the North Korea of the western world.

We need a high speed rail system I think more would travel if we had a rail system like they have overseas

#3 is really accurate. I totally feel that, it’s more expensive to fly to Toronto than NYC

Dude I am from Quebec and I've been all over the US, Costa Rica, England, France and Italy but I've never been to other provinces because it's just more of the same and it's so expensive to travel that there's no point.

i love the cold, heat makes me wanna die and faint, cold well, makes me feel more energized

Great points! Doesn’t make sense that cost of flying to California with hotel (from montreal) is cheaper then the airfare only to Vancouver. Hence why I haven’t visited Canada but traveled a lot elsewhere (Europe, Asia, USA) 😞

*What do you think of my list - am I crazy or on point?* 🇨🇦👀 (... still love ya, Canada.)

I feel the same, also Canadian, I left as a teen, lived in NY, FL, CA, then EU in the UK and NL. I came back and for sure it's so much more expensive to live in Canada. Even living in London UK the utilities and food was the same price but without taxes added to it. Besides rental (which now it's becoming very expensive) in Montreal in terms of cities, it's the most expensive I've lived at. People seams to think Montreal is cheap until they have to be here and buy things then they can't believe it!

I havent watched your channel in 2 years. Glad to know your doing well. Keep up the great videos.

Housing cost is the biggest obstacle. Living in Canada (and USA too) has become much more expensive to live. Canada is a modern and clean country but life can become very depressing at times, especially during long winters.

I'm very happy and relieved for my friends who have left Canada starting in 2015. It's become a broken and silly place.

Agreed with all your points, Dan! By the way, have you spent any time exploring Northern Ontario? The fact that it wasn't included in any of the 'bubbles' you drew reflects how it's unique and isolated from both southern Ontario and the Praries. The areas around Lake Superior are beautiful in the fall!

First of all I just would like to say that I love your channel, it is so good and you seems to be such a nice guy! I discovered your channel with the giant hamster video (I am brazilian), your videos about Brazil was just amazing, hope that you enjoyed our country and think to come back to visit it again in the future. Surprisingly I can relaty with some of this problems here in Brazil, principally with the high cost of living and the high cost of traveling inside of Brazil, both of them are realy expensive. About the cold I can relate to people who fantasize about winter, many Brazilians (including me) think that the Canadian cold is so beautiful, perhaps because here in São Paulo, even in winter, it is not so cold; but honestly the snow seem to be so beautiful! About the free eucational, here in Brazil we have a lot of public universities that have no cost at all to study (like USP, UFRJ and Unicamp) but they are really hard to get in, have a really big competitiveness between the students because this universities are the best of our country and they are totally free, basically everyone wants to get approved in one of them. But honestly living in Canada seems to be really amazing, honestly living in Canda it is my dream and the dream from a lot of brazilians, seems to be such a wonderful place and much safer than a lot of cities here in brazil, not counting the high purchasing power if we compare to Brazil (here a lot of stuff are really expensive and our money it is kind of devalued). Sorry for the size of the comment, it was too big, and if I said anything wrong in english.

I live in canada since 15 years now ! and I have to say thank you to the hard cold winter !because the spring and summer is so intense ! I have never experienced that in France before ! I used to live in place where temperature variations is not that intense ! I think the winter is worth it !

Air Canada buying every other airlines is a major part of the high travel cost. They just buy Air Transat so flights to Europe and the Caribbean will surely increase.

Number 5 was spot on. It's how I feel about our healthcare system. Healthcare is "universal" compared to the U.S., but if you think about it, we still pay for so many health care services, and some people can't afford it. Only if we as a collective society _want_ a truly universal system, we should strive for it, not just be good enough with what we got because it's better than the system in the U.S.

This was interesting, I never knew about the bubble and lack of travel. Do more videos like this. Insider secrets about Canada.

I grew up about 90 miles south of Buffalo, so I agree with your comments about the winter being really long and tiresome. It's one of the reasons that bowling was a huge winter activity in all the american cities around the Great Lakes.

After watching many of your videos I’m about to make my first trip into the heart ❤️ of Mexico! Will be flying from Austin to Mexico City and staying for 3 weeks at Contesa. Can wait to check all the parks and cafes.

I find it strange, since you have been living in Montrėal for a year now, that you did nor mention the distinct character of the French culture when you complain about the americanisation of Canada.

Since the next semester is going to be all from home, I think I’m going to do it from Medellin! Canadian winter is not a great time and a Corona winter is going to be especially crappy. Funny you’ve been to the three places that I’ve spent my life in, Michoacan/uruapan/apatzingan, Vancouver island, and Montreal.

Extraño tus videos con subtitulos, deseo que te vaya muy bien 😊💗

really appreciate your honesty brother. thanks for the video

Hi Dan! It's Carmen from São Paulo, Brazil (again 😉)! I do agree it's a pretty cool leaf 🍁 😃, which means I don't think you are crazy 🙃 and I believe you've made yourself very clear, as usual. The points you've raised are extremely important! Thanks for sharing them with us. 💓

I'm a Canadian in the U.S. There is a huge cultural difference. What's going on here politically, and the kinds of issues that are contentious, should make that clear. Canada is culturally and politically much more aligned with Europe, where I have also lived, than the U.S.

0:06 Hahaha It made me laugh when you threw the maple leaf

I lived in Canada for 2 years came back to the states lots of people asked me what canada was like and I always tell them it's an under developed America. The people are wonderful that's what I miss most.

I think you’re like me (and like a butterfly) : we love to travel to the south in winter looking for sunny days.

I really think he focused on Anglo-Canada because as an American interested in Canada it feels like Quebec is on a completely different plane. I can speak and comprehend both French and English and when tuning into the CBC or Radio-Canada you can easily see which one is more "Americanized." In many ways, Quebec is like a mini-France with a very distinct regional identity than that of the rest of Canada. Living in Washington State, I've been to Canada numerous times and I would say the Canada I see is basically an extension of Cascadia with a nearly identical culture and way of life. The only other province I have been to outside of BC is Alberta and it really didn't feel all that different from BC other than the endless fields of produce and the huge oil/petrol facilities. Overall, I think he made good points and in the end, both the United States and Canada are the products of genocide and European colonization, which inevitably makes for similarities in lieu of differences.

We need more Canadians speaking the truth like this man

I'll take snow over rain any day of the week, tyvm lol. As a Montreal boy, the further I've been out west is Toronto/Niagara, and the further east would be Cape Breton in Nove Scotia.

I'm in Vancouver, I hate winter and the dark and rain. Up until about a week ago it was great, out on my bike, lying on the grass.. life is good. But now it's almost November and it's raining and cold and damp, and I know that it will be like this for about 4.5 months. It gets old fast.

You are right about the cold. 🥶 Also, your last point is correct. I could speak volumes about it, but another time.

Since you've been in MTL for a while, I find it odd that you did not mention the big difference between Canda and Quebec. Tuition fees in QC are at least 50 % cheaper, $8 / professional day care, 1 year maternity leave fully paid and 5 weeks paid paternity leave , no fault car insurance system means much more affordable car insurance , universal drug plan , cheapest home heating & electricity in NA since its state owned. As for culture, Quebec has its own star system its own late night talk show, television audiences for Quebec produced show will frequently have more audience then the whole of Canada for a Canadian show, a vibrant comedy scene, a vibrant music scene both French & English, a vibrant theatre scene , multiple unique and acclaimed movie directors, world renown circus troops..I've been to every province and territory and the only other place I felt a strong and unique culture was Newfoundland.

I live in Tapachula, Chiapas. Here is very hotest(33°C). I like cold. Good vídeo, Thanks.👍

Hey! When you come back to Mexico you need to come to Jalisco again, maybe go to Tequila, and I have heard about a maple forest in a place named Talpa de Allende, well maybe it's not so interesting for you, but sounds cool!

Pierre Trudeau called Canada "A mouse sitting on top of an elephant". Although I've lived in Mexico for the past 20 years I was born and raised in The US (and, having a Latin American sensibility, I'm very cautious about calling my native country "America" because it offends about 500 million other people) I have a soft spot for Canada. But I was born in NY and lived for a long time in Chicago and I've had enough of winter so, when it comes to that, I hear you. If I lived in Canada I'd look for somewhere else to live for six months a year. Like many of my compatriots I've always thought "Canadians are like us if we were only nicer." But even that sounds condescending. All I can tell you Dan is "Be glad you're Canadian because there are few people in the world who dislike Canadians."

Me encanta Canada con sus hermosos bosques y su naturaleza se me hace tan especial desde que era pequeña. Saludos desde Mexico.

Love all your videos. Agree whit you. I lived in Canada for 6 months and I had an amazing experience. But all you said make sense. For us from other countries, is dificult to realize that. Canada to me is a dream but I've been there as a tourist. When we came from places with safety problems... health problems... Corruption problems.. And I'm from Brazil... We think that what you are saying is silly but it's not. Some problems we can not deal but some others we must try to change and make our place even better.

I also hate the rivalry (and sometimes hate) between french and english, but I hate more the way indigenous people are treated. So yeah I agree with you, we could be better!

My life in Canada has been defined by loneliness, or at least in my part of Canada. I find it hard to make friends or a girlfriend, maybe because its so rural and everyone is always so far. When I went to Spain I met a nice girl within 2 weeks...... if only I had more time there.

Glad that you are Canadian. I saw your India tour videos and impressed 😊. I just love Snow even after 3 years of my stay in Canada. I agree with your 4th point. Yes, I too felt the same lot of times that Canada has a lot of influence from US. definitely Canada needs its own recognition. I love Canada as this is my second home after India.😊

1) Cold - My father's family immigrated from South America. I remember my aunt's story about how she thought the pictures of snow were so interesting and "oh it looked so FUN". Then the reality of a long cold winter hit them like a ton of bricks, haha. I was born and raised here. I don't "hate" all of winter. I love the Fall and everything up until Christmas (I can't imagine a 'summery' Christmas, I would hate that for sure), but I admit to hating winter between mid-January until spring. So I sorta agree with you on point#1. 2) Cost of living? Meh, never really thought about it. I struggled in my early 20's, but that's when you're supposed to struggle. I had roommates and lived paycheck to paycheck. That's life. Listen, most Canadians can afford luxuries that many other countries can only dream of. I mean cell phone bills? How about clean running water or a police force that isn't controlled my the local cartel? So I don't agree with point#2. Compared to many other people Canadians are rich. 3) Travel in Canada. Yup. I totally agree. There should be easy/cheap rail access all over the country, especially for people under 30. Heck they should GIVE tickets away for 20-22 year olds. Call it a 'go see the country initiative'. It wouldn't be that expensive, and it would be great for national unity and culture. 4) Americanized identity? That's kind of a young Canadian thing. I had it when I was younger too, because that's when individuals are trying to form their own identity and Canadian youth don't get the strong clear cultural signals that many other countries have. But when you get older all that worry sorta goes away, because you realize that we actually DO have strong core values. Like our appreciation of cultural diversity. Pierre Trudeau said it best... _Uniformity is neither desirable nor possible in a country the size of Canada. We should not even be able to agree upon the kind of Canadian to choose as a model, let alone persuade most people to emulate it. There are few policies potentially more disastrous for Canada than to tell all Canadians that they must be alike. There is no such thing as a model or ideal Canadian. What could be more absurd than the concept of an “all-Canadian” boy or girl? A society which emphasizes uniformity is one which creates intolerance and hate. A society which eulogizes the average citizen is one which breeds mediocrity. What the world should be seeking, and what in Canada we must continue to cherish, are not concepts of uniformity but human values: compassion, love, and understanding._ ~ Pierre Elliott Trudeau, October 9, 1971. 5) Settling for 'good enough'. You are right on the money with that one. Especially since you mention how we compare our standards to American standards. Healthcare is a prime example. Canadians don't push for the best healthcare system in the world. If we did we would emulate countries like France or Japan. For Canadians, all that matters is the standard refrain..."well at least its not as bad as the American system". Trouble is, that's a pretty low bar to jump over and we can do a whole lot better. So you have a pretty good list. If I was to add some of my own I would say... 6) Our mistreatment and marginalization of indigenous people. I hate it and it has to stop. 7) Our Canadian smugness (see point 5 for an example).

What a great video!!

Very interesting video! for someone here who wants to immigrate there.. have you ever tried to live in another European country for a long time?

that's a cool leaf never seen one like it , In south texas we dont really have 4 seasons, we have only have hot or cold , but our version of cold is 68F or what y'all would call 20C and you will see us in the biggest puffiest jackets ever at that temperature.

nice video! hugs from Brazil

As a fellow Canadian, I want to thank you for telling the truth !! You are spot on!

Hi, You have it easy, just live in Canada 6 months in the summer and 6 months in Mexico in the winter.

"Without The Queen and the French.... you're just Americans" Kids in the Hall.

Greetings from México

Totally agree with all those points ❤️✌️🇨🇦 (also that maple leaf isn’t easy to draw haha)

Totally agree with number 3! I really wish via rail was cheaper cause it’s such a beautiful country.

Man, I see your point of view, but I come from Poland where goverment banned abortion in every case... Next to us there is Belarus, where political oposition suffers constant violence... Might be worser!

Great list!! Fellow Canadian and I do agree 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦

Great video. Nailed it

Thanks for sharing friend. Keep safe and Godbless you and your family. Success for your channel

So true 🔥

Im not canadian, but been in Toronto twice for several months and I can relate completely. Im from Mexico City so I had never seen snow until I went to Canada and I was so happy when it snowed, after a week I was still happy but tired of seeing the streets with this dirty snow lol. My friends from other parts of the world complained about their phone bills. I was lucky because I can use my phone as if I was in Mexico without having to pay extra fees or something. Also I wanted to go to Vancouver in summer, went to ask the price of the ticket and it was SO EXPENSIVE, the guy who gave me the info just laugh at my reaction and literally said “thats why canadians dont travel to other places in Canada, we prefer to go to other countries like Mexico or Europe”... but as you said every country has good and bad things, I love Canada a lot! I made incredible friends and create amazing memories, and I also love my home country Mexico, but there’s also a lot of things that need to be changed here💕✌🏻

Another reason I don't like about a Canada is the lack of entrepreneurial spirit, don't get wrong there is entrepreneurial spirit among Canadians but not as Americans, Americans are great entrepreneurs because U.S has the American dream motto where the poor can work hard and succeed the American dream is while Canada motto is being nice and multicultural.

Thanks for share! I watch your videos to practice English 😅I'm an Argentinian living in Madrid 🙆🏻‍♀️

unless you live in a temperate climate (west coast, Western Europe etc.) cooled/heated by the ocean, you'd either pray for the winter or the summer because of the weather extremity. we are never satisfied. it's the power of mother nature and the best thing we can do is to adapt to it 💪

Thanks

As part of my job, I once travelled to all 13 provincial and territorial capitals over three weeks. An amazing experience, but the distances are enormous. There's no way to address that short of government subsidy of air travel. I do agree that Canadians should make more effort to see other parts of the country.

I agree that Canadians have been way too focused on the brash neighbours to the south - but that has changed a lot since 2016 and will continue to change as it gets harder to ignore the crazies. As for tv - two of the best comedies anywhere are uniquely Canadian (and available on Netflix): Schitt's Creek and Kim's Convenience. I also recommend listening to CBC radio to familiarize yourself with the great array of Canadian musicians and writers (not just the pop musicians who chased USA fame). As for weather - don't diss the west coast. It is spectacular today (October) and there is nothing sweeter than the smell of fresh blossoms on a crisp February day. My advice for you in Montreal - get a pair of cross country skis - it is an affordable way to get out there and enjoy the brilliant blue winter days and you are near the beautiful Laurentian Mountains. (trips to Mexico don't hurt either).

Good Video!!

when there isn’t much to hate about Canada

I was all ready to judge this video. I’m old, and like you I’ve travelled enough in the world to know how incredibly lucky I am to live in Canada. So I was primed to judge from that perspective, but I totally agree with all you say. Well maybe not entirely regarding the cold. I’m in Southern Ontario so the cold is not so bad, a little long come March, but spring is all the sweeter for it. Anyway, yeah, what you said.

I personally love Canadian winter out of all of the seasons.

It’s funny to see you say these things because to me, a Brazilian, canada is the top of the world. But I understand why you are saying these things and hopefully one of those points change cause in 2021 I’ll be there! Much love ❤️

I see your points but I love living here. I have to agree on the Canadian bubbles. Regionalism is expected in any big country but in Canada it really exceeds the rules, and as you mentioned, the limitations for people traveling more within the country is the byproduct of this. Everything is really a perspective thing though. Fun video, I love your sincerity and contents. Cheers!!

Proof of #3: sometimes its cheaper to fly from Calgary to London than it is from Calgary to Toronto.

.." do you think I'm crazy "? 😂 Saludos Dan 👋

Hey Dan. No country is perfect. I would love to visit Canada. I may agree with you on the cold weather..

is it harder to get a job in december in mtl? because of coming christmas and end of the year ?

When are you gonna come to Mexico again in special to GDL? saludos!!!

I think you are very right about the americanisation. I've never seen anyone address it online before, good job :))

I heard it is expensive to travel within Canada. I visited Vancouver Island and Toronto from the US.

As a Canadian in qc, number 5 resonated with me. Think we could do so much better.

have to give it to you, hit the nail on the head! totally agree.

Cars and gas are SO much cheaper in Canada than in Europe... sometimes by 40% even.

Canada IS waaaay too expensive. As a Canadian I feel as though we just put up with it, but I believe we shouldn’t. I think something should be done about it.

Totally agree with what you said here.

Dan, thank you for the time tags bro

4:07 this is completely accurate. I live in Saskatchewan and the only provinces I've been to are Alberta (ALOT of times mainly because of West ED.) Manitoba a few times, And Ontario, and that was only just a charter flight. One day i wanna go to BC because I've never actually seen Mountains. Yes, the biggest "tell me your from Saskatchewan without telling me your from Saskatchewan" moment ever. The closest I've got was down in north Dakota, they were literally just hills and still it was insane for me to see them.

Cell phones are expensive because of the low population density. The cost of infrastructure is the same wether you have 4 persons / km² or 2000. Most Québecers never go to Ontario, but many go to Cuba, Mexico or the Dominican Republic every winter. TV in Canada : In English : 85% US, 15% local In French : 85% local, 15% US

Nice observation.

Surprise, suprise, huge massive shock that someone that lives in Quebec complains about the rest of Canada. The province with the biggest transfer payments are complaining about how expensive things are.

Hello, I would like to know if you would like to visit Colombia. In Colombia you will find good weather, good food and pleasant treatment for tourists.

Another proud Canadian here but I agree with you 1000%. I love Canada but every point you made was 'spot on' :D

I get what you meant and got good points. Weather is pretty obvious, I didn’t know Canada has the most expensive plans and cellphone companies are the most profitable just because they can and lack of competition. About own identity is like for example Mexico has own culture, identity and lifestyle and is not pretty “Americanized” . However there are things are overpriced in the USA; i.e: education and healthcare, plus other social problems. I been to Toronto and Montreal and I remember Sales taxes and other things in Montreal were extremely high comparing to the USA, but Canada is beautiful, so far I have only met friendly Canadians and I know you are proud to be Canadian, but could be better. You are always welcome in México, I know you love it. Thanks Dan. Regards

Come on over to México Always welcome even during corona times 🤗

As a black Canadian, racism in Canada is constantly talked about, especially when it comes to first Nations, we just accept that racism in Canada is less than in the US and in Europe and Australia and New Zealand because it's true. Also, drug addiction?! Yeah, some people will be, but you're making it look like it's a serious problem and so many people are addicted to drugs which isn't true either.

I totally agree with your list. I for one hate snow, and while I have no idea where I will retire someday, I have long-distant relatives that retired in Florida and I will probably do the same....just not Florida. For travelling, our land is vast and our population sparse so it makes everything pricier. Even Maple syrup, you'd think it be cheap, but no. And yes we tend to look at our southern neighbour and then pat ourselves for being better. But we aren't, we still have a lot of work to do.

I went all across Canada by flight it was fun, Vancouver is probably the best to live well not Vancouver but like surrey or richmond

Also, this is the perspective from someone that have been both inside and outside, that knows what people in other countries think of Canada, especially in places with strong emigration toward more developed countries. They idealize Canada sometimes. You are so right and the 'Canadian bubbles' should be the way to explain Canada. It should be a fact in books about Canada or Wikipedia. It's a very good concept. And winter is loses its charm for newcomers after one too long season. The only thing I would correct is the extend of Americanization. In Quebec, most people watch also our own media in French and dubbed movies. I believe some Canadian English speakers still watch CBC for hockey, news...We also compare ourselves a lot to France in Quebec and also Scandinavia became the big aspirational thing. And I do remember 20 years ago, it was still a big inferiority complex, being a boring backyard of the ‘the centre of the world’. But of course, USA problems (and France/ UK for different reasons) are often used to slow down our progression and not be bold.

6:00 story of my life, not Hard To Imagine at all 😂

I'm Canadian and I don't understand why SO many people hate Canada, it's where I've lived my whole f***ing life

omg , your so right !! i approuve everything you said ! You are a smart person. ahahah

I was born in Toronto and moved to California when I was 7 and lived there for 35 years. I moved to British Columbia 5 years ago and since I lived here in Canada I feel like I’ve been robbed by the government, the high cost of living, etc. I had an online business in the US and it’s impossible to receive descent goods into Canada as it is to ship with the corrupt Canada Post. Gas is about 5.50 USD compared to 3.50 only 6 miles away in Washington. People go across to Washington to fill up with gas, go their mailing centers and purchase things with what we call low prices when they’re just reasonable prices. Then we have the custom thugs telling us to declare the items so they can get a cut. The US mailing centers protect us from our corrupt government by having a place to unwrap and throw away the evidence so we don’t have to declare them as we lie to find fairness. In 2017 I had a dental malpractice where the dentist punctured my sinus and I was fully infected and needed an emergency surgery. Instead they had me wait 4 months and put me on antibiotics for half a year due to the lack of doctors. Till this day I have issues because they had me wait that long for a surgery. My feet turn purple and cut at the tips from the cold which remains that way until I have a full month of warmth. Last summer I went to California to visit my fam and play a bunch of gigs. In the 2 months I was there, I made more money than I did in my 5 years living in BC. I can’t express how much I feel Canada has deprived me and robbed me of my years. Canada has frozen my business. Not only can I not work here but I pay double for the cost of living. The auto insurance is a monopoly. Look at the corrupt transportation here. The medical is not good here either. For merchandise: it’s like a third world country. Canada is a greedy country and the people are deprived. Air miles anyone?