Sometimes we are blessed to live in this country

Hi GerryD, always amusing having to respond to your postings. I don't know where you got drug smuggling from in my posts. I will assume you are referencing the Chinese money laundering. That $ does not come from drugs GerryD, lots of Chinese are robbing the state owned enterprises in China and moving the loot offshore. Canada is one of the most convenient places to park the capital. GerryD, we all get the ignorant American jokes. Lets try to come up with more unique ways of USA bashing(without references to Michael Moore movies).

 

Whats the use.....you dont want to hear anything factual do you? Your like Edward Smith.
Again Ill ask you on this thread as well.......How old are you and what type of Ferrari do you drive?

 

over 50% of those homes for sale in oakville with that 5M price tag and higher that builders own, are builders worth in the 100M of millions, the players there need the tax right off on there operating cost, and they wont sell those homes for less than what they have invested - dont worry to much about those guys -

In Canada you need 10% dwntpayment now, not 5%, and if your buying a cottage, or second home, you need 20% down now in Canada, and the amortizations have also been squeezed to 30 yrs now - Haper did this back in 2008 - and fast forward 40 months after the world melt down and we went up in prices sinece then close to to 15% - mmmm - didnt seem to deter anything -

I have many contacts that i deal with daily - and they are all out out of the markets and into RE and Art - and classic cars - funn y how dino prices haven't really compressed, or f40s ??? odd eh ?

I will agree to certain extent on some of your other points, we are dull here, but NY is not cheaper in RE than Toronto - i just came from there - a 800 sq flat is still 1M do the per sq foot cost on that one - you can easily get into Downtown toronto in a similar nice pocket (Like King st w) for half of that for 800 sq feet -

Are we due for a correction ??? i dont think so, all the indicators are proving to be flatness, and low GDP growth , not deflation. Big difference.

I see no growth in the next 5 years - as households try and control there debt levels.

 

Oh please stop it with all these factoids.

 

True MRI appointments for non life threatening conditions the waiting lists are long, but believe me for life threatening conditions no waiting list at all (same day) BTW lots of people going down to Buffalo for imaging tests are sent down by lawyers for insurance lawsuits.

 

$ 0.02:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSD7rDdbgA4[/ame]

& "Sicko"

end of $0.02

 

The youtube clip is in English....just subtitles are French...

 

great video. Its too bad that it falls on deaf ears in the US govt.

 

Regardless of whether you pay directly or via taxes, you are going to PAY for health care. That is what is lost on well-off Americans in their selfish quest. Paying $5-10k per year in premiums per person directly is not a bargain in my eyes. Add that people are having to choose between health insurance or food and you head for an unhealthy work force. Once unhealthy, the costs go up and up. Absenteeism goes up, productivity goes down. And of course you have a less effective work force who won't be able to do the hard graft to keep the greedy bunch in their Gucci clothing etc.

I am glad to be home in Canada again after 4.5 months around the world.

Gerrit

PS to crcs, you comment on Canadians touting their horn. The Americans have driven that to the extreme, they are hyper beat-their-own horn. When you see Canadian flags embazened on everything including finger nails and front teeth, then perhaps we have gone too far (ala the long time American approach) . On our cruises we meet a lot of people who both apologize for their country (esp. Bush) and wish they were living somewhere else. These are not Walmart level people but educated and well off.

 

The lists are long but if you want in earlier like in the next few days or nights....yes they do MRIs at night too. All you have to do is call them and get your name in for any cancelations. You will be done in a few day or a week at most but you have to be flexible and or willing to get out of bed a 4am.

 

Health Care?

may not be perfect, but after watching a few friends and my own experience: I'll take it. For life and death issues, it's been fantastic. for a very wealthy colleague, who had appointments booked in the US for a niche operation, he was able to get what he wanted done locally, through the govt funded system at no additional cost, and with world class expertise. In my case, when it mattered - the CAT & x-ray scan were done within minutes of arrival by ambulance. in a friends case, also within minutes of arrival at ER.

for the record, I do believe we have a 2-tier system in place already, and some very tough choices to make.

Can't speak for Toronto, but I can self-justify my decisions for living in Vancouver

 

Holy smokes...who crapped in your cornflakes this morning?

 

I think the rise of Canada is/will be the most important geo-political event this century. Much more so than China or India or Brazil et al.. The world (7 billion strong) has now realized just how critically important certain assets will become as the century progresses. Energy and other natural resources, Water, Arable land, or just plain space for people to live. Canada has all of these is spades. No other country can ever match this embarrasment of riches.

Add to that a stable government and economy, an educated, affluent populace and Canada's realization that they do not have to depend on the U.S. for the bulk of its trade and you have Canada emerging as a major global player.

Yes, real estate values will fluctuate, bubbles will occur. But it is onward and upward for Canada. No question.

 

I just found out (while on my son's field trip) that Canada owns 25% of the world's fresh water....that is major

 

Canada actually possesses 25% of the world's wetlands. It possesses 7% of the world's renewable fresh water. In any event, these numbers are indeed huge (Canada has about 0.5% of the world's population).

Canada and the US are already tussling over water diversion, cross border lakes and the like. These ownership issues will become increasingly contentious. Just as Canada scrambles to assert itself in the Arctic, it needs to also ensure that its water resources are secure, IMHO.

 

+ 1 - Harper was pushing the artic for more patrol as the ice caps are melting -

i never gave it much thought until recently, but with Russia at the tip and circulating, we have to protect this piece - i wish we would spend more on our defense overall as a country , especially since those 4 nuke tug boats we bought used from Britian are a complete DISASTER -

I was at the hockey game saturday night, and i can tell you first hand, when the CDN anthem comes on, there are many of us proud, maybe me feel good sreaming out of tune we are truly blessed to be living here, and i want to thank our soilders and others that are always in harms way to protect us - so what if you can only drive your ferrari up to 149kms in Ontario - Small price to pay indeed.

 

I love this country and wouldn't trade it for the world. Sure there's problems and we could improve our healthcare system, political corruption and many other issues, but for the most part it's a decent place to live.

 

Oh yea baby!
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Wow, probably one of the most inaccurate and rediculous posts I have ever read. "a little more in taxes which more than offset by the health insurance premiums"? That certainly wasn't my experience when I moved from Ontario to Florida, but hey, to each their own.
And, if you re-read the OP's link, you see that he racked up 1M in medical bills, but his deductable was "in the thousands". The deductable is what you pay out of pocket, until you've used it up in one calender year, after that the insurance company has to eat the rest. The employer health insurance can be a problem, however, if you are fired - I think the tail policy is 60 days or so. One of the reason I forgo this benefit and strictly pay on my own, that way full insurance coverage follows me regardless of where my career goes. Quite reasonable for non-smokers, etc.
The best way to improve health care in the U.S would be crack down on the frivilous lawsuits and allow people to purchase coverage accross state lines (more competition), as people in smaller states generally have less companies to choose from.

 

Uh oh...the US is already in the middle east because they are an oil junkie, does that mean that they will invade Canada in the future for our water?

 

Does any else see the humor in this? You live in Burlington, ON, Canada.

Sad that you feel this way about your homeland.

 

I don't know. The post is pretty accurate from my family's experience. My sister fell in love and married an American while in grad school. Long story short, they are self-employed as they started a winery in California. It's small (about 40 acres) and they bust their butts every day but love what they do. She hates living in California, though, mainly because of the health care. Their first child cost just over $6,000 in hospital fees. Their second, $8,000. Guess what we pay here in Ontario. Yup, nothing out of pocket. It's all covered (unless you opt for a private room).
She went to the local dentist years ago and was told she needed major work and given an estimate of almost $12,000. Our dentist is a family friend and had a look at her that Christmas. There was nothing wrong with her teeth! The American dentist, simply put, was trying to swindle her like a used car salesman.
I can't recall what they pay in health insurance but it is over $1000/mo for a family of four.
Then there's a high school friend of mine who is now practicing psychiatry in Iowa. Don't get me started on the pharmaceutical stories he tell me.
I realise these scenarios may not be the norm for the US but I would take longer wait times over money-lining greedy doctors any day of the week. Our health-care system is flawed but I believe it is one of the best in the world. I also have no problem knowing my taxes help pay to provide care to others. I hope I am not alone in this sentiment and am proud to be a Canadian.

 

your not alone S - i feel the same - its the e-health scandals that bug me, and the like.

Its good to be here, as much as i love south of the boarder, im ok with only being a vistor there.

 

Me three. This country has given my family and I so much that I have no problem giving back to it and to my less-fortunate fellow Canadians....

MY NAME IS MIKE, AND I AM CANADIAN!!

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRI-A3vakVg[/ame]

 

I am not to into the politics and everything behind it yet but I am proud to be Canadian. Living up north I also have an immense respect for the land we own. It's amazing how you feel after going for a nice hike on the Humber Valley Walking Trail or enjoying one of our National Parks.

There is always room for improvement but I certainly don't plan on leaving. My biggest fear was our sole reliance on the U.S economy. However, as Canada becomes more diverse we see that other countries are investing in Canada. I'm also like many who think that the price in taxes to help everyone greatly exceeds the cost of watching someone in pain being refused health care due to funds.