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By Charles Burgess » 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 my family and I 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. I have
learn't to 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 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 criticized. Canadians care about
Canadians.
Canada has an excellent health care system. I know of someone recently
who 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, additional diagnostic procedures,
and an ECG. This person was diagnosed with a heart condition that
required immediate surgery and an extended stay in hospital.
There was
no cost to the patient 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 free of litter 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 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.
Charles Burgess is the publisher of Charles Burgess' "Live in Canada!"
Ezine - a free newsletter for people thinking about living, working or
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Article Source: EzineArticles |
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