Questions for Canadians - Page 2 - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Fly · 03-01-2005, 06:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by inhalo

4th Question.

The title of the Canada thread says "the land of weed and eh". I am from Wisconsin so I understand the eh part. But, what is the deal with your country and weed?

best fuckin' pot in the world eh.......

BCers have dialed in good clean affordable pot.......

......not that i would know or anything.

Fly · 03-01-2005, 06:25 AM

great links splck.........thanks man.

Charlatan · 03-01-2005, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by inhalo

5th Question.

Today I ask you to name as many American companies that are in Canada as you can. Those of you in Toronto probably have an un-characteristic amount compared to the rest of Canada. Please try and list only those that are likeley to be found throughout Canada.

After that, perhaps you could offer your opinions about those companies being in Canada.

This would be a long and tedious list. There are *way* too many to list, believe me. Most of them are multinational corporations that have a home office in the US and many more are just US companies with branch offices here.

I don't have an issue with this as such. There are many Canadian companies as well.

What does bother me is the trend that sees a successful Canadian company either move their interests to the States or get bought out by US controlling interests. Examples of this would be Lions Gate Films (started as a Canadian company, moved into the lucrative US market, and is now selling off or closing down much of the Canadian arm) and Delrina, the makers of WinFax (bought by Symantec).

It isn't that they are no longer in Canada (although some jobs have been lost to the US) it's that they are no longer managed from Canada.

Yakk · 03-01-2005, 07:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by inhalo

5th Question.

Today I ask you to name as many American companies that are in Canada as you can. Those of you in Toronto probably have an un-characteristic amount compared to the rest of Canada. Please try and list only those that are likeley to be found throughout Canada.

After that, perhaps you could offer your opinions about those companies being in Canada.

I find the first part of that question not all that interesting. I'll give you classes: most of your fast food joints, branch offices of most of your larger corperations (P&G etc), most snack-food companies, your larger addiction corperations (cigs and beer), and a smattering of chain retailers.

My attitude is: if foriengers want to do work for me, I'm ok with that. Mmm, economic slavery! /whip /whip

inhalo · 03-02-2005, 06:14 AM

6th Question.

The questioning of today deals with concepts like unemployment compensation and welfare programs. What do Canadians do when they lose their jobs? What types of programs are out there to help the economically challeged? With the winters up there it must suck to be homeless.

BigBen · 03-02-2005, 07:45 AM

I think anywhere would suck to be homeless, but anyway...

We do have welfare programs that are administered through the provincial governments, but be warned, they are for the basics. I think (?) in my province a young single white guy is screwed. ~ 500$ per month, rent in?

Looking at the disclamers, yes you get more depending on what box you fit in. Single mom? More.
More kids? More.
Disabled? More.
Aboriginal? More.

And so therefore it is kind of a sliding scale. It is a tough life, and no-one where I live thinks "man, those welfare people sure do have it easy..." except for the ignorant and bitter assholes who love Darwin and hate charities.

As for Unemployment Insurance (UI) ... sorry, EI now:

So many weeks of work entitles you for a certain percentage of your average wage over a certain time... long and simple formula. Administered by the Feds, EI premiums come off your cheque like taxes, and everyone pays for them. Big stink lately in the fact that the EI coffers are overflowing, and the gov't will not give the money back in terms of fiddling with the fomula or taking less money off the paycheque.

Don't worry about it. All you have to do is ask someone who has done it before and they will walk you through the steps. I think that the EI forms are on-line now, so you don't even have to mail in cards anymore.

BTW, people here cal it "Pogey" pronounced po-gi . You'll sound very cool when you ask someone about it.

trache · 03-02-2005, 08:18 AM

I'm on EI currently. *sigh*. Is anyone hiring a competent IT professional in Ontario? I'm willing to move anywhere. At any rate, I've been on it since September. It really sucks getting laid off near the holiday season. Everyone was away and no companies were hiring.

You get 60% of your paycheque at the company you were previously at. You can only be on it for one year at a time. You can (and should) apply for EI as soon as you get your Record of Employment. You must also have all your banking and social insurance information handy at the time of application, as this will speed up the 6-8 week wait before EI starts kicking in. It is just like a regular paycheque and you get a T4 from the government for you to declare at income tax time.

Most importantly, EI in Ontario is accounted for from the time of application for a period of 365 days, from the time you receive your first cheque (which gets direct-deposited into your bank account as per your application).

Once you start receiving EI you will be mailed all your information including an all-important access code for your reports.

Every two weeks you must fill out a report on-line (or via telephone) with your PIN access code. It can range from the simple:

"Yes, I'm available for work but haven't found any in the last two weeks" to
"Yes I'm available, but I'm doing part-time training for [x] amount of hours a week or I've received a small paycheque for some on-the-side work"

I would encourage you not to lie on your reports as the hassle with insurance agents can get you in very hot water - think of losing your benefits altogether or even getting charged with fraud!

There should be an employment centre setup by the government near your place of residence. They can help you with resume writing, cover letter writing, interview skills and even funding for training or courses you can take (while you still get EI benefits). I'm training right now, and you cannot be training for more than 10 hours a week or you will be deemed "not searching for work", which in effect, cuts you off EI.

Again I ask, is there anyone hiring? I hope you don't mind me asking here... I'd like to explore all my options.

Janey · 03-02-2005, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyman

great links splck.........thanks man.

Originally Posted by tecoyah
reality is for people....who can't handle drugs-...some stoned guy

that quote is Tom Waits as far as I can recall. he also said: "I'd rather have a bottle in front of me, than a frontal lobotomy"

Antikarma · 03-02-2005, 08:56 AM

Heck Trache I feel your pain. I'm still looking for work and it looks like I'm going to have to leave my family and go back up to Yellowknife to work. It sucks. Been working since I was 13, and the only times I'm ever stuck on EI is when I come back to this hole in the ground.

I spent 4 months looking for work here now. Nothing. Looking from Kelowna to Oliver. Its a good thing my wife makes a bundle, but looks like we'll be spending time together on MSN soon because I can't take much more sitting at home.

On the bright side, I'm learning how to cook,

Janey · 03-02-2005, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charlatan

This would be a long and tedious list. There are *way* too many to list, believe me. Most of them are multinational corporations that have a home office in the US and many more are just US companies with branch offices here.

I don't have an issue with this as such. There are many Canadian companies as well.

What does bother me is the trend that sees a successful Canadian company either move their interests to the States or get bought out by US controlling interests. Examples of this would be Lions Gate Films (started as a Canadian company, moved into the lucrative US market, and is now selling off or closing down much of the Canadian arm) and Delrina, the makers of WinFax (bought by Symantec).

It isn't that they are no longer in Canada (although some jobs have been lost to the US) it's that they are no longer managed from Canada.

And especially Tim Hortons. Since they were bought by Wendy's (i think) their product has been severely corporatized. (think smaller)

Janey · 03-02-2005, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by inhalo

6th Question.

The questioning of today deals with concepts like unemployment compensation and welfare programs. What do Canadians do when they lose their jobs? What types of programs are out there to help the economically challeged? With the winters up there it must suck to be homeless.

it sucks to be homeless anywhere, but you have to think that chicago, New York, Buffalo, Seattle, Philadelphia, Boston all have the same issue withthe weather.

inhalo · 03-03-2005, 09:02 AM

7th Question.

Well it seems that you open-minded Canadians have your priorities straight. Still in such a atmosphere there will still be prejudice and taboos. Are there issues the common man deals with (not govt.) in Canada that push people apart?

Where are the equality gaps? Gender is an example. America likes to toot its horn about equality, but we have a long way to go. My girlfriend just got a job cutting stone in a shop with all men. Now granted 50 years ago she could not even get the job, but the employees in this man dominated shop have know idea how to interact with her comfortably in this modern age. There is voids in communication, so on and so forth......what are some of the vices that still hold Canada back?

Charlatan · 03-03-2005, 09:28 AM

I would say that, in general, the kinds of intolerance and prejudice you experience in the US, you will experience in Canada as well.

Like the US, it depends were you are.

That said, we do not have the same Black/White issues that you find in the US. The issues are there BUT the political flavour of them is different.

Yakk · 03-03-2005, 11:08 AM

(FPTP = first past the post
PR = proportional rep
RR = regional rep)

Canada:
21.1% women in Parliament
37.1% women in the Senate

The Canadian Senate is pseudo-RR appointed, Parliament is PRFPTP elected.

The Senate in Canada has effectively little power. It's job is editing and polishing: in theory, the only thing it could do to a bill is delay it for a known period of time.

USA:
15.0% women in Congress
14.0% women in the Senate

The US Congress is PRFPTP elected, Senate is RRFPTP elected

This seemed to be a simple, objective measure of gender equality, at least to some degree.

Canada has a larger aboriginal population, in proportion to it's population, than the USA. This is especially true out west. The reservation system caused and causes some social problems, which we are actively trying to repair.

inhalo · 03-04-2005, 08:31 AM

8th Question.

Laid back friday question. Please indulge me with your slang. Give me as much as you can.....prejudice terms, sports terms, drug terms, terms for "cool"..........whatever slang you think is different up there!

In Wisconsin we call drinking fountains -bubblers and we do not call soda -pop.

Charlatan · 03-04-2005, 08:51 AM

Chocolate Bar: apparently American's call them candy bars

Homo milk: whole or homogonized milk... (Hey 2%! (when person turns around) Not you homo.)

Loonie and Toonie: our one dollar and two dollar coins respectively

Two Four: a 24 case of beer

Tims or Timmy's: pet names for Tim Horton's, a famous and ubiquitous Doughnut shop chain

Pogey: Unemployment insurance. When I told my father I wanted to be an artist he said, "Why? So you can draw a pogey."

Newfie: Somone from the province of Newfoundland

The Big Smoke, Hogtown, T.O., t-Dot: Toronto
Cowtown: Calgary
Winterpeg, The 'Peg: Winnipeg
The Rock: Newfoundland
The Soo: Sault Saint Marie (pronounced Sue Saint Marie)
Chesterfield: couch or a sofa
Touque: a hat to keep your noggin' warm in the winter
Serviette: a napkin
Crappy Tire: another name for the chain of stores called Canadian Tire
hydro: electriciy... i.e. The hydro bill came in.
May Two Four: The Victoria Day long weekend (May 24th)

We say Zed not Zee
Lieutenant (pronounced lef-tenant - the proper way)
Vase ("voz", not "vayse")
Cheque (not check)
Grey (not gray)
Doughnut (not donut)

Janey · 03-04-2005, 10:06 AM

- Except that Tim Hortons spells it donuts, while Krispy kreme utilizes doughnut.... go figure.

- apparantly Zee is unique. Only Americans pronounce it that way. The rest of the world (English, French, German etc) use Zed.

- what is with Tdot for Trawna? I Have never heard that used before...

- as for toonies, I thought it was twonies, but i hate the term. I use the term: '2 dollar coin', while my hubby annoys me with 'bear-assed Queen' because of the polar bear on the backside of the coin.

I heard that Double - Double (for 2 cream 2 sugar in coffee) is uniquely canadian.
- I always use serviette, as napkin is something that is used for feminine hygiene...not that I use serviettes instead of napkins! Ok , in cases of extreme emergency...

Charlatan · 03-04-2005, 10:17 AM

Not sure where T-dot started but likely T.O. (T dot O dot). I seem to recall some rapper started it all...

Zee makes the alphabet rhyme when sung to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star...

Toonie or Twonie... I've only ever seen it written Toonie as in Loonie with a "T"...

Yakk · 03-04-2005, 10:31 AM

It's a dubloon silly!

Janey · 03-04-2005, 11:52 AM

i like that. or dubloonie

Charlatan · 03-04-2005, 12:30 PM

I remember that being one of the names that got tossed around when they first came out... I always thought toonie was a bit cheap sounding ...

Doubloon is *way* better... makes me feel like a pirate.

Janey · 03-04-2005, 12:34 PM

save that for the annual speak Like a Pirate Day.

Iremember and April fools joke that CFRB played one year, that I totally fell for:

They announced that the $5 bill was going to be replaced by a coin, which will have 5 geese flying in V formation, with the V representing the roman numeral 5, and the geese were Canada Goose geese.

the flip side was going to have Timothy Eaton on it. that's when i clued in.

Charlatan · 03-04-2005, 12:40 PM

The Last Saskatchewan Pirate - Arrogant Worms

Oh, I used to be a farmer and I made a living fine,
I had a little stretch of land along the CP line
But time are hard and though I tried, the money wasn't there
And bankers came and took my land and told me fair is fair
I looked for every kind of job, the answer always "no"
Hire you now, they'd always laugh, we just let twenty go!
The government, they promised me a measly little sum
But I've got too much pride to end up just another bum.
And so I thought who gives a damn if all the jobs are gone
I'm gonna be a PIRATE! on the River Saskatchewan!
(ar.. ar.. ar.. etc...!)

Chorus:
Cause it's a heave-ho! hi-ho!
Coming down the plains
Stealing wheat and barley and all the other grains
And it's a ho-hey! hi-hey!
Farmers bar your doors when you see the Jolly Roger on Regina'smighty shores.
Arr!

Well you think the locals farmers would know that I'm at large
But, just the other day I saw an unsuspecting barge
I snuck up right behind them and they were none the wiser,
I rammed their ship, and sank it, and I stole their fertilizer!
A bridge outside of Moose Jaw spans a mighty river
The farmers pass in so much fear, their stomachs are a-quiver
Because the know that TRACTOR JACK! is hiding in the bay,
I'll jump the bridge and knock them cold and sail off with theirhay!

Chorus

Well Mountie Bob he chased me, he was always at my throat
He'd follow on the shoreline but he didn't own a boat
But cutbacks were a-coming and the Mountie lost his job
Now he's sailing with me and we call him Salty Bob.
A swingin' sword, and skull n' bones, and pleasant company
I never pay my income tax and screw the GST- SCREW IT!
Prince Albert down to Saskatoon, I'm the terror of the sea
If ya wanna reach the Co-op, boy, you gotta get by me!

Chorus

Arrr ya salty dog.. arrr ya salty gopher.. arrr ya salty bale ofhay!

Well, pirate life's appealing, but you don't just find it here
I've heard that in Alberta, there's a band of bucaneers
They roam the Athabasca, from Smith to Fort McKay
And you're gonna lose your Stetson if you have to pass theirway
Well winter is a-coming and a chill is in the breeze
Our pirate days are over once the river starts to freeze
I'll be back in springtime, but now I 've to go,
I hear there's lots of plundering down in New Mexico!

Chorus
Repeat Chorus
Repeat last line of chorus

Janey · 03-04-2005, 01:42 PM

I know the arrogonat worms... They did a song about toronto too. It was hilarious. do you have the words?

I found this one tho:

Arrogant Worms

Forgive Us We're Canadian

by Unknown
We always say we're sorry
We like to stand in line
When you ask us how we're doing
We always say "Just fine!"

Forgive us, we're Canadian,
We try hard to be nice,
You too can be Canadian
If you follow this advice.

We disagree on everything
But we try to be polite
We don't believe in violence
Except on hockey nights!
We've adopted European ways
Replacing yards with meters
But we still must ask the question,
"How many miles in a litre?"

Forgive us, we're Canadian,
We try hard to be nice,
You too can be Canadian
If you follow this advice.

We can talk for hours of end
About the constitution
Which is dry as toast but sure as heck
Beats war or revolution.
We don't much like to wave the flag
We find patriotism shocking
So we celebrate on Canada Day
By going cross-border shopping!

Forgive us, we're Canadian,
We try hard to be nice,
You too can be Canadian
If you follow this advice.

We know how to dress for winter
We're not afraid of snow!
And we love our country quietly
And hope Quebec won't go!

Forgive us, we're Canadian
And that some might think us bland
But there's nowhere that we'd rather live
Than this vast and frozen land!

Mr Cassata · 03-07-2005, 05:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by inhalo

7th Question.

Well it seems that you open-minded Canadians have your priorities straight. Still in such a atmosphere there will still be prejudice and taboos. Are there issues the common man deals with (not govt.) in Canada that push people apart?

Where are the equality gaps? Gender is an example. America likes to toot its horn about equality, but we have a long way to go. My girlfriend just got a job cutting stone in a shop with all men. Now granted 50 years ago she could not even get the job, but the employees in this man dominated shop have know idea how to interact with her comfortably in this modern age. There is voids in communication, so on and so forth......what are some of the vices that still hold Canada back?

Over here in Saskatchewan, there is a lot of racism against natives... It's a real shame, because the ones I know are great people.

There is also a certain degree of homophobia, but no more than in the states (which is Canadian slang for the United States, by the way...)

Sticky · 03-07-2005, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janey

I heard that Double - Double (for 2 cream 2 sugar in coffee) is uniquely canadian.

Actually, I thought it was uniquely Tim Hortons.
Not that any other chain really matters, but if you go into a second cup, Dunkin Donuts, Coffee Time and ask for a Double Double do they know what you are talking about?

Here is a good question:
- If you order a Medium Double Double. It has a certain amount of cream and sugar in it. What happens if you order a Large Double Double? Does it have the same amount of cream and sugar as in a medium or does it have the same proportion of cream and sugar to coffee as in the Medium?

This has been bothering me for a while.

Yakk · 03-07-2005, 08:21 AM

Not the arrogant worms, but:

Quote:

I don't want to go to toronto. I don't want to go. All of the blocks are square. None of the streets are twisted. None of the streets are paved with bricks. There's too many elevators in Toronto, not enough stairs in Toronto. Not enough stairs! All of the food in Toronto is made of edible oil products. They don't have bagels in Toronto - they have donuts! Donuts made of edible oil! I don't like donuts. They don't have bagels. I don't want to go to Toronto. People don't have faces in Toronto - they have cigarette ads instead. They listen to your phone calls. There's a tower in Toronto that controls people's minds!! It's illegal to possess brightly coloured balloons in Toronto! Illegal to own brightly coloured balloons! All of the children in Toronto must wear suits. Even the girls, three-piece suits! The buildings in Toronto have no windows! I don't want to go!! Everyone lives in subterranean caverns filled with donuts made of edible oil. I don't want to go!! Nobody goes to the bathroom in Toronto - they have a special operation, they have it removed surgically. There's a tax on all wicker goods in Toronto. There's huge buildings with no windows on streets with no curves and inside you find little girls in suits running around with black balloons and muching on edible oil products. The kids don't have names, they have numbers which are assigned to them at birth! They're called.. 387.7! 412.9! And they all have cigarette ads instead of faces! I dont't want to go to Toronto!! I don't want to go! I have plenty of wicker goods, I don't want a tax on my wicker goods! I like going to the bathroom, I don't want to go to the hospital! I don't want to go to Toronto! I don't want to go! Do I have to go to Toronto? Do I? Do I have to go? I don't want to go!

(Radio Free Vestibule)

Text From:
http://ars.userfriendly.org/users/re...5856&tid=26941

MP3 link (apparently with permission):
http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/70...To_Toronto.mp3
from http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/7026/sounds.html

(note: those websites are bandwitdth-capped, so will go out regularly.
mirror for the MP3: http://theorem.ca/~afn/temp/Radio_Fr...To_Toronto.mp3
)

Janey · 03-07-2005, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sticky

Actually, I thought it was uniquely Tim Hortons.
Not that any other chain really matters, but if you go into a second cup, Dunkin Donuts, Coffee Time and ask for a Double Double do they know what you are talking about?

Here is a good question:
- If you order a Medium Double Double. It has a certain amount of cream and sugar in it. What happens if you order a Large Double Double? Does it have the same amount of cream and sugar as in a medium or does it have the same proportion of cream and sugar to coffee as in the Medium?

This has been bothering me for a while.

Very interesting point. hmmm. I've noticed that the training at Tim Horton's has started to slide a bit. (must be the whole Wendy's thing). their staff don't seem to be able to handle the sliding size scale wrt adjusting for volume.

On the other hand, Coffee Time does understand double double, and they seem to be able to compensate....

MacDonald's on the other hand will just give you 4 creamers for their newly upsized medium coffee. Honestly, they just about doubled the size of their coffees in the last week.

BigBen · 03-07-2005, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Cassata

Over here in Saskatchewan, there is a lot of racism against natives... It's a real shame, because the ones I know are great people.

There is also a certain degree of homophobia, but no more than in the states (which is Canadian slang for the United States, by the way...)

WOW, that is the understatement of the year so far...

In Saskatchewan, the racism put toward aboriginals is VERY BAD. The intolerance level here is staggering. Yes, I know natives that are great people, but in my own experiences, it has been a 2-way street. Natives hate "whitey" with vigour and passion. It is something that we are not proud of, and we don't like to talk about it. Hey, how about those Riders?

DO NOT MOVE TO SASKATCHEWAN IF YOU ARE ABORIGINAL. There are better places without the hassle. Seriously.

BigBen · 03-07-2005, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sticky

Here is a good question:
- If you order a Medium Double Double. It has a certain amount of cream and sugar in it. What happens if you order a Large Double Double? Does it have the same amount of cream and sugar as in a medium or does it have the same proportion of cream and sugar to coffee as in the Medium?

This has been bothering me for a while.

YES, there is a machine that keeps the proportions straight on the cream and sugar dispensers... If you order an XL double double, rest assured it will taste the same as a regular double double.
the machines have little buttons on them corresponding to the cup size. It makes it a little harder for the gnome inside the machine, but they seem to handle the stress.

inhalo · 03-07-2005, 11:51 AM

9th Question.

Hello ladies and gents, I want to throw a 'Thank You' up to you all. My computer is fried at home so I only get to interact with you while I am working. This has not left me much time to do more than write the question of the day and read your responses. Rest assured once my work flow dies down a little I will dig deeper into this forum. Blah Blah Blah right?

So today I thought I would ask you for some reasons why someone would NOT want to move to Canada. Can this even be? Come on guys give me the dirt......surely there is something wrong with you..........anything.........something small maybe?

Sticky · 03-07-2005, 11:55 AM

Nice to hear BigBen931, I can now sleep at night again. I just hope those gnomes don't go on strike.

Sticky · 03-07-2005, 12:00 PM

How about
- The cold
- Taxes
- No U.S. Superbowl commercials due to Canadian channels taking over the broadcast. Unless you have U.S. satellite

Charlatan · 03-07-2005, 12:00 PM

The snow and cold... but you can get that in the northern US as well...

Other than that I can't think of anything else that sucks.

Janey · 03-07-2005, 12:59 PM

Whenever I travel, even to 1st world countries like Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, I thank my luck stars that I live in Canada. This is not an exageration. But to tell you the truth, i feel more estranged from here, when I have to spend prolonged periods of time in the States. I worked for a month straight in columbia SC, and it was just similar enough that I was constantly reminded of home.

Even when working in Fort Lee NJ or Pittsburgh, i would look out the window of the airplane on approach to Toronto, and feel the need to be back in my town. The times that i have spent in Europe and Asia did not affect me in such a way because they are sufficently different countries that I wasn't affected by the verisimilitude.

Canada has its problems, but they are our own. and we deal with them. Americans may think that our taxes are high, but really, I don't think that they are totally out of line. I dont like paying 8% sales tax and 7 % gst, nor do i like to pay income tax, but like they say, you gotta be making in to be paying it. If i can manage to save, buy a house, and live a comfortable lifestyle, then I think that is pretty decent. We don't have to dodge land mines to get to work. That's a big problem in a lot of the world!

Plus, I love the winter, so that helps. Our street in the beaches has had an impromptu igloo/qwinzy/snow house building contest, with each ront yard sporting a large construct of some sort, and scotch/wine drinking neighbours out socializing while the kids do the building. It's great!

aberkok · 03-07-2005, 01:40 PM

I think you'd be a fool not to answer question #9 with the answer: "the cold"

Seriously when it first hits, usually in November, I look forward to winter and not sweating all the time. By about the 5th month of it (i.e. NOW) I'm pretty tired of it and being cold all the time. The slush, the black snow on the side of the road, our car-centric society manifesting itself in sidewalks that are rarely shovelled or plowed... the list goes on and on. The cause?

The Cold!!!

Yakk · 03-07-2005, 02:35 PM

I can think of many reasons why someone would not want to move to Canada.

1> Their relatives/family aren't here, and they like their relatives.
2> They have a love of their current country, and don't want to leave it.
3> They dislike the weather in Canada.
4> Their values don't line up with Canadian values (for example, Canada makes genocidal speech a crime -- some people put the bar of free speech higher or lower)
5> They like lower/higher marginal tax rates and the government services levels thus provided
6> They can't get in
7> They enjoy hearing about their nation engage in military conquest, or are more pacifistic than the Canadian government
8> They are working in a niche field where employment isn't availiable in Canada, gets paid more elsewhere, or is otherwise superior
9> They are in a close relationship with someone with one of the above reasons to not want to come here
10> Inertia

inhalo · 03-07-2005, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aberkok

I think you'd be a fool not to answer question #9 with the answer: "the cold"

Seriously when it first hits, usually in November, I look forward to winter and not sweating all the time. By about the 5th month of it (i.e. NOW) I'm pretty tired of it and being cold all the time. The slush, the black snow on the side of the road, our car-centric society manifesting itself in sidewalks that are rarely shovelled or plowed... the list goes on and on.

How much cold are we really talking about here? I can not imagine your winters being that much worse than those in Wisconsin. Winter rolls up its sleeves and clenches its fists in November and pounds through to about now. Granted winters here are very unpredictable. Yesterday it was HOT 50°F....... today it is 20°F and snowing. I would say that about half the winter is below zero with the wind chill. It is never really above freezing for very long if ever.

Sorry bout the °F

What are the usual summer temps (°C is fine)

inhalo · 03-07-2005, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yakk

I can think of many reasons why someone would not want to move to Canada.

4> Their values don't line up with Canadian values (for example, Canada makes genocidal speech a crime -- some people put the bar of free speech higher or lower)

This is something I have never heard of.......Do you have any more examples of similar "crimes"?

aberkok · 03-07-2005, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by inhalo

How much cold are we really talking about here?...

...What are the usual summer temps (°C is fine)

Well, here in Toronto, summer can get to about 30 - 35 celsius for usually a week or two at a time. I'd say the peak months of summer average out at about 25 - 30 Celsius.

Winter in Toronto isn't as bad as Quebec or the Prairies (which can get to -30 or even lower than -40). Toronto usually bottoms out at about -20 to -25 Celsius. Winter is pretty much alway below freezing. This winter has been pretty wimpy, though (everything thaws, then new snowfall, then it freezes for about 2 days, then we're above 0C again).

03-01-2005, 06:25 AM	#42 (permalink)
Fly see the links to my music? Location: Beautiful British Columbia	great links splck.........thanks man. __________________ BASTARD SterlingStudios

03-02-2005, 07:45 AM	#46 (permalink)
BigBen Comedian Location: Use the search button	I think anywhere would suck to be homeless, but anyway... We do have welfare programs that are administered through the provincial governments, but be warned, they are for the basics. I think (?) in my province a young single white guy is screwed. ~ 500$ per month, rent in? Looking at the disclamers, yes you get more depending on what box you fit in. Single mom? More. More kids? More. Disabled? More. Aboriginal? More. And so therefore it is kind of a sliding scale. It is a tough life, and no-one where I live thinks "man, those welfare people sure do have it easy..." except for the ignorant and bitter assholes who love Darwin and hate charities. As for Unemployment Insurance (UI) ... sorry, EI now: So many weeks of work entitles you for a certain percentage of your average wage over a certain time... long and simple formula. Administered by the Feds, EI premiums come off your cheque like taxes, and everyone pays for them. Big stink lately in the fact that the EI coffers are overflowing, and the gov't will not give the money back in terms of fiddling with the fomula or taking less money off the paycheque. Don't worry about it. All you have to do is ask someone who has done it before and they will walk you through the steps. I think that the EI forms are on-line now, so you don't even have to mail in cards anymore. BTW, people here cal it "Pogey" pronounced po-gi . You'll sound very cool when you ask someone about it. __________________ 3.141592654 Hey, if you are impressed with my memorizing pi to 10 digits, you should see the size of my penis.

03-02-2005, 08:18 AM	#47 (permalink)
trache Insane	I'm on EI currently. sigh. Is anyone hiring a competent IT professional in Ontario? I'm willing to move anywhere. At any rate, I've been on it since September. It really sucks getting laid off near the holiday season. Everyone was away and no companies were hiring. You get 60% of your paycheque at the company you were previously at. You can only be on it for one year at a time. You can (and should) apply for EI as soon as you get your Record of Employment. You must also have all your banking and social insurance information handy at the time of application, as this will speed up the 6-8 week wait before EI starts kicking in. It is just like a regular paycheque and you get a T4 from the government for you to declare at income tax time. Most importantly, EI in Ontario is accounted for from the time of application for a period of 365 days, from the time you receive your first cheque (which gets direct-deposited into your bank account as per your application). Once you start receiving EI you will be mailed all your information including an all-important access code for your reports. Every two weeks you must fill out a report on-line (or via telephone) with your PIN access code. It can range from the simple: "Yes, I'm available for work but haven't found any in the last two weeks" to "Yes I'm available, but I'm doing part-time training for [x] amount of hours a week or I've received a small paycheque for some on-the-side work" I would encourage you not to lie on your reports as the hassle with insurance agents can get you in very hot water - think of losing your benefits altogether or even getting charged with fraud! There should be an employment centre setup by the government near your place of residence. They can help you with resume writing, cover letter writing, interview skills and even funding for training or courses you can take (while you still get EI benefits). I'm training right now, and you cannot be training for more than 10 hours a week or you will be deemed "not searching for work", which in effect, cuts you off EI. Again I ask, is there anyone hiring? I hope you don't mind me asking here... I'd like to explore all my options. __________________ "You looked at me as if I was eating runny eggs in slow motion." - Gord Downie of The Tragically Hip

03-02-2005, 08:56 AM	#49 (permalink)
Antikarma Psycho Location: Yellowknife, NWT	Heck Trache I feel your pain. I'm still looking for work and it looks like I'm going to have to leave my family and go back up to Yellowknife to work. It sucks. Been working since I was 13, and the only times I'm ever stuck on EI is when I come back to this hole in the ground. I spent 4 months looking for work here now. Nothing. Looking from Kelowna to Oliver. Its a good thing my wife makes a bundle, but looks like we'll be spending time together on MSN soon because I can't take much more sitting at home. On the bright side, I'm learning how to cook, __________________ "Whoever you are, go out into the evening, leaving your room, of which you know each bit; your house is the last before the infinite, whoever you are."

03-03-2005, 09:28 AM	#53 (permalink)
Charlatan Getting it. Super Moderator Location: Lion City	I would say that, in general, the kinds of intolerance and prejudice you experience in the US, you will experience in Canada as well. Like the US, it depends were you are. That said, we do not have the same Black/White issues that you find in the US. The issues are there BUT the political flavour of them is different. __________________ "My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars." - Old Man Luedecke

03-02-2005, 06:14 AM	#45 (permalink)
inhalo Tilted Location: Purgatory	6th Question. The questioning of today deals with concepts like unemployment compensation and welfare programs. What do Canadians do when they lose their jobs? What types of programs are out there to help the economically challeged? With the winters up there it must suck to be homeless.

03-03-2005, 09:02 AM	#52 (permalink)
inhalo Tilted Location: Purgatory	7th Question. Well it seems that you open-minded Canadians have your priorities straight. Still in such a atmosphere there will still be prejudice and taboos. Are there issues the common man deals with (not govt.) in Canada that push people apart? Where are the equality gaps? Gender is an example. America likes to toot its horn about equality, but we have a long way to go. My girlfriend just got a job cutting stone in a shop with all men. Now granted 50 years ago she could not even get the job, but the employees in this man dominated shop have know idea how to interact with her comfortably in this modern age. There is voids in communication, so on and so forth......what are some of the vices that still hold Canada back?

03-03-2005, 11:08 AM	#54 (permalink)
Yakk Wehret Den Anfängen! Location: Ontario, Canada	(FPTP = first past the post PR = proportional rep RR = regional rep) Canada: 21.1% women in Parliament 37.1% women in the Senate The Canadian Senate is pseudo-RR appointed, Parliament is PRFPTP elected. The Senate in Canada has effectively little power. It's job is editing and polishing: in theory, the only thing it could do to a bill is delay it for a known period of time. USA: 15.0% women in Congress 14.0% women in the Senate The US Congress is PRFPTP elected, Senate is RRFPTP elected This seemed to be a simple, objective measure of gender equality, at least to some degree. Canada has a larger aboriginal population, in proportion to it's population, than the USA. This is especially true out west. The reservation system caused and causes some social problems, which we are actively trying to repair. __________________ Last edited by JHVH : 10-29-4004 BC at 09:00 PM. Reason: Time for a rest.

03-04-2005, 08:31 AM	#55 (permalink)
inhalo Tilted Location: Purgatory	8th Question. Laid back friday question. Please indulge me with your slang. Give me as much as you can.....prejudice terms, sports terms, drug terms, terms for "cool"..........whatever slang you think is different up there! In Wisconsin we call drinking fountains -bubblers and we do not call soda -pop.

03-04-2005, 08:51 AM	#56 (permalink)
Charlatan Getting it. Super Moderator Location: Lion City	Chocolate Bar: apparently American's call them candy bars Homo milk: whole or homogonized milk... (Hey 2%! (when person turns around) Not you homo.) Loonie and Toonie: our one dollar and two dollar coins respectively Two Four: a 24 case of beer Tims or Timmy's: pet names for Tim Horton's, a famous and ubiquitous Doughnut shop chain Pogey: Unemployment insurance. When I told my father I wanted to be an artist he said, "Why? So you can draw a pogey." Newfie: Somone from the province of Newfoundland The Big Smoke, Hogtown, T.O., t-Dot: Toronto Cowtown: Calgary Winterpeg, The 'Peg: Winnipeg The Rock: Newfoundland The Soo: Sault Saint Marie (pronounced Sue Saint Marie) Chesterfield: couch or a sofa Touque: a hat to keep your noggin' warm in the winter Serviette: a napkin Crappy Tire: another name for the chain of stores called Canadian Tire hydro: electriciy... i.e. The hydro bill came in. May Two Four: The Victoria Day long weekend (May 24th) We say Zed not Zee Lieutenant (pronounced lef-tenant - the proper way) Vase ("voz", not "vayse") Cheque (not check) Grey (not gray) Doughnut (not donut) __________________ "My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars." - Old Man Luedecke

03-04-2005, 10:06 AM	#57 (permalink)
Janey Junkie Location: Toronto	- Except that Tim Hortons spells it donuts, while Krispy kreme utilizes doughnut.... go figure. - apparantly Zee is unique. Only Americans pronounce it that way. The rest of the world (English, French, German etc) use Zed. - what is with Tdot for Trawna? I Have never heard that used before... - as for toonies, I thought it was twonies, but i hate the term. I use the term: '2 dollar coin', while my hubby annoys me with 'bear-assed Queen' because of the polar bear on the backside of the coin. I heard that Double - Double (for 2 cream 2 sugar in coffee) is uniquely canadian. - I always use serviette, as napkin is something that is used for feminine hygiene...not that I use serviettes instead of napkins! Ok , in cases of extreme emergency...

03-04-2005, 10:17 AM	#58 (permalink)
Charlatan Getting it. Super Moderator Location: Lion City	Not sure where T-dot started but likely T.O. (T dot O dot). I seem to recall some rapper started it all... Zee makes the alphabet rhyme when sung to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star... Toonie or Twonie... I've only ever seen it written Toonie as in Loonie with a "T"... __________________ "My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars." - Old Man Luedecke

03-04-2005, 10:31 AM	#59 (permalink)
Yakk Wehret Den Anfängen! Location: Ontario, Canada	It's a dubloon silly! __________________ Last edited by JHVH : 10-29-4004 BC at 09:00 PM. Reason: Time for a rest. Last edited by Yakk; 03-04-2005 at 12:16 PM.. Reason: How in the world can I make a misspelling in 4 words!

03-04-2005, 11:52 AM	#60 (permalink)
Janey Junkie Location: Toronto	i like that. or dubloonie

03-04-2005, 12:30 PM	#61 (permalink)
Charlatan Getting it. Super Moderator Location: Lion City	I remember that being one of the names that got tossed around when they first came out... I always thought toonie was a bit cheap sounding ... Doubloon is way better... makes me feel like a pirate. __________________ "My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars." - Old Man Luedecke

03-04-2005, 12:34 PM	#62 (permalink)
Janey Junkie Location: Toronto	save that for the annual speak Like a Pirate Day. Iremember and April fools joke that CFRB played one year, that I totally fell for: They announced that the $5 bill was going to be replaced by a coin, which will have 5 geese flying in V formation, with the V representing the roman numeral 5, and the geese were Canada Goose geese. the flip side was going to have Timothy Eaton on it. that's when i clued in.

03-04-2005, 12:40 PM	#63 (permalink)
Charlatan Getting it. Super Moderator Location: Lion City	The Last Saskatchewan Pirate - Arrogant Worms Oh, I used to be a farmer and I made a living fine, I had a little stretch of land along the CP line But time are hard and though I tried, the money wasn't there And bankers came and took my land and told me fair is fair I looked for every kind of job, the answer always "no" Hire you now, they'd always laugh, we just let twenty go! The government, they promised me a measly little sum But I've got too much pride to end up just another bum. And so I thought who gives a damn if all the jobs are gone I'm gonna be a PIRATE! on the River Saskatchewan! (ar.. ar.. ar.. etc...!) Chorus: Cause it's a heave-ho! hi-ho! Coming down the plains Stealing wheat and barley and all the other grains And it's a ho-hey! hi-hey! Farmers bar your doors when you see the Jolly Roger on Regina'smighty shores. Arr! Well you think the locals farmers would know that I'm at large But, just the other day I saw an unsuspecting barge I snuck up right behind them and they were none the wiser, I rammed their ship, and sank it, and I stole their fertilizer! A bridge outside of Moose Jaw spans a mighty river The farmers pass in so much fear, their stomachs are a-quiver Because the know that TRACTOR JACK! is hiding in the bay, I'll jump the bridge and knock them cold and sail off with theirhay! Chorus Well Mountie Bob he chased me, he was always at my throat He'd follow on the shoreline but he didn't own a boat But cutbacks were a-coming and the Mountie lost his job Now he's sailing with me and we call him Salty Bob. A swingin' sword, and skull n' bones, and pleasant company I never pay my income tax and screw the GST- SCREW IT! Prince Albert down to Saskatoon, I'm the terror of the sea If ya wanna reach the Co-op, boy, you gotta get by me! Chorus Arrr ya salty dog.. arrr ya salty gopher.. arrr ya salty bale ofhay! Well, pirate life's appealing, but you don't just find it here I've heard that in Alberta, there's a band of bucaneers They roam the Athabasca, from Smith to Fort McKay And you're gonna lose your Stetson if you have to pass theirway Well winter is a-coming and a chill is in the breeze Our pirate days are over once the river starts to freeze I'll be back in springtime, but now I 've to go, I hear there's lots of plundering down in New Mexico! Chorus Repeat Chorus Repeat last line of chorus __________________ "My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars." - Old Man Luedecke

03-04-2005, 01:42 PM	#64 (permalink)
Janey Junkie Location: Toronto	I know the arrogonat worms... They did a song about toronto too. It was hilarious. do you have the words? I found this one tho: Arrogant Worms Forgive Us We're Canadian by Unknown We always say we're sorry We like to stand in line When you ask us how we're doing We always say "Just fine!" Forgive us, we're Canadian, We try hard to be nice, You too can be Canadian If you follow this advice. We disagree on everything But we try to be polite We don't believe in violence Except on hockey nights! We've adopted European ways Replacing yards with meters But we still must ask the question, "How many miles in a litre?" Forgive us, we're Canadian, We try hard to be nice, You too can be Canadian If you follow this advice. We can talk for hours of end About the constitution Which is dry as toast but sure as heck Beats war or revolution. We don't much like to wave the flag We find patriotism shocking So we celebrate on Canada Day By going cross-border shopping! Forgive us, we're Canadian, We try hard to be nice, You too can be Canadian If you follow this advice. We know how to dress for winter We're not afraid of snow! And we love our country quietly And hope Quebec won't go! Forgive us, we're Canadian And that some might think us bland But there's nowhere that we'd rather live Than this vast and frozen land! Last edited by Janey; 03-04-2005 at 01:49 PM..

03-07-2005, 11:51 AM	#71 (permalink)
inhalo Tilted Location: Purgatory	9th Question. Hello ladies and gents, I want to throw a 'Thank You' up to you all. My computer is fried at home so I only get to interact with you while I am working. This has not left me much time to do more than write the question of the day and read your responses. Rest assured once my work flow dies down a little I will dig deeper into this forum. Blah Blah Blah right? So today I thought I would ask you for some reasons why someone would NOT want to move to Canada. Can this even be? Come on guys give me the dirt......surely there is something wrong with you..........anything.........something small maybe?

03-07-2005, 11:55 AM	#72 (permalink)
Sticky	Nice to hear BigBen931, I can now sleep at night again. I just hope those gnomes don't go on strike. __________________ Sticky The Stickman

03-07-2005, 12:00 PM	#73 (permalink)
Sticky	How about - The cold - Taxes - No U.S. Superbowl commercials due to Canadian channels taking over the broadcast. Unless you have U.S. satellite __________________ Sticky The Stickman

03-07-2005, 12:00 PM	#74 (permalink)
Charlatan Getting it. Super Moderator Location: Lion City	The snow and cold... but you can get that in the northern US as well... Other than that I can't think of anything else that sucks. __________________ "My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars." - Old Man Luedecke

03-07-2005, 12:59 PM	#75 (permalink)
Janey Junkie Location: Toronto	Whenever I travel, even to 1st world countries like Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, I thank my luck stars that I live in Canada. This is not an exageration. But to tell you the truth, i feel more estranged from here, when I have to spend prolonged periods of time in the States. I worked for a month straight in columbia SC, and it was just similar enough that I was constantly reminded of home. Even when working in Fort Lee NJ or Pittsburgh, i would look out the window of the airplane on approach to Toronto, and feel the need to be back in my town. The times that i have spent in Europe and Asia did not affect me in such a way because they are sufficently different countries that I wasn't affected by the verisimilitude. Canada has its problems, but they are our own. and we deal with them. Americans may think that our taxes are high, but really, I don't think that they are totally out of line. I dont like paying 8% sales tax and 7 % gst, nor do i like to pay income tax, but like they say, you gotta be making in to be paying it. If i can manage to save, buy a house, and live a comfortable lifestyle, then I think that is pretty decent. We don't have to dodge land mines to get to work. That's a big problem in a lot of the world! Plus, I love the winter, so that helps. Our street in the beaches has had an impromptu igloo/qwinzy/snow house building contest, with each ront yard sporting a large construct of some sort, and scotch/wine drinking neighbours out socializing while the kids do the building. It's great!

03-07-2005, 01:40 PM	#76 (permalink)
aberkok “Wrong is right.” Location: toronto	I think you'd be a fool not to answer question #9 with the answer: "the cold" Seriously when it first hits, usually in November, I look forward to winter and not sweating all the time. By about the 5th month of it (i.e. NOW) I'm pretty tired of it and being cold all the time. The slush, the black snow on the side of the road, our car-centric society manifesting itself in sidewalks that are rarely shovelled or plowed... the list goes on and on. The cause? The Cold!!! __________________ !check out my new blog! http://arkanamusic.wordpress.com Warden Gentiles: "It? Perfectly innocent. But I can see how, if our roles were reversed, I might have you beaten with a pillowcase full of batteries."

03-07-2005, 02:35 PM	#77 (permalink)
Yakk Wehret Den Anfängen! Location: Ontario, Canada	I can think of many reasons why someone would not want to move to Canada. 1> Their relatives/family aren't here, and they like their relatives. 2> They have a love of their current country, and don't want to leave it. 3> They dislike the weather in Canada. 4> Their values don't line up with Canadian values (for example, Canada makes genocidal speech a crime -- some people put the bar of free speech higher or lower) 5> They like lower/higher marginal tax rates and the government services levels thus provided 6> They can't get in 7> They enjoy hearing about their nation engage in military conquest, or are more pacifistic than the Canadian government 8> They are working in a niche field where employment isn't availiable in Canada, gets paid more elsewhere, or is otherwise superior 9> They are in a close relationship with someone with one of the above reasons to not want to come here 10> Inertia __________________ Last edited by JHVH : 10-29-4004 BC at 09:00 PM. Reason: Time for a rest.