# Canada - what makes Canada great **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 11, 2009, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-what-makes-canada-great/517181 "2009-11-11T14:39:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![otternell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecc23a/32.png) [@otternell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/otternell)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-what-makes-canada-great/517181/1 "2009-11-11T14:39:11Z")
Don’t know if this is the right place for it. but its pretty mundane and pointless. I would like to hear from some Canadian dopers: what do you love about Canada, in what ways do you think Canada is better than the US, and vice versa. As near as I can tell, Canada seems like a decent place (perhaps a bit chilly), but I am a known sufferer of GIAGOS Syndrome (Grass Is Always Greener on the Other Side). 😉 I really do not want this to turn into a health care debate, but I wouldn’t mind hearing about what you do and don’t like about it. This is the time to let your national pride shine! ---
**Author:** ![Fetchund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b2d939/32.png) [@Fetchund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fetchund)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-what-makes-canada-great/517181/2 "2009-11-11T14:40:53Z")
Can you stand to hear from yanks who grew up half-time in Canada? ---
**Author:** ![otternell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecc23a/32.png) [@otternell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/otternell)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-what-makes-canada-great/517181/3 "2009-11-11T14:42:18Z")
hell yeah - that’s an awesome perspective since you have spent time in both! ---
**Author:** ![Fetchund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b2d939/32.png) [@Fetchund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fetchund)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-what-makes-canada-great/517181/4 "2009-11-11T14:58:16Z")
There seemed to be a less rampant “violence is the answer” mentality. Growing up in Detroit in the 60’s was not too safe - I remember Mom and Dad visibly relaxing as we crossed the border. These days, I know that over half of my very angry and frustrated co-workers have a gun in their car. I work in fear that one of them will snap. If we had dual citizenship, I’d be Canadian now - I’d love to marry my partner! ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-what-makes-canada-great/517181/5 "2009-11-11T15:03:24Z")
I think [this video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWQf13B8epw) sums it all up. ---
**Author:** ![otternell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecc23a/32.png) [@otternell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/otternell)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-what-makes-canada-great/517181/6 "2009-11-11T15:04:51Z")
I guess that’s kind of what I thought, but I am still interested in more perspectives for anyone that wants to share. Anyone go through the process of becoming a Canadian citizen and want to enlighten me as to what it was like? ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-what-makes-canada-great/517181/7 "2009-11-11T15:14:19Z")
It’s a nice enough place, but great? I’m not so sure of that. ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-what-makes-canada-great/517181/8 "2009-11-11T15:17:56Z")
I guess it’s that for the most part it’s a liberal country, though I live in Alberta and they are very un-liberal. Lots of open spaces, lots of trees, lots of places to go to enjoy nature. ---
**Author:** ![otternell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecc23a/32.png) [@otternell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/otternell)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-what-makes-canada-great/517181/9 "2009-11-11T15:20:19Z")
that video was good! Thanks for sharing **Athena**! I already have the canoe and a kayak, but can’t you hunt with a gun in Canada? The location where they filmed that video is enough to make me want to move! ---
**Author:** ![otternell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecc23a/32.png) [@otternell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/otternell)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-what-makes-canada-great/517181/10 "2009-11-11T15:21:21Z")
> [@EmAnJ](#): > > I guess it’s that for the most part it’s a liberal country, though I live in Alberta and they are very un-liberal. by un-liberal do you mean the way US conservatives are the opposite of liberals. Or more like fascism is the opposite of liberal? ---
**Author:** ![fubbleskag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fubbleskag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fubbleskag)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-what-makes-canada-great/517181/11 "2009-11-11T15:31:24Z")
he means conservative, but the Canadian conservative party would not be considered conservative in the US ---
**Author:** ![otternell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecc23a/32.png) [@otternell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/otternell)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-what-makes-canada-great/517181/12 "2009-11-11T15:33:04Z")
so the Canadian “conservative” is perhaps a bit more like US “middle of the road”? ---
**Author:** ![Fetchund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b2d939/32.png) [@Fetchund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fetchund)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-what-makes-canada-great/517181/13 "2009-11-11T15:40:27Z")
> [@otternell](#): > > The location where they filmed that video is enough to make me want to move! I’m not surprised, coming from an Otter! 😃 (That area looked too tame and populated for me… Upper Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota are prettier) ---
**Author:** ![otternell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecc23a/32.png) [@otternell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/otternell)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-what-makes-canada-great/517181/14 "2009-11-11T15:52:12Z")
> [@Fetchund](#): > > I’m not surprised, coming from an Otter! 😃 > > (That area looked too tame and populated for me… Upper Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota are prettier) We Otters luvs teh clear running streams! 😃 Our honeymoon was camping in Canada and it seemed like a really nice place for the outdoorsy kind of people that we are, but to be fair I haven’t given WI, MN or MI the chance yet. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-what-makes-canada-great/517181/15 "2009-11-11T15:52:56Z")
That its white and north and dominated by high pressure weather systems ?🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mahna\_Mahna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@Mahna\_Mahna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahna_Mahna)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-what-makes-canada-great/517181/16 "2009-11-11T15:55:20Z")
I love that we’re home to the most multicultural city in the world. I can have Chinese buns for breakfast, Lebanese takeout for lunch, French pastries for snack and Jamaican oxtail stew for dinner. I can go catch the latest Bollywood blockbuster at the Indian cinema, or go watch the old Greek guys smoke and play backgammon in the park, or catch a soccer game at the Brazilian sports bar down the street. I love that we have so many beautiful unspoiled places that take my breath away. I’ve climbed up Grouse Mountain, watched the sun set at Peggy’s Cove, canoed through Algonquin Park and hiked along the edge of the St Lawrence… it never fails to make me proud that this is home. I love that even our politicans are relatively scandal free. Sure, there’s the usual minor scandals involving kickbacks, payoffs and name-calling (anyone remember the “clucking faster” incident?)… but when was the last time you heard about full blown corruption like an affair with an intern, an illegitimate love-child, or random gay sex in public bathrooms? Hell, the last time things started to get interesting in government, they just prorogued Parliament for a few weeks so that everyone could simmer down. Does it get more polite than that? And I know the OP wants to avoid the health care debate, but I love that we have socialised health care, that same-sex marriage has been embraced, and that gun ownership isn’t nearly as widespread. It warms the pinko liberal cockles of my heart. ---
**Author:** ![otternell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecc23a/32.png) [@otternell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/otternell)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-what-makes-canada-great/517181/17 "2009-11-11T16:00:15Z")
**Mahna Mahna** its not that I wanted to avoid the health care debate, I just didn’t want the whole thread to turn into one. (there are already plenty of those) Re: gun ownership: is it not allowed, or more tightly regulated? You and everyone you know happy with the health care system? any trouble getting in to see a Dr. for an annual exam? any trouble getting medical care if you fall off a roof or nearly slice off a fingertip? (hubby is accident prone!) ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-what-makes-canada-great/517181/18 "2009-11-11T16:15:32Z")
Well that was obviously a park (the causeway/pier thing at the opening). Actually I thought it might be somewhere in Ottawa’s green belt. Health Care is sufficiently loved to have the prime mover (Tommy Douglas) voted Greatest Canadian. Are there continual discussions about cost/benefit, waiting times, private/public ratios and everything else? Yeah, of course. There are entrenched positions which make altering the system harder to do - well of course. But since it’s a public system, the future is mainly in the hands of the electorate instead of corporate interests. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-what-makes-canada-great/517181/19 "2009-11-11T16:19:44Z")
> [@otternell](#): > > We Otters luvs teh clear running streams! 😃 > > Our honeymoon was camping in Canada and it seemed like a really nice place for the outdoorsy kind of people that we are, but to be fair I haven’t given WI, MN or MI the chance yet. C’mon up to da UP sometime. We have plenty of outdoors for ya. Plus, we’re about as Canadian as you can get without actually, you know, moving to Canada. We say “eh?”, we say “aboot”, Hockey is more popular than Football, and we even get CBC on the TV. Can’t help on the Health Care, though. Hubby and I have often thought we’d love to figure out how to get Canadian citizenship and make the move. It really wouldn’t be that big of a change for us culturally, and the benefits would be enormous. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Lurker\_Above](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@The\_Lurker\_Above](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Lurker_Above)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-what-makes-canada-great/517181/20 "2009-11-11T16:22:37Z")
> [@otternell](#): > > [ > Re: gun ownership: is it not allowed, or more tightly regulated? > > You and everyone you know happy with the health care system? any trouble getting in to see a Dr. for an annual exam? any trouble getting medical care if you fall off a roof or nearly slice off a fingertip? (hubby is accident prone!) As I understand it handguns are very, very hard to get legally, but rifles/shotguns are pretty common (outside urban areas) and easy to get. Some areas have a shortage of GPs so it can be hard to get a regular doctor; you may have to make do with urgent care clinics and/or emergency rooms. Almost slicing off a fingertip is an ER trip I’d imagine and there’s no (financial) trouble in going to one of those. Honestly we may have some complaints about healthcare but no one has to worry about switching/losing a job having an effect on thier healthcare. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-what-makes-canada-great/517181.md?page=2)