# Help me become a Canadian! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 19, 2002, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-become-a-canadian/137537 "2002-11-19T15:53:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-become-a-canadian/137537/21 "2002-11-20T04:51:07Z")
Is that -40 Farenheit or -40 Celsius šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-become-a-canadian/137537/22 "2002-11-20T04:54:49Z")
Step number one would be to stop calling it Reindeer Land. We donā€™t like that. Step number two is to become very very polite; shake any accent you have is number three. Contact the embassy or consulate nearest you, and request information on a work visa. Itā€™s easier to emigrate if youā€™re already there. Dependent upon your profession, you may be able to move to Canada without anyone sponsoring you, on your own merit. ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-become-a-canadian/137537/23 "2002-11-20T06:23:09Z")
Maybe check out some work search sites to help with the job thing. If you end up in Alberta youā€™ll have to look up those of us who are here! ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-become-a-canadian/137537/24 "2002-11-20T06:23:11Z")
Iā€™m working on the same goal. Not going to be too much of a change, I live only about an hour from the border, But Iā€™d like to say Iā€™m officially a member of the cool country to the north and not the one I am in now. ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-become-a-canadian/137537/25 "2002-11-20T06:48:15Z")
To the OP: Is your name a Monty Python reference? The ā€œwords not to be used again on this programā€ bit? ā€œSemprini?ā€ ā€œOUT!ā€ ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-become-a-canadian/137537/26 "2002-11-20T13:40:35Z")
I have an uncle who is a big muckety-muck with forestry in BC. I could send him an email to see how difficult it is to get a job with the govā€™t here, however they usually like you to speak French. Let me knowā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-become-a-canadian/137537/27 "2002-11-20T14:03:58Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Kn_ckers \* > \*\* > Also, I donā€™t want to live in the city. Cities are scary. \*\* WHAT? Canadian cities arenā€™t scary. Why, in her late teens/early 20s MrsB would frequently be at bars until closing (3 am), then stumble home 6 or 10 blocks completely wasted, and never have any troubles at all. Itā€™s not like we have random gun battles or anythingā€¦ But since you actually do want to come here, Iā€™m gonna suggest you do some graduate work. I know several Americans who have come to Vancouver on student visas to work on a BSc or PHD in Bio-related work. Once youā€™re here, itā€™s easier to stay. ---
**Author:** ![Kn\_ckers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/96bed5/32.png) [@Kn\_ckers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kn_ckers)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-become-a-canadian/137537/28 "2002-11-20T14:10:41Z")
**ElwoodCuse** : Correct! Youā€™re the second Doper to guess. Iā€™d give you a prize, but Iā€™m poor. I took French in high school, and have forgotten most of it since, but Iā€™m quite adept at languages, so I think I wouldnā€™t have much trouble picking it up again. **Poysyn** - Iā€™d be interested to know what your uncleā€™s take is on govā€™t jobs in forestry. If you do get in touch with him, it would be great if you could drop a post about what he thinks. Thanks, all, for your adviceā€¦ Though I notice there are very few sponsor (read: sugar daddy) applicants so far. Thatā€™s a bit disappointing. There must be a knight in shining armor (armour?) up there somewhere. Kn(note to self: get sex-change so I can be a draft dodgerā€¦)ckers ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-become-a-canadian/137537/29 "2002-11-20T14:57:17Z")
I thought a light Virginia drawl would make me exotic. And I qualify! Weā€™re moving! Wait until I tell Lady Chance! ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-become-a-canadian/137537/30 "2002-11-20T17:59:47Z")
[http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1550548913/qid=1037815212/sr=1-1/ref=sr\_1\_1/102-5764751-0267336?v=glance&s=books](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1550548913/qid=1037815212/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-5764751-0267336?v=glance&s=books) Youā€™ll want to pick up a copy of this book, too! Itā€™s essential to becoming a canadian! ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-become-a-canadian/137537/31 "2002-11-20T18:18:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Poysyn \* > \*\*I have an uncle who is a big muckety-muck with forestry in BC. I could send him an email to see how difficult it is to get a job with the govā€™t here, however they usually like you to speak French. > > Let me knowā€¦ \*\* Forestry in BC is in absolute shambles right now, mostly due to the US issuing duties on our softwood. I donā€™t think the government would even issue a work permit knowing thats where you wanted to work for now, being that there are 10s of thousands of Canadians recently laid off from their forest sector jobs (mostly in BC). There is still a very good market for ā€œskilledā€ labor in the Alberta oil and Gas industry. It is about the only place that I know of that a relatively uneducated (IE - Dropout) can still make upwards of $20/hour right off the street when times are right. Note that most of these jobs would require working outside in the winter, even in -40 weather. Albertaā€™s 2 ā€œbigā€ cities (Calgary and Edmonton) are quite safe and have a very robust economy, and the secondary cities based in the Oil/Gas industry (Grande Prairie and Ft. McMurray) are very ā€œsafeā€ as well (Note- there are other cities in Alberta, just not listing them all here). Even McDonalds in those two cities pay about $9-$10/hour at times as they have a hard time getting ā€œlaborā€. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-become-a-canadian/137537/32 "2002-11-20T18:51:19Z")
Dā€™oh, I donā€™t qualify. I want to be a Canadian, too! ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-become-a-canadian/137537/33 "2002-11-20T19:08:04Z")
Damn, Iā€™m three points shy of qualifying. Might be able to pull it off if I brush up my French and / or get a job offer, though. ---
**Author:** ![Yossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yossarian)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-become-a-canadian/137537/34 "2002-11-20T19:08:06Z")
Couldnā€™t you just, like, find a Canadian to marry? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-become-a-canadian/137537/35 "2002-11-20T19:18:41Z")
I also missed by three ponts. I smell conspiracyā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-become-a-canadian/137537/36 "2002-11-20T19:19:48Z")
POINTS dammit, points. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-become-a-canadian/137537/37 "2002-11-20T19:24:04Z")
I qualify! Thanks to Mrs. Skammer, who has a Canadian uncle and spent two years in college in Kingston. Without her, my lack of any French skills would have doomed us! ---
**Author:** ![Atreyu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Atreyu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atreyu)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-become-a-canadian/137537/38 "2002-11-20T19:26:39Z")
I missed by four points. Whereā€™s that French tutorial? ---
**Author:** ![Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-become-a-canadian/137537/39 "2002-11-20T20:04:04Z")
_snicker_ I donā€™t qualify either! šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-become-a-canadian/137537/40 "2002-11-20T20:11:32Z")
I canā€™t find the surveyā€¦ I wanna know if I can be Canadian! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-become-a-canadian/137537.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-become-a-canadian/137537.md?page=3)