Tsk, tsk, c’est dommage… 
(and thus concludes all the french I remember from my ten years of french class <j/k>)
Why all the references to winter? The OP is from Ohio and he’s talking about southern Ontario. Our seasons can’t be that different, can they?
I know I put the dogs first, but let me defend myself…haha…I put the two dogs first cause I wanted to call her great, and the wording didn’t sound right the other way…actually, I think it was just kind of cause I wasn’t paying attention…anyways…
The dogs have never seen snow…they are young…one, a hound, is about 17 weeks, and the other, a peekapug, is about 15 weeks…they live in our apartment, but are only outside when on leashes…we would like them to have a backyard and such, but we are college kids so it’s kinda hard…luckily our upstairs neighbor (we live in a house split into two apartments) is going to give up some of the back yard that is used for her parking to let us put a small chain-link fence cage out so they can play inside and outside…
I do know some french, but it has been about 6 months since I used any of it…
As far as college goes, she is a double major in sociology and psychology…with a minor in history and a certificate in deaf studies…and I am working on a business degree (I want to own a coffee shop someday) with a double major in sociology…and also hoping to get a minor in something but I don’t really know what…
I don’t know if these kind of things are needed in Canada, but college educations couldn’t hurt, huh?
[QUOTE=brad_mac2I want to own a coffee shop someday <snip>I don’t know if these kind of things are needed in Canada[/QUOTE]
Nope, we don’t drink coffee here…
Actually your lady’s deaf-education cert might make her a desireable/highly skilled migrant, once she completes it. I know Special Needs educators are in demand throughout most areas of the US. She might get an exemption based on that. However you might need to be married for her points to affect your points (where does Canada stand on “Living as married?”)
Same regulations as the US, exept your partner can be either sex, as long as their your life partner.
Well, assuming she has no work experience, no family in Canada, has never studied here, and has French skills, it doesn’t make much difference, actually. However, if she could line up some sort of position a head of time, she would have a much easer time, as would Brad.
Well, it is a good thing I already live in Canada, because I ain’t good enough to immigrate.
Seeing as they cut off our French education in Grade 3 and I’m 18 and not done school, I’m not particularly surprised. I scored 60 anyway.
More Coffeeshops ! (Or Welcome to Cana-duh!)
As you may or may not know, our National Currency is of course, Canadian Tire Money which we take to Tim Horton’s “coffee shops” (wink, wink) to exchange for “coffee”. As a potential “coffee shop” owner and a proud new Canadian you will also of course be required to invest in either:
a) a foundering sports franchise of your choosing
or
b) even more Coffee Shops.
You can eliminate the cross-border credit difficulties by acquiring an American Express card. When you move, call them up and get Amex to send you a new card in the currency you’re currently using.
The standard of living may be slightly lower on a strict financial basis, but I think there are a number of aspects that place Canada ahead of the U.S, namely the lower crime rate in large cities, and the lack of worrying that serious injury or disease will cost you your house and send you into bankruptcy.
Not saying this puts us ahead of the U.S., but there is also the lack of worrying about serious crime. It’s not that we don’t have crime; we just don’t worry about it so much. I live in one of the largest Canadian cities, and I still would have no problem letting a stranger into my house to use the phone or washroom.
Wait…Canadians don’t drink coffee??? how do you live?
Also, Tim Hortons is a little bit questionable…my goal is to avoid franchise as much as possible, but maybe something like Fair Trade Java where they sell you the coffee and you only sell their coffee, but you run the shop however you want…
I would assume the more appropriate question would be about coffeeshops in Canada…
I grew up around college towns…Basically when I was able to go out and do stuff on my own, around 13-14…I lived near Athens Ohio…Home of OU…one of the most interesting places I’ve ever been. At OU there is The Donkey…a small Fair Trade coffee shop that caters mostly to college kids and the more intellectual musicians in the area (low-key acoustic singer-songwriter types). I moved to Morehead Kentucky for a year and spent a lot of time at Common Grounds in Lexington…about the same idea, but I don’t know where they get their coffee from…and now I am in Portsmouth at Shawnee State and I don’t have a coffee shop to hang out at…hah…but I don’t mean one of the fast-food type coffee houses, but something more interesting…I don’t know if these exist in Canada, but if they don’t, I may be onto something…heheh…
Anyways, She has finished her deaf studies cert and is just in school to finish up the other stuff (If I’m not mistaken, she has about 2 quarters left) and I am very far behind…I have about 2-3 years left…
I have also heard that serious crime seems to be less worried about in Canada…I think it started out when a Canadian friend of mine and I were discussing “Bowling for Columbine” - the Michael Moore documentary…at a coffee shop in Athens…She said that even though Candians are not all as unconcerned with crime as he makes them appear, many are…
just out of curiosity…do candians really not drink coffee, and mochas, and all the other goodness of the coffee kind? or am I really gullible?
Canadians drink coffee.
I think maybe you missed the point. 
Coffee and beer are the national drinks. Who said we don’t drink coffee? We drink it by the barrel.
When I was in the Armed Forces, my unit (a communications squadron with a nominal strength of perhaps 120 soldiers) hauled around, I would estimate, 100 pounds of equipment dedicated to the production and consumption of coffee. We had a mobile espresso machine.
[/QUOTE]
Also, Tim Hortons is a little bit questionable…my goal is to avoid franchise as much as possible, but maybe something like Fair Trade Java where they sell you the coffee and you only sell their coffee, but you run the shop however you want…
[/QUOTE]
Forget opening a coffee shop unless you have a lot of money, dude. Like restaurants, coffee shops are incredible high risk investments. You need, if you’re smart, at least enough capital to start it and run it at a loss for 18 months.
The dynamics of crime are certainly very different here. Forget the Moore film; it was silly.
Crime varies a lot from place to place; the murder rate in Winnipeg, for instance, is quite a bit higher than Montreal, though it’s still lower than any big American city.
However, at the risk of jumping into some contentious territory, much of the higher U.S. murder rate, and rates of many other serious crimes, are a result of extraordinarily high rates among the poor inner city populations of most cities, especially black residents. Unless you are moving out of a bad ghetto, the truth is that Canada will not be significantly safer.
However, it does seem to be the case that Canada is less obsessed with ongoing crime problems. I do a lot of travel in the USA, and I find myself amazed at the obsession Americans have with the notion that criminals are practically falling from the sky like rain. Local news shows seems to broadcast no stories other than tales of rising crime rates (even though in most places they are not rising) and things that will kill children. It almost seems as if the media is deliberately trying to frighten people.
alice_in_wonderland whooshed you, brad_mac2. Of course the Canadians drink coffee; what else would they use to wash down their high consumption of doughnuts with? And that segues perfectly into this: Tim Horton’s is a doughnut shop, not a coffee shop. The fact that they have one of the best cups of coffee in Canada doesn’t make them a coffee shop. It’s only really unfortunate that they don’t sell the same coffee in the 'States… must be the chicory or something.
Back to the admissions into Canada test… I guess I could get there with my 82 score, but I’m not sure I’d want to immigrate just for a job. I’d want to go into business for myself like **brad_mac2[/b does. The quiz makes no points for wanting to open a business like brad_mac2 does. That’s got to be even better than having a job offer already, right? I mean, instead of taking some Newfie’s job in Ontario, you’ll be providing jobs and purchasing from Canadian suppliers. Does the “real” exam make allowance for this? What about just plain retirement?
I frequently drink Timmy’s on both sides of the border. I can’t tell any difference.
Darn being gullible…but anyways…Tim Hortons is a doughnut shop? I miss so much stuff…hah…I’ve drank Tim’s coffee every now and then, but they are missing so much…only so many times can one enjoy french vanilla and mocha without the pleasure of double shot coconut expresso or snickerchinnos…it’s just too much of the same…The problem with opening a shop franchise like Tim Hortons is that they have no soul…the workers are just pushing buttons on the same machine in every shop…where is the in-house roasting? where are the 20-30 flavors of syrup for expresso? and italian soda stuff? and all the other neat drinks that are ever so good!?
but does anyone know the truth about the idea of opening a business in canada? would the actual test take that into any consideration?
That there isn’t coffee, my friend, that’s a bunch of syrup in a mug. Tim Hortons sells a really good plain cup of coffee - you know, the kind you put some milk and sugar in? Old School - that’s the way they do it at Tim’s.
If you have enough $$ to open a business in Canada, they’ll let you in, no problem. They’ll want proof though. It 's a different classification and a different score system - you need enough $$ to fully support yourself for one year (about $20,000 US before they’ll consider you), plus enough to open the business (this is a bit trickier to figure out, as it depends on the type of business).
You need the cash, in the bank, available for your disposal, and you need to prove you have it.
However, if you can hook that up, they’ll let you in tomorrow.
Ahh - here is the open your own business link.
You need a net worth of $300,000 Canadian (about $230,000 USD) and you’re golden.
Tim Horton’s has no soul? Dude, you just opened yourself up to a double-double lynch mob. 
[QUOTE=brad_mac2]
Darn being gullible…but anyways…Tim Hortons is a doughnut shop? I miss so much stuff…hah…I’ve drank Tim’s coffee every now and then, but they are missing so much…only so many times can one enjoy french vanilla and mocha without the pleasure of double shot coconut expresso or snickerchinnos…it’s just too much of the same…The problem with opening a shop franchise like Tim Hortons is that they have no soul/QUOTE]
It’s off topic, but how do you get the idea that having a lot of different products equates tohaving “soul”? Wal-Mart has a lot of different products.
Looking forward, I think investing in a coffee shop where your appeal is that people can buy a million different varieties of coffee will end up being a bad business decision, because I think that fad’s going to die soon. Fact is, you can’t really improve on a good, tasty cup of coffee; Starbucks did a great job creating demand for $4 cups of “mocha-cappa-caramel-butta-chinos” but I don’t think that demand will last forever, or even another five years.
There IS a way to get in as an entrepreneur, but you need to bring the money with you - at least $300,000 Canadian, or about a quarter million US - and have demonstrated experience managing a business. It’s not on the test because it’s a totally different standard for entry into Canada.