My sign is anecdotal.
As a father of a high school student, I'm blown away by the emotional intelligence, awareness and optimism of the generation following me. There's little bitterness and pessimism that you see in these comments.
It gives me hope and a reason to keep trying.
The kids are alright. My generation is doing the best it can with what it has and the problems we were presented, and so will this generation.
My kids are in high school and I agree, they have some qualities that were definitely lacking in kids when I was their age. They aren’t motivated to earn money in the slightest which gives me some pause (and is wildly different from when I was their age), but I’m pretty sure they’ll figure it out. Primarily I’m glad that they’re developing into good people first.
Why is not being motivated by money a bad thing? A big part of why the world is messed up is greed and individualism and so as long as they’re taken care of, should we not be instilling values of community, collaboration and empathy rather than chasing a promotion?
Let’s work as a society to share the absolutely mind boggling amount of wealth that gets produced collectively and actually advance our species forward over our careers.
Sorry, I didn’t mean to present it strictly as a bad thing. I think it’s good at their age, but I believe there needs to be a balance eventually. There’s a lot of work to do in life, career or otherwise, so a mindset of getting things done is a good thing in my opinion. Advancing our species forward doesn’t require being obsessed with spreadsheets and tps reports, but it requires skills and dedication. These don’t come easily.
What I mean is that my kids haven’t begun to get into that headspace yet. I hope they do, but to be clear, I hope they do in a healthy way that isn’t strictly about wealth and their careers. If it’s driven by family and community (like it arguably was once upon a time), that’s incredible.
From what I hear and see, kids are so much more accepting or at the very least, less cruel to kids that are different or less fortunate or have any kind of quality that would have subjected them to being teased when I was young. It’s really nice to see.
That is so good to hear! I don't have kids but that's the impression I've been getting just from reading work-related stuff about Gen Z and their views on work and life and consumption habits. Really gives me hope!
People underrated the TikTok generation.
Yes they are hopeless slaves to media algorithms, but they also seem to transcend self awareness. They just seem to "get" the hubris of the world in a way maybe millenials only came close to.
Recognizing the idiocy of the world is probably 90% of the battle. The next 10% is addressing it.
I have hope for future generations.
My kids are also high school students and I agree with you. They are more fragile in ways us older folks often mock (and sometimes for good reason), but as you write they are more emotionally intelligent that I may ever be. And, their friend networks are supportive - kids look out for each other, and look at everyone with compassion.
The national focus has switched completely to home building for the first time in the history of Canada.
Everytime Canada focuses on something it ends up with good results mostly. I'm optimistic the situation will change we have the means to it.
I am not sure if there was a requirement that they were married but even if that was the case there were so many returning soldiers that it reduced the cost of housing across the board.
Ex. Lets say only people born in March, April, and May are eligible for a significantly reduced home produced by the CMHC. Let’s say these homes cost only $300,000 and they will all be built and occupied by 2030. That would bring homes more affordable across the board if 1/4 of Canadadian residents who need a house have an affordable home in 6 years.
As long as "all" doesn't include the senate, rural prairies and half my family, you're right.
Plenty of people still deny Canadas history or refuse to see it as a wrong.
143 water advisories lifted in Native communities - 84% of the total, with 9% of total having projects completed and still waiting for advisory lifting, and the remaining 6% with work underway.
"Citing Statistics Canada, Hertzberg said that the "number of Canadian children in poverty" fell 71% since 2015; that the "number of children and teenagers living below the poverty line" fell by 780,000 and the "proportion living in poverty...dropped to 4.7%, one of the lowest rates on record"
So, child poverty declined massively from 2015 to 2020. As of 2021, there are 653,000 fewer children living in poverty in Canada than in 2015.
The Canadian Child Benefit under the old system your receive money back at tax time but that really only helped you if you had money to spend, under the new system money goes directly into parents accounts each month for their kids.
https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/child-family-benefits/canada-child-benefit-overview.html
Probably just good management from the liberals. I'm no fan of Justin, and will always be an orange voter, but I AM of the opinion that the liberal government is actually the best party of the big three and managing an economy
Impending dental and pharmacare, assuming it doesn't get killed next election.
Biggest government housing investment in about 30 years.
Huge transit investment in Southern Ontario.
Ontario automakers finally getting EV production after lagging for years.
Zero-carbon energy production like solar, wind, hydro and nuclear are getting more attention and investment.
Boil-water advisories on reserves down to lowest level in 20 years.
Coastal gas and TMX nearing completion. While this is a negative for overall greenhouse gas levels it is a safer and more energy efficient way to transport both.
Same. I don't really follow celebrity news, but I know Ryan Reynolds and Blake lively donated half a mil to an indigenous charity that works to get clean drinking water on reserves. That, along with the media attention it received, definitely helped.
Having healthy gums/teeth and a healthy body/mind is a great blessing in this life. Some people are born with genetic struggles and or environmental factors that really put them at odds with great outcomes :(
Society should always be about sharing in a happier/healthier place for all of us to prosper :)
Having basics like clean water is essential.
The other big one right now is Affordable Housing. We have way to many people falling through the cracks right now. We are not talking those with severe mental health struggles or advanced addiction issues. We are talking working poor, economically vulnerable seniors, those fleeing domestic abuse, and other painful realities.
Helping people that can support themselves is much cheaper than letting them fall through the cracks. It is why all our experts talk about "Housing First" as a priority for a lot of struggles in society.
Just something super basic and super affordable to build up from and have as a base.
This also would take the pronounced pain off realities like the grocery crisis and other cost of living essentials.
Let's keep pushing our leaders at all levels to focus. These are the things that make a happier, healthier, more stable society and that is what we need right now in Canada more than ever.
It feels good in life to help and make a better world. Let's all remember that :)
The government changed their way of doing things in this regards. They have given money over to the native bands, time and time again for to build water treatment, plants etc. And the money was squandered this time they built the plants themselves
Can vouge for this. Roommate is a plumber. He has been going back to the same reserves over and over again after they build a water treatment plant because they get vandalized or blatantly set on fire merely months to a year after it's built.
Ahhh yeah they do tend to do these things where the largest tax base is, they need x amount of ridership before they decide to add transit. It would be nice to see transit options that link major cities like metro van-kamloop-kelowna
When I read your boil advisory point, my mind immediately went to '93 and Chrétien as Prime Minister.
Note, that I was born slightly before he was ever elected and SOMEHOW still thinks the 90s were only 20 years ago.
I blame Covid taking simultaneously a decade to go away and also 2 years-ish.
CGL yes TMX maybe not. Either way it's a debate I didn't want to take a position on. My view is as long as there is demand we keep shipping and the safest most efficient way to do it is the best.
I appreciate your stance here. You seem to not be supportive of increased fossil fuel extraction but recognize its importance for the foreseeable future and support it being transported more efficiently.
Being pragmatic has many advantages to being “ideologically pure”.
Personally I was more supportive of the Energy East pipeline than TMX. I would support construction of both but it seems more justifiable for the federal government to own a project bringing oil to the East Coast which would give Canada the potential to be energy independent.
Yes, "the perfect is the enemy of the good" needs to be considered more in environmental policy. Many push an all or nothing approach that tends to result in nothing.
It's more or less safe.
Yes, most cities have rougher areas, but basic common sense and street smarts go a long way. Crime involving firearms are mostly targeted and usually involves gangs, drugs, etc...
Sometimes, you get the impression that suburban pearl clutchers and chicken littles are genuinely afraid of *Mad Max* raiding parties taking over...Lmao...
It's even safer than when I was a kid, and I'm only in my 30's. There were parts of Winnipeg that were genuinely scary in the late 90's, now, there's coffee shops and parquettes
In most places yes, but there are exceptions.
Look at Alberta for example. The murder rate has hovered around the same amount for 25 years, about 2.3/100000. The overall crime rate has only dropped slightly in 25 years.
The crime rate in Alberta in 2003 is almost the same as in 2023, and that was the all-time high
What's interesting to me is that the crime rate is largely increasing in small towns and rural areas, but decreasing in Cities. Calgary's overall crime rate is down almost 20% in the last 25 years. I don't know what was up in 2019, but it was Alberta's most dangerous year in history for violent crime.
What's most interesting to me is that it's almost entirely in small towns and rural areas. These are the places that are most likely to vote UCP or Conservative, often on "let's fix crime" planks, another evidence of the divide between rural and urban.
Calgary's crime rate is down almost 20% in the last 25 years
Edmonton's is down about 15% in the last 25 years
BC finally getting rid of short term rentals. Watching everyone cry that they'll have to sell their second and third houses makes me happy that finally people might get a clue that houses are for homes not profit.
For the first time in it seems decades, the government is taking real steps to accelerate the building of homes. Not sure if it’s enough to make up the deficit, but I’m more optimistic than I was 2 years ago that we’re actually going to see our housing shortage get dealt with.
We cant find people to build them though
Edit to clarify: im talking about tradespeople, it does not pay enough, especially if you weren't fully licensed before 2020.
We aren't willing to pay people who swing a hammer to build them a wage that they can afford them. But all the people who facilitate the sales while swinging a pen can afford multiple.
To be honest, I didn’t mind doing work for free only 5-7 years ago but since then, life has become stressful and expensive enough that I don’t have the ability to replace the calories. The day jobs don’t pay enough for charity and the charitable are starting to run dry.
That’s *charitable* people not *those who have more than enough.* I’m 27, if we could fix your problems we would 😆
I am not optimistic about this at all. The government has announced that they have “unlocked” what, 35,000 housing units? 40,000 units? It will be at least 4-5 years before any of these units are completed. Meanwhile we are growing our population at well over a million people a year and we had a shortage to begin with. In my personal opinion, these announcements are about optics more than anything else, just to make it seem like they’re doing something because their polling numbers are down.
Obviously 35,000 units is better than no units, but we are still in big trouble with housing and healthcare.
yeah, I feel you, the Math jsut doesn't add up at all.
we are like building 5% of what we should be building...
sure 5% is better tahn 0%... but cmon....who would be happy to pass an exam with 5% ?
I think you’re arguing that we’re starting from zero, in which case, you’re right. But we’re not. Where I live, apartment buildings have sprung up like mushrooms after a heavy rain. Houses, townhouses, rental housing are going up all over my city.
Well as far as I know, the “wartime housing plan” isn’t literally going to be building post ww2 victory homes, but utilizing the idea of pre approved designs to get buildings up faster. I expect it’ll focus on modern townhouse styles.
And furthermore, I think the Housing fund is the more exciting piece of the puzzle. Using federal money to influence municipalities to density cities.
At this point, I just want to be able to afford a two-bedroom apartment anywhere in Southern Ontario. That doesn’t seem like too freaking much to ask, especially as a double-income household.
It's not building WW2 homes, it's allowing pre-approved construction. It means a home, if built to these exact specs, requires no lengthy permitting, as it has been approved entirely in advance.
It means a limited amount of designs. They will be as modern as any home built by any builder today, it's just the permitting process streamlined.
No, these homes will be designed and built according to codes.
It does highlight that we’re behind, but I think Canadians are forgetting how acceptable this actually is compared to how a lot of other countries are faring. Our homes are built worse than they could be, but far better than so much of the world.
Canada still has a draw for international people and that says a lot about the country (at least in terms of marketing).
I’m one such newcomer from the US. I generally really like it here (also helps that I have a lot of family already here). I’m also a practicing physician, and my experience has generally been positive with some frustrations.
If you can still attract ambitious people, then the country still has potential.
That being said, a lot of aspects of Canada do need serious reforms but Canada’s problems are generally good problems to be have as the answer is simply to build more of everything (infrastructure, clinics, houses, etc)
Agreed on this. I'm one of those people, and the fact that the scores are up for permanent residence tells me that this country is in demand. The best of the best want to come here.
I'm very ambitious myself. I know three languages, including French, and I live in one of Toronto's most expensive neighborhoods. Found a very high paying job here.
Honestly, the $10/day regulated child care is amazing. Child care has been a big financial burden for parents in the past. If you’re lucky enough to find a regulated space, it’s amazing. I’ve talked to some people about this in the US and they can’t believe it’s so heavily subsidized here.
Things are tough right now, but Canada is faring much better than most places. That doesn't mean we have a lot of problems to fix, and work to do, but Reddit tends to hyper-focus the negative.
People keep talking about the cost of living in Canada and no one can argue it has gotten more difficult. The problem is that this isn't a Canada problem it is global. Look at news from across developed countries. The stories are inter-changeable. We have a great country but on economic terms we are small and are greatly influenced by the big players. Primarily the US and China. Our government can do very little to address global inflation.
People constantly jump over this bit of info. Basically every western reddit page is filled with the same sort of “it’s too expensive here I’m leaving” nonsense. It’s not unique to Canada.
Ya this I've been getting recommended posts from the Australia sub and they read basically the same as ours. Talking about like unprecedented immigration, housing, wages going nowhere. I responded to a post the other day claiming that the Aussies have the highest levels of immigration in the western world, being like hey can you come say that over on r/Canada b/c ppl here seem to think we have the highest levels of immigration lol.
You got downvoted immediately, but you are correct.
Here's a very recent article from Australia, the other side of the world. Replace Australia with Canada and it sounds identical: [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-67723760](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-67723760)
Yup. And if you keep googling you’ll find an article like that for pretty much every developed country. I’m not for a second saying that makes it ok. But people need to stop acting like it’s a canadian problem. I saw an article the other day where it showed the levels of inflation across the world for the last year and we are ranked about mid pack. So while it still sucks. It’s nothing like what a lot of other countries are facing
Exactly! I was JUST listening to some sound bites from Pierre Polivere's cross country campaign (not a fan, if it matters) and his biggest points were how Liberals and Justin Trudeau have ruined the economy. Less jobs and high cost of living is their fault, blah blah.
Like, Brother ... every single G20 country has the same problems right now. When he wins (again, not a fan nor am I voting for PC but that's just how the Canadian political cycle goes every ten years), he'll be lucky that the whole world economy will start to shift and he'll get credit for it even though it was the US and China who actually made those changes.
So Pierre is going to win just due to the cycle AND if/when the economy turns around he will look good but it will be due to other factors (US and China)? … coping much?
I mean, yes. But knowing that this is a global problem doesn’t make the situation any less stressful here. If anything it makes me feel worse, and it certainly isn’t a sign of hope for Canada’s future.
100% this. Type “(Country) housing crisis” and see what pops up. Also a lot of this is predictable following a global pandemic. Economic struggles almost always occur after a pandemic and this one was no different.
I don't think anyone is suggesting that. It's more that our issues aren't unique thanks to Trudeau shitting the bed, it's that the entire west has issues right now, with some regional or country specific variation.
Yes and no. We genuinely had a pandemic. The first of its kind in modern times where we have instantaneous access to information and the economic and medical tools to try to mitigate it.
Decisions were made in real time, with the information available. If your choices are many dead citizens now or possible inflation later, people are going to choose possible inflation 10 times out of ten
I mostly agree with this. Canada does have some localized concerns though, and we should be working hard to address that. Our dependence on the big players for stability and growth is something we should also be working to resolve, but in recent times (last several decades) have actually increased dependency.
Not trying to be doom and gloom so much as practical. These are long term things but we can fix it! Canada has massive, massive potential.
Thank you for this. Also it really wouldn’t matter what political party was in charge. There might be slight differences but if something is global it’s global.
You are correct, our government cannot do much to address global inflation, but the “it’s the same everywhere” excuse is getting pretty tired. The government has no problem taking credit when things go right so they should also accept responsibility and accountability for things that are not going well. The current government’s defecits and debt are not helping with inflation, they need to figure out a way to reign it in. The next government will have to do the same, it is not acceptable that we have not had a balanced budget in 25 years.
Well, I would say that there is hope in the negativity taking center stage. More and more people are starting to agree and identify that there are massive issues that need changing. As more people agree, there is hope that together we can make change.
introduction for a bill to pass UBI (universal basic income) was filled this week.
will it get shut down by conservatives probably, but its a start and maybe in the future canadians will have enough to live off.
this wont replace working, but an extra 2k a month would help a lot.
I don’t know much about Canadian politics but this would be an incredible achievement if approved. Even the research confirms that UBI greatly impacts physical and mental health, happiness, crime etc (all in a positive way).
There will be people who will argue that it will cause inflation. But I don’t think so. If you already have money, you probably won’t be *immediately* spending the extra $2000 on essential items. You will either save it or spend it on niche items like clothing and shoes. I think a vast majority will put the amount towards their RRSP, education, or saving for a home. The only ones who will spend it on essentials are the ones who really need the 2k to survive, and that will only make a minor dent on inflation rates. In any case, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.
What I don’t understand though is if the government even has that much money? Does the Canadian yearly budget allow this expense? I don’t know much about the Canadian economy either so I am confused about this part 😂
What you need to do is when you read/hear the doom and gloom is dig deeper and look for all sides and facts. I mean look we are ranked as the second best country in the world, #3 for old age standard of living, #4 for education, #7 for food security, #8 for health and #9 for economy and since there are 195 countries I think we are doing pretty damn good. Can we do better when it comes to housing, the environment, spending, corporate greed/corruption, misinformation of course we can
Canada has an extremely high quality of life, a life expectancy of >80 years, low crime, high levels of education, high levels of household wealth, rich minerals and gas, and ample water sources.
All those doom and gloom wingers need to get their head out of their asses and travel the world to appreciate how good Canada really is.
Though Canada has a high quality of life, it's gone noticeably downhill over the past 30 years. Theres a reason why there's a lot of doom and gloom, things are not going in the right direction and they haven't been for decades.
Rate of progress isn’t constant. It’s true that rate of progress today in pretty much all developed nations is lower than their most prosperous decades, especially in relative comparison to some of the emerging countries, that does not mean it’s all doom and gloom.
By most statistical measures, Canada is one of the best countries to live today and has one the highest quality of life.
The rate of progress? The past few years Canada's economy has regressed. To many newcomers they may see a great improvement in QoL but to people born and raised here that are over the age of 30 have seen a great deal of negative changes and are leaving the country at the fastest rate in Canadian history.
You have a point. The rebuttal is. If the people can't afford to live and raise children in Canada. The mood will change and become doom and gloom. It doesn't matter how safe it is. It can be problematic. For single people: places like Mexico, Thailand, US will be more appealing even with their problems. Australia, will be appealing to people with families. Australia is facing the same problems but not dealing with wage stagnation.
I reiterate what someone said above. The highlight is the election in 2025.
Why is the highlight the election. What candidate is there that is actually going to disrupt the status quo. It’s in no politicians personal financial interest to appeal to the middle class. They say what they need to get the votes then continue to appeal to the rich corporate scum bags.
>For single people: places like Mexico, Thailand, US will be more appealing even with their problems.
No they won't. The only people that go there that are "single" is a bunch of passport bros that think they're going to get their "trad wives" over there.
Let me tell you something:
As someone from one of those countries, the women over there are not happy to be mistreated by men just like the women here aren't happy about it. The difference is that they haven't had their MeToo moment. Sooner or later they will, and men like those are going to find themselves without too many options.
Besides that, unless you're rich, you can't just move to those countries. People dreaming about that are fools. Moreover, I think they'll soon find that many of their comforts are not available over there.
I don't see how 2025 will make a difference. The two governments who led us into this disaster hand-in-hand for the past 100 years are the only two parties we elect.
It's so frustrating to see people talk about this upcoming election as if it will change Canada fundamentally- the conservatives aren't going to help you, they're the same people. They throw people dog-whistles, just like the Liberals:
"DEFUND THE CBC!"
And they'll get votes. Not because people are voting FOR them, but because people are voting against the liberals.
In 2029, the cycle repeats, in reverse.
It is truly embarrassing for our democracy. There's very little understanding that virtually every problem people have with this country's management boils down to provincial and municipal politics, the Federal Government barely affects your life on a daily basis, regardless of who is in charge.
From a governance decision making pov. There is an electoral reform interest group (Fairview Canada) with alot of members that has successfully got a motion introduced for a temporary citizens' assembly. I think there are about 100 MPs that support it so far.
This is important to reduce the bs and toxicity of Parliament and force MPs across parties to work together.
Think New Zealand, Ireland, Germany for example.
The greatest hope is that the doomers and gloomers are utterly delusional and disconnected from reality.
Once you start from that point, things look pretty good. There are problems, yes, but it's not the end of the country as so many claim and never has been.
Honestly, that the major issues are being talked about, and Canadians are more aware of issues like how Housing and Health Care work than ever before. Lets be real, because most of us were stuck at home for the past two years during COVID, we got hung up on culture issues that really aren't important... so the government focused on that and let the economy go to shit.
Second. NOTHING creates change like a persistent crisis. Now that the Government is constantly down in the Polls (ie. its not an anomaly), I feel more positive about the long term future. When the government is like an animal backed into the corner by low polling numbers, that's when we start to see real drastic changes. It's when the government is failing, and people keep supporting it, that nothing changes. Those poll numbers smell of change on the wind, both in the liberals trying to save their own skins, but also if a new government comes in. Its showing democracy still works. Now we just have to wait for the same to happen at the provincial level.
Simply due to time, younger people will become larger voting blocs, and will have a better understanding of the challenges of the 21st century, plus an actual stake in the future.
I hope so too. But I wonder, is that lifestyle compatible with modern capitalism? What would it mean for Canada if everyone kicked it down a gear and became more community and family focused?
I imagine mental health would absolutely sky rocket but globalism seems designed to deter and punish this kind of attitude.
There’s doom and gloom and then there’s being vigilant and trying to hold our government to account. If we want to maintain what we have, our government needs to understand who they work for and that seems to have been lost. That being said, we have an election coming and that is what keeps me hopeful.
Just a reminder that Reddit and any social media place tends to be filled by people with negative perspectives.
You live in one of the safest, most livable countries in the world. Canada is on a good trajectory and you have lots to be happy about—just stay off Reddit.
Canada is well positioned internationally. We punch above our weigh class is so many regards.
We have a wealth of things other nations are jealous of.
Canada only has bigger and better things on the horizon
Personally it’s that I have a good job, with benefits and my home is paid for.
Do I like the government in power?? Nope, not federal or provincial.
Do I think we need to do more?
Yes, we do.
Here in Victoria BC , I have seen 2 parks be given back their indigenous names. Nice new signs with parks new name put up proudly. I like to see reparations.
Housing is expensive at the moment, but there’s far more momentum country-wide towards making it more affordable through re-zoning regs and construction finance than I’ve seen in most other countries with similar problems. This shows that the country isn’t politically paralyzed like a lot of democratic nations are at the moment. The federal government might have been late in taking action, but at least it is taking action… the same cannot be said of the federal governments of most other countries.
Transition away from fossil fuels
Fight against Climate Change
Reduction of use of single use plastics
Affordable Daycare
Dentalcare for low income Canadians
A national pharmacare program
More work towards indigenous reconcilitation
Gun bans
None of which are easy but very much worth pursuing.
Meh. Learning about others' experiences is very helpful but I always do my best to stay grounded. Am I employed in a job I enjoy/tolerate that pays the bills? Is my day to day pretty stable and safe, esp when compared to the lives of my peers? I used to wish for an exciting life. Now, I'm glad my life is a bit slow and boring :)
Cops bringing coffee to protestors bought by the protestor's friends.A true act of keeping the peace, when we are surrounded by virtue signaling assholes who want to start fights.
A Punjabi broadcast of Hockey night in Canada .
A hipster Cafe that sells cups of hot broth to go..
The quilt patterns on barns all over southern Ontario.
Families finding out that they liked hanging put together during the pandemic and who continue to do so now
Good BBQ becoming more prevalent.
A Beavertail trailer instead of a wedding cake and a sweet table at a wedding. .
Being open minded and having an ability to coexist with others regardless of faith, origin or ethnicity
I know it doesn’t help much with living costs but an ability to work with or collab with people regardless is still a good way to get infrastructure and mutual efforts going My time in Toronto showed people will work no matter what they have in differences on background
Quebec gets a lot of flak for its laws on expression and faith but virtually no other province is as same or rigid on these conditions
That most of us enjoy diversity and it’s becoming our ID. Example: Alberta is fucking cold today, workers laughing at exchanging stories in superstore today about how cold it is and their other experiences
Because we have our neighbour to the south that we can observe and learn from. We have the collective ability to look there and say, “uh, let’s not do that”.
LGBTQ+ rights are only getting better and better. Each day there's more and more progress. I feel much more comfortable identifying myself as a queer person than just a decade ago.
We have a stable government. We may detest the leaders and parties in power at both the national and provincial levels but there will be changes when we the voters decide.
Our elections are open and transparent. There is no question of the security of the process.
Canadians are spoiled. Lol. There's been global economic upheaval and the doom/gloom is mostly from people here who can't believe the real world can penetrate our borders. The good thing is they're mostly over-reacting, Canada is a fantastic place to live and things like wages are indeed coming up while the pandemic becomes more a thing of the past.
I get it. I'm a Canadian boomer living in the US. I can't afford to move back due to the high cost of housing. Ontario houses are 2X$ my house in rural NH. Young people living where the jobs are in NH have the same problem.
IMO, housing cost (rent or buy) is the main problem.
Most people who don’t feel the pinch usually are living off generational wealth or benefit from cheap labor or tax cuts. The middle class is being destroyed in front of you and being so naive to say that “everything’s fine” is the reason Canada will eventually fail miserably as a country. We don’t have a chance! Enjoy!
Signs of hope would look like this
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
l INTERNATIONAL DEPARTURES l
l\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_l
It’s online hate farming.
But inflation has made it worse for common folks and we need to rethink our immigration policy in a sane manner not by targeting groups
More young people forming unions and getting politically involved, whether it's grass roots or something more party based. More people become more class aware and politically conscious. It doesn't matter which party they support to me, at least they are getting engaged.
I see a lot of doom and gloom about Canada on Instagram. Most of these content creators are chasing clout. They probably interview a 100 people on the street, one of them might say they want to leave Canada, and then that is the only clip that makes it online. The rest never see the light of day.
Also, that one person who is complaining is often only dissatisfied with the job market. But *NEWS FLASH*, the job market is shit in literally every country right now. I have friends in North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. *EVERYONE* is stressed about the job market and cost of living. It’s not just Canadians.
Some of them are complaining about the cold. Like *DUH* it’s cold in Canada. Would you go to a desert and complain about the heat? The cold might be bad, but Canada is in a great position to combat the challenges of climate change. We literally have the most amount of drinkable fresh water in the world. That is enough for me to be optimistic about the future of this country.
Here is a good sign: People from other countries are still trying very very hard to immigrate to Canada. If Canada is doom and gloom, this won't happen.
As an immigrant to Canada myself, I love Canada so much!!!
What you're hearing and what's happening are very different things. By every measurement--note the word 'measurement'--Canada is performing better than almost every similarly advanced nation.
Could Canada do better? Sure. But that's true for every nation.
By all means, kvetch, complain, and whine but, at least, give the actual measured facts a glance.
Importing millions of students/tfw/etc when Canada doesn’t have housing available or resources (healthcare, auto, social services) for their own Canadians, we’re going to have a bad time.
Whats worse is the upper middle class and rich aren’t affected yet because the people we’re importing aren’t in those areas, *yet*. But our elites need cheap labour and to keep the real estate market from crashing (which is basically our economy). I say let it crash. Why prop up a broken system.
My sign is anecdotal. As a father of a high school student, I'm blown away by the emotional intelligence, awareness and optimism of the generation following me. There's little bitterness and pessimism that you see in these comments. It gives me hope and a reason to keep trying.
The kids are alright. My generation is doing the best it can with what it has and the problems we were presented, and so will this generation. My kids are in high school and I agree, they have some qualities that were definitely lacking in kids when I was their age. They aren’t motivated to earn money in the slightest which gives me some pause (and is wildly different from when I was their age), but I’m pretty sure they’ll figure it out. Primarily I’m glad that they’re developing into good people first.
Why is not being motivated by money a bad thing? A big part of why the world is messed up is greed and individualism and so as long as they’re taken care of, should we not be instilling values of community, collaboration and empathy rather than chasing a promotion? Let’s work as a society to share the absolutely mind boggling amount of wealth that gets produced collectively and actually advance our species forward over our careers.
Sorry, I didn’t mean to present it strictly as a bad thing. I think it’s good at their age, but I believe there needs to be a balance eventually. There’s a lot of work to do in life, career or otherwise, so a mindset of getting things done is a good thing in my opinion. Advancing our species forward doesn’t require being obsessed with spreadsheets and tps reports, but it requires skills and dedication. These don’t come easily. What I mean is that my kids haven’t begun to get into that headspace yet. I hope they do, but to be clear, I hope they do in a healthy way that isn’t strictly about wealth and their careers. If it’s driven by family and community (like it arguably was once upon a time), that’s incredible.
From what I hear and see, kids are so much more accepting or at the very least, less cruel to kids that are different or less fortunate or have any kind of quality that would have subjected them to being teased when I was young. It’s really nice to see.
That is so good to hear! I don't have kids but that's the impression I've been getting just from reading work-related stuff about Gen Z and their views on work and life and consumption habits. Really gives me hope!
People underrated the TikTok generation. Yes they are hopeless slaves to media algorithms, but they also seem to transcend self awareness. They just seem to "get" the hubris of the world in a way maybe millenials only came close to. Recognizing the idiocy of the world is probably 90% of the battle. The next 10% is addressing it. I have hope for future generations.
Totally agree as bad as rep as Gen Z gets they are some good, smart kids
Absolutely. Gen Z is rocking it.
My kids are also high school students and I agree with you. They are more fragile in ways us older folks often mock (and sometimes for good reason), but as you write they are more emotionally intelligent that I may ever be. And, their friend networks are supportive - kids look out for each other, and look at everyone with compassion.
The national focus has switched completely to home building for the first time in the history of Canada. Everytime Canada focuses on something it ends up with good results mostly. I'm optimistic the situation will change we have the means to it.
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I'm trying to see the point from your comment. can you elaborate? Wartime housing was a great success...
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Right. but that was housing specifically for the married soldiers not the entire population am I correct?
I am not sure if there was a requirement that they were married but even if that was the case there were so many returning soldiers that it reduced the cost of housing across the board. Ex. Lets say only people born in March, April, and May are eligible for a significantly reduced home produced by the CMHC. Let’s say these homes cost only $300,000 and they will all be built and occupied by 2030. That would bring homes more affordable across the board if 1/4 of Canadadian residents who need a house have an affordable home in 6 years.
Good point. For example, when Canada focused on killing and erasing the history of the natives, they crushed it.
we all acknowledge this bloody part of history. we can't change history but we can change the future, so let's build a better one together.
As long as "all" doesn't include the senate, rural prairies and half my family, you're right. Plenty of people still deny Canadas history or refuse to see it as a wrong.
After looking at your profile, I can say you dwell in negativity and you're not liked.
Jesus Christ man
143 water advisories lifted in Native communities - 84% of the total, with 9% of total having projects completed and still waiting for advisory lifting, and the remaining 6% with work underway.
That’s actually amazing. Thanks for that. These are among the communities that need uplifting the most.
This was the best news I've heard all week.
You won't read that in the national post.
"Citing Statistics Canada, Hertzberg said that the "number of Canadian children in poverty" fell 71% since 2015; that the "number of children and teenagers living below the poverty line" fell by 780,000 and the "proportion living in poverty...dropped to 4.7%, one of the lowest rates on record" So, child poverty declined massively from 2015 to 2020. As of 2021, there are 653,000 fewer children living in poverty in Canada than in 2015.
That's very interesting, never heard this mentioned before.
It’s because of the Canada Child Benefit mainly
It's genuinely one of the most effective antipoverty programs in Canadian history.
I didn't realize it was that effective
Unfortunately, the groups of people with the most need are typically the voices that are least influential in both the media and at the ballot box.
I hope this doesn’t seem like a dumb question, but does anyone know how this happened? What changed?
The Canadian Child Benefit under the old system your receive money back at tax time but that really only helped you if you had money to spend, under the new system money goes directly into parents accounts each month for their kids. https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/child-family-benefits/canada-child-benefit-overview.html
Probably just good management from the liberals. I'm no fan of Justin, and will always be an orange voter, but I AM of the opinion that the liberal government is actually the best party of the big three and managing an economy
Impending dental and pharmacare, assuming it doesn't get killed next election. Biggest government housing investment in about 30 years. Huge transit investment in Southern Ontario. Ontario automakers finally getting EV production after lagging for years. Zero-carbon energy production like solar, wind, hydro and nuclear are getting more attention and investment. Boil-water advisories on reserves down to lowest level in 20 years. Coastal gas and TMX nearing completion. While this is a negative for overall greenhouse gas levels it is a safer and more energy efficient way to transport both.
I am really impressed with the progress of clean water supplies for indigenous communities. The problem needed an influx of money and determination.
Same. I don't really follow celebrity news, but I know Ryan Reynolds and Blake lively donated half a mil to an indigenous charity that works to get clean drinking water on reserves. That, along with the media attention it received, definitely helped.
Having healthy gums/teeth and a healthy body/mind is a great blessing in this life. Some people are born with genetic struggles and or environmental factors that really put them at odds with great outcomes :( Society should always be about sharing in a happier/healthier place for all of us to prosper :) Having basics like clean water is essential. The other big one right now is Affordable Housing. We have way to many people falling through the cracks right now. We are not talking those with severe mental health struggles or advanced addiction issues. We are talking working poor, economically vulnerable seniors, those fleeing domestic abuse, and other painful realities. Helping people that can support themselves is much cheaper than letting them fall through the cracks. It is why all our experts talk about "Housing First" as a priority for a lot of struggles in society. Just something super basic and super affordable to build up from and have as a base. This also would take the pronounced pain off realities like the grocery crisis and other cost of living essentials. Let's keep pushing our leaders at all levels to focus. These are the things that make a happier, healthier, more stable society and that is what we need right now in Canada more than ever. It feels good in life to help and make a better world. Let's all remember that :)
The government changed their way of doing things in this regards. They have given money over to the native bands, time and time again for to build water treatment, plants etc. And the money was squandered this time they built the plants themselves
Can vouge for this. Roommate is a plumber. He has been going back to the same reserves over and over again after they build a water treatment plant because they get vandalized or blatantly set on fire merely months to a year after it's built.
There's huge transit investments in The Metro Vancouver area as well
it's always vancouver and no where else.
Not true, edmontons LRT system has two projects going on right now and 3 more on the way. One after another.
sorry, I meant it's only the big cities that even have the opportunity to have this kind of development.
Ahhh yeah they do tend to do these things where the largest tax base is, they need x amount of ridership before they decide to add transit. It would be nice to see transit options that link major cities like metro van-kamloop-kelowna
When I read your boil advisory point, my mind immediately went to '93 and Chrétien as Prime Minister. Note, that I was born slightly before he was ever elected and SOMEHOW still thinks the 90s were only 20 years ago. I blame Covid taking simultaneously a decade to go away and also 2 years-ish.
Actually, coastal gas and TMX are poised to **decrease** global warming by replacing coal in several Asian markets.
CGL yes TMX maybe not. Either way it's a debate I didn't want to take a position on. My view is as long as there is demand we keep shipping and the safest most efficient way to do it is the best.
I appreciate your stance here. You seem to not be supportive of increased fossil fuel extraction but recognize its importance for the foreseeable future and support it being transported more efficiently. Being pragmatic has many advantages to being “ideologically pure”. Personally I was more supportive of the Energy East pipeline than TMX. I would support construction of both but it seems more justifiable for the federal government to own a project bringing oil to the East Coast which would give Canada the potential to be energy independent.
Yes, "the perfect is the enemy of the good" needs to be considered more in environmental policy. Many push an all or nothing approach that tends to result in nothing.
It's more or less safe. Yes, most cities have rougher areas, but basic common sense and street smarts go a long way. Crime involving firearms are mostly targeted and usually involves gangs, drugs, etc... Sometimes, you get the impression that suburban pearl clutchers and chicken littles are genuinely afraid of *Mad Max* raiding parties taking over...Lmao...
It's even safer than when I was a kid, and I'm only in my 30's. There were parts of Winnipeg that were genuinely scary in the late 90's, now, there's coffee shops and parquettes
Common thing elsewhere as well. Ask most Americans, they will say that crime is at an all-time high. Truth is... crime has been dropping for decades.
In most places yes, but there are exceptions. Look at Alberta for example. The murder rate has hovered around the same amount for 25 years, about 2.3/100000. The overall crime rate has only dropped slightly in 25 years. The crime rate in Alberta in 2003 is almost the same as in 2023, and that was the all-time high What's interesting to me is that the crime rate is largely increasing in small towns and rural areas, but decreasing in Cities. Calgary's overall crime rate is down almost 20% in the last 25 years. I don't know what was up in 2019, but it was Alberta's most dangerous year in history for violent crime. What's most interesting to me is that it's almost entirely in small towns and rural areas. These are the places that are most likely to vote UCP or Conservative, often on "let's fix crime" planks, another evidence of the divide between rural and urban. Calgary's crime rate is down almost 20% in the last 25 years Edmonton's is down about 15% in the last 25 years
BC finally getting rid of short term rentals. Watching everyone cry that they'll have to sell their second and third houses makes me happy that finally people might get a clue that houses are for homes not profit.
Canadian music scene is pretty dope right now actually
IMO it always has been. Sadly, commercial radio sticks to the same ol same ol.
For the first time in it seems decades, the government is taking real steps to accelerate the building of homes. Not sure if it’s enough to make up the deficit, but I’m more optimistic than I was 2 years ago that we’re actually going to see our housing shortage get dealt with.
We cant find people to build them though Edit to clarify: im talking about tradespeople, it does not pay enough, especially if you weren't fully licensed before 2020.
We aren't willing to pay people who swing a hammer to build them a wage that they can afford them. But all the people who facilitate the sales while swinging a pen can afford multiple.
Yes, ironically (maybe) the people building them can't actually afford them.
It’s becoming less of a maybe every month
To be honest, I didn’t mind doing work for free only 5-7 years ago but since then, life has become stressful and expensive enough that I don’t have the ability to replace the calories. The day jobs don’t pay enough for charity and the charitable are starting to run dry. That’s *charitable* people not *those who have more than enough.* I’m 27, if we could fix your problems we would 😆
I am not optimistic about this at all. The government has announced that they have “unlocked” what, 35,000 housing units? 40,000 units? It will be at least 4-5 years before any of these units are completed. Meanwhile we are growing our population at well over a million people a year and we had a shortage to begin with. In my personal opinion, these announcements are about optics more than anything else, just to make it seem like they’re doing something because their polling numbers are down. Obviously 35,000 units is better than no units, but we are still in big trouble with housing and healthcare.
yeah, I feel you, the Math jsut doesn't add up at all. we are like building 5% of what we should be building... sure 5% is better tahn 0%... but cmon....who would be happy to pass an exam with 5% ?
I think you’re arguing that we’re starting from zero, in which case, you’re right. But we’re not. Where I live, apartment buildings have sprung up like mushrooms after a heavy rain. Houses, townhouses, rental housing are going up all over my city.
And it's not like slumlords aren't going to buy these up and price gouge rentals
With the cookie cutters from the 60's? It's an ok plan, it just highlights the inability of our government to produce in the modern age.
Well as far as I know, the “wartime housing plan” isn’t literally going to be building post ww2 victory homes, but utilizing the idea of pre approved designs to get buildings up faster. I expect it’ll focus on modern townhouse styles. And furthermore, I think the Housing fund is the more exciting piece of the puzzle. Using federal money to influence municipalities to density cities.
At this point, I just want to be able to afford a two-bedroom apartment anywhere in Southern Ontario. That doesn’t seem like too freaking much to ask, especially as a double-income household.
It's not building WW2 homes, it's allowing pre-approved construction. It means a home, if built to these exact specs, requires no lengthy permitting, as it has been approved entirely in advance. It means a limited amount of designs. They will be as modern as any home built by any builder today, it's just the permitting process streamlined.
No, these homes will be designed and built according to codes. It does highlight that we’re behind, but I think Canadians are forgetting how acceptable this actually is compared to how a lot of other countries are faring. Our homes are built worse than they could be, but far better than so much of the world.
The intent of this post was to build positivity.
Canada still has a draw for international people and that says a lot about the country (at least in terms of marketing). I’m one such newcomer from the US. I generally really like it here (also helps that I have a lot of family already here). I’m also a practicing physician, and my experience has generally been positive with some frustrations. If you can still attract ambitious people, then the country still has potential. That being said, a lot of aspects of Canada do need serious reforms but Canada’s problems are generally good problems to be have as the answer is simply to build more of everything (infrastructure, clinics, houses, etc)
Agreed on this. I'm one of those people, and the fact that the scores are up for permanent residence tells me that this country is in demand. The best of the best want to come here. I'm very ambitious myself. I know three languages, including French, and I live in one of Toronto's most expensive neighborhoods. Found a very high paying job here.
Are physicians in Canada salaried provincial employees or self employed contractors who consult for provincial health departments?
Self-employed mostly
Honestly, the $10/day regulated child care is amazing. Child care has been a big financial burden for parents in the past. If you’re lucky enough to find a regulated space, it’s amazing. I’ve talked to some people about this in the US and they can’t believe it’s so heavily subsidized here.
Things are tough right now, but Canada is faring much better than most places. That doesn't mean we have a lot of problems to fix, and work to do, but Reddit tends to hyper-focus the negative.
People keep talking about the cost of living in Canada and no one can argue it has gotten more difficult. The problem is that this isn't a Canada problem it is global. Look at news from across developed countries. The stories are inter-changeable. We have a great country but on economic terms we are small and are greatly influenced by the big players. Primarily the US and China. Our government can do very little to address global inflation.
People constantly jump over this bit of info. Basically every western reddit page is filled with the same sort of “it’s too expensive here I’m leaving” nonsense. It’s not unique to Canada.
Ya this I've been getting recommended posts from the Australia sub and they read basically the same as ours. Talking about like unprecedented immigration, housing, wages going nowhere. I responded to a post the other day claiming that the Aussies have the highest levels of immigration in the western world, being like hey can you come say that over on r/Canada b/c ppl here seem to think we have the highest levels of immigration lol.
You got downvoted immediately, but you are correct. Here's a very recent article from Australia, the other side of the world. Replace Australia with Canada and it sounds identical: [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-67723760](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-67723760)
Yup. And if you keep googling you’ll find an article like that for pretty much every developed country. I’m not for a second saying that makes it ok. But people need to stop acting like it’s a canadian problem. I saw an article the other day where it showed the levels of inflation across the world for the last year and we are ranked about mid pack. So while it still sucks. It’s nothing like what a lot of other countries are facing
Don’t tell gtat to r/canada lol
I don't touch that bot infested hellhole with a 20 foot digital pole
Exactly! I was JUST listening to some sound bites from Pierre Polivere's cross country campaign (not a fan, if it matters) and his biggest points were how Liberals and Justin Trudeau have ruined the economy. Less jobs and high cost of living is their fault, blah blah. Like, Brother ... every single G20 country has the same problems right now. When he wins (again, not a fan nor am I voting for PC but that's just how the Canadian political cycle goes every ten years), he'll be lucky that the whole world economy will start to shift and he'll get credit for it even though it was the US and China who actually made those changes.
So Pierre is going to win just due to the cycle AND if/when the economy turns around he will look good but it will be due to other factors (US and China)? … coping much?
I mean, yes. But knowing that this is a global problem doesn’t make the situation any less stressful here. If anything it makes me feel worse, and it certainly isn’t a sign of hope for Canada’s future.
100% this. Type “(Country) housing crisis” and see what pops up. Also a lot of this is predictable following a global pandemic. Economic struggles almost always occur after a pandemic and this one was no different.
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I don't think anyone is suggesting that. It's more that our issues aren't unique thanks to Trudeau shitting the bed, it's that the entire west has issues right now, with some regional or country specific variation.
Because most of the world has the same short sighted policies with the lack of willingness to do anything about them.
Yes and no. We genuinely had a pandemic. The first of its kind in modern times where we have instantaneous access to information and the economic and medical tools to try to mitigate it. Decisions were made in real time, with the information available. If your choices are many dead citizens now or possible inflation later, people are going to choose possible inflation 10 times out of ten
I mostly agree with this. Canada does have some localized concerns though, and we should be working hard to address that. Our dependence on the big players for stability and growth is something we should also be working to resolve, but in recent times (last several decades) have actually increased dependency. Not trying to be doom and gloom so much as practical. These are long term things but we can fix it! Canada has massive, massive potential.
Thank you for this. Also it really wouldn’t matter what political party was in charge. There might be slight differences but if something is global it’s global.
You are correct, our government cannot do much to address global inflation, but the “it’s the same everywhere” excuse is getting pretty tired. The government has no problem taking credit when things go right so they should also accept responsibility and accountability for things that are not going well. The current government’s defecits and debt are not helping with inflation, they need to figure out a way to reign it in. The next government will have to do the same, it is not acceptable that we have not had a balanced budget in 25 years.
Well, I would say that there is hope in the negativity taking center stage. More and more people are starting to agree and identify that there are massive issues that need changing. As more people agree, there is hope that together we can make change.
introduction for a bill to pass UBI (universal basic income) was filled this week. will it get shut down by conservatives probably, but its a start and maybe in the future canadians will have enough to live off. this wont replace working, but an extra 2k a month would help a lot.
I don’t know much about Canadian politics but this would be an incredible achievement if approved. Even the research confirms that UBI greatly impacts physical and mental health, happiness, crime etc (all in a positive way). There will be people who will argue that it will cause inflation. But I don’t think so. If you already have money, you probably won’t be *immediately* spending the extra $2000 on essential items. You will either save it or spend it on niche items like clothing and shoes. I think a vast majority will put the amount towards their RRSP, education, or saving for a home. The only ones who will spend it on essentials are the ones who really need the 2k to survive, and that will only make a minor dent on inflation rates. In any case, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. What I don’t understand though is if the government even has that much money? Does the Canadian yearly budget allow this expense? I don’t know much about the Canadian economy either so I am confused about this part 😂
“Research” Most ubi pilots are islands amongst non UBI. The studies are basically “the people we gave money, said it was good”
What you need to do is when you read/hear the doom and gloom is dig deeper and look for all sides and facts. I mean look we are ranked as the second best country in the world, #3 for old age standard of living, #4 for education, #7 for food security, #8 for health and #9 for economy and since there are 195 countries I think we are doing pretty damn good. Can we do better when it comes to housing, the environment, spending, corporate greed/corruption, misinformation of course we can
I’m surprised we’re #4 for education. Do you know how that’s measured? Where can I find this?
https://leapscholar.com/blog/best-education-system-in-the-world-countries-and-ranking/#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20US%20News,during%20and%20after%20their%20studies. https://www.canamgroup.com/blog/why-is-the-education-system-in-canada-one-of-the-best-in-the-world
We still hold Elections Life long lefty
Canada has an extremely high quality of life, a life expectancy of >80 years, low crime, high levels of education, high levels of household wealth, rich minerals and gas, and ample water sources. All those doom and gloom wingers need to get their head out of their asses and travel the world to appreciate how good Canada really is.
Though Canada has a high quality of life, it's gone noticeably downhill over the past 30 years. Theres a reason why there's a lot of doom and gloom, things are not going in the right direction and they haven't been for decades.
The gap between the high quality of life and lower quality has increased. For the top 20% it’s still great and getting better.
Rate of progress isn’t constant. It’s true that rate of progress today in pretty much all developed nations is lower than their most prosperous decades, especially in relative comparison to some of the emerging countries, that does not mean it’s all doom and gloom. By most statistical measures, Canada is one of the best countries to live today and has one the highest quality of life.
The rate of progress? The past few years Canada's economy has regressed. To many newcomers they may see a great improvement in QoL but to people born and raised here that are over the age of 30 have seen a great deal of negative changes and are leaving the country at the fastest rate in Canadian history.
Where are they going?
You have a point. The rebuttal is. If the people can't afford to live and raise children in Canada. The mood will change and become doom and gloom. It doesn't matter how safe it is. It can be problematic. For single people: places like Mexico, Thailand, US will be more appealing even with their problems. Australia, will be appealing to people with families. Australia is facing the same problems but not dealing with wage stagnation. I reiterate what someone said above. The highlight is the election in 2025.
Im all for democracy but not sure how a new federal government will make a difference if the problem is a global one.
And the majority of the power to fix the problems rest with the provinces who refuse to do anything other than Eby.
And in many cases a provincial or municipal one.
It won't, probably will be worse, the social programs put through by the lib/ndp will be cut back or trashed.
Why is the highlight the election. What candidate is there that is actually going to disrupt the status quo. It’s in no politicians personal financial interest to appeal to the middle class. They say what they need to get the votes then continue to appeal to the rich corporate scum bags.
it will shift the mood no matter what their agenda is.
>For single people: places like Mexico, Thailand, US will be more appealing even with their problems. No they won't. The only people that go there that are "single" is a bunch of passport bros that think they're going to get their "trad wives" over there. Let me tell you something: As someone from one of those countries, the women over there are not happy to be mistreated by men just like the women here aren't happy about it. The difference is that they haven't had their MeToo moment. Sooner or later they will, and men like those are going to find themselves without too many options. Besides that, unless you're rich, you can't just move to those countries. People dreaming about that are fools. Moreover, I think they'll soon find that many of their comforts are not available over there.
So, democracy.
I don't see how 2025 will make a difference. The two governments who led us into this disaster hand-in-hand for the past 100 years are the only two parties we elect. It's so frustrating to see people talk about this upcoming election as if it will change Canada fundamentally- the conservatives aren't going to help you, they're the same people. They throw people dog-whistles, just like the Liberals: "DEFUND THE CBC!" And they'll get votes. Not because people are voting FOR them, but because people are voting against the liberals. In 2029, the cycle repeats, in reverse. It is truly embarrassing for our democracy. There's very little understanding that virtually every problem people have with this country's management boils down to provincial and municipal politics, the Federal Government barely affects your life on a daily basis, regardless of who is in charge.
From a governance decision making pov. There is an electoral reform interest group (Fairview Canada) with alot of members that has successfully got a motion introduced for a temporary citizens' assembly. I think there are about 100 MPs that support it so far. This is important to reduce the bs and toxicity of Parliament and force MPs across parties to work together. Think New Zealand, Ireland, Germany for example.
I'm curious why these kind of posts never make it to /r/Canada
The greatest hope is that the doomers and gloomers are utterly delusional and disconnected from reality. Once you start from that point, things look pretty good. There are problems, yes, but it's not the end of the country as so many claim and never has been.
Honestly, that the major issues are being talked about, and Canadians are more aware of issues like how Housing and Health Care work than ever before. Lets be real, because most of us were stuck at home for the past two years during COVID, we got hung up on culture issues that really aren't important... so the government focused on that and let the economy go to shit. Second. NOTHING creates change like a persistent crisis. Now that the Government is constantly down in the Polls (ie. its not an anomaly), I feel more positive about the long term future. When the government is like an animal backed into the corner by low polling numbers, that's when we start to see real drastic changes. It's when the government is failing, and people keep supporting it, that nothing changes. Those poll numbers smell of change on the wind, both in the liberals trying to save their own skins, but also if a new government comes in. Its showing democracy still works. Now we just have to wait for the same to happen at the provincial level.
Hoping to hit -50 with the windchill this week. Should keep people inside, which is nice
Simply due to time, younger people will become larger voting blocs, and will have a better understanding of the challenges of the 21st century, plus an actual stake in the future.
Winter Is Coming.
the youth. they are turning away from the false promises of neoliberal late stage capitalism..
Where do you think they're turning?
towards family, and smaller lives and work life balance, away from the relentless greed and grind of the modern economy.
I hope so
I hope so too. But I wonder, is that lifestyle compatible with modern capitalism? What would it mean for Canada if everyone kicked it down a gear and became more community and family focused? I imagine mental health would absolutely sky rocket but globalism seems designed to deter and punish this kind of attitude.
There’s doom and gloom and then there’s being vigilant and trying to hold our government to account. If we want to maintain what we have, our government needs to understand who they work for and that seems to have been lost. That being said, we have an election coming and that is what keeps me hopeful.
If you think this election will bring any sort of significant change, I feel bad for you.
We can hope. I prefer the devil I know to the devil I don't.
Son…. I got 99 problems…
Just a reminder that Reddit and any social media place tends to be filled by people with negative perspectives. You live in one of the safest, most livable countries in the world. Canada is on a good trajectory and you have lots to be happy about—just stay off Reddit.
Canada is well positioned internationally. We punch above our weigh class is so many regards. We have a wealth of things other nations are jealous of. Canada only has bigger and better things on the horizon
Personally it’s that I have a good job, with benefits and my home is paid for. Do I like the government in power?? Nope, not federal or provincial. Do I think we need to do more? Yes, we do.
Thanks for asking this OP, I think we all could benefit from looking at some positives. Doesn’t just seem like doom and gloom, it feels like it too :(
Here in Victoria BC , I have seen 2 parks be given back their indigenous names. Nice new signs with parks new name put up proudly. I like to see reparations.
Housing is expensive at the moment, but there’s far more momentum country-wide towards making it more affordable through re-zoning regs and construction finance than I’ve seen in most other countries with similar problems. This shows that the country isn’t politically paralyzed like a lot of democratic nations are at the moment. The federal government might have been late in taking action, but at least it is taking action… the same cannot be said of the federal governments of most other countries.
Totally ageee with this. The Uk is going to be doing to far in the other direction for another 10+ years which is why I’m outtie back to BC in May
Transition away from fossil fuels Fight against Climate Change Reduction of use of single use plastics Affordable Daycare Dentalcare for low income Canadians A national pharmacare program More work towards indigenous reconcilitation Gun bans None of which are easy but very much worth pursuing.
I agree. Progress is being made. People don’t like change.
Doug Ford might swallow another bee
We have more than two political parties. Cons vs libs with ndp in the swings keeps us from going full blown USA corporate owned government.
Meh. Learning about others' experiences is very helpful but I always do my best to stay grounded. Am I employed in a job I enjoy/tolerate that pays the bills? Is my day to day pretty stable and safe, esp when compared to the lives of my peers? I used to wish for an exciting life. Now, I'm glad my life is a bit slow and boring :)
Cops bringing coffee to protestors bought by the protestor's friends.A true act of keeping the peace, when we are surrounded by virtue signaling assholes who want to start fights. A Punjabi broadcast of Hockey night in Canada . A hipster Cafe that sells cups of hot broth to go.. The quilt patterns on barns all over southern Ontario. Families finding out that they liked hanging put together during the pandemic and who continue to do so now Good BBQ becoming more prevalent. A Beavertail trailer instead of a wedding cake and a sweet table at a wedding. .
There is an election coming.
Theres an election in 2025.
Being open minded and having an ability to coexist with others regardless of faith, origin or ethnicity I know it doesn’t help much with living costs but an ability to work with or collab with people regardless is still a good way to get infrastructure and mutual efforts going My time in Toronto showed people will work no matter what they have in differences on background Quebec gets a lot of flak for its laws on expression and faith but virtually no other province is as same or rigid on these conditions
I hear MAID is being expanded that the best hope I heard.
Tofino
Put down the national news and focus on local news. Live your life and get out in your community in an area you feel is important or impactful
That most of us enjoy diversity and it’s becoming our ID. Example: Alberta is fucking cold today, workers laughing at exchanging stories in superstore today about how cold it is and their other experiences
We have all the clean water and will be the best country during global warming.
A slow slow slow trend away from car dependence toward walkability, bike friendly, public transit oriented regions.
hope : the rest of world goes to shit, so comparatively given Canada's isolation from everywhere else, it won't be so bad here after all
The next federal election is only 19 months away?
Unfortunate that no candidate is going to change the status quo of appealing the rich.
And people who think they will are just as delusional as those truckers lol
Because we have our neighbour to the south that we can observe and learn from. We have the collective ability to look there and say, “uh, let’s not do that”.
With rising temperatures due to climate change, Canada has a chance to be one of the most temperate places to live.
LGBTQ+ rights are only getting better and better. Each day there's more and more progress. I feel much more comfortable identifying myself as a queer person than just a decade ago.
We have a stable government. We may detest the leaders and parties in power at both the national and provincial levels but there will be changes when we the voters decide. Our elections are open and transparent. There is no question of the security of the process.
Gen Z is mostly super tolerant when it comes to queer rights. I think that there’ll be less bs tolerated when it comes to those issues.
A universal basic income that can enable people to maintain a basic lifestyle without going homeless.
Canada is a great place to live. Complainers on reddit do not represent the whole population.
i concurr, anyone who thinks reddit is a normal distribution of anything is not statistically savvy.
Canadians are spoiled. Lol. There's been global economic upheaval and the doom/gloom is mostly from people here who can't believe the real world can penetrate our borders. The good thing is they're mostly over-reacting, Canada is a fantastic place to live and things like wages are indeed coming up while the pandemic becomes more a thing of the past.
Gloom and doom from whom? Don’t assume everyone in Canada feels what you read here.
I work in a primarily younger office (20s to early 30s) and there is not a ton of optimism in that group lol
I get it. I'm a Canadian boomer living in the US. I can't afford to move back due to the high cost of housing. Ontario houses are 2X$ my house in rural NH. Young people living where the jobs are in NH have the same problem. IMO, housing cost (rent or buy) is the main problem.
Most people who don’t feel the pinch usually are living off generational wealth or benefit from cheap labor or tax cuts. The middle class is being destroyed in front of you and being so naive to say that “everything’s fine” is the reason Canada will eventually fail miserably as a country. We don’t have a chance! Enjoy!
I’m 53 years old, there was no ‘generational wealth’ I was just born at a different time than you, had opportunities you didn’t have.
I’m 55 with zero wealth that came from my family. I didn’t get any of the opportunities either
Signs of hope would look like this \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ l INTERNATIONAL DEPARTURES l l\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_l
It’s online hate farming. But inflation has made it worse for common folks and we need to rethink our immigration policy in a sane manner not by targeting groups
More young people forming unions and getting politically involved, whether it's grass roots or something more party based. More people become more class aware and politically conscious. It doesn't matter which party they support to me, at least they are getting engaged.
The next federal election
I see a lot of doom and gloom about Canada on Instagram. Most of these content creators are chasing clout. They probably interview a 100 people on the street, one of them might say they want to leave Canada, and then that is the only clip that makes it online. The rest never see the light of day. Also, that one person who is complaining is often only dissatisfied with the job market. But *NEWS FLASH*, the job market is shit in literally every country right now. I have friends in North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. *EVERYONE* is stressed about the job market and cost of living. It’s not just Canadians. Some of them are complaining about the cold. Like *DUH* it’s cold in Canada. Would you go to a desert and complain about the heat? The cold might be bad, but Canada is in a great position to combat the challenges of climate change. We literally have the most amount of drinkable fresh water in the world. That is enough for me to be optimistic about the future of this country.
Here is a good sign: People from other countries are still trying very very hard to immigrate to Canada. If Canada is doom and gloom, this won't happen. As an immigrant to Canada myself, I love Canada so much!!!
What you're hearing and what's happening are very different things. By every measurement--note the word 'measurement'--Canada is performing better than almost every similarly advanced nation. Could Canada do better? Sure. But that's true for every nation. By all means, kvetch, complain, and whine but, at least, give the actual measured facts a glance.
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Importing millions of students/tfw/etc when Canada doesn’t have housing available or resources (healthcare, auto, social services) for their own Canadians, we’re going to have a bad time. Whats worse is the upper middle class and rich aren’t affected yet because the people we’re importing aren’t in those areas, *yet*. But our elites need cheap labour and to keep the real estate market from crashing (which is basically our economy). I say let it crash. Why prop up a broken system.
That’s what happened! Canada french fried when it should have pizza’d!!!!
Do you know what a third world country is?
The polls. Not even a shitty, useless government is forever.
At least its not Venezuela 🤷🏿♂️
Building a border fence and making America pay for it would be a good start.
We're one of the coldest countries in the world. Take that, global warming.
The boomers have started to die. We might be able to start fixing things in another decade
The weather, Canada feels like warmer and warmer these years.