Rats running from a sinking ship or smart ones leaving while they can? Guess it depends on if you think we can reverse the mess we’re in down here. Or more accurately, what the electorate has allowed our ‘leaders’ to get us into by voting in people like Bush. What makes this ironic and telling and why, ultimately, we’re headed downhill is that different groups would define the ‘mess’ in opposite ways. Can’t fix something if you can’t agree on what to fix.
It was a popular vow of apprehensive Democrats in 2004, a pledge made in the heat of battle to move to Canada if George W. Bush was re-elected.
Turns out, some of them did.
An analysis of immigration statistics done by the Montreal-based Association for Canadian Studies showed the number of Americans who moved to Canada in 2006 hit a 30-year high, almost double the number who moved north in 2000 when Bush was elected for a first term as U.S. president.
The analysis also showed the southward brain drain is being narrowed somewhat, and most of the American migrants are highly educated people who may be moving to Canada for quality of life and social reasons.
But the increase is symbolic, said Jack Jedwab, the executive director of the association that analyzed the statistics. “Given that most of these immigrants are university-educated or better, you can assume they can find work in the U.S., so the move must be based on other reasons,” Jedwab said.
Let’s all move to Canada and screw them up, too.
Wow, .003% of our population moved there last year. It’s a revolution! =/
Let’s all move to Canada and screw them up, too.
That just won’t happen. Only higher than average intellectual people are immigrating to Canada – be it from the US or elsewhere.
This story was on the Radio here in Montreal this morning. Turns out many countries have French as second or first language in many countries. The intellectuals & professionals are moving here in Montreal & surroundings.
Quebec has an all time low unemployment rate compared to Ontario. Meaning Ontario is getting the non-intellectuals bilinguals speaking immigrants. Must be some Americans in that bunch.
Oh the spelling miss steaks !!! sorry…victim of Cut & Paste hasty gneiss
But while 10,942 Americans moved to Canada, more than double that number of Canadians (23,913) moved to America (even though the population of the U.S. is ten times higher than Canada’s).
Bush is clearly the worst president in history, but I find the Blame-Bush reflex off a bit. I mean, after enduring six years of this idiot, why would people flee now that we can see light at the end of the tunnel?
Mike Elgan
I live in a “destination”; so, we get our share of incomers, every year. The difference is which part of the United States the incomer is from, what culture and attitudes they bring with them.
Briefly, folks from Middle America move here because of natural beauty and don’t want to change a thing.
Folks from NY or California move here and try to change all the details to suit the way they used to live.
Already done it.
I do plan to move out of the country shortly after college. Canada wouldn’t be my first choice, but its certainly an option.
Moss (#6),
That would be the Oregon experience with Californians too. Ashland and Bend are now the northern most cities in Marin County. Not to the benefit of natives who chose to stay rather than sell out.
With things going the way they are in the US, Canada looks better every day. I guess some people have actually listened to those who say “love it or leave it.” I still think there is a chance to change it or lose it, so I will keep trying to change things here until I retire. Canada might be a good place.
having government health care and government not run by religious zealots does have it’s appeal, but canada’s cold
what to do? move to oregon! they have the coverage and Portland is booming, because as it turns out government health care is GOOD FOR BUSINESS!!!
my buddy’s got CF and finding employer-sponsored health care that will accept such an expensive pre-existing condition is next to impossible, he moved to portland, and is generating lots of tax revenue for the state and helping to build the city’s tech economy
meanwhile in the rest of the nation, american conservatives who fear change and hate all taxes refuse to accept the concept that by working together as a nation, we can all prosper.
I accept the Bush Regime ‘might be’ the reason for this very, very small increase in emigration and obviously there’s lots of Canadians who are still moving to the States, primarily for professional reasons but I’d guess the next Presidential election might be an actual tipping point.
I mean, what’s going to happen if the next President is another neo-con, Republican or Democrat? What if the next President just carries on representing big oil and big business, making war on the middle class, killing and imprisoning many thousands of innocent people around the world? What if more and more civil rights continue to evaporate at the stroke of a pen?
If that happens, I can see this becoming a real story. Right now, it’s just fluff.
Yeah, big deal. Bush had an opportunity to be great and blew it. Carter was much, much, much, much worse.
A nuclear war that killed every human everywhere would be better than Gore, Kerry or Hillary so it’s all a big “who cares”?
Obviously there’s room for improvement but still, right now, today, the US is the best place on Earth to be.
My manager recently moved from Calgary to the states, and he could care less about politics. Maybe the majority of those moving feel the same way, and are doing it for other reasons.
Just a thought, but one bound to escape the nuts around here.
A nuclear war that killed every human everywhere would be better than Gore, Kerry or Hillary so it’s all a big “who cares”?
Seek psychiatric help.
Immediately.
Is this just Americans or people moving from America? There are plenty of H1 VISA holders moving out as their work papers expire. Canada is quite generous with their immigration.
Let’s just give the blue states to Canada. Moving is too damn expensive.
#2 – Mark Derail – This story was on the Radio here in Montreal this morning. Turns out many countries have French as second or first language in many countries. The intellectuals & professionals are moving here in Montreal & surroundings.
Compared to English, very few countries teaches French as a second or first language. And as for intellectuals and professionals… I had hoped that you had meant Quebec only… but then you went on with…
Quebec has an all time low unemployment rate compared to Ontario. Meaning Ontario is getting the non-intellectuals bilinguals speaking immigrants. Must be some Americans in that bunch.
Not really true according to Statistics Canada:
Unemployment rate:
Quebec – 6.9%
Ontario – 6.5%
Employment rate:
Quebec – 61.1%
Ontario – 63.5%
And the unemployment rate in Quebec would increase if the Provincial Government skips the yearly $7.1B in welfare money to Quebec (AKA equalization payment). Which is by the way paid by Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia… you know, the provinces that has most of those “non-intellectuals bilinguals speaking immigrants” that you were talking about.
#14 – James Hill
Perhaps he’s a Mormon and that was what attracted him to Utah? 😉
> Or more accurately, what the electorate
> has allowed our ‘leaders’ to get us
> into by voting in people like Bush.
UD, you are nothing if not consistent. Frankly, if you think the country is going in the wrong direction, the elected officials you ought to blame are in Congress not the White House.
#18 – Myself – …if the Provincial Government skips…
Provincial should have been Federal.
When Bush was elected, a US dollar returned 40 cents change in Canada. Today you might have to give them a few cents to take it. Notice the price of things you use, like food, is a bit higher now in the good old US.
So their minimum wage is twice ours, does that mean they don’t have enough workers for the jobs.
If you had money in Canadian investments over the past six years your up a couple hundred percent. If your a rich republican you are also up a couple hundred percent in the US, all tax cut funded, by shifting the cost of your pleasures on others.
… and global warming makes Canadian weather more comfy!
I think if Canada loosened their immigration laws even more, they could get much more than 10000. Stop looking at degrees earned, and just let any American in.
#23 nah.. you can keep the rednecks..
#13 – You are certainly entitled to your opinion as to the U.S. being the best place to be in the world….just keep in mind it is totally subjective. I’m in Canada, and I don’t want to go anywhere. I’ve got a friend in Germany who feels his country is the best place to be, the best run. Ditto a fellow I know in the Netherlands.
Yeah, but my opinion is the only one that’s right. 😉
#25 – The difference is that you are your friends are more likely to be right.
The US is a great place… but its just a massive plot of land that I happened to be born on. I’m not ashamed to say that I’m not exactly what some (the right wing) would call a patriot.
#18 – On the contrary, he’s the only one here I can curse around that won’t get offended.
Actually, from what little I’ve seen of it, Canada’s pretty good place to live too. Wherever you can make the most money, have the biggest house and yard, biggest truck and drive the most is the best.
Nude beaches is the only thing I can think of that’s better outside the US.
I seriously looked into moving to canada (middle of Canada, it’s cheaper) a few years back and their immigration is strict. They know exactly what jobs they need as a country and if your not skilled in that job, then you’re on a waiting list. Canada citizens comes first in jobs too. As long as you are not taking away a job from a Canadian then you’re ok with your immigration papers. Also the cost for immigration is somewhere around $1,000 U.S. dollars plus your moving costs (although the lower US dollar helps a little). This may explain the more wealthy are moving up there.
I also found that the older you are, the harder to get in. There’s also an immigration waiting list so it may not happen till 1-2yrs from when you start your application. There is a point system questionnaire that you have to qualify for. If you don’t hit the point questionnaire threshold. Don’t even bother trying. The questionnaire is based on your education, male or female, years old, where your moving to in canada, and your working skills etc. Oh yeah, most people actually get interviewed too before your immigration application is excepted.
Basically, what I found out was that it is a very expensive, drawn out, stressful experience that the average middle class American would not bother. I would shake hand to any immigrant that came to America legally because it takes guts to go through the process.
Hey iglobalwarmer, you REALLY do need psychiatric help, my man. You are totally deluded, and you are in a state of denial. If you think that a big truck, a big house and yard, having lots of money, and being able to drive around a lot are all there are to happiness, you REALLY need help. YESTERDAY!!!
Do the world a favor, check yourself into a hospital, and get a checkup from the neck up. They will help you quite a bit. Really, you NEED to do this NOW!