# Americans in Ontario



## NancyNYC (Aug 8, 2011)

I am an American about to make a move from New York City to Burlington, Ontario. I am marrying a Canadian in a few weeks and I am in a better position than he to make a move to another country. I have to say I am very worried about how I am going to feel about leaving the US. Has anyone else there made the move from NYC to Canada?


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## Auld Yin (Mar 10, 2009)

NancyNYC said:


> I am an American about to make a move from New York City to Burlington, Ontario. I am marrying a Canadian in a few weeks and I am in a better position than he to make a move to another country. I have to say I am very worried about how I am going to feel about leaving the US. Has anyone else there made the move from NYC to Canada?


It's unlikely there is anyone on this site who has moved from NYC to Canada. I'm assuming you have visited here/Burlington and know what it's like. It ain't no NYC in any shape or form but neither is anywhere in the world. Burlington's proximity to Toronto helps if one wants a big city hit but again Toronto is not NYC. If you are accustomed to many museums/theaters then you will need to re-adjust but I do know that many New Yorkers happily live their lives without using such amenities.
Life in the USA is different from that in Canada. Shopping is different, recreation is different, health care is different.
Good Luck.


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## NancyNYC (Aug 8, 2011)

Auld Yin said:


> It's unlikely there is anyone on this site who has moved from NYC to Canada. I'm assuming you have visited here/Burlington and know what it's like. It ain't no NYC in any shape or form but neither is anywhere in the world. Burlington's proximity to Toronto helps if one wants a big city hit but again Toronto is not NYC. If you are accustomed to many museums/theaters then you will need to re-adjust but I do know that many New Yorkers happily live their lives without using such amenities.
> Life in the USA is different from that in Canada. Shopping is different, recreation is different, health care is different.
> Good Luck.


Thank you for your quick reponse. I was afraid that I was going to hear exactly what you stated. I think this is going to be a very difficullt transition for a native New Yorker.


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## loganonmission (Aug 12, 2011)

I've never been to NYC, but I can at least relate some of my experience between Canada and the USA.

First of all, I don't think any city in the world is like NYC, so just recognise that Canada is not going to feel like the USA-- there's definitely a different feel to Canada in general (personally, I feel safer and a bit more "at home" in Canada, but that's probably because I've spent my whole life there).

Most of the large Canadian cities have repeatedly been ranked in some of the top ten "most liveable" cities in the world. In other words, they're good places to live. If you let yourself get used to the differences, you might even love the Toronto area. Most people that I know who are from Toronto love it. I've personally lived in Ottawa, Montreal, Edmonton, and Vancouver, and I would be happy to move to any one of those cities, they all have at least one thing that I loved about them.

Healthcare is going to be a bit of a shock for you. First of all, it's no longer going to be a huge financial burden on you. It's paid for with tax money, which means that you'll likely never see a bill or even be asked what insurance you have. In Canada, there's no such thing as a "pre-existing condition", which means that almost any necessary procedure or doctor's visit will be covered by the government. But, this also means that you may have a harder time finding a primary care physician that has vacancies to accept new patients. This may also mean waiting a bit longer for non-emergency doctor visits or non-urgent tests.

When/If you go to work, some jobs may offer "full benefits". In the US, that usually implies healthcare, vision, and dental. Well, since everyone already has healthcare in Canada, the term "full benefits" will mean vision, dental, and prescription coverage.

Most things are going to be more expensive in Canada. Groceries, books, shoes, electronics, vehicles, and most things are all a fair bit more expensive. However, Canadians also have a higher average salary than Americans, so you'll likely have a similar quality of living on both sides of the border.

Infrastructure (i.e. highways, streets, etc) is not nearly as nice in Canada as it is in America. That is something that Canada suck at-- building adequate highway systems. Toronto may be better than Edmonton or Vancouver, so you might not notice that.

Lastly, politics are much different in Canada. Because Canada doesn't use the two-party system like in America, Canadian politics tend to be much more multi-dimensional. I've found that American politics are very bipolar, but you might find that Canadian politics seem a lot more calm without nearly as much name-calling. Then again, that's just what I've noticed.

Those are probably some of the main points. Just as a side note, my wife moved to Vancouver with me for about 7 months when we first got married. Now that we've lived in the states for a few years since, she can't wait until we move back to Canada. I'm sure that if you allow yourself to embrace the differences between Canada and the USA, you'll likely really like Canada.

Have fun!


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