Americans in Canada's topics - tribe.net

"Made in Canada"

2008-08-21T21:25:54Z

“Made in Canada”
by Daniel J Towsey
April 18, 2008

http://www.mychurch.org/blog/172704/Made-in-Canada

“The closed minded know everything but see nothing”

Before NAFTA, I could go to any retailer and I would have a really hard time to find anything that did not have a “Made in Canada” label.

The only items that had a different label were beautiful artistic items and great Japanese Electronics.

Once upon a time there was a lot of Canadian pride in our Canadian products. There was signs everywhere promoting “Buy Made in Canada” and little Canadian flags on Canadian products.

Now when I go shopping I can’t find anything “Made in Canada”

As a result of all the cheap Chinese products flooding all the new huge foreign retail store chains.

Before NAFTA we had lots of Canadian owned national retail chains. Like Woolco, Woolworths, Towers, By-way, K-Mart, Steinbergs, just to name few. All these are now gone. We only have a couple of surviving chains. Like Zellers and Canadian Tire. They only survived because they now sell Chinese goods.

I went to my local Wal-Mart recently and saw a sign that said that Wal-Mart is concerned about selling goods manufactured in Canada, to help local employment and does so when it can.

So I spoke with the store manager and asked her. What percentage of goods that were sold in the store were manufactured by Canadians. She had absolutely no idea and it had never been anything she ever concerned herself with. And she absolutely did not care.

I told her that I walked all through the store and could not find any products with made in Canada labels. I asked her if she could show me any. She could not because she had no idea what, if any products were actually made in Canada.

I then said to her that the sign on the wall was absolutely deceptive.

China is a country that has no human rights and people work for slaves wages to produce those cheap goods we now buy.

As a result our own manufacturing facilities have ceased and all the factories and equipment have been bought for nothing and shipped out to China.

I heard somewhere that the poor peasants in China have to work seven days a week everyday of the year. With no holidays or days off. If a worker gets sick, they loose their job and may loose their life.

As China has no public health care. China is a country with a huge population. Where life is very cheap and people are very disposable.
Anyone in China that dares to speak up, soon discovers that reality.

The same will soon be the case for all of us, as the NWO masters will have it all.

NAFTA is destroying our Canadian identity. The signs are everywhere.

We will pay dearly for the loss of our manufacturing. Like all corporate take overs. Where they flood the market with cheap goods and destroy our self sufficiency. The cheap goods will soon not be cheap. After we are completely dependent on cheap imported goods and can no longer make own. They will raise the prices.

Canada is a huge country with every conceivable natural resource.

So can anyone tell me why there is a food bank [where they give out free food to the starving] in every neighborhood? Even the middle class neighborhoods have food banks. Every city also now has soup kitchens, where you can get a free meal once a day.

It’s because our wealth is being stolen and given to the executives in government and corporations. As long as the government workers are taken care of, they are very willing to ignore the situation.

That is why government workers no longer respond to, or care about the publics complaints or needs.

Since NAFTA my country’s natural resources are being stolen by foreign corporate vultures. No longer is the value of our natural resources being shared with all Canadians.

It is estimated that over 60% of Canada’s employment is as a result of government spending. So we have 60% of the employed that are tax receivers and there is only about 20% that are actually true tax payers. The remaining are the many homeless, poor, sick, elderly, children, and the forgotten unemployed.

The bankers are responsible for the destruction of our country. Canada’s wealth has been diverted from the peoples government to the bankers. Please read my “Once upon a time there was a Canada” to get the whole story.

The corrupt ‘Federal Reserve Systems’ are at the heart of all the worlds problems... Please read my “The last democracy” to get the rest of the story.

The out of control corporate criminals are proving that my Grand Mother was right when she told me some 45 years ago that, “Too much of a good thing, is never good”. Will the bankers have it too good.

The huge corporations have been created as a result of the bankers being able to provide the funds because they produce money out of thin air.

It’s amazing how free money can corrupt everything. It’s a pyramid scheme. And the corruption has tricked down from the top and is now corrupting the very foundations of civilization. We have entered a new dark ages where the light of truth is extinguished.

I am afraid that without TRUTH we only get insanity, from the insanity of Monsantos tampering with genetics, to unrestrained molecular tampering. That the unrestrained out of control insane are dooming this planet.

Please read my “Are you ready for the truth” but I have to warn you. It is a very serious article and may really upset you. And please do not take the easy way out and think of attacking the messenger. Do your own research and you will eventually find out that everything I have written is backed up with the scary proof.

Only the brave seek truth, all others are just cowards.

Thanks to the digital age, The New World Order Masters are attacking individual rights and liberties from every direction at the same time.

The situation is so absolutely horrible. That every caring informed individual has to become a “Truth Soldier”.

And finally, please read my “Corrupt Canadian Elections” to learn how the digital age has made it so easy to fix vote results and completely subvert democracy and our ability to stop the NWO’s take over of our future........

Your silence of the horrible truth of their deceptions will guaranty the NWO’s success..

For they thrive on secrecy..

So do you think it just might be time to start screaming for your very life?

While you still have a breath?

But I fear that the corporate medias hold on your thoughts of reality will make our survival and individual freedoms impossible.

Also learn about the machinations of the NWO’s depopulation agenda that is will underway. From the poison fluoride to the US Patented AIDS virus..and the FDA blocking LAETRILE one of the known cures for cancer.

Is this THE END

******************************************

MY LINKS;

“A truth soldier”
http://danieltowsey.livejournal.com/11047.html
“The last democracy”
http://www.mychurch.org/blog/105969/The-Last-Democracy
“Once upon a time there was a Canada”
http://my.opera.com/danieltowsey/blog/2007/08/15/once-upon-a-time-there-was-a-canada
“Are you ready for the truth?”
http://ca.groups.yahoo.com/group/conspiraciesclub/message/291
“Corrupt Canadian Elections”
http://social.infowars.com/blog_entry.php?user=danieltowsey&blogentry_id=2822

Additional LINKS

conspiraciesclub is loaded with thousands of links to documentary videos, articles, documents, photos and more. Plus you will receive important e-mails with your free membership.
http://ca.groups.yahoo.com/group/conspiraciesclub
Canada's CEO’s sell out the nation What's Behind the "Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America"
www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=DOB20050407&articleId=197
Canada-US Relations - Defence Partnership – July 2003 They are going to hand over complete control of Canada’s military to the US..New World Order secret government
http://www.sfu.ca/casr/ft-lagasse1.htm
Deep Integration: TILMA and SPP to bring in rules to let corporations challenge Canada’s laws
Giving up on Canada -- and Critical Thought?
http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/ORC110A.html
Protocols Of Zion' Is The Illuminati Blueprint
http://www.rense.com/general40/proto.htm
WORLD CONQUEST THROUGH WORLD JEWISH GOVERNMENT
Full text of “The Protocols of the learned elders of Zion”
http://www.biblebelievers.org.au/przion1.htm

VIDEOS
Fluoride Deception Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3y8uwtxrHo&feature=related
The Future of Foods
The Disturbing Truth Behind Genetic Engineering
http://www.informationliberation.com/?id=8656
The world according to monsanto
This is what insanity looks like
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=314951162223259236
AIDS CURE: U.S. Patent #5676977
Dr. Boyd Graves discusses the origin of AIDS as well as the United States' patented cure, all based on official governmnet documentation
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8567399552051355527&hl=en

You must see this movie
Aaron Russo’s
America From Freedom to Fascism
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1656880303867390173

posted in Americans in Canada - 3 replies

teaching in Canada

2008-06-08T20:53:38Z

Any teachers here? I've gtot my letter of eligibility, but it seems like the only way to get hired in BC is to be hired as a teacher-on-call. I can't imagine moving my whole family up there to be a substitute with only an occasional chance of work. If I DID do TOC, would I be working every day?

Anyone? If nobody knows, any ideas where I could ask?

posted in Americans in Canada - 1 reply

Canada's Police State Bill C51 Camouflaged as a Health Bill

2008-05-13T20:23:52Z

Canada's Police State Bill C51 Camouflaged as a Health Bill

On April 8th 2008 The Health Minister of Canada introduced a totally unnecessary bill, that is quickly being forced through Parliament to attack the Natural health products and services industry on behalf of big Pharma. The public is being deceived and not informed of the police state provisions written into this bill.

read it here
http://www.mychurch.org/blog/185640/Canadas-Police-State-Bill-C51-Camouflaged-as-a-Health-Bill

posted in Americans in Canada - 0 replies

Immigration and National Health Insurance

2008-04-01T01:17:33Z

Has anyone here immigrated to Canada, become a naturalized Canadian citizen, and become eligible for Canadian national health
insurance? How long did the entire process take?

posted in Americans in Canada - 2 replies

New to this tribe.

2008-03-27T15:23:35Z

I'm Kat. I'm an american living in canada, and have been for almost 2 years. I'm looking to talk to other americans and hear their stories. I'm perfectly willing to give out my messaging address because i'd love to meet fellow americans. It's good to know that I'm not the only one here that's from the states. And i'd love to hear other peoples experiences here and where they're from. So...message me. Lol.

posted in Americans in Canada - 0 replies

Will Canada become the 51st state?

2008-03-09T02:49:23Z

The Vancouver Sun just had this article. Again I personally think this is a reason we should unite the bioregion and say fuck off to NAFTA, CAFTA, SPP and any idea of a North American Union (new Axis of Power)

article:

Will Canada become the 51st state?

The Security and Prosperity Partnership: what it's all about and
what it could mean for Canadians

Kelly Patterson, CanWest News Service

Published: Saturday, August 18, 2007
To some, it is a "corporate coup d'etat," a conspiracy by big
business to turn Canada into the 51st state by stealth. Others see
it as a plot to destroy the U.S. by forcing it into a North American
union with "socialist Canada" and "corrupt Mexico."

It is the Security and Prosperity Partnership, a sprawling effort to
forge closer ties among the three nations in everything from anti-
terrorism measures to energy strategies to food-safety and pesticide
rules.

Launched two years ago by then prime minister Paul Martin, President
George W. Bush and his Mexican counterpart, Vicente Fox, at the so-
called Three Amigos summit in Waco, Tex., the SPP grew out of
concerns that security crackdowns would cripple cross-border trade.

Email to a friend

Printer friendly
Font: ****With juggernauts such as China and India looming on the
horizon, the three countries agreed they had to act fast to stay
competitive. Now the SPP has grown into a mind-boggling array of
some 300 initiatives, involving 19 teams of bureaucrats from all
three countries.

INTEGRATION BY STEALTH

Its stated mission is "to keep our borders closed to terrorism yet
open to trade" by fostering "greater co-operation and information-
sharing" in security protocols and economic areas such as product
safety.

Little known in Canada, the accord, if implemented, could affect
almost every aspect of Canadian life, from what drugs you can access
to whether you can board a plane and even what ingredients go into
your morning cornflakes.

While you may not have heard of the SPP, you may have heard about
some of the controversies it has sparked: Canada's adoption of a no-
fly list, negotiations to lower Canada's pesticide standards to U.S.
levels or fears the deal will lead to bulk-water exports.

Liberal leader Stephane Dion charged Friday that, "under the veil of
secrecy," Harper has let the Americans run roughshod over Canada,
covertly using the SPP to impose a U.S. agenda on Canada. That's not
what the Liberals intended when they signed the deal, which was
meant to give Canada a stronger voice in Washington, not turn it
into an"imitation" of the U.S., he says.

Maude Barlow of the Council of Canadians says it is big business
that is calling the shots, pushing aggressively for the
harmonization -- and downgrading -- of everything from security
norms to food standards, in a move that will lead to
the "integration by stealth" of the three nations.

"Canadians would be shocked" if they knew the true scope of the SPP,
says Barlow, whose Ottawa-based organization represents about
100,000 members.

Fringe groups such as the Canadian Action Party and the Minutemen in
the U.S. go further, arguing the SPP is a plot to sweep all three
nations into a North American union.

"Where are they getting this stuff?" says Thomas d'Aquino, head of
the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, which helped launch the
SPP.

"This is a very nitty-gritty, workaday initiative" to make trade
safer and more efficient through such steps as expanding border
crossings and information-sharing programs on plant and animal
safety, he says.

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=4b1bc1a3-32be-
4aac-af56-5636db7ef5a3

continued:

Will Canada become the 51st state?
The Security and Prosperity Partnership: what it's all about and
what it could mean for Canadians
Kelly Patterson, CanWest News Service
Published: Saturday, August 18, 2007
Other SPP projects are no-brainers, such as plans to cooperate in
fighting West Nile virus and flu pandemics.

As for fears of a North American union, "anyone who believes that is
smoking something," says d'Aquino.

This weekend, the debate hits the headlines across the nation as the
three heads of state and their advisers converge on Montebello,
Que., 60 kilometres east of Ottawa, for the SPP's third annual
summit.

Email to a friend

Printer friendly
Font: ****Thousands of protesters are also expected to descend on
the area, hoping to confront the "Three Banditos" about a deal they
say is a secretive sellout to the cowboy capitalism and militarism
of the superpower to Canada's south.

"We always hoped from the outset we could broaden it beyond
security," says Roland Paris, a University of Ottawa professor who
worked as an adviser in the Privy Council Office when the SPP was
launched. He adds that the SPP's architects hoped the "regular high-
level meetings" would help "overcome bureaucratic inertia."

SOVEREIGNTY UNDER FIRE

But they also helped big business and its government allies bypass
both the public and Parliament to push through a host of
controversial changes without debate or scrutiny, critics charge.
They say the accord has enshrined and fast-tracked a longstanding
effort to quietly harmonize Canadian programs with those of the U.S.
in everything from military policy to food and drug standards.

"The SPP is an unacceptable, closed-door process with enormous
implications for Canadians," says NDP trade critic Peter Julian.

Roland Paris scoffs at charges the SPP is a grand design. If
anything, he says, it is a timid collection of piddling efforts that
has become bogged down in bureaucratic red tape.

"This is not a political vision of the future of the continent. If
it were, it would be worth the fuss."

Defenders of the SPP dismiss concerns about regulatory change as
fear-mongering, saying the accord aims only to cut out minor,
needless variations between the three countries.

The goal is to end the "tyranny of small differences" that can turn
the border into a theatre of the absurd, says John Kirton, a
University of Toronto professor and expert in the environmental
effects of free trade.

If fact, the SPP could dramatically raise standards across North
America, proponents say, because it promotes information-sharing
among the three countries.

Scientists would swap data on everything from car safety to new
chemicals, enabling regulators to better evaluate products and react
more quickly to public health threats.

The SPP also includes projects with obvious benefits for all three
nations, such as reducing sulphur in fuel and air pollution from
ships, and coordinating efforts to curb plant and animal diseases.

All three governments insist that the three nations remain sovereign
under the SPP: If Canada doesn't like the way the U.S. does
something, it can go its own way.

But NDP trade critic Julian is not so sure. He worries about the
effect regulatory convergence will have in the future.

If, for example, Canada wants to pass new rules to deal with
greenhouse gases, it could mean "Canada would have to go to
Washington and lobby for the kinds of standards and protections they
want," he says.

© The Vancouver Sun 2007

posted in Americans in Canada - 3 replies

do I belong?

2008-02-19T05:26:54Z

Hubby & I have been planning to come up for years, and well, we're thinking about this summer.
Can I come in this tribe & pester people with questions of what the moving process is like & how it is up there?

posted in Americans in Canada - 5 replies

Working in Canada

2008-01-03T03:02:16Z

Hey everybody,
I was wondering if anyone had any advice for someone interested in moving to montreal from the USA. I speak French and have a BA so my main worry is getting a work permit. My only real experience is being a waiter and I have no real ties to Canada. If it isn't possible for waiters to get a labour market opinion, can I apply as a university student in Canada even if I am only taking classes and not persuing a degree? Any help at all would be appreciated. Thanks a bunch.

posted in Americans in Canada - 2 replies

Canadian Candy

2007-11-18T22:31:10Z

I like smarties.

I always have.

It was not until recently that I discovered that they were made in Canada.

They are sooo much better than swee-tarts.

posted in Americans in Canada - 2 replies

Devastated, turned away at the border...

2007-10-07T17:16:30Z

Well, here's an explanation of my lil' bit of hell I experienced just a couple weeks ago.

For a couple months now, I've had a 7-day vacation planned in Montreal. My childhood friend asked me
to join him at the VANS Warped Tour. He's good friends w/ one of the bands that's playing.

I was even gonna meet-up w/ some new MTL friends; we met through a fellow musician buddy in NYC.
These guys invited me to do a guest DJ spot + lay down some Flute tracks in the studio.

And of course I was gonna spend a couple days w/ my ex-girlfriend + her family (who I've never met in-person).

After getting all the proper I.D. + made Hotel arrangements, I take a 10-hour train all the way to the border.
Each & everyone's credentials are checked which took a long-ass time.

I was red-flagged & removed from the train; denied entrance to CANADA & turned away at the border!!!
Apparently, my DUI charge from 2004 is considered a BIG DEAL over there...
as is almost ANY type of offense greater than spitting on the sidewalk. It was pretty devastating,
mostly 'cuz I was caught completely off-guard & exhausted (I broke night on the eve before the train ride).
Besides, I've paid my debt for this mistake already --
yet I'm being punished again! I was told that this happens practically EVERYDAY out there, but that was little consolation.

It was really difficult to remain calm after hours & hours of bureaucratic nonsense & asshole attitude
(from the Border Patrol). The U.S. officers TOTALLY acted like dickheads! I had to wait hours
for a Charter Bus to allow me a seat back to NYC (another 8 hours). In the end, I've lost almost $1000 on the vacation + got "put to the test" emotionally speaking. I missed out on some great opportunities & some much needed R&R.

Yeah, it sux, & I'm not even eligible to approach the Canadian Consulate (in NYC) to see if they'll grant me
entrance until 2009. And it's possible that I won't be allowed into Canada until 2014 or later!!!

The rules of travel re: PASSPORTS (trust me... I did EXTENSIVE research on this subject!):

If traveling by Airplane, you must have a passport or at the very least have an application that has been approved for processing.
You must prove the status of your application with a certified document from the Official Passport Agency.
This law changes next year; in which you must possess a passport in order to travel by air outside of the Country.

If traveling by land, sea, or fresh water you're only required to provide a State-issued I.D. (Driver's license)
+ an original copy of your Official Birth Certificate. This law will most likely change next year as well;
Mandatory Passports for every type of travel.

Life will never be the same after 9/11 -- The problem is, I don't believe it happened the way the Bush administration says it did.

Outlawfully Yours, DM in da PM

posted in Americans in Canada - 5 replies

Visas?

2007-09-12T19:49:53Z

I may be moving to Nelson, BC in a couple of months. I have been researching the different types of visas (visitor, work, etc.). I think I would prefer to apply for a visitor's visa.

I was wondering if/ how they check your money situation (you are supposed to prove you can pay for your stay, the gov't website says), check your health (will I need to have a physical done?), and how they look into seeing that you really will plan on returning to your own country (I will not have a home or job to return to, for example--I do not actually plan on returning).

I would be getting married to a Canadian and then applying for permanent resident status, which I understand can take around two years to achieve.

Any help you could provide, especially about how to enter and stay in the country legally (or at least believably legal!) would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!! It all seems rather complicated. I'm trying to figure out the best way to go about this transition.

posted in Americans in Canada - 9 replies

Moving to Canada? What about annexation instead?

2007-08-27T12:29:45Z

Hello

For years I have not called myself "Amerikan" or aa "US-Amerikan", but instead I identify myself as a Cascadian. You ask "where the hell is Cascadia?" Cascadia is the "Pacific NorthWest" and specifically its not a "nation-state", but is a bioregion that currently transcends political borders. Ok now you may ask "what the hell is a bioregion?" ... well it is some geographers and environmentally aware people explain as:

“Bioregions are geographic areas having common characteristics of soil, watershed, climate, native plants and animals that exist within the whole planetary biosphere as unique and contributive parts.... A bioregion refers both to geographical terrain and a terrain of consciousness -- to a place and the ideas that have developed about how to live in that place.... A bioregion can be determined initially by use of climatology, physiography, animal and plant geography, natural history and other descriptive natural sciences. The final boundaries of a bioregion, however, are best described by the people who have lived within it, through human recognition of the realities of living in place.... there is a distinctive resonance among living things and the factors that influence them which occurs specifically within each separate part of the planet. Discovering and describing that resonance is a way to describe a bioregion.” http://www.olywa.net/speech/may99/mccloskey.html

Cascadia is a bioregion encompassing the territories of the Alaskan Panhandle, British Columbia, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, northern California and western Montana as well as very small portions of other near by states and provinces.

Cascadia is geographically the Columbia River Watershed and the area around the Cascade Range. Cascadia's farthest extent is from northern California to the Alaskan Panhandle and from the Pacific to the Continental Divide. Cascadia Minor tends to be the states of northern California, Oregon and Washington with the province of British Columbia. The Scottish naturalist David Douglas named the Cascade mountain range after the powerful waterfalls that carved out this land and gave it so much biomass.

So why not instead of all of us south Cascadians flocking to Canada we could suggest Oregon, Washington, northern California, Idaho and western Montana with the Alaskan panhandle re-unify with British Columbia as part of Canada. This region was once considered a one region before the US under expansionist policies by president Jackson and Polk divided the region. It could be a campaign like after the fall of the Berlin Wall to re-unify Germany: "Re-unification of Cascadia!" Just imagine Seattle, Portland, San Fransisco, Vancouver (BC), Victoria and the whole Cascadian bioregion (rural and urban) working together either as Cascadia or under a Canadian Confederation.

cascadians.tribe.net

posted in Americans in Canada - 15 replies

To Canada or Death!

2007-08-10T22:57:30Z

...Or something like that. I am ready, now that I am nearly done with college, to start the paperwork to move back to Canada on a more permenate basis (I was a student living in Vancouver for a while). How do I begin the process? Do i need an immigration lawyer? How much will it all cost in the end (can a [recent] college graduate afford it)? What I'd love to go is move there now, today, yesterday!

posted in Americans in Canada - 0 replies

North American Union

2007-08-10T18:34:10Z

I just got this message from a friend. What do you make of this? Well, if anything, immigration should be easier!?

"In just over a month's time, on August 20, the most powerful president in the world will be arriving in Montebello, Quebec for a two-day conference. President George W. Bush will be meeting with Stephen Harper and their Mexican counterpart, Felipe Calderon. So far, the silence from the Canadian and American media has been deafening.

Talk to 90% of people on the street and they won't know about this upcoming conference, and if by a slim chance they do, they won't know the purpose of the meeting or why the leaders of Canada, United States and Mexico are meeting in the dog days of summer under what amounts to a veil of secrecy.

So, what's this upcoming conference all about, and why are the newspapers, radio and television keeping silent about it?

The purpose of the upcoming conference is to ratify the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America, which was initiated by Bush, Martin and Fox in 2005 in Waco, Texas. Essentially, this so-called 'partnership' will result in what the politicians refer to as 'continental integration'-newspeak for a North American Union- and basically a harmonization of 100's of regulations, policies and laws.

In layman's terms, it means that once this 'partnership' has been ratified which is a fait accompli; we will be following in the footsteps of the European Union. It will mean that Canada will become part of the North American Union by 2010, and that our resources, agricultural, health and environment issues, to name a few, will be controlled not by Canada, but by the government of the North American Union.

A huge 'NAFTA' highway, one quarter of a mile wide, is already being built in Texas, where private land is being expropriated, and will eventually reach the Manitoba border.

Water will be the 'issue' of this century, as more than 25 states in the U.S. are currently in desperate need. Where do you think they will get the water they need?

The United States is already guaranteed 60% of our natural gas resources from NAFTA, which mean that even during emergencies when we need energy, we will have to import it, while we are forced to export gas to the U.S. This is just one example of how Canada is being shortchanged, and it's only going to get worse.

Why has there been absolutely NO public consultation on the biggest issue (North American Union) facing Canadians since Confederation? Why isn't Guy Lauzon, our local MP for Stormont, Dundas and South Glengarry, holding town hall meetings, bringing in cabinet ministers and explaining how the emerging North American Union will affect our Canadian way of life? Ask the citizens of Canada for their feedback. Isn't that how democracy is supposed to work?

Folks, I suggest that Mr. Lauzon isn't even aware of the SPP or the North American Union, which explains why the Conservative government has denied all Canadians information to which they are entitled. If he does have something to say about it, then let him raise the issue in our riding.

Furthermore, the example of the North American Union illustrates that our government claims to be democratic, but in fact, does it act like one, or does it prefer to make the big decisions at committee level behind closed doors, while masking its real intentions?

The ratification of the SPP, and the emergence of the North American Union have been organized entirely by government committees and private enterprise. I refer readers to my website at _www.realitycheck.typepad.com_ <http://www.realitycheck.typepad.com/>

for further information on the North American Union.

If our citizenry allows the North American Union to come into existence, then our way of life will change drastically, for the years to come. With privatization of our resources, increased foreign ownership, and a Canadian government with less and less authority, our children and grandchildren will be come 'North Americans' and our quality of life will drastically decline.

The founding fathers of Canada must be rolling over in their graves."

Kevin Parkinson

http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_2235.shtml

posted in Americans in Canada - 1 reply

Banking in Canada.......Credit Unions.....

2007-07-19T22:59:01Z

I'm assuming I'm going to have to get a Canadian bank account. In the states I prefer credit unions as they are cheaper and have fewer fees. Do you need to be a member of some special group to join a credit union in Canada? The web sites all seem to suggest that you need to 'buy shares', that there is some sort of initial fee up front for being a member. I'm not familiar with this approach. In the states typically you join a credit union affiliated with your work place or college or whatever. Any info on this?

posted in Americans in Canada - 3 replies

Seeking the wisdom of fellow US countrymen and their work permit experiences

2007-07-19T05:47:38Z

I'm looking at a job opportunity in Toronto right now, and I could REALLY use some insight from any Americans working in Canada now on how they went through the immigration or work permit process. I HAVE been reading the CIC site thoroughly, but these questions relate more to people's actual experiences:

Did you initially get accepted under a Work Permit?

Did NAFTA allow you to forego a HRSDC labor opinion? From what I understand while reading the CIC site guidelines a position qualifying under Appendix 1603.D.1 does not require an HRSDC labor opinion.

How long did it take to get approved for your work permit? I'm going to try and put together the necessary paperwork ASAP, and I'd like to get a rough idea of time frame so I can create a time table for myself.

Were you able to extend your stay by applying for Work Permit extensions?

Did you enter the country on a Work Permit and successfully transition to being accepted for Permanent Residence? I want to make sure that I'm not miss-representing my intent with Imigration and hurting my chances for PR status if I file for Permanent Residency soon after getting a Work Permit and moving.

If you did go from Work Permit to PR status, did you find the process happening any faster because of the existing job, and continuing employment?

Thanks! Any help is greatly appericiated!

posted in Americans in Canada - 0 replies

Introduce Yourself!

2007-07-19T05:26:16Z

let's start off with some intros, eh? (argh! i can't stop saying that....)

so i started this tribe after being part of the Vancouver tribes for sometime, which i love, but still feel a little left out of them anyway. i'm always having this internal discourse on the binary of either side of the border, which i'm sure comes out in these tribes and annoys some canadians. hence, the tribe.

anyway, my husband grew up in vancouver, and now he teaches at ubc. we came from los angeles a year ago, and we're going back and forth between LA and Vancouver a lot! i'm liking vancouver a lot (i even like the rain), despite the complexities with taxes, statuses, etc., that comes along with border crossing.

what's it like for other americans in other parts of canada? are there other american vancouverites here?

posted in Americans in Canada - 61 replies

it's official!!

2007-05-15T18:46:36Z

we just got notice from our lawyers, the applications have been sent and the buffalo office officially has them. We are officially in process, fees paid.
YIPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Now just one or two more years for the paperwork to go through...

Bleu

posted in Americans in Canada - 5 replies

Some questions on moving to Victoria.

2007-05-14T17:12:55Z

Hello,

My wife is considering doing a PhD and the University of Victoria and I would be going as a trailing spouse. I have a few questions that I hope someone out there might be able to answer.

1. I am a very employable computer programmer, in the U.S. that is. What is the job market like in the technology sector and what are some of the challenges for finding a job? I believe that being the spouse of a university student takes care of the work permit.

2. Any tips on finding a Canadian tech job?

3. Anything that I might need to know that I might not know to ask about moving to Canada?

Thank you in advance!

Kjel

posted in Americans in Canada - 0 replies

Retiring to Canada....unusual direction....older student thinking about permanently residing in Canada.....

2007-05-05T00:56:27Z

The two ways that I am familiar with getting permanent residence/citizenship are 1. Have a company hire you/prove that you have unique skills/get a job or 2. Marry a Canadian. I am not interested in working and am an early retiree. So I plan to go to art school at Emily Carr in 2008 or 2009 and start out as a student. Are there any other ways to obtain ciitzenship if you are no longer pursuing a career? One friend told me that you have to have $400K in assets, any ideas about this?

Thanks!

posted in Americans in Canada - 1 reply

Canadian work permit denied to US citizen

2007-04-30T01:02:01Z

Dear Friends, I need your advice! I am a US citizen, who has applied for a work permit in Canada under NAFTA agreement, under the "professionals clause" (Appendix 1603.D.1 - Professionals). On the time I have applied i was already in Canada (I came here with my Canadian fiancé). So i was told to send my application complete with a letter from a potential employer (who keeps calling and asking when I can start working - i am a graphic designer) to Buffalo Center. After 6 months of waiting I received a letter from Buffalo asking me to send to them again the same letter from the employer and... a proof of my legal status in Canada. Well, I sent them the updated letter and for the proof of legal status, i thought - what kind of legal status can a US citizen have in Canada if she exactly applies for a status. So i figured, i was a legal tourist in Canada and sent them a photocopy of my US passport (I have traveled to New York 2 months ago, so I was not overstaying in Canada). And so - two weeks later I receive a rejection "because I failed to provide a proof of my legal status". I turned to the Immigration lawyer, who said: No problem - 3 weeks and 3000$ and the permit will be yours! But according to NAFTA agreement I was simply eligible to receive the permit. I am totally at lost and don't know where to turn. :roll: If you can advise me, I'll be ever so thankful, God bless you. signed: Une Américaine perdue au Canada

posted in Americans in Canada - 1 reply

permanent resident vs. immigration

2007-04-23T23:40:09Z

Anyone have input on comparing the 2 processes? In order to do permanent resident you still have to have a work visa and the settlement funds, right?

I think I can handle the settlement fuinds, but that AND the 6-8thou for legal fees puts things off for a long while...

posted in Americans in Canada - 3 replies

divorce question ( related to canada )

2007-04-23T23:33:53Z

Obviously this isn't "for" me... as I'm not married
via a conversation I got a little curious about something

But have gone threw a divorce in the US. I'm familiar with how it works ( in my state anyhow ). I do realize no matter were in the world you are divorce can take years and more in nasty cases. But for an uncontested divorce were I am anyhow it takes about 2 months if things go smoothly by the time you get the judges signature and then the proper amount of required days pass afterwards before it's official. I think it's 30 days here locally "after" the judge decides and signs for that.

Does anyone know if it's similar in most parts of Canada ? I do know there is a one year initial separation requirement in basic "no fault" cases before filing. But the time from filing till it's official is what I am wondering about.
for uncontested that is.

Regards
Richard

posted in Americans in Canada - 1 reply

Immigration

2007-04-23T23:18:12Z

Do any of you folks have any advice for immigrating to Canada?

My main question that I'm wondering is if I should try to get a work visa before going, or should I go on a visitor's permit and find a job that will sponsor my stay? Are Canadians more liberal about having the requsite paperwork for working than Americans? I'm not really sure that I would meet the minimum amount of money needed for immigration at this time, so I'd like to try to find a way around it.

If I enrolled in school and got a student visa, would I be able to get a work visa too to be able to support myself while I'm there?

Any wisdom would be fab! Thanks!

posted in Americans in Canada - 2 replies

the actual move

2007-02-17T16:41:27Z

so, when you went up...

did you have jobs first?

did you have a place lined up?

did you start the immigration process right away or go up with visas?

do they stop you with your uhaul at the border & look through all your stuff?

posted in Americans in Canada - 4 replies

American's in Canada, Support Barack Obama!

2007-02-11T20:34:02Z

I just created a group on www.barackobama.com for American's in Canada that support his campaign. Let's make some real changes!

posted in Americans in Canada - 0 replies

Help on the moving process?

2006-10-09T15:01:49Z

Please excuse the cross-posting if you are in other similar Tribes, but I, and several of my friends, are fairly desperate to leave the Bush-run land of the formerly free. Any help would be appreciated for the basic processes of moving.

posted in Americans in Canada - 11 replies

SIN Timeline?

2006-10-09T02:52:26Z

For those of you who have immigrated, how long was it from the time you submitted your landed fee until you received your SIN? And how did it work exactly?

posted in Americans in Canada - 0 replies

Information

2006-10-09T02:34:59Z

As a Canadian living in the States, I find it strange that some are finding it hard to get information.
In my experience, the Canadian government is far more transparent than the American.
Just go to the Canadian government web site and most of the information people are looking for is there.
The Canadian government does not hide the information behind red tape or cloaking devises. It is all pretty easy to find.....
now if someone could explain how to find information here in the States without a lawyer......
Planning to move ack to Canada in the next two years, I can't wait!!!

posted in Americans in Canada - 1 reply

So How Much Is Gas?

2006-09-02T18:50:48Z

Just wondering, how much does a gallon of gas cost in Canada?

Presently, here in Ohio, I see $2.79 a gallon.

posted in Americans in Canada - 9 replies

Criminal Inadmissibility - Rehabilitation Process

2006-08-25T16:58:08Z

As in the fallowing link

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/inadmissibility.html

Has anyone had to go threw this before even thinking about entering Canada?
To visit or otherwise.

I read one person someplace on the web that stated it had been 16 months and still no approval or denial either way. And very few if any other first hand accounts with much insite to them.
The lites suddenly go dim hearing that...as I happen to be in love with a Canadian woman.

It's funny how ones past truly does fallow them till the end...and ocasionaly run up and bite you on the bum.

Anything at all is greatly appreciated.

Regards
Richard

PS.. I didn't see an introduction thread or anything... my apologies for making my first post a question.

posted in Americans in Canada - 10 replies

a voice in the darkness,,,,,,,,(smileing)

2006-08-25T15:38:20Z

Is anyone alive out there????????

posted in Americans in Canada - 0 replies

the greater partitioning of Cascadia: border divisions

2006-07-05T13:10:50Z

the greater partitioning of Cascadia: border divisions

I have posted before that Cascadia is becoming two very distict Cascadias as the US and Canadian governments administrate differently, as economies shift and as world's most longest and peaceful border becomes more militarized. The following articles illustrate the continuing division that the Amerikan expansionist president Polk started back in the 1840s:

CASCADIA Mayors plea for delay Cross-border impacts feared if U.S. forges ahead with security crackdown

By Jeff Nagel
Black Press
Jul 04 2006

Lower Mainland mayors joined counterparts from Washington, Oregon and Idaho Friday in urging U.S. officials to delay plans to force all visitors to carry passports.

The motion passed at the Cascadia Mayors Council meeting in Surrey after the 35 Pacific northwest mayors heard forecasts that tighter border security will hurt cross-border tourism and trade.

The U.S. government has set Jan. 1, 2007 as the date passports will be required to enter the U.S. by air or water, and Jan. 1, 2008 for land crossings.

In the meantime, a group of U.S. senators is trying to pass an amendment that would delay implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative until Jan. 1, 2009.

Most residents on both sides of the border don’t have passports and many of them don’t know about the planned changes, said Mary Mahon-Jones, with the B.C. Council of Tourism Associations.

She cited polls that show a third of Canadians and Americans who don’t hold passports say they don’t plan to cross the border again if they have to get one.

“The process of getting a passport is, frankly, a colossal hassle, at least in Canada,” Mahon-Jones said.

The more Americans and Canadians do get passports, she added, the more they may be tempted to travel to more distant countries, rather than just across the 49th parallel.

American visits to Canada are already down sharply this year even though the passport rule isn’t in force yet.

Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts said a delay would buy time to pursue alternatives, such as creating a different identification card or upgrading driver’s licences to include extra security data.

“We are very aware and cognizant of the security issue,” Watts said.

“But we also want to make sure the implementation of this is done right.”

It’s not just tourism that’s at stake.

All trucks carrying goods that cross the border would have to have accepted identification.

And the passport rule could impact many businesses located in Surrey, White Rock, Langley and Abbotsford which take advantage of the proximity of the border.

“With Surrey being the largest border crossing in Western Canada and the second largest in the country, those issues are front and centre in what we’re dealing with,” Watts said.

Anthony Welcher, the U.S. State Department’s director of intergovernmental affairs, told the mayors plans call for passports to be mandatory for all travellers – even children.

He admitted that may drive up costs for families and deter tourism, but said the U.S. plans reduced passport fees to ensure a family of four won’t pay more than $100.

He defended the requirement, saying it will help protect children from cross-border kidnappings.

“It is a burden. But it will help keep our children safe and secure.”

Welcher said Canadians shouldn’t hold out hope the passport plan will be shelved.

“Honestly, I’ve got to say it’s tough,” he said.

“Barring an amendment, we’re just going to have to deal with it.”

The Cascadia mayors’ motion backs a similar call by Premier Gordon Campbell and Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire to delay implementation until after the 2010 Winter Olympics while other options are pursued.

Senator Gerry St. Germaine said both countries must work to ensure anti-terror measures don’t unnecessarily impede the millions of people who cross the border and billions of dollars in cross-border trade and investment.

“These new requirements will have long term implications,” he said.

“We must act very, very carefully.”

found at http://www.peacearchnews.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=44&cat=23&id=683031&more=

____

Biking to Canada and back (if the Border Patrol lets us in)

By WILLIAM MARVEL
For the Monitor

July 05. 2006 8:00AM

Among the numerous and sometimes conflicting doctrines we try to observe in my household is that of treading lightly on the Earth. That is difficult to accomplish in a society that seems dedicated to waste and self-indulgence, where the only feasible means of long-distance travel is the automobile and the only way to feel good about oneself is to buy something new.

It is also a difficult concept to pass on to children whose friends race here and there in parent-purchased cars, communicating continually on parent-purchased cell phones. And it becomes especially hard to convey when there is work to do in the garden or at the woodpile. Nonetheless we attempt to set an example through consumer restraint, household economy and energy conservation.

Energy conservation was one of the main motives behind our choice of a vacation this year: bicycling to Canada. That isn't as rigorous a feat as most Americans might suppose, for the nearest border crossing lies only about 110 highway miles from our door. Avoiding deadly highways requires more mileage, but the round trip still falls within a week's easy cycling, during which we can ignore traffic jams and oil-industry gouging.

The flatter terrain of southern Maine might have been a preferable choice for bicycling. The coast is lovely, but it is usually packed with people from places no one wants to live, and by their mass presence they often make Maine feel like another one of those unpleasant places. There is something immensely gratifying about gliding all the way to an international border on such ecologically sound transportation.

There is something appealing about entering Canada by any transportation, for that matter.

Canada is a different world, at least from Vermont and New Hampshire. The U.S. side stands in the tall conifers of the great northern forest while the Canadian side slips immediately into rolling farmland and occasional, distinct towns, with little of the endless suburban sprawl that ate up so much of the United States so quickly.
The abrupt change in language offers an instant taste of Renaissance Europe, at least for those who remember their professor rattling off Middle French, and what can be more therapeutically humbling than trying to recall the vocabulary of a seldom-used language?

The money adds to the European atmosphere. Canadian bills are pieces of art, emblazoned with exotic historical characters and scenes in a variety of colors. The larger denominations are decorated with ornate engravings that mimic embroidery, and in that currency we have a dollar that still makes the American version seem as though it were actually worth something.

One-way cordiality

The strongest attraction Canada exerts may be the calm, peaceful atmosphere, which, unfortunately, seems especially foreign anymore. Just note the difference in customs officials.

Since the first time I crossed the Canadian border, I've never had an unpleasant experience with a Canadian customs officer. All of them have been flawlessly courteous, most of them are quite congenial and many are even unarmed. Approaching the U.S. border, meanwhile, usually turns the stomach sour.

Certain U.S. border stations in Vermont long ago developed widespread and well-deserved reputations for rudeness and unwarranted, invasive searches. Since the commencement of King George's War, the U.S. crossings have served as an introduction to American paranoia, with suspicious officers engaging travelers in deceptively inquisitive banter.

On my last re-entry by automobile at Beecher Falls, a pleasant young agent asked me the usual questions and wished me a safe trip, but as I started away, his older colleague interceded, hand-near-holster, and awkwardly initiated a perfectly artificial conversation. When I inadvertently misquoted the New England price of a New York Times, he grew as stern and mistrustful as an East German border guard. Welcome home, Yank.

Canada may have the friendliest customs service, but my belongings have been closely searched at places like the German border, back in the heyday of the Bader-Meinhof gang, without giving me the impression that I was being singled out for scrutiny. The only customs officers who have ever made me feel like a criminal suspect have been our own.

Until recently (and they may be doing it yet), the Border Patrol was stopping traffic nearly 100 miles inside the United States, interrogating citizens and frequently detaining them - probably for such suspicious actions as mispronouncing local nomenclature.

This sort of internal surveillance would be easier to bear if the New Hampshire State Police would establish a similar roadblock along the Massachusetts border and ask everyone to say "Kancamagus."

(William Marvel is an author and historian who lives in South Conway.)

By WILLIAM MARVEL

found at http://www.cmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060705/REPOSITORY/607050302/1028/OPINION02

posted in Americans in Canada - 0 replies

QUEBEC CITY canada - FREE LODGIND - Guys age 18 to 27 - Backpackers

2006-06-30T17:17:42Z

QUEBEC CITY canada
FREE ACCOMMODATIONS for BACKPACKERS
GUYS age 18 to 28
straight, bisexual or gay,
who cares if we get along nicely!

------------------

QUEBEC CITY gets so many backpackers,
the 2 youth hostels very often have NO VACANCY!

So you, backpackers from the world,
GUYS, age 18 to 28,
are sure to find with me confortable,
clean, friendly lodging.

COME for a few days, a weekend or just for an overnite stay.

REST your bag, freshen up, lay back, relax and enjoy!
It's cool here!
Shower, bath,
fresh bed and all the services.

No curfew!!

Laundry, good meals prepared together, swim pool, sundeck, air condition, tennis.

I'll show you this beautful historic city,
you'll know more in 2 days than 10 days by yourself!

Quebec City is unique!
The only city in North America part of the World Heritage by UNESCO.

French is spoken here but most speak English also.

Great outdoors at 20 minutes.
Near university campus (55,000 students).
Lots of festivals year-round.

WELCOME BACKPACKERS, TOURISTS, STUDENTS,
GUYS age 18 to 28!

I am also a budget traveller, backpacker,
it's cool and fun!

I EXPECT YOU TO BE like me,
GUYS neat looks, honest,
laid back, fun and open-minded,

able to assume your personal expenses. No drugs.

Save my infos in your bag.
Call ahead or on arrival!
No matter what time, early or very late!

You will be free to go to town by yourself or with me.

This invitation is a SINCERE FRIENDLY GESTURE
to allow you a more affordable, more fun stay!
My way of returning the warm invitations I got
while backpacking!

BARGAIN:
STAYING WITH ME means A SAVING
OF ABOUT $60 A DAY

SHOW UP SOON, guys!
Keep it up nice till you're ready to come!

People here speak French but most also speak
English and some Spanish.

I expect mature, neat looking, congenial,
fun guys age 18 to 28 from around the world!
I host many cool backpackers a year already!

Unfortunately it is not as easy for me to host a girl, I am sorry!
Call I may offer alternative accommodations

Good travels! Bon voyage!

PIERRE, Quebec City

EMAIL: sakado25@ gmail. com

SKYPE: bonjourquebec
=======================

www.regiondequebec.com
www.quebecplus.ca
www.montrealplus.ca
www.montreal2006.org
www.bonjourquebec.com
www.allostop.com
www.orleansexpress.com
www.fugues.com
www.squirt.org
www.ulaval.ca

posted in Americans in Canada - 0 replies

Is there a growing health division between the two Cascadias (US-Amerikan versus Canadian)?

2006-06-22T09:50:35Z

Is there a growing health division between the two Cascadias (US-Amerikan versus Canadian)?

Could living under US Amerikan hegomony be killing us in regards to health and life conditions? There is a growing health division between the two Cascadias (US-Amerikan versus Canadian).

articles with URLs:

B.C.'ers live longer, healthier and greener

By Jeff Nagel
Black Press
Jun 21 2006

We live longer. Drive less. Burn less fuel. And we're not as fat.

On a series of measures, British Columbians outperform Americans who live in the nearby U.S. states of Washington, Oregon and Idaho, according to a new report that will be released today (Wednesday).

The Cascadia Scorecard, published by the Seattle-based Sightline Institute to track trends in the Pacific Northwest, links B.C.'s gains on several fronts to the trend toward more compact and walkable neighbourhoods that's on the rise in Greater Vancouver.

"Sprawling land-use patterns not only promote sedentary lifestyles, but also expose residents to elevated risk of injury or death in car crashes," the report concludes. "Sprawl can be hazardous to health."

Among the findings:

- Twelve per cent of B.C.'s population is obese, compared to 21 per cent in the northwest U.S. states, where obesity is rising four times as fast.

- B.C. residents spend less time driving in cars and don't die in crashes as often. We drive an average of 8,300 kilometres per year and our rate of auto crash deaths is the lowest in Cascadia (the northwest U.S. plus B.C.).

- More Vancouverites (72 per cent) live in compact neighbourhoods than in six other major Pacific Northwest cities.

It all adds up to people living longer, healthier lives north of the border.

As of 2005, British Columbians reached a life expectancy of 81.1 years. That's up three years since 1990 and it's significantly higher than the 78.8 year average in the U.S. northwest.

"If B.C. were a nation, it would have the world's second longest life expectancy, trailing only Japan," the report says.

The main author of the report, Sightline research director Clark Williams-Derry, admits there are other factors behind B.C.'s healthier record.

He said Canada's universal health care system is a key difference that separates B.C. from the U.S. and improves life expectancies.

Immigration is another possibility.

"The province has welcomed many new wealthy (and healthy) Asian immigrants over the past several decades, which may have boosted the province's longevity statistics," the report says.

"British Columbia also has lower infant mortality rates and fewer homicides than its southern neighbours."

No single factor or combination of them fully explains the longer life expectancy here.

Instead, Williams-Derry looks to B.C.'s "relatively strong" record in containing urban sprawl.

"Places where you have to drive a lot are places where you have high levels of car crashes and low levels of walking or biking for exercise," he said.

The report says development using smart growth principles - a blend of stores and services in residential areas, creating better street connections and reduced parking requirements - has helped create more livable neighbourhoods where residents don't have to drive as much as in conventional suburbs.

Williams-Derry said old assumptions that suburbs have better air than congested downtowns are also falling away.

Urban cores have become cleaner as pollution standards improve.

Research indicates a greater air threat comes from time spent in traffic breathing other vehicles' exhaust, he said.

"If you're trying to escape to the suburbs to get cleaner air, not only are you not getting cleaner air in your neighbourhood, if you spend a lot of time on the highway you may be undoing some of any benefits you do get."

Cross-border issues will get more scrutiny next week when Surrey hosts the annual conference of the Cascadia Mayors Council.

found at www.surreyleader.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=73&cat=23&id=673415&more=____

Is your commute a killer?
Report shows suburbanites are less healthy than downtowners -- and cars are to blame

Chad Skelton, Vancouver Sun
Published: Wednesday, June 21, 2006
People who live in high-density core cities are significantly healthier than residents of sprawling suburbs, says a report being released today by Sightline, an environmental think-tank based in Seattle.

That's because the extra time suburbanites spend in their cars each week makes them fatter -- increasing their risk of chronic disease -- at the same time that it makes them more likely to be killed or injured in a car crash.

Overall, the Sightline report of the region known as Cascadia -- the northwest coastal region of North America -- found that the average life expectancy in B.C. is 2.5 years longer than in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.

And while that gap is due to a number of factors -- including our public health care system and a recent influx of "wealthy and healthy" immigrants from Asia -- the report argues the difference in the time we spend in our cars is a major factor.

The report say B.C. residents drive about 45 per cent fewer kilometres every year than those in northwest states and, as a result, have one-third fewer traffic fatalities per capita.

British Columbians drive less, the report found, because our communities are more dense, making it easier to walk, bicycle or take the bus to work than to drive.

Vancouver is by far the most dense city in Cascadia, the report found, with 91 per cent of its residents living in "compact neighbourhoods" (those with more than 12 people per acre), followed by Victoria at 80 per cent.

In comparison, in the county around Portland, Ore. -- often held up as a model of high-density urban living -- 45 per cent of people live in compact neighbourhoods.

In the area around Seattle the figure is just 34 per cent.

"For us [Americans], it's nice to have a place nearby that has shown that it can create a high-quality of life that doesn't sprawl," said Clark Williams-Derry, the lead author of the report.

Vancouver has also seen a far more dramatic increase in high-density living than its U.S. neighbours over the past 15 years -- fuelled mainly by the condo boom in Yaletown and Coal Harbour.

Michael Mortensen, a planner with the city, lives in a two-bedroom condo at Bute and Alberni with his wife, Ellen Clague, and their children Lucas, 4, and Lauryn, 1.

The family doesn't own a car.

Mortensen bikes to work at city hall while Clague works at home some days and takes transit or bikes the rest.

Mortensen conceded that, with two kids, space has become tight.

But he said the benefits of downtown living outweigh the inconveniences.

"It's the life," he said. "It's easy to live and to shop. There's a seawall right next to us. We've got memberships to the aquarium, Science World, the art gallery."

Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan said he was proud of the Sightline report's findings.

"I think Vancouver is leading the way in a new paradigm for building cities," he said, saying he'd like to see more high-density development in the city.

While Vancouver is the most dramatic example of high-density living, B.C. suburbs also fare better than their counterparts south of the border.

"It's kind of a different ball park," said Williams-Derry. "Even a place like Abbotsford, as sprawling as it might seem, is relatively compact by U.S. standards."

Indeed, 45 per cent of Abbotsford residents and 50 per cent of those in Surrey live in compact neighbourhoods.

That's well behind Vancouver at 91 per cent but it's far better than the Seattle suburb of Pierce County, at 13 per cent, and the Portland suburb of Clackamas County, at just nine per cent.

And high-density suburbs can make a real difference, said Williams-Derry.

Most of the driving people do in a week is not their daily commute, he said, but the combination of all the little trips they take -- to the grocery store, soccer practice and the mall.

"Everyone thinks of the commute as the big thing, but it is the minority of driving," he said.

So while the residents of Vancouver's suburbs may have a nasty commute ahead of them each day, many of them -- especially in more compact communities like White Rock or New Westminster -- have a better chance than U.S. suburbanites of being able to walk to the corner store for milk.

And even slight improvements in walkability can have a profound impact on people's health.

For example, Williams-Derry said, one study found that an extra two-to-three-minute walk each day is enough to reduce someone's weight by, on average, nearly half a kilogram.

"If you walk more, you're going to weigh less," he said. "The differences are fairly small, but over time they really add up."

cskelton@png.canwest.com

Even our suburbs are more compact

Percentage of population in each community living in "compact neighbourhoods" -- those with at least 12 residents per acre (0.4 hectares).

City of Vancouver 91%

City of Victoria 80%

Richmond 77%

Burnaby 70%

Surrey 50%

Delta 49%

Coquitlam 45%

Abbotsford 45%

U.S. Suburbs

Multnomah (Portland) 45%

King County (Seattle) 34%

Pierce County (suburban Seattle) 13%

Clackamas (suburban Portland) 9%

found at www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=1220dee1-8bcf-4fec-8474-d287361e0eec&k=76567

posted in Americans in Canada - 0 replies

financial burden of waiting for papers to process

2006-05-28T04:28:33Z

I am Canadian and my fiance is American. He is planning on moving to Canada after we get married and we are aware that it will take 1 - 2 years for the paperwork to process and that he won't be able to work legally during that time. He is stressing about being a financial burden to me (I am an artist who doesn't earn alot of money) and he doesn't have alot of savings to live off of (he is an artist too!).

My question to those who have gone through this: how did you deal with this?

posted in Americans in Canada - 3 replies

A new tribe - Marc Emery

2006-05-11T22:18:40Z

A tribal discussion on the future of Marc Emery, the implications on Canada and the United States governments, and the effects on the citizens of both countries.

http://tribes.tribe.net/marcemery

posted in Americans in Canada - 0 replies