Originally Posted by Larry227

Let me throw in two more cents. I'm a dual citizen living in Canada. Born and raised in Texas I also lived in NM and Tn before moving to Canada in 1999. Here are some things I've noticed since living here:

Health care: Only difference I've experienced and witnessed is when leaving a doctor, clinic or hospital here in Canada you just walk out the door. Nothing to sign, nothing to pay. I have payed for flu shots in the past but only because I'm not high risk. I've not noticed any less treatment for me or anyone I know because of our "socialized medicine". Heck my mother-in-law fell and broke her hip a few years ago and although she was a ripe age of 92 they fixed her right up. She lived four more years before slipping away but I won't try to blame our healthcare for that.

Wages: In general I would say they're higher here but so are cost of goods and taxes.

Weather: Took me awhile to figure out wtf that white stuff was but now I kind of like having all four seasons.

Other: I never thought I would turn the porch light on before walking outside just to see if a bear was waiting on me. Actually I only started doing that last year after my friend's son (12 yrs old) bagged his first bear just over the hill behind out house. Also never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would be ice fishing for bass but I do it every winter now.

People: People here are just like in the States. You have good ones and bad ones.

I like it here a lot and will probably live here until I die but who knows. Right now I feel I have the best of both worlds. I live 10 minutes from the border so I drive to Porthill to get cheap(er) gas every two weeks and check my PO box there. Anything I buy on the net I have delivered there since USPS is twice as fast and way cheaper than getting it shipped here. That's something that I will say sucks here. Canada Post is a sorry excuse for a mail service.

Every few months the wife and I take a trip to Coeur de' Alene to do serious shopping. She goes to Bonners Ferry which is closer every couple of weeks and stocks up on certain groceries. Some things are way cheaper in the US.

That's my two cents. I've lived on both sides and honestly can't say one is better than the other. Both sides are great in their own ways. Maybe it's a good thing I live on the border because it would be hard to choose if I had to.

Originally Posted by the_cosworth

Awesome post, thanks.

Good to hear that your looking for bears now though. That is the worst training I have ever had. I was given an umbrella that was a 'bear deterrer'

Thank you BC Hydro

Originally Posted by Paratrooper

Here's a military swing on things-the Canadian military does lots of training side by side with the US forces. Our JTF2 is a tier 2 spec ops (just below Delta Force who are tier 1). We complete many of the same courses and we have Canadians posted on bases in the US (and vice versa).

Our ethics are very similar, we eat basically the same food, watch the same TV listen to the same music and drive the same vehicles (on the same side of the road).

Canadians like guns, scantily clad women, drinking beer and driving our trucks.

We are very similar people, I am in a place in Alberta where there are many Brit troops, I have never been so proud of my American history in my life, my family came here form the states and that is a proud thing for me.

Originally Posted by EnglishAdam

Just like to say what a great thread this has been. Most informative.
I spent some time in Canada a few years back and thoroughly enjoyed the trip.

Plus points

Great scenery
Good Beer
Proper HP sauce instead of that nasty A1 stuff in Dennys
They got all my jokes
Cowboys bar and the Calgary Stampede

Minus points

No dollar bills in the, ahem, gentlemans establishments. Just throwing Loonys at the girls doesn't cut it. Get that one sorted out, eh?

Think I might steal your idea and start a thread about Britain. Should be good for a laugh.

Originally Posted by referee54

The only bad thing minutely negative that I have to say about the land up north is that it is darn hard to get beer---heck, here in Ohio we can get beer at supermarkets, drug stores, gas stations (not my idea of a smart decision), just about everywhere...
TSC

Originally Posted by englishadam

think i might steal your idea and start a thread about britain. Should be good for a laugh.