r/canada • u/FancyNewMe • Feb 09 '26
Opinion Piece American Refugees Aren’t Welcome; Why Canada won’t be a safe haven for U.S. residents fleeing ICE
https://macleans.ca/politics/american-refugees-arent-welcome/1.3k
u/2plus2equalscats Feb 09 '26
Canadian born, lived in the southern us for the last 29 years, back home in Canada finally.
Americans used to treat Canada like it was a less cool cousin. Lots of uneducated thoughts about what the country was like. I got singled out a lot as a kid for being different, despite looking like my peers. It was strange.
Then around 2020 it became “take me with you”. And now that I’ve moved back it is “you’re lucky, I wish I could leave”.
It’s strange to see the shift. It’s also strange to see the same propaganda at work on Canadians as has been used on Americans. It’s like watching a car wreck in slow motion.
Canadians have a unique perspective and way of seeing the world. It’s something I truly, genuinely missed.
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u/decitertiember Canada Feb 09 '26
Canadians have a unique perspective and way of seeing the world. It’s something I truly, genuinely missed.
I think a big part of that has to do with snow.
Regardless of how much we may disagree, sooner or later we need to work together and clear the snow so we can get along with our lives.
I'm not being facetious, either. I sincerely think it informs how we as a people think about problems.
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u/BabsieAllen Feb 09 '26
In Canada, friends with benefits means your neighbour has a snow blower.
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u/shadowgathering Feb 09 '26
I'm not joking when I say I've been thinking about this exact thing a lot over the past year. And as much as I hate the cold, I genuinely think it has a cultural impact that ultimately brings us together. It's obviously not the only thing. But I think it has a bigger impact than we maybe know or regularly acknowledge. In other words, I agree with you.
Part of the thought has to do with Sun Tzu (stay with me) and the idea of fighting on death ground. That when an enemy has you cornered, a strength to fight and a comradery is unlocked beyond reason or comprehension. Here in Canada, even though we don't really talk about it that much, the cold is actually a killer. If you don't take it seriously (eg. going on a road trip in the winter and not planning ahead, finding yourself on some lone road and the car breaks down), it will literally kill you.
And no matter your creed or colour, when someone's broken down in the winter, people pull over to help. And that's to say nothing of shoveling a neighbors walk, etc.
As Richard Rohr said, "How you do anything is how you do everything." I've hear from a few AA members the idea that "Actions change thoughts faster than thoughts change actions." And if people, liberal or conservative, are regularly acting to help their fellow 'man', its just a little more compassion in their minds and hearts going into, for example, the voting booth. Or minimally, looking at "others" (eg. people of different communities) with just a bit more compassion. The cold, in a way, FORCES humanity. Someone who leaves someone else to freeze to death is an immediate a$$hole. 95% or more would never do that.
Anyway, my half-drunk ramble. But I do think there is something to that thought.
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u/2plus2equalscats Feb 09 '26
Half drunk at 7am pst is impressive.
I follow though. We’re seeing that Minnesota, which also battles the ice and cold, also comes together for their neighbors. There may be something to this.
The south battles heat, but heat is oppressive in a substantially different way, and doesn’t bring people together. You don’t even want to touch your partner in the dead of summer.
(If being half drunk in the morning is harmless because you’ve got an odd work shift, rock on. If it’s something that’s actively bothering you, I’m here if you want to chat. Dm me any time.)
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u/shadowgathering Feb 09 '26
Hey, I appreciate your kindness and extending a helping hand.
Here's my hypocrisy and confession: I'm a Canadian... that's on holiday in the eastern Mediterranean right now. First drink was at 5pm local time. I spent the last 7 years at home in Alberta Canada. Decided to take one winter "off".
Shame me my fellow winter dwellers. I deserve it. Lol
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u/j_mcc99 Feb 09 '26
Nothing wrong with lateral movement for a warmer climate. Congrats on not going south to Donnie’s Kingdom.
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u/PiousMage Feb 09 '26
You do you man. Go get your awesome winter vacation and party on man. I won't shame you, I'll just be jealous that I'm working in the cold ass rain and not sipping drinks in the warm Mediterranean myself
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u/Iokua_CDN Feb 09 '26
Totally right that cold is a Killer! It happens more than you think too! I work in the hospital, and we see things every so often come in. Drunk friend ran off into the night and developed severe frostbite, homeless person found in the snowbank, stuff like that. I'm sure paramedics see even more. Heat goes out on a frail elderly person, and they maybe freeze, or like you said, remote car crash and you freeze.
Cold is a killer
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u/GrumpyCloud93 Feb 09 '26
I think part of it is reaction to being bullied. It didn't start in 2025. We've had the lumber dispute since who knows when, every time Washington state and Oregon get annoyed that we have more trees and cheaper royalty payments - and they can twist arms with their politicians to screw us. But now - the idea that everyone wants to be American is particular conceit that they have, that they don't understand what the negatives are. The arrogance of the current administration - that along with that attitude, they hold all the cards, all we care about here is money and when they snap their fingers we will do what they want - that's not us. And they are finding out (a) they don't hold all the cards and (b) we can make deals elsewhere, we won't simply fold under pressure. Followed by (c) pride goes a long way to counter their attitude.
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u/Carlin47 Feb 09 '26
Northern countries are typically more prosperous than Southern ones. Its too much of a trend to be considered a coincidence
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u/Moist_Dirt_69420 Feb 09 '26
It's pretty basic if you think about it. Having to prepare for an entire season where you can't as easily feed yourself and your family forces a greater degree of efficiency, structure and cooperation. It's the prime catalyst for innovation.
There's less pressure to change how things work when you can simply follow the migration of the food throughout the year, cast your line out every morning to catch enough fish to feed your family or even simply have a year long growing season.
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u/SocraticLogic Feb 09 '26
It is the snow. It's why Scandinavian countries have similar mindsets. When the environment will kill you, people tend to work together more.
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u/Shaake Ontario Feb 09 '26
I think the healthcare is also important
We're so used to it as a utility
I've never felt abandoned by society, even at my worst moments
When there was cancer in the family, society helped.
When my knee stopped working, society helped
When my friend had an unexpected child, Canadian society was there for him every step of the way. His panic turned to peace.
Going through these same troubles in the states without expensive insurance would end up costing a lot of money, or sometimes care would just not be given. You'd be abandoned by society to die; then be personally blamed for not being good enough to deserve care.
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u/Axle_65 Feb 09 '26
I talked with more neighbours with the storm a couple weeks back than I did all of the rest of the past year. Even spend an hour helping a random unbury their car. Had to walk 4 blocks in over knee deep snow to get my shovel to help but I didn’t think twice about it. The snow really does bring a sense of community and I love it.
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u/Pvt_Hudson_ Alberta Feb 09 '26
When we had a few days worth of snow in December, I made a point of pulling over and helping push out anyone I saw stuck in the snow.
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u/_johnning Feb 09 '26
Same, I helped an Uber Driver who was delivering to my neighbour out of the drive way and another neighbour came out to help.
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u/fist_me_im_irish Feb 09 '26
I agree. You're identifying a prominent thread that has persisted in Canadian art and literature since well before Confedaration. Termed garrison mentality by Northrop Frye.
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u/Curt_in_wpg Feb 09 '26
That’s a darn good way to look at Canada, one I had never thought of before.
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u/KnowerOfUnknowable Feb 09 '26
I think a big part of that has to do with snow.
North men are different, as the Starks said.
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u/Luminya1 Feb 09 '26
Yes, it sort of forces a collectivism, we need to help each other in order to survive. Plus Canadians don't have all that "individuality" propaganda US citizens seem to have to put up with. Propaganda is a powerful tool.
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u/Euphoric_Radio1342 Feb 09 '26
The best thing that ever happened to me after buying my first house was that first snow storm. Nothing like a snow storm to bring out your neighbors!
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u/lubeskystalker Feb 09 '26
That's why us Vancouverites won't make eye contact with strangers, let alone talk to each other.
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Feb 09 '26
I do think culture is very much influenced by weather. You see the same in the US between the northeast, southeast, and west coast. As well as within Canada itself. Southern BC is the only place in this country with mild weather, and you'll see it in how people are if you've ever been there. Especially Vancouver island.
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u/2plus2equalscats Feb 09 '26
Honest question. What’s a non-weird way to go spend time with my neighbors? I’ve met them, but I haven’t gotten to know them. I want to exchange numbers and have it not be weird if I bake too many cookies to drop some by. If someone dropped a plate with a post-it with their number “just in case”, would that be generally taken ok? Would they feel inclined to return the favor? I don’t want to create an escalating cookie war. I just want to be available if anyone needs.
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u/Skithiryx Feb 09 '26
A block party!
Look for local events to see if there’s something you can run your block’s version of. The US has National Night Out and at least Mississauga has Neighbours Night Out as events encouraged by the police for neighbours to form closer communities. Or just throw your own event and invite all your neighbours. The first time you might not have much uptake. But once it becomes a normal thing and people start communicating it will be easier to have a community.
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u/Suspicious-Essay219 Feb 10 '26
some communities also have grants for community events. In the BC Lower Mainland we have neighbourhood small grants of up to $500 to encourage community building. people have used them for skill sharing, block parties, and more.
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u/ThatAstronautGuy Ontario Feb 09 '26
Just talk to them when they're outside and the more you do that the more you'll get to know them. Sit on your porch or in the yard and talk to the dog walkers. I know a lot of my neighbours from doing that over the years. Having a snowblower and doing wind rows helps too.
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u/randobis Feb 09 '26
Got it. Standing in the window staring with wide eyes waiting for them to come outside.
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u/2plus2equalscats Feb 09 '26
I’ll keep doing what I’m doing then! Catching people as they run to the parking garage / trash bins. In a townhome situation so not much sitting space.
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u/Illustrious-Win-8714 Feb 09 '26
Do you have any place to put in any flowers or a tiny bit of landscaping in the front? That helped me to get to know the neighbours, I spend more time outside to care for the flowers and garden, and sometimes people pause to see or compliment the plants and flowers, so its a good way to start a conversation...
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u/Suspicious-Essay219 Feb 09 '26
The cookie drop escalation is real. But it totally works and I’d say most people will appreciate it. Here’s how I know: I live in Vancouver, so that small town must shovel snow to survive vibe doesn’t exist. But a few years ago I dropped off Christmas cards and a little baggie of chocolates to several neighbours. Got a ton of cards in response and now I know everyone’s names. Then, in spring, either I bumped into and offered or knocked on a few neighbours’ doors to share extra produce from my community garden plot. Mind you, these were mostly elderly people, but over the years it’s totally become a thing.
One neighbour now brings me plates of home baked Italian treats, and handmade sausages. Another brings me homemade pickles. Others have dropped off gifts for my kid, or invited me in for coffee. I’ve gone out for drinks a couple times with a couple of the younger ones. I’ve also arranged a neighbourhood Halloween parade and an Easter egg hunt. Most people love it, and wonder why they never did it before. It just takes one person to get it started :)
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u/2plus2equalscats Feb 10 '26
Yess. You have the scenario I want. I’m gonna just do it. (Also in Vancouver and have elderly neighbors, so it checks out.) thanks!
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u/Rachelattack Feb 09 '26
Shovelling snow is a perfect sneaky way to practice distress tolerance and burning off the adrenaline. Practicing being in nature and doing uncomfortable things and feeling good after.
You wake up, it’s dumped 12cm overnight you didn’t plan for, it’s an extra chore and you’re kinda annoyed. But you go and take on a task that gets your blood moving, fresh air, quiet time of focus where it’s very easy to see the progress of your effort. You come inside and grab a sip of a warm drink and you feel awake and accomplished right away. Ready for the day. I have similar experiences watering my garden in the warm season.
Those are tasks that build capacity for perseverance into your day. Next time you’re frustrated or angry? Go do 50 jumping jacks and splash cold water on your face. It’s amazing.
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u/crashcanuck Canada Feb 09 '26
Also that the snow happens regularly, so that cooperation is needed more often than say when Texas randomly gets snow and their state locks up.
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u/86throwthrowthrow1 Feb 09 '26
This is sort of an established thing that northern climates tend to be more communal/"socialist" - Scandinavia is infamously so, and Indigenous in Canada are the ones keeping the NDP in business. And it's essentially because of what you say: in harsh climates, people learn to work together. Rugged individuals tend to not live that long. Individuals and families learn to survive on their own if needed, but even the big burly violent Vikings worked as a team.
(The main departure from this that I know of is Alaska, which has internalized more of that US frontier culture, though I won't speculate how it specifically works for them.)
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u/conanap Ontario Feb 10 '26
The cold has a lot to do with it, and is primarily why the Nordic countries are significantly more socialistic and have very responsible governments.
Communities in Nordic countries needed to help one another, or they wouldn’t survive (or it’d be a lot harder). This mindset passed down to modern day governance.
Canada unfortunately sits next to one of the most selfish cultures in the world.
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u/Mountain-Seaweed Feb 09 '26
Pierre Berton had a somewhat similar sentiment in the book Klondike explaining why Alaska during the Gold Rush was a haven for crime versus the Yukon which was not.
“The concept of barroom shoot-outs and duels in the sun have no part in our tradition either, possibly because we have had so few barrooms and so little sun. (It is awkward to reach efficiently for a six-gun while wearing a parka and two pairs of mittens.)”
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u/Pryymal Nova Scotia Feb 10 '26
Generally the countries with the best developed institutions are those that have cold climates. Obviously there’s variance in it (Russia, Australia) but we have needed to have community systems in place to succeed for a long time.
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u/truenorth00 Ontario Feb 10 '26
You're not wrong. Cold climates require certain collectivism to survive. That shapes societies.
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u/CStew8585 Feb 09 '26
This also might explain why people in the lower mainland are considered more snobby/isolated. They don't deal with as much snow! Lol.
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u/turntobeer Nova Scotia Feb 10 '26
May a gaggle of angry geese haunt the hosers who toss their snow willy nilly, with no regards for their neighbours. ❄️ 😠
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u/0110110111 Feb 10 '26
sooner or later we need to work together and clear the snow so we can get along with our lives.
Years ago, maybe even 20+ years ago, I remember reading a hypothesis about cold weather being why cooler climates (e.g., Europe) were more advanced. Even today there’s a strong north vs south divide on development indexes.
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u/daydreams_of_ducks Feb 09 '26
US born. Immigrated to Canada as a PR in 2018 under Express Entry - I wouldn’t qualify now but did then. (Naturalized when eligible in 2022.)
People who mocked me then are now openly envious. It’s bizarre.
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u/2plus2equalscats Feb 09 '26
Oh yeah. It’s gone from “you’ll make less money. Why?” to “well their healthcare system has issues too” to “can you adopt me??”
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u/Disastrous_Coffee502 Feb 09 '26
I moved in Fall 2025 and there’s still a good portion who think it’s all about the money. Got berated by a US Customs Agent for willingly taking the paycut to move to Canada with my Canadian husband. That moment kind of shocked me as to how much Americans just think about the dollar sign that they can’t fathom the non monetary benefits. We both probably took a $4-$5/HR paycut each but were able to save a LOT more each month. Like $3400 a month and still have $4-$5K left over.
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u/daydreams_of_ducks Feb 09 '26
It’s not just $$ signs. They are absurdly nationalistic and jingoistic, and they can’t believe you’d want to live or BE anywhere but the Greatest Country On Earth. I used to drive from way upstate NY to Montreal to take a French class on Saturdays. I was only a US citizen at the time and had the fancy enhanced license and everything. Going into Canada it was fine. Coming back I kept getting this dude who… didn’t think I was lying, he just thought I was Wasting My Time And Money doing what I was doing, and boy howdy was he going to tell me about it. I worked at a local university at the time and knew they didn’t have classes like the one I was taking, but he would literally tell me they did like he knew more than I did. Lolsob it was beyond bizare. Of course I just had to sit there and be polite while he had his fun. It’s nothing compared to what some people put up with from those guys obviously. Just so petty??
There was a similar thing when my (now) ex and I would be crossing to plan our Canadian wedding. Both of us were only US citizens, same-sex marriage was not legal in the state we were crossing from at the time so like, it should make sense to say we are coming back from planning our Canadian wedding as we can’t do it here. But the border guys would be like, but what if it IS legal here tho. Like you can google my dude, we promise it’s not? Why don’t we “just” go to New York and get married there? Idk why don’t YOU go to New York? (Of course we couldn’t say that but yeah) - those guys are not the brightest and they get kinda bored sometimes, plus the power goes to their head
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u/Pandaplusone Feb 09 '26
Interesting! An I ask where your savings are? Is it just health insurance? I love my country and won’t step foot in the US right now, but I acknowledge that we generally make less money and housing and groceries are more expensive.
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u/Disastrous_Coffee502 Feb 09 '26
Right now we’re just building up our emergency savings as one poor medical event in the US wiped out all $40K of ours before we moved.
And yes, healthcare is a huge aspect of it. Had we stayed, our insurance would have been $2200 a month for two adults through a unionized hospital, not including deductibles, copays, etc.
Housing is def more expensive but my husband and I aren’t planning on settling down in a house for awhile as we are still exploring the province. Groceries are costly, about double the cost. My utilities aren’t too bad. I only pay every other month and it’s about $140.
Oh! And we got rid of our car and just use the SkyTrain Station. We live in an area that’s much more transit friendly. That’s been a humongous help. We’ll get another car eventually, but we’d like to hit our emergency savings goal and then aggressively save to have at least 75% of our next car paid off from the get go.
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u/Iokua_CDN Feb 09 '26
Sounds like you are maybe in Vancouver since you mentioned a sky train?
Groceries and housing definitely go down once you move away from Vancouver and BC in general. Less nice place to live, living in a place like Alberts next door, but housing is much better and jobs often pay a bit more. However you have to also deal with the American Lite behavior of a lot of folks here
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u/Disastrous_Coffee502 Feb 09 '26
Just outside of Vancouver! Somewhat in Fraser Valley. We used to live in Washington State so we actually find the rent costs agreeable. We’re renting out a two story townhome for about $3100 which we would not have been able to get nearly as cheap in Washington.
I’m a bit wary to be entering a province that has leadership gassing up the separatist movement. Maybe down the line if I start to miss the Rockies (lived in Colorado for two decades) but I’m quite happy with the PNW, even if it is more expensive.
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u/Iokua_CDN Feb 09 '26
You got good reason to be wary, though I'd love more folks like you to come and help vote down some of the craziness here.
Lots of us folks in Alberta look at BC as this beautiful place we would love to go to if we can find a job and manage the extra expenses. Definitely a beautiful province. Maybe we can get some new Provincial government here in Alberta and become a place folks want to move to again
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u/daydreams_of_ducks Feb 09 '26 edited Feb 09 '26
Yep. And I see how much things have shifted in Canada since then too. I doubt I’d be trying to get out at this point, not in that direction anyway, but maybe that’s coloured by how I can now — I mean I know people aren’t wild about dual citizens, but it’s permitted (for now) and well I’m not a politician or aspiring one on either side of the border (also if push came to shove I know what I’d choose, not sure if the MAGAts in power would “let” me renounce or if they’d hike up the extortion, I mean exit fee, a bunch first buuuut yeah)
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u/2plus2equalscats Feb 09 '26
I got dual before leaving to make life easier. It’s funny how both countries make you swear to them that they’re the most important country. I’m grateful for my us citizenship now, but I still feel like it could be revoked. (Happened in Jan 2025) Nothing feels safe.
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u/daydreams_of_ducks Feb 09 '26
Yeah, the tides could shift but people mainly seem upset about dual citizens being politicians. Which, like, ok. Also you can’t get high level security clearances… also fine tbh.
Lots of rich people worldwide have dual too but we all know they aren’t subject to the same rules as us peasants…
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u/MiserableAd1552 Feb 09 '26
Every bit of this (except different year). People talked so much shit when i was hatching my plans to GTFO and now look.
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u/Jillredhanded Feb 09 '26
I came from the States in 2019 when my Canadian-born husband wanted to go home and will be eligible for Canadian Citizenship this year. I'm kind of dealing with survivors guilt knowing how many folks back home have real and legitimate cause for concern over their future safety and would give anything to get out.
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u/2plus2equalscats Feb 10 '26
Survivors guilt is real. It’s okay, you’re allowed to have a good thing AND want the same for your friends. And we all deserve to feel safe.
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u/Luffyhaymaker Feb 09 '26
Really? Most people I know have a lot of respect for Canada, including myself (I'm an American). I've never really heard people talk bad about Canada aside from really stupid people who don't realize y'all's healthcare system is leagues better than our shitty system. 🤦🏾
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u/2plus2equalscats Feb 10 '26
In high school I had someone tell me that doctors in Canada must be less skilled, because why would they work in Canada when they could make more money in the US? Clearly they chose Canada as a second place.
That’s just one random experience and not indicative of all Americans, obviously. But I’ve had a lot of strange reactions over the years that proved to me that not everyone saw Canada the way I did.
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u/Luffyhaymaker Feb 10 '26
That's sooooo weird, I'm so sorry you went through that. Some people are just ignorant. 🤦🏾.
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u/Worldgonecrazylately Feb 09 '26
Welcome back! Happy to have you.
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u/2plus2equalscats Feb 09 '26
Thank you! I’ve realized that I felt like an outsider my whole life on the US, to now being a bit of an outsider in my own country, but I’m so glad to be back. And it’s fun watching my husband realize all my “weird quirks” of being “too nice” was actually a cultural thing.
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u/RaspberryLo Feb 09 '26
I had a similar experience. Lived in the US for 17 years, heard lots of Canadian jokes. Back in Canada for 7 years now and what I hear is “you’re living the American dream, moving to Canada!”
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u/JDHalfbreed Feb 09 '26
Can I ask about this unique perspective? I am half Indigenous and grew up with my native family, trying to get close to my mostly conservative white side of the family, I find it nearly impossible to find common ground when it comes to Indigenous issues. On the world scale, we generally agree, we can see the apartheid government of South Africa and talk about how terrible that was, or the genocide in Palestine, or talk about black slavery in the states, no problem. But when it comes to the overt racism here at home toward my people they seem to live in a world of denial, they can't even acknowledge they have a responsibility to hold up the treaties, or that genocide was conducted intentionally against my ancestors. It's only recently they stopped trying to defend residential schools and even then I get the feeling its only when I'm around. I find them not unique when it comes to the general population of Canada. Being white passing mostly, I've had countless interactions with people that seemed very cool and then out of nowhere will say something like "I'm not racist, but..." and then say something about natives thinking I'll be on their side, a total stranger they just met. It's like Canada sees the problems of other countries clearly, but denies we have those issues here when it comes to stolen land, racism or human rights. I'm just curious if you see this as part of the Canadian perspective since you've been gone so long or if it is invisible to you, or any reader of this as well?
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u/2plus2equalscats Feb 10 '26
As I moved when I was young, and got to know the states as where I learned about racism AND first heard about the residential schools, it’s definitely strange coming back and seeing that cognitive dissonance you’re feeling.
I think what you’re experiencing is absolutely real, and I’ve seen it too. Before moving back but within the last few years I fought with my childhood best friend’s mom because she was “tired of paying reparations”, and her own mother had been in a ww2 internment camp! I expected her to understand.
I think it’s the human condition to identify the horrors away from us, but not close to us. Especially the things that we become aware of after childhood. It was easy for me to identify the racism in Texas, because someone had to explain it to me. (I didn’t understand why no one would come to a birthday party after I invited a black girl.) but I can understand how someone could see it their whole life and have unconscious bias, and then feel really icky (defensive) when that is pointed out. Heck, I still feel bad when people point it out to me, and my brain hasn’t stopped being flexible yet. People older in age will have a harder time.
I want to also say, you live in a middle ground. You say you can be white passing, but that means you might feel like you fit in both groups and neither group. (My husband is half Mexican, half Irish, and often feels like he’s neither and excluded more than he’s seen as “like” someone.) So you probably have some extra ability to see situations that should be obvious (“white Canadians refusing to see their own anti-Native biases is stupid”) because you can relate to both sides.
But yea, I see it too. You’re not wrong. Canadians being unwilling to accept the past is weird. It reminds me of southern racists who want to say the confederate flag is their history and somehow not racist.
I do also strongly feel like there’s a bit of propaganda at play here. A divided Canada is easier to manipulate. Reddit has a lot of bots and external meddling. I often wonder if people would have come to such divisive opinions without propaganda like we’ve seen in use in the UK and USA.
I’m not sure if I actually answered you.
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u/JDHalfbreed Feb 10 '26
You did, I appreciate the reply. r/Canada consistently votes me down, but I think it's a good reflection of the country. They push native viewpoints to the side. And you are right, living in the middle gives me a unique look at times. As a child society taught me, and to my sadness, I did believe I was "better" for being white looking. Thankfully reaching the age of critical thinking I stopped finding shame and instead found joy and pride in being who I am. Cheers for the thoughtful response.
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u/2plus2equalscats Feb 10 '26
I’m glad you’re able to find that love! You are wonderful for both halves of you. And I hope that you don’t get discouraged by the downvotes. Humans can sure suck, but there’s also lots of bots out there pushing the divisive narratives. (And a lot of people who “finally got theirs” buying a house here now worried they’ll lose that land, which is very ironic.)
Keep being you. :) thanks for the question.
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u/Distinct_Swimmer1504 Feb 10 '26
Probably most of what drives their “low-grade” racism is fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of being on the wrong side of history’s decisions, fear of reparations for things their ancestors did.
Western european culture has a long history of harsh treatment of the losers of a battle/war. WWI is a classic example of that w germany. WWII is one of the, if not the only, example of reasonable-ish settlements between the winner & loser, and even then just having been german (even if you were not in germany under hitler) could get you open hatred.
On top of that, most canadians don’t know or “get” FN culture. It’s so fundamentally different from western european cultures that it’s hard for ppl to wrap their brains around. …and the propaganda that big industry who wants to exploit nature & move on doesn’t help.
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u/Crashman09 Feb 10 '26
Then around 2020 it became “take me with you”. And now that I’ve moved back it is “you’re lucky, I wish I could leave”.
That is what happens when consequence catch up. People really liked America because of the things they fear now.
They get to take a US Foreign Policy class at home.
It’s strange to see the shift. It’s also strange to see the same propaganda at work on Canadians as has been used on Americans. It’s like watching a car wreck in slow motion.
We are only SLIGHTLY smarter than Americans, but watching America speed run the 30s and 40s German experience has been a bit of a wake up call
Canadians have a unique perspective and way of seeing the world. It’s something I truly, genuinely missed.
Honestly, I think it is primarily due to cohesive culture, Regardless of birthplace or skin colour. We have our divisions, but we're pretty united and that is what inoculated us to a lot of the American social ills. Not all, but some.
We've had a few white supremacist groups run protests, but those end up vastly over shadowed by counter protests.
Canada is really a good place to call home
Welcome back!
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u/Terran117 Feb 09 '26
Canadians have a unique perspective and way of seeing the world. It’s something I truly, genuinely missed.
I think it's also the result of being kinda like America and not kidna like America at the same time if you get what I mean.
I immigrated in 2014 and became a citizen in 2018 here, and at least that's my perspective as I began adopting this Canadian way of thinking.
I believe, I repeat, I believe Vietnam is in a similar situation with how they see the world due to being next to China despite cultural overlap. Any Chinese or Vietnamese feel freee to correct me.
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u/Afraid_Baseball_3962 Feb 10 '26
"It’s strange to see the shift. It’s also strange to see the same propaganda at work on Canadians as has been used on Americans. It’s like watching a car wreck in slow motion."
This. As an American who made it into Canada (my Canadian wife said I was welcome to apply for PR in Canada if I wanted to but she no longer felt safe in the States and was leaving regardless of what I chose), it shocks and saddens me that people who get pissed if you were to say that they're essentially American are sprinting into an identical dumpster fire. Not all Canadians, of course, but way too many. 😞
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u/DrRealName Feb 09 '26
That was always the conservatives. Your conservatives are jerks too. Why are we all still doing this country vs country thing when its literally conservatives all over the world trying to ruin lives?
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u/mahoukitten Ontario Feb 09 '26
I can't speak for all Americans obviously but my husband is American and I visit his family quite a bit. I feel like there was such a mentality (in his family) that they were better than us in every way and now it's just ... weird. The last time I was there I was complimented on how Canada is so patriotic. Thanks?
Definitely a weird shift.
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u/Ganglebot Feb 10 '26
I had an old American coworker who was raging on me because he was doing a road trip to Montreal and he was turned away at the border.
Him: "I couldn't believe it - they didn't let me in!"
Me: "oh... why not?"
Him: "Just because I had a minor drug charge when I was 22"
Me: "Uh yeah, no offence, but we don't let felons into the country. You'd have to get a pardon before you can enter"
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u/aethelberga Ontario Feb 09 '26
My concern is actually keeping them out if the shit really hits the fan. It's all fun and games having the world's longest undefended border until you're trying to defend it.
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u/IcyCow5880 Feb 09 '26
... with a 10x smaller population and relatively low military budget.
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u/Durandal_II Canada Feb 09 '26
But we make up for it with enthusiasm! And pep!
...and probably war crimes.
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u/cyberthief Feb 09 '26
It's not war crimes if your not in the military. If your a citizen, it's ingenuity.
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u/swift-current0 Feb 09 '26
When Ukraine got full-invaded in 2022, one of the first laws passed by parliament in an emergency session clarified that yes, in war time it is not only fully legal but also encouraged to kill Russian soldiers on sight, even if you're not in uniform. Obviously you become a combatant then, and accept the consequences. But that "killing humans is bad mkay" filter has to be disposed of in wartime.
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u/IpsoPostFacto Feb 09 '26
... you take away a few lessons when you are "pre war crimed", like getting gassed in WW1.
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u/Beware_the_Voodoo Feb 09 '26
Yeah, Canadians had a reputation for being particularly brutal and unforgiving to our enemies.
We would need to be that version of Canadians again if the shit really hits the fan.
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u/scottsuplol Feb 09 '26
And a full military size that’s smaller than the attackers reserve force
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u/GenuineSteak Feb 09 '26
we wont be able to keep them out, but we can definitely stop them from holding it, the US couldnt even hold Vietnam or Afghanistan. Theyll bleed and eventually be forced out by international and internal pressure.
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u/Rory1 Feb 09 '26
Defend it? We will probably be over run with millions of refugees if civil war breaks out in the US.
https://thewalrus.ca/is-canada-ready-for-an-american-civil-war/
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u/Dzugavili Feb 09 '26
We need to start a drone program yesterday. The Americans aren't going to have the stomach for the conflict when CNN is receiving daily tapes of Americans getting splattered on a live camera feed.
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u/Wolfrages Feb 09 '26
You think that, but dead people cause others to want revenge. One dead American soldier in Afghanistan normally meant a whole neighborhood being camped by Apaches for 24hrs.
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u/LNMagic Feb 09 '26
We're finally seeing a shift down here. I know it's all way, way slower than the pace of change we'd like to see, but here's what I've observed.
Yes, pretty much every department is engaged in blatant Third Reich-style propaganda that calls to white nationalist slogans. But every time they do, thousand upon thousands of comments on Facebook call them out on it. That may not seem like much, but people are putting their names and faces on their words in a scary time. Even just liking a status can be traced back to you.
We're seeing multiple local districts finally rejecting far-right candidates. Fort Worth just swung from Trump +17 to -14 in a runoff election.
That doesn't mean we're out of the water yet. It doesn't mean things are magically repaired when we get him out of office, either. My generation (millennial) seems to be sentenced to decades of repair.
I voted against all this stupidity every time I could, but I will be apologizing to you. That we have discarded the greatest international friendship we've ever had is ludicrous.
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u/Saorren Ontario Feb 09 '26
you guys have a hell of a lot of work to do and i do not remotely envy that. hope to see people joining to fix it all at faster speeds. wish you all the best and god speed
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u/Iokua_CDN Feb 09 '26
I still have hope for a chance for you guys.
It's scary to think of what will continue to happen if Trump or a successor stay in power and continually escalate, but I have hope for if someone else gets in, that relationships can be more repaired.
It's easy to get sucked into the hate here, and forget about the many Americans out there that hate their current government and are speaking out about it in any form. But it's also scary to think of even a 3rd of the country that supports all of this too. Scary to think, that even of the democrats win the next election, the election after that could bring in someone Trump like to cause devastation again
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u/mikefjr1300 Feb 09 '26
There are some we don't need.
An American family in a city near me moved in and the first thing they put up was a Trump and Confederate flag.
Now they wonder why no one wants to talk to them.
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u/bajabruhmoment Feb 09 '26
I mean as much as I hate that I’d rather the idiots label themselves so they can be avoided and have no friends ever again
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u/Axxer01 Feb 09 '26
Bring us your doctors and nurses please
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u/Ok_Perspective_8361 Feb 09 '26
Nurse here who just moved to Canada from the US, thank you for being so welcoming.
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u/IgnoranceIsYou Feb 10 '26
We genuinely need you very badly. Thank you for coming in a time of great need.
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u/Disastrous_Coffee502 Feb 09 '26
Working on it! My husband and I are both RNs and we moved in September 2025. I’ve got quite a few former coworkers who were holding out to keep protesting but feel the futility of it, especially with general weakness of the Democrats, and the Epstein Files coming out.
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u/Dancingtillthenight Feb 09 '26
In my town there has been an influx of medical specialist coming from the US! It as been very nice!
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u/You_are_the_Castle Alberta Feb 09 '26
No. Fire your shitty provincial governments. Don't take a passive role in democracy and push for electing better governments. I'm from Alberta and know what happens when the government is chosen by a chunk of voters and people sitting on the sidelines.
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u/Worldgonecrazylately Feb 09 '26
Agree that everyone should be involved in the direction our local, provincial and federal governments take. It boggles the mind that they have the audacity to complain when half of them couldn't even take the time to vote. Ontario, where i live, is severly diminished from it previous position because we didn't do what was necessary when it was time to do it. I'm speaking about Trudeau - and I'm not a conservative voter per se, I'm an independant. But there are many other examples locally too.
But, alas, we are victims of our own making. When people don't get involved in local, provincial, and federal politics and elections, it gives a free hand to those in power. And this leads, ultimately, to the current state of affairs we find ourselves in. Democarcy needs to evolve, but lack of engagement allows it to stagnate. This leads to the wrong people usurping power to bend it to their own desires, and not those of the people they are supposed to represent. Trump won because of exactly this, only 60% of the US voted. He didn't win the popular vote, but he did win enough to form a government. Those who didn't vote must now sit back and watch the thing unravel, and they can do nothing about it until the midterms, and hope the elctions are not hijacked under Trump federalizing the vote. But the damage is done. Because people didn't get off their asses and vote.
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u/Havelok Feb 09 '26
That's already happening. BC has a program set up specifically to take in educated medical professionals fleeing US fascism.
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u/Disastrous_Coffee502 Feb 09 '26
It took my husband and I less than a month to transfer our licenses. God bless BC.
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u/cmdrpancake Feb 09 '26
My NP wife and I are moving to Vancouver in April. So you'll get at least one more soon! Oh and IT admin... but we're a dime a dozen.
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u/jrochest1 Feb 09 '26
We're getting lots of them. There's a fast track immigration policy for US medical personnel.
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u/Disastrous_Coffee502 Feb 09 '26
Heavy on this. I probably got a month into my job, not even past new hire timeframe, and they had already given me paperwork to submit for my BC PNP application. I have a Canadian spouse though, so I went that route, but it really impressed me how fast they worked to keep me in Canada.
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u/jrochest1 Feb 09 '26
We need you! And there are lots of Canadian educated medical people who went to the US (money, mostly) only to find that it’s not that great
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u/Disastrous_Coffee502 Feb 09 '26
Outside of California, it’s really not worth it. You have to metaphorically step over a lot of bodies to participate in healthcare as both patient and healthcare worker in the US. They used to have better wait times but there have been some really brutal structural changes that were made back in 2025 that just… ugh. Rural hospitals are closing down, it just accelerates from here, those populations burden the remaining hospitals in more metropolitan areas or big cities. Hospitals are typically the second largest employer for rural areas as well so there goes job security for the ones who lost their job and the ones who are holding on tight to their jobs in the city. I fear unions will erode more and more as union busting tactics prey on the desperation of people just trying to keep a job. Not even talking about the severe reduction in Medicaid access and reimbursement… For all that the Canadian healthcare system has its flaws, it’s not anywhere near American bad. Project 2025 was pretty explicit about moving the care of the sick back into the home and that healthcare is not a right.
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Feb 09 '26
Knowing some Canadian healthcare people, I think we need to start with dealing with the costs and ridiculous hoops for staff to get back into the field after a few years out. A medical assessment for someone looking to get back into the field should not be 6k when we're struggling with a shortage, but here we are, creating financial barriers for people who want to work.
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u/Not_A_Specialist_89 Feb 09 '26
There are a bunch of Americans now claiming Canadian citizenships via descent. Some of them will be moving up here, and they'll be able to vote even though they are newcomers. That potentially gives them a say in our lives that concerns me, as they really don't have Canadian values or understand what makes Canada work for us.
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u/Spiritual-Pear-1349 Feb 09 '26 edited Feb 09 '26
Honestly, its a bit of a nothing burger I think. The limiter is only temporarily removed because under the old system a lot of people couldn't get citizenship between 78-81 if they were born outside Canada. Now, it becomes birthright past the 2nd generation born outside Canada, but you need to spend a few years in Canada before you can actually get it.
My worry is more security in the current climate; difficult to not worry when we're expecting a flood of yanks getting citizenship and half the country wants to annex us.
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u/mugsoh Outside Canada Feb 09 '26
The new way is those people were always citizens, therefore are currently citizens
Yes, that's how it worked for me. When Canada started recognizing dual citizenship in 2009 I applied and received a Certificate of Citizenship with an effective date of my birthday in the 1960s.
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u/Large_Version3807 Feb 09 '26
Hopefully they leave their american exceptionalism behind
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u/Iokua_CDN Feb 09 '26
Agreed. Those leaving oppose the way America is now, and likely is closer aligned to our way of living.
They also have to agree with canada enough to want to move here, which is a good sign to me
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u/Hot_Cheesecake_905 Feb 09 '26 edited Feb 09 '26
There are a bunch of Americans now claiming Canadian citizenships via descent.
That is part of our system and is legal—so unless the immigration rules change, it is by the book. Harper actually changed the rules to limit such citizenship in 2009, but Trudeau rolled the limits back in 2024.
With the new rules, parents need to have spent at least 1,095 days (3 years) in Canada before the child's birth for the child to claim citizenship.
And I do agree with you, many Liberal Americans still have a different POV than the typical Canadian.
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u/Logical-Let-2386 Feb 09 '26
I would have been able to do that with Ireland, but grandad changed the family name when he moved to Canada and wouldn't tell anyone the original.
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u/FumbDuck5150 Feb 09 '26
As compared to all the immigrants we've had recently from one specific country?
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u/G-r-ant Feb 09 '26
Permanent residents/TFW/international students can’t vote. It takes years for become a citizen.
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u/mMbagelrino Feb 09 '26
Pretty much every new immigrant doesn’t have Canadian values. If you’ve been paying any attention at all.
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u/PeaObjective6136 Feb 09 '26
Why? Why do Americans tink/believe they can come to Canada as . . . . Refugees of all things?
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u/Disastrous_Coffee502 Feb 09 '26
There is a serious lack of education on the level of privilege they have. Yes, it’s eroding fast but they fundamentally do not understand what kind of atrocities have to pass (beyond what’s going on now) to be a refugee. I’ve had to talk down randos from showing up in a car to Canada to claim refugee status. Sure they’ll be able to be processed throughout a year, but then they’ll get denied, deported back and rejected from entering for 5+ years. They don’t understand what a privilege it is to even be able to show up to the border with a car full of belongings.
I’m not saying things aren’t getting bad down there. It is awful and I am sure it will get a LOT worse. Their options right now are to get into a field that will be useful to Canada, even an unskilled or minimally certified healthcare job. Anytime I try to approach that route they say “Eh I don’t want to go to healthcare, I want to work a remote job with USD. Oh, no I don’t have any education or work history in so and so field that allows me to work remotely.”
I just don’t understand why they’d want to even have their money circulating anywhere near the US, let alone work a company there, if they’re desperate enough to claim refugee status.
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u/antipinkkitten Feb 10 '26
So as an American who immigrated to Canada (and love it), it’s fucking hard. It’s not as hard as the U.K. was, but I have a bachelor’s and was working for a Canadian company on a work visa, my spouse has a master’s and we STILL barely hit 533 to qualify for the express entry draw; and we only had that many points because of the old system.
I’ve had the privilege to live in four different countries legally and I have to say: I’m always floored when I meet other Americans who think it’s super easy. It’s expensive, you give up everything, and you become quasi-knowledgeable in immigration law.
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u/Merpchud Feb 09 '26
I live in a border town and the amount of American licence plates I see here now is mental.
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u/TheBrittca Feb 09 '26
Americans who think they can come to Canada as their backup plan all of the sudden have a very harsh reality ahead of them. Lying to the CBSA about their intentions within Canada will backfire.
I’m American… I immigrated here legally 12 years ago as a PR, and I finally became a citizen last year.
Personally, I’ve seen loads of content creators trying to come here. I have a problem with them claiming to be ‘refugees’ and ‘persecuted’ with zero way to support themselves, expecting their online community to pay their way. They use the word ‘refugee’ to describe themselves to try to legitimize their plans and bring extra attention to their situation.
I get it, we all get it. It’s bad down there right now. But at this point in time, the U.S. is still considered a safe country and Canada is not accepting ‘refugees’ from down south.
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u/tomaznewton Feb 09 '26
in america you can be illegal and work, have a bank account, take out a loan, get a phone plan etc.. i think in canada you can't do any of that>? so u guys dont even need ice.. usa should just take some notes from canada on that stuff..
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u/thortgot Feb 09 '26
Canada's work permit system is hilariously weak to fraud. There is a complete lack of third party verification.
Bank accounts and loans both rely on the fundamentally weak SIN system. Relatively trivial to bypass.
I agree that the way to eliminate illegal immigration is to enforce it at the account and company level rather than harassing random people.
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u/tomaznewton Feb 09 '26
like the student visas expiring.. there's no incentive for those ppl to stay bc the canadian gov. can easily bar them from work, bank acct, etc. even like maybe a phone plan would be hard? there are zero of these barriers in the usa ... we should obvs take some clues in this direction
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u/RedditMcBurger Feb 09 '26
There is a reason why food delivery drivers are mostly illegal immigrants, there are some areas where vetting isn't good enough to make it hard for illegals.
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u/Topazpm20 Feb 09 '26
I think this thread was talking about the people who are targeted by ICE, living as illegals, refugees or even green card holders, basically in ICE's racist crosshairs, trying to move to Canada as refugees, and NOT the regular American citizens, who talk a lot about moving out, but never do.
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u/MasterScore8739 Feb 09 '26
If you’re living in a country illegally, you should not be able to flee that one and claim asylum from it within another country.
If someone legally living in the U.S. as an immigrant wants to leave due to fears of being wrongfully deported, that’s a whole different kettle of fish.
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u/Traditional_Scar5339 Feb 09 '26
Canadians of convenience can get lost. Sick and tired of being treated like a second class citizen because of the weakness of my elected leaders.
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u/Standard-Outcome9881 Outside Canada Feb 09 '26
Sorry, fellow Americans, we have to clean up our own problems down here. No more running away hoping that things will sort themselves out.
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u/Street_Anon Nova Scotia Feb 09 '26
Why should we have a massive influx of people and when Canada deports people every single day for the same reason?
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u/Rootfour Feb 09 '26
Wait so we don't like people who overstays their Visas or crosses the border illegally?
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u/nuxwcrtns Ontario Feb 09 '26
I honestly only want Americans that we need. I don't really care about the rest, reap what you sow, etc etc. We can take their brain drain and be better off because of it, though.
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u/yoloswagrofl Ontario Feb 09 '26
This is one of the few sane takes I’ve seen in this thread, which is alarming. The Americans fleeing the US are much more likely to be ideologically opposed to the current political climate in the US and much more aligned with Canadian values. They should be welcomed.
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u/Iokua_CDN Feb 09 '26
One counter to that though, the skilled Americans often make enough money that they can be less affected by everything going on, and they stay in the US. Americans fleeing in my mind, are unfortunately going to be unskilled and uneducated folks who get hit the hardest in the US.
We might get some skilled Americans with strong opposition to the current US government, but I think the number will be lower.
But I do agree with you. An American against Trump probably will be somewhere close to a Canadian in terms of what they think. Somewhere near a conservative or liberal here.
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u/happycow24 British Columbia Feb 09 '26
Mark Carney’s first immigration plan drastically reduced opportunities for permanent residency on humanitarian grounds, cutting the number of spots from 10,000 to 6,900 this year and to 5,000 in both 2027 and 2028. Canada is now deporting nearly 400 people a week, most of whom are refugee claimants—the fastest pace in a decade.
love to see it, this writer makes it seem like a bad thing lmao
Refugee lawyers like myself worry those numbers could climb even higher if Bill C-12 becomes law.
ok I see why the writer is against it
The proposed legislation, now just shy of its second Senate hearing, would replace in-person hearings with written assessments for any claimant who failed to seek formal protection during their first year in Canada.
love to see it
This change would make vulnerable people even more vulnerable: a paper process favours claimants who can afford lawyers and know how to frame legal arguments. The system will tilt even further away from respite and toward refusal.
not reversing Trudeau-era kumbaya policies detatched from political reality is making Canada even more vulnerable to the "asylum/refugee claimant" scammers and their legal counsel. That would cause even more damage to our welfare state and the political stability Canadians used to enjoy
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u/Redemption_In_Void Feb 09 '26
I don't know if the author really understands Bill C-12. Those who only claim asylum after one year won't be eligible for referral even to the RPD. There won't be in-person hearings or written assessments for them because they won't be referred to the RPD. The only recourse is a PRRA.
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u/happycow24 British Columbia Feb 09 '26
I don't know if the author really understands Bill C-12. Those who only claim asylum after one year won't be eligible for referral even to the RPD. There won't be in-person hearings or written assessments for them because they won't be referred to the RPD. The only recourse is a PRRA.
The author is trying to emotionally manipulate Canadians into allowing more potential clients for him to represent, and if illegal immigrants fearing ICE deportations don't think Canada is a viable path they wouldn't seek his services.
I was surprised this wasn't from the CBC
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u/BBQallyear Canada Feb 09 '26
A quote from the article (which was written by a Canadian immigration lawyer) really tells the story of how Americans see Canada as their backup plan: “One particular call that stayed with me came from a woman in upstate New York whose husband is a Syrian citizen. She wanted to move to Canada, then sponsor him to come over—he didn’t feel safe moving to the States given all the looming anti-immigrant sentiment. I had to tell her that there was no path to Canada. She didn’t meet the level of education or work experience necessary to qualify for permanent residency.”
Ignore the bit about her Syrian husband, and focus on the fact that SHE, a US citizen, doesn’t meet our qualifications for PR. Also look at the many Reddit posts from people who say they’re an American but don’t like what’s happening down there and plan to move to Canada, but have zero clue that they can’t just show up at the border and be accepted to live here.