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GO NORTH, YOUNG PERSON
A YANK WHO CAME TO CANADA PONDERS RELOCATION
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by
View
November 25 - December 1, 2004 |
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This election there were no questions.
There were no hanging chads holding up ballot counts,
no disenfranchised voters swept under the covers of
race and class. There was no Supreme Court
intervention and, though Ohio’s count got in late, there
certainly was no disputing the numbers.
And still, George W. Bush managed to capture over half
the popular vote. While this leaves the 49 per cent of
America who voted otherwise comfortable knowing that,
this time around, the election was not hijacked, it still
leaves many squeamish when it comes to their
Commander–in–Chief.
For many Americans who were sincerely hoping for
change, the sting of disappointment is too much to wait
another four years to remedy. Fed up with embarrassing
foreign policy, a crumbling economy, disintegrating
personal freedoms and a victorious war that somehow
keeps racking up casualties (according to the U.S.
Department of Defence, 1,194 Americans have died in
Iraq as of mid–November), many U.S. citizens feel they
are without a leader they can believe in or a government
they can trust.
What’s a good American to do? Move to Canada.
It’s no surprise that, following the election, Reuters
reported massive spikes on Immigration Canada’s
website due to U.S. inquiries. That it jumped to nearly
half of Canada’s 237,920 current American residents is
something to think about.
Of course, no one is expecting all 115,000 of those
web–savvy Americans to actually pull up the stakes and
head up north. In fact, after the initial shock, visits to the
Canadian Immigration Website fell off to around half that
number—many Americans, no doubt, finding the task of
relocating to another country to be more than they could
handle.
For those threatening to leave the United States, the
thought of managing existing assets in a Canadian
framework (houses, financial portfolios, automobiles)
and finagling new employment isn’t the foreign
experience most are seeking. Mention the concept of a
permanent bon voyage to an American and you’ll be
doused with idyllic scenarios of European cafés and
sandy beaches down south. Oh sure, Canada has
beaches. That they’re frozen over for half the year isn’t
exactly enticing to liberal Californians, though.
While staying is an option most feel uncomfortably
strapped down with, some Americans see this as their
wake–up call to participate in an oft–passed buck: the
U.S. democratic system. Groggy from the election night
haze, most of these idealists have no clear idea how to
change things beyond knowing it’s imperative
something be done. This vague sort of conviction will
only result in more ‘get out the vote’ rallies and little real
political progress unless Americans wake up and
disseminate a powerful counter–message—one based
on education and facts—in the interim.
For those who feel they’ve done all they could in the
States, there’s no choice but to carry on with the pursuit
of Canadian residency—a process riddled with long
wait–times, expensive government fees and stringent
qualification exams.
The spousal route is, by far, the easiest way to go—gays
and lesbians will be happy to know that their marriages
are recognized by the fine folks at Canadian
Immigration. Shorter wait times and lower minimum
requirements make
marriages of convenience seem almost, well, convenient
to politically troubled Americans. Nonetheless,
newlyweds should expect nothing but love to keep them
warm during the 6 to 12 months it takes Ottawa to
process the application.
Those going it on their own as a skilled worker will want
to take their time; the government does—up to three
years, according to Citizenship and Immigration
Canada. You’re also going to need $10,000 in the bank,
just in case something happens. And don’t even think
about claiming asylum, no matter how well–founded the
fears of persecution are.
The immigration process alone sounds daunting
enough to make four more years of Bush seem almost
tolerable. Is it really worth it?
As one of the 5,080 Americans living in Hamilton, I can
tell you it is. We in Canada often forget basic freedoms
that even a top–tier country like the U.S. lacks: socialized
health care, access to reproductive rights, same–sex
friendly legislation and leaders with relatively balanced
foreign policy. These are issues that, for 49 per cent of
Americans, are synonymous with individual freedoms
and democratic societies—issues, mind you, that are
being rolled back or put on hold by the Bush
Administration, possibly permanently.
Sure, Canada could probably do without an influx of
Yanks who think we’re all about hockey, moose and Tim
Hortons. But up here, we still have some rather decent
choices when it comes to managing our personal and
political landscape. And as one American succinctly put
it, “Freedom means nothing if the choices you are free to
choose from are all worthless.” V
[SARAH VEALE]
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