Boring? For people to care about other people? That's interesting. Caring just about yourself? Nothing could be duller.
80
I would suggest that one of the main reasons why Canada is the way it is, and why Canadians are the way they are... is because we have a Queen to set an example for us... a Queen who genuinely cares for the welfare and good of her loyal subjects.
God Save the Queen...
24
Hail Canada!!
45
But.... but... it’s COLD there!
14
Don’t believe in fairytales.
7
Canada's founding 1867 constitution -- the British North America Act -- gave the federal Parliament exclusive power to enact laws relating to "peace, order, and good government". This so-called P.O.G.G. power was the new nation's constitutional goal, much like "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" in the United States. The idea that the pursuit of "peace, order, and good government", and how this affects current Canadian government policies, makes Canada "boring" is a lazy journalistic stereotype. Say what you want about Canada, but it would be best to move past such a facile characterization of Canada -- and Canadians. If you truly believe Canada is boring, you should visit it more often and gain a deeper understanding of its culture, both political and social.
32
Why does *every* article like this need to say microavgressively how boring and irrelevant Canada is before offering up praise? Isn't the lack of violence and extremism just the flip side of "boring"? If you're going to praise, praise wholeheartedly.
72
Thank God for Nicholas Kristof !
11
I wonder what percentage of NY Times readers fantasize about moving to Canada? I doubt that I'm alone in this.
66
Canadians boring???!!!! are you kidding?
I have lived within 1-2 hours of Canada for most of my life. I have gone to college with Canadians, and have gone up to Canada for a week to two weeks at a time for some of my professional training for long periods.
There is nothing boring about Canadians!
They have great humor, they are producing the best fiction writers in N America, their population—at every level—avidly reads books, like USA did. Century ago—and they cherish the environment and other humans.
They welcome immigrants. And they are proud that one out of every five living Canadians is actually an immigrant.
They are passionate about theatre. They love and nurture their indigenous Native tribes cultures. And have you ridden their wonderful trains that have great comfort and great dining, plus great scenery? Run on time, too, economically unlike Amtrak.
They also are the most treacherous people on earth on ice hockey rinks.
And they usually live among great natural beauty. It to mention the Mounties are some of the most stylish police/search and rescue forces on earth.
Plus who is nicer than the Canadian population?
What on earth is boring about them???!!!
109
Canadian multiculturism is actually multiracism. Racism against Canadian own traditions, political and cultural alike, rooted in the Western civilization. Racism against the very immigrants – the province of Ontario where there are the most of them has highest fees for services and is champion in the rate of the pauperization and degradation of medical care among other provinces.
The cities of Canada are full of homeless, schizophrenics (who don’t get any medical care), junkies as well as people living from hand to mouth or simply being starved almost to death. So where is your humanity towards your own population?
The immigrants are welcomed in Canada in pursuance of the policy of artificial boosting for real estate demand (through shared renting, etc) -the latter making up 25% of the economy. Now Canada has a state ideology-it is Islam. See the M-103 motion on Islamophobia passed by Canadian parliament which forbids criticism of Islam. Today’s Canada is becoming toward USA what Gaza is toward Israel.
By bringing in particular classes of immigrants the Liberals are willing to increase the number of voters among the latter voting for Liberals because being in power permits milking the budget.
In the foundation of the Canadian policy towards refugees, other immigrants lies love for money – not nation building.
13
Here are some keywords to search in order to balance this article with some information about Canada’s treatment of its own original peoples:
-Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
-Wet’suwet’en
-Unist’ot’en
-Gidimt’en
-Ulluilsc/Voice for the Voiceless
-Epidemic suicide rates in Northern First Nations communities
-Teenage deaths in Thunder Bay
-Mi’kmaq & fracking
-Kinder Morgan pipeline
-First Nations children in foster care
-A lack of clean drinking water on reservations across the country
-the Indian Act
-Line 9
-treatment of First Nations by courts
-Police brutality against First Nations
-“Reconciliaton” under Justin Trudeau
Above are all recent or ongoing issues, and its a very incomplete list. Below are historical examples that provide further context:
-Gustafsen Lake
-Residential schools
-Oka crisis
-Robert Pickton
-Moonlight tours
-RCMP history
-Hudson’s Bay Company history
And so on, and so forth.
Please: take the time to learn about conditions for First Nations in Canada condemned by the United Nations as genocidal practices, caused by the Canadian government and maintained by the Justin Trudeau Liberals. It’s a desperately crucial story and we need to address the facade of a benevolent Canadian government.
38
Our Liberal leaders in Canada virtue signal while hiding behind the American shield.
9
Easy to be relaxed and welcoming when you haven't had four of your planes highjacked and flown into buildings.
12
Canada is clearly a more civilized country than the US, and the comment entries to these columns from Canadians are constructive and welcome.
15
They sure look as though they are fitting right in...
4
I read several of these replies/comments and totally disagree with all who are under the illusion that Canada is a safe country...ie: how about the 14 year old Asian girl in B.C. who was brutally raped and murdered by a Syrian refugee who was in this country ONLY 17 months...and the little girls who were swimming and were touched by refugees...are they safe? I think NOT. By letting these people into our country we are only putting OUR women and children in danger.
13
I am proud to be Canadian in many ways, but I am deeply uncomfortable with Canada being referred to as a "moral leader". Our government has continually failed to implement the United Nations Declaration of Rights on Indigenous peoples and is currently attempting to ram through resource extraction projects such as the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion that undermine reconciliation efforts. On a different, yet related point, Canada is totally off track to meet its commitments under the Paris accord. This strikes me as a blatant shirking of moral responsibility given the state of the global climate crisis. An unfortunate effect of the idiocy and immorality of the current American president is that it is easier than ever for the Canadian government to maintain a positive image despite these issues.
30
Canada is NOT boring. Those who say so, do not know the country. From its history and its culture, to its people, to its natural beauty, to its scientific achievements, Canada rocks!
28
I'm a Canadian living in California and I'll take Trump over snow any day. And I can't stand Trump.
7
How I wish that Canada would step up in protest of the humanitarian abuses the US is perpetrating at our southern border. While the US has, in the past, gone to other countries as watchdogs or actual enforcers of civil rights, it would be much appreciated to see Canada, the UN, and anyone else step in to tell the Trump administration that their atrocious treatment of asylum seekers—and their children—will not be tolerated. Someone needs to implement sanctions against the US for this horrific behavior. Could it (please?) be Canada?
7
What is the status of that mass migration that US progressives promised us if Trump won the election?
5
Good positive coverage for our Canada. Unfortunately, I've noticed a significant backlash against refugees, wealthy Chinese immigrants and wealthy students who, like in Australia, are seen as dramatically pushing up housing prices to unaffordable levels; annoyance at the growing number of often well-educatedIndians from India who move here and are noticeable because of the professional high visibility jobs they fill, and because they are dark skinned (Incidentally, for the racists out there,Indians are classed as Caucasians). And then there's our perceived increasing serious crime rate in Canadian large cities, much of which local residents blame on people of colour and the immigration boom. Certainly, Canadians seem nicer than America, but that difference appears to be quickly shrinking.
8
If I could pile-on to the refugee matter a bit:
Actually, we're up to 52,000 Syrian refugees as of a year ago this month, so it's probably higher by now:
https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2018/05/03/syrian-refugees-canada_a_23426295/
The one that I can't get over is that while America was going wall-to-wall with news coverage of the dreaded caravan of perhaps 4000 prospective refugees, and could 350 million people absorb one-eighty-thousandth their numbers...
...America had LOST some 26,000 refugees, who came across OUR southern border. There was no coverage of the presumed increase in public safety and reduction in public assistance created by this relief from your refugee burdens, some seven times larger than the number in the caravan.
These 26,000 were all arrested for coming across not at a border crossing...and given tickets, court-dates, and permission to work so they could keep food on the table, under a roof, at their own expense, while they awaiting processing of their claims. No Wal-Marts or kid-caging was required. There's been no crime of note, from them or the 52,000 Syrians.
That's like America dealing with 260,000 refugees coming across their southern border, while taking in 520,000 Syrians, over the course of three years.
Of course, we did that while handling our normal load of immigrants, mostly from the Phillipines, China, India, Iran, Pakistan, and Haiti (as well as USA and UK; yes, even you), some 250,000 per year.
29
I loved this story of a Syrian family of chocolate makers who settled in Canada and shared their gifts in their new country.
https://peacebychocolate.ca/pages/our-story
We have much to learn from Canada.
14
You've got to be kidding! This is the same Canada that destroys the environment through logging, mining, oil from tar sands, and mineral extraction, to name a few.
For example, Canadian companies are behind the proposed Pebble Mine, to be located in a pristine Alaskan wilderness harboring the largest and most environmentally-significant salmon fishery in North America.
Pebble would be the largest open pit mine in North America. Pit Size: 2 miles wide, as much as 2,000 feet deep. Sequestering mine waste would require two giant tailings ponds enclosed by four earthen dams, the largest measuring 4.3 miles long and 740 feet high (far bigger than Grand Coulee Dam
Here's a pertinent article about Canada's environmental record:
https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/wdb4j5/75-of-the-worlds-mining-companies-are-based-in-canada
8
I thought Freeland's greeting of the young Saudi woman at the airport was crass grandstanding. (There is a federal election this year) I also take umbrage with Mr. Kristof's contention that we do a better job of keeping the inequality gap under control. We don't. It is as big here as it is in the US. Attendance at food banks grows every month.
In addition, we have a mini-Trump running the province of Ontario, making sure the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
Sure, we do some things well and I am proud (mostly) of what the federal government has done on the international stage. But Justin needs to grow up and realize he's not going to charm everyone. Exhibit 1- China
9
If I were a country, I would prefer to be boring, good, polite, exhibit moral values leadership and maintain strong law based principles.
Living in that country is wonderful.
However, as this is winter, we do apologize for sending that vortex thing south of the border...not sure that even a “barrier”
could prevent that from happening.
12
I'm Canadian and have had relations with Americans for decades in business. My uncles, aunts and cousins are Americans. My best high schools friends have lived in US for decades. I even had
lunch with a US senator many years ago.i have businesses in US. So do I know the 2 countries well ? Not all is rosey in Canada and its Canadians that are responsible. My biggest beef with Canada is the size of our buraucracy relative to the US. (30% higher )
That is one of the major reason health care is inaccessible to many because wait times compared to US is unacceptable. This has resulted in much higher cancer death rate.
11
Can you cite a source for this claim? Everything I can find on cancer survival rates seems to indicate they are about the same in the US and Canada.
24
I like to think of Canada as a perfect example of “festina lente” (or make haste slowly) in action. Starting as an all-white British Commonwealth nation they seem to have followed their own moral compass to slowly but surely become a nation of many races and many opinions and an enviable civic decency that we in the U.S. under Trump can only sadly contemplate upon.
11
Proud to be an expat American living in BC. I've had to do some apologizing to Canadians who have taken to anti-depressants because of Tremulous Trump Syndrome. But "no worries" is a common comment here in response to most any request. May my birth country move north in spirit and tone.
25
Many if not most of the differences that are noted in this story may be related to population size. The United States has almost ten times as many people as Canada. In the latest report on Freedom in the World, Canada scored a 99 and the US scored 86. However, of the countries that had populations over 100 million, only Japan had a score that was higher than 86 and of those countries that had populations over 200 million, all but the United States had scores that were far below 86. On the other hand, all of the countries that scored 95 (Canada included) or above had populations that were much smaller than the population of the United States. Perhaps is is not really possible to combine a massive population with the kind of perfect freedom that is noted in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Canada. Of course, small population is far from a guarantee of freedom. After all, Syria and North Korea have small populations too. Nevertheless. a small population may still be the key to making freedom possible.
6
@David Friedlander, and Japan is much more homogeneous population than United States, as are the other smaller nations, including Sweden, Norway and Finland.
5
@GRH Canada, on the other hand is very multicultural, and strives to appreciate our remarkable diversity.
12
@David Friedlander too bad those same canadians aven't apologized to the original native canadians. Seems they always have gotten the short end of the stick.
2
Let us not forget in these trying times that America IS great, and that will not change under Trump, despite his best (worst?) efforts. In every domain of human achievement that makes modern life worth living, you will find Americans among the leaders: the arts (music, visual arts, literature); science (US still leads in Nobel Prizes) and sports (Americans are even found among the best in the bestest sport of all - you know what I am referring to) .
The one exception -- and it a big one -- is federal government. Many Americans and most American politicians would cite the national government as an example for the world, the truth is that there are major deficits of rationality and democracy that may never be overcome. But even in the field of government Americans have lots to be proud about. State and local governments have filled in where the federal government has failed. Consider the response of state and local government (at least on the coasts) to Trump withdrawing from Paris.
So, even with all the smoke and division, Americans as a people have a lot to thank one another for. (I never say I am proud to be a Canadian: rather, I am grateful to be a Canadian.)
13
Ohioans, unite and secede! Let’s join the sensible country to the north and take Lake Erie with us.
10
and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!! Love the idea :)
2
You'd certainly be welcomed!
1
I did a lot of work in Western/Northwestern Canada back in the 90's and early 00's. I got quickly chastened when I said that "Canadians are a lot like Yanks, only nicer." My colleagues didn't like being called "nicer". They much preferred being called more "laid back" than the typical Yank.
Long live Canada!!
11
I’ll just say that Syrians are some of the most entrepreneurial and industrial people I know. And their cooking is to die for.
Also, they are very well educated as Syria had a very strict and serious educational system. Canada is enriched by their new Syrian Canadians.
19
Canada has a merit-based/"points"-based immigration system that it strictly enforces. In fact, it is almost identical to the very system that GOP Senators Tom Cotton and David Perdue introduced in the "RAISE" Act in the late summer or early fall of 2017, with the full support of President Trump. Sadly, not a single Democrat crossed the aisle to support the RAISE Act to make the United States more like Canada. So the RAISE Act continues to languish on the Senate floor, without the support of Democrats. Even though African-American, Democratic Congresswoman and civil rights icon Barbara Jordan, as leader of President Clinton's Bipartisan Commission on Immigration Reform, recommended the same reforms now embraced by GOP Senators Cotton and Perdue.
Canada absolutely is a great leader in welcoming refugees and the United States should be more like Canada in this regard. Perhaps if there was bipartisan support for the United States to finally switch to the Canadian style immigration system, the United States would also increase its refugee support. The current legal immigration numbers of over 1 million per year already put the US at most generous legal immigration in the world. And as it is, the United States is host to an estimated 10 million to 28 million illegal aliens, which, if counted as refugees, makes the United States arguably the most welcoming nation in the world.
Hopefully, Dems will re-embrace Barbara Jordan's legacy & support making US more like Canada.
13
We usually have a more balanced approach to what we want to do for our citizens, not unlike the northern Europeans. Smaller military, tax the uber-rich, fund national medicare.
While the World has benefitted from the US 'umbrella', that umbrella is WAY too big. Allies are a force multiplier and help keep things in perspective (ie - Second Iraq War was ridiculously unnecessary); the US could EASILY fund national health care. All the rest of us have it; human capital is a priority.
And shutting down the Government, making pawns of tens of thousands of your own citizens for ANY reason, is just well....
...I think I might as well go back to my local community 'clean the beach' group. I am probably talking to a 'wall'...!
5
@Blair, millions of Americans were against the second Iraq War from the very beginning (even those giving the Bush-Cheney WMD lies the benefit of the doubt [because, of course, the nonexistent WMD, had they existed, had certainly never been used vs US citizens on US territory]). Sad that so many Democrats empowered the Bush-Cheney nonsense and waste of lives and tax dollars, instead of joining hands with courageous colleagues like Senator Ted Kennedy, Paul Wellstone, etc. in voting against Iraq. And sad that after Democrats were voted into power to take both the House and Senate in 2006, and presidency in 2008, they continued the Bush-Cheney neo-con, intervention first regime change absurdity the entire 8 years of Obama's presidency. Although his rhetoric was outstanding, in retrospect, Nobel Peace Prize was prematurely awarded to Obama. He continued Afghanistan his entire 8 years; in spite of troop variations, continued Iraq his entire 8 years; and doubled-down on the neo-con's strategy with the destruction of Libya and gun-running to CIA funded and trained "rebels" in Syria. Something never approved or authorized by Congress. For the millions of Americans against Bush-Cheney administration and against Iraq War, President Obama sadly betrayed us. Ended his presidency with shameful distinction of longest wartime president in US history. Dems also nominated the hawkish Hillary, who embraced endorsements from neocons like Max Boot. No wonder Trump elected.
3
I'm tired of Americans praising Canadians. Wake up Mr. Kristol. It's all PR and virtue signalling.
Here's my personal story. I arrived in Canada from Iran in 1988, having fled the war and theocracy, and sought asylum. I was harshly interrogated, cruelly separated from everyone I knew and abandoned into the street to fend for myself. I was told by them when I arrived that they didn't want people like me in Canada, that I only brought my problems to Canada and they weren't responsible for Iran's problems, and why hadn't I gone to the US.
I listened to them and as soon as I could I left Canada for the US. Americans have always told me that they wanted people like me. The message in Canada was we don't want you.
13
@Neil Mmmm - unfortunate. That WAS 30 years ago and many comments here by Canadians have noted the changes brought by the current Prime Minister Trudeau.
Reflections ?
2
I'm convinced the lack of support from all of Canada's allies, after the complete over reaction by the Saudis, set the stage for murder several months later. Even then, little more than crickets.
13
O Canada. Great place. How many of my fellow Americans will vote with their feet by moving there? Raise your hands by recommending this comment.
8
@Ed L., Canada has very strict immigration rules that it strictly enforces. Americans cannot just waltz in and become Canadian citizens overnight.
10
So far I haven't seen any comments that mention this, but Canada's welcoming and democratic attitude goes back into the 1800s, when it provided safe harbor to fugitive slaves fleeing the U.S.
21
There have been times and this is one of them that when travelling over seas and asked about my citizenship is Canadian. Being from the US just does not make me proud sometimes and can even get you in trouble in some places.
4
"Thank God for Canada!" ? Huh? Don't tell that to the native Canadians who to this day are fighting for their sacred rights. Nor should you forget that Canada refuses to close down the Tar Sands, and are forcing new pipelines down their throats, I suppose they need the oil revenue to pay for their free Canadian Health Care system. Money's gotta come from somwehere. Mr Kristof , you should have done your research before writing this article. Canadians love to show their ""compassion" to outsiders, but not to those at home and to mother Earth. It's more than a little bit of hypocrisy i think.
7
I must take issue with the fact that you describe Canada and its people as boring. I was down at Tim Horton’s with my Roll-Up-The-Rim club talking Maple Syrup recipes when one of the guys read your piece out loud. He simultaneously translated it into both of our Official Languages. Just then a Mountie walked in and we all jumped out of the line for coffee, each of us out-shouting the other offering to pay. He apologized and insisted on only accepting one free donut. By the way, I think that screaming red Mountie Serge Coat is only for weddings and funerals and for the Mounted Ride on Canada Day because this tall guy was in a brown uniform. Anyway just ‘cause we are cheerful, can skate like heck, like Syrians and other new comers, does not necessarily mean we are boring, eh.
26
As a Canadian I am proud of our PM showing moral and ethical leadership in matters involving refugees,women’s rights and cultural diversity. One wishes that the Canadian PM in the period of the Holocaust had shown equivalent moral courage. Jewish passengers on the St Louis would not have been turned away. To a certain death in Europe. And the infamous phrase “None is too many”would not have stained Canada’s reputation.
11
great article! It's about time we pay some attention to some positive information for a change. Most of what we hear lately is how horrific and malicious people and events are around the world....and there are many. How can we think that Canada is boring? A country with a heart that has opened its arms to those being oppressed could never be boring. Have we gotten to the point in history when money and power is what's important, not humanity? I thank you for your insight and hope others open their eyes.
6
Boring? Toronto and Montreal are great cities.
9
@Ron
and Vancouver and Quebec City! So many non-boring places to visit in Canada. Nick.... I suggest that you visit a few of them. You might be surprised by how exciting Canada can be! Please do not perpetuate an old, tired stereotype...
5
Of course Canada welcomes more refugees their population is only 1/10 of the US. They have vast space and need more people
6
I should mention that Australia took 12,000 Syrian refugees - the same number as the USA but with a population 1/13 of the USA.
10
Was there ever slavery in Canada? The south with its slavery has dragged our country down in the past. The ramifications are with us today.
2
@mary stewart- Yes, the way they treated native Canadians during the 19th and 20th Century, carried on until today with white authorities refusing to investigate crimes against natives, forcing their oil pipelines through their territory and refusing to acknowledge and ask forgiveness for all crimes committed against them to this day.
4
@mary stewart there was, but British parliament outlawed slavery throughout the entire empire in 1834, thus freeing all slaves in Canada. Slavery had also begun to be limited and restricted in parts of Canada beginning in the 1790s. The abolitionist movement also really gained traction in England in the first half of the 19th century, with the act of slave trading in the empire (except for territories controlled by the East India Company) becoming illegal in 1807. Check out The History of Mary Prince (it's short!) – a massively influential autobiography in Westminster's decision to abolish slavery.
11
Whereas the US approach to native people has never been anything but fair and even handed.
9
Every morning I get up and thank God that I live in Canada, La Belle province of Quebec, and Quebec City, one of the most beautiful cities in the world!!!! How lucky can you get!!!!
9
@Barry Lane- Quebec has been mistreating native Canadians for hunderds of years. I suggest you wake up .
2
And thank God I have Canadian citizenship, to balance the evil empire documents.
5
People from Canada I've met are very cordial. They seem happier, perhaps better adjusted, than many Americans. That may be the case because they take better care of each other, as explained in this column. Perhaps the reason is that they are a more homogeneous society, along the lines of Scandinavian countries (e.g., Iceland, where most people are related to one another).
There is so much diversity in America. We are an interesting experiment. We are constantly being tested to see if we can continue to make it work. Let's hope we can, because we are engaged in a noble endeavor.
5
We came to the Toronto area from New Jersey almost 25 years ago in a corporate transfer. When the company wanted us to return, we declined, having found so many things on this side of the border kinder, gentler and more humane. These days, I thank God daily that we are here. We pray for all our family, friends and fellow Democrats who are suffering.
15
Let's not forget that Canada is able to pay for its decent heath care system and generous acceptance of refugees etc because it spends next to nothing on it's overall defence (which is not to say that Canada has not been a loyal friend to the US and NATO in contributing troops and air power in Afghanistan and elsewhere within its limited means), And it can do that because it's next to the United States which protects both of them.
It's our choice to do that of course so I guess we're the mugs. We love our military far more than we care about our poor or sick, unlike Canadians. But let's not forget why and how they get to enjoy the luxury of being the moral conscience of the democratic world.
7
NJB......this notion that Canada's defence is to simply be under the US umbrella is easily trash by history.
Canada and Canadians entered both WW1 and 2, years ahead of Uncle Sam. 1914 and 1939. In both these wars Canadian sovereignty was not threatened, but important principles were. More than 100000 Canadians died defending those principles.
Ironically the territory now defined as Canada was invaded twice by the same country. This country of course was the US.
In this light your comment is a bit odd. I believe that your Navy is bigger than the next 3 or 4 because you want a big navy and not because you need to defend Canada.
19
Thanks Nicholas, I think I speak for most, if not all, Canadians by saying we appreciate your kind words. Just want to say how much my wife and I like traveling to your country and how well we are treated when visiting. Keep your stick on the ice . . . change is a coming!
9
I am a dual citizen of the US and Canada. I agree with most of this article but for the comment on Venezuela. We are not hearing the truth about this issue. It has huge racial overtones. Cana da was too quick to jump in. We should have consulted Mexico and other countries in SA first.
3
this talk of Canada reminds me of my new England industrial town in the 60s when there were far less people, extended families in the same tenement house, and a church on every corner. I think it's silly to think Canada will escape modern problems and not change.
4
Proud to count Canada as my second home after my daughter emigrated and is bringing up a Canadian/Australian family there. I visit often and happily swap Aussie summers for Canadian winters. Love the liberal vibe and safety for my grandchildren. Don't think I would feel the same about the US, sadly. Will not transit through America anymore, it is too threatening. Always fly straight through to Vancouver and its welcoming smiles.
17
Living in an expat community in Japan as I do I have many Canadian friends, all of whom have the same faults: calm, empathetic, and funny to a degree that can be infuriating to anger-filled Americans.
24
Too funny! Thanks
2
The difference is not about the people, but the culture, manifest in expectations of government. Americans, born in revolution, expect government to keep out of the way to permit individuals to achieve as they can. The purpose of government is to protect life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness of the citizenry.
Canada evolved and gradually achieved its independence in steps from 1840 to 1982 when UK Parliament relinquished control over amending Canada's constitution. Canada consists of those English colonies in North America which chose not to support the revolution. Its constitution was adopted in 1867, very shortly after the civil war. Its purpose was to create a country unlike the United States. The constitution provides that the object of the federal government is to enact laws for the "peace, order and good government" of the country. These are not individualist goals. Canadians expect and look to their government to address and improve the social conditions of the citizenry.
Bill Gates and Warren Buffet (and Donald Trump) are less likely to emerge from the Canadian culture. But then so too is Canada unlikely to tolerate lack of maternity leave, inability to afford medical care, and mass incarceration. We may not climb Everest, but neither will we fall from it.
Canadians are neither better nor worse than Americans. But they have adopted and developed a quite different culture which manifests itself in a different form of government. For better or worse.
32
I agree with you Nicholas about Canada, except for being part of the American intervention plot in Venezuela. I wanted to post about Canada, but I prefer Canada ti side with Mexico, Uruguay and other countries
2
Thank you Nicholas Kristof for describing my "Home and Native Land" is such glowing terms. If all US students were sent to Canada for a few months they would return with a very different mind set about how politics, indeed a society, is supposed to work. In her column earlier this week Michelle Goldberg cited the latest report on Freedom in the World and Canada scored a 99 to the US score of 86. Finland, Norway and Sweden were the only other countries to score above Canada. It is sad and disheartening that US citizens do not truly understand how great their country could be if only they opened their minds and hearts to the world at large. The US is not the bastion of freedom and democracy that US citizens believe it is. There are many countries with more freedom and safer elections. It makes me crazy to hear the simplistic jargon constantly repeated that the US is the most democratic and just society in the world. The "great society" described by President Johnson in 1964 is not found below the 49th parallel but above it in Canada - the "true North Strong and Free"!
21
Oh, Canada! I love Canada for countless reasons. Many members of my family live there. I earned a graduate degree at the University of Toronto--one of the world's great universities. Its people are polite, friendly, and generous. It is the home of many life-saving discoveries, for example insulin. It is a beautiful country that embodies human decency and lacks bigotry. Of course there are problems. But they are fewer than those, say, currently found in the U.S.A. And Canadian readers will laugh and shrug off the "deathly boring" comments.
15
@Alice
One question, and in all sincerity -- will you be immigrating to Canada soon? If not, why not? Thanks.
1
Canada is like Michigan. Only without culture.
This peace is very rosy - Canada is backwater of developed world and has long way to go to be even close to developed parts of US. You may check with Canadians where they would prefer to leave if they had choice.
Trudeau likely will be voted out from office this fall and Canada may finally have government which can work with President Trump.
3
@Samuel Republicans can't even work with Trump.
3
@Samuel I don't think Singh of the NDP has a chance but I could be wrong.
Canada of course can make its own decisions about immigration.
And the USA ought to make its own decisions, without being influenced by those touting what Canada supposedly is doing.
"Immigrants" coming illegally to the USA ought to be encouraged to go to Canada.
So-called "asylum seekers" supposedly seeking asylum in the USA by gaming the asylum regime ought to be encouraged to go to Canada.
They won't be missed here.
And then we will see just how many Canada is willing to accept.
And we will also see how many of those that Canada does accept actually stay there for the rest of their lives without trying to use Canada as a mere stepping stone to get into the USA later on.
And we can also observe how Canada deals with those that it rejects -- for example, will Canada let them fail to show up for hearings on deportation or drag out those proceedings with all kinds of legal bobs and weaves?
I trust Kristoff and the NYT will dig into all the details about what Canada actually does -- not just the headlines.
5
@sam finn Better hope your President reads this or someone reads it to him. He's been touting the merit based Canadian system for the US for quite awhile now.
3
@sam finn
"....or drag out those proceedings with all kinds of legal bobs and weaves?"
If we invested in more immigration judges instead of in a wall, it wouldn't be possible to drag out proceedings.
1
I'm sure I am repeating others, but our next wall will be on our Canadian border to keep US citizens from defecting to that northern, mostly reasonable country. After all with global warming may turn us into refugees seeking a cool breeze. Trump madness has made most of us long for some peace and quiet. Boring sounds great like long lost music to tired ears.
12
Let us not forget that it was William F. Buckley Sr and his Canadian roots and his billion dollar oil empire who led not only to America's delayed entry into World War two but to the decline of American democracy and corporate government ascendency into American governance and the decline of America's middle-class democracy.
3
Canada is a wonderful country, not only for the genuine kindness of the Canadian people, but also for its quiet leadership in the world. I met many volunteers from Canada while working for US Peace Corps in North Borneo (part of Malaysia) in the early 1930's. They taught me to love the songs of Leonard Cohen, among others.
A couple of years later I was teaching in a free English school in NY for Chinese and Hispanic adults. We had about 100 students and held classes from 8AM to 8PM six days a week. By the time August came around we were all exhausted and agreed to take a month off and start again in September. I headed for Canada in my old VW van. My goal was to swim in at least two lakes a day.
Two and weeks later I found myself on a scorching hot afternoon on the sands of Raspberry Lake Park in Saskatchewan. After a lovely swim I discovered that my van wouldn't start. I found a pay phone at the entrance to the park, got a friendly operator, and she told me to hang up and she'd call me back in ten minutes. She called in five, and told me that "Tom" was on his way. He arrived in ten minutes, and he got the van moving. I followed him back to his garage in the town of Raspberry Lake.
While his brother checked the van, he took me to the town eating place. We had dinner and chatted. He wouldn't accept a penny for the food or repairing the van. He said I was them "first New Yorker ever to visit his town".
I love Canadians! We could learn a lot from them.
17
Another awesome tidbit about Canada. They give their people free healthcare and prescription drugs cost a fraction of what we pay for them here in the U.S. They are a just a moral sensible nation and I wish we could emulate.
17
As an American who now lives in Canada, I'm still shocked by how much politics here just "makes sense." So much of Canadian politics (and pride) is watching the mistakes of American politics and trying to do the opposite. There is a strong consensus here on values of healthcare, education, and other public goods. The multiple political parties mostly agree that they want to repair social services and help the common good (albeit through different methods and to different extents) rather than completely tear them down, which has been the attitude of Republicans in America. Obviously, Canada is not a utopia, but I have been greatly enjoying the calmness of politics here and the consensus that government has a responsibility to its people and is not something to be afraid of. Although it is a country with a tenth of the population, it is not monolithic and contains many different cultures–from Newfoundlanders to the Métis out west to the Québecois to the Inuit in Nunavut. Perhaps this consensus is a product of being the most highly-educated in the country in the world or perhaps it is the inheritance of the British welfare state, but whatever it may be, it creates a peaceful and stable country with a higher quality of life than that of the US.
22
Perhaps there's another highly-significant factor about Canada - its Government and its programs.
Unlike America - the land of despising government and Washington, with everyone wanting to be a millionaire in the private sector - Canada is somewhat similar to Australia.
A national Government that helps its citizens and has programs that build the nation, because the Government spends citizens' tax dollars in that way. Where we do look after the dependent and less well-off.
In the case of Australia, that's an unfortunate difference with Canada - which looks after refugees and welcomes them.
Oh Canada - it's more than a national anthem. Canada does act on the second verse of Australia's anthem:
"For those who've across the seas
We've boundless plains to share,"
Thanks for some good news from North America.
11
My love affair with Canada started in the summer of 1968. My high school buddies and I left home in NY for a week driving around New England and then Montreal. By the time we arrived in Canada, we were pretty much broke. Hungry and tired, we stood in front of a cafe, forlornly looking at the menu in the window, realizing we simply
could not afford to eat there. Just as we were turning to leave, the cafe owner
came outside and asked if there was a problem. We confessed that we three Americans could not afford to partake of his food. He asked what we can afford, and we told him honestly - a laughable amount. The proprietor then said, in a beautiful French accent, “Don’t worry. For that amount of money I can make you a delicious meal. Please come in and sit down.” We had a marvelous meal, clearly costing multiples of what we were able to pay him.
That was the beginning of a wonderful relationship with a country I love almost as much as my own. I have been to Canada many times since that day. I have seen nothing to disimbue me of the notion that Canadians, at least the vast majority of them, are warm, decent, generous, generally upbeat and simply marvelous human beings. O Canada!
19
Thank you so much! What a wonderful story.
3
I am and have always been proud and grateful to be Canadian. However, you could not have written this just a few years ago or if we had our own version of Cons in power now. Harper would have never been so welcoming to refugees or dared to stand up to the Saudi regime. In fact his posse of con men would be in lock step with Trump to corporatize everything and undermine our values. His minions are gearing up to flood us with hate and fear based campaigning in the upcoming federal election. We were smug when you had Bush Jr. and then we elected Harper. We envied Obama. Then we went for Trudeau (old enough to remember and support his father's ambition to make us a "fair and just society") and you got Trump. Look what Ontario did in our last provincial election - we have our very own imbecile in a position of power.
125
@Katie3b- proud as a Canadian to beat down, destroy, intimidate native Canadians and their culture? Tar Sands remain open. Pipelines being forced upon the native tribes so you can financially benefit from the sale of the oil and gas? Canadians have a major case of hypocrisy. More can be listed but you'll just keep your head in the sand.
3
@Katie3b I think the reaction to the Syrian child dying on the beach probably turned the election-if there was any doubt in people's minds who to vote for.
5
@lou andrews
Native Canadians and their cultures are celebrated and financially supported today. The several $billion ($7.9B in 2012) annual support is given to their local reserves. Many people believe that Native Canadians would be better served if the funds went directly to them and they could live where employment opportunities exist. There is also an array of preferential tax treatments, education incentives, and services which are not offered to non Native Canadians. Most Native tribes have negotiated beneficial agreements with oil and gas pipeline corporations, providing future income streams, environmental guarantees with severe penalties, and well paying employment. The tar sands are still an ongoing issue for all Canadians, not just Native Canadians. Yes, we are moving toward respectful solutions.
14
Until Trump I think the harshest word between our nations was when LBJ gave hell to Lester B Pearson over Vietnam.
Trump has ruled like a bully and what a better nation to pick on than ours. We are polite to a fault, he insulted us, used our laws for extradition in his trade war with China. Yet, you never hear our leaders say a harsh word.
I have never had a bad experience in the US or with Americans. I will thank him for one thing. His attitude towards our country has made me realize how proud I am that I am an open and accepting Canadian.
15
@laura, LBJ and GW Bush, the two presidents from Texas, who gave the military-industrialists everything they wanted, expanding and starting wars versus countries that never attacked US soil. To this day, for all of his harmful and divisive rhetoric, Trump does not come close to the permanent damage caused by these two "establishment" politicians, including the 50,000 plus dead from Vietnam, not to mention at least a million Vietnamese civilians. . .
2
@GRH As a Canadian I agree it is the two wars we did not enter with the US. Iraq and Vietnam.
3
Infinitely more boring than Canada are the clueless people who call Canada boring without knowing a thing about Canada other than that other clueless people call it boring.
21
As a Canadian citizen who has lived for 30 years in the US, but will always think of Canada as home, here are the big differences I see.
1. Guns: Canadians don't live in the constant fear that Americans do because of sensible gun restrictions.
2. Untreated mental illness: All Canadians get health care. Americans only get it if they work. Then they sell guns to the mentally unwell.
3. Political spin: Canadians don't go for that crap. Everyone is fairly educated, so we know how to ask questions. The one thing Americans know how to do is spin - I think this will be the lasting legacy of American politics, and it started out with the establishment of the country as "home of the free" when so many human beings were treated as other people's property.
25
boring is the new exiting
9
As a dual citizen of both Canada and the US who has spent almost half my life growing up in the US, and the latter half living in Canada, I am soooo proud of Canada's recent stands on human rights. The longing to live in a country that is morally enlightened is very strong in many people. Many young men from my generation found refuge from the Vietnam War in Canada. That is a noble history. Our previous Prime Minister, Stephen Harper and his Conservative Parliament, did not uphold that legacy, but with the election of Justin Trudeau, Canada is returning to its humanitarian roots. I do not feel alienated from the US. Instead I feel very strong concern for it. My caring is expressed in ferocious anger about Trump, but then, hell hath no fury like an American whose country is betrayed. At least for half of us anyway.
11
(continued) inviting people in and failing to security screen them, then using limited financial resources on them, when they just walked across the border with iphones and nicer luggage than most travelers will ever buy, then turning them loose and losing track of them.
The liberals paid out a $10,500,000 jackpot to a terrorist who killed an American soldier, then lied that it was because it would be "too expensive" to fight it in court. Meanwhile, they fought a little aboriginal girl's family in court to the tune of $100,000, over $6,000 worth of dental work.
There is, at this moment, a breaking story about the PMO pressuring the justice minister to drop the prosecution of SNC Lavalin for fraud and corruption. What will be revealed, we don't yet know, but we do know that Trudeau, when he can't get his way by buying what he wants (as in the case of $600,000,000 to buy the media's co-operation to ensure only flattering coverage of the gov't), he will resort to dictatorial means.
There has been honest talk lately of how Canada has ceased to be taken seriously in the world, and how we have been content to be sheltered by the U.S. Many Canadians are simply too smug to admit that we would be toast without the protection of the U.S. We have emasculated our military, because many people just don't see it as necessary.
I knew that a lot of Canadians would bask in the praise and omit some of the things that are really going on. Canada is not a leader, morally or otherwise.
3
@KD
As you can see, Canada is not immune to the right-wing spin prevalent south of the border.
10
We'll get there someday.
1
@Tim WE shall overcome - some day.
1
Can I claim asylum there??
4
@Peter Hornbein As a matter of fact, it has been tried (during the Bush 2 reign), but met with no success. However, during the Viet Nam war, Canada considered draft dodgers to be political "refugees" and granted them permanent residence.
3
@Peter Hornbein
It might be simpler if we could just get Canada to annex entire states at a time.
1
That is the romantic version of Canada. This quite a bit different now.
Australia just told as Vancouver is money laundry capital of the world. 1 Billion per year are laundry through our Casinos. And millions of tax money were used to write a report of how big of a problem this is.
After all said and done, not one single soul is reprimanded.
4
@Chris
In the US we do things in a bigger way.
HUNDREDS of billions were lost in the financial crisis of 2008. Not a single soul was reprimanded.
4
I am a New Yorker who moved to Toronto five years ago for work-related reasons. Am I happy that I am in a civilized safe harbor now! I still go back and forth between Toronto and New York City but am always happy to be back in Toronto where people have time to be nice.
14
I'm sure Canada looks great to a Yank who hates Donald Trump. Sorry to burst your bubble, but this country has never been so divided.
Thanks to Trudeau Jr's open contempt for Alberta, we now have Albertans seriously discussing separation; this is the first time I've seen this in my lifetime, and it only took three years of the liberals to make it happen.
Quebec, as always, stands with their hands out for more $$, while spitting on the ROC that makes their lifestyles possible, and their own English speaking citizens.
Rural people see city people as arrogant fools who are trying to force their agendas down the throats of the rest of the country, and are growing more resentful of it by the day. City people see rural people as too stupid to know what's good for them.
Toronto has been kicking Canadian homeless people out of shelters to accomodate the illegals that Trudeau invited in. He has implied that blue collar men are rapists, instead of men who are trying to support their families while working in an industry that is being artificially destroyed by gov't incompetence (oil and gas), and by govt's agenda to destroy that industry by any means necessary.
Canadian health care desperately needs an overhaul, but now that thousands of elderly foreigners are being encouraged to come here, it is not possible for wait times to go anywhere but up. My own mother immigrated to Canada-THE LEGAL WAY. She asked me how it has come to this, inviting illegals over the border (continued)
5
@KD
"...this country has never been so divided."
Dude, all of these things have been happening for the last 40 years! I remember my dad bellowing in the early 70s that Alberta should separate and live off its oil money. Quebec has been dead broke since the PQ came into power in 1976 and started limiting English rights. Farmers have been irritated by city people since Trudeau Sr called them a bunch of complainers.
Quebec is never going to separate because the business community knows it's suicidal. Same thing for the money men in Alberta.
I can't speak to the City of Toronto kicking homeless people out of shelters as I don't live there, but the refugees that Justin Trudeau accepted have been sponsored by church groups, individual citizens, and members of the Syrian community already in Canada.
As for implying that blue collar men are rapists! Where on god's earth did you get that? Please provide proof of this - a link to a story, video of one of his speeches, anything at all.
11
Which illegals? I thought Canada had refugees?
1
Canada is awful and boring and liberal and socialist (like those nasty Nordic countries).
For your own good, stay away! Build a wall to protect us!
3
How about your "win-a-trip" reporting Canadian good stuff?
1
Many many years ago, I realized I was a Canadian at heart and by nature, mistakenly born in the United States.
That was before the current American charge into insanity, exclusion and arrogance.
I am grateful for Canada, truly a 'candle in the wind', for raising the bar and valuing morals above fear.
I am grateful for Canada being a Northern Star, a calm steady guide through the murky putrid disruptive darkness the United States is currently mired in.
I am grateful to Canada for being better.
9
Thanks Nick, we are indeed a nice people in a nice country but i feel the same about our southern neighbor. We know more about you than you do about us for this simple reason, when there's an elephant on your doorstep, you better know what it's up to. Right now that elephant is gone a bit rogue and we're a bit worried, but hopefully this is temporary. Our present Prime Minister is not as popular as Nick makes him out to be, one of the reasons is his government's inability to get our oil, 3rd largest reserves in the world, to tidewater, leaving us to the mercy of the USA, and hence, cut rate prices for our product. One thing Justin Trudeau has going for him though, he's not Trump, i'm sure he's grateful for that. Oh yeah, Hockey, that's where the niceness ends, I've played in what would could be considered semi-pro, half the players being paid, and this i can tell you, when the nicest people put on skates they can become very unpleasant, so Nick, keep your head up.
5
As I read the comments I can't help but recall how much fraudulent history we share because of the far right Canadian born Walter Disney.
The Montreal English language daily the Montreal Gazette is still in operation was a Benjamin Franklin newspaper and Carroll who came to Montreal with Franklin to persuade us to join the revolution was not only the richest person in the colonies but the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Indepence.
Montreal merchants were the biggest or one of the biggest supporters of the Boston Tea Party and the leaders of No Taxation without Representation which referred not to government but the East India Company whose Board of Directors got Parliament to tax everyone else's tea and which had made a grievous financial error in purchasing far too much tea and needed to sell its two London warehouses filled with tea ASAP. All I can say is the Montreal Gazette was better under Franklin than it was under the conservative regime that ruled Quebec for three hundred years till our quiet revolution.
4
Oh please, spare us the stereotyping, or should I say whitewashing, of Canada. Canada has always done financially very well by the much-maligned foreign policies of the US. From the Vietnam War through to the Iraq and Afghanistan adventures, Canadians have quietly enjoyed the benefits (and at times, as silent partner) but never the blame of US wars, hence the squeaky clean "image".
And it is exactly that, just an image.
And "helping organize the Lima Group", a gang of right-wing fascist governments with American neocons in the lead plotting to mug the Venezuelan people of its oil is nothing to take pride in.
Imagine Canadian outrage if it experienced the same foreign interference in its affairs over the highly contested 51/49 Quebec independence referendum.
If hypocrisy were oil, Canada wouldn't need its dirty Alberta Tar Sands project to poison our planet.
2
@Neocynic
How exactly did Canada "quietly enjoy the benefits" of the Vietnam and Iraq wars (both of which we skipped)?
What on earth were the benefits?
As for Afghanistan, 40,000 Canadians served there, 158 were killed, 1,800 were wounded, and $18 billion was spent (so far). Does that sound like quiet enjoyment?
11
@Dixon Pinfold Canada sold massive amounts of raw materials for the explosives, the weapons, the aircraft etc. ...all at a tidy profit thank you very much.
There were never more than 2,500 Canadian troops deployed to Afghanistan. The $18B was spent with US and Canadian contractors, almost none to assist indigenous people (which is apparently typical for Canada). And it was very quiet until Canada was caught in 2007 rendering prisoners up for torture by the locals.
2
Thank you.
Much to admire @ Canada - but not the Prime Minister's odd opposition to a consumer boycott of companies that benefit from Israel's relentless, ever expanding military occupation of Palestine. The PM says the boycott is anti-Semitic, but the campaign is lead by Palestinians and Jews, among others, who object to the illegal horrific behavior of Israel -
(1) invading and keeping land acquired by war, (2) killing and (3) evicting indigenous population (4) so as to replace them with the invading, victorious ethnic group - all explicitly criminal acts under international law.
4
I find it amazing that Mr. Kristof uses the word boring. This suggests that the US is exciting. But more than anything, life in the US appears stressful. The country is awash in guns, right wing paranoia and fear; many millions have no health care at all and millions more are exploited with premiums enriching a profit/greed based insurance system, with co-pays; your public education system is constantly under attack; your president is a crypto-fascist fraud artist; the GOP is a minority party that governs as a result of gerrymandering; your primary democratic institutions are increasingly corrupted (USSC) and degraded (free press) and even 150+ yrs after the civil war it's still terrifying and dangerous to be black in the US. And to boot the rest of the world cringes at the never-ending "greatest nation on earth" agitprop. Please just stop. Canada may not be perfect, but it is not boring. It's healthy, compassionate, shrewd, trusting, inclusive, stable, progressive and MATURE.
15
There would be a lot less 'Canadian' work to do if the US would do less self-interested dirty work.
3
There is no way a Trump-like buffoon would ever be elected Prime Minister in Canada. In fact there’s no way a Trump- like buffoon could be elected the president or prime minister of any western democracy. I guess that says more about our electorate than it does about Trump.
6
The premiere of Ontario is someone you may want to look up. An embarrassment.
7
As a Canadian I must point out that anti-immigration sentiment does exist within our population. The opposition Conservative party has been attempting to whip up hysteria over the few thousand so-called "illegal immigrants" that walk across our American border outside of official border crossings. They are attempting to frame this as a crisis (!) and to some extent have succeeded. Depending on the poll, approximately 50% of Canadians now believe that immigration levels are too high. The Conservative party has a solid core of support that I'm guessing may be in the order of 25% of our population. Furthermore, the Province of Quebec is proposing legislation that will "bar civil servants in positions of authority —including teachers, police officers and judges — from wearing religious symbols in the workplace", a direct attempt to suppress the wearing of the hijab. We are far from a perfect society but I like to believe that, slowly and sometimes inconsistently, we are moving forward.
9
Do any reading about Canada's history and ongoing perpetration of colonial violence against the Indigenous nations, and you'll see they have no leg to stand on when it comes to moralizing to the rest of the world.
4
Thanks for this kind article Nicholas Kristof. (Full disclosure - I'm Canadian)
3
Canada -- THANK YOU !
3
Wow, this article was so good to read. The only thing not mentioned is that we are also kind of one of those 'socialist' countries with universal health care, social security, old age pensions,and subsidized education. Maybe that is the real reason Trump hasn't warmed to us.
6
The difference between Canada and the U.S. is obvious... leadership. While Trudeau is far from perfect, he appears to be a decent person. He doesn't lie six times a day. He has a filter before he speaks. He is not xenophobic. He oversees an altruistic government. We have a oligarchic kleptocracy led by a president who, simply, is not a good person. He never has been interested in the welfare of others before himself. A lot of Americans who support him no matter what atrocity he commits are not good people, either. With the choices they make, they either oppose lying or support it. They either oppose racism or support it. They either oppose cruelty to children or support it. They either respect freedom of the press or oppose it, except, of course, for Fox News.
12
Pleased about the accolade to Canada (my home and native land) but not happy with the treatment of Canada by America in recent times. The latest outrage - last week the Trump administration cancelled the tariffs on Russian aluminum while keeping in place the tariffs against Canadian and Mexican aluminum. Those were put in place to encourage docile agreement to an update of NAFTA which is now done, if not yet approved, and so should be cancelled. The head of the Russian aluminum producer is a friend of Putin - I wonder if that is a factor in the tariff cancellation. Certainly Canada is not being treated as a friend and close ally in this disgusting case.
20
Reader wake up? More like “writer wake up!” Please stop heaping praise upon Justin Trudeau, our trust-fund baby Prime Minister. Far from being a beacon of moral authority, Trudeau and his government are an embarrassment to anyone with an ounce of shame. Whether being found to have broken ethics rules for accepting a luxury vacation from the Aga Khan, setting back our country’s relationship with India and embarrassing himself in the process, or playing wedge politics with western Canadians, he has proven himself to be unfit as leader of a G7 nation.
Don’t forget this former high school drama teacher once expressed his admiration for China and its dictatorship, and also stated glibly that budgets balance themselves.
I’m not surprised that the writer focused on a carefully stage-managed event of our PM handing out winter coats to refugees, as Trudeau seems to value image over everything, while substance is optional.
Wake up, indeed.
5
Coulda been worse. Harper or someone of that ilk in power. The economist who added $240 billion to our debt.
8
Maybe the USA can be Canada when we grow up (if we ever grow up, that is).
9
Dear Mr. Kristof,
Thank you for your great compliments about Canada, for which we are so proud.
However, I urge you to come and spend some time in Toronto-I am a fan of yours and would love to host you- and you will see that this is the most multi-cultural city in the world, and hence VERY far from boring. A most incredible blend of people from every corner of the earth. I am a retired public school teacher, and my classes were a wonderful united nations of the world.
PLEASE COME!
9
I live in New Hampshire and "escape" to Canada regularly. Six visits to Montreal last year. I'm a seventy year old American with deep roots. But walking the streets of Montreal feels like the way things could be ( but never will be) in America.
14
My family has flown the flag of our country in front of our summer home for decades.
Last summer, shortly after our "President" was being a jerk at the meeting of the G-7, we decided to fly the Maple Leaf flag instead - as a tribute to our northern neighbor.
Thanks to Nicholas Kristof for this piece, which provides a very nice account of why we made that choice.
215
@Solon
Canada is a nation of nations of nations. Quebec is very different from Ontario and can vote as did the UK to leave our federation.
History teaches us about Solon the great Athenian poet philosopher king who saved Athens from the bankers, businessmen lawyers and Sophists who could not figure out how to liberate the intellectuals who once led Athens and because of the conservative economy were reduced to indentured servitude.
It is our foreign Minister who watched as democracy died in Russia and saw Plutocrats dominate too many of our nation states . We fly the Stars and Stripes in July beside our Fleur de Lys and Maple Leaf and hope someday democracy can once again return to the greatest nation that ever was. Maybe Mao was correct in sending the businessmen, plutocrats and lawyers to work in the fields but surely in our technological times we can find a more benevolent solution to our problems.
2
@Solon,
Listening to The Maple Leaf Rag by Scott Joplin in your honor, with homage to Canadians who are anything but boring. Perhaps a recent wedding proposal received should be reconsidered to strengthen a fine alliance.
6
Earlier someone posted that the premiere of a province and a very rich woman headed south for healthcare as a rather all too common cheap shot about our single payer healthcare system. The former was told by a local heart institute that an operation would leave a scar on his chest whereas his friend in Florida, a surgeon, said he'd go in thru the armpit leaving no visible scar. When cautioned that procedure opened the door to door to a stoke, the premiere being very wealthy (and somewhat vain?) went south anyway. Not long after the surgery, the legislature was told he would not be in that day. He never did show up...he'd suffered a stoke. The rich woman had part of a breast reconstruction procedure done in the US, at the suggestion of the local surgeon, by a man who was almost unique in the skills but the care/surgery before and after that was done in Toronto. US Speaker Paul Rand came to Toronto to get some surgery that was unique in skill of the surgeon doing the procedure but nobody claimed US healthcare in not current. Dunno why I see so much US disinformation about local healthcare
9
This seems like an appropriate time to point out that Donald Trump is not the greatest dealmaker in the history of America. That distinction goes to Monty Hall…a Canadian.
13
Keep an eye on Canada's election this October. Immigration is expected to be a hot-button issue, and the Conservatives are just behind the Liberals.
5
Mae West said “If a little is great, and a lot is better, then way too much is just about right!”
It is very presumptuous to rapidly alter the social fabric with accelerated demographic changes and characterize those who disagree as racist bohemians. Nicholas and most of these comments are doing just that.
And by the way, what makes many of these commenters think Canadians want more Americans around?
2
Ever since the surrender of Japan to General MacArthur in 1945, the U.S.A. have been considered the leaders of the Free World. Not an easy assignment. But right away the Soviets started to threatened Pax Americana and by the humiliating departure from Vietnam in 1974, the U.S.A. where shaken to the core. The evaporation of the Soviets in 1989 encouraged the U.S.A. but 9/11 put an end to that. Americans live in fear. No wonder Trump fooled enough of them to get elected. What a freak show !
Meanwhile, Canada went about its business. Its Parliament declared war on Germany and once victory had been obtained, went back doing its business. It suggested that the U.N. create the Blue berets (and helmets...) in 1956 to try to bring peace to the Middle East. Its Foreign Minister, Lester B. Pearson, got the Nobel Peace prize.
Canada never ever wanted to lead, or even thought that it could or should. When a country believes in its Manifest Destiny, and the rest of the world agrees, it is inevitable that its citizens will turn crazy. I do not envy you.
7
Our neighbor to the north, with its big, sparse land may end up as refuge for Americans fleeing the effects of climate change.
It will take at least a couple of decades, but Canada has lots of fresh water, and agricultural land that is still under-utilized.
Wonder how many of us they will let in?
4
@Mark Johnson
What worries us is not so much how many of you to "let" in, but perhaps how will we be able to keep you out should you just decide that we need to share what we have...
3
Reading this article brought to mind a message that--along with all the other Queen's University School of Business graduates living in the US--I received from our alma mater when the Great Recession was entering its serious early phases. It said, in essence, "Come home. Even if you've lost your job and your pride, we'll help you get going again." This was a feasible offer to our many finance majors because Canadian banks are well-regulated and did not melt down during that period. Queen's School of Business produces grads who are aggressive and blood-thirsty enough to compete well on an international stage, but I think a lot of us felt a little teary at the kindness, even if it was backed by a hope of future donations from grateful alums.
5
I'm encouraging my teens to immigrate to Canada rather than stay in the US. They are bright kids and worth having.
Kudos to Canada for welcoming refugees, that kindness is what we should all strive for.
8
@Jennie
If all the Americans who threatened to move to Canada if a Republican were elected president actually followed through, Canada's population by now would be 200 million, not the current, paltry 37 million. Climate trumps politics. But cheer up, Democrat malcontents. If your global-warming doomsday scenarios prove true, by the year 2040 Canada will have become a tropical paradise. Hudson's Bay will be the new Riviera!
As a former Canadian resident, I can tell you this;
Canada can afford to be "Canadian" because the US is doing all the dirty work.
61
@John Xavier III I'm not sure what you mean. Canada has participated in every major military conflict of the 20th and 21st centuries - in fact, our contributions to WWI and WWII were disproportionately large.
We punch above our weight in every recognized field of endeavor - finance, science, technology, trade - and yes, sports, particularly winter sports.
For those whose perspective is - "Good thing we have the US as a neighbour" - well, Mexico borders the US as well, has 4 x Canada's population, is a much older country than Canada - yet has a smaller GDP and global standing.
I'm not sure what "dirty work" you think the US has done which Canada has benefited from. The US acts (as all nations should) in the best interests of its people. So does Canada - we just believe that the best of interests of our people, are to be the best people.
We are not "nice" - we just recognize that at the end of the day (as the great Canadian rocker Sam Roberts says) "We're all in this together".
Not sure why NYT picked this as their favourite pick (yes, favourite - with a "u"), but we are very happy living our life according to our hard won values.
190
@John Xavier III
If true, seems rather appropriate, don't you think - given the US propensity to make a big mess out there in the first place.
43
@Torro
Your treatment of your native people and your animals has been less than stellar until recently.
As far as the two World Wars are concerned Canada fought as part of the British Empire and not as Canada.
10
I have always loved and admired Canada for almost every reason you can think of (except Tim Horton's).
The True North, strong and free! Not boring! Ahead of the curve on almost every measure of social justice and equality. Certainly ahead of us ("us" = "US").
Full disclosure: I am a US citizen, McGill graduate. I will be forever grateful for the gift Canada gave me and the honor I had of living In Montréal for three years many years ago.
O Canada!
9
@Howard Stambor
McGill, eh? Did you hang out on Crescent Street, or St-Laurent?
That was very kind!
Canada can be a moral leader, but the reality is that we're still only a moderate world power. In a market of global superpowers, we need our allies and friends to keep backing us up on the hard issues, to help the world be the best that it can.
We need our American allies to keep helping us out. We'll do it with or without you, but just the same, it would be great if you could show the colours once in a while.
We are all in this together. To US, from Canada, with love.
7
I truly wish our neighbors to the north can take us over!!! you're a beautiful and thoughtful country and we feel much more kinship with you, than the larger US... Cascadia is real. We love you, BC!!!!!
6
O, Canada! We salute you! You are the country we thought we were--or maybe once was. It shames us to admit this but we are honored, and lucky, to have you as our near neighbor and friend. It is hard to imagine that we ever led the Berlin Air Lift or came up with the Marshall Plan at the end of WWII.
6
I know most Americans are lovely, friendly, and educated people but for some reason there’s this myth among Americans that the U.S. is the greatest country in the world. I hear Americans say this all the time. It’s taken as a given even by educated Americans. The rest of us in other countries are baffled. Why does this myth persist and who goes around bragging that they’re the best of anything in the world, especially when it’s so clearly not true? Curious citizens of smaller, less violent, more sane countries want to know. Thoughts? Thank you!
22
Please temper the volume on the Kumbaya. As a Canadian I am proud of my country but increasingly ashamed of its government's pandering to the liberal media and special interests. Canadians should stand independent from the behemoth to the south, but that doesn't compel us to be a gateless refuge to the world. The current open door policy is not supported by the public, with close to 60% of Canadians rejecting the current federal government's policy. It is fueling division and creating social divides that did not exist before. Anyone questioning of the government's policy is accused of being "racist" by the government funded media (the CBC does not bite the hand that feeds them). All is not well north of the 49th parallel. Don't get taken in by the silver spoon socialist's claims otherwise.
7
@Marc LaPlante
"...with close to 60% of Canadians rejecting the current federal government's policy".
Citations, please. Links, stats, studies. Anything at all.
7
@Marc: As a fellow Canadian I wonder where you are getting your “facts.” Canadians I know are, for the vast majority, happy to do what they can to support refugees and to welcome the needy to Canada.
7
Would it be possible to help asylum seekers currently languishing at our Southern border reach the Northern border and apply for refugee status in Canada? It seems they have a better chance there - and besides, they will suffer no discrimination and exploitations, like it is bound to happen in the US.
5
I love Canada so much that I have considered swapping homes for a few weeks in the winter with someone in Montreal. I get to be in the winter (hopefully with snow) and you get my condo on the beach in Miami with average temperatures in the 80's. Just call it neighborly love.
P.S. I speak French and own a vintage fur coat which I won't bring if it is offensive to vegan Quebecois.
6
I have purposefully spent all my travel time in Canada since the 2016 election. I marvel at the beauty of Ontario and Quebec as I drive through forests dotted with lakes and ski the Laurentians. Visiting Toronto and Montreal give me a glimpse at how cities should work, with efficient public transit and parks interspersed with shops and restaurants. I am struck by the "you first" politeness as I listen to a cacophony of languages at Tim Hortons or chat with friendly Canadians. (In fact, I've never met an unfriendly Canadian.)Seeing firsthand the diversity and welcome immigrants are given in Canada has made me ashamed of the current American anti-immigrant rhetoric. We would do well to imitate Canada.
4
@Margaret. Thank you. As a US citizen by birth but now a proud Canadian, I, too, find the welcome of Canadians to those of us who come from “foreign” countries warm and friendly. And, if possible, as you explore this beautiful country, try to arrange a trip to Vancouver Island. It’s beauty will astound you.
7
@Margaret
"...a cacophony of languages". Yes, that's one of the things I love so much about the bigger cities here. You can walk down two blocks and hear 16 different languages. I love that!
5
Living north of Seattle, we get CBC via cable. I consider "The National" and other CBC shows to be a breath of fresh air. "Land and Sea" renews my faith that there may be hope for civility and sanity in this world after all. Check out the episode on the late Celie Smith on YouTube. Yeah, the place ain't perfect and there's always room for improvement, but they get a lot of things right that we here south of the border seem to miss.
3
Great article. Of course I am a biased Canadian and never felt better about being a Canadian. One thing though...inequality in Canada (economic, racial) is real, in your face and nothing to be proud of. Always a work in progress...the arc of justice, etc.
6
Memo to Mr. Trump, Mr. Pompeo, et al.:
American exceptionalism--which is a silly, obnoxious phrase--does not mean America is better than other countries. It does not mean Americans are better than the citizens of other countries. It does not mean America has more nuclear weapons than other countries. It does not mean America has a higher per capita GDP than other countries.
It means that fate, luck and circumstance has given us a particular set of aspirations and values, including the vital traditions, values and laws associated with democracy. It means we share many of those aspirations and values with other nations, e.g., Canada. It means we have nevertheless too often failed to fulfill those aspirations and values. It means we were sometimes--too infrequently, really--willing to act in the world according to those aspirations and values, despite the cost.
3
...and don't forget universal health care and affordable college education...it does not get more boring than that...
6
Is having national healthcare as a right boring?
Is having national strict gun control boring?
Is having a positive immigration policy boring?
Is having progressive legislation on cannabis use boring?
Is having six month or one year maternal leave boring?
Is having affordable high quality post secondary education boring?
Is having a pro active long term policy on climate change boring?
Being a proud American living in Canada for the past decade
I must say that America needs to drop the smug, "We are the greatest country on Earth" attitude and learn from our Northern Neighbors who are doing a lot things right and adopt their best practices rather than turning our noses up at Canada.
13
Lovely photo by the way! Perfect fit for the story!
Would that Canadians call out American demagogues who trash the Canadian health system!
Medicare recipients, unlike Canadians, have paid taxes into the health system their working lives and after they reach age 65 can pay monthly premiums for part B benefits for services such as physicians' bills and outpatient services. Premiums are based on income.
Medicare for all would not be a give away program.
3
@DFS: As Canadians we are justly proud of our health care system. I recently had a total knee replacement followed by three months of physiotherapy, none of which required out of pocket cost on my part. We do, however, pay a monthly MSP (Medical Services Plan) premium. I think my current premium is about $55.00 a month. Low income Canadians do not have to pay a monthly premium.
4
In 2009 Canada passed a law stating if you had been born in Canada and were forced to denounce your citizenship to Canada in order to become a U.S., or any other country's citizenship, Canada rescinded said denouncement and reinstated your Canadian citizenship and that of your first proginy's. The minute Trump became POTUS, I applied for my Canadian passport and certificate of citizenship for my children. In no way will I allow this morally corrupt man to use my children as cannon fodder when he is cornered and starts a war to divert attention from himself and use as pretext for calling a state of emergency. When the U.S. again gets its collective sanity back, I'll reconsider.
2
I'd be interested in knowing Canada's gini coefficient (measurement of wealth inequality). The relationship between xenophobia and perceived resource shortage is pretty well known (see Azur Ghat, War and Human Civilization), and it is pretty clear (to me at least) that the US's turn to the right is related to the "hollowing out of the middle class". If the Canadians aren't feeling similar pressures, maybe that's why they can be moral leaders when the US (and Germany and France?) can't.
2
@Joe K It`s close to 0.3 (somewhere between 0.31 to 0.33), whereas the U.S. is close to 0.5 (0.48-0.49)
@Joe K: Having lived for long periods of time in both the US and now Canada, I think it has more to do with the US’s belief in rugged individualism, the belief that everyone should be able to do everything for him/herself and that an inability to do so is the fault of the individual, not the fault of society. Canadians have a much more collective sense of community, a we’re all In this together attitude. As a result, we’re more inclined to be willing to pay more in taxes if it will help the common good such as health care for everyone.
4
It is good to be in a place that is so well regarded for so many reasons by our closest neighbours. We are blessed in Canada for all the reasons that you have so astutely recognized, and hope that it will always be so. Listen if you can to the words of our national anthem - O Canada. It is an honest and a heart-felt tribute to our fine home and native land and a statement of gratitude for what we have been given and for what we have made.
6
Pierre Trudeau said Canada living next to the USA was like sleeping beside an elephant. Little could he have known that his own son would have to deal with an elephant gone berserk in the form of today's Republican party. There is a great divide in the USA exacerbated by laws which codify radical behaviour, such as with guns or political contributions. America needs to self-examine its radical shift in public discourse since the Fairness Doctrine was abolished. Perhaps then it could figure out how that has led to its current poisoned political climate. That America has lost its former role as world leader in the affairs of nations is a given.
7
I’m a dual citizen. My father is from Montreal and we have lots of family north of the border. It is a wonderful country filled with a democratic liberalism that is well balanced alongside the capitalism it soaks up being so close to the USA.
But, let’s remember that Canada has a resource that the USA and Western Europe lack. Land. Not just land, a need for a workforce to work that land and develop it. Its easier to wave the banner of morality and equal rights when there is enough bread, water and resources to absorb a foreign immigrant population. Canada should be lauded for taking their particular circumstances and using them to promote a moral and tolerant national policy toward all, but this op-Ed conveniently ignores the apples and oranges comparison to other western nations where the question of land, absorption etc provide for different answers.
1
@Eric are you actually trying to suggest that the USA lacks land, food, and resources? If so, that's ridiculous. In terms of population density per amount of arable land, the USA is much closer to Canada than to the EU - both of which have taken in far more immigrants than the USA. It's not lack of resources, it's lack of moral fibre.
5
@Eric: I hope you read Everyman’s response to your comment which I, as a Canadian, see as a excuse, rather than a reason for the recent moral failures of the US government. Children in cages? Really? And may I remind you, although vast, Canada is a far northern country, making much of its land difficult to use for agriculture. Thanks why almost all of Canada’s population lives alog the US border.
1
@Eric
The most important resource in the coming decades. ... water...Canada holds 20% of the world s fresh water...
1
Pierre Trudeau said Canada living next to the USA was like sleeping beside an elephant. Little could he have known that his own son would have to deal with an elephant gone berserk in the form of today's Republican Nanoose Bay British Columbiaparty. There is a great divide in the USA exacerbated by laws which codify radical behaviour, such as with guns or political contributions. America needs to self-examine its radical shift in public discourse since the Fairness Doctrine was abolished. Perhaps then it could then figure out how that has led to its current poisoned political climate. That America has lost its former role as world leader in the affairs of nations is a given.
3
• Thank God for Canada!
Sorry, thank CANADA for Being. Gods have nothing to do with it – an idea that I am free to fully express here without any recrimination or even a sidelong glance.
The Canadian people, their government and the policies they enact do.
The innumerable positives go far beyond foreign policy.
“I’m grateful to live in Canada, a country where I can choose my death, but the law has forced me to play a cruel game of chicken,”
~ AUDREY PARKER, died with medical assistance on Nov. 1 at age 57.
https://www.thechronicleherald.ca/news/local/audrey-parker-pleads-for-change-to-assisted-dying-law-in-posthumous-video-282138/
There are unresolved problems here too, but we DO have Trudeau, NOT Trump to whom, even at his worst, Stephen Harper was no match.
“If you ever find yourself in the wrong story, leave.”~ MO WILLEMS
On March 6, barely a month away, at 73 and after seven of anxiously wading through residence requirements, I will be celebrating my First Anniversary as a proud CANADIAN.
I am a Puerto Rican national, born and raised, a US 'refugee'. Appreciations to Canada, my Canadian wife for bringing me HOME and the many new friends who have welcomed me here.
At peace, no regrets except for waiting so long to make the move – never to look back or as much as set foot on US soil again (Puerto Rico included as long as it remains a US possession).
"I have no further use for America. I wouldn't go back there if J.C. was President."~ CHARLIE CHAPLIN
5
My son married a lovely woman from Montreal. She is now a US citizen, but our 2 terrific grandchildren have dual citizenship. That gives me comfort.
5
On 9/11 my husband and I were kayaking/camping in the B.C. wilderness. Complete strangers approached us expressing kindness and sympathy to what happened to America that day. After the U.S./Canadian border was reopened, we drove home and observed large numbers of candles and flowers on the Canadian side of the Peace Arch at the Blaine border crossing.
During the week after 9/11 small towns across Canada provided food and shelter to Americans whose flights were diverted to Canada.
Between 2001 and 2014, 159 Canadian soldiers died fighting alongside American troops in Afghanistan.
Trump declared Canada a national security risk as justification for steel tariffs.
16
My only beef with Canada is their insistence on sharing their cold weather with us, being as polite as they are, in that one case they can be rude.
People tend to see Canada as somehow 'another US' across the border, but it isn't. That doesn't mean that Canada is monolithic, that they don't have their own equivalents to the religious right in the US (Harper, the conservative PM, kowtowed to them from what I remember), but Canada also viewing it as an observer, also seems to a lot more embrace being a diverse society. Just an observation, but a lot of that may have to do with the fact that Canada's political system doesn't allow the kind of domination we see of a minority of the country, the system doesn't give power to rural areas the way it does in the US, and their values tend to reflect more the views of the more educated, cosmopolitan city areas where as in the US, most people live. And yes, the tax system in Canada, the education system, the health system, all smooth out the disparities we see in the US, they don't have the income inequality we see in the US, for example, you don't see the .5% having more wealth and income than the bottom 90% combined.
5
Thank you, Nick. This is why in Oregon we say, "One nation, under Canada." We look up to our northern neighbors, in more ways than one. (Full disclosure: I was born in Ottawa.)
9
You're absolutely right about the immediate "we have all kinds of problems" backlash to any positive press. As a grateful escapee from the USA, I waver between thinking "Why are these people ALWAYS complaining? Don't they know how great this place is?" and thinking "Maybe it's the fact that they're always complaining that makes it such a great place. They just won't be satisfied until it's perfect".
2
After driving 2,500km on vacation in the Canadian Maritimes last summer, my wife and II can only praise Canadians.
They maintain the posted speed limits, AND they keep in the right lane except when passing. Driving was a pleasure.
Oh, and we were also told to get Canadian lapel pins to wear when traveling to other countries -- everyone said we would be more welcome with that pin and our American accents would pass for Canadian.
7
Every summer for the past five years or so, I have traveled to the Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake area for a breath of fresh air, enjoying the warm welcome I get from locals as well as the Shaw Festival and the beautiful landscape. I've traveled to other areas of Canada over the past thirty or so years. It's always welcoming. American government could learn a thing or two from Canadians.
9
Yes...we have good manners and a great landscape. But we also have long memories. We remember how the people of Gander, Newfoundland opened their homes to 6500 Americans whose flights were grounded after 9-11- now the subject of the smash Broadway production "Come From Away." We remember and we are proud of our role in helping to provide one side of the longest undefended border in the world. We remember fighting together for common causes in global conflicts. But that was then. We stood up to Saudi Arabia over human rights' issues and the US did not stand with us. When we sat down to renegotiate NAFTA, your President described our Prime Minister as "dishonest and weak." Then slapped our industries with tariffs. And just last month, the US lifted steel and aluminum tariffs on companies connected to a Russian oligarch, while keeping them on Canadian companies, for reasons of "national security." And as I write, the lives of Canadian citizens in China have been put at risk after we arrested Huawei's CFO so she could be extradited to the US. And once again, the US has shown little support as we face the ire of a Chinese superpower. This isn't how good friends stay good neighbors. I'm not convinced we are a "moral leader of the free world." That's not how Canadians think. But we do stand up for what's right. And we do stand up to bullies....whether they are close...or far from home.
64
Thanks, Nick. Canada is indeed a combination of rights and freedoms, on the one hand, and state intervention for the common good, on the other. We were born as a federation of 2 founding cultures, English and French. The Native people have been brought forward, after long neglect. Mr. Trudeau, despite his youth and some excess idealism, tries to keep that foundation intact, and loyal to its values of moderation, compromise, respect, and solidarity. Winter makes us recall the solidarity bit soon after Nov. 1.
One thing, Canada is still a fragile federation. We do have keen ethnic tensions, highly diverse regions, a dependence on free trade, and we have Trumpers lurking, mostly in the Oil and Coal Basin. We'll need moral support from good folks everywhere to keep Canada Canadian.
11
Ask all the Snowbirds down here why they panicked when they thought Trump was going to make it more difficult for them to vacation in Florida or work here.
Canadians are generally good neighbors - South of our Mason Dixon line. But the crucial difference between us is not the people. It's their system of government. Americans easily can correct our Constitution and government here, from the street up through Congress, but Canadians have a terrible time changing or reforming their government by private citizens. Oh, no, all reform in Canada is top down from government, not from outside government. Private groups have zero chance reforming Canada's sclerotic health service, expanding its medical and dental services to the poor, reducing ubiquitously high tax rates, and opening up its monopolistic airline, commercial travel,land and agricultural industry to American competition.
Whether it's reducing taxes, prosecuting corrupt Senators, Judges, Prosecutors or RCMP and Military brass infractions Canadians are at the mercy of endemic cronyism protecting the system of corruption. Let's see how many recent nonwhite immigrants find patronage jobs in the provincial and national Assemblies or government bureaus. if history is any yardstick, not many.
3
@Bayou Houma That's an awfully partisan rant, isn't it? You from the West? Canada's medical systems are provincial, and all happen to allow a private component, perfectly legal, and semi-integrated with the public service. We chose our own doctors. The accountability of our politicians is measured by the fact that the ruling party can remove the PM from power if he fails to meet standards of "confidence." We have a multi-party system, while the Decrepit Duo reign eternally in an America that is semi-royalist in concept, an abstract and crippling web of a Republic (of Electoral Delegates), which declines daily under the Trump dystopia.
In Canada, dental medicine that you suggest should be free, is correctly judged to be too expensive for the state to nationalize, but is covered partly with tax refunds and is free for the lowest income group. We do some calculating before we make promises. Drugs are the cheaper generics. You want an elected judiciary and police corps-- that merely builds cronyism and politics into the system. Gerrymandering is unknown in Canada. Canada may be hostile to your own regional biases, but not to the ideals of Western social democracy.
16
@Bayou Houma
What an odd rant, coming from a citizen of a country that cannot find the political will to change the heinous Second Amendment and the archaic and anti-democratic Electoral College.
You do realize the rightwing Economist magazine's intelligence unit no longer considers the United States a full democracy, don't you?.Canada ranks 6th, while the U.S. is a dismal 25th, just below Estonia and ahead of Cape Verde.
4
Coldster:
You obviously work for the Canadian government, otherwise you would read today's Globe & Mail report on the allegations of political interference by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Trudeau allegedly pressured his Justice Dept. Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould not to prosecute Canada's largest Construction Company SNC-Lavallan for political bribes to obtain Libyan reconstruction contracts. You will find little or nothing on this major Canadian political corruption case in our largest international news reports. Instead we get Fake News in an op-ed extolling the alleged "moral" superiority of Canada's immigration program, social benefits, and lifestyle over ours. Nothing about our state communities reserved for Canadians who are the largest number of undicumented aliens here, who overstay their visas for years, in many cases working illegally and even, in Florida and other states, voting in local elections and illegally securing tax health benefits.
Canada is a beautiful land, so beautiful we once tried to form a union with it in 1812. But it was not administered by a morally superior government then to ours, nor is it today. Note the candid expressions of relief of our extended Canadian visitors that they are not from countries South of our Rio Grande border, and do speak Spanish.
1
Everyday I get up and thank God for being Canadian.
Sure, we have flaws but it is official, our quality of life is at the top of the list.
And more importantly, the vast majority of us really do care about our neighbors and the less fortunate.
If this is socialism, give me more.
20
My dental hygienist is Canadian. She is so sweet that I look forward to going to the dentist!
7
Thank you for this great story! But I must admit, not every Canadian is nice and not every social post/tweet will be without some harsh words or profanity. Let's not pump our ego that high! And you won't always find a friendly face or encounter at the border or customs in Canada. Again, we are certainly not a perfect country where every person you meet will be friendly (but in what country would you actually find this). Of course I do hope the majority of time, a visitor's encounter is positive. I love my country and fly my flag very proudly in my front yard (which unfortunately you won't find as much of as you do in the US - but that doesn't mean people don't love their country as much). Yes in much of Canada our winter's are (very) harsh, but I personally don't mind! I love all 4 (extreme) seasons we experience. Thanks again! from a proud Canadian!
6
I would like to add my experiences as an American living in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. I've been here for three and a half years. First of all, I absolutely love the people, amazing healthcare, lower crime, particularly lower gun crime, and less racism. Canadians are actively working towards a better future for themselves and the world and I completely admire and support their efforts.
However, life here can still be challenging at times.
I arrived very low income and to be honest, it was hard accessing affordable housing and food, particularly because I can't afford to own a car. Finding affordable and accessible things to do for fun during winter (snow falls from the sky here six to eight months of the year and again, I don't own a car and I'm low income) was also very very very hard at first.
I also found that many Canadians judged me for being American, particularly several surly border guards. I found myself hiding where I was from, trying to speak like Canadians, trying to be like them, just in order to be accepted and treated better.
I plan to return to the US so I can be closer to my family. And while I will desperately miss living here, I won't miss certain aspects of the lifestyle and I also won't miss always being "the American" in the room.
4
Aw, shucks, Mr. Kristof, thanks for the kind words.
Yes, there is much to be admired about Canada’s world view, but I think you miss the point that this view is the result of Canada being a middle power – not big enough to be aggressive on the world stage, but too big to be completely ignored.
So we pick things where we can make a difference, as you note, but we really just want everyone to get along. After all, we did come up with the idea of “peacekeeping” some 60 years ago.
And the part about us not being nice when it comes to hockey? It goes for curling as well (sorry).
5
Canada wasn't always the enlightened country that it is today and in some respects it still has catching up to do. The province of Ontario funds parochial school education for Catholic students through the end of high school but not for Jewish or Muslim students or the students of any other religion who attend parochial schools in the province.
When the US Supreme Court handed down its decision to ban prayer in US public schools in the early 1960's (Engle v. Vitale), my 11th grade home room teacher in a public high school in Toronto required recitation of the Lord's prayer and reading from the King James Bible every morning. The only accommodation made to Jewish students was that they were allowed to read from the Old Testament.
During the Third Reich era in Europe, Canada's record for admitting Jewish refugees was one of the worst in the industrial world, with fewer than one refugee admitted to Canada for every two admitted to the US (adjusting for population size differences).
The Canada that Mr. Kristof so admires really didn't get going until about 1965 (the year of the US buildup in Viet Nam), when social programs like the single payer health insurance were passed by the Federal government and the country's immigration rules underwent a major overhaul.
3
The part of the State of the Union speech I really loved was when Trump declared that the US had singlehandedly saved the world on D-Day by themselves with 15000 paratroopers and 60000 men. Apparently, there were no British ( 50000) or Canadians (20000).
16
I know Canadians are thoughtful, smart, and compassionate - so why did you even listen to the imbecile we have in the WH? Most of us didn’t!
2
There is NOTHING boring about integrity, humanity, compassion, and decency! I’ve long been envious of Canada’s politics and social awareness and hope someday soon America will remember who we are and what we’re about.
8
40.000 Refugees ?
I am not impressed. With 36.5 Million citizen this is still just an appetizers. Justin Trudeau has just done a good job in overstating.
2
You do know that Trudeau recently apologized for Canada turning away the St. Louis in 1939, a ship of desperate Jewish refugees, men, women and children, fleeing not economic hardship, but a promise of murder? When Canadian compassion and decency and even self interest could have saved innocent Jews, Canada was not interested. And the only explanation for the pitifully small number of European Jews let into Canada is virulent anti-Semitism.
So if they have such contempt for their own people's welfare as to welcome Muslims with no democratic tradition, no skills Canada can use, and little liking for Western notions of civil rights, I am unimpressed by their empathy, and will ask for a well defended American northern border.
3
@Mary
That would be because Canada at the time was as isolationist as the US and we had a Liberal Mackenzie King as Prime Minister. The Liberals, then and now always sit on the fence and only make a move when they figure there is a vote in it. Canada could only send volunteers overseas and when we started running out of men at the end of 1942, ( don't forget we had the 3rd biggest Air Force and Navy ) and was under pressure to enact a draft, ( The Conscription Crisis) The Liberals wanted to keep Quebec onside. Mackenzie King famously declared "Conscription if necessary but not necessarily conscription".
Reply to Mary: You DO know that the UNITED STATES turned away the St. Louis too. Do you not? And the U.S. wasn’t so keen on accepting Jewish refugees and children in general either. They rejected 20,000 Jewish children right after the St. Louis was sent back to Europe. And let’s not forget the Internment camps of the Japanese, Italians and Germans. The point of this article is that TODAY and most recently Canada has been doing much better than the U.S. on a lot of matters. They also made pregnancy termination and marriage equality legal long before the U.S. as well. Let he who is without sin...
6
And the USA turned no Jews away? My goodness, please read some history.
3
Lately, I have felt a warmth inside when I see our willingness to accept people from anouther country and how we stand up to Saudi Arabia, China and now the US.
Proud that most Canadians feel that it's none of their business if someone else has an abortion. Proud that we don't feel a great need to carry guns or have a collection of them. I'm proud that we struggle in knowing how to fight climate change even though we are a huge source of the problem. I'm proud that we aren't afraid of universal health care, for Pete's sake why would anyone be afraid of that. Really.
I'm proud that many of us still say that not all the people in the States are ignorant and mean spirited. But in that I am surprised at how many are.
5
Having grown up in Metro Detroit and day tripping to Canada as a routine visit, one is overwhelmed by the senseless and mind numbing gun violence on this side of the border. Crossing the short distance over the river one is immediately safe from gun insanity.
Nevertheless, the Right wing keeps spewing propaganda about guns making us safer. Please Southern and Plains State Americans, visit Canada to see what we could be without the civilisation destroying second amendment.
9
@Truthseeker
Guns are inanimate objects. Please consider an alternative explanation. Metro Detroit's violence that much greater than that of Ontario because you have a much higher proportion of your population willing to use such contraptions than is the case in Canada.
1
For all of us down here below the 49th parallel that wish we could be you (and that's more of us than you might think), I hereby apologize to all Canadians for the horrendous cacophonous din we've been generating.
We'll try to keep it down.
9
I am sick and tired of Americans describing Canadians as boring. Being polite, reasonably respectful of others, socially responsible, governed by relatively sane and honest politicians, etc, etc, etc, does not meet my definition of boring.
It increasingly seems to me that the American penchant for describing us a boring is a ham handed way of trying to suggest tht the chaotic and cruel dynamics of American society are somehow “normal.”
Wake up my American friends. You have some horrible social and political problems and they won’t disappear if you describe that state of society as “not boring.”
8
I love Canada and my limited experiences there have been very positive. I do not however believe that Canadians are intrinsically kinder or more noble that Americans. Rather they have not fallen under the malign influence of an ignorant and vicious autocrat like Donald Trump. When we resoundingly repudiate Trump and his cult our people will be free of his daily poisoning of our national spirit and the true and wonderful America will re-emerge.
5
@Richard Williams MD
You have it exactly right. Looking at it another way, Americans are no more, or less, intrinsically law abiding than people in other nations. Nor, as the pro-gun lobby implies, are we more prone to mental problems or video game addiction. The reason for so many shootings is our access to guns, guns and more guns.
8
You are missing an important point if you think Trump is the only problem.
How about tricky Dick, the philandering Clinton, the dimwit Bush, the lyiing cheats who dragged you into Vietnam, and so on, and on.
Your problem is not just Trump. It is systemic and pervasive.
O, Canada! With glowing hearts we see thee rise, the True North strong and free! Thank heavens for you!
I am a Michigander living in the Detroit area. I recently and very deliberately drove through the tunnel to Windsor, Ontario to purchase an "I Love Canada" T-shirt and to tell the salesclerk there how ashamed I was of our president. A friend reminded me that I could have just ordered it off the internet, but I told her that I wanted to spend my dollars in Canada!
Soldier, on, Canada! Keep up the good work. 2020 is right around the corner, and my government will come to its senses.
17
I live 20 miles from Canada and admire it greatly in many ways. But Canada still has to step up its environmental record. Resource extraction interests (particularly Tar Sands oil and various mining concerns) are still way too powerful. If the Federal government would cancel permission for the Trans Mountain Pipeline, that would be a good start.
7
But they don't want Americans unless they are young, have income and ability to support themselves. Your prospect of being able to live in Canada as a permanent resident goes down as you pass the age of 35 if you're an American. So go now if you're young or forget it. You'll be stuck in America and they won't want you then.
5
@RCJCHC
Not necessarily true. If you have a job skill in demand, age isn't so important.
4
@Puny Earthling We're very skilled but 60 years old. They don't want us. We scored 9's on the English test, which Americans have to take now too for residency. Our masters degrees are all recognized through WES (World Education Services). We are educators and in communications with 30 years of experience. They don't want us unless we go to school in Canada and get PhD's or have $800,000. We've talked to an immigration attorney. I know what I'm talking about.
2
90% of the canadian population lives about less than 100 miles from the US border. Toronto, the largest city is at the same level (parallel) as Minneapolis. Yes it is colder in Canada than in Florida but not a lot worse than Buffalo, Detroit or Minnesota.
4
You Americans need to look at a map and stop this endless nonsense about the “frigid north”.
The Canadian heartland is no different in weather than the border states extending from Washington to Maine. Some are colder in winter than others - so what?
3
“Sunny ways my friends, sunny ways”. While politicians in Canada like to quote Sir Wilfred Laurier referring to positive politics, I like to think it’s really code language for California leaving the US and joining Canada. Hey New York, maybe you share our lousy weather, but would you like to come too?
4
Nic forgot to add setting policies into effect for mitigating the worst consequences from global warming by demonstrating leadership in developing the next generation of advanced modular (nuclear) reactors too -https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/funding/icg/21084
4
This is one Canadian who can't help but smirk everytime I hear an American claim "they live in the greatest country in the history of the world."
Not even close.
21
Thank you for this article. I believe that Canada is making an imperfect but progressing effort to recognize colonialism and reconcile with the First Nations. Our healthcare system is not perfect but it is wonderful to have.
Mr. Trump, however, accuses Canada of being a security risk and of being brutally unfair to the U.S. on trade. Man him read your article.
I am a former U.S. citizen but barring family emergencies, I will not visit the United States because of Trump, mass shootings, and bigotry
8
@Jean Travis... "to recognize colonialism and reconcile with the First Nations.".... And then what happens? Should First Nation people continue to live as their ancestors did? What of poverty, domestic abuse, alcohol and drug addiction? What role or responsibility does the Canadian government have? I know these are difficult questions, and certainly not addressed appropriately in the U.S. . But sometimes it seems to me that declaring First Nation status, while kind and sensitive, is little more than supporting the status quo, throwing up your hands and walking away saying see how nice I am. And no, I am not wise enough know what a solution is. Certainly being nice has its merits.
1
As appreciative as I am of your commentary in my awesome, but humble and boring Canadian way, may I just mention that we play hockey ON the ice, not IN the ice? If you are in the ice you are either the lucky Canadian coin that we secretly freeze in the rink to ensure the defeat of other countries in world tournaments, or you have had a bad accident with a Zamboni. Best wishes
12
@Suzanne Birks
Or, Suzanne Birks, it could also be some of our citizens who's brain freezes even before their fingers, who fall through the ice in their skidoos, pickups or cars.
Each winter you see or hear of many finding themselves in or under the ice.
The "Darwin Prize" is awarded here about as often as in any other place. And, "Honourable Mentions" are like confetti at a wedding! (Note, the full "Darwin Prize" is only awarded posthumously.)
3
Thank you, Mr Kristof, for your kind and insightful article about our beloved Canada. I would be hard pressed to meet anyone in the country - immigrants included - whose first words when asked about Canada - are not "we are living in the best country in the world". I greatly admire Justin Trudeau, just as I admired his father in the 60s. When I travel to the United States I am often asked: "Can we trade our President for your Prime Minister". I regard that as a compliment.
8
The Disunited States
The United States has a problem, and blaming it all on Trump is too simple and too easy. Our country is fracturing along racial lines. The White majority is shrinking, and all the other races are catching up and coalescing around the democratic party. Trump tapped into this but I wonder if Trump is using it, or is it using Trump. What Trump has done is deepen the fault line that already existed by magnifying the problem. There are children growing up now who are feeding into this. It is a dangerous situation and the country has to get a grip on things before it gets too late. Most countries in the world are homogeneous, with very small minority populations, this is true of China, Russia, etc, America has always been an experiment to see if the melting part idea works, can every race, religion exist side by side. History tells us that human potential is unlimited when people of all races work toward a common goal.
Trump and the republicans are not a party of the future, they stand for going backward, of reversing the clock as though such a thing were possible, but the anger and resentment of the the past manifested in the democratic party is just as dangerous. The democrats seem to want to punish the past in the present. The two sides have to meet somewhere in the middle, Our next President must be a uniter. The Future of our country depends on it.
4
A modest proposal: Canada and the U.S. split the cost of bussing the Central American migrants north to Canada.
Canada says it wants more migrants, so here they are. And there’s more when it came from.
I know what our northern neighbor will say about it.
And so do you.
4
@David Weber Canada has a robust immigration and asylum procedure. When Illegal aliens from Nigeria and Africa started fleeing NY, for fear of being deported from the US and back to Africa, via a small unmanned crossing at the Canadian border, we didn’t build a wall. A lot of people complained about the unfairness of people bucking the line and coming to Canada without waiting their turn. But again, no wall. The government sent more border officers and police, so that the larger influx could be processed, not so they could be thrown into cages or returned stateside.
12
@David Weber: In fact, Canada is taking in literally thousands of refugees who have made it from Central America through the US to cross at our border. Instead of proposing the expenditure of billions to build a wall to keep them out, our governments collectively are putting tens of millions of dollars to work putting them up in temporary accommodations until they can find more permanent housing. We Canadians are far from being perfect, but we know how to respond with charity and generosity to people in need who ask for our help rather than confronting them with vitriol and condemnation all the while refusing to provide them with the necessities of life or removing their children to be warehoused in cages. We also know that our American cousins want to do better because we know that you are a good and caring people too. Until then however, we Canucks will do what we can to carry our share of that good work. Let us simply hope and pray that you will soon begin listening to your better angels once again and join with us in aiding those most in need of both our help.
6
We'll say "Welcome to Canada" -- we're glad you are here!
7
If I was young and single i would move to Canada until
this horrible unfit disastrous president was out of office. I
am embarrassed to live in a country where 40 percent of its citizens actually voted this man into the most powerful position in the world. It is unimaginable that it could have happened and he is 1000 percent worse than i ever dreamed he could be.
7
If we re-elect Mr T as president in 2020 I can only hope that Canada would be willing to accept a 72 year old retired American as a refugee.
9
@Eddie Cohen M.D ecohen2 . com
Dr Cohen: We will welcome you with open arms.
1
How does that saying go? “Canadiens are just like Americans only nicer.” I’ve been biking in Canada for many years. From east to west. I’d agree with that saying but add: “ and smarter”. Not a single Canadian Bank failed in 2008/2009.
6
We're headed to a conference in Montreal next week carrying a bunch of loonies and toonies. Can't wait to do our little part to stimulate the Canadian economy and pay back for the dreadful treatment Trump is inflicting on our treasured ally.
11
With so many American malcontents praising the immense workers paradise of Canada, I'm surprised the population sits at only 37 million, or slightly less than one American state (California). Here's hoping that Canada throws open its borders, welcoming an educated, English-speaking caravan of health care-seeking sick people. Wait till the benevolent, good-health-for-all welfare state has to deal with 320 million patients, not one-ninth of that. A hint of the challenge at hand may be glimpsed in the mother country, Great Britain, where the NHS is beset by rationing, long waiting times for surgeries, a shortage of beds, and repeated broken promises of improvement.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/apr/06/nhs-failure-health-service
5
Oh Great; now you have done if Nicholas. We have spent decades flying under the radar; being the quiet boring neighbor to the north; that Americans take for granted. What are you trying to do but blow our cover. The U.N. just released a major study about true freedom as exists within every nation on Earth. The U.S. ended up ranked in the mid-30`s of countries and was going in the wrong direction under Trump; Surprise. Canada was ranked #1 as the true champion of Freedom around the world; and the world knows it. That is why more and more refugees are now proudly calling themselves Canadians. Are we perfect? Of course not. Do we have issues like Aboriginal rights that must be addressed. You bet. But we are not at each others throats in denying these problems; and we are trying to fix them. Now you are endangering all this by trying to make us look good in comparison with the U.S.; and we know what that means. Americans do not like being told other countries do things better than you. Especially boring old Canada. So please friend; keep ignoring us; we like it that way.
8
I have always been amazed how Canada and the US diverged for our common Mother, Great Britain.
The US adopted a gun packing mentality.
Canada adopted the hockey stick.
The US adopted the Eagle as their national emblem. Majestic, Free Flying, Omniscient.
Canada selected the Beaver, Hard working, Consistent, to some, Boring and a bit Cute
Canada chose a Health Care System available to all.
The US adopted for profit Medical Services.
Canada, The Great White North. I'll have that any day.
I'm sorry if I offended anyone. Eh!
11
@Daniel.....Well developing a bit later Canada had a little advantage in may of these things, as they could look at the U.S. and say .... That doesn't look like a good idea.
2
I am a dual Canadian/US citizen. I immigrated to the US 37 years ago. Canada is a kinder gentler place and the contrast has only become more marked in the past 4 decades. Canadians' value system is much more uniform than that of Americans, and does not include the concept of a 'God-given right' to get rich by any means possible. Canadians seem to recognize the societal concept of 'looking after each other.' While the treatment of refugees is an obvious and quantifiable contrast, healthcare and education are other examples of accepting mutual responsibility for each other. Canadians don't have to declare personal bankruptcy because of medical bills, nor do they graduate from university with staggering debt. Of course one consequence of this different value system is that there are disproportionately fewer obscenely wealthy individuals at the top of Canadian society.
7
Keeping it classy Canada !
5
Probably not that boring to First Nations Peoples, being brutalized by RCMP for opposing tar sands pipelines through their sacred territories!
5
Yes Canada is a cold place - with a warm heart. And Australia is a hot place - with a not-so-warm heart. Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun sought asylum in Australia, but while our conservative government dawdled, the Canadian authorities swooped - and a brave young woman found sanctuary there and not here. Not happy Australia! Well done Canada! Too bad not enough of you play cricket for your country to be able to play us in test matches though. Not boring enough?
5
So proud to be your boring neighbour....we spell better too (just teasing:-)
Thanks for the accolades!
6
"Boring"? Usual stereotype and, of course, not true. You're better than that, Nick. But you did get the hockey reference right.
4
Just to let you Americans in on a little secret: It's a form of recreation among most Canadians to glibly run down America as everything they are not - war mongering racists who don't even offer their citizens heath care, etc, all without even the smallest thanks for big brother picking up the security bill.
Amazingly, a growing contingent of masochistic Americans will nod in complete approval; many of whom have scarcely been to Canada, and simply like the idea of her.
Yes, I'm a proud Canadian. I'm also a proud American...you should be proud as well.
5
Not all Canadians like Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's immigration free-for-all. It is poorly vetted. ISIS terrorists often live in the same communities as their Yazidi women victims. Trudeau gave $10 million to convicted terrorist Omar Khadr, an Afghan with tenuous ties to Canada who served 10 years in Guantanamo for murdering a US service man. Trudeau has gratuitously branded all criticism of his immigration policy as "racist". He has recently set up a $500 million slush fund to subsidize conforming organizations in anticipation of upcoming federal parliamentary elections.
3
@Observatory
Nice to see another Rebel Media viewer reading the NyTimes.
1
From all the comments from our neighbours about how cold it is in Canada you would think they all live in Hawaii.
5
“Because of the "city upon a hill" sound bite, "A Model of Christian Charity" is one of the formative documents outlining the idea of America. But dig deep into its communitarian ethos and it reads more like an America that might have been, an America fervently devoted to the quaint goals of working together and getting along. Of course, this America does exist. It's called Canada.”
― Sarah Vowell, The Wordy Shipmates
5
A great article Nicholas. As a Canadian spending his winter months in South Florida, I follow with great interest American politics. he election of Trump in 2016 has somehow shown the whole world a part of America that was not well known. The dark side. Racism, bigotry, homophobia, xenophobia and all other sins from the dark side were there before Trump came on the political stage. But his election put them in the spotlight. A group of neo-nazis marched in Charlottesville yelling « Jews will not replace us » and the President of the USA has nothing else to say that there are good people among them. You have a president who cares only for those who voted for him and still approve him. On the world stage, we now know that the US has no real friends, only interests. The moral leadership is gone. Jamal Khashoggi was murdered in Turkey and the president close his eyes because of the US interests in Saudi Arabia or maybe because they did a lot a business with the Trump organisation. After that, the US should not lecture China, North Korea or any other country about human rights. As for Canadians, we know that most Americans are not like the Trump supporters but we have been shocked by the huge number they are and what they stand for. God bless America…….it needs it.
3
Canada boring? Hey, I grew up in the American Midwest and there’s nothing more boring on this earth than a midwestern winter—snore. Canada knows how to make winter fun. OK, granted, maybe our politics are boring, but thank God for that!
4
"Jessie Thomson, left, and Amany Alhadka, right, were among the countless Canadians who helped Syrian refugees acclimate to their new country."
Let's hope is was the caption writer's diction--acclimate v. assimilate--rather than missing the concept, for if it's the former--no thanks, time to return back to where they came from.
But as to Trudeau's--"We’ll stand up for human rights and women’s rights around the world.”--go for it, fill the country up--millions in the Middle East who need the help. Canada's economy, it seems, can afford it and the citizens stand behind his resettlement program of "acclimation".
2
@Alice's Restaurant
Canada has an official policy of multiculturalism, so the correct term is acclimate. In your erstwhile "melting pot" assimilate it is, or else.
2
@Selena61
An "official", "correct term" -- more thought-control from up north like gender pronouns? Too much French influence, perhaps?
Hey, thanks for the nod but Canadians are not boring - au contraire! ;) Time to let go of this tired cliché!
3
The author has no idea what he's talking about. Canada is nothing of the sort. Our prime minister merely virtue signals when the cameras are rolling; obviously the author has not bothered looking at what's happening when the cameras are off.
6
Canada is such a beautiful place, the people are warm and encouraging to you when you visit. I know they cant wait till this insanity comes to an end with the next election. No one realized how mean and selfish Americans could be by listening to one person
3
I decided not to cancel my subscription as long as the NTTimes keeps Nicholas Kristof. He is such a counter balance to all the lousy stuff I have to read. Thank you for always trying to find the good on the planet. Canada is becoming the moral voice of this age of evil. I am too old to move, but if I had another 25 or even ten years left, I would try to to move to Canada. It is so civilized. I know there are lots of people who are civilized in this country, but somehow their voices are drowned out by all the noise of our unbridled hatred, greed, and stupidity. NK, keep writing for us.
4
THERE'S ALWAYS Camada! Who knew that Canada had adopted such humane, open policies? They did not clamor for attention. Even their tweets, which in the US are weaponized by You-Know-Who, are used to spread good will in Canada. I do wonder if there is any problem with parallel religious communities. If the Canadians are so welcoming, they may continue their largesse to the extent that those practicing Islam are comfortable participating in the larger society. Now if there were only some way to develop some cultural trickledown from north of the US border!
2
Just to keep some balance here, comparing the USA with Canada is fine but the truth is that if we were even compared to Uruguay, the USA would probably come in 2nd.
Let's face it, we went off the deep end when Ronald Reagan, in his splendorous ignorance came on the scene. That's when the Big Money boys took over.
I can only hope that Trump is at the apogee of American political stupidity. We got the government we deserved?
6
Oh Canada, my Canada....
Best Country in the world.
Owned a river cottage there a half century. Last home I would sell.
And, if you are not wearing MAGA buttons- for don con- you are welcomed, despite don con hits.
The United States bravely supporting dictators, wannabe Putins and nations crushing human rights.
I am sad for what my country is becoming. Time to kick out the crooks and liars and get some principled adults in charge!
1
Maybe you should put Canada on your "2019 win-a-trip contest" list. Might change their lives forever for the better.
Just don't give them hockey sticks.
3
All of our political parties (except the Greens) have been captured by the oil industry. Canadians are doing nothing to protect the beautiful land we are so privileged to live in and we exploit it with no restraint. Our government (yes happy Trudeau) used our own tax dollars to buy a leaky old pipeline, in an effort to ram through a bigger one, despite the vehement protest of many citizens. As a progressive British Columbian I have more in common with Washington state or California than I do with much of Canada. Google Doug Ford or the Trans Mountain pipeline. The train wreck you have going on down there makes our problems look tiny in comparison but Canadians have no reason to be smug. Sorry.
4
A long-ago train trip in eastern Canada has always been my favorite vacation. The Canadians were always courteous and friendly.
2
Canada is far from boring...unless you consider low violent crime rates , abundant natural beauty and wildlife, lots of opportunity to engage in outdoor sports, and friendly and polite citizens willing to help out strangers boring.
We have often traveled to both Canada and the US, and the differences start at passport control, where in Canada one is greeted with a smile and a cheery "Welcome to Canada" instead of signs that say "You are the first line of defense!" Even the news is different...Canadian news is a lot like European news, and deals with international and political issues in a straightforward manner with a neutral tone. As soon as you're in the US, it's suddenly "ARE YOUR CHILDREN AT RISK???? TUNE IN TO FIND OUT!"
And as for crime...we were in a small city in Canada, and our guide was talking about how his son had had his bicycle stolen...this crime was so heinous that there was an article about it in the local paper.
Or is it only boring because you don't have to worry as much about being shot?
499
@rb
Boring, much like stability, is highly underrated.
42
Shhh!! Don’t tell anyone.
14
During the 60s and 70s it seems everybody set out to backpack/hitchhike everywhere. Part of the must have gear was a home Country flag sewn on to your pack. Turned out a lot of Canadian flags were displayed by US citizens.
You seem to have admired us for some time.
I remember a lot of you sought refuge here, I met and worked beside many daft dodgers.
Sure we have problems - what Country does not. But it is still nice to have others say nice things about Canada, wherever their country origin.
269
@K. O'Brien hey! careful what you say about 'daft dodgers'.
one of them became president.
53
@K. O'Brien, In my business class travels between Northern Europe and the US in the 1980s and 1990s my carryon displayed Air Canada paper tags. I had picked up a bunch of them from an Air Canada check-in counter and it was my way of avoiding being subject to the assumptions often made about entitled behaving US citizens.
28
@K. O'Brien I love and admire Canada, but as someone who has traveled all over the developing world with a backpack for over forty years, I can assure you that these flags do not make the slightest difference. Be it Latin America, Asia or Africa, the local people make no distinction between United Statesians and Canadians. We are all simply rich foreigners.
4
Right now, Canada seems to do a much better job promoting the values listed in the Preamble to the US Constitution than the President of the United States.
Readers, step up!
1
There are forces afoot here, in Canada - the usual laundry list of alt-right haters- who would undo in a heartbeat all the good Kristoff mentions.
I fervently hope that after our federal election this October, we continue to be our kind, generous, boring selves and not some grotesque Trumpian mini-circus.
4
Thank you for this article. Yes we have some work to do to keep improving but we are generally going in the right direction in these areas.
I would like to make a suggestion to you Mr, Kristof... could you somehow convince your President to get into the ring with our Prime Minister? I think it would do a lot of good for the world.
The winner can choose the charity or cause of their choice or.... perhaps if Mr. Trump wins, he can build his wall... and if Trudeau wins, the US can adopt a more Canadian approach to immigration? The side bet can stay as it was in Trudeau's last charity boxing match ;)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuSpZ3_5pTc
Thank you for considering this.
4
After Ms. Freeland mildly criticized KSA I searched everywhere to see if any other nation would have her back. I found nothing. It seems the leaders of the west are now either feckless, cowed, or despots themselves. It felt a bit isolating (not Canada's usual role), but if felt also felt right. While I haven't in past, I am going to support Mr. Trudeau's government because someone has to stand up when no one else will. Wasn't that the lesson of the 1930s?
3
Canada is a beautiful land, but like all countries it has some bad history, and government abuses that could use some good old American Republican and Democratic Party competition, even a party of Donald Trump. Canada is trying to find ways to overcome as many economic problems as it is trying to hide. Behind paeans to Canadian alleged “moral” leadership over the USA one finds a great deal of political corruption, overtaxation, cronyism, top-down patronage (esp. its appointed lifetime “Senators”), entrenched white racism in economic and employment opportunities (so entrenched it’s not uncommon for white Canadians to deny that Canada ever had either slavery, anti-miscegenation laws, or racial segregation, that black Canadians are all recent immigrants, while yet defending Canada’s mythic founding groups as Aboriginal, French and English ). Added to the cumbersome political crony system of winner-take-all politics there is good old fashioned Chauvinism, not all of it in French-speaking Quebec. And it remains a dominion of Britain under the Monarch whose image effaces its currency!
1
I guess it all depends on your definition of 'boring'. Please bore me with sensible gun regulation, a country not awash in a sea of assault weapons and mass shootings, and a leader who is intelligent, civil, compassionate, and effective. Please.
3
Sweet article and nice to read - if only to see that some Americans understand that Canada it not merely the US's hat (thanks Paula Poundstone).
But, we're much more like Americans than unlike and we're no better.
We do have a very good medicare system - thank goodness. Nobody here has to worry about bankruptcy when getting sick. But it's deteriorating and instead of fixing it, a two-tier system is sneaking in. Unless we do something about it, our system will be similar to the American model one day.
Infrastructure: many of our own roads and bridges are crumbling. Inept planning and corruption are making things worse.
In my own province, year after year, newspaper polls show that almost 1/2 of the population considers itself 'racist'. There's a fear and distrust of non-white people here. People of colour face many of the same issues as they do in the US. There's discrimination in housing and employment.
Here too, there are anti-islamic sentiments, with some provinces trying to outlaw the wearing of Hijabs and other headscarf by government workers. The ongoing fight is not going well, as it's clearly a moronic idea.
Jews - in my home province up until the 1960's - many were not welcomed or wanted in certain places. Hotels would not rent them rooms.
First Nations people - still a problem that we've not corrected.
The Tar Sands - an abomination given the climate crisis.
But, at heart, we're a good people and we do the best we can.
3
I'm Canadian but I lived all over the USA for 9 years. It is so sad to me what is happening down there now. I used to have close Republican friends but it seems we can no longer talk much because either they're ashamed, or you can't say anything without them putting their fingers in their ears and blindly squealing about "fake news".
I did see the seeds of this current tragedy in previous years but I always thought that rational minds would prevail. I don't think that anymore. Now their reputation is in tatters and they're a laughing stock.
I hope there's a powerful progressive backlash in the next election but the culture is so mired in zero sum thinking (you winning means I lose) that I'm not very hopeful.
3
I wish I had immigrated to Canada in my 20's...ORegon is close but...it still is in the US
3
Canada’s values can be summed up by noting they have Single Payer Healthcare-full stop .
6
The grass is always greener when the winter is meaner.
1
Thank you, Mr. Kristoff, for telling us which country accepted Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun.
Why was Canada not mentioned in the news article on the young Saudi's predicament in Thailand? It only said she was put on a plane and sent on.
2
A tired trope of Canadians being nice, boring, and noble. We may seem so shiny and bright because of the contrast to our southern neighbours but it's important to note that Canada is not immune to the rise in the alt-right sentiment that is plaguing so many western nations. A few days ago marked the anniversary of a Mosque shooting in Quebec city which killed 6 muslim men during a mid-day prayer and populist right-wing leaders are currently in power provincially in Ontario and soon to be Alberta. This week in Edmonton, at the oldest Mosque in Canada, the "Soldiers of Odin" a white supremacist group wrote a threat letter telling the Muslim population to conform to white Christian values or get out. Black Canadians are consistently over-policed and killed at the hands of the RCMP (google Robyn Maynard for more info). And none of this even touches the extreme systemic maltreatment of Indigenous peoples which manifests itself in an overrepresentation of Indigenous kids in state care, and of Indigenous adults incarcerated. (Not to mention decades-long boil water advisories on First Nation Reserves)
We may look good when Trudeau is handing out winter jackets to refugees for a photo op. But Canada is plagued with its own racial, linguistic, and ideological tensions. Pretending otherwise erases the struggles of those fighting systemic oppression in Canada.
6
When Trudeau loses to an anti-immigrant conservative, as seems quite possible, what will that say about Canada?
America elected Obama before it elected Trump. Which is the real America?
Countries are complicated. Kinda like people.
3
Canadians should be proud ...their government representatives act with a conscience.
1
I’m sure you’re intending to be funny, but the whole “Canada is boring/reader wake up!” just furthers the kind of stereotypes we need to move away from. In the same way that people outside of the US cringe every time a newscaster or journalist says the US is “the greatest country in the world,” as if this is a de facto accepted truth (wake up, reader, it’s not), we in Canada have no such notions of being “the best” or “the most moral.” We’re quite aware of our own negligence towards First Nations peoples, and we have our own home grown supremacists who take up far too much oxygen. But what we do have is an acknowledgment that we are richer for our diversity. And unlike the US, which describes itself as a melting pot, wanting all to eventually be the same (“USA USA” chanting Americans), we prefer our crayons vibrantly unmelted, in all their individual glory. It’s also a measure of how far the US has fallen that accepting refugees and standing up for those who need our help is what sets Canada apart...that used to describe the US once upon a time.
4
Canada boring? Come on, Canada is one of this planets most fascinating and beautiful countries. It's definitely the better America (and I spent years in both interpretations).
1
Much has been said here that I don't want to repeat but as someone who has taken two long drives through the states and visited Sooth Carolina and Florida, and as someone who reads the Post and the Times daily, especailly the comments - LOTS of comments, I have three observations:
1. One on one, Americans are, in general, very friendly and accomodating.
2. Americans identify with the STATE far more than Canadians do with their provinces (except Quebec). To me this prevents a federal mindset from taking hold - its independence at all costs.
3. Canada is not free of a history of slavery but it is not on the same scale as that in the US. Here, the country has failed to address this issue factually, honestly and publicly, and until that happens, the US will continue to have this fast-moving undercurrent of racism and fear, that affects daily lives in myriad ways. For a model, look at what Germany did after WW2 in recognizing the crimes of the Nazis and the complicity of regular Germans.
Good luck to all decent Americans
3
I'm from Canada, and in response to your column, all I can say is "great", "awesome" and "woo hoo"!
1
I worked for a Canadian corporation and it was by far the worst, most soul-killing job I ever had. Leadership were ruthless. Staff were cold and unfriendly. While I applaud much that Mr. Kristoff mentions, I think it’s important not to idealize our neighbors to the north.
4
Was it Mike Myers who said that "The USA and Canada were born from the same parent, but the USA ran away from home to become a movie star whilst Canada stayed home with Mom"?
4
Et tu, Canada?
"Consequences if you are Caught working illegally in Canada:
You will have to face very grim consequences when you are caught doing working illegally. The Immigration and Refugee Board’s Immigration Division will hold a hearing where you will be testified. The Immigration Division is the one who decides whether you have really worked against the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. If you are found guilty, then the authorities will declare you inadmissible to the country.
You can be deported- An exclusion order will be published in your name and you would not be able to come back to Canada for at least one or two years at the least.
Denying the blame for working illegally in Canada will not work out to help you"
1
In the book Fire and Ice: The United States, Canada and the Myth of Converging Values by Michael Adams. Adams offered a surprising argument that the values of Canadians and Americans were diverging in important ways. Despite the two countries’ profound economic integration, (and the fact that 90% of Canada’s residents live within 100 miles of the US border) their many historical, demographic, and geographic similarities, and the ubiquity of American popular culture in Canada, Adams argued that Canadians and Americans increasingly view the world differently.
Adams was particularly interested in finding out why an initially “conservative” society like Canada has ended up producing an autonomous, inner-directed, flexible, tolerant, socially liberal, and spiritually eclectic people while an intentionally “liberal” society like the United States has ended up producing a people who are, relatively speaking, materialistic, outer-directed, somewhat intolerant, socially conservative, and deferential to traditional institutional authority. http://www.jimmintz.ca/2016/11/16/difference-between-canadians-and-americans/
3
Nicholas thank you for your very complimentary comments on Canada even if they suffer from rank superficiality. Our Prime Minister is working hard to undermine the very attributes you assign to us as Canadians. His open door policy on immigration has spawned a wave of immigrants that will never have real employment and will live on our social welfare net their entire lives. On the West Coast East Asian gang gun violence and crime is the headline while massive Chinese immigration has had a huge impact on money laundering through the many casinos they own in British Columbia. The result has been rampant housing inflation. Back East it is Jamaican gun violence and gang crime in places like Toronto. Our Prime Minister has quickly shed his boy scout persona and showed himself to be less than qualified to be the head of any organization let alone our country. His background in teaching theatre in high school isn't enough to get him through all of these challenges and he's bankrupting us morally and financially.
1
Canada accepted 40,000 Syrian refugees and we have 1/10th the population of the USA. For an inspiring example of how one Montreal synagogue sponsored several refugee families see Salaam Montréal (http://bit.ly/2MVbrXG)
2
The things that power the Canadian economy are dirty Tar sands, the Calgary oil industry, and pipelines. Similar to Scandinavia which has an economy that is powered by Norway’s off shore oil. Please please wake up from your liberal fantasy about these places and try to look for real solutions to problems not the PR these places and their advocates push on us.
2
Yes! Yes! Yes! Canada is THE best of the West, maybe of the world. Thank God we have a country to admire. The U. S. A. is morally lost, sacrificed to money and power.
1
Left out: Climate Change
Canada , per capita, is the most polluting country in the Western World, digging up processing tar sands,
Canada contributes, per capita, more to climate change than ANY other Western Country, but yes, that dirty oil allows her to twist the nose of Saudi Arabia
1
@Jiill, I was curious and went looking for this info. Can't find anything to substantiate it.
4
One thing that I have observed about Canada is that the Christian community there is really Christian. They don't go about loudly proclaiming their piousness like our (USA) evangelical faux christians. They just do good things.
4
You nailed it Mr. Kristof.
And the fundamental reason for Canada being the standout country that it is: we are a Nordic nation.
Much like Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark, our attitudes, beliefs and mindset are indeed socialist (open, compassionate and tolerant), which is only a benefit and blessing to all Canadians, and the rest of the world, too.
The fact that so many of our misinformed, illiberal neighours beneath us have such disdain for that fact only reinforces that we're far and away on the right track. (If they even know what or where Canada is.)
Oh, we have serious problems, gut-wrenching issues and national disgraces to deal with.
What country does not?
Please do keep pushing the boring schtick though Mr. Kristof and others. We prefer that. Because the less we're noticed by the legions of less evolved who mistakenly assume they're better off so much the better for us, ay!
Sorry. Excuse me. Thanks. Have a nice day.
266
@Barry Canada's other advantage is that it isn't burdened by our southern states.
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Barry: Do yourself a (dis)service--take a drive to rural Alberta or heck, even up to Parry Sound, and see how "informed" and "liberal" countrymen are about issues like immigration, etc--but hey, as we know from Denmark and Sweden, Nordic nations are intolerant too, eh?
And Mr Kristof, please...There is something to be said that Donald Trump is trying to model our visa/immigration system on Canada's. And that ain't flattering.
4
@Barry
I admire Canada for its diversity and how it welcomes new residents. Hong Kong's loss was Vancouver's gain as the Asian-Canadian population has grown to 30% and now is home to some of the best Chinese restaurants in the world. And some of the most expensive real estate.
But I don't think very many Canadians would agree with your assessment that Canada is a Nordic country.
Certainly not the anglophiles who believe their Queen resides at Buckingham Palace. Nor the Francophiles who would like Quebec separated from Canada.
I suspect the yabos who follow crack-smoking mayors and their brothers would bristle at the notion of Nordic Canada as well. They put Stephen Harper in power and kept him there for a long time.
Finally I think the First Nations people would object vehemently that Canada is anything other than a colony exploited by England and France for its bountiful resources. They would likely also object that Canada is nice when it comes to how indigenous people were brutally suppressed and their territory stolen and exploited.
Canada has fewer people than California, natural resources that guarantee national prosperity, and a slower pendulum swing between Liberal and Conservative cum reactionary.
For now it has every reason to be nice. The Liberals are in power and have a stable majority. But it was just yesterday when Liberals held all of 36 seats in Parliament and Harper's Tories tried rigging the vote.
Canada is nice because it can be.
12
I live where I can compare Canadian and American coverage of national and international news. Last February I particularly enjoyed their more calm, more civilized coverage the the PyeongChang Winter Games. Over the years I've come to think it's the clear result of Canada's historic choice of heroes — If you think about it, Canada has ever elevated the cops, the RCMPs, while we, mostly the outlaws: the Jesse Jameses, Billy the Kids, and Donald Trumps of the world. My thanks, Mr. Kristof, for today's very fine column.
3
Canada may be one of the largest countries geographically with a extremely strict immigration policy overall.
Canada has very strict control of people in Canada without legal status to immigrate, compared to the USA.
Legal immigration is mostly based on the "merit system" that Trump advocates for the USA.
American immigration is far more tolerant and open than Canada's immigration policy.
1
Thank you Nicholas for a fine column. One important note: Canadians are finally beginning the painful process of addressing cultural genocide inflicted upon Aboriginal communities - spanning 150+ years. I recommend readers to look at the 22-page summary of the 400+ page Truth and Reconciliation Report - to see just how damaging successive government policies have been. While this is a blot on our history, we have recognized the moral imperative to address this in a comprehensive manner. It will take decades. It will also form the evolution of our country towards a higher plane.
3
Growing up in Canada I remember going to Detroit to visit relatives who insisted that the US was geographically bigger than Canada. It didn't matter when I showed them an atlas that clearly showed the difference in size. What it boiled down to was the fact that my relatives had been told from an early age that the US was the greatest country in the world. They were extremely proud of their country so real size, I believe, became secondary to their beliefs. It was inspiring to see such patriotism but it was also a good example of how their education had been so restricted to only the US; they knew next to nothing about the rest of the world, including their neighbors. The fear of the other (aka foreigners) can only be overcome when US education becomes more global, when Americans learn more about life outside of the US. Unfortunately the present administration is even more insular than all those years ago when my relatives knew so little. One can only hope that things change in 2020, so that US patriotism will actually be more deserved, and when people needing sanctuary are again welcome in one of the greatest countries in North America.
2
Growing up in Canada we were inspired by great leaders to be considerate of other nations and to call-out injustices. And who were leaders like Nobel Laureate Prime Minister Lester Pearson inspired by? Leaders like Woodrow Wilson who called for 'peace without victory' in WW1 and proposed a League of Nations to resolve international disputes and avoid bloodshed. Yes Canada's international policies are usually considerate, fair and reasonable, but for generations they have been borrowed from the words of many inspirational leaders and diplomats from south of the border. One hope's that Nick Kristoff's article will help inspire Americans to Make America GOOD Again.
3
Justin Trudeau approved oil pipeline extensions and does not go anywhere near the problems of Canadian oilsands businesses.
Climate change is much, much worse than previously thought.
Every week there is new evidence of it.
Until I see Canadian kids taking to the streets, forcing Trudeau to take a stand on fossil fuels, I can't in good conscience call Canada a moral leader.
2
We can also offer some leadership on matters of public policy, such as sensible health care. Canada spends about 10% of its economic output (GDP) on health care. US spends about 15%. When we spend a dollar, you spend $1.50. Per capita, US spends more than twice per person as Canada.
Yet...Canadians have longer life expectancy, lower infant mortality rate, and everyone is covered.
If you want to top up your coverage with private insurance for health costs not covered by employer or public health care (e.g. drugs, dental, vision), you can do that.
Of course there are 31 other industrialized nations that offer something similar.
https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/health-spending-u-s-compare-countries/
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A University of Minnesota colleague once shared with me that a friend of hers had observed that Canada is a country of hall monitors.
I was stunned.
How could an outsider assess the nation’s character so accurately?
4
When I was growing up in Canada, I would hear advice from local people to those contemplating a trip to the U.S: “Don’t get sick.”
As a recent $297 bill for a routine visit to get prescriptions renewed suggests, that advice still holds true. Would we had Tommy Douglas influencing health policy down here!
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As an American living in Canada, the largest (and refreshing) difference I see between it and the US is its lack of hubris. Americans want to think of themselves as great or that they should be, Canadians couldn't care less. Americans wave the flag, Canadians do not (except at the Olympics). Americans get angry in their politics - Canadians, not so much. When Quebec wanted to separate in the mid nineties, there was passion yes, but no violence. Americans, of course, had the Civil War. Compared to America, we don't get exercised by all that much. But all this means that Canada has to always punch above its weight internationally, and not always successfully, witness the slap downs by both China and Saudi Arabia. Canada says the right things, but rarely is it listened to. Canada may be large, but it has a small footprint. Perhaps because they like it that way.
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@Rick Morris As a Canadian living in the US, I think your comparisons are spot on. Thank you.
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Interesting and informative article, but who is the authority on Canadians being boring. They have thriving and beautiful cities like Vancouver, Montreal and possibly one of the most diverse and vibrant cities in the world Toronto. I have found friendly and outgoing people everywhere I have ever been in Canada outside the big cities. Of course I guess they need the likes of no-talent celebrities like the Kardashians to make them less boring or our reality TV president or members of his family.
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I completely agree. I just traveled to Canada for pleasure and found the Canadian people to be friendly and helpful. The scenery in the Canadian Maritimes is beautiful as well.
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@BC Only Americans think Canadians are boring. I won’t say what Canadians say Americans are.
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Thanks to Mr. Kristof for this tribute to our northern neighbor.
I don't know much about Canada beyond the fact that after 9/11 US citizens need a passport to cross the border. I visited my grandson in Buffalo, NY a few years ago and was disappointed that day passes were no longer available to visit the Canadian side of Niagara Falls.
My closest contacts with anything Canadian are in literature (Margaret Atwood, Louise Penney)and certain television shows (DaVinci's Inquest).
What I envy most of all, though I have heard some say it is not worthy of such, is their health care system.
After the 2016 election's horrible surprise, I would have moved there except for the cold! Being a born and bred southerner in the US, one winter in Omaha,Nebraska let me know I could not survive long in Canada.
The most discouraging take from Kristof's article is an awareness of the contrast between the cultures of the USA and those of Canada. For some time now a large number of countries have shown their darker trends in the hands of incompetent and malicious people. It is good to know a close neighbor can be said to oppose that trend. If only ....
3
Canada cannot have a Prime Minister of one party and a parliament dominated by another party and manages to limit the election campaigns to only a few weeks. I do not think we need a parliamentary system, but it would be a blessing to be able to stop election campaigns from starting the day after an election.
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@Cassandra
Actually, as Canada's Parliament operates under the British Westminster System, it is quite possible for the PM of one party to face a Parliament where the opposition outnumbers his/her own side. It's called a minority government and it is not uncommon in both federal and provincial chambers. The principal reason is that there are more than two parties at play (at present there are 4 parties and a couple of independents in Parliament). So the PM (or provincial Premier) is the leader with the most elected members. Should the opposition join forces they could easily defeat the PM in a vote of non confidence or a money bill.
I might also add that under this system we do not vote for a PM. We vote for our local Member of Parliament. The elected members of the Party pick their leader(a fellow-elected party member) or the party members as a whole voted for as leader prior to the election.
To remove a sitting PM all that is necessary is for a majority of elected members to agree on a vote to unseat the incumbent (what is done can be undone). A procedure of this purpose exists in all Westminster-style systems. Some hold that the very tenuousness of the situation leads to a more attentive, cooperative leader, though not always.
But, I'm sure you can see the possible benefits that might accrue from such a situation.
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@Selena61
I should have said "cannot long have....." But the question remains: how does Canada manage to have such short campaigns?
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What would have happened if we didn’t revolt from the Mother Country? I often wonder what would have happened if the slave holding colonies had gone their own way and the northern ones united with Canada. Perhaps it’s not too late New England, West Coast. It would make for a very strong force in the world for climate change, health care and sensible immigration policies.
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@John Marksbury
Anyways you guys can do this without a second civil war ?
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Thanks Mr Kristof for reminding us of what we should aspire to be.
While no government is perfect, it highlights the gap between "MAGA' and "CIG" (Canada IS Great!)
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Thank you for your kind words. The things we do instinctively as Canadians isn’t that complicated, we love our country, but we do not shut ourselves off from the rest of the world and yell “Canada First”, as we know we are part of a much larger global community, much of it less fortunate than us.
Mr. Kristof, as a Canadian I know if you had offered the slightest bit of praise to our Prime Minister it could have possibly jeopardized our standing with your president, especially during the NAFTA renegotiations. We recognized Trump's pettiness from the get-go and know he places no value whatsoever with us as a long-standing ally, but you are right, we do things quietly here.
Personally, Trump has strengthened my reserve to be a better person everyday. His mean-spirited ways may actually have made us an even kinder, more generous people. I will never, ever go down that rabbit hole, and with Trump we know the signs and what to look out for. Our values are deeply held within us, waving a flag just isn't who we are, (although we do so proudly), but we know it's just a symbol, it's our actions that count.
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I always appreciate a compliment from a neighbour to the South, but Mr. Kistof is going overboard with this smaltzy piece.
Canada is a huge, I mean HUGE country - with the second largest land mass after Russia. To fill that giant space, we need people, who need services and infrastructure to be able to sustain themselves and prosper. Therefore we bring in people from all 5 corners of the world, including those fleeing war and poverty which is a good thing. The truth however is, that all our inclusiveness and 'diversity is our strength' sloganeering by our PM doesn't change the fact, that many, if not most will settle in one of the 4 major urban centres' (Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary) ethnic ghettos and will depend heavily on already scarce social services for a very, very long time. Very few, if any will move to the West or the North to farm and an awful lot of the new immigrants are non-productive extended family members (elders, or children).
If I have a bone to pick with Mr. kristof is that he's using another country to blacken his own. That's not nice.
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Yes, Canada admits a greater number of asylum seekers, but they also have a merit based immigration system. When a similar system is proposed in the U.S. it is labeled as racist or counter to our national ideals. Mr. Kristof, could you please comment on this?
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I wish I had moved to Canada when I was young and healthy. I'm sure that my heart attack would have been prevented. That you guy are willing to brave much longer winters is a testament to Canada's superior society. Mr. Kirstof -- have you noticed how considerate Canadian drivers are to pedestrians? Someone should make a documentary film comparing driver behavior in the the countries. Fortunately, NJ is a lot more humane than most of the rest of the US.
2
Living in Alaska for forty years has afforded me the opportunity to drive through the Yukon Territory and British Columbia on many occasions - it's beautiful country, and every encounter we've had with Canadians along the way has been positive. The Canadians I've worked with and those whose fellowship I've enjoyed at church - to a person, they have been kind and charitable. Inherent to Canadians is a spirit of generosity and cooperation (even among the hockey players I've met - but only off-ice).
Justin Trudeau, as young as he is, leads his nation by his kind example. Similarly, many citizens of our nation follow the example of the small-minded, cruel, bigoted leader we somehow elected - to our eternal shame. I look forward to the return of American leadership and the greatness we once shared as a compassionate nation.
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I'm Canadian. And I'm disappointed our politicians are preaching moral lessons to the world. Not what I expect from our politicians. I want my prime minister to have introspective reviews of our affairs, not what goes on in other countries other than meeting our UN treaty obligations and of course host based on compassion but within reasonableness. Our country is not structured to receive all immigrants wishing to join us. I would love to be given the chance to become a u.s. citizen without having to cross the line illegally. I just don't know it is possible. Would someone sponsor me please? I am known to hold excellent moral values and ethics, perhaps I could lead by example in your country. Please!
2
I am not sure I would classify Canadians as boring - I am out in Vancouver having a lot of fun but what we are is respectful. We are respectful of other people and cultures. We also grow up believing that healthcare is a right for all our citizens. While no one likes taxes - we all grow up understanding that our higher taxes means that everyone gets basic healthcare and as citizens we buy into this concept. I recently was out of Canada for 3.5 months in France during some pretty turbulent times. As much as I loved my adventure - there was nothing like coming home. I felt so lucky to live in this great country of ours. While not perfect - thank you for capturing some of the things that make us so great!
9
Americans could learn much from Canadians and I wish we were a more considerate neighbor. Our overweening presence causes difficulties for Canadians.
I am also grateful to Canada. My mother-in-law, who kept her Canadian citizenship throughout her life, met and married a man she met while working in a Detroit hospital.
I appreciate the Canadian in-laws that I have for their wonderful qualities, their decency and generosity.
And I am grateful to Canada for the contributions Gordon Lightfoot has made to music.
5
And let's not forget Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen, among the best of them all!
3
When I was on my way home on a crowded subway, I counted how many times people spoke to me and what they said: 5 times - "Sorry" - as we sort-of bumped. I never have heard anything else in those situations. I have also seen on numerous occasions where someone bumps into a wall and says "Sorry". On the other hand, many drivers will cut off pedestrians and blow their horns. So there is no need to visit. Even the most right-wing politician is dedicated to preserving the single-payer healthcare system, (free) public education, affordable provincially funded higher education - and refugees.
3
Thank you for this column. We are a large country geographically but small in population. We have been punching above our weight for decades, playing a large part in both World Wars, having our PM win the Nobel Peace Prize for finding a solution to the Suez crisis in the 1950s, not supporting the US in the Viet Nam war and more recently in Iraq. We understand that all of us unless we are descended from Inuit or Aboriginal peoples are immigrants and we welcome them.
I have only one quibble. We are not boring. Canada is beautiful from coast to coast and from the US border to the Arctic. We have a vibrant culture, music, literature, arts and export a lot of that to the US including many actors and comics. We may be polite to a fault but that seems like a positive in comparison with the atmosphere in the US today.
Never mistake nice for weak. We have strong principles, freedom and human rights being among them. We walk the walk as well as talk. Principles matter.
For the record and MAGA supporters, the crime rate has not gone up in the two and a half years since the major influx of Syrians. We do not wear our patriotism on our sleeves except for Olympic hockey, and the jingoism we see and hear south of us from some can be grating. Trump's insulting behaviour toward Justin Trudeau has not gone unnoticed. Trump should be nicer to allies and friends and stop the fawning over despots. The bank of good will for the US is being depleted by this POTUS.
17
Canada is not boring. Americans just don't take the time to know their neighbour to the north. American culture is ingrained in Canada - from the TV, movies, pop culture, music, etc. We are very aware of what goes on in the US, but not always vice versa. Just watch some clip of Talking to Americans with Rick Mercer on Youtube.
5
Like a good Canadian, I will begin my comment with the disclaimer that we are far from perfect. We have racism and economic disparity, and many other problems. Understanding our shortcomings is part of our identity, and one of the keys to our constant striving to be better, and to do better. This said, there are profound differences between the U.S. and Canada. Having lived and worked in both countries, I believe that, in general, Canadians still view themselves as a country of immigrants. This is part of our identity, and a source of our strength--both culturally and economically. When I was attending grade school in Canada, I learned about the Canadian "mosaic" of cultures. Then I attended high school in the United States and I was introduced to the "melting pot." The philosophical differences between the two are jarring. With the melting pot, the goal is to sear away differences to create a common Americaness. With the mosaic, there is a respect for different cultures, and the idea that each has something dynamic to offer to an open society. In broad strokes, this means that new (and old) Canadians can preserve and be proud of the aspects of their heritage that have meaning for them, while also embracing their role as Canadians, and the promise this brings for their families, and future generations.
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@Shaun
Sounds very poetic and nice on paper but the truth is 'mosaic' is just another term for 'balkanization'. Having little pockets of isolated people living in the same geographic area but each following their own customs and no national identity is not a good thing. Call it a mosaic if you want, it is Balkanization with a pretty term.
3
@Shaun
Shaun- Thanks for that perspective on melting pot vs mosaic.
I never thought of it in that way and taking a step back and in view, I think I like Your (Canadian) version better than ours.
Its good to incorporate different cultural aspects into our lives- it supports understanding and advances new cultural experiences while respecting our history.
I like that, Thanks!
3
@GregP
Hi Greg,
I respectfully disagree with your take that what we have is balkanization. Here in Toronto, where more than 50% of the population are visible minorities, there is a relatively fluid flow of cultural, political, religious and philosophical ideas between the different communities. At the same time, because there is not an almost oppressive drive to assimilate in every aspect of life, new Canadians can carve out an identity that allows them to take pride in where they came from, and in where they are now. The new Canadians I meet, am friends with, and work with, recognize and respect what Canada stands for, and have chosen to be here because of our country's tolerance and values, and because of the freedom, promise and dignity Canada offers to their families. Again, ours is not a perfect system, but politics is rarely about perfection. It should be about looking at different ideas, what works, and what does not, and trying to find a fair and equitable better way that helps the most people possible.
4
"Canada may be one of the world’s more boring countries, as yawn-inspiring as sensible shoes — wake up, reader, I know you’re snoozing!— but it’s also emerging as a moral leader of the free world.
I love Canada and thank it tremendously stepping up as Donald Trump has forced our own country to step down. At the same time, I'm furious that under this administration the US has become such so insular and ugly over issues that used to define us.
Canada's social policies, censure of countries that imprison its own for political purposes, and warm welcome of refugees are nothing but admirable.
Look, no country is immune from discontent from within and I'm sure many Canadians aren't always on board with the Trudeau government. That said, I have some very good friends born and raised in Canada, who never criticize their birth nations.
I'm upset our economic policies, political polarization, voter suppression, and rising levels of inequality have lowered America's scores on several international reports that measure the strength of democratic freedoms.
I'm glad Canada is stepping up, but more than appalled the United States has stepped down.
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@ChristineMcM
You hit the nail on the head in your last statement. From the outside looking in, a very sad state of affairs..
40
@ChristineMcM
As a former U.S. citizen now a Canadian, I am hurt, appalled and very, very sad about what has happened in the U.S. It is very hard to believe the goings-on of the Trump administration. There does appear to be some hope on the horizon. Fingers crossed.
30
@ChristineMcM
'Thanks,' primarily, to those 'here' who would like to see the state marry the Christian church and who support Israel even at its most undeserving -- and plan to continue that service only until an imagined "second coming" ''completes' the imagined first … whence they relish the thinking that they will be rid of all Jewish people who have not 'adopted' Jesus "as their "lord and savior"... and those whose "white supremacy" fouls our land with their ideology of 'not so fast' on that free and equal stuff … which, at least since Nixon's "Southern Strategy," is to say Republicans and "Reagan Democrats" ... Canada was our better long before trump made us so much worse.
(But Native peoples might well argue otherwise.)
18
Growing up in Detroit, I visited Windsor, Ontario often. No passport was required and crossing the international border was a simple matter of telling the customs officers the purpose of the trip and whether anything of value was transported. Actual checks of the vehicles were infrequent.
I generally share Mr. Kristof's impressions of the decency and generosity of Canada and Canadians. One quibble: Mr. Kristof said Canada welcomed 40,000 Syrians refugees while the United States admitted only 12,000; the point was to show how much more welcoming Canada was. It would have been worth pointing out for the innumerate among the Times columnists and readers that the US population is close to 9 times that of Canada. Those 40,000 Canada admitted would be the equivalent of the US admitting 360,000 refugees. The Canadian policy of resettling Syrian refugees was close to 30 times as generous compared to that of the US.
664
@medgeek...In the spirit of innumeracy, medgeek. According to the US Census, there are 56,000,000 current American citizens who were born in foreign countries. There are probably another 30,000,000 "visitors" in the US. The population of Canada is 37,000,000. For a country larger in area than the US, Canada seems to have a long way to go before it can gloat about its welcoming committee. But, then compared to the US, Canada has very stringent immigration laws.
1
@Albert Edmud 1 in 5 Canadians was not born in Canada. From the Statistics Canada website: "One out of 5 people in Canada's population is foreign-born. According to the first data from the 2011 NHS, Canada had a total of about 6,775,800 foreign-born individuals who arrived as immigrants. They represented 20.6% of the total population, compared with 19.8% in the 2006 Census." The 40,000 that the author refers to are Syrian refugees. I think that Canada actually is as welcoming as the article states.
27
We live quite close to the Canadian border, and I often listen to the CBC. This, along with being the daughter of a Canadian who has many relatives still in that country, has shown me the difference between our two neighborly countries. Even at border crossings, the Canadian authorities are friendlier and kinder than the Americans.
Cities and towns in Canada welcomed Syrian refugees in huge numbers, and ordinary citizens came out by the thousands to sponsor them and help them settle. Canada is a refuge for people from many cultures, and immigration is solving the problem of low birth rate for them, a problem the U.S. is doing nothing to fix, although many decry the resulting aging population.
They really are nicer overall than we are, especially as far as governmental actions go.
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@Stephanie Wood
Your cat story can't be true. Where is there a border crossing where a border guard could throw a cat into the water? or a border guard brave enough and foolish enough to do such a thing? Our regulations are the same as yours: You have to have a veterinarian certificate that proves your animal has had its rabies shot. I have travelled to the US frequently with a dog and know this for a fact. You would be refused entry if you have an animal that doesn't meet regulations just as happens in the US.
79
I'd like a reference for that cat story.
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@Susan
Now, the GOP is trying to do something about our falling birth rate. They are trying to re-criminalize abortion. Better a woman in jail pregnant than at home with her existing family. Besides, there is money to be made in private prisons, good money. Just ask Correctional Corporation of America. Got to keep those incarceration rates high!
22
Canadians may be nice but many have recently adopted a new "Don't Buy American" mindset, thanks to you-know-who.
Being a reserved bunch, they don't generally bring it up much unless you ask. But my informal polling says that there is a quiet resolve among many Canadians to avoid buying American goods or traveling to or through the US.
This is no small concern as total trade with Canada, our second largest trade partner, was $582 billion in 2017, just behind #1 China.
Having alienated Canada, Europe, Mexico and China, US exports will suffer from negative perceptions as much as from tariffs for years to come. Pew Research polls have shown that international respect for the US has plummeted since Obama left office.
There is a cost to everything Trump, as Midwestern farmers are already learning.
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@Look Ahead
With an American wife and mostly American family and with a monthly Social Security cheque I am torn.
I try to buy local but local is almost as much Vermont and NY as Quebec.
Our values and ethics move steadily apart and I cannot the USA's future being with the Western democracies.
Trump is not an accident and I understand most Americans would choose to have a different president but he is the president and he is manifestly unsuitable to be president of a country dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Trump and the GOP entertain a political philosophy more attuned to China, The Philippines, Russia, and Saudi Arabia than countries like Canada. Even discounting where we are now we are moving in opposite directions.
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@Look Ahead We Canadians need a lot to get us mad. We are stunned to be insulted by Trump, and further by other Americans. Have any of your politicians apologized to us in a public way? Have any of your politicians spoken against the Trump steel and aluminum tariffs placed upon European and Canadian allies(for national security) ?? No one at all has spoken up for us from your country. The GOP in particular seem mesmerized by the loathsome pretender in the WH. American voters and politicians are responsible for the very tangible threat to world order; for the insults to its allies; for the destruction of lives and the environment at the whim of one man. Let us all hope that when you have rid yourselves and the world of your unconscionable mistake, friendships can again be forged between our two countries.Yes, internationally the USA has become a pariah and has lost all claim to being the leader of the free world. It may never again reclaim that place. As for travelling into the USA, it is no longer considered a pleasant, safe place. A tourist, like any American, is very likely to be shot, or arrested for no reason while visiting.
88
@Look Ahead
Yup - not going to the States is a vow many of us have taken. I'm breaking it this coming summer for 3 days and feel like a traitor. I love the States, the country, the people - but your air has been poisoned by T.
46
Having grown up in Canada and working with many Americans for over 40 years the big difference I found between the two countries is fear.
I am trying not to generalise but lot of Americans seem to live in fear. Fear of people of colour, fear of people from different countries and cultures different from the US. Also fear of religions different than theirs. The man in the WH seems to have tapped into this fear and and got himself elected President. What struck me the most was the anger and fear in the Trump cultists faces even after winning the election. Having said that there is still a lot of hope in the US. It is inspiring to see this group of young Democrats who do not seem to live in fear.
898
@Robert The book 'Fire and Ice' about social attitudes in the US and Canada pointed this out years ago. Canadians have universal health care and welfare systems like unemployment insurance that keep more of us from being destitute when we lose jobs or get sick. So we are more open to social experimentation and acceptance of other groups of people because we don't fear for our own safety as much.
167
@Robert Yes, ITA. In the USA there is an prevalent idea that a person cannot achieve unless s/he tramples someone else. Here in Canada we know that we can achieve what we desire while assuring that everyone else has a chance too. I think that our attitudes to immigrants may be the key. The USA has been and is a "melting pot" where immigrants are to abandon their own culture in service to the adopted country. In Canada, our immigrants are allowed and encouraged to preserve their own culture, language, customs yet while respecting our laws and values.
98
@Robert
I don't believe the problem of assimilation exists in the US as you state it. While it is natural that immigrants want the comfort and support of living with or near others of similar background, I have found that they are happy and proud Americans, eager to vote and be a part of their cities, and welcomed and encouraged to participate.
From everything I have read, the problem is assimilation is much greater for European immigrants.
11
I think Canada is successful for structural reasons.
* It tightly controls campaign financing to limit the power of the moneyed elites.
* Electoral districts are not gerrymandered.
* The only way to gain political power is to attract support in a majority of small electoral districts, which means you must appeal to urbanites and rural dwellers, to rich and poor, to French and English, etc., and all of these groups have equal say in the outcome.
* Many political powers are devolved to the provinces, which have absolute control over such things as health care and education. This gives citizens the impression that they are close to the seat of power and keeps them engaged.
The result is a very flexible federation that, for instance, lets Quebec keep control of immigration within its own borders so that it can protect the French language, and lets Alberta decide how it is going to develop its oil sand deposits. (By the way, all of the provinces individually decided to have universal health care, and no politician would dare suggest going back to a private system.)
So essentially, Canada is lucky to have the system of government that it does.
15
Yes, thank God that we have a neighbor like Canada. From BC to Calgary to Quebec beauty abounds. And friendliness and civility and decency, too. During certain times of the year, as I look up at a California coastal sky, I see that familiar migrating V-formation, hear the honking, and think, Oh, how I would love to live on their native land during these tumultuous Trumpian times.
How different is the compassion of Trudeau from the bigotry of Trump. How democratic to embrace the refugee and immigrant. That attribute ironically was what built America to be what America was, pre-Trump. Of course, Canada like all free nations has its problems and challenges. Like humanity itself, a nation is far from perfect and prone to make many mistakes. But what makes the difference is the constant attempt and aspiration to make life better, fairer, and more secure for all its people. What some may call boring, I call peaceful.
997
@Kathy Lollock, we appreciate the shout-out, and right back at you. I've been fortunate to travel extensively in the U.S. and virtually all the people I've met, regardless of economic status, politics or ethnicity have been welcoming and friendly. As luck would have it, we'll be in Santa Rosa in May, and I'm looking forward to meeting more great people.
37
@Steve Williams It's not to our credit that the political-oligarchic class currently in charge in the U.S. do not reflect the courtesy you have experienced. I wonder how the Americans you encountered would have reacted had you told them you would like to immigrate to this country (though I'm sure that is far from your real desires).
10
@Kathy Lollock Also "Civilized"!! I found the people very interesting!! I wish I could move there, but it appears as though, for me at least, it is not possible.
26
Canada is a fine country, although a divided one.
The chief divisor seems to be their president, so the difference between north or south of the border may no be that great.
On the other hand, those to presidents may be seen to err in opposite directions on the political scale.
The best description I've heard of the Canada-US relationship characterizes it as one between two brothers. The big brother is the US, the little Canada.
And the big brother is Elvis.
1
This was a very nice article, thank you. I wonder if we seem boring to Americans because we're not constantly contending with violence and conflict. On the contrary, we find violence and insecurity exceedingly tedious because it gets in the way of our fun.
18
So proud to live in Canada. Land of the free, home of the rational.
21
Boycott Saudi Arabia with every ounce of sense that you have.
Visit Canada. It is a beautiful nation.
19
Canada is great.
However, most people here praising it aren't going to file a DS-4080, renounce their US citizenship and pay an exit tax, because it isn't that nice. That's always the option for people loving Nordic states and Canada, but something keeps them here in the US, so it must not be that bad.
4
I did. A month before the inauguration. No regrets. Even with 50% taxation. It goes to support policies that I believe in. Something that went out the window for me 2 years ago in the U.S.
17
Y'know, characterising Canadians as boring is akin to characterising Mexicans as rapists and drug dealers. An easy, sloppy stereotype. And one to which Samantha Bee, Jim Carey, Mike Meyers, Leslie Neilson, Ryan Gosling, Ryan Reynolds, Rachel McAdams, Leonard Cohen, Rick Moranis, Michael J Fox, Neil Young, Sandra Oh, Justin Bieber, Drake, Mathew Perry, Keifer Sutherland, Kim Catrall, Jordan Peterson - to name just a small fraction of those you probably assumed were American - might take exception.
37
@Doug Wilson
I don't know about boring, but I doubt if Jordan Peterson would take exception to being mistaken for American.
"You can't trust the data [on climate change] because too much ideology is involved".
That's a dead giveaway that he would be quite at home with the American ideological right.
3
Add to that Alice Munro, Margaret Atwood, Carol Shields, Louise Penny, and the unforgettable Gord Downie.
1
Way before the internet, the twist and turns of my life brought me to the US, within clear AM radio distance of Canada. Thanks to the CBC, I have become better informed about Canada than most non-Canadians and, by far, than most Americans. I consider myself a Canadophile, but without some of the stereotypical illusions.
Over the years I've watched the paths of the two nations diverge, mostly, in my view, to the detriment of the US. But that isn't set in stone. I don't think Canada will ever succumb to the self-destructiveness of American gun laws or chaotic (for all but the wealthy) health care. Whereas the interests of very wealthy in the US are a roadblock against universal health care, the reverse is true in Canada, where the costs of universal health care are one obstacle to the rich becoming even richer.
But Canada is not immune from the anti-social ugliness that now affects the US and much of the rest of the world. It could be one election away, as has already happened in a small way at the provincial level.
15
@mancuroc
I would add that the sobering observation "Canada is not immune..." is not entirely hypothetical: Canada was a step or two in the direction of anti-social ugliness prior to the last election (though nowhere near what we are now witnessing in the US), making what some refer to as the Decade of Darkness (the Harper years) the only time Canada's government was arguably more right wing than that of the US.
6
Nick, you didn't tell readers where was Canada. Few Americans know.
12
Yet if we adopted Canada's immigration laws most of the privileged class would be screaming bloody murder. Oh, and you can't work with a wink and a nod at your papers.
6
Perhaps if Canada had a border with Mexico instead of the United States they would feel differently about immigration.
6
@SteveRS Weak. No two countries are alike. Every country in the world has to deal with a different set of circumstances. Just out of curiosity if Canada had a land border with Mexico, where would the USA be?
3
Why do so many Canadian commenters here dislike their health care system so much?
1
@Larry Haven't seen one such comment today, but I can confidently tell you that Canadians do not dislike their health care system. Like all large enterprises, it has problems here and there, but nobody I know (and I know a few wealthy people, too) would switch to American style profit care. Our health care costs taxpayers about half what the profit care system costs American taxpayers, requires little or no premium payments, and they are almost phased out, small or no co-pays on some pharmaceuticals (with low maximum limits) and has no deductibles. We live longer, healthier lives, and our pregnancy/birth/post natal outcomes are far superior to those achieved in the profit care system. No Canadian goes bankrupt due to health care costs. Sometimes Canadians whinge about wait time for non-urgent surgeries, but our urgent care and outcomes are among the best in the world. All this at half the costs Americans pay. We can never be fully satisfied, of course, but if we can get past the roadblocks to adding medical staff that baby boomer medical professionals had put in place to protect their own incomes, we will be, and know we are, doing pretty well.
10
@dijit
Your statement bears repeating at every public debate on comparative health care systems;
"No Canadian goes bankrupt due to health care costs"....resulting in health care outcomes far better than in the US!
3
Thank’s. It about time that Amaricans start recognizing what we do and our contributions to decency and normality !
7
Thank the people of Canada, gods are not involved, they never are, it's always up to humans.
5
Most of us in Canada continue to enjoy our American neighbours. Just like us, you live in a wonderful country full of lovely, friendly people.
But you don’t make it easy - the increasingly toxic mix of hardcore, conscienceless corporate greed, Christian extremism, and your irrational obsession with firearms has thoroughly corrupted government at all levels.
We love the American people, you are our friends and cousins but your government, at all levels, seems to be spiraling into madness, and taking your cultural norms with it.
29
Canada could serve as a lesson for all those pie-in-the-sky progressives that want to implement a 70% tax rate.
Canadian tax rates are on the lower end of Western nations.
https://www.taxtips.ca/taxrates/canada.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_tax_revenue_to_GDP_ratio
How about before we jump to full on "Venezuela" tax policy, we try a bit of "Canada" first?
7
It is hilarious for you, Nicholas Kristof, to describe Canada as a moral leader of this free world. I almost spit out my drink when I read your headline, and reading deeper into your column has elicited nothing but derisive snorts from me at the sheer lack of principle you have indirectly accorded to that country.
Let me put it this way.... if Canada was truly a moral leader of the free world, it would have had the spine and the compass to immediately and firmly place sanctions on the United States for the many war crimes and crimes against humanity she (the US) has conducted against the world in the past few decades. The fact that Canada has done nothing.... not even spoken out, against the myriad American conduct of warfare and terrorism against many parts of the world, tells me that Canada is a cowardly, unprincipled hypocrite, and there is a reason why Canada always keeps on bending over for the United States when it comes to trade and foreign policy.
When Canada tries to lecture the rest of the world on morals, large portions of the world laugh back in contempt at Canada's two-faced double standards. And at Nicholas Kristof's.
4
My mastery of Canadian culture and language is kind shaky. If only they had a hint of hockey and maple syrup in their accents and clothing and cuisine.
People from New England and the South do not speak English with an American accent. Canadians do. People from New England and the South don't eat American food. Canadians do. People from New England and the South don't dress American. Canadians do.
America started the War of 1812 by invading Canada intent on making it part of America. But the British Empire had not gotten over losing their colonies and returned with a vengeance sending Jimmy and Dolly Madison running and occupying the District of Columbia and burning the White House.
Nevertheless Canada is America's number one international trading partner. There are no migrant caravans coming towards America from the northern border. No need to put any Anerican troops on the border.
MCGA Make Canada Great Again. Please take Ted Cruz back.
3
Not boring. Beautiful. Not polite. Genuinely friendly. Great people in a vast land. You live for summer but carry on through any season. It's no surprise Canada stands up to killers like Bin Salman. It's in the country's DNA.
10
What a nice, and well deserved, praise for Canadians, true human beings showing the way, in words and deeds, how to transcend our petty grievances, our selfishness and avarice proper of an un-regulated, and unhinged, capitalistic system. These United States ought to be ashamed in allowing a cruel beast in the White House to turn the world upside-down, by thrashing even the appearance of justice, let alone compassion, for our fellow human beings. Why is it that we, the public, have fallen asleep at the wheel, especially with a complicit republican'McConnellism', and allow complacency to rein supreme? Are we really this callous...and/or stupid?
9
Now, if only the U.S. were to imitate Canada, miracles would happen …
4
Montreal is definitely NOT boring. Just sayin'.
7
Very happy and proud to be a Canadian at this point. We're even thinking of building a southern wall of our own because things are getting pretty wild down in Trumpland. Hope you come to your senses in 2020 America. Russians or not.
8
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/rescued-slaves-coming-to-canada-1.5008268
150 right now and at least 600 more over next couple years ex-slaves freed and escaped from Lybia welcomed in Canada
4
Mr. Kristof,
You are a definite go-to for me; I love your outlook and humanity, your ideas and your writing.
But why must you use the, um, endlessly boring trope that Canada and Canadians are boring? Must this be included so that Americans will stoop to read about it?
Commenter Meredith has said it well: you buy into a silly stereotype.
I have lived in Quebec province for the past forty-five years. I am totally proud to be here and treasure this nation’s people and policies while I try not to despair for the USA, which is so full of itself it has stopped using “the USA” or “the United States” (in use while I was growing up) and proclaims itself “America,” as if it owned the continent.
I am a dual citizen and am deeply attached to both of my countries. I think y’all south of the border should get over yourselves and realize that Canada is only “boring” to you because you cannot imagine anyone having better ideas than your own. It happens: Canada does. Learn from it, with some humility.
I’m disappointed that you fell into this trap, Mr. Kristof. I expect so much better from you.
5
Hold on! What?
"Germany is preparing for succession."
What does this mean? Are you breaking news on a Deutsch-Xit from the EU?
Maybe you're just referring the end of Merkel's political career, but I hardly think that would be on the same order of distraction as Trump or Brexit.
1
You said it Nick. Shame on us. Big time.
2
I’m Canadian and my wife is American. We were living with our 12-year-old daughter in our beautiful home in San Diego the day 60 million American voters cast their ballots for a racist, misogynist, admitted sex offender.
The next morning, we contacted a Canadian immigration lawyer to begin the process of moving our family to Canada. I had undergone rotator-cuff surgery seven days before the election, and in mid November with my arm in a sling, I flew to Toronto for three days to find a house for us to rent. On December 29th we packed all our belongings onto a truck, I surrendered my green card, and we moved to Canada.
Americans are correct when they claim their country is the greatest in history. There has never been a more powerful military force or a larger, more resilient economy. The democratic experiment launched over 200 years ago has changed the world forever, and overwhelmingly for the better.
But America has lost her way and, speaking on behalf of my family, it breaks our hearts to see it happen.
We know too many kind, loving Americans to not believe America will one day again be a force for good in the world. Good luck America. And Godspeed.
21
Trying to influence the upcoming PM election with this article? Hope not but if you are it won't work. Canada is facing the same questions we are here and there is someone emerging who will shake up their political structure there in a similar way Mr. Trump did here. Maxime Bernier is the leader of Canada's newest political party, The People's Party of Canada. It is a Conservative Party that has EDC's in every single Riding already. They will either split the Conservative vote and hand another term to Trudeau, or maybe, just maybe, capture it all and replace him with Canada's own Nationalist Leader. Hoping for the latter but will have to wait and see.
Canada has about the same population as California (36 vs 39 million) and seems to govern in a similar sane and principled manner. I sometimes wonder if there is an ideal size for a democratic country. Even smaller are the Scandinavian countries which seem to have quite responsive to the needs and desires or their citizens. Maybe breaking up the US into several more governable regions isn’t all that bad an idea.
7
"Canada may be one of the world’s more boring countries, as yawn-inspiring as sensible shoes — wake up, reader, I know you’re snoozing!— but it’s also emerging as a moral leader of the free world."
Since when is Canada one of the world's more boring countries? Each one of our three coasts is fabulously beautiful. In between: the Rocky Mountains and the prairies and the Great Lakes. If you find scenic beauty boring: where I live, in an old-age home in Toronto, just stepping from my tiny apartment's front door into the hallway, I hear French-Canadian French, French-French, Spanish, German, Mandarin and Urdu (and my Toronto grandchildren's classmates come from all over the world). If I'm bored with the old-age-home's healthful international cuisine interpreted blandly, I order-in authentic Thai, several kinds of Chinese, Italian, French, and French-Canadian dinners...
10
Canadians always welcome goodwill from our neighbors. Thank you Mr Kristof!
One major achievement which was not included, is the life expectancy difference with the USA. Both men and women live 3 - 4 years longer in Canada, and have universal health care coverage with only about half of the health care expenditures (costs) in the USA.
The unquestioned American genius for both inventing and marketing might have profound impact if directed toward the needs of the many rather than the wealth of the few.
12
Better do a little research on the Canadian banking system's not being involved in financial collapse before you include that sector on your gold medal list.
Hello,
I'm a dual Canadian/US citizen.
I live on a small island in Canada.
Questions:
When will the US get over itself?
Is Canada really boring, or just a projection of your arrogant minds?
Observation:
The brainwashed never wonder or actually observe their minds.
Cheers,
From a borish and somewhat enlightened country, my friends.
8
Nove Scotia or New Brunswick are looking better and better.
4
You self-identify as a Canadian patriot now, Nick? Their tar-sand mines are the worst polluters on the planet, and their pipeline lobbyist are in Washington as we speak. The government is currently in a stand-off with Indians in BC--the lingering legacy of Columbus. Our original guilt will not be washed away until we all decamp these occupied shores for guilt-free Denmark.
2
« Canada may be one of the world’s more boring countries... ». Presumably this was written tongue in cheek yet it is nonetheless condescending and insulting.
7
@SJ Given our current situation in the US, I think boring is a compliment. Nothing positive about a President who tweets crass, racist lies multiple times a day. I would love to have a little more national boredom.
3
Canada: Doing Democracy Justice.
Trudeau could actually earn his Nobel Prize.
9
We are not boring. We’re just not as easily entertained by trumped up drama and faux reality as our neighbours to the south.
12
“Reader! Wake up!”
Mr. Kristof’s lapse into Victorian diction well-describes Canada’s seeming embrace of telescopic philanthropy (Dickens) and cultural belatedness.
Mr. Kristof comes across as a nice liberal, but his journalistic globetrotting has not attenuated his taste for flagrant virtue signaling. Still, virtue signaling—a phrase I abhor—is far more preferable to cynical indifference.
I like Justin Trudeau—he is a good kid—and do not mind Chrystia Freeland, but the latter’s tactile photo op with Rahaf Mohammed Al-Qunun at Pearson airport was a bit much.
Many Canadian conservatives oppose the Prime Minister’s immigration and refugee policies, especially those in the Prairie and Maritime provinces. Much of it has to do with the fact that close to fifty percent of the population is living from paycheck to paycheck and could use a little help.
There are long waits to see healthcare specialists, pensions and old age security are inadequate, the young cannot afford to purchase homes, there is far more congestion and social tension, and violence is on the rise.
A Canadian wedding guest once observed that he and his American wife were relocating to Ottawa because Canada was less racist than the US. Evidence? Because Canadians did not talk about it. Wrong.
One of the pithiest takes on the differences between Canada and the US is Bharati Mukherjee’s “Isolated Incidents.”
A Canadian NHL team has not won the Stanley Cup in twenty-five years.
Leafs?
Fifty-one years.
1
Thank God for Canada! We do need someone to step up and do the right thing. Since this administration is not rolling the welcome mat for immigrants and is isolating itself in a shell of protectionism, selfishness and meanness, we need our good Canadian neighbors to take over the mantle for a while. Let's hope that after 2020, both the USA and Canada can do this togetherI have been to Canada several times. I never found it boring. What a great place to visit. At least Western Allies and Nato know that you can be trusted when the United States is experiencing an existential crisis like we have never seen before.Thank you!
7
Wow, Thanks! :)
5
I am waiting for Justin Trudeau to campaign for a wall on Canada's southern border and make the US pay for it.
10
@s Haha! ~ more likely Canada would plant a privacy hedge. Love them...
2
I wrote to PM Trudeau some months ago that, as President of the G7 this year (or was it 2018?), Trudeau had a chance to show leadership that was sorely needed by the EU (with Germany in transition, Macron annulled), Brexit, and a real estate salesman playing president. I knew that my letter would be read by some intern in a back office, but what the heck.
Trudeau is in a class of few members: Tony Blair, Barack Obama,...and, hmmm, I can't think of anyone else.
If the U.S. had lost the War of 1812, the United States of North America might be part of the British Commonwealth—because, really, aren't we already? And Trudeau might be president!
5
I’ve been traveling across Canada for almost as long (1967) as Nicholas Kristof has been alive (1959), to every almost every province and territory. And the place is NOT boring.
Since my first visit to Montreal as a teenager, Canada’s vibrancy has been evident: in its lively music, arts, theater, design, and other culture; in its varied foods; in its buzzing (and safe) urban neighborhoods, and much more.
Lose the ignorant stereotypes, Mr. Kristof. You would never, ever describe a cultural group with such a sweeping generalization. So you shouldn’t do it with places, either. Placism is another pernicious “-ism.”
9
Canada is boring? Huh, some of the best musicians, actors and comedians anywhere are Canadian, but, then again, they almost always move to the States. It IS pretty tedious not having to worry about getting shot when you're in large crowds or honk in traffic (Canadians—yawn—just get out of their car threaten to beat you with their fists), and active shooter drills must be an exciting pastime for American kids. Oh, and the tedium of knowing you'll be able to receive healthcare when you need it – where's the adventure in that? Snore! Give me unpredictability and instability, or give me death!
3
A few years ago Canadians also elected a ridiculous authoritarian. At their first chance they got rid of him. Perhaps there still is hope for America.
6
While I appreciate these sentiments and platitudes as a Canadian, these recent events have come to work against Canada in trade and relations with other countries. We may have taken the moral high ground, but the almighty dollar is clearly the most important factor on nearly all international relations. The lack of support from USA on Canada's attempts to make the world a better place is appalling.
15
What a shame for us ! We need to build bridges and extend our hand to oppressed and needy in the world!
3
I would encourage Canada to consider building a wall. They’re going to need it to keep us out!
11
@Rachel Ouellette We are considering a hedge :)!
4
@Lizi
I thought we were just going to put up a sign?
Maybe a hedge could be nice, we could arrange trimming parties where we all get together to socialize and trim the hedge.
5
Societies can't be stereotyped, but America is a racist society and culture today, thanks to the most ignorant president ever elected here. Canada isn't a racist society today, thanks to moral and informed leadership (though it is still tied to England as a commonwealth). America is in the throes of president trump's immoral leadership and nationalistic fervor, but his uninformed leadership, akin to a TV reality-show, is loathed by the majority of this country. Agreeing with you, Nick Kristof, "thank god for Canada!". Canadians are a sensible people. Americans are still an uninformed and ignorant people. There are so many of us Americans from coast to coast and border to border who have looked Northward, to the angels up there!
8
@Nan Socolow
Nan, you and Mr. Kristof would not have such a rosy view if you spent some time with Canada's Indigenous people.
Also, right now it's minus-10 F outside.
2
@Robert Bott
Would love to meet Canada's First People! and "rosy view" -- how about temps in the 100s and streets flooded in summer rains here in FL? We are all human beings, suffering the planetary wrath of climate change!
2
@Nan Socolow
We have our share of racists, like anyone else. The founder of the Proud Boys is Canadian. I'm under no allusions I live in an ice-bound paradise, but we aren't afraid of mirrors and we have to be better.
2
.......great article, all true, but he doesn’t mention another signature achievement....we have had universal health care since 1968! Know that and weep, neighbour to the south!
14
Oh, my gosh, if it wasn't so darned cold, I would move there.
2
@Miriam Why is it that so many Americans are so mis-informed about how cold my country is. I would bet that citizens of Minneapolis or Chicago during one of their winters do not think this way. And then of course is Alaska.
3
What is Canada's policy on undocumented immigrants living and working there?
1
Ughhh, please, the Canadians complain about us night and day yet come and clog our streets in south Florida for months on end.
Where was the boycott of the US they were talking about?..
2
@There--I'd be willing to bet that the businesses in your town appreciate the Canadians greatly. I'd also bet that they're the nicest tourists around.
6
@There
We may complain a little bit but if you ever need us we will be there for you. A lot of Canadians I know have now chosen to NOT holiday in the US over the past couple of years. Scary things happening down there.
6
@There The boycott is real. Ask your farmers in the Midwest.
1
The advocates of Medicare for All in this country never discuss how to pay for it. Apparently our "boring" neighbor to the north has solved this problem. Could the New York Times possibly publish a factual analysis of how Canada pays for its health care system? Just the boring facts, please, to provide some direction to this discussion here.
6
@Yankees Fan Inside Red Sox Nation Canada pays less per capita on health care than the United States. If you provided health care to all your citizens using our model you would save money. That won't happen anytime soon because the reason you pay so much more for health care is because of the health insurance and pharmaceutical lobbies in Washington.
8
@Sonny
One way of reducing health costs in the US would be to establish a maximum amount that a Jury can reach when a Doctor is sued. Doctors fees are very high due to the steep insurance premiums that they have to pay for coverage.
3
@Yankees Fan Inside Red Sox Nation
We all pay for it with our taxes. That simple.
3
I just said to a friend the other day that Canada is what the United States was.
4
@David J
David....I don't think we were ever the same. We started closer at takeoff but our angles at take off were different and now we are far apart. You started with cow boys going west and we with the Royal Canadian Mounted police. Your constitution is about individual rights and happiness including right to bears arms and ours is about Peace, Order and Good Government. Then the American Revolution sent your people loyal to Britain to us and you built your own country. Also geography and climate ...lot easier to survive alone down there with a few exceptions in Alaska and northern stated , up here you had to look after each other or you died. Less so now but the spirit lives on healthcare for sure. What we did not get is the entrepreneurial spirit and Just Do It attitude. This is why l love going to US. I went to high school and University in Massachusetts and worked in the USA. There is much I admire about America and was privileged to live there and have enduring friendships. What is happening in the USA is terrifying. Nothing short of that. I still don't get the roots of the anger ...racism or economic uncertainty or a fall in the quality of schooling. Just really hope it gets fixed.
6
You left out poutine.
7
I know that the "boring" comment in your title was tongue in cheek, but It highlights something in the American national character. American society can be shallow & frivolous following any shiny new fad. By contrast our northern neighbors are focused & serious about the common good. What's boring to some is thrilling to others. I'm bored to death with Kardashians, & Real Housewives from anywhere & excited about Universal healthcare & helping refugees. Hurrah for the Canadians.
9
Recalling the old joke -- how do you get 50 Canadians to get out of a swimming pool near closing time? Answer: just say 'excuse me, I wonder if I could ask you to leave the swimming pool now? Thank you so much!'
God bless Canada.
9
You realize that most American's can't Canada find on a map of North America?
We're happy that way. Sometimes, Ignorance truly is bliss.
8
Thanks Nick! But we’re not boring...
6
Canada reminds me of Sweden-doing the right thing in hard times. I think I will just pretend that Justin Trudeau is our President. Wake me up from this dream when these two years are over.
4
They're still pumping oil and natural gas, and destroying the biosphere. Doing that is the great evil that most threatens all our lives, today. That behavior is the threat to national and world security. I'm to the point of wondering if there is still any reason to participate in the global death march economy, or if it is wiser to try to enjoy the time left. The melting ice and warming ocean do not care about your money.
2
We Canadians are polite to your face, but behind your back we have some stinging criticisms and contempt. Right now we feel vastly superior to our southern neighbour as we watch the racism, gun problem, cancerous federal governance, non-socialized medicine destroying lives, and much more. We love our American cousins, and our 'thoughts and prayers' are with you as you struggle out of the mess you have made. Good luck in shucking off your populist demagogue with his dishonesty and apparent self-serving greed. We are far from perfect, and our vilest elements have been encouraged by the new order in the USA. We are vulnerable to American culture, the good and the bad. The good news about your current situation is that it shows your worst weaknesses and gives you a chance to dig out and move forward in a healthier way.
14
@Canuckistani Many Americans have contempt for our current President and we have admiration and respect for your leaders. You have the right to feel superior these days.
8
By calling Canada "boring" Nick Kristof has invalidated his entire point. It's this attitude of looking down upon, by the media that speaks with a public voice, that makes America more immoral when compared with Canada.
2
Canada, land of the free and the home of the brave.
4
As an American who lived next to Canada for most of my life, I can’t imagine what it’s like to be USA’s neighbor and apologize to Canadians for the racket. In the early 2000s, I learned to snowboard at Whistler and bought a “Canada Kicks [peach emoji]” sticker that still makes me smile. Today I’d love to be a trout bum for a season or two in Alberta. ps they just opened two timmies in barcelona, filter coffee is an anomaly here
4
I admire, too, Canada's more morally balanced attempts when it comes to Israel, now callings themselves a “friend of Israel, and a friend to the Palestinian people”.
6
'' Canada may be one of the world’s more boring countries, as yawn-inspiring as sensible shoes...'' - TAKE OFF EH !
Sorry about that.
Canada has a huge land mass and only a population of 37 million people. Out of that the ethnic breakdown is about 40% being of European heritage, 35% being from Africa and about 20% Asian. It is more of a melting pot than the United States and invites in more and more immigrants every day. (especially refugees in crisis)
Having said all that, it is easy to explain how the government (which is a parliament of multi diverse parties and people) can LEAD in foreign affairs. (especially the rule of law)
I am proud to call it home for most of the year, and enjoy all of the benefits of a mostly Socialist society, as far as benefits. We try and welcome all individuals from around the world, and celebrate their cultures and diversity at the same time. If they are in need, then we do out best to give.
There is a temptation for us to build a wall to keep you yanks out, but that would go against our spirit of freedom.
We spend the money on other priorities more pressing.
8
Canada is not boring. Have you ever stood on an overlook in the Rockies and marveled at the Columbia Icefield? Or watched a herd of caribou splash across a river in Nunavut? Or humpback whales breaching off the coast of Nova Scotia? Civil, sensible, welcoming, sure. Boring? Never.
4
Hmmm. Wish I could agree about the morality of Canada.Healthcare for all is a big demonstration of a belief in equality. Better than the USA- for sure. Justin Trudeau’s stance against the BDS movement is creepy...creepy, Treatment of First Peoples, not so good. Insisting on pipelines. Pro-war.
1
@Kathy Barker
You raise some good points Kathy and I thank you for it.
As for the BDS movement, it's the idea of a non-violent attempt at pressuring Israel for a solution ... a solution, after 70 years of turmoil that has engulfed the world. Yes, Israel, a jewish homeland is essential.
Yes, we have backed the USA in many ventures, including Afghanistan where we've lost 158 souls. Not to mention the wounded and forever scarred.
First Peoples - continues to be a major problem for us. It shames us, though some won't admit it yet.
The worst - we've not taken the correct approach to the climate crisis. We should lead, but we aren't. The tar sands are an abomination.
You're right Kathy - no country truly can call themselves 'great'. We've all got work to do.
2
@Kathy Barker
Our mistreatment of our Indigenous people is a massive disgrace. Horrifying, in fact.
That is ours to bear.
And heal.
2
Not to mention how much better the food is in Canada!
3
As a Canadian, I just wanted to apologize for this effusive article lauding our citizens. Sorry.
15
I've always admired and respected what is now Canada. They have a Westminster parliamentary system, their nominal Head of State is the British monarch, their Prime Minister lacks the tyrannical power of a POTUS.
On the one side, anglophone Canada is dominated by the descendants of Presbyterian Scottish Canadians and on the other by Roman Catholic French Canadians plus a handful of Hugenots.
It's a healthy combination — the straitlaced, button-lipped and somewhat dour strivers,, enriched and cheered by the optimistic fecklessness of Catholicism.
3
Yes, but tar sands. Time to reconcile that inconsistency, eh?
5
@Rm
One of many inconsistencies, to be sure. You're right. Some of us are working on it.
3
@Rm A LOT of Canadians are opposed to the tar sands. Our media does not reflect that fact because it is predominantly right wing and in bed with Big Oil. The fight in BC is just beginning but we know that the Kinder Morgan pipeline is the most backward step the Liberals have taken in office.We owe it to our future generations to find alternatives and
2
I will be very happy the day that Kristof can write a story like this about our Country.
3
'Canada is boring' is an old old old hook. Affectionate it may be but it is painfully condescending and patronizing. Makes me feel like an old high school girlfriend, kinda frumpy and outta style now, but still happy to go watch the submarine races whenever the BMOC comes back to town for a visit.
2
Not to belittle Canada's good deeds, but how could you write that "all around the world, doors to refugees were clanging shut" when Germany welcomed a whopping million Syrians! Angela Merkle was the hero of that crisis.
7
@Laurie Fuller
How has that worked out for them in Germany?
And for Angela Merkel?
1
Mr. Kristof, May I suggest not using American Indian reservations, but instead America’s First People. Mr. Egan might be of help in this, in understanding.
1
Journalists may contrast Canada with the U.S., but bricks and mortar say that we're in it together for the long run. The Canadian embassy in Washington is located at the foot of Capitol Hill instead of way out on Embassy Row among all the other embassies. Wikipedia says the the building was officially opened by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, on May 3, 1989. So we're coming up on its 30th anniversary. Oddly enough, a quick check using The Times Machine shows that this newspaper made no mention of any visit by Mulroney to Washington at the time. But a guy named Oliver North was capturing the attention of the news media, so Americans' brains were saturated with the appropriate compass direction...
1
Sign! I think I am a Canadian.
1
I came very close to being a refugee in Canada, technically a landed immigrant, a category for which I would have qualified without a college degree because I'm English/French bilingual. In 1969 my now-ex-husband and I were making a decision aboout how to keep him out of the draft with Canada a serious option. Then he got number 342 in the first draft lotttery so he was safe staying in the States. These days I find myself wondering wistfully how life would have turned out if I'd become a Canadian.
3
@carol goldstein
As a Canadian, born and raised in Toronto, I was a youth worker and community organizer in the late 1960s, and I worked with, and became good friends with, many US "draft dodgers". They made great contributions to the Toronto communities in which they lived and many are still here. Bless them.
2
Canada has a long history of tolerance. Here's a little joke.
-Two Americans are in bar and strike up a conversation about r
religion and politics. They disagree about both and end up in fistfight.
-Two Canadians are in bar and strike up a conversation about r
religion and politics. They disagree about both and change the subject.
Non-joke: Canada recognized the Cuban government upon the success of its antiBatista revolution. Canada was also among the first to recognize the People's Republic of China. Canada accepted men and women who refused to fight in theUS invasion VietNam, refusing to send them back to the US (there was no extradition treaty then).
It's a good place to live, civilized, has a tremendous arts scene, nobody gets upset when they hear a language other than English or French, and despite stereotype, it is not boring, especially when we get into its wonderful wilderness.
4
The most Canadian thing (and a reminder of Canadian politeness) I saw on a recent trip to Toronto (which has excellent public transportation) was an electronic sign on a bus which read: "Out of Service. Sorry."
8
@misterarthur I had to laugh at that. I use public transportation all the time here, and you are correct. The busses actually do say that.
3
My husband and I took a trip to Montreal last October and I found myself thinking I really wish we were as forward thinking as Canadians. I remarked on their collections/recycling bins -- there was even a bin for compost, something we don't have in Connecticut. Their subways were clean (someone was sweeping the platform!), the trains on time, and easy to navigate. I did notice that a lot of people took public transportation or walked/biked around the city... cars were scare in some parts of the city. In addition, I found Canadians to be polite (sometimes to a fault) and helpful. I'm not saying it was a perfect city, but it was way ahead of NYC, which I love, as far as progress that benefits all people.
7
I realize the boring bit is tongue in cheek and designed to make a point and that Mr. Kristof is aware we have our problems north of the border but when you juxtapose the values we hold relative to the US the gulf between them has grown tremendously since the me me 80s and it's getting larger, faster.
If boring is the same as sensible or decent then that's okay.
8
Canada is a beautiful country with the most polite and decent people in the world. There is much the U.S could learn if ever they would listen. But it has several advantages which are worthy of mention. Despite its size and open spaces it is far more urban than the U.S. with 2/3 of the population associated with city areas of more than 1 million. Because of its location it does not host large numbers of economic immigrants. Given its huge area it spends a minimum amount on a military budget because it enjoys the aegis of the U.S.. Because it is relatively undeveloped the economy can still rely heavily on natural resources. And I wonder what per cent of its citizens have ever visited the Yukon or NWT and have any idea or even care what is really there? So go Canada, but don't get too puffed up.
4
Other Canadian commenters seem to amply cover the range from thanks to skepticism, and they all have at least a grain of truth.
Margaret Atwood once said that the 49th parallel is "the world's longest undefended one-way mirror." Americans look north and see some reflection of themselves, while Canadians look down (figuratively too) and see what Allan Fotheringham called "The Excited States of America." It's all fascinating -- when it's not terrifying.
6
Hyperactive metrosexual Americans find we are boring; they generally get left behind with their lawnchairs at the first portage. We bumble happily along, but we score 1 point behind Norway's 100 on the Freedom House scorecard this year. ( You got 86, behind Chile, Taiwan and Kiribati. ) We cheerfully admit our climate sucks, and dress for it. Don't expect sweetness and light on the hockey rink, though.
We have plenty of problems, but mostly we try to deal with them like civilized adults, rather than with insults and soundbites. (Except for Parliamentary question period, which tends to resemble a fraternity food fight without the buns.) All in all, we're not so different from parts of the USA -- just calmer and more laid back. Maybe it's vitamin D deficiency.
10
I recently learned that inmates in Birkenau referred to the location where belongings were stashed as sorted as "Canada", because it was a (relatively) safe place for the prisoners to work. It seems that even then Canada had the reputation as a place of abundance and safety.
3
@Cynthia
I personally saw 2 large boxes placed beside the railroad tracks on a platform in Birkenau. The large inscription was CANADA.
Prior to entering the alleged showers, inmates were instructed to remove all their clothing and jewels.
Progressive Canada has a very restrictive immigration policy that is ENFORCED. In that vein, they are quite different than their southern neighbor. You cannot just move to Canada, even if you want to. You can't just visit, overstay your visa, and work in the underground economy. You have to play by their rules, unlike in the US.
9
Thankyou for your kind words. Hopefully, we won't let it go to our heads.
9
Sure, Canada "enjoys" long winters but, eh, Trudeau's father (Pierre E.) fairly long and serious amour was one Barbara Streisand. As for the Québec separatist movement, it's dead and buried. Demography took care of it. French-Canadian couples quit having children 50 years ago. Besides, now, most Québécois want their kids to speak French AND English. As a couple who has both US and Canadian passports along with our bunch of kids, my wife and I have insisted on their traveling to Europe during Summer recess and learn Spanish or German. They did. Moreover, as Quebecers AND Canadians, we're proud to count among our people one Céline Dion and a chap named Yannick Nezet-Séguin, the latter as director of both the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra and the NY Metropolitan Opera.
8
Mr. Kristof, I share your principled stands on many issues, but, as far as comparisons between Canada and the U.S. are concerned, put aside your rose-colored glasses and blinkered hagiography.
I do agree that Canada is in some respects a model for our country, but it isn’t the shining beacon you make it out to be. Let’s celebrate that Canada is more just and tolerant than many other countries while not downplaying the dark side of our northern neighbor: among others, its plundering of the natural environment; abominable treatment of indigenous peoples; predatory economic practices; widespread government fraud and corruption; racist and sexist hate and violence.
Many Canadians view themselves as superior to Americans, as if we, in all our diversity and complexity, could be reduced to a separate and inferior race. This discrimination, based on a narcissistic and self-congratulatory Canadian exceptionalism, imbues the nationalist narrative in many ways, ranging from crude jokes directed against Americans to the more elegant but, behind the facade, equally primitive effusions of Margaret Atwood.
To this bigotry—for that is what it is—please don’t add further fuel.
3
Thank you for this article, I am even more proud to be Canadian. We most certainly have and have had issues and challenges of our own and of our own making, however, we learn, we persevere and we always step up.
Normally, I would take exception to being called boring, however, at this point in time and in comparison to the absolute cultural, socio-political poopfest in the US - I'll take being perceived as boring any day!
We genuinely care about you America, our neighbours and friends and we are rooting for you! Please do the right thing to make America great again by throwing (voting) the Trumps and all of their comrades out with the trash!
God Bless Speaker Pelosi, Mr. Mueller, Adam Schiff, Chuck Schumer AOC, RGB and Stacey Abrams to name a few!
Hopefully, God will soon Bless America again too!
13
Yes, we're all terribly boring tucked way up here. Hockey, manners, maple syrup, beavers, etc. etc.
But, of course, as Americans, you are unable to even consider that we have opinions of you, too. That's where you'd be quite shocked to learn (let's take your current state of affairs and leadership, or lack thereof, to start) that they are not all that polite...
6
It's usually refreshing to see another country's attributes couched in positive terms.
However, Kristof's citation of a study of twitter verbiage to characterize America's character as negative compared to Canada's is misleading.
The study makes no such claim!
"But as for why Americans and Canadians choose to tweet this way — that's much harder to determine, Snefjella says.
"It's a very, very difficult question to answer," Snefjella tells Greene.
"There is a whole body of research in social psychology that basically says that those stereotypes of us aren't true. If you just survey lots of Canadians and Americans ... personality traits on average just don't seem to be any different."
"We're actually pointing that maybe the true thing isn't our characters; maybe the true thing is how we choose to talk," Snefjella says. https://www.npr.org/2018/12/03/672817706/examining-differences-between-canadian-and-u-s-tweets
Perhaps we should view Americans and Canadians more as cuts out of the same bolt of cloth, both with imperfections, and focus on our common positive natures rather than divisive identity stereotyping.
2
I lived in Canada for a few months in the early Sixties and still remember my astonishment when I entered a barbershop that served blacks as well as whites. It was something that I still have not encountered here.
4
Thank heavens for Canada! They are the country many of us would like the US to be: fair, sensible, non-violent, and open-hearted. Please be our beacon of hope while we are trying to fight off the virulent infection of corrupt billionaires embodied in our so-called president.
Never give in to adoration of the wealthy. It is deadly.
4
While our western peer countries like Canada are not perfect, by and large with things like health care, quality of life measures, longevity measurements, protection of democratic institutions, ideals etc. we have fallen off the pedestal to where we were the leader to now where we are more like a third world nation.
The lesson learned?
To Trump supporters, an ego maniac demagogue like Trump will sound good but throughout history from the first one Alcibiades in classical Greece to one of the last Chavez in Venz., they will always ruin their countries in the end.
To anti Trump voters, to counter Trump, don't concentrate on identity obsessed, social engineering, never met a trade agreement, Wall Street banker I did not like, elect me president because I am a woman like Hillary did. Address some of the issues Trump demagogued like immigration, trade, wars etc. with common sense proposals.
5
Yes, Canada is great, but keep in mind they implemented Trumps immigration agenda 30 years before Trump. If you show up at a construction site in Canada willing to work for $10 dollars an hour and no papers , you are shown the door. Penalties for employing an illegal worker could easily destroy a business, very few would risk it. The police in Canada are polite but effective, they will find you. You need a skill set to get in and may have to work as a cab driver with a engineering or medical degree. There is a reason no one illegally crossing the US southern border keeps going to Canada.
2
Yes. Canada can be incredibly dull. I would argue that is partly what has kept us safe. Activism here is almost nonexistent, or in short supply. Voices are generally muted, as people don't tend to say what they are really thinking. And the public overall is incredibly docile. You get scorned for complaining at all in many places. All of this means we are perceived as nonthreatening around the world. But I worry that our docility and mild manners makes us a prime target for terrorism or at least, perfect subjects for anyone with authoritarian interests.
1
A small, boring country has produced the likes of Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, Joni Michell, Margaret Atwood, Mordechai Richler, Frank Gehry, Drake, Arcade Fire, a Gosling, a Reynolds, two Sutherlands, several Villeneuves, and countless other international cultural icons. Per capita, I think we do OK, please and thank you very much. Um, sorry to sound boastful.
8
Canada pays practically nothing for defense. Their allegedly superior society comes courtesy of protection by the US Military through the NATO alliance.
1
@Dan M
We pay our fair share in proportion of our population and GOP and we have a highly trained professionnal army that cather to OUR NEEDS and values.
Now we might not feel we need that much protection because we also try hard not to create new ennemies.
1
The only country to invade Canada was the USA in 1812.
1
The problem with Canada is redundancy. I mean do we really need Ryan Reynolds AND Ryan Gosling?
4
Mr. Kristof, I think you have forgotten somebody:
https://www.cfpc.ca/uploadedFiles/Resources/_PDFs/SystemicRacism_ENG.pdf
https://www.oise.utoronto.ca/deepeningknowledge/Teacher_Resources/Curriculum_Resources_%28by_subjects%29/Social_Sciences_and_Humanities/Racism_Against_Aboriginal_People.html
Canada's treatment of its Indigenous or Aboriginal (Canadian terms) people's hardly makes them moral paragons. They just prefer new refugees to their own native peoples.
4
great article, all true, but he does not mention another signature achievement- universal healthcare since 1968. Yes, 1968. We weep for you, neighbour to the south!
3
Loved the article, but why anyone would describe Canada as boring is beyond me. Try spending some time hiking around the Canadian Rockies. It's a fantastically beautiful, mind-blowing experience!
4
Many of us on the three states on the Left Coast would accept amalgamation with Canada, which would instantly make that wonderful nation the fourth most powerful economy on earth and a global power. They would get great beaches and we would get a more sane government and nicer compatriots.
8
Excuse me? Canada would get nice beaches? Thanks, but we already have nice, no, FANTASTIC, beaches. Obviously, you have never visited Prince Edward Island!!
1
'' Canada may be one of the world’s more boring countries, as yawn-inspiring as sensible shoes...'' - TAKE OFF EH !
I'm very sorry about that.
Canada has a huge land mass and only a population of 37 million people. Out of that the ethnic breakdown is about 40% being of European heritage, 35% being from Africa and about 20% from Asia. It is more of a melting pot than the United States and invites in more and more immigrants every day. (especially refugees in crisis)
Having said all that, it is easy to explain how the government (which is a Parliament of multi diverse parties and people) can LEAD in foreign affairs. (especially the rule of law)
I am proud to call it home for most of the year, and enjoy all of the benefits of a mostly Socialist society - as far as benefits. We try and welcome all individuals from around the world, and celebrate their cultures and diversity at the same time. If they are in need, then we do out best to give.
There is a temptation for us to build a wall to keep you Americans out, but that would go against our spirit of freedom .
We spend the money on other priorities more pressing like health care and education. Imagine that !
3
Okay, cheese curds are boring, and that silly river that flows backward. But, what about Diana Krall, Alanis Morissette, Mike Myers, John Candy, and so many other talented artists? Must be the clean water and air.
3
What about First Peoples & fossil fuels? I've always respected and admired Canada, and enjoyed it too from the Algonquin to Lake Louise. However, it does share with Australia some worrisome & familiar highlights.
2
Please! Can this wonderful "Moral Leader" be our president, too? Canada is far from "boring"...She is so refreshing and inspirational, off and on the ice! Reading this has given me hope for the world!
4
Too cold for me—a californian —to consider seriously. For any american accustomed to a harsher climate, why not? Beautiful, not crowded, a better community spirit.
1
"In the rink, they’re brutes."
Born and raised just outside of Boston. What struck fear into Bostonians back in the 50s 60's and 70's were the Montreal Canadiens, otherwise know as the "Canadiens". Awesome players, Pocket and Rocket Richard, and many others.
Great country, great people, and our neighbor. As soon as we dump this President of ours, we'll reestablish our long held friendship with our neighbor to the north.
7
@cherrylog754
We look forward to the re-establishment of our friendships.
3
Democracy is about love. Hate and rancor get in the way as we can see with all the partisan hate our politician use to further their paid for agendas.
1
If Canada were to get the Electoral Votes (on a super delegate basis) she ought to get for good neighbourliness even in times of stress, the US would never again have to endure a presidency the like of Trump's. Canadians have come to appreciate boring. It's the award our ancestors bequeathed us for their brave fighting and dying in the muddy battlefields of places like Dieppe, Vichy and Ypres.
4
I beg to differ with the nation's ongoing mistreatment of its First Nation populations.
1
That's why we spent our 3-week holiday in Canada last year and not in the USA.
PS Excellent article.
6
Small wonder that Trump made such a big production of vilifying Trudeau; even Donald knows how far he comes from a real leader, and his only response is to try cutting down the bigger person.
4
I'd like to emigrate to Canada as a political refugee, and I bet I could get together a whole caravan of people seeking refuge from this administration.
4
@December
They will laugh at the notion that you are a “political refugee” and they will ask what skills you are bringing to Canada.
So ask not what Canada can do for you.
Ask what you can do for Canada—that a native-born Canadian can not do.
Trust me, you will need to have a good answer to that question.
1
“Canadians,” like any other semantically homogenized group or classification are diverse, even as ranges of values, norms, and behaviors can be and are shared. Is it the point of this article that selected Canadian policymakers choose to be personally accountable for their words and deeds? And if it is,what in Canada’s diverse cultures enable this to exist? Not too long ago American policymakers resurrected a destroyed Europe with the Marshall Plan even as it had been reluctant to enter both WWI and II. Even as it refused entrance of Jews escaping from the Holocaust and perishing when sent back. Even as the American Armed Services were segregated.Even as America’s “youngish” history, legacies and traditions continue to enable and foster a toxic WE-THEY culture which violates, by words and deeds, created, selected, targeted “the other(s).” The article’s style creates a world of binary banality - either Canada OR - America, as well as the other listed problematic countries. Reality “ranges” in nuanced continua! Over simplistic descriptions, presented as seductively generalizable explanations, which can foster understanding and usable insights, is not helpful during these troubled times in so many conflicted places. Surely not by such a proven and caring journalist.
1
And yet....
We have our own little Trumpette called Doug Ford in Ontario. He models his policy and behaviour after Trump.
Our mass transit is a joke. Try relying on the TTC to go to and from work daily. It's crowded, unreliable and definitely contributes to anxiety, anger and general ill-will towards your fellow riders.
We've just lost an enormously popular tuition subsidy program forcing many students to drop out or take on loans they will struggle to repay.
Don't even get me started on housing...
But we still have our health care...for now. (The Trumpette has started messing with that too!)
7
@A.K Great point, the Ford Brothers are/were a menace to civil society. Exhibit A: Doug and his cohorts are greedily eyeing up the preserved Ontario Greenbelt to loosen restrictions for development. Wonder who will benefit?
6
Great column Nicholas. Stop with the boring jokes though. If anything is boring it’s American exceptionalism in setting the standard for interesting behavior and culture.
5
Canada is to us what America used to be to the rest of the world in the 19th century.
Maybe we should give Canada the Statue of Liberty since they know what to do with it.
6
It is all about common sense which unfortunately not common any more especially in parts of the US and it's leadership. Canada is a grown up adult country with good leadership. Boring is not the worst thing in the world.
5
And what could be more boring, Nicholas, than a health care service that looks after everyone, without leaving people abandoned to penury..?
Boredom rules.
7
Until the two Canadians were jailed, Canada, led by PM "Sunny Ways" Trudeau, was ready, willing and even eager to do business with China in every way imaginable (the Chinese, true to form, repaid the favour by purchasing vast amounts of real estate in Canada's major cities and buying up as much of Canada's industrial infrastructure as they could). Pesky little details like the long-term cultural genocide visited by the Chinese government on the unfortunate Uighurs and Tibetans troubled Canada not at all as its ever-grinning Prime Minister posed for happy photos shaking hands with Xi Jinping, and his government searched for ways to open ever more of the Canadian economy to Chinese investment. Then a couple of Canucks got railroaded into a Chinese slammer, Trudeau was left with half a ton of egg on his face, and at long last Canada is awakening from its long slumber as it wonders if maybe-- just maybe-- China does not in fact have Canada's best interests at heart, has even less interest in protecting the rights of its own citizens, and maybe "Uncle Xi" doesn't love Canadians after all. Shock! Horror!
So it is with hypocrites-- hypocrisy has a way of finally catching up with you, and Canada, a nation of hypocrites, is now paying for its naivety in spades.
2
After having traveled and lived past forty, the sentiment that Canada is the best country in the world has snuck up on me — and that has surprised me.
In contrast to what I grew up thinking (that Canadian culture was just a mash of American and British), we actually do have our own culture. We’re polite (I mean Japanese level polite); we’re efficient; we’re moral. Family is a big deal to us. A place like Toronto is a product of its very Protestant roots as “Toronto the Good” combined with an Asian conservatism and family focus (about fifty percent of under forties in Toronto are Asian — note our immigrants are carefully selected and the best immigrants in the world).
~
But — Canada is also good and efficient because we can’t afford not to be. Look at our faces when you cross the border — we’re thinner and we don’t smile as much.
Taxes are higher and people don’t earn as much. Commutes in Toronto are longer than anywhere in North America. Health care is more inclusive than American health care, but it is not European.
Canada is an easier country to be truly poor in than the US but for ordinary people it may in fact be one of the hardest First World countries to survive in. The cold makes it hard, too. Stuff like trying to get young children to school walking through deep snow (no stroller will go through that, sleds don’t work going past cleared roads). If you think I am kidding, think of African women walking for water daily. It’s hard.
~
Keep talking about Canada!
5
@C
Stop with the cold talk. I live in Ontario now, but grew up in MN. Much of Canada is not terribly cold. It's no arctic.
4
Reply to A, I know lots of places are way colder but as an urban Canadian mother I found the cold harder than I thought it would be, harder than it seemed to be when I was a kid.
Then I realized what it is: tight, urban areas — like I live in — are not dealing well with snow. For instance as a young mom I didn’t for many years have a car, nor could I have had one because where I lived there was simply nowhere to park one. Yet my kids were not allowed (by the school district) to walk on their own until age nine — and this was probably sensible as I know two kids who died in traffic when my kids were little. This is really a problem of crowding — fewer of us can live in the far flung suburbs and more people are just packing into the centre.
Toronto seems also incapable of managing its snow. Municipalities refuse to truck snow away, even in front of schools and community centres. If you are single and strong — sure, it’s fine. But if you have any kind of mobility problem it is really hard. And lots of people have heart attacks shovelling snow. It’s not all ice skating and snowmen.
1
We do things differently than our Gunnystany neighbors. We build bridges, not walls.
6
I was in Canada on vacation for two weeks. I saw two police cruisers. Returning home to the America, I crossed only one state boundary and saw ten cruisers. An unbiased observer would have concluded that the US is a police state. I wonder why? Rampant racism? Gilded Age inequality? Hyperbolic media profiteers? Faux democracy? Is Canada and the planet trying to tell us something with the polar vortex?
5
Nice column, but it buys into that bit about Canada being boring. Have you spent much time there? Remember that a few SNL pioneers came from Canada. Bands like Broken Social Scene and Arcade Fire are definitely not boring, plus The Weeknd and Drake! Canadians are totally capable of cutting sarcasm and satire; their TV, magazines and websites are full of it. Montreal is one of the least boring cities on the planet.
4
Canada does far more to defend human rights than the US government. Sadly, it's moral high ground doesn't seem to extend to the Palestinian people who live under an often brutal Israeli occupation. Time and again, the Trudeau government has ignored gross human rights abuses by the Israeli army and government against the Palestinian people.
1
And don't forget Canada's wall! It's free, environmentally friendly and effective. We call it winter.
11
I know I am looking for better economic opportunities and more stable health care. Compassion counts. Perhaps Canada should consider building a wall along its southern border to keep out American refugees like myself? After all, we may be disease carriers, tainted by Trump dust. Watch out for that Trump foot-in-mouth disease. Canada: make sure your wall is big and beautiful and that America pays for it. You know ... fair's fair.
3
Oh, for such fabulous boredom here! Being from Buffalo, Canada is as comfortable and familiar to us as Tim Hortons and loonies mixed into your pocket change. As soon as we cross the mid-point on the Peace Bridge or Rainbow Bridge, it's like the very ions flood you with a sense of well being, calm, and general happiness. If only Prime Minister Trudeau would take pity on us and let us stay.
6
Could very well be that more Americans immigrate to Canada due to global warming. Sure hope they don't treat us like we are treating immigrants to the US.
4
'' Canada may be one of the world’s more boring countries, as yawn-inspiring as sensible shoes...'' - TAKE OFF EH !
Sorry about that.
Canada has a huge land mass and only a population of 37 million people. Out of that the ethnic breakdown is about 40% being of European heritage, 35% being from Africa and about 20% from Asia. It is more of a melting pot than the United States and invites in more and more immigrants every day. (especially refugees in crisis)
Having said all that, it is easy to explain how the government (which is a Parliament of multi diverse parties and people) can LEAD in foreign affairs. (especially the rule of law)
I am proud to call it home for most of the year, and enjoy all of the benefits of a mostly Socialist society, as far as benefits. We try and welcome all individuals from around the world, and celebrate their cultures and diversity at the same time. If they are in need, then we do out best to give.
There is a temptation for us to build a wall to keep you yanks out, but that would go against our spirit of freedom.
We spend the money on other priorities more pressing.
3
Good points. Why then perpetuate the tired old cliche of Canada being boring? It is tiresome, and using it as a coda in your piece makes it more so.
2
Oh really? What about Canadians' current infatuation with people like Doug Ford (Ontario premier) and Maxime Bernier (leader of a nascent political party that just appointed an anti-Semetic advisor)? Then you've got Andrew Scheer, who is doing his best impression of Donald Trump as the leader of the country's Conservative party.
I am a Canadian, and I am quaking at the prospect of Canada following in America's footsteps.
3
@Nava
Like Trump supporters, a minority of Ontarians voted for Doug Ford, just as a minority of Americans voted for Trump.
I also would hate to see us follow our neighbours to the south into the abys.
I'm hoping that Trump will prove to be a cautionary tale for Canadians.
1
Mr. Kristoff you egregiously omitted mention of the US attacking Canada as a security threat and imposing sanctions because of it. You also omitted to mention that this is despite the fact Canada spends billions protecting ungrateful America from incoming missiles with the NORAD chain of radar stations and fighter bases - despite the fact few or none of these incomings would be destined for Canada, which to the Russians is a non threat because it has no army or Air Force to speak of. No those little guys would be headed for Trump Tower of Mara Lago and the myriad Air Force, army and naval facilities all over the US. So what does the ungrateful America do? It calls Canada a secutriy threat and forces hormone laced milk down our throats and lies about Canada having a trade surplus with the US (a lie) and insults our prime minister. But Mr. Kristof, we aren’t that polite. Most of my friends no longer ho,day in Florida or buy American wine or produce as a protest. It just leaves a bad taste.
6
Boring trumps the nonstop excitement of overblown 'breaking news' about our corrupt narcissist-in-chief every time. Let's just make sure this four-year dystopian spell was only a bad dream, eh! We could all benefit from choosing vanilla as a favorite flavor and beige as a favorite color.
3
Nice recognition for the home of my birth, Nick, but can we please dispense the constant punchline that Canada is boring? Canadian cities are every bit as energetic and full of night life as their US counterparts. The countryside runs the gamut from soothingly pastoral to jaw-droppingly dramatic. Maybe “boring” means a country that has progressive social policies, humanely welcomes qualified immigrants, doesn’t bully other nations, has a low crime rate and doesn’t constantly rend itself to pieces politically? If nations need the kind of drama and head-spinning churn that my adoptive country—the US—apparently craves NOT to be considered boring, maybe the problem is ADHD and we could all use a dose of Adderall.
7
Some people are too good for their own good.
3
Where does it say or why should America be responsible for everything that happens in the world. You go Canada but beware the mantle gets very heavy.
1
Re:
"Thank God for Canada! -- Our boring neighbor is a moral leader of the free world."
=====
A minor thing perhaps, but they must also be given credit for an anthem that, most unlike ours, is lovely, heartwarming and sing-able.
4
I was born and raised in Canada (to immigrants) but attended college in the U.S. While here, some of my American misconceptions were revealed to me, the outgoing, entrepreneurial American spirit seduced me, and I soon moved here permanently. Of course, that spirit, which isn’t exclusive to the U.S., can be and often has been manipulated by the more powerful to dishonorable ends, as it has elsewhere, including Canada. Both countries have unique opportunities, given their position in time, to support a better future. Obviously, we’ve still got a lot of work ahead of us to figure out what that means.
3
Thank you Nick! Myself and many other Canadians appreciate kind words from our neighbours to the south. Trump and Trudeau are worlds apart but whenever the US has leader that wants to work together we will be ready.
7
Nick, thank you for your kind article. Canada is everything that Americans themselves want, and could have, should have. It is a kinder gentler society. We fight when we have to, and we fight well as witnessed in two world wars, which started for us in 1914 and in 1939, and Korea, and the first Iraq war. But we'd prefer not to fight if there is another avenue.
Our taxes are not that much higher in fact than the USA once the benefits of being Canadian are counted such as our universal healthcare, which while not perfect, works quite well.
I am very proud of our current Government under PM Trudeau the Younger. While I don't agree with everything he is doing, it is close enough and hence I will again vote Liberal this autumn.
Americans are always welcome here, as are folk from anywhere else. Just follow our laws, leave you guns at home and we'll get along fine.
It is imperative that we treat others with the kindness we would ourselves hope for should we fall upon hard times. We welcome refugees, because there but for the grace of god could go we.
We do not hold hard feelings against Americans themselves for the antics and bad behaviour of the current US administration, but a little more support for our human rights positions would be appreciated.
Thank you for your consideration of our fine land, imperfect as it is - we know the job is never done, and things can always be made better.
The glass is always half full.
41
Well said, Nicholas. Canada is far from perfect but civility and humanity seem to have held up better than most countries. The US seems to have difficultly learning from others: guns, health care, criminal justice, climate change. Pity, but there are some signs of hope in the new Congress.
12
Not a single word about our superior bacon. I am appalled. Appalled.
Also American beer isn't beer.
Long live the True North Strong and Free, and blessed with real bacon.
26
@Mark F
Agree wholeheartedly about American beer. But Molson is no better than dishwater either.
1
@Mark F That's not bacon, that's HAM!
@Kirk Land
And frankly, I think THEIR bacon is better - leastwise in these parts - upstate NY, Vermont, etc.
But our butter - real butter - is better (naturally).
1
As a Canadian I found this opinion piece to be fawning, inaccurate fluff. Yes we have objectively more accessible health care, no we don't have Trump, and yes we don't have a gun violence epidemic. But, like our Southern neighbours we do have plenty of hate. Police violence and general discrimination against PoC is widespread. Anti-Black racism has a long and entrenched history (Canada had legal slavery until 1834, as well as segregation laws -- the last segregated schools closed in Nova Scotia in 1983). The genocidal treatment of Indigenous peoples in Canada is not only a historical fact, it is an ongoing reality. Thousands of Indigenous women are either missing or murdered, land Treaties (being largely unjust in the first place) are not upheld, and many communities do not have access to clean water, adequate housing, or internet. The "Canadian as innocuous" trope is stale and largely untrue. And for the record, our Twitter is just as clogged with racism and misogyny.
I understand that Canada may seem boring, friendly, and a relaxing mental break from the overt toxicity of current US politics, leadership, and media. Not everyone likes Trudeau but there is no denying that he has more charisma than the misogynistic brute in the White House. However, articles like this only serve to gloss over the very real issues in Canada instead of examining successes, failures, and comparisons with a critical perspective that could better serve progressive thinking in both countries.
9
@Sarah Haberl It's a semi-satirical op-ed with one single point - that Canada has assumed a role on the international stage. That's it.
15
@Robert Scriban Oh my goodness. I thought the sole reason for this article was to reflect on the new U.S. most amazing (not necessarily good) wild swings and excessive positions and to help Canada feel that, while all country folks have not as good as you think problems, its neighbor looks so bad now that Canadians can take some comfort. I still just love Canada and Canadians, all types of Canadians - new and old ones. Almost any type of Canadian and I am always longing to go there. Anywhere there.
7
@Sarah Haberl - it's ONE column hoping that U.S. readers will look north for ideas instead looking inward. Canada DOES have real problems (what country doesn't?), but it has always bothered me that U.S. citizens have looked at Canada as Little Brother, instead of as a partner in world affairs. We have a LOT to learn from one another.
5
I've always been lucky. First, my parents covered my medical expenses from 1943 until 1966, then I became a teacher with excellent Blue Cross coverage.
My best luck of all was moving to Canada in 1980; the first thing handed to me was my health card. I was a substitute teacher until age 72, and have had supplemental Blue Cross ever since. Initially this included a $5 co-pay for prescriptions, but when I reached 62, I was shuffled into Pharmacare where I pay 20% up to $350 annually.
Nova Scotia is a relatively poor province with about one million citizens. There are somewhere near 100 refugee families who have been sponsored here. Our small community has brought in two widows with their children; one mother, originally from Sudan, came from Chad with her six children (ages3 to 16); the other, origially from Liberia, came from a Ghanaian refugee camp where her four children (ages 1-12) were born.
It took a lot of fundraising, paperwork, and house preparation* each time. The group was also committed to helping each family adjust during their first year here.
It has been a wonderful experience for our whole community.The two familes are thriving. The different sets of kids became instant heroes because of their soccer skills honed whilst kicking waddded up paper bags in their camps; the oldest is now a certified referee.
*I forgot to mention clothing.This large house was filled with donations. In addition to our two families, we had clothing for 6 other refugee families
18
Nicholas Kristof, I usually find your writing inspiring, but today's piece on Canada infuriated me. What you call "boring" is a principled ethical stance that requires sensitivity, realism, and the maturity to resist self-dramatization. U.S. types, believing they live in a City Upon a Hill with "the eyes of all people" upon them, spend their days inspecting their biceps in the mirror rather than doing anything worthwhile.
12
@Wendy Steiner
You realize Kristof was beig "ironic" when he said that Canada was "boring?" This column is an excellent homage to al that is good in your country by itself, and more so when compared to the bloated and rather mean USA. I am glad to read again of the very talented Chyrstia Freeland whom I've watched on tv welcome a refugee. Canada is a good neighbor and yet gets no recognition for that from our fearless leader for the actions it takes for a better world, not even a hint that Trudeau and Freelander and other Canadians might have some things of value we could emulate.
3
I suggest reading today's article in the Globe and Mail on the gaps in data collection by the Canadian government. Because of these gaps many people are disadvantaged because the data are colour-blind--in a bad way.
1
Nick
All my brothers and sister live and have lived in Canada for a long long time. Yes it is cold and the winters are brutal. However they will never move to the US except to visit me the renegade, prodigal "brother". Canada is indeed showing what compassion and empathy can do for a nation. Unfortunately my own country is going in the opposite direction.
22
As an American with a Canadian spouse, I aspire to emigrate to Canada, and have since -- you guessed it -- Nov. 2016. Whistler had already been our favorite ski resort. Banff and Lake Louise are a breadth of fresh air. And Canadian hospitality and mindset are so accommodating. Boring? I call it peace.
15
I went to college in Canada. I still have many Canadian friends. I greatly admire Canada. I think Hugh MacLennan, one of Canada's best authors, put it right when he used Milton to characterise Canada: "Methinks I see her as an eagle mewing ..."
6
My daughter attends Baruch college in NYC, and a couple of weeks ago she and her college model UN (United Nations) club traveled to Montreal to attend the North American model UN at McGill University along with hundreds of other students from all over.
In light of Canada's principled stand on human rights/ refugee issues, it makes sense that these young people learning about diplomacy gathered there.
10
We COULD learn a lot from Canada on some things.
Take federal taxes: Canada’s top individual rate is 33%, a big step in the right direction. The net federal corporate tax rate in Canada is 15%, another big step in the right direction. If these rates are are “preternaturally sensible”, would you advocate for them here? Can you imagine that AOC or Bernie would join you in supporting such sensible policies?
Immigration? Adopting Canadian-style reforms would be GREAT!! Canada generally limits immigration to those who offer the country something it doesn’t have. While it generally doesn’t permit those without skills, or who will burden the country, it happily admits those with skills. (They call it the Federal Skilled Worker Program) How many Democrats would support such policies? Indeed, do you?
Heck, we could also learn lots of things from Sweden, too, like universal school choice and no governmentally-set minimum wages.
There exists not the slightest doubt that places like Canada value what they consider the collective good more important than they consider individual freedom. Generally speaking, that tends to end badly; just ask the folks in Caracas. But if that’s what suits them, fantastic!
The US is founded on the belief that the collective exists to protect individual freedom; the individual does not exist to (involuntarily) serve the collective.
Want to join a big kibbutz? Fine. But the essence of freedom is: leave those who dissent alone.
9
I can totally agree that Canada is a great nation. I have been to Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, and toured the Gaspe Peninsula. Boring, NO! Wonderful.
I have never met an unfriendly Canadian. I could go on but it might take a book.
9
Thanks for the praise, Nic. Yes, our current government lives and breathes goodness. This was a happy switch from the prior Canadian government that thrived on what could be called racism, promoting hate, anti-science and anti-climate change denial, anti-art, slashing needed government services (ask veterans who suffered a lot), limit of refugees and asylum claimants, and more. Sounds familiar to Americans? That's what we had when you had a certain elightenment of Obama. Our pendulum swings; I hope not yet away from Justin Trudeau, but it will some time. So don't generalize Canada for one snapshot of time.
11
@a proud Canadian
Come on, buddy, you are a bit over the top in your comments about the previous Conservative party. I'd still take them any day over Trump.
1
@Annon
I would as well, however being second worst isn't exactly what we should strive for in Canada.
1
Lovely and warm article Nicholas, thanks after all we Canadians are nothing if not polite.
I am however concerned about the turn in attitude from political leaders against Canada as we seem to represent ideals that are easily targeted. This past year has been an unprecedented year to hurl insults, break trade agreements and slap on unwarranted tariffs all for political gain. Respect is evaporating and we the people on both sides are the only ones that can stem the tide.
11
A wonderfully accurate depiction of Canada's rocket ride past the decling US influence in the free world. Thank you @Justin Trudeau and your government for starting the ignition and making our kind, caring diverse country a valued, resaoned world voice.
20
As a dual citizen, American by birth, Canadian by naturalization and having lived in both countries for extended periods of time, Canada is what the USA should strive to be. I moved back to the USA a number of years after nearly 30 years in Canada and have been surprised by the lack of compassion for others unlike themselves as demonstrated by the humanitarian crisis at the southern border. The current resident of 1600 has given license to the worst of us to behave reprehensibly and those of us that would speak out against that are somehow less patriotic? I consider myself a citizen of North America based upon my life experience and the USA can do better by modeling some of what Canada does best.
29
All credit to the Canadians for their welcome of refugees. But keep in mind that they are in the fortunate situation of having no land borders that millions of aspiring migrants can walk across unbidden. Nor are they likely to have large numbers of boat people trying to cross the ocean to reach their country and dying in the attempt as do the Australians. They can therefore control the numbers that they have to cope with, which makes it much easier for them to have a smile on their faces.
Note also that they have no constitutionally enshrined Bill Of Rights, which makes it much easier for the government to regulate speech and behavior. And they do.
7
@ERP The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms has been enshrined in Canada's Constitution since 1982. As part of the Constitution, the Charter cannot be changed by an act of Parliament.
9
@ERP of course Canada has a Bill of Rights.
It's called the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
It contains basically the same rights.
BUT all of those rights are specifically subject to such limitations as are reasonable in a free and democratic society.
SO it's ingrained that rights are not absolute.
UNLIKE the US where the text is silent and those limitations were developed by courts over time.
AS A RESULT it's less likely to hear a Canadian whinge about muh guns.
11
@ERP Canada adopted a comprehensive Bill of Rights guaranteeing freedom of speech, assembly, religion, political belief and many other rights and freedoms in 1982.
5
All well and good, and all to be praised.
But look how Canada is tearing through its tar sands, destroying a wilderness in pursuit of one of the dirtiest possible fuels.. a lose-lose situation.
And ask the First Nations of Canada about the treatment of their Water Protectors, who are receiving similar brutality as they try to protect the sovereign lands of the Wet’suwet’en Nation from Trans Canada's pipeline.
Still, while grateful for the good deeds they do that our country has forsaken.. do not forget the suffering of the First Nations.
25
@Ellen, no one says we are perfect. And on the treatment of indigenous peoples, I suggest you check the walls and roof of your glass house.
5
@Ellen
Canada never defeated or put any poison in blankets like the USA.
We signed treaties with First Nations.
2
@Ken
Not everywhere.
BC has very few treaties and aboriginal title remains over the same land Alberta oil (sadly, supported by most Canadians) wants to run roughshod.
1
What good news you bring, Mr. Kristof!
I'm sure Canada would welcome with open arms (and you'd be delighted) all those Central American refugees who are currently streaming north. Perhaps Trump could have military escorts accompany the caravans through our country.
But last I heard, Canada doesn't let Mexican and other Latins into the country, except on a strictly-enforced guest worker program, where the employer has to pay to fly them into Canada and then back to their native country at the end of the season. Do you think that moral?
7
@Uysses In fact it is possible for a temporary foreign worker to apply for permanent resident status with a permanent job offer. I have a friend from Mexico who did this a few years ago and is now a Canadian citizen along with his Mexican-born wife and daughter.
3
@Uysses
It's moral. No one forces them to come here. They actually line up to have a golden opportunity to bring home top dollars for their family back home.
A lot of farm aid are employed with this program in rural Quebec each year. Some returning years after years. Wewelcome them with open arms. They become part of the family, the village and the whole community. They are provided with everything they need as soon as they arrive and work in much better conditions than back home.
So this is worst than illegal under minimum wage immigrant in the U.S. ?
1
Right on Nick. Kudos! Educated almost within sight of the Canadian border, I had many Canadian friends who were uniformly great people. As a young man, I wandered their mountains while a member of the Alpine Club of Canada. Great people, but anything but boring.
11
I don't see too many comments from French Canadians. I can only speak as a Montrealer and how discriminated and denigrated against we were. I worked for The Canadian Chamber of Commerce in the fifties and was not allowed to speak French. You couldn't get a job if you didn't speak English. We were treated as second class citizens. My uncle, a prominent sportswriter for a major newspaper, used to say, "Not bad for a French Canadian." That says it all.
And Canadians pay plenty for their "free" social services. Their tax rate is astronomical. Consider the exchange rate for the Canadian dollar. If you travel outside Canada, your one hundred Canadian dollars is worth around 75 cents. Yes, Canada is a great country for all the reasons mentioned in Mr. Kristof's article, but let's not romanticize it.
10
@Nicole ....Our voting ballets in the U.S. are also written in Spanish.....just seems odd.
@Nicole You do realize that the Fifties were seventy years ago! Does your comment about linguistic discrimination pertain today? In the 21st century?
7
@Nicole Actually current exchange rate has the Cdn $ at 75 cents to a US $1, not $100, but by all means throw out an exaggerated stat like your current President. Don't let facts get in the way of an argument.
4
I feel so lucky to be within driving distance of Canada. Montreal and especially Quebec City are so special with that lovely Canadian and French influence. People are so friendly and we feel so safe being there. Toronto is more like a small NYC with a quicker pace but still so much fun in the college and fashion quarters. Two of our best friends are Canadians who live in Montreal. Our family dinners with them at our camp in the Adirondacks are treasured. God Bless Canada and its people!
12
@P Lock
Your description of Toronto brought a big smile.... I grew up in Toronto and have a lot of European friends and family.... they describe Toronto as "What New York would be like if it were run by the Swiss"!
1
Aw jeez, thanks Nick. I’m here because of the Vietnam unpleasantness. Best decision ever. Now I can watch the Excited States self-destruct from the safety of my television screen.
22
I've had the opportunity and privilege to live in Canada for roughly three years. It was apparent early on that I was somewhere that had slightly different values when I was repeatedly asked, after meeting a new face, "So, what's your story? Down here it seems the most common query is "What do you do for a living? Such a question quietly assigns you to a pecking order. Whereas, the invite for your story leaves it very open ended as you get to choose the story. Canadians seem quite chill.
Upon leaving for a visit back to America, one friend wished me a safe trip to the "Excited States of America. "
12
Not only do more Canadians use mass transit -- they actually line (pardon me, queue) up at bus stops!
I raise a cup of Tim Hortons to our marvelous northern neighbors.
18
My granddaughter is 18 and received her Canadian citizenship this year (her father is a Canadian citizen living in the US).
She could have gone to college anywhere, given her credentials and general wonderfulness.
But she chose Canada because she is so discouraged by America. This is what it has come to. Our best and brightest are losing hope. She had an option and chose Canada. I would too, if not for my other, younger, grandchildren, for whom my wife and I care several times a week.
16
Boring? Us? There is never a dull moment here.
Canada's political leaders of all parties (not only liberals) have regularly taken leadership positions on international humanitarian issues. P M Clark (conservative) helped introduce a massive Indo-Chinese refugee programme allowing ordinary Canadians to sponsor (mainly Vietnamese) refugees in 1979. P M Mulroney (also conservative) helped lead international sanctions against the apartheid regime in South Africa in the late 1980s.
Yes, Canada has a points based immigration system for "non-refugee" immigration. It not only selects large numbers (nearly 2/3% of net population each year for the last 30 years) of top quality immigrants; but their countries of origin are also dispersed from around the world. That is probably why support for immigration remains so high among voters of all political parties in Canada even as our largest city now has a population majority that reflects the ethnicities of the world.
Canada is a below middle "global power". We work at the margins. Maybe the fact that we are so ethnically diverse explains why we are interested in so many human rights issues around the world?
30
If it were possible, I'd emigrate to Canada in a heartbeat, and if necessary will defend it as a priority.
17
@Randé
If you ever do so, don't choose Québec. Québécois are second zone Canadian citizens.
@Roland Berger
Pauvre de toi. Au Québec ?
The US national focus is on, "life liberty and the pursuit of happiness." Meanwhile, Canadians believe in, "Peace, order and good government." Kind of boring- eh? The American version is very individualistic. In Canada, we are more focused on the collective. Perhaps this is because it is so cold up here that if we don't look after each other we will freeze to death.
So to play out the Canadian stereotype, I would note there are may areas where I am critical of my government and society especially regarding how we are progressive on human rights issues globally with the exception of Palestinians.
10
I've always thought that part of the issue is America's population size. We have NINE TIMES as many citizens as Canada, and on any subject 10 Americans have 11 strongly held (and often differing) opinions. That's a lot of conflict.
The problem is that we also have politicians, talk radio shows and greedy capitalistic profiteers happy to split us further from each other and possible consensus.
I don't know if secession is a solution, but our government has been trying to herd cats for years, and the result is now tweeting in the Oval Office.
We can do better. But why should we, when it's so rewarding to retreat to the bunker of Fox and Friends or Alex Jones, where we're told every ugly emotion we feel is in defense of our endangered way of life?
If skin color, income and religion don't make us "superior", what else have we got?
4
@Kris Aaron
To the best of my knowledge, AM radio in Canada does not exist. The right-wing AM wasteland does not exist. Unfortunately, rabid right-wingers DO exist. Up here I guess they just howl at the moon, but only till 10:00PM. We have laws against noise pollution.
3
I Heart Canada.
The notion that "Canada may be one of the world’s more boring countries" is not true. Montreal is the coolest city ever.
32
The longest unprotected border between two nations is between Canada and our southern border, and there is almost 2 billion dollars worth of trade every day between the two countries.
We have the universal health care system that most American's dream of and lower drug prices. We have government supported "multiculturalism" which provides funding so that cultural identities with Canada can celebrate their unique heritage within the Canadian umbrella.
We are noted for our emphasis for peacekeeping rather than provoking world conflict.
Our human exports that inflitrate the US come in the form of journalists, TV anchormen/women and comedians, who speak and look like Americans but bring a unique perspective to our Southern neighbors.
We are witnessing the "Decline of the American Empire" and eventually we will have to build a border wall to keep out those American refugees looking for the Canadian dream. If there is a beautiful border wall called "Peaches" of "steel slats" or "concrete", we will have the Americans pay for it.
38
@J David Spafford
With reference to human exports, my spouse is a big Hallmark movies fan, so you sure include the many Canadian actors who regularly make a large part of the cast.
5
As a Canadian who had the great opportunity to work in the U.S. for several years, I am very pleased to read this article. Canada is quiet global leader at many levels. I love my many American friends - they are all smart, generous, hard working and good people. That said, I still find it mind-boggling that a country with so many educated and intelligent people live in a country that views medicine and health care as a “profitable business” rather than a basic service for the health and quality of life for all citizens. The last concern of anyone going through treatment to save their lives for a disease like cancer, should be “how am I going to pay for this?” That doesn’t happen in Canada, or Sweden or other countries with Universal health care for all citizens. One of the many reasons I am happy and proud to live in Canada. Thanks for this article.
49
@Colin Campbell
There is no inherent right to good health or long life. Such a "right" would deny to others their rights, specifically their right to keep the products of their labor. When you tax Peter to pay Paul, you are creating conflicting rights. Proper rights cannot conflict with one another. Just as it is not unfair or unjust that Peter lives in a nicer house than Paul and drives a better car and eats better food and dresses better than Paul and has a better job than Paul, it is not unjust or unfair that Peter may be healthier than Paul. Life is not fair, despite the efforts of the world's socialists to negate this law of reality.
1
@Ed L.
you do have a right to good health, universal health care is just an insurance policy that includes everyone but cuts out the middleman, i realize you could never understand this concept except when you go bankrupt and your insurance policy is cancelled,.
27
@Colin Campbell Interesting that the largest Christian population in the world, has such a hard time with, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
8
Yes, we are boring up here, but that's the point, isn't it? Our range of core beliefs is small compared to the US. We don't have far, far left or right in our politics and therefore none of the crises in government that we see in the US. (Although what we've been seeing in the States for the last few years has made really good reading). Canada has a parliamentary type of government, meaning that the majority actually wins . Having a Trump elected as Prime Minister is laughably impossible. The more we watch the US and the rest of the world, the more we congratulate ourselves and happily put up with the cold.
18
@Linda. one word: Ford.
not laughing
1
@Linda
We haven't had a party elected with a majority since Mulroney.
In Ontario we elected an idiot on par with Trump (Doug Ford) with a plurality of votes.
Nothing to brag about until we have some form of proportional representation.
I have worked as a poll clerk on a number of Canadian federal elections. We use paper ballots marked with pencil. It works just fine. Canadian election rules are designed to make it easy for all citizens to vote. On election day if you aren’t on the voters’ list or have the right ID, there are procedures so you can vote. One election, I witnessed a young homeless man vote after a worker at the shelter where he stayed swore an oath to vouch for him. That made me proud of my country.
57
Nicholas,
Thank you for the kind (albeit embarrassing) words.
You may want to also consider noting that Canada has been seriously dinged by China for doing the right thing and meeting its legal obligations by arresting the Huawei CFO at the request of the U.S. In retaliation, China has arrested some Canadians on spurious charges and threatened severe trade retaliation, including in an uncivil diatribe by the Chinese ambassador to Canada. Yet, the Trump administration has been reluctant to come to Canada’s assistance, even undermining Canada’s efforts when Trump suggested that the U.S. judicial request may be a pawn in China-U.S. trade negotiations. Canada always watches the U.S.’s back as we did when we sheltered American diplomats in Tehran. Wish there was more reciprocity.
44
@MP
On 9-11, we welcomed 220 aircraft and fed all the people. Now Trump tells our Prime Minister that the tariffs on steel nd aluminum are for National security purposes. When asked why Canada was a danger to the US, he responded that Canada had burned down the White House in 1812.
Canada did not even exist then. It was the British who did this after being attacked by the US in 1811.
If I were Trudeau, I would pass a law making it Illegal to sell aluminum to the US. Not a single country in he world can sell aluminum cheaper than Canada, because it takes a huge amount of electricity to make it. In the Province of Quebec we have that electricity.
Yo will note that I used US instead of USA because we also live in America. Should we become the United Provinces of America?
5
Originally a Canadian boy, I am very proud of my country. Back in the time, like most young Canadians, I played hockey. Sure, there was a dust-up now and then but the game was certainly not unremittingly brutal.
Although Canadian public policy bends toward compassion and fairness, more work is needed. As for boring, if the relatively secure cultural vitality of such Canadian centres as Montréal, Vancouver, Toronto and Québec City is biring, then I can't get enough of it.
23
My favourite quote about Canadians from our former PM and current PM's father, Pierre Elliott Trudeau.
"We are the extreme centre, the radical middle. That is our position."
61
Thank you, Nicholas, for your fine tribute to America's closest friend and ally. Canada is not only our best friend but it is by far our largest export customer. Canada is a bigger customer of the United States than the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Argentina, Chile, South Africa, and Russia combined.
Another strong indication of our friendship relates to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Which country in the Western Hemisphere was the first to declare war on Japan following the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941? Yes, it was Canada who declared war on Japan on December 7. That's what best friends do. The United States followed on December 8.
The only minor objection is the use of the word boring in connection with Canada. If you lived in Canada for any time you would be disabused of that notion.
And yes, you are spot on with your reference to hockey.
Thanks again for a very good article.
38
To Nicholas Kristof
Thank you for your nice letter about my country. But please do not fall in the trap of our politicians pretending to be different of your politicians. For exemple the reason why we have a national health plan is because the labor (Unions and the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation a social democratic party) fought for it. It is a CCF government which implement the first public health plan in Saskatchewan in the 60s over the opposition of the Liberal Party and the Canadian Medical Association. And the rest of the country govern by liberals and conservatives were obliged to follow the CCF lead. And the reason why the Liberal government implemented social programs was to avoid the fate of the Liberals in UK which were reduced to a third party by Labour. And they were successful. The Canadian liberals are in power most of the time and the CCF and his successor the New Democratic Party remain a third party.
Also when you scratch the surface you will be surprised that Trump and Trudeau agrees. About Saudi Arabia, of course Canada denounced the Saudis government, also Canada spoke against the mass detention of Muslims in Xinjiang bringing retaliations for those two countries. But Canada like the USA is still selling weapons to the Saudis. Canada like the USA still wants access to the Chinese market. And Trudeau like Trump has the same message to the oil industry: drill baby drill.
But once again thanks, it is a welcoming change from the lies of Trump.
21
So we all know that it's the cold weather that makes Canadians more receptive of immigrants and refugees. But is the cold weather more likely to turn one into a decent human being? Canada and Scandinavia would argue for the affirmative, Russia not so much.
9
@John Duffy Having lived in Alberta for 4 years, there was a sense that occupation shaped culture. Northern Alberta agriculture was crop based and the politics more communal or 'socialist'. The South was cattle country and far more libertarian or individualistic.
I'd joke, to much amusement of Albertans, that the North believed in capital punishment for convicts; the South in capital punishment for suspects.
6
Why are people forever describing Canada as "boring," "dull," etc? The Canadians are admirable, as shown here, by their willingness to (a) recognize an ethical principle and (b) to apply it. These initiatives are far from boring. They are literally in the interests of the world at large. Perhaps Canada seems boring to us because of a national epidemic of attention deficit disorder. A shout out to Nick Kristof for stating the obvious.
62
American exceptionalism dictates that one must find something to feel superior about even when recognizing virtue.
22
@Daniel Salazar
I really do not get American exceptionalism.
4
@RBT Canada is seen as boring as we send our comedians to America. Wayne and Shuster stayed home but they've long cast off their mortal coils.
1
Canada admits refugees, supports those who are admitted with subsidies for a period of time,provides health care, solid emotional support thru sponsers who follow them with help for a fairly long time, English language classes, classes that help them understand Canadian government and Canadians, and encourages and actively helps them to become grateful, active and productive members of Canadian society.
30
@joyce
That's the winning formula.
I mean, aren't most of us immigrants from somewhere?
1
I have spent my entire life with Canada as my near neighbor.
Canadian coins are mixed in with the US in my pocket, only a problem when using a parking meter. Canadian co-workers are common, Canadian tourists visit Michigan's Up-North just like me. Prior to 9-11, to cross back and forth from Detroit to Windsor, Port Huron to Sarnia or from Sault St Marie to Sault Ste Marie was taken at a moment's whim. I've always thought of Canada as not really a separate country, even though i know it to be so, certainly not "foreign" but more like a neighbor whose house was not my house but well-known. It is only in more recent, darker, times has the stark relief of their moral superiority been most evident, and in my case envied. Like any country they have their problems, but in their case they seem to actually see them and want to solve them. We just seem to use our problems to divide and destroy.
85
As an American who moved to Canada decades ago, I truly appreciate the massive benefits for all that higher taxation brings to every part of society. Affordable education, free health care and more oversight on banking and environmental issues has lead to a safer, more educated society in which upward mobility is possible for every class and no one is untreated when ill. I'll pay my fair share of taxes and thankfully worry less about shootings. The cold weather outside brings warm friendships indoors and on the ski slopes.
117
@Dr. M:i agree with much of what you say, save for one thing: health care is not "free". it is paid for through the very taxes you laud. this is important for defenders of single-payer systems to remember.
single-payer health care is a conscious choice by a society to rank affordable health care over profits. and, it is a choice i am glad to support.
and, well, we get better results at a lower cost.
64
@Dr. M One of the critical elements in education is reasonably equal opportunity in primary and secondary education. In Ontario at least, school boards are funded by the province and poor neighbourhoods get the same per-student allotment as the richest communities. While there are still 'good' and 'poor' schools, a low-income community gets fully-funded education just like the rich folks.
19
@Dr. M
Affordable education. That is what is missing from the U.S. People who elected your Leader are either not educated or well educated but with no moral values.
2
As a visitor to Canada I can tell readers it is not boring, it is beautiful, the police respectful and helpful, the scenery gorgeous, the people down to earth and very likeable. Where the author got his opinions I’d beyond me. Ionizing salt to me is not boring if it helps improve people’s health.
I am glad that our northern neighbor is being recognized for its humane treatment of and compassion for humans in need, and is an example of what the best in humañity is. We all can learn a lot from Canada, provided we lose our egos for power, and our fears of being taken over, rather than enriched by diversity.
48
Politically, I think the main difference between Canada and the U.S. is that in Canada the fearful, xenophobic, hate-based segment of the population is in the 30 -35% range, whereas in the U.S. it's more like 35 - 40%. There are other large differences of course, but that 5% results in saner policy.
23
Articles like this often lack the sort of nuance that I think necessary to understand Canada. Nevertheless, they'll be read by Canadians (who love nothing more than American recognition) and Americans (who like the idea of Canada, if not the practice) alike.
A couple thoughts that might add some deeper reflection:
1. Despite the messaging about Canada being a moral leader and standing up for the free world, it is not acting solely out of its good nature. Canada is not a military superpower. It stands to lose if the world descends into fascism especially when it's not on particularly good terms with the US. Standing up for the current world order and resolving things by way of negotiation and values is in the long-term self-interest of Canada.
2. Much of the distinction between the US and Canada has to do with the distinct ways in which they were founded. America is founded on a distrust of the government whereas Canada leans in precisely the opposite way and has too much trust in the government. The policies that are "preternaturally sensible" are also ones that require a trust that the government is acting in your best interest (gun regulation, banking oversight, etc.).
23
@Rebecca L
Enlightened self interest is not a bad thing. It is when it is strictly greedy self interest that we all get into trouble. This is where the U.S. is right now as a Country. And it is going to be our downfall unless we smarten up.
9
@Rebecca L Quite right. "Peace, Order and Good Government" and a responsible government (hello, passing a budget and supply) and independence being guided through aiding the colony power in its wars (Boer War, Great War). Government, and Canadians' assumption of the reins of power reinforced the importance of the government to look after the interests of the nation.
3
Hi Jean, I’m not trying to say that Canada is acting badly, simply trying to complicate the author’s narrative a little. When you think a country is acting solely out of good will, it’s easy to dismiss it as naive, if not a little simple. Canada is a country full of real people with both good and bad intentions. I worry sometimes that there’s a tendency to treat foreign nations as nothing more than stereotypes rather than considering the rationality of the actors.
7
Nicholas, good column, and shortly I will take my Galaxy Tab to a coffee shop here in Linköping and read comments.
Notes from my Swedish self.
Canada like Sweden has Universal Health Care. I just got a call from my physician to discuss results from recent visit and blood work. This is all arranged by an Online system 1177.se that takes me to my medical journal, tells me that she will call me. She studies my records with great care. All that for the reply writers and politicians who tell me that the richest country in the world cannot afford such health care and besides, they say, US is best.
As for Syrians, Sweden accepted the greatest number per 100,000 population and Canada is in that league. Yesterday at the Red Cross talked with 10 asylum seekers, 4 of them Syrians, all worth adding to the SE population.
Mass transit and vehicle fatality rate. Sweden has lowest fatality rate in the world and superior mass transit. When I am in the US in June I will have to take at least one Greyhound bus - last June - never in my life have a been in a less safe bus, a bus so absolutely terrible to be confined in. Will compare CDN fatality data with Swedish data later.
After 40 years in Rochester NY and 22 here I always look at Canada as North American Sweden. Anybody else think that way?
Only-NeverInSweden.blogspot.com
Citizen US SE
58
@Larry Lundgren As a proud Canadian who envies life in Sweden, I am flattered by the new moniker you gave us. I wish!
2
@Larry Lundgren
Haven't made it to Sweden yet, but I do find that I always feel a great affinity for any northern country when I visit.
Americans have always had it too easy - they just don't know it.
2
I love to see overdue praise of the best neighbor a country ever had. I am saddened that so many of the comments revert to ideological arguments, using Canada to push one view or another. As U.S Consul General in Toronto, one of the most vibrant cities in the world, I met Canadians from all regions, ethnic backgrounds, and political persuasions. We commemorated the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and the extraordinary efforts of average Canadians to help Americans and others stranded in the aftermath. As in other crises, normal Canadians reached out to help, whatever they thought of our policy or President. A plaque outside our consulate reminds passers by of America’s gratitude for Canadian friendship. May it never waver between peoples, whatever the political winds.
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I don't mind being called boring.
When you live in a country with a population of 30-plus million souls, adjacent to a country with 300-plus million souls headed up by an unpredictable real estate mogul with an overabundance of self-esteem, boring isn't a bad place to be.
We are not without our immigration controversies, though.
Before our last federal election one person running for leadership of the Conservative party wanted to screen immigrants for "anti-Canadian values", whatever that means.
Another leadership candidate wanted to establish a "Barbaric Cultural Practices Tip Line".
Neither candidate won the leadership. If that makes us boring, I'll take it.
We don't know if our allies are working behind the scenes to support us. We live in fraught times, where taking offence and retaliating seem to be the go-to positions on pretty much everything.
Nevertheless, I am confident that if our allies need us we will be there.
Have a nice day, eh?
47
Canada has a merit immigration system which does not compete with local labor. How come when a country protects jobs for his citizens, it is considered a great country but when the US does it, it is called racist? Having said that, the way Trump does it and his associated rhetoric is awful. Canada way is quite, firm, polite and respectful.
12
@NSf
Merit immigration is not the only way to get into Canada. It does, on that part of the system, admit doctors, lawyers,academics and many others who make life long contributions to Canadian life.
5
@NSf
Canada has four borders - one with the USA and three guarded by oceans - it is easy to talk refugee policy when you know that you simply will not see very many.
2
@NSf with canada's 'merit-based immigration system', a city like toronto has evolved into a forward-looking metropolis that, oh, by the way, is less than 50% caucasian.
attacking a merit-based immigration system betrays a subtle racism that assumes that, to contribute to a society, you must be white.
that's not true, and canada's immigration system is proof of that - through governments called liberal and conservative.
refugee admissions are another matter, and, on that basis, there is no comparison at all.
3
'' Canada may be one of the world’s more boring countries, as yawn-inspiring as sensible shoes...'' - snowshoes really.
I'm very sorry about that.
Canada has a huge land mass and only a population of 37 million people. Out of that the ethnic breakdown is about 40% being of European heritage, 35% being from Africa and about 20% from Asia. It is more of a melting pot than the United States and invites in more and more immigrants every day. (especially refugees in crisis)
Having said all that, it is easy to explain how the government (which is a Parliament of multi diverse parties and people) can LEAD in foreign affairs. (especially the rule of law)
I am proud to call it home for most of the year, and enjoy all of the benefits of a mostly Socialist society - as far as benefits. We try and welcome all individuals from around the world, and celebrate their cultures and diversity at the same time. If they are in need, then we do out best to give.
There is a temptation for us to build a wall to keep you Americans out, but that would go against our spirit of freedom.
We spend the money on other priorities more pressing like health care and education. Imagine that.
40
@FunkyIrishman - The 2006 census in Canada showed 2.5% identifying as black.
3
The paradox of Canada is that it’s democracy is strong, yet in the hands of a majority government the PM (read: speaker of the house in US terms) has near dictatorial power. The only check on that power is the country’s constitution and Supreme Court. The good news is that there’s no gridlock and things get done; the bad news should be obvious.
The Canadian Senate is an impotent joke, filled with Senator-for-life bag men and women, and party hacks along with more than a few competent people. Also, the first pass the post election system is structurally flawed.
Yet for its faults, I would never move back to the USA. Canada is the land of freedom, order and good government.
25
@D Priest
Yup, no system is perfect, but ours is better than most.
For example, when Stephen Harper tried his nonsense, I knew our Supreme Court would step up - and it did.
Americans have so much more to fear because theirs has become so politicized.
And all those vaunted systemic checks and balances are useless if you choose not to.
1
One more point, for the historically minded. Canadians (together with the Australians and New Zealanders) have contributed, freely, to the defeat of totalitarianism and militarism. In two world wars, with no direct stake or interest of their own, their sons and daughters have laid down their lives so that others might live free. This will never be forgotten.
81
build a dome around Toronto. I'm ready to move. they are everything we are not, except for the temperature. but wait, in 5 years climate change will kick in up there.
10
As a Canadian I read this with a smile...we have our issues. A rabid right wing married to big oil, climate denial, and anti-immigration, often all 3 at once, yet we seem to be hanging in there. In spite of a media that seems to be all-in on bashing Trudeau he is still pretty popular. His townhall meetings help, his sincerity, and his willingness to respect women are central to his success. He goes to places where the Liberals never win, and still packs the house and takes the difficult questions. A huge change from the last PM who never met the public, limited reporters to 5 questions and almost always chose the questions himself...yet some still long for those days! We got work to do on First Nations, but our school system here in BC has indigenized our education system to include FN history and bring a new perspective to history. Truth and Reconciliation has been helpful too... education, is crucial. If kids grow up asking questions, it helps. A lot worries me these days, particularly China’s actions Putin’s sly interventions, and the lunatic in the White House but I do think we are in good hand with the Liberals. Freeland is a stellar member of the Canadian team who is smart, a deep thinker and on the side of good;she is teflon too, stuff tends to bounce right off of her. I look forward to seeing another blue wave in 2020 so the world can maybe move on from watching the debacle that is Trump...
38
'All that glitter is not gold'.
There are many good sides to Canada but there are serious problems that somehow Canadians refuse to address.
The first and most important as it consumes 50% of the country's tax revenues is the health care system which is broken. Patients spend days in corridors in ER in most hospitals before they find a proper bed. Getting an MRI or Cscan may take months. Seeing a specialist (which requires referral from a family doctor) may take more than one year. Joint replacements take as long.
Yet, Canadians go nuts if the suggestion of privatisation comes up.
The system was based on the 1960s Nordic model; what Canadians don't realize is that these countries have abandoned that model.
Ms Freeland is a fraud: everything she does is designed to make headlines, preparing her pitch to replace the current Prime Minister. Her infamous tweet about justice in Saudi Arabia was not her first faux pas. She is Ukrainian first and Canadian second. Her stance on Russian affairs has made her 'persona non grata' in that country.
Still Canada is a great place to live; we may be boring and not a world leader but we realize it and accept it. Americans still think that they lead the world; if more of them travelled the world or read foreign publications, they might come to realize that they don't.
6
@Georges' comments about the Canadian health-care system are misleading. There's a triage system: anyone needing urgent care (tests, whatever) gets it urgently; less pressing cases have to wait a little. Doctors make the calls about what tests or procedures are needed, not profit-maximizing insurance companies. Nobody I've known has suffered as a result--and they've never had to ask, "How am I going to pay for this?" and never had to deal with the flood of confusing and often inaccurate paperwork that my family members in the U.S. had to cope with when accessing medical care.
14
@Georges I agree with your last paragraph.( Still Canada is a great place to live; we may be boring and not a world leader but we realize it and accept it. Americans still think that they lead the world; if more of them travelled the world or read foreign publications, they might come to realize that they don't. The rest sounds like you might be part of the above comments of 30% unsatisfied Canadians.
Having spent 30 years in the states and coming back home to Canada. I can tell you that I have never had to wait months or years for a cat scan or MRI, much less a specialist. On the contrary I had an event happen which requried a specialist and I was called in two days to come the following day. Not sure what province your in but, Quebec is marked for having the poorest Health care and I just have not seen the problems you point out.
But you last paragraph I have been saying myself in other forums and am so relieved to know I am not the only one who sees this. Americans have given up their right to rule (or be the best) over many years of interior problems. The problem down there is that there is no strategic way of controling any party so they sway from one to the other wasting years and giving niether party a chance to show what thtey can do. This is why the Republicans hit fast and hard at the get go. hoping things will settle down. Unfortunately they did not anticipate that the current President ould not be able to be reeled in.
4
@Georges
A few years back I had to go to the emergency room in Quebec City. I had a piece of glass my eye. My experience was incredible. I waited exactly 15 minutes to see an eye specialist, was treated very professionally and with great curtesy.
At the end of the procedure and my release the doctor turned to me and asked if I had to wait too long for her to see me. My answer: If I had rushed to an emergency room in the States I would have waited at least 3 hours. I was amazed at the care and professional treatment I was accorded by a medical care facility and doctor in a foreign country.
By the way, upon admittance they did not ask me about insurance or payment until after I was taken care of.
I wish we had that kind of Health Care system here
6
Canadians and Americans have been yacking about the border for decades, maybe since 1776.
I've lived half my years in US, half in Canada.
I've studied and taught Am. Lit in both countries.
I've lectured on these fraternal enemies for decades before retiring. I spoke in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand. I helped run a seminar and a conference on "Crossing Borders", the intellectual fertilization and competition of each nation by the other.
Sooooo… I love both the wildness and confrontation of American life and "peace, order, and good government" that is Canada's answer to "the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness".By evry internationally accepted measure of life, liberty, and happiness, Canada's hard-won "peace, order, and "good government" makes "Gunfight At The OK Corral" seem silliness. We live longer, have fewer chronic illnesses, get cheaper medical care, have far fewer deaths of mothers, incarcerate fewer citizens, make voting simple, run fast campaigns for not many dollars, educate better, worry more about climate change, and sympathize way more with people running for help, even Muslim people. The first Trudeau, Pierre, said we are like a mouse sleeping next to an elephant. You may love that pachyderm, but you lose sleep worrying that he'll roll over.
America rewards optimism and courage. Canada rewards stoicism and pragmatism. Oh, maybe that's because we lack the U,S,'s "military-industrial complex". I wonder.
48
@drbobsolomon Nor was Canada founded on slavery (e.g. George Washington's wealth). And there are other likely major foundational differences. Also, the U.S. industrial-military complex is as much a symptom as cause of US differences (from Canada and rest-of-world).
8
@Unconvinced Quite right - not slave owners nor slave rapists, like Jefferson - who owned his wife's half sister. Oh, we tried to build a military complex but only Belgium would buy some of our fighters (CF-100, a sturdy all-weather jet fighter). The world's second jet passenger plane too was Canadian, but who would buy from them?
1
We moved to Canada when I was a kid and I later moved to the U.S. as an adult. There are plenty of boneheads on both sides of the border, and plenty of role models, too. There are also plenty of differences -- from gun laws to healthcare -- but the one of the biggest comes down to who gets first dibs on defining what it means to be Canadian [except, perhaps, First Nations people.]
I don't recall anyone ever owning the title of 'Canadian' as a kid. Most people claimed roots somewhere else, even if it went back several generations, which meant their definition was no more valid than someone who'd just stepped off a plane. I take such delight in seeing multicultural street signs in Toronto and Mounties sporting turbans and hijabs. Was there some pushback and racism and discomfort along the way? Absolutely. But the foundation of multiculturalism puts the onus on small-minded people to prove their case--and they can't.
13
I am not taking issue with Kristof. Canada can be justly proud of it’s acceptance of Syrian refugees. But any American who is thinking about emigrating to Canada should think again. As a retiree who would flee Trump’s dumpster fire in a heartbeat, I found it’s virtually impossible unless you have a job there or a LOT of money. Personally, I think fleeing Trump should qualify for some kind of refugee status. Unfortunately, for retirees, the world’s moral leader is not interested in you unless you are on the top rung of the ladder or the bottom.
5
@Robert
The average Canadian household spends more on taxes than any other expense.
Specifically, the average Canadian family (including single Canadians) earned $83,105 in income and paid $35,283 in total taxes. That’s 42.5 per cent of income going to taxes.
1
@Robert
Hmmmm - as an American retiree with presumably savings and/or pension(s) in American dollars you would benefit from the exchange rates and live like a prince in Canada. California dreamin’?
2
There is a process for moving to Canada, you can find it in the government website online. It is an merit based process and those who take the time required to fill out the form, and supply all the requirements, and are able to do this, and answer all the questions are pretty much self selected by the form. The government of Canada will tell you that if you ask questions it will delay your processing. It requires patience and ability to think in an orderly fashion. Many people give up and don't follow through. That makes the process self selecting, and it is designed that way on purpose. It is not impossible, it just takes work.
4
I have been a dual Can-Am citizen for many years. My simple observation is that Canadians have a sense of decency that Americans have lost. Oh, Americans are very generous in a crisis but when it comes to day to day issues within the community too many too often focus on the few cheaters, and crooks. Par example, these Americans would rather have a chaotic health care system and be cheated massively by drug companies than a simple, comprehensive one in which a small number of individuals benefit unfairly. Call this rugged individualism, if you will, but it’s a flaw that cuts.
BTW Mr. Kristof I was disappointed to read that the destination for the win-a-trip contest is not going to be Moose Jaw Saskatchewan.
24
@Salvatore
My family is from Moose Jaw! A lovely town worth a visit.
2
And they have Medicare for All which not only provides health care for EVERYONE, but provides BETTER health care as measured by bottom line public health statistics.
And they save a fortune doing so. According to the OECD, in 2017, Canada spent $4,753 in PPP dollars per person for health care. We spent $9,892. CMS says we spent $3.5 TRILLION on health care in 2017. 4753/9892 times 3.5 is about 1.7 TRILLION which is what we would pay for health care if out system were as efficient as Canada's. That would be a savings of $1.8 TRILLION each and every year. And as costs go up, that savings would increase.
And we would get better health care.
As Einstein said,
"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits."
17
@Len Charlap
It is a simple formula - long wait times - limit access to specialists and limit procedures.
Still interested?
P.S. Boston has more MRI's than the largest province in Canada
@SteveRR
Your assertion is not correct. If a Canadian needs immediate treatment or has a chronic disease health care is as fully accessible as in the US. It is the elective "nice to have" treatments that are not life threatening where there are wait times. A new knee or cataract surgery might require less waiting in the US, but those conditions don't kill anyone.
7
@SteveRR Then why do Americas have a shorter life expectancy? Yes, 'every' corner store can have an MRI in the US but don't assume that it doesn't have costs attached to it that make it less than the optimal outcome.
6
Canada is a very marvelous country. Perceived from a forgiving wide-angle view it also serves as a wonderful rhetorical tool wistful American urban progressives driven to point out to their thicker browed compatriots how they might usefully evolve. Entangled in all this, however, and feeding a lot of this "Canada envy" is the tendency of Canadian progressive leadership and media to focus on social issues of interest to their US counterparts. A large part of this is driven by this Canadian leadership groups' consistent eye for and cringe-inducing desire to be noticed and patted on the head by their American betters.
This is why urban race issues and immigration take up so much air in the Canadian policy deliberations as opposed to say the much thornier and complicated Canadian indigenous peoples' issues upon which successive Canadian governments have done so little to justify any international preening. (BTW, Canada's Indian Act which served as the inspiration for South Africa's apartheid system is still on the books.)
Since WWII Canadian foreign policy has been wisely anchored on pursuing pragmatic policies that serve Canadian interests - their "swoop in first and grab all the good refugees before anybody else can get them" wrapped in choir boy self-sacrifice.
This image management is of a piece with the Huawei debacle. The recently fired Can Ambassador to China laid out how Canada really feels about the case but that interfered with the public preening. So he was fired.
3
Canada also has universal healthcare coverage at less cost then the U.S. WAKE UP PLEASE - hear that - LESS COST. So when one article in the NY Times say that Democrats are torn over universal coverage because people don't want to lose their employer-based health care coverage think of this - you only have health care coverage if you are healthy enough to work. Once you get really sick and can't work, you are dropped from the employers health care coverage roles, and now you and your family are broke and destitute.
Increased taxes for Medicare for All? Americans already pay for health care at 2-4 times the rate of Canadians. We just pay the health insurance industry, doctors, clinics, and hospitals a different way. Canadians pay it in taxes to a government at less cost then Americans pay to the health care industry.
Waiting times? Try to get a hip replaced in the U.S. - at least 6 months or more to see an orthopedic surgeon. Try to see a rheumatologist in the U.S. - 6 months waiting list.
As this (not so boring) article explains, Canada has a lot to be thanked and praised for, as they set a great example for other countries, and I might add, Canadians guard their health care system, like a hockey defenseman or defensewoman in front of their goal!
22
@Tim Shaw
In Canada it can take up to 18-24 months to get a hip replaced and if the system is overburdened, that same patient can be scheduled into the USA system to get the same operation within a week.
1
@SteveRR What are the timelines for these Medicare procedures? Hey, if you have the full-deal of employer-funded insurance, the American system is great and fast with waiting rooms heated by burning $100 bills. With labour-force participation around 60%, and many without good workplace coverage, there are lots of adults without this gold-plated coverage.
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@SteveRR. I’m a Canadian who lives in Toronto most of the year. Wait times for knee and hip replacement surgeries in Toronto are not as long as you suggest. In my family in the last 25 years there have been six such surgeries and in no case was the wait time close to 18-24 months. My wife’s hip replacement in 2016 took place 5 weeks after the the decision to operate. That was in a major teaching hospital in downtown Totonto.
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Canada is like the woman in a heterosexual relationship with a man. She can do certain things without worrying too much because her man will protect her. America is like the man in the relationship. He needs to be tough, because he has a lot more responsibilities. He can't make mistakes, because no one will bail him out.
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@Mark
Wow - do all people in Las Vegas think like this?
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@Mark
Oh the horror, the horror of such a sexist and demeaning way of thinking.
Please don't use this skewed male\female dynamic. It's 2019 and males don't need to defend anyone...just don't attack anyone and everyone will be fine!
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I grew up in Canada, but in 1985 took a trip across the US and ended up in New York for 10 days. I was smitten! I immigrated to the US in 1986 and stayed for 30 years. During all that time I did not become an American. People would ask me why and I would always say that the US was lovely, but I wouldn't want to be old, or sick or poor in the US. I was a success in NY, I had a great job, I raised some great kids, I owned a home, a vacation house. I was the American dream. Then I got laid off and lost my healthcare. Shortly after that, I fell down and was injured and my injury was 100K. Because I owned a home, I did not qualify for anything until I bankrupted myself. I sold everything and returned to Canada. I still love NY and my friends there, but the security of being a Canadian and knowing that if something goes wrong, my government will care for me, is worth everything. I used to travel back and forth to visit my sons at college in Canada and every time I crossed the border, I was questioned, despite my resident alien card. The day the president rode down that escalator and gave his speech, I decided to become an American. The first time I used my American passport was on the day of the travel ban. I now have duel citizenship, so the best of both worlds. I would love to live in the US again, but I am old now and like being able to get any medical care I need without worry. I don't have to travel back and forth anyway, both my sons stayed in Canada after college.
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@thewriterstuff I don't get your decision. Now you get to file 2 sets of taxes plus make a declaration to the US Department of Revenue each year on how much you own in Canada? Guess you were worried about losing access to the US in some way. Green cards do expire.
When we decided to leave Cuba so we could have the rights and freedoms we didn’t have on the island, I studied several countries as carefully as I could and chose Canada. I think it is the second best decision I have made in my life; the best was to leave. After over fourteen years living here I can honestly say that I believe it is the country where rule of law and accountability are better. However, paeans such as this overlook, because the author is a devoted socialist or has analyzed Canada superficially, that there is a deep Canada, probably the majority of the citizenry, which has serious misgivings about many of the policies that the Liberal government has taken in the last three and a half years in the areas of immigration, the environment, economics, taxes, bureaucracy and its fostering of progressive ideals. Socialism is trying to make inroads here and most people are opposed to that. Stay tuned.
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With Trump, Canada is now more American than we are.
As time goes by, let's hope that Canada doesn't build a wall to keep us out.
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I find it ironic that you start your column praising Canada's standing, and conclude it with the announcement that you're doing a reporting trip to Guatemala / Haiti / Native American reservations.
I wonder: why not do a reporting trip in Ottawa instead? Especially now, with winter having a firm grip on the capital city. If you don't like the weather, you can always spend your time indoors with the underpaid public servants and administrators who toil in ancient buildings on Queen and Sparks streets. Show the student the real, up close, true work of government. After all, reporting the truth in all its monotonous tedium is what modern journalism should be all about.
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As a Canadian I resent being called boring, but thanks for the backhanded compliment. Of course we are far from perfect, but I’ll take Canada over all the rest of the countries in the “free world”. Whenever I fly home and walk through customs I feel so good about being back in Canada because it’s a great place to live. No government shutdowns, gun control, health care for all, and so much more. No drama here folks, and that’s the way we like it!
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@Gilush - In spite of our current troubles, I still have the same feeling you describe when I fly home and walk through customs. I have Canadian family so visit up north fairly often and love it....but I'm always happy to be back home - not because we're better - or worse - just because it's Home.
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Last summer, while vacationing in the Northwest, we ventured over the border into Canada for a day. We had been bumping along on the potholed roads of Montana, far from cellphone service when we approached the border. Suddenly, our cellphones lit up "Welcome to Canada" with local time and our home Central time displayed. We reached the border and were greeted by a polite, friendly guard who asked some routine questions and sent us on our way. The roads transformed into smooth concrete. We had a lovely day. Then we returned. The U.S. Border Patrol guard was gruff and rude, we lost our cellphone service again and the roads were bumpy asphalt. If it weren't for the cold . . .
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@Mary
Oh, my . . . issues with cell phone service, grumpy border guards, and potholes here? Well, consider whom you've put in charge: "Today, most of Oklahoma's federal and all of its statewide offices are all held by the Republican Party, which also holds super-majorities in both chambers of the state Legislature(Wikipedia). Likewise in Montana, the Montana Republican Party holds four of the six statewide offices and a majority of the seats in both the Montana Senate and Montana House.
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@Mary; Well, the cold is a problem very easy to solve just dress properly. And I am glad that your enjoy your time in Canada. Come back anytime.
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@Mary Having crossed the border into and out of Canada many times since the early 1970's, one thing has always remained a constant. The Canadian border guards were always pleasant and polite. The US border guards were ALWAYS rude, nasty, threatening. Their attitude was a cold slap in the face after spending a lovely day enjoying Canada and passing the Canadian guards. I am just too old to deal with it anymore. I don't go to Canada anymore and I miss it.
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Having once had the great good fortune to work with a number of Canadians, I completely agree. If I were a younger man I would seek to move there, and I am sure the same can be said for literally millions of Americans at this point. A stunningly beautiful country of beautiful people, adhering to their principles when so many other Western nations have forsaken theirs. From my knowledge of history, nations that forsake their principles tend to fail.
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As a proud Canadian who has lived most my life in the US (and Europe) your article put a tear in my eye. As many a reader has pointed out, it’s just the tip of the iceberg. The post WW II did look up to the States, but the long slow slide is now apparent. The closing of the America mind that Fox News crowd have effectively spread, and the constant chest thumping Patriotism of the Right have turned America into the once handsome, skilled high school quarterback who is now bald, chubby, with rickety knees with no health insurance to address his diabetes and hypertension. The patient thinks he’s fat and healthy, but he’s dying a slow death. Look in the mirror dude, glory days have past. Meanwhile, our cousins to the north have gained the moral higher ground. And still most Americans, firstly have no idea of even why there’s a Canada in the first place.
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I was in Louisiana travelling from Canada on the day of Trump's inauguration. Locals started asking me what I thought about Trump. I wasn't sure what to respond because I didn't know what their own leanings were. So I said, "I've been married long enough to known when to shut up." My answer served me well. The shop owner almost hugged me and told me what great neighbors Canadians were. Thank you America for inspiring Canada to continue the tradition of welcoming foreigners. We'll hand you the flame when you are ready to take it back.
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@N. Lambert
When my husband and I (dual) travel in Canada, we wear hats with the Canadian flag. When other tourists there ask if we are Canadian, my husband responds, "she is, I'm just embarrassed." We treasure our time over the border!
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Thanks. We do not appreciate Canada nearly enough. Yes, like other countries they have their problems of all sorts including their struggles to bring justice to "First Nations" peoples. That said, they are doing many things which we should be doing (and would be in less xenophobic, isolationist, selfish times).
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Canada has always had it's internal divisions, over language, religion, money and regionalism. The glue that has held it together has always been the periodic American threats, and invasions. Canada HAD to learn how to mediate their differences, or divided, we would fall. The very REASON we allow many many more refugees and immigrants than the USA does, is so that we can grow stronger, and defend ourselves from YOU. It is not enmity, it is just that we know the USA's moods intimately, and see the ever present danger of extremism.
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@Matt Day
And by "extremism" I suspect you are not thinking about "socialism". The old canard of its dangers is back in play, but I doubt there is much of an audience for it beyond Fox News.
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