Canadian PR

[kingrant]

You are generalising and thus not accurate.

Pork prices are cheaper in Montreal than S'pore. There are many grades, so let's take say the average price of pork.

Average price of pork in Singapore is S$1.50 per 100g, whereas it is C$1.50 per lb. in Montreal. Now C$1 = S$1.21 and 1 lb = 450 g. If you calculate and compare, the canadian price is cheaper by 3-4 times.

Beef is also much cheaper, as well as salmon. Not sure about chicken, as I didnt make a note.

But condensed milk, eggs, bread are all cheaper in Singapore, I concede. So is Singpost rates!

But how do you explain the fact that prices of the exact, identical, same items are about 60%-70% cheaper in Singapore as compared to Canada?

Singapore has a population of 5 million compared to Canada, which has a population of almost 40 million.

Ever try going to places like Longo's or Sobeys to shop? They charge C$7 for a very small strip of uncooked chicken breast.

The same strip of chicken breast can be bought in SG for less than S$2.

How do you explain that?

And how do you explain the sky high telco charges in Canada? People pay C$60-80 for very basic barebones wireless plans in Canada.

 

[indig10]

When someone uses a very cavalier attitude towards passing remarks about high prices in Canada and gets caught out by other forumners, he can only do one of two things:

1. Pretend that he stands corrected and digress to other thoughts for discussion.

2. Push his point across that prices are generally high and expects forumners to continue the discussion.

Either way, such a person does not take care of the veracity of his words, for he has accomplished his given mission - which is to salt the discussion with vitriol about the countries that most Singaporeans are emigrating to. One just has to look at the other forums to see how such agents sow their seeds. And if you want to discern who they are, just look at their profile date of creation and the number of posts. Other than their very new date of "joining", there are sleeper agents who will pretend to stand with their enemies, admonishing just as well "how they hate the establishment, and how they are merely trying to inform Singaporeans wisely".

Either that, or this person is unable to make peace at all with himself about the country and people he left after 12 whole years.

 

[maozedong]

Actually, Canada now is really more expensive than the USA, and it is mainly because of the exchange rate.
It used to be around US$1 = CAD$1.40 about 10 years ago. Now it is 1:1.
Of course, certain things are always cheaper in USA, e.g., gasoline (because USD is the Petrodollar) and telecom (because USA has bigger market). Not sure how Canada compares with Singapore though. For USA, cars and housing are obviously cheaper than Singapore. Fresh food is also slightly cheaper. But eating out and other services are more expensive than Singapore because of USA's minimum wage (salary of a waiter in San Francisco about $2,500).

As to Time2Evacuate's point on more discrimination in Canada vis-a-vis USA, he probably didn't go to the South and Mid-West in USA - "passive aggressive" and "aggressive aggressive" discrimination exist there too. If you don't want discrimination, live in places with a lot of minorities, e.g. Vancouver, Toronto, or California and New York in USA.

The percentage of Asians in Canada is much higher in USA, and they are more concentrated in very few locations, and so Asians really have higher profile in Canada than USA. For example, there are more Chinese radio stations in Toronto than in the whole of California.

Also, Time2Evacuate's point of US income tax being lower than Canada's isn't totally correct. US income tax is now very high. A mid-level executive in Silicon Valley who is unmarried without kid and without housing mortgage can pay up to 55% tax (Federal & State & S/S). And if you take into account that there is no free healthcare and no free education for kids in US, US income tax is really not lower than Canada's. In fact, for the middle class, you can say income tax in Canada is lower when you factor in the social benefits. In the USA, the only people getting any benefits are the dirt poor with nothing in their bank accounts.

When someone uses a very cavalier attitude towards passing remarks about high prices in Canada and gets caught out by other forumners, he can only do one of two things:

1. Pretend that he stands corrected and digress to other thoughts for discussion.

2. Push his point across that prices are generally high and expects forumners to continue the discussion.

Either way, such a person does not take care of the veracity of his words, for he has accomplished his given mission - which is to salt the discussion with vitriol about the countries that most Singaporeans are emigrating to. One just has to look at the other forums to see how such agents sow their seeds. And if you want to discern who they are, just look at their profile date of creation and the number of posts. Other than their very new date of "joining", there are sleeper agents who will pretend to stand with their enemies, admonishing just as well "how they hate the establishment, and how they are merely trying to inform Singaporeans wisely".

Either that, or this person is unable to make peace at all with himself about the country and people he left after 12 whole years.

 

[indig10]

Thanks for the detailed reply. This is the kind of in-depth and objective-enough/balanced-enough write-up I'm referring to, which the 12-years-in-Toronto forumner (who was in Finance industry some more) can't seem to produce.

On taxes, Canadian and US taxes certainly are higher than Singapore's. One has to find legal ways in Canada to lower your tax burden through methods such as topping up your RRSP to $25,000 for the year and investing your money in "less taxed" investment instruments e.g. mutual funds or giving your spouse a "loan" of your money, enough to lower your taxable income by at least one bracket, which can mean a difference of several thousand dollars. For someone who was in Toronto in the finance industry for 12 whole years, I'm surprised that he didn't mention such basic tips in passing throughout his postings. It seems broad-brushed negative comments were more helpful tips he was trying to provide to readers of this forum.

On food, some items will be more expensive than others and that is a fact around the world if you are referring to processed foods especially, depending on the domestic or foreign production/distribution factors. It is much more important to consider the entire "basket" of consumption (for such produce and consumables) against the take-home salary or earned income that an immigrant would make. If one has to simplify things to the most understandable level, the "Big Mac Index" will make it easy: "How many hours does the average worker (median salary) have to work to earn enough to buy a Big Mac?" or just keep it simple like our woody alluded, analogue to one plate of char kuay teow.

On wireless plans, while it is true that Rogers and Bell plans are CAD$60-80 and above, there are lower-cost providers such as Fido and others with cheaper plans than that, and they have been around for several years already.

As for the passive-aggressive issue, it's all a matter of perception and reaction, isn't it? My friends from Middle East secure good Canadian MNC jobs on par with what they had in the MNCs back in their home countries.

The much vaunted Canadian experience does matter, and it boils down to the person himself in the way he thinks and conducts himself, which affects how people react to him and therefore how he perceives their behaviour.

If one cannot adapt his way of thinking and behaviour to the local culture, right down to the importance of small talk and little Canadian quirks such as opening the conversation with "Hi, how're you? / I'm good, thank you and how about you?" or understanding Canadian do's and dont's, perhaps that is why the locals seem to be so unfriendly, he encounters so much grief and builds up such apparent bitterness in his words.

Actually, Canada now is really more expensive than the USA, and it is mainly because of the exchange rate.
It used to be around US$1 = CAD$1.40 about 10 years ago. Now it is 1:1.
Of course, certain things are always cheaper in USA, e.g., gasoline (because USD is the Petrodollar) and telecom (because USA has bigger market). Not sure how Canada compares with Singapore though. For USA, cars and housing are obviously cheaper than Singapore. Fresh food is also slightly cheaper. But eating out and other services are more expensive than Singapore because of USA's minimum wage (salary of a waiter in San Francisco about $2,500).

As to Time2Evacuate's point on more discrimination in Canada vis-a-vis USA, he probably didn't go to the South and Mid-West in USA - "passive aggressive" and "aggressive aggressive" discrimination exist there too. If you don't want discrimination, live in places with a lot of minorities, e.g. Vancouver, Toronto, or California and New York in USA.

The percentage of Asians in Canada is much higher in USA, and they are more concentrated in very few locations, and so Asians really have higher profile in Canada than USA. For example, there are more Chinese radio stations in Toronto than in the whole of California.

Also, Time2Evacuate's point of US income tax being lower than Canada's isn't totally correct. US income tax is now very high. A mid-level executive in Silicon Valley who is unmarried without kid and without housing mortgage can pay up to 55% tax (Federal & State & S/S). And if you take into account that there is no free healthcare and no free education for kids in US, US income tax is really not lower than Canada's. In fact, for the middle class, you can say income tax in Canada is lower when you factor in the social benefits. In the USA, the only people getting any benefits are the dirt poor with nothing in their bank accounts.

 

[kingrant]

The thing I can never leave behind and which I always miss when I go is the enormous varieties of good Chinese/malay/Indian hawker/food court cooked food and their prices at which you can have them for, which range from $2.50 in HDB estates to $4.00/$5.00 in Orchard Rd.

In Canada, you will have the Greek, Viet, Middle Eastern varieties plus the Tiki-Mings, and Jap and Korean food, but prices even in food courts are at least C$7 which is S$8.50! HK food you tend to find only in restaurants. And the food is a lot less enticing to the Asian palate.

Cost of living is high if you earn in S$ and spend in C$, but not really a big pain if you can earn in C$.

Truly, it's a food paradise in Singapore. Malaysia as well.

 

[Charlie99]

Thanks for the detailed reply. This is the kind of in-depth and objective-enough/balanced-enough write-up I'm referring to, which the 12-years-in-Toronto forumner (who was in Finance industry some more) can't seem to produce.

On taxes, Canadian and US taxes certainly are higher than Singapore's. One has to find legal ways in Canada to lower your tax burden through methods such as topping up your RRSP to $25,000 for the year and investing your money in "less taxed" investment instruments e.g. mutual funds or giving your spouse a "loan" of your money, enough to lower your taxable income by at least one bracket, which can mean a difference of several thousand dollars. For someone who was in Toronto in the finance industry for 12 whole years, I'm surprised that he didn't mention such basic tips in passing throughout his postings. It seems broad-brushed negative comments were more helpful tips he was trying to provide to readers of this forum.

On food, some items will be more expensive than others and that is a fact around the world if you are referring to processed foods especially, depending on the domestic or foreign production/distribution factors. It is much more important to consider the entire "basket" of consumption (for such produce and consumables) against the take-home salary or earned income that an immigrant would make. If one has to simplify things to the most understandable level, the "Big Mac Index" will make it easy: "How many hours does the average worker (median salary) have to work to earn enough to buy a Big Mac?" or just keep it simple like our woody alluded, analogue to one plate of char kuay teow.

On wireless plans, while it is true that Rogers and Bell plans are CAD$60-80 and above, there are lower-cost providers such as Fido and others with cheaper plans than that, and they have been around for several years already.

As for the passive-aggressive issue, it's all a matter of perception and reaction, isn't it? My friends from Middle East secure good Canadian MNC jobs on par with what they had in the MNCs back in their home countries.

The much vaunted Canadian experience does matter, and it boils down to the person himself in the way he thinks and conducts himself, which affects how people react to him and therefore how he perceives their behaviour.

If one cannot adapt his way of thinking and behaviour to the local culture, right down to the importance of small talk and little Canadian quirks such as opening the conversation with "Hi, how're you? / I'm good, thank you and how about you?" or understanding Canadian do's and dont's, perhaps that is why the locals seem to be so unfriendly, he encounters so much grief and builds up such apparent bitterness in his words.

Pardon me, for interjecting.

That individual indicated that he was in finance, and lived in downtown Toronto for about 12 years.

Your post is more balanced.

There are several discount cell phone companies, such as SOLO, which is a subsidiary or affiliate of Bell Canada, which I am a subscriber, for $25 a month, which includes unlimited local calls, unlimited text messages in Canada, and call display, but no voice mail (another $5 per month).

There are many different supermarket food item specials each week, for example: fresh salmon can be $6 to $7 a pound, whereas my usual fish monger at St Lawrence Market charges me $10 a pound (regular $14), boneless skinless chicken breast at $6 (regular $10).

 

[nayr69sg]

Pardon me, for interjecting.

That individual indicated that he was in finance, and lived in downtown Toronto for about 12 years.

Your post is more balanced.

There are several discount cell phone companies, such as SOLO, which is a subsidiary or affiliate of Bell Canada, which I am a subscriber, for $25 a month, which includes unlimited local calls, unlimited text messages in Canada, and call display, but no voice mail (another $5 per month).

There are many different supermarket food item specials each week, for example: fresh salmon can be $6 to $7 a pound, whereas my usual fish monger at St Lawrence Market charges me $10 a pound (regular $14), boneless skinless chicken breast at $6 (regular $10).

Allow me to offer my two cents.

Yes the price of mobile phone plans might be higher by tens of dollars a month, fresh salmon by tens of dollars etc etc.

But seriously would these be the reasons that cause someone who migrates to Canada, gets gainfully employed with a reasonable paying job to decide to go back to Singapore?

Really? The price difference of a car is in the tens of THOUSANDS of dollars! And don't even mention the cost of a home!

Anyway I can understand worrying about tens of dollars if I was jobless, had no income and counting every cent I have in my bank account.

It all boils down to spending what you earn. If you can't afford a monthly mobile plan which will let you have a new modern smartphone at a big subsidy, there are many other options for a mobile phone to get you connected. Check out 7-Eleven.

And if price of groceries is a concern, why not go to Costco and buy in bulk? Avoid the expensive items. Buy only what is on sale.

There are so many ways to cope with this sort of thing.

To me the big challenge is really finding a job, and then finding a good paying job and living in harmony in Canadian society. While I contend that this culture varies from province to province and city to city, I have to admit that it will never be EASY for anyone to migrate from Singapore to Canada.

If you think everything will be a bed of roses and PERFECT etc....then you are not in the right frame of mind quite frankly.

It doesn't matter to us if people don't want to come to Canada. DON'T COME! In fact I wonder why I bother writing this. Haha!

Yeah maybe better to just say I am part of the passive aggressive and would rather all those negative minded immigrants stay in their own home countries. After all migrating is only for cannot make it people like me, crazy enough to go to a horrible place with people waiting to spit on me.

Singapore is a good country. No need to leave at all.

 

[indig10]

Thank you Charlie, for the various prices to give folks back in Singapore some points of comparison when they go to the wet markets or hypermarts.

Readers can see the difference: one forumner making sweeping statements and generalizations, while others give very specific details only a local or someone living there will know.

Pardon me, for interjecting.

That individual indicated that he was in finance, and lived in downtown Toronto for about 12 years.

Your post is more balanced.

There are several discount cell phone companies, such as SOLO, which is a subsidiary or affiliate of Bell Canada, which I am a subscriber, for $25 a month, which includes unlimited local calls, unlimited text messages in Canada, and call display, but no voice mail (another $5 per month).

There are many different supermarket food item specials each week, for example: fresh salmon can be $6 to $7 a pound, whereas my usual fish monger at St Lawrence Market charges me $10 a pound (regular $14), boneless skinless chicken breast at $6 (regular $10).

 

[indig10]

Thank you, doc. All spot on. Singapore is a good country. No need to leave at all, especially for forumners who claim they've lived 12 years in Toronto.

Allow me to offer my two cents.

...

Singapore is a good country. No need to leave at all.

 

[Charlie99]

Thank you Charlie, for the various prices to give folks back in Singapore some points of comparison when they go to the wet markets or hypermarts.

Readers can see the difference: one forumner making sweeping statements and generalizations, while others give very specific details only a local or someone living there will know.

brother,
avec plaisir.

brother [ nayr69sg ] said it well, that is "If Singaporeans do not like the Canadian lifestyle and cost of living as well as the relatively high income taxes" (he did not say it so many words like me), then please do not come to Canada.

Another individual indicated that the food is much cheaper and delicious than the meals at Canadian food courts, which I agree.

One has to know where to eat, for example, in Toronto, a small coffee at McDonald's is about $1.39, but it is comparatively cheap if you pay 1 cent more for a muffin, total $1.40. For lunch, there are reasonable places to eat, say at Spring Rolls, buffet all you can eat brought to your table for $15, or self serve at the Mandarin $13, or self serve at several Indian restaurants between $10 to $14. Then there is delicious Korean food at about $6 to $8, or buffet at $10 to $12.

Several years ago, I conducted a detailed price, item by item (those which we usually eat) comparison by visiting the supermarkets in Singapore, and the prices in Toronto is not that much more expensive. Many items are cheaper in Toronto, including Oral B toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, etc.

Last week, 1 kg of Kraft peanut butter was on sale for $2.88 in Toronto, and during the past several months, several stores were selling it at $4. 400 gm of Toblerone at $6 in Dec, and at the Peek Freans cookie outlet, Toblerone was $6 taxes included, a big garbage bag of Chips Ahoy cookies (in packages of 4 each) was $5. Other examples: 750 gm of frozen peas at $2; frozen pizza at $3 to $4; Sterling Silver striploin steak (the top 12% of AAA steaks) on sale for $7 a pound otherwise regular $15 a pound; lobster (smaller ones at 1.25 to 1.5 pounds) when on sale $6 a pound; fresh cod at $8 a pound. Unfortunately, the cost of food has increased during the past 2 years.

 

[Time2Evacuate]

When someone uses a very cavalier attitude towards passing remarks about high prices in Canada and gets caught out by other forumners, he can only do one of two things:

1. Pretend that he stands corrected and digress to other thoughts for discussion.

2. Push his point across that prices are generally high and expects forumners to continue the discussion.

Either way, such a person does not take care of the veracity of his words, for he has accomplished his given mission - which is to salt the discussion with vitriol about the countries that most Singaporeans are emigrating to. One just has to look at the other forums to see how such agents sow their seeds. And if you want to discern who they are, just look at their profile date of creation and the number of posts. Other than their very new date of "joining", there are sleeper agents who will pretend to stand with their enemies, admonishing just as well "how they hate the establishment, and how they are merely trying to inform Singaporeans wisely".

Either that, or this person is unable to make peace at all with himself about the country and people he left after 12 whole years.

You really are DAFT and IDIOTIC aren't you?

You sound like you are IDIOT who is stuck in Singapore who is desperately waiting for his Canadian visa (likely under the Federal Skilled Immigrant class) to come through, but who is ultra-touchy to any and all posts revealing bad aspects about Canada and the Canadian culture (or the lack of culture).

You react in a deluded paranoid manner because you feel like your deluded dream bubble about Canada is being burst.

Why are you so freakingly stupid?

Don't like my posts? Then get lost and don't read then.

Wait till you go Canada and realize that my posts are RELEVANT. Then you will cry father cry mother and stomp on the ground like a primary school girl about not listening to me. Mark my words. We will see.

My posts here are to let other Singaporeans who may be thinking about migrating to have a more balanced reality-based picture of what Canada is like. People are free to listen or ignore my posts.

The fact is that many Canadians dislike and take issue with those who are immigrants and those who are not caucasians but they are too scared and timid to voice that out. So they go about behaving in a passive aggressive, non-cooperative and cold "bui-song" manner towards the immigrants they dislike.

Unless a Singaporean is willing to stick it out doing blue-collar jobs and paying SKY HIGH prices to exploitive retailers and coughing up sky high taxes, and also constantly having to put up with rude and passive aggressive Canadians, they are WAY WAY WAY WAY WAY WAY WAY WAY BETTER OFF GOING TO THE US. The white-collar jobs in Canada are all barricaded in and taken up by whites, and if you are a non ang moh immigrant, the only white-collar jobs that are remotely available to you are clerical or admin or call-centre jobs.

The only situation where Canada is a good choice for Singaporeans if one is already a millionaire and don't mind wasting lots of money on jacked up and inflated prices, or if one is a Singaporean who is already retired or has some serious disease or illness (like cancer) since one can get free health care if one manages to get PR by somehow passing through the medical check (but they will probably discover that and not approve the application).

I can see Canada as a good option (i.e. better than US) if one wishes to go into retirement, then sells off property in SG for high price, then migrate to a LESS UNFRIENDLY province in Canada, such as the maritime provinces (e.g., Nova Scotia) and then buy a nice big lake front property there and live peacefully and quietly and happily thereafter. Almost all other situations are likely to end in disaster.

Don't like my posts? Don't read then. Quite simple. Others may be interested in listening to these counter-points and getting a more balanced picture with the pluses and the minuses.

You are an idiot, and that is what you are. Now, get lost.

 

[indig10]

If you are who you claim to be, it is not my intention to ostracize you. I simply hope you will be able to make peace with yourself. Hopefully you will come to terms with your experiences and be able to move on from there to a new beginning in sunny California.

If you are who I know you are, let me tell you this: you fucked it up. You got emotional from the moment I hit home at your gaping holes of incompetence, and you have just exploded because you have lost control and know you've really lost it. You resort to insults and angry outbursts like right now because well... you're simply out of the league, adik. Here's a short lesson for you: don't get angry and hammer a reply right away because you don't realise how stupid you look to the readers here, even if you are behind a pseudonym, because you know deep down inside, you're feeling the shame and anger of losing control and there's no way you're able to salvage your control and centre yourself. You made so many mistakes that your handler will be patting you on the back for a job well done while slapping you with the other. Whether he lets you know or not, is entirely a matter of disposal - of you. No matter how many other profiles you create and use, there is only one "you" staring back at you through the dull black screen of your device. You're wasting your time in this counter-insurgency, on the keyboard in such utterly worthless activities.

Here's a secret for you: you're not discouraging those people who really are capable of emigration and against the status quo which you are supporting; these are people who will eventually make peace with their departure. You're actually discouraging those people who might be capable of emigration but don't and eventually, they will be the people who bring down the status quo you're supporting, with a vengeance that is even greater than those who departed.

And there's really nothing you can do to stop it because you are in a false fight against truth.

Would you be able to look yourself, or your son or daughter in the eye and say with truthfulness, that you lived the best you could and did?

You know you can't, until you take a good hard look at yourself.

 

[Time2Evacuate]

Actually, Canada now is really more expensive than the USA, and it is mainly because of the exchange rate.
It used to be around US$1 = CAD$1.40 about 10 years ago. Now it is 1:1.
Of course, certain things are always cheaper in USA, e.g., gasoline (because USD is the Petrodollar) and telecom (because USA has bigger market). Not sure how Canada compares with Singapore though. For USA, cars and housing are obviously cheaper than Singapore. Fresh food is also slightly cheaper. But eating out and other services are more expensive than Singapore because of USA's minimum wage (salary of a waiter in San Francisco about $2,500).

As to Time2Evacuate's point on more discrimination in Canada vis-a-vis USA, he probably didn't go to the South and Mid-West in USA - "passive aggressive" and "aggressive aggressive" discrimination exist there too. If you don't want discrimination, live in places with a lot of minorities, e.g. Vancouver, Toronto, or California and New York in USA.

The percentage of Asians in Canada is much higher in USA, and they are more concentrated in very few locations, and so Asians really have higher profile in Canada than USA. For example, there are more Chinese radio stations in Toronto than in the whole of California.

Also, Time2Evacuate's point of US income tax being lower than Canada's isn't totally correct. US income tax is now very high. A mid-level executive in Silicon Valley who is unmarried without kid and without housing mortgage can pay up to 55% tax (Federal & State & S/S). And if you take into account that there is no free healthcare and no free education for kids in US, US income tax is really not lower than Canada's. In fact, for the middle class, you can say income tax in Canada is lower when you factor in the social benefits. In the USA, the only people getting any benefits are the dirt poor with nothing in their bank accounts.

Hi,

A couple of points:

1. I have been to the US Midwest as well the US South, but only stayed in the South for several weeks (Florida/Miami and Georgia/Atlanta). The US Midwest "passiveness" or "Midwest Nice" is DIFFERENT from the passive aggressiveness in Canada. In the Midwest, people are OPEN and NICE to you, regardless of your race or background. They are super-friendly and will socialize with you and make friends with you. But the down-side or bad thing about this is that sometimes they will secretly stab you at the back (Midwestern "back-stabbing") in conversations among themselves when you are not present. So you might have friends that you thought are good friends for some years, only to find out that they have said bad things about you behind your back.

But in Canada, the passive aggressiveness is DIFFERENT. People are standoffish and they refuse to make friends with people outside of their race or ethnicity. They might say hi to you, but even that is rare. Most times, they just IGNORE you and refuse to cooperate with you.

In the US South, people are very friendly and honest and they treat minorities very well now. This may come as a surprise because of the South's racist history. I got no bones to pick with the American Southerners.

2. Canadian's EFFECTIVE income tax rate is higher than the US if one takes into account the tax brackets. Due to the brackets, you get taxed more in Canada, compared to someone in the US who earns the same amount as you. Don't just look at the top bracket or the maximum tax rate. Look at all the income levels under those tax brackets, then you will see what I am talking about.

And that is only income tax. Consider the goods and services tax, which they call HST now. Unless you are in AB, the HST is significantly higher than all US states, often DOUBLE. And the HST is applied AFTER the 25%-40% markup on most goods and services' pricing compared to US. So you are looking at AFTER TAX prices of anywhere from 35%-50% higher in Canada.

3. True about there being more minorities in Canada and concentrated in few major cities. But I disagree with your point about going to the major cities to avoid discrimination, because it is the opposite of what should be done. The discrimination against non-ang moh immigrants may be more severe in the major cities precisely because there are more minorities there. But as mentioned in point 1 above, the discrimination is hidden under passive aggressiveness. People don't say racist things to you like they do in Australia, but make no mistake, they still don't like you and will give you the cold shoulder. If one wishes to avoid discrimination, one should go to smaller cities with less non ang mohs. The eastern provinces are good and they are super nice and friendly there.

So, how to compare Canada to US? Can't compare. Not even close.

That is why I always said, try damn bloody hard to go US. Consider Canada only if you run out of options. Maybe Canada is better than AU, but it depends on your personality (ie whether you can deal with active aggressive people better or passive aggressive people better).

 

[Time2Evacuate]

If you are who you claim to be, it is not my intention to ostracize you. I simply hope you will be able to make peace with yourself. Hopefully you will come to terms with your experiences and be able to move on from there to a new beginning in sunny California.

If you are who I know you are, let me tell you this: you fucked it up. You got emotional from the moment I hit home at your gaping holes of incompetence, and you have just exploded because you have lost control and know you've really lost it. You resort to insults and angry outbursts like right now because well... you're simply out of the league, adik. Here's a short lesson for you: don't get angry and hammer a reply right away because you don't realise how stupid you look to the readers here, even if you are behind a pseudonym, because you know deep down inside, you're feeling the shame and anger of losing control and there's no way you're able to salvage your control and centre yourself. You made so many mistakes that your handler will be patting you on the back for a job well done while slapping you with the other. Whether he lets you know or not, is entirely a matter of disposal - of you. No matter how many other profiles you create and use, there is only one "you" staring back at you through the dull black screen of your device. You're wasting your time in this counter-insurgency, on the keyboard in such utterly worthless activities.

Here's a secret for you: you're not discouraging those people who really are capable of emigration and against the status quo which you are supporting; these are people who will eventually make peace with their departure. You're actually discouraging those people who might be capable of emigration but don't and eventually, they will be the people who bring down the status quo you're supporting, with a vengeance that is even greater than those who departed.

And there's really nothing you can do to stop it because you are in a false fight against truth.

Would you be able to look yourself, or your son or daughter in the eye and say with truthfulness, that you lived the best you could and did?

You know you can't, until you take a good hard look at yourself.

What status quo are you going on about?

You are a deluded paranoid fool. That is what you are.

Again, I dislike the PAP and never liked them (okay, maybe I did back in the 80s and early 90s). I can't wait to help vote PAP out of office in GE 2016.

So don't go point fingers at me and saying I am trying to preserve the status quo.

I am 100% in support of Singaporeans migrating to the West and getting their families and children out of Singapore to escape the PAP's grasp on them.

But seriously, my point is that there are WAY WAY WAY better options than Canada.

THE US IS MUCH MUCH MUCH better. I would even recommend AU over Canada even though AU is very racist generally.

Get lost already, you fool.

 

[nayr69sg]

THE US IS MUCH MUCH MUCH better. I would even recommend AU over Canada even though AU is very racist generally.

Yes US is much better. Go USA better. I sincerely hope you find happiness in the USA.

Anyway don't worry too much about Singaporeans. I think there will be VERY few of them coming to Canada now that the rules have changed. I for one would not have qualified to come.

So maybe it would be more fruitful for you to start a USA thread and share how you made it to USA for the other Singaporeans you care about.

Reading what you post makes me disagree with you on one hand but yet feel it is better and happier for me if more Singaporeans think the same as you.

Oh and if Singaporeans really do come to Canada and want to settle in Ontario, I recommend going to Brampton.

 

[wendypoh]

On wireless plans, while it is true that Rogers and Bell plans are CAD$60-80 and above, there are lower-cost providers such as Fido and others with cheaper plans than that, and they have been around for several years already.

This is misleading, the so-called discount carriers like Fido, Wind etc are not cheap. It will still add up and maybe $10-$20 cheaper than Rogers or Bell. To have a decent plan from Fido, you still need to pay minimum $50. Sure, they have a $25 plan (previously you need to pay extra for voice mail, call display but now it is included) but that $25 plan is only for 100 minutes. That is you have 1 hour 20 minutes to talk free in one whole month. You talk more than 1 hour 20 minutes in a month right? You go unlimited, that is $50 at Fido plus tax. And don't forget, the $50 is just talk. You want a data plan/surf the web on your phone, it is going to cost more.

There are several discount cell phone companies, such as SOLO, which is a subsidiary or affiliate of Bell Canada, which I am a subscriber, for $25 a month, which includes unlimited local calls, unlimited text messages in Canada, and call display, but no voice mail (another $5 per month).

See above. Even for discounted carriers, expect to pay minimum $50 plus tax. No carrier will offer unlimited talk for less than $50, plus extra for calling features. SOLO is history now, still operating but no longer accepting new customers so not applicable if that statement about SOLO is meant to entice people. The discounted carrier for Bell is now Virgin, their regular unlimited talk plan is $50. The old unlimited SOLO plan you have for $30 including voice mail, is a very good deal, I expect unlimited plan from other carriers to cost about $35 during that time. Of course, now, the unlimited talk plan is minimum $50. Want data/surf web, pay more because the telecom companies in Canada are a bunch of highway robbers.

My friends from Middle East secure good Canadian MNC jobs on par with what they had in the MNCs back in their home countries.

If you speak Singlish, it is going to be hard to get a professional job because Singlish is not tolerated. Singlish is broken English and the speaker is deemed not having studied English at school. If you speak English like Chee Soon Juan, chances of getting a job is much better.

In Canada, you will have the Greek, Viet, Middle Eastern varieties plus the Tiki-Mings, and Jap and Korean food, but prices even in food courts are at least C$7 which is S$8.50! HK food you tend to find only in restaurants. And the food is a lot less enticing to the Asian palate.

Your prices are cheap, this is talking about food court prices, to eat "premium meals", say Greek, for example, minimum C$10. Other meals is minimum C$8.50. Your C$7 is a very good price. I have never been able to have a meal at a food court for less than C$8.50.

There are many different supermarket food item specials each week, for example: fresh salmon can be $6 to $7 a pound, whereas my usual fish monger at St Lawrence Market charges me $10 a pound (regular $14), boneless skinless chicken breast at $6 (regular $10).

Ahem.. $10 a pound for salmon is dirt cheap. The regular supermarket don't sell at that price. Also, they don't offer salmon regularly. To suggest that one can buy salmon on a "semi-regular" basis at $7 a pound is misleading. They do put salmon on sale but not regularly. Salmon is a priced item, for its fatty Omega content. The greedy corporations in Canada will want to try to make as much money as possible from salmon.

To me the big challenge is really finding a job, and then finding a good paying job and living in harmony in Canadian society.

Finding work is never easy in Canada. Not even for clerical job. Sure, you can try out MacDonalds. A lot of pinoys work at MacDonalds. How many Singaporeans are now willing to work along side with pinoys at MacDonalds? It is not easy for new immigrants to find work- the new immigrant speak cock up English aka Singlish. This put off potential Canadian mployers, one of the oldest trick Canadian employers have is to say "do you have Canadian experience?" All they really want to is get rid of you and they always use this "Canadian experience" excuse not to hire you. Doesn't matter you have impressive work experience in Singapore, what matters to Canadian employers is Canadian experience.

Unless a Singaporean is willing to stick it out doing blue-collar jobs and paying SKY HIGH prices to exploitive retailers and coughing up sky high taxes, and also constantly having to put up with rude and passive aggressive Canadians, they are WAY WAY WAY WAY WAY WAY WAY WAY BETTER OFF GOING TO THE US.

Blue collar jobs make more money than an office job. It may be better to take up a blue collar career than a white collar one. Food, commodities, services are so expensive, the U.S. is a much better option. Recommended in California, Oregon etc.

The only situation where Canada is a good choice for Singaporeans if one is already a millionaire and don't mind wasting lots of money on jacked up and inflated prices,

Yeah, if you are loaded with cash, come to Canada by all means. That is if you don't mind the cold.

 

[wendypoh]

Yes US is much better. Go USA better. I sincerely hope you find happiness in the USA.

Yes. USA is better, don't make the bad mistake of coming to Canada. Canada is expensive, cold, etc.

 

[Time2Evacuate]

Oh and if Singaporeans really do come to Canada and want to settle in Ontario, I recommend going to Brampton.

No lah.

How can recommend anyone to go Brampton?

I would not wish it on my worst enemies.

Folks, don't take the Brampton recommendation seriously. It was meant by nayr69sg as a joke.

Avoid Brampton at all cost, even if you have to lose an arm and a leg. That place is a nightmare, the hell of hells.

 

[Time2Evacuate]

Yes. USA is better, don't make the bad mistake of coming to Canada. Canada is expensive, cold, etc.

Finally, someone with the courage and honesty to speak the TRUTH.

Folks, please listen carefully to what Wendypoh said. She knows what she is talking about. All that she said is completely true and accurate. The only thing I would add to her post above is that the wireless plans in Canada do not have free incoming calls unlike the rest of the world, so if you receive incoming calls, it gets counted towards your available minutes. It is considered very normal and cheap in Canada to pay C$250-C$300 a month now for barebones wireless, barebones cable and barebones internet. Also, take note that the internet plans in Canada all have very low caps or limits (like, 60gig per month). Once you exceeded that, companies like Rogers will charge you C$2 per gig.

Almost all daily items are 40-50% higher than in the US after tax. Compared to SG prices, they are even higher, except for cars, housing.

Much of the economy in Canada is monopolized by a select few major corporations, especially in the telco and banking industries, and they all price-gouge and dig every dollar and cent out of your pocket whenever possible.

The worst thing that one should look out for is the passive aggressive attitude of local whites towards non-ang moh immigrants. That is the most problematic part. Actually, that is also the reason why non ang moh immigrants often get excluded from the relevant jobs. They won't tell you racist things to your face, but will use indirect excuses such as "the job is already filled" or "we are looking for someone with Canadian experience". The phrase "Canadian experience" is used as an excuse to exclude you without making it obvious that it is based on race and your immigrant status. So when you hear such phrase mentioned, alarm bells should be going off in your head.

If Singaporeans want to get out of the PAP nonsense and migrate, I strongly encourage that, but please please please listen to Wendypoh and myself and avoid Canada, unless you are already very rich and don't need to work and can sit around in retirement and not do work and not get bored.

Try hard to get into US.

You will be saving yourself lots of trouble, frustration and money.

 

[Charlie99]

"Ahem.. $10 a pound for salmon is dirt cheap. The regular supermarket don't sell at that price. Also, they don't offer salmon regularly. To suggest that one can buy salmon on a "semi-regular" basis at $7 a pound is misleading. They do put salmon on sale but not regularly. Salmon is a priced item, for its fatty Omega content. The greedy corporations in Canada will want to try to make as much money as possible from salmon."

*** *** ***

I am not misrepresenting the price of fresh salmon, because we eat it twice a week, Saturday and Monday.
I buy it from Domenic's at St. Lawrence Market, and I prefer the tail section of the fillet.
I can also buy it at that price at Seafront or another store at St. Lawrence Market.
Since we only had salmon on March 30, due to Easter food, late this afternoon, I bought about 1.5 pounds of fresh salmon from Domenic's, and bbq it notwithstanding it was 2C at 6:30pm.
You buy it all week and every week at the following: Loblaws (on sale 2 weeks ago, at $7), Metro (last week at $6 if you buy 900 gm or more), Sobeys (this week till April 03, at $7), then I may buy it at that price, otherwise, I would still buy it from Domenic's (fresh, and the quality is very consistent).