Britain, Australia, India, various parts of Asia, and the states

Last edited Fri Oct 27, 2017, 11:06 PM - Edit history (1)

became an issue in the 1970s, 80s and 90s. Montreal was the biggest city in canada and now is the third biggest. Lots of empty storefronts for a time. But the joie de vivre still made Montreal a great place to live. Now it is full with migrants who want a more European vibe and doing well. On the whole I don't think Quebecers are sad they saved their culture and language. A lot of people lost out...home sales and jobs loss and head offices moving to Toronto and such. But the benefit was saving the distinct culture that was and is quebec and for that reason many are happy with the outcome. Not sure there is any danger to Catalina culture like there was to Quebec. So i don't know what big benefit they will see by fighting for independence. Another great thing about Quebec independence and the quiet revolution was that English Canada responded with French immersion schools across the country to make English Canadians bilingual. And that has intellectual benefits beyond just knowing a second language we did not plan on. Again I don't know if cantalinas have a separate language to save.

As to Trudeau I don't find wait times worse under him. Some people complain about this and that but really the economy is booming and Trudeau is changing the hearts and minds of Canadians in regards to indigenous history and issues. And that again will have the added benefit of unmarginalizing an important part of the country again (french speakers were marginalized to start with) with all the endless benefits that entails. I like Trudeau. He tries to get it right.

Although the Feds provide funds to the provinces, each province runs its own health care system, unlike the UK's , which is nationwide.

I'm not aware of any significant cuts at either the federal or provincial level since Treaudeau was elected (he's only had 1 complete budget cycle, going into his second I believe ).

As both an employee and consumer of BC health care, I'm not aware of any significant increase in wait times. Longest waits are for joint replacements and MRI's which can be a year or more. My wife and I have gotten into see specialists usually within 2-4 mos.

Anything life threatening, or potentially, (like suspected cancer) gets dealt with quickly.


We just elected an NDP (think Labour Party) provincial govt., and they are prioritizing increasing MRI centers, and operating room availability, two of the biggest factors in wait times.

The wait times affect everyone equally, with priority given to medical necessity/urgency, not, like in the US, according to whether one has a top tier coverage or junk insurance, which can determine whether you get a procedure or nothing.

Nobody goes bankrupt due to medical bills. Prescriptions are much cheaper than in the US, and with extended benefits through my employer (for dental, vision, massages, chiropractic and meds) I often pay nothing for my prescriptions, not even a copay.

Edited to add: Oh, and if you have to pay out of pocket for your MSP premium because you're retired or self employed? $124 a month for a couple. If you're unemployed or working a minimum wage ($11hr) job, you likely qualify for premium assistance/free coverage.

... who has lived in Canada for the past forty years.

I have heard no such complaints from anyone about "long waits to see a doctor" - and me and my friends are of an age where doctor visits tend to be more frequent than our younger neighbours'.

I am curious about your reference to "cutbacks in the NHS".

There is no such thing as the "NHS" in Canada with respect to healthcare coverage. Each province has its own healthcare program - e.g. as a resident of Ontario, I am covered by OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan). Residents of other provinces are covered by their respective provincial plans.

I am rather amazed that "folks from all over Canada. Vancouver , Toronto, Ontario, Quebec, etc." didn't point that out to you.

As in the US, I feel like older people tend to hold more conservative beliefs, mostly.

As far as Trudeau being incompetent, that's a meme that's been pushed by the Canadian far right since before he was elected. Prime Minister Selfie, etc... Don't get me wrong, I have serious issues with the way he's handled specific situations, mostly the voting reform and the First Nations questions, but he's been a better leader so far than our last PM, the obfuscating right wing ideologue.

As others have mentioned above, either the people you spoke with are reading far too much far right wing news and believing it, or you're confused by something they said. There is no National Health System in Canada, each province runs their own. I have heard of no major increases in waiting times for procedures. There have been issues, certainly, and a very public battle between Eric Hoskins and various physician orgs in Ontario didn't help, but it's not some dire situation. And again, Trudeau doesn't control the provincial health systems at the federal level.