10 Reasons I am Thankful To Be Living In Canada

Last year my wife and I packed up our family and moved to Toronto.  We didn’t have any grand expectations of a better life, we just wanted our kids to grow up near the huge extended family that was waiting for us here.  I have to admit that the transition has been harder for me than I anticipated.  I am a proud, fly the flag on July 4th American, but it wasn’t even the whole living in another country thing.

I have spent a lot of time and energy focusing on why it’s not better here than back in Scottsdale, AZ.  It seems that every other week some group goes on strike.  Off the top of my head these people have gone on strike in the last year: Transit Workers, Garbage Collectors, Parks & Recreation Workers, College Professors, EMS (that’s the paramedics), and the people that issue Drivers Licenses.  Many of these strikes made things very unpleasant (especially the Garbage Collectors).  In the thirteen years we lived in Arizona, I can’t remember anyone going on strike.  Ever.  And don’t get me started on the weather downgrade.

The thing is, I am trying to be more positive about things.  Monday is Canadian Thanksgiving, so I have been thinking about why I am thankful that we moved to Toronto.  I want to stop comparing Scottsdale to Toronto, or thinking about why one is better or worse than the other.  I want to just start concentrating on why it’s great HERE.  Here’s my top ten reasons I’m thankful to be living in Canada.

1. I have to start with family.  Our daughters have family coming out of their ears here.  Not just the Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and Cousins, but when you factor in the close friends with kids our age we definitely got what we came here for.  We had lots of friends back in Scottsdale, but there is nothing like a holiday with a house full of kids running around screaming and playing to remind you of what’s important.
2. The ROM (Royal Ontario Museum).  My daughter loves this museum, and why wouldn’t she?  Among other things, you can see dinosaurs AND mummies from Egypt, and they have stuff kids can actually touch and play with.
3. The Ontario Science Center.  Awesome science museum and they have a huge machine that makes your hair stand straight out.
4. You can take the subway downtown to see a ballgame, and feel safe.  Miami (where I grew up) and Scottsdale have horrible public transportation so this is new to me.
5. When I took my daughter to a Blue Jays game, they let the kids run the bases after the game.  I have a picture of my daughter at home plate at the Rogers Center.  How cool is that?
6. On the rare occasion when my wife and I venture out, there are some great restaurants here.
7. America may be the “great melting pot” but this is truly the most multicultural city I have lived in, and I have lived in more than a few big cities.  I love that my daughters will grow up surrounded by all of the different cultures that live together here.  Acceptance and tolerance of “other cultures” is not an issue.  The way it seems to me, no one culture here considers any other the “other” culture.
8. The people here for the most part, are just plain nice.  There are A-holes wherever you go, but all in all, a down to earth nice group of folks.
9. I can’t leave out the free health care.  It cost us more than $20,000 out of pocket when we had our second daughter.  Long story short, health insurance was a total nightmare for us.  This is not a little plus, it’s a huge one.
10. Did I mention family?  My wife and kids are the most important forces in my life.  The kids will have a better life here, surrounded by the love and support of their family.  That’s what really matters right?

What about you?  If you live in Canada, you’ve probably been here longer than me. Why are you thankful to call it home?  If you live somewhere else, why are you thankful to be there?