What do you miss most about Canada

[katchoo12 8]

In some cities, but in most, no one really hides the fact that they are gay anymore.

Many many many insurances cover birth control.

And if they don't, we have many family planning programs via your county health dept that offer affordable birth control. The shot costs between 35 and 75 at a planned parenthood.

Also, if you choose alternative methods such as the pill, you can get them cheap on generics from walmart.

I get 3 months of pills for $27.

Unfortunately the pill is not for me, too much sude effects and I have none with the shot ! My fiance's insurance dies not cover any birth control but i will definitely check the family planning program around ! Thanks for the tips !

[The Mean Lady 604]

Kit Kats in the US are made by Hershey.... which is an infinitely inferior chocolate. Kit Kats in Canada are made by Nestle.

I didn't know that!

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Oh, Canada!

I definitely miss peameal bacon - what they call Canadian bacon certainly doesn't deserve the name! The cornmeal coating is so much part of it too!

- crumpets - I've ordered some in on line but they just don't taste the same - saltier ;

- President's Choice products - yep, they're good! Last year when I was in Canada attending to Dad's affairs after his death I reaquainted myself with President's Choice Shepherd's Pies - made with ground lamb - yum!

- aero bars and coffee crisp - used to be able to get coffee crisps at Dollar General but haven't seen them for a while;

- milk in bags - yes, I could freeze them as well and it never went sour before I used a liter - here it goes sour a week before the date it is supposed to. I've basically given up drinking milk except in my tea and have started drinking the unsweetened almond coconut milk instead as it tastes better than the milk here;

- The Bulk Barn- oh, how I miss the Bulk Barn!!

- Good aged cheddar cheese - here 'aged' means 6 months old - that's basically raw! A good old cheddar from the Wilton Cheese factory is incredible! There are some decent cheeses available at Costco but not generally in the supermarkets;

-Canadian Health care - even with insurance the US system sucks - and yes, I have had to wait many hours here both in the doctor's office and in emergency departments longer than I ever had to wait in Canada - and then 'pay' for the 'privilege' ;

-CBC TV and radio - Canadian programming just has a different flavour and I miss it;

-multi-culturalism. The US has a lot of different cultures and some great ethnic restaurants but there just isn't that focus on what is good about different ethnicities and backgrounds - there is no celebration of heritage here except for the gun-totin', 'Murican mythos

-walking; yes, I used to love to go for walks every evening back home. I would walk to work, I would just go walking for pleasure and never felt 'at risk' on my own. Here, I am very aware of the risks of going out walking on my own - and while I can walk around our neighbourhood, i just miss being able to go off walking for pleasure without worrying about safety.

-a much healthier attitude to firearms. Anyone and everyone here has a gun and think it is perfectly acceptable to use it to threaten or shoot someone who looks at them strangely or 'gets in their way'. The cultural selfishness is worrisome - especially when people with little respect for others carry guns (and I am not talking about the criminals).

Ok - have to stop now or I'm going to make myself homesick all over again!

Edited October 22, 2012 by Kathryn41

[Canadiandggal 49]

Health care, It is horrible here "cost wise" to give birth in the states. Even with health insurance I still paid 3000 dollars last year for levi, And 2000 for my this year for the pregnancy that I lost at 16 weeks.

[codygrace 14]

Ugh, now I'm starting to have cold feet. I love randomly walking, or randomly riding my bike. The "village" I am moving to has a population of all of 2,000, and our residence is out of town. Nothing within walking or biking distance really. It took me an hour and forty minutes to ride to a "big" town and I didn't feel safe on the State Route with all the trucks passing me, they can literally blow you off the road. I don't mind walking beside the highway, but the walk will get boring, no corners to turn, no side streets for a while. Just fields!

I am going to miss the movie theatre! Here, we have movies in the theatres for months, as long as they're half decent. Cinemark in Piqua is much smaller (no big deal), but the movies show there for a maximum of two weeks. I'm not a huge fan of seeing a movie the opening week, but I guess I won't have to worry about it being very busy LOL.

I am fond of the country though, I got to start mentioning something good now, lol. I'm happy I'll be able to park my ATV in a garage and just drive off. Here, I have to trailer it to a trail and pay for a trail pass, etc.

[Marilyn. 340]

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Edited October 23, 2012 by Marilyn.

[Saylin 1,605]

Kit Kats in the US are made by Hershey.... which is an infinitely inferior chocolate. Kit Kats in Canada are made by Nestle.

Did not know that

[Hugglebuggles 60]

You guys are making me miss things I didn't even realize I missed!

The big things for me are:

- My family and friends

- Niagara falls... I used to spend a lot of time there

- Tim Horton's coffee

- Coffee crisp

- Poutine

- Sour Cherry Blasters

- McCain frozen pizzas and pies

-Phisoderm

I didn't put Canadian health care on the list, because I still have mixed thoughts on the topic. In my experiences, the care here is better but I will never get used to the costs. It really comes down to what kind of insurance you have. Having a baby "only" cost me 1,000 for delivery and all prenatal care... the hospital room was like a hotel, it was a little much compared to what I'm used to from back home. But, its a huge mess figuring out what facilities are in network, what doctors are in network... etc. The system is definitely broken.

[Saylin 1,605]

Health care, It is horrible here "cost wise" to give birth in the states. Even with health insurance I still paid 3000 dollars last year for levi, And 2000 for my this year for the pregnancy that I lost at 16 weeks.

[warlord 73]

One of the only things I miss is Chinese food. Especially seafood Chow Mein. I don't know why, but I've had the same type of crispy thin noodles with the right type of squid and sauce in restaurants in Windsor to Toronto and they're always so freaking amazing. Here no matter what state I am in, I have yet in 15 years found one single restaurant that can do it anywhere close to how they do it up there in Canuckia...

[Gypsyangel 11]

I miss:

My family

My friends

just being around other Canadians

how Canada 'feels', you know that feeilng when you drive over the border and it just feels newer, sqeekier cleaner somehow

streetlights

flat sidewalks

Loblaws, though Wegmans is getting better and better

organic food. Once again, Wegmans is getting more on the ball with that

real recycling

not thinking about health care

not thinking about religion

multicultural stuff - the feeling of integration (albeit imperfect) rather than segregation

Canadian politics (not that I miss it, but I prefer it to politics here -- people 'scare' me here)

the generally more liberal and accepting attitude, that you never even noticed until you left and found that your views of the world are not the norm

international news

Canadian Olympic coverage

feeling like I 'fit'

seeing the Canadian flag, although I like seeing the American flag too

Jacob, though it's gone downhill lately

Vegetarian restaurants, particularly Fresh

Indigo bookstore (Barnes and Noble is a pale shadow of Indigo - though I preferred Chapters way back when

Tolerance to snow (one snowflake and there is a mad rush for milk and eggs. (I do not know what Americans do with milk and eggs during a so-called snow storm.)

Merge signs. Here it's all about yield and no one is required to let you in. Makes for some tense moments getting onto local freeways.

toll-free roads

Toronto

being places that I know like the back of my hand. I miss having a history somewhere

Knowing what direction is north. In Toronto it's easy. Here, I still don't know what direction I'm driving in 90% of the time.

low property taxes

I do like:

- the smallish town feel where i live

- American confidence and spirit of entrepreneurship

- less rules

- drinking beer in a parking lot before a concert

- the arts

- getting things cheaper (books, food, pretty much everything)

- on-line shopping with no humungo shipping fees or worrying about customs

- the town I live in is dry, so we just BYOB. They'll even put your beer on ice and open it for you

- Sometimes we go to acoustic music things at a local coffee shop and everyone just brings their own drinks and no one cares. They want you to buy stuff at the coffee shop, but no biggie.

- the love of history and pride in their country

- we do have an Ikea near us so that's good.

- The way small towns do it big on Holidays. Fireworks on Fourth of July and New Years Eve. Smalltown festivals in the summer and fall. First Friday, etc.

- People are generally very friendly, especially in retail. The retail friendliness always jars me. That says something about me, not them. Though put them in cars and they become devil people and will not let you in to save your life.

[NikLR 13,227]

Unfortunately the pill is not for me, too much sude effects and I have none with the shot ! My fiance's insurance dies not cover any birth control but i will definitely check the family planning program around ! Thanks for the tips !

You may want to look into other kinds of birth control too. Depo-provera can have some VERY adverse side effects including osteoporosis over long term use. There are progesterone only pills and IUDs (paragard for example is hormone free.) But the other poster is right in figuring out which health plans pay for birth control and which don't. You guys may just need to look at your options the next time he can change plans too. I know my husband has several different ones he can choose from, but that might not be the same of every company.

It's interesting to see what people will miss. I plan on bringing a year supply of Nibs for sure!!! Oh and Extreme pickle Doritos. My husband LOVES them but cannot find them in the USA. He only recently found perogies. LOL

[The Mean Lady 604]

presidents choice used to be the generic walmart brand

[NikLR 13,227]

President's choice is from Canadian Superstore, so that's interesting. Unless they had to rename it in Canada because of copyright issues?

[moemac59 192]

Oh, Canada!

I definitely miss peameal bacon - what they call Canadian bacon certainly doesn't deserve the name! The cornmeal coating is so much part of it too!

-CBC TV and radio - Canadian programming just has a different flavour and I miss it;

Ok - have to stop now or I'm going to make myself homesick all over again!

Aww Kathryn...didn't want to post this to make you homesick..sorry

I do agree with you about what they call Canadian bacon down here. It sucks. Luckily I was able to go back to TO on Friday, bought 4 packs of it and brought it back with me where I promptly stuck 3 in the freezer and made eggs benny with the other one on Saturday....it was gooood!!

I also miss CBC TV as well and was a news junkie back home. Remember when CBC had the rights to broadcast the Olympics? I definately missed Canadian Olympic coverage during the games down here. I had no idea how many medals that we won and I had minimal access to the internet.