In a recent AP story it was noted that "the Canadian immigration Web site had 115,000 hits the day after the election-from the U.S. alone.
The following is the complete story:
Nov. 5, 2004. 01:00 AM
`We’re moving. Canada is looking pretty good right now’
ALEXANDER PANETTA
CANADIAN PRESS
OTTAWA?Canada’s immigration website is being flooded with a record-smashing number of visits from Americans dismayed by the prospect of four more years living under President George W. Bush.
His re-election has some long-faced U.S. liberals apparently musing that perhaps Canada’s cold winters, high taxes and strained health system are more easily endured than their commander-in-chief.
A new record was set within hours of Bush’s acceptance speech when six times more Americans than usual surfed the site Wednesday.
The overall number of 179,000 visitors was almost twice the previous one-day record set last year. And 64 per cent of the visitors ? 115,016 ? were from the United States.
Many were doing more than just casual surfing, a spokesperson for Citizenship and Immigration suggested.
“The most-visited pages … were the skilled worker online self-assessment pages (to check if) they’d meet the selection criteria,” said Maria Iadinardi.
"Applying and intent are two different things, she said. “We’re only going to see this about six months from now.”
Americans moving to Canada must deal with the same rules as other immigrants ? including the $500 application fee, the $975 landing tax, and the six- to 12-month wait.
The waiting time is shorter if you’re married to a Canadian, for which help is available at http://www.marryanamerican.ca, a Canadian satirical site also being inundated by visitors.
A Google search under the terms, “move to Canada + Bush” turns up more than 8,000 Web pages ? including chat groups and at least one opinion poll asking frustrated liberals whether they’d consider fleeing.
About 60 per cent replied `Yes’ to leaving in the tongue-in-cheek poll of more than 1,000 on CBS’s Chicago affiliate website.
One American who lives in Brooklyn says many people in the U.S. now feel they identify more with Canada than their own country.
“I’m not alone,” said Chris Walsh, a native of New Hampshire married to a Canadian. “The first thing people said to me when I went to walk my dog in the park this morning was: `We’re moving to Canada.’ People are very disillusioned, and Canada is looking pretty good right now.”
A mock map of North America circulated on the Internet illustrated an expanded Canada. The lingering rump of pro-Democrat states ? namely the Great Lakes area, and the East and West coasts ? would be carved into a larger new country called the United States of Canada. The rest of the continent was left alone in a new entity named, “Jesusland.”
A gleeful Republican posted this response to suggestions of an exodus: “Enjoy the Molson’s while you wait an eternity for an imported doctor making the equivalent of minimum wage.”
Another said: “They can pay high taxes for non-existent health care, non-existent military, and non-existent jobs. So go already. Be the first in line!”
Prime Minister Paul Martin tossed his arms wide open yesterday to aspiring immigrants from the United States. But he joked they shouldn’t expect preferential treatment just because they’re neighbours.
Reasons for liberals to move to Canada:
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Canada Has universal public health care. (That means you don’t have to wait for Hillary (barf) to get elected President before you get all the government freebies!)
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Canada has no troops in Iraq. (Oh boy…no more whining about this “senseless war.”)
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Canada signed the Kyoto Protocol environmental treaty. (Well this will surely save the environment, what a thoughtful government.)
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More than half of Canada’s provinces allow same-sex marriage. (There you go! Half the country is sort of like Vermont, how appealing.)
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The Canadian Senate recommends legalizing marijuana. (Pot heads for free choice!)
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Canada has strict gun laws. (Come on it doesn’t get any better than this.)
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None other than the Untited Nations has ranked Canada as the very best country to live in for eight straight years! (Well if the UN said it, then it must be true…it’s not like they would ever have anything to do with corruption…naw.)
All kidding aside. I would like to hear from other T-Nation members. What are your thoughts on those who are thinking of chucking it all for a life in Canada?
