“Washer and dryer, full kitchen, Wi-Fi, clean bed sheets, two supermarkets within walking distance… this Airbnb is ticking all the boxes,” I stated, emptying my backpack and starting a load of laundry. “The only downside is the location—Ottawa, suburbia. Meh.”
Feng laughed. “But you’re safe, you’re home…”
“… nothing can kill me except the weather and boredom.”
“And inflation. And COVID.”
“Why does being in Canada feel like a downgrade? It used to be fun to go home after a trip…” I wondered out loud.
I missed Feng and Mark. I didn’t miss Ottawa—or Canada, for that matter.
I’m not Canada’s biggest fan right now.
I’ve been Canadian for a long time, half of my life, actually. My French identity has never been erased because it just doesn’t work like that—immigrants are chameleons, not snakes shedding their skin. But I learned how to fit in Canada. I understand people and the land. I adopted various elements of Canadian culture because they resonated with me or maybe also because it was a matter of survival. I’m more French than Canadian when it comes to food, parenting and formal education, but I’m more Canadian than French when it comes to work and practical life matters.
I’ve discovered I’m definitely not Canadian when it comes to pandemic management and “new normal.”
I resent the prevalent blame and shame attitude—catching Omicron in 2022 is getting marginally more socially acceptable, but if you had COVID in 2020 and 2021, it was your fault, you must have done something stupid.
I resent the endless and mostly pointless lockdowns and school closures—Ontario had the longest school closures, four shutdowns totalling 28 weeks so far.
I resent endless border closures, non-essential travel advisories, quarantine hotels, mandatory testing upon arrival (especially when it takes two weeks to get results…) and more.
I resent constant COVID headlines, fear mongering stories and so much virtue signalling. It feels like Canada is going to give you a medal if you’ve never tested positive.
At this stage, I have to stress that I do believe in vaccination (got my two doses plus a booster shot) and public health measures. I also do take COVID seriously, I want to protect the most vulnerable, blah blah blah. But I’m also convinced “living with COVID” is the best strategy now because at this point, restrictions do more harm than good.
Let’s not forget that anything would overwhelm the Canadian healthcare system because we don’t have much of a healthcare system in the first place. How about we fucking fix this instead of telling people to not get sick? Seeking medical care was unadvisable long before COVID around here, especially if the issue couldn’t be fixed after half a day spent waiting at the walk-in clinic for your five-minute consultation with a doctor you’ll never see again.
COVID isn’t the only problem in Canada right now, the inflation rate is out of control—it hit a three-decade high at 5.7% in March. Life is just… not affordable, including groceries. Seriously, prices are ridiculous, plus empty shelves and supply issues. Case in point, every single supermarket encourages customers to make a donation to the food bank. We’re lucky, we can technically afford food. Problem is, it’s not sustainable—nor advisable—to spend your savings on veggies and proteins.
Our motto at home is “not worth it.” Movie theatre? Not worth it. Shopping? Not worth it. Travelling in Canada? Not worth it. Believe it or not, I spent less travelling in Brazil than I would have in Canada—I track expenses in Excel—and it was completely worth it.
There’s a long list of little luxuries I no longer enjoy in Canada. The last time I eat out was in July 2020 when we spent a few days in Toronto. Coffee shops, my social break as a freelancer, are a distant memory. Crossing the US border? Travel measures still apply, complete hassle for a day trip, plus gas prices. Museums? Yeah, when it’s free. Haircuts or any kind of pampering? Ah, ah, you gotta be kidding me. Sure, the world doesn’t owe me anything, but we work hard and I clearly remember enjoying life’s little luxuries way more often years ago when we were making much less.
I used to feel safe and inspired in Canada. These days, I feel stuck.
Everything feels stuck, actually. Work is slow and inconsistent. Many of my clients have yet to “bounce back,” especially in the travel industry. Projects are on hold everywhere. It makes me miserable because I like my job and making money isn’t exactly optional.
I feel physically stuck because getting around got more expensive and more complicated. A bus ticket is now $3.60 in Ottawa. Exploring the country is almost not worth it considering accommodation and gas prices. I’m terrified Canada will close borders again.
The atmosphere is grim—it’s been a long winter and it’s still winter. Ottawa is a ghost town with federal employees still working from home.
But mostly, it feels like Canada is more divided than ever. We just don’t understand each other anymore. Some are overworked and others are jobless, some enjoyed a regular pay cheque through the pandemic while others were impacted by shutdowns, some reacted strongly against public health measures while for others it was never enough… different perspectives, different experiences and a lot of resentment going around.
This is not my Canada, a place of opportunities, a country with open borders where everyone is welcome and where you can find your way through life.
I’m brainstorming and trying to come up with strategies. I need to find my purpose again. I ain’t giving up.
Give it some time. You just came from an extended vacation, break from life state of mind.
You are now dealing with the regular life of most people. Everyone has a down when getting back to being back home after having the freedom.
Canada is much more expensive than it was yes, but most of the world is at the same point right now. Life in Brazil was cheap for you, with the Canadian income. Is it the same for most Brazilians? Cost is usually tied to the income available to people.
Things are getting back to normal now, but it will take time.
It is easy to see the steps done in retrospect but nobody knew what to do and governments in the entire world did what they thought was the best way. Look what happened in the US until they started dealing with this properly, more than a million people dies. Most of those could have still been alive.
Take a breather, enjoy the calm. This is a time to read a book, have a BBQ in your backyard. Take. a day road trip to somewhere nice close by. Ride a bike around town.
You are lucky where you are. Most people in the world would love to be in your position.
I don’t think we know each other (…?) but thank you for your wise words 🙂
I’m usually used to the “art of coming home” after a trip. I basically close a chapter and open a new one, I’m full of energy and I don’t look back. It’s just harder this time because everybody is in a “meh” mood and frankly, I get it.
I know that I’m more comfortable financially speaking in Brazil because I’m getting paid in CAD (and I’m still working when I’m travelling). That said, Brazil is not “dirt cheap”, it’s just good value. There’s something for every budget. Take food for instance… I’m not fancy, I actually cooked all my meals when traveling. But I could afford chicken and fish for instance. In Canada it’s ridiculously expensive right now. So yeah, I miss affordable small luxuries.
As for COVID, you’re right. Since the vaccine, I’ve been somewhere in the middle, not anti restrictions and not “OMG let’s lockdown!!!” I don’t know if the right decisions were made in the US, in Canada or elsewhere. It’s hard to compare because populations are also very different. But I do think some measures were pointless and went too far in Canada (… school closures in Ontario, for instance).
I don’t know if I’m lucky but I usually like my life 😉
Whoever you are, I hope you’re doing well! 🙂
Canada is grim you are right. With a jester in politics like Trudeau and an economy going worse and worse, definitely, I relate to you (see the USA economy and there you have as a weak extension the Canadian economy). Sunny Brasil and its people make you feel that coming back home crash even more. The mood of people in Canada shows at best exactly what you were pointing out.
Telling you that you are lucky compared to others, is comparing apples and oranges.
To that extent will be waiting on your comment about the elections in France. The results were close and this definitely gives a lot of friction like here in the USA. Either way, it makes me sad to see the French after a presidency term having the same faces, same choices, and the same outcome, although the world went through quite some experiences in the last 2 years.
They say people always deserve the leaders they “elect”.
Enjoy the spring no matter how late it hits Canada.
NY is great at this time of the year.
Hello NY!
Ah, I wish I could go to the US again… as a traveller, mind you, just to enjoy the season and not the BS around. But tests are still required to enter the country and Greyhound no longer operates in Canada so crossing the border is harder these days. I get that the mood is the same (or worst) down there… or so I gather reading North American newspapers and online discussion groups.
Has your life been impacted by… well, everything? Inflation, I’m sure, but how are you doing? Big impact, “gonna get through it” impact…?
For the first time ever, I didn’t vote in the French presidential elections. I just… couldn’t. It was a complete repeat of what happened five years ago and I’m tired of voting to make sure Le Pen doesn’t get elected. That’s not what voting should be about. I want to vote for a party I believe in, even if in politics not everything will materialize. Basically, my vote isn’t for sale.
inflation is in the eyes of the beholder. if you have a yearly salary of 100K+ you don’t see it. food hasn’t gotten that expensive as this is one thing here in the US they have in abundance (produced here, or coming here driven by the buying power).
what shocks me is the majority of the Americans that want so badly to go back to their normal … back to where? they still haven’t realized that life and things arent quite the same and will never be.
Either way, America remains the same when it comes to opportunities that open and close in a very vibrant way . Cash out is a bit more complicated in this country ….
I think hoping to go back to normal is just natural but yeah, it’s probably not going to happen. So much happened in the past few years, it takes time to process and adjust.
The USA is such a big place with so many extremes it’s hard to figure out what’s actually going on, from a foreign perspective. Like you said, someone with money won’t be as affected as a minimum-wage workers and inflation is probably experienced differently is various parts of the country. Food inflation is brutal in Canada because we don’t have that much supply and plenty of foods are imported.
Thanks 🙂
I doing great. I have my days too 🙂
I live in Calgary so I have been really lucky to have really easy access to the beautiful rockies whenever I need some fresh breadth of air and stretching my legs.
I’m trying to focus on the positive and not fall into the prevalent echo chamber–inflation, COVID, nothing is working, etc. I mean, it’s kind of true, but I have enough energy for now to be proactive. So in a way, I kind of *did* listen to your advice 😉