"Americans didn't flock to Canada after Bush win" (I just got home from

[GreenPartyVoter]

there. Wish we coulda stayed!)

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadians can put away those extra welcome mats -- it seems Americans unhappy about the result of last November's presidential election have decided to stay at home after all.

In the days after President Bush won a second term, the number of U.S. citizens visiting Canada's main immigration Web site shot up sixfold, prompting speculation that unhappy Democrats would flock north.

But official statistics show the number of Americans actually applying to live permanently in Canada fell in the six months after the election.

On the face of it this is not good news -- Canada is one of the few major nations seeking to attract immigrants -- but Immigration Minister Joe Volpe was philosophical.

"We'll take talent from wherever it is resident in the world. I was absolutely elated to see the number of hits and then my staff said 'You know what? A hit on the Internet is after all just a hit'," he told Reuters on Thursday.

"I guess I'm happy Republicans and Democrats have found a way to live together in peace and in harmony," he said.

Canada generally tilts more to the social and political left than the United States.

Data from the main Canadian processing center in Buffalo, NY shows that in the six months up to the U.S. election there were 16,266 applications from people seeking to live in Canada, a figure that fell to 14,666 for the half year after the vote.

A spokeswoman for Canada's federal immigration ministry declined to speculate on the reasons for the drop.

Toby Condliffe, who heads the Canadian chapter of Democrats Abroad, did have an explanation of sorts.

"I can only assume the Americans who checked out the Web site subsequently checked out our winter temperatures and further took note that the National Hockey League was being locked out and had second thoughts," he told Reuters.

Last year, Canada, which has a population of about 32 million, accepted 235,808 immigrants from all over the world.

[Desertrose]

They WANT immigrants? cool....

Lived there about 10 years ago and would definitely consider going back...haven't checked out the website for awhile.....

Canada :yourock:
:loveya: DR

on edit...I am curious about the "skills" they want...I don't think they take you just cause you want to come & live there....

[GreenPartyVoter]

10. Yeah, that's a bit of a drawback, eh? :^P Otherwise I would

be there now. Well, if I could find $10,000 at any rate.

[Lannes]

I believe some found it isnt as easy as they initially thought it would be

[SteppingRazor]

1. Link?

[GreenPartyVoter]

4. These never seem to work, but we can try it. Otherwise it might

be on the reuters site.

http://reuters.iwon.com/article/20050805/2005-08-05T143738Z_01_N03557225_RTRIDST_0_ODD-USA-IMMIGRATION-DC.html

[SteppingRazor]

6. Worked great for me...

Thanks! :)

[GreenPartyVoter]

8. It looks like they have changed the way they write the link. Used to be a

| in the middle of the URL that caused the latter half of it to be unhyperlinked when I cut n pasted it here. :)

[Beaver Tail]

2. Here is a good question

Has there been a drop in Canadians applying to immigrate to the US?

Think Ill have to check that one out.

[GreenPartyVoter]

9. It wouldn't surprise me.

[faithnotgreed]

3. hi gpv

i would say im glad youre back but only if youre happy about it of course~~
guess you didnt make a run for the border
but with family there you have a better chance than i do im sure


im still looking into going and at this point the main options are toronto and a city about an hour away from there
also ottawa halifax or vancouver

but thats a long ongoing process so we shall see

hope all of you enjoyed yourselves
i wouldnt mind being in maine myself so youre lucky in that regard to live in a sane state

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. I do love Maine. I think if I didn't live here I would feel a lot stronger

urge to take flight to Canada.

I am on Maine's coast but it is still SO much hotter than it was in PEI. *melting* I will be putting up some pics tonight or tomorrow of our trip. What a wicked cool place! I wish I had had more time to really get to explore it.

If you do take off for Canada, Quebec is an awesome city but I also loved Halifax when I visited it. I hate leaving the ocean so I'd pick another coastal home if I ever leave here. :)

[faithnotgreed]

11. oh sure

make us suffer by posting pictures

im glad it was so nice there
i would love a coastal city/town as well and the idea of more temperate seasons sounds ideal

but i keep reminding myself that there are lots of factors to consider not just the weather
darn

[FreedomAngel82]

7. Living in peace and harmony?

LOL. If only you lived here. I think people decided to fight and take back everything.

[GreenPartyVoter]

18. Yeah the peace and harmony thing is something I would like to see but

it won't happen any time soon.

[European Socialist]

12. A lot of us want to go...

but we don't want red tape, struggles, and having to start all over again.

[Maple]

13. Very misleading headline

There were over 16,000 enquiries, and of those they still have 14,000 left....so a drop of 2000 is hardly a major change of mind for most of them.

For some people it was simply asking questions, or a passing fancy or they realized they didn't want to move after all...but it's not exactly a major turnaround, jeepers!

[HEyHEY]

15. Yeah, the actual numbers over the next few years will tell the tale

[GreenPartyVoter]

16. Love the latest polar bear pic. :^D

[DixieDem]

14. I didn't consider moving, until recently...

After the 2004 election, I was determined to stay here and fight. I'm a DAR (Daughter of the American Revolution) on BOTH sides of my family. It's hard to give up on what my ancestors fought for.

However, recently, I've decided that it's a lost cause. I don't want to stay here and fight anymore. Our government has become too corrupt. We're not a democracy anymore.

We're starting to look into getting out of here. It'll take a year or two though. Most of us with family, jobs, etc. can't just pack up and move overnight.

[GreenPartyVoter]

17. I have little kids. I worry about health insurance and how I can

afford college for them and whether or not the war machine will chew them up. :(

[KurtNYC]

19. Weak reason to move to Canada: * for 3.5 more years

Good reasons:
- fiscally solid government running surplus for 8th consecutive year
- reasonable military policy and spending
- very high standard of living
- universal health care
- huge oil reserves (shhhhhh)
- world's largest supply of fresh water
- environmentally-conscious populus
- automobile manufacturing and other jobs continue to migrate to Canada
- beautiful women and even more beautiful men

[GreenPartyVoter]

20. I couldn't get over how far ahead.. I mean light years, in recycling

Canada is than we are here. At least in my little rinky dink town.

[Moderator]

21. GreenPartyVoter

Per DU copyright rules
please post only four
paragraphs from the
copyrighted news source
and provide a
link to the source.


Thank you.


DU Moderator