Man ‘Tired of Chaos in America’ Now Lives in BC Shares Advice in Viral Post

An American man who moved to Canada with his wife four years ago amid the COVID-19 pandemic is sharing with thousands of people on social media the “wrecking” experience of moving to north Lucas Wilson, who moved from California to BC, took to Threads, in a post that generated over 1,400 comments, and a lot of curiosity.

Questions in the comments range from paying taxes to access to health care to gun laws to the climate. And Wilson answered many of them on Threads, the microblogging platform that’s Instagram’s answer to X formerly known as Twitter.

“I file taxes in both countries, I’ve dealt with the medical system in both countries, and while I wouldn’t call myself Canadian, I own property and live here, and I have at least an inkling of some important cultural differences.” he wrote

In a video call with Yahoo CanadaWilson says he was inspired to post about his experience because many of his neighbors in Canada and friends in the U.S. have been interested in his and his wife’s thoughts on moving countries and the comparisons between both of them

“We’ve raised kids, dealt with health care and mortgages, and done it at the adult level now in the US and Canada,” she says.

“We were tired of the chaos in America”

In a video call with Yahoo Canada, Wilson says he was inspired to post about his experience because many of his neighbors in Canada and friends in the U.S. have been interested in his and his wife’s thoughts on the change of countries and comparisons between the two.

“We’ve raised kids, dealt with health care and mortgages, and done it at the adult level now in the US and Canada,” she says.

Wilson and his wife decide to move to Canada, after living in LA for 20 years. It was a combination of wanting to be in a smaller place, closer to nature and in a different political climate.

“When your kids grow up and go away, that’s usually when you want a big life change,” she says. “We were tired of the chaos in America. We pay a lot of taxes and we wanted our money to go to a country and a society whose morals and ethics were more aligned with what we believe in.”

What is the difference between a permanent resident of Canada and a citizen?

According to the 2023 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, 437,000 new permanent residents were admitted to the country in 2022. Only 2% (10,415) were from the United States.

According to the Canadian government website, permanent residents are entitled to many of the same benefits as citizens, such as health care and a social insurance number, and can also study, work and live anywhere in the country. The main difference between a PR and a Canadian citizen is that they are not allowed to vote or stand for election.

The polite reputation precedes us

Wilson says Canadians live up to their reputation as polite people, a big difference from their time in the U.S.

“The United States is a big country with a lot of different places, but in my experience, it’s very much ‘I’ve got mine, I’m not going to worry about you.’

Wilson and his wife, who are both permanent residents, intend to apply for Canadian citizenship when they are eligible. Since Wilson works in virtual reality technology, BC was a good fit as it is considered a global hub for the industry. His wife Kelly is a social learning specialist who still sees US clients virtually and is working towards accreditation in BC

Americans want to know how to move to Canada

The top question that came up in the viral social media post came from Americans looking for more information about moving north.

“Americans were interested in the actual process of moving,” says Wilson.

He admits there is “no way” he and his wife could have moved without an immigration attorney to help make the long and complicated process a little easier.

“For Canada to be an immigration hub … it’s very complicated,” he says.

Biggest differences between the United States and Canada: Health and Indigenous history

Wilson says the biggest difference between Canada and the United States is the health care system and access to care.

A reply to the thread pointed to the jarring change. In the United States, “you walk into any medical facility, the first interaction is usually, ‘How are you going to pay for this,'” he wrote.

“The US has a weird health care system, but I was used to it,” he told Yahoo Canada.

Another big difference that Wilson has noticed is that there is a greater presence of the role and history of Indigenous people in Canada.

“There’s a zeitgeist in Canada,” he says. “You’re always thinking about First Nations. Whether it’s an acknowledgment of the land, or a sign. There’s a lot more thought every day about Canada’s role and interaction with First Nations than there is in the US.”

Wilson admits there was a lot of xenophobia in the comments on her thread, especially from Canadians, though she’s found that people are generally encouraged to say things online they probably wouldn’t articulate in real life.

“I find it ironic because unless you’re First Nations, Canada is like the US, a nation of immigrants,” he says.