在加拿大居住十年後的警示：為何不該送孩子留學

根據我在加拿大十年切身的居住經驗，我可以明確地警告那些考慮送孩子留學的家長：這條路最大的問題在於缺乏實際的職涯前景。請認清一個殘酷的事實：亞洲的大型企業只認可美國頂尖學府的學歷。讓孩子遠赴加拿大攻讀麥吉爾大學或多倫多大學，在亞洲求職市場上，並無法帶來實質的加分優勢，結果往往是難以找到理想的工作。當地的基層工作，如今幾乎被大量的印度裔移民所壟斷，無論是 Tim Horton’s 還是麥當勞，基層勞工絕大多數是印度裔，年輕人的就業空間受到嚴重擠壓，這也迫使優秀人才不是陷入失業困境，就是選擇往南邊的美國發展。

其次，加拿大的稅務負擔極為沉重。作為一個社會主義國家，為了維持免費健保和龐大的年金體系，個人的基本所得稅率至少從百分之二十八起跳，實行著「賺越多、拿越少」的財富再分配政策。再加上日常消費稅，導致物價高得驚人。目前留在加拿大生活的多數是依靠政府年金的老年人。然而，由於年輕人就業困難且人才外流，未來的年金發放將難以為繼，預示著下一代的老人將面臨嚴重的供養危機。

對於坊間「加拿大是一個友善國家」的說法，請千萬不要被這種假象欺騙。我在十年居住期間，曾多次親身經歷嚴重的種族歧視。最令人心寒的是，我曾在公車上被一對單親母子的小孩吐口水，而母親不但不阻止，甚至說出惡毒的歧視字眼，更可悲的是，全車乘客對此都保持沉默。我的家人和朋友也有類似遭遇。此外，部分國民的文化素質令人擔憂。我甚至曾遇到一位瑞爾森大學的教授，竟將我誤認為「中國農民」，搭難民船來到加拿大，這顯示出部分加拿大人對亞洲歷史和經濟發展的無知與傲慢。政府大量引進的中東及東歐難民，整體素質堪憂，他們獲取高額政府補助的同時，卻反過來瞧不起華人，這無疑是對社會資源的巨大諷刺。

再來，你必須面對部分加拿大人普遍存在的懶惰文化，以及對社會福利制度的惡意濫用。許多年輕女性不願工作，便選擇與不同男人生育多個子女，以詐領高額的牛奶金補助；或有人刻意從事短期工作後立即失業，反覆領取失業救濟金，這種行為持續消耗著社會資源。

關於治安問題，許多華人因不關心當地新聞，誤以為加拿大治安良好。我住在首都渥太華時，曾發生台灣女生被鄰居砍頭的兇殺案，頭顱被棄置於垃圾桶。由於加拿大沒有死刑，兇手很快就能被釋放。如果你對此有疑問，可以深夜去多倫多或溫哥華市中心走一趟，看看是否會被搶劫。多倫多的治安是全世界聞名的差。警察的無能更是荒謬，他們抓不到竊賊，反而建議居民將車鑰匙放在門口地毯下讓小偷去偷，無能又可笑至極。

此外，加拿大的內需市場狹小，加上惡劣的氣候，導致許多富人選擇離開。這裡通常從萬聖節後就開始下雪，持續至隔年四、五月。昂貴的暖氣費用是沉重負擔，如果沒有私人車輛代步，在嚴寒中出行面臨極大風險。

而其引以為傲的醫療體系更是一個笑話。優秀醫生為追求優渥薪水都已流向美國。留在當地的醫生水準參差不齊，許多是國外「鍍金」回來的。最令人絕望的是，病床極度缺乏，重大手術的等候期至少三到四年以上，若得了重病，基本上就只能準備等死。

如果有人向你宣傳加拿大是「全世界最適合居住的國家」，請務必保持警惕，他們多半是為了賺取移民仲介或房產交易的利潤。在物價高漲且就業困難的當下，去加拿大留學或移民，最終只會是消耗積蓄的老本。在我眼中，加拿大人普遍又窮又懶，對亞洲缺乏基本認識，行政效率低落，且愛歧視亞洲人。整體文化素質不如歐洲國家。如果都得面對歧視，不如選擇美國，至少多數美國人還表現得更為熱情。

A Decade of Experience Confirms: Why You Should Not Send Your Children to Study in Canada

Based on my ten years of personal residency experience in Canada, I can unequivocally tell you that the primary reason against sending your children to study there is the sheer lack of future prospects. You must accept a harsh truth: major Asian corporations exclusively recognize degrees from top-tier American universities. Sending a child to McGill or the University of Toronto will not offer any significant advantage in the Asian job market, and they will likely struggle to find employment upon graduation. Furthermore, most entry-level and low-skilled jobs have been seized by Indian immigrants. Whether at Tim Hortons or McDonald’s, the majority of the labor force is Indian, severely limiting opportunities for young graduates, who are then often forced to either remain jobless or migrate to the United States.

Secondly, the tax burden is excessively heavy. As a socialist country, Canada needs to fund its free healthcare system and massive pension obligations. The basic income tax rate starts at a minimum of 28% or higher, implementing a system where the more you earn, the less you actually keep. This is compounded by regular consumption taxes, making the cost of living terrifyingly high. Currently, most people remaining in Canada are retirees living off government pensions. However, because young people are either struggling to find work or are leaving for the U.S., these pension funds will inevitably diminish, and the elderly will soon face a lack of support.

If you’ve heard that Canada is a friendly country, please do not be deceived. During my ten years there, I personally encountered severe instances of racial discrimination. Numerous times while taking the bus, I was confronted by a single mother and her child. The child would spit on me, and the mother would not intervene, choosing instead to chat with the driver while using highly offensive racial slurs. No one on the bus ever stepped in to stop it. Later, my sister and her Malaysian friend, and even my mother, experienced the same act of being spat upon by this pair.

Furthermore, you have to contend with the fact that many Canadians are generally lazy and exploit social welfare loopholes. Some young women choose not to work, instead opting to have multiple children with different men to collect high government child benefits (milk money). Others deliberately find poor-paying jobs, get laid off quickly, and then collect unemployment benefits, cycling between working and being unemployed to consistently defraud the welfare system.

The public safety is also poor. Many Chinese residents do not integrate or follow local news, leading them to falsely believe Canada is safe. When I lived in the capital, Ottawa, a Taiwanese student was murdered by her neighbor—her head was severed and discarded in a garbage can. The killer was her partner who acted in rage after she sought to end the relationship. Since Canada has no death penalty, the perpetrator will likely be released relatively soon. If you doubt my words, I challenge you to walk through downtown Toronto or Vancouver late at night and see if you get robbed. Toronto’s crime rate is notoriously bad globally. The police are completely incompetent; they fail to catch thieves, with one even ridiculously suggesting that residents leave their car keys under the doormat for criminals to take.

Moreover, the domestic market is quite small (with a population of only around 40 million), and the weather is dreadful. Wealthy individuals generally avoid living in Canada. Snow typically starts right after Halloween and lasts until April or May. Heating costs are exorbitantly high, and without owning a car, you risk freezing outside.

The healthcare system is a joke. The best doctors have all migrated to the U.S. for better pay. The physicians you see are often those who merely sought foreign credentials (such as in Ukraine), and their standards are alarmingly low. Hospital beds are scarce, and waiting times for major surgery can be three to four years or more. If you contract a serious illness, you should prepare to die waiting.

If anyone tells you Canada is the world’s best place to live, they are likely trying to profit from you—either by charging immigration fees or convincing you to buy property for a profit. With current high costs and scarce jobs, going there merely means living off your savings. They also admit a large number of Middle Eastern and Eastern European refugees whose overall standards are low, yet they receive substantial government aid and incredibly look down upon Chinese people, which is laughable. In my view, many Canadians are poor and lazy, utterly ignorant of Asian history and economic development. I even encountered a professor from Ryerson University on the bus who claimed I was a Chinese farmer who arrived in Canada on a refugee boat. I don't know what they put in their brains. They possess vast natural resources yet are so indolent, their government bureaucracy is inefficient, and they love to discriminate against Asians. Their overall cultural quality is inferior to Europe. If one is going to face discrimination anyway, one might as well go to the United States, where at least most people are generally more enthusiastic.