Culture

More Americans Than Ever Moving to Canada

by TheArgus | August 1, 2007 at 02:08 pm

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Thoughts of moving to Canada has crossed the mind of yours truly during the past year, especially after spending a few days in the country fishing. The town of Newboro Ontario reminded this citizen journalist very much of the "small town" American of his childhood.

The culture, atmosphere and "hometown" feelings are quickly becoming a thing of the past in the USA. It is apparent that there are many others who, for whatever reason, are feeling compelled to also make the move.

The number of U.S. citizens who moved to Canada last year hit a 30-year high, with a 20 percent increase over the previous year and almost double the number who moved in 2000.

In 2006, 10,942 Americans went to Canada, compared with 9,262 in 2005 and 5,828 in 2000, according to a survey by the Association for Canadian Studies.

Of course, those numbers are still outweighed by the number of Canadians going the other way. Yet, that imbalance is shrinking. Last year, 23,913 Canadians moved to the United States, a significant decrease from 29,930 in 2005.

"There has been a definite increase in the past five years — the number hasn't exceeded 10,000 since 1977," says Jack Jedwab, the association's executive director. "During the mid-70s, Canada admitted between 22,000 and 26,000 Americans a year, most of whom were draft dodgers from the Vietnam War."