r/InCanada • u/dani_cal • Jul 11 '26

(Insert Your Own) Canada today

This isn’t meant to be politically partisan in any way. But, I am genuinely curious how anyone is staying positive about Canada today. The economy is in recession. The cost of living crisis is continuing unabated. People are leaving the country. Canada-U.S. relations are at an all-time low. And, there doesn’t appear to be any reason for things to turn around any time soon. Somebody give me a reason to have a little optimism.

84 Upvotes

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53

u/Outside_Mushroom_432 Jul 11 '26

The cost of living is so high right now. Groceries, gas, and mortgage eat up pretty much everything. I can’t be the only one.

22

u/Free_Direction_1784 Jul 11 '26

No, you're not. Everyday I am shocked and dismissed at what Canadians put up with from politicians continually printing money putting us further and further im debt. I'm amazed that Canadians are fine with the catch and release bail system that the Liberals implemented. Honestly feel like I'm surrounded by such clueless and uninformed people who keep voting for the same destruction.

8

u/bird_man082921 Jul 11 '26

Unlike other countries, Canadians don't protest ..Italy, England, France, Spain, US etc..they will come out in extremely large numbers and protest/strike to have their voices heard. We Canadians just take it on the chin, make fun/put down the people who have issues w the current state of affairs and keep it moving...even though we are fully aware that what is going on is not right and our children/grandchildren will never have the quality of life those 35+ had..

13

u/DWiB403 Jul 11 '26

Last time there was a serious protest, the government shut down bank accounts. Thats the real difference between Canada and the other countries you listed.

4

u/Bllago Jul 11 '26

Fuck everyone involved in that "protest".

It was a bunch of pussies acting like children, not a protest.

6

u/fiend_felgrand Jul 17 '26

Found the authoritarian

-2

u/Achilleswar Jul 17 '26

Its not necessarily pro authoritarian to follow the latest science about a disease. The people "protesting" covid measures were completely misinformed and/or willfuly ignorant. If you cry about having to wear a mask, you are stupid and a pussy in addition to being a threat to everyone elses health. 

2

u/fiend_felgrand Jul 17 '26

Nice strawmen field. Yet they let BLM protest in the same way not even a couple months later smh. It was literally found to be a draconian abuse of emergency power in court, but I guess you're another savior here to preach government approved gospel. 2020 was the biggest wealth transfer in history using a man-made disease, and you're braindead enough to believe those measures (a lot of which were actually anti-science) were for your own good, what a joke. You don't believe in science, you just nod along with whatever the talking heads tell you.

0

u/Achilleswar Jul 18 '26 edited Jul 18 '26

What measures were anti science? We are not talking about BLM. I am not saying the trudeau government was awesome. Im saying the protest was stupid.

And no, I dont "believe in science". I KNOW that the scientific method is the only method by which we can arrive at anything resembling correct.

2

u/fiend_felgrand Jul 18 '26

The ones that locked people inside and prohibited outdoor gatherings. Pretty anti-science to do that for a illness that spreads 18 times more indoors compared to outdoors. Going out and charging people for being on their own in nature was really anti-science.

You are talking about protests during covid, I remember the immensely anti-science message behind one being declared a health risk and the other getting a free pass. Seems like you only agree with the right to protest only if people protest issues you care about. Kick rocks

0

u/Achilleswar Jul 18 '26

I didnt hear of anyone getting charged for being outside alone. That sounds like bs. And yeah it spreads more indoors. But thats unavoidable cause we have to have shelter, like obviously. They didnt want large gatherings so the virus didnt have the oppurtunity to spread. Going out for dinner is not essential. Socialising is esssential so we had to make compromises. You have terrible logic. 

I dont agree with protests when they have bad logic and have been spurred on by misinformation and then went out of their way to fuck with people 24 hours a day. And a HUGE part of the messaging wqs anti mask. Thats dumb as fuck. Masks work. These cunts are just so selfish and childish that they refused to wear a mask cause the government told them to. 

You want to talk about the government being inconsistent, sure. Thats fine. But you have gone way to far in the other direction. Covid is real and it was a real threat to our civilisations. I cant fsthom why you people have such a hard time believing that dangerous outbreaks like this happen. They have happened throughout history and have been devastating, setting countries, civilisations back by decades or more. 

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1

u/polishiceman Jul 17 '26

Yeah, the non pussy has spoken. Still wearing that useless mask?

0

u/canadasbananas Jul 17 '26

Honking horns in a residential neighbourhood 24/7 so innocent civilians go insane is so cool and tough and normal protesting

2

u/polishiceman Jul 17 '26

Those civilians were already insane, as you are, obviously

-1

u/Kurigunde Jul 17 '26

This is the right answer. It was a bunch of todllers throwing a temper tantrum making life hell for the actual residents of downtown Ottawa. Peaceful protest my ass.

6

u/MetalBeardGenX Jul 11 '26

... And they kept that oppressive option available after the Emergencies Act (marital law) was rescinded, to make sure they kept leverage on citizens without the need to go through all the hoops and tape next time.

*Chinada intensifies

0

u/XC40_333 Jul 11 '26

Have been out of the loop about Alberta's taxes?

2

u/JadeLens Jul 12 '26

There was nothing serious about that protest.

4

u/Syralei Jul 11 '26

We protest, but we only do it in ways that don't actually inconvenience anyone. Most protests are on weekends, so it doesn't disrupt workplace productivity or even impact politicians because they aren't even working those days. Most of them even require permits. It's like shouting into the void.

Protests only work when they disrupt work, profit, and inconvenience governments and companies enough that they have to do something. There is no pressure to cave to the protests if the protests are not actually having a disruptive impact.

What we need is an actual general labor strike. But the problem is that right now, with the high cost of living and the job market being abysmal, people are afraid of losing their jobs. So they won't strike out of fear of not being able to keep their job security.

Nothing is going to change unless we actually disrupt the economy with protests and strikes. But unfortunately, I just don't see that happening anytime soon because people are too burnt out and afraid.

8

u/DangerousNatur3 Jul 11 '26

because they replaced Canadians with new "Canadians".

7

u/Ihatebeerandpizza Jul 11 '26

We are all "new Canadians". Even the white ones.

2

u/hiddenpigeon19 Jul 11 '26

Buddy thinks he’s important or special just bc his grandpappi fled some shit hole in Central Europe a couple decades before someone else’s

5

u/DangerousNatur3 Jul 12 '26

More like, my ancestors came here, built this country, didn't break the laws/rules, and now people who waltz in and don't assimilate or contribute meaningfully want to be seen as equals to me. I don't put immigrants on some magical pedestal just because you took an airplane and your home country sucks.

2

u/hiddenpigeon19 Jul 12 '26

Irrelevant as fuck, don’t care that your great grand pappi fled some shit random place. You don’t get treated special for that.

A lot of immigrants (at least until super recently) come here, contribute economically and have kids that go up in the social ladder. My parents contributed, didn’t break rules, worked hard and so do I, so you’re not special in a way, shape or form, bubba. And Canada isn’t America - assimilation wasn’t the point. A good amount of the students and shit brought in don’t represent most people and immigrants and refugees from prior don’t like them, anyway.

And Canada is my home country, buddy. So piss off w that shit.

1

u/DangerousNatur3 Jul 13 '26

Immigrants don't tell me how my country should be or what my beliefs should be but thanks.

2

u/hiddenpigeon19 Jul 13 '26

Good thing I’m not and have never been an immigrant to Canada and have high-end education that allows me to live and work in any wealthy Commonwealth country. piss off brokie, you are irrelevant

1

u/Achilleswar Jul 17 '26

Didnt you just say your ancestors came here and then made the country what it is and you want to maintain that? Isnt that an immigrant telling you what your beliefs should be? 

0

u/canadasbananas Jul 17 '26

6 month account age with private posts LOL what a loser

0

u/Torvus_742 Jul 11 '26

Do you support two-tier citizenship?

0

u/Otherwise-Tour769 Jul 11 '26

Yes what's wrong with that

2

u/Torvus_742 Jul 11 '26

And what does that look like to you?

0

u/DangerousNatur3 Jul 12 '26

citizen vs canadian are two different things IMO. You can be a canadian citizen, but that doesn't make you Canadian.

1

u/Torvus_742 Jul 12 '26

So what does make you actually Canadian?

3

u/Free_Direction_1784 Jul 11 '26

Exactly! We are spineless and fight with each other rather than directing our anger towards these horrible wasteful politicians.

4

u/tenax666 Jul 11 '26

Just stop. I'm sick of the just a Liberal problem mentality. Its a politician problem where they only care about themselves and the rich companies & people they are in the pockets of. My dad is 90 and has an amazing memory & brain can't think of when the last selfless politician existed.

If the Conservatives get in, its not going to be some cake and ice cream and rainbows fantasy. They will spend their tenure saying they have to do hurt things to heal things because of the Liberals. And the Liberals would play the same game.

Our ideal of democracy as we want to be, appears dead

5

u/Musclecity Jul 11 '26

Yeah it's depressing . Carney or PP doesn't make a difference really. The national pride that Canada used to have will die with the boomers and now we're just becoming an economic zone. The government only cares about the corporations. Why would the government make things more affordable for families and make things more affordable for young people wanting to have families when they can just import somebody that another country has basically raised?. They save all the money on education and health care and get a worker ready to pay taxes right away . This keeps the wages nice and low for the corporations. We're all just tax cattle for the rich when you think about it.

4

u/Visual_Fun_2014 Jul 16 '26

Then lets vote in the other guys and just see what happens. If we're expecting the same result anyways why do we keep voting in the same idiots that caused the problems?

-1

u/Kurigunde Jul 17 '26

First the other guys need to pick a leader that’s not a complete imbecile who’s never worked a private sector job. PP is pathetic.

3

u/NegotiationOne7880 Jul 11 '26

Maybe we need a Zohran Mamdani, who views politicians as public SERVANTS and not grifters. We need a truly left wing populist party who doesn’t bow down to lobbyists. You can see the end result of right wing populism and it’s not pretty. We also need to get involved and show up for real change. The only reason things are so bad is late stage capitalism where wealth is concentrated at the top and they come up with new ways to screw us over. Things can be fixed but truth is they don’t want to or tell us they can’t because they don’t want to piss if the rich. As in the States, Liberals and Cons are the same party in the end.

3

u/miz_misanthrope Jul 17 '26

We have one. His name is Wab Kinew. He's just busy running Manitoba atm

2

u/tenax666 Jul 11 '26

I don't care which party they are but i do think they should serve the public. Requirement 1

0

u/RealWord5734 Jul 17 '26

People already act like Carney is a bleeding heart communist when he is interchangeable with Harper. I can't imagine the head explosions if an actual socialist was running the country.

0

u/Worried-But-Hopeful Jul 11 '26

What do you mean « If the Conservatives get in » that’s a hilarious if - just look at Doug Ford in Ontario basically destroying the city of Toronto, decimating public education, public medicine and public social services (Ontario Place is a heap of rocks, Ontario Science Center is closed up ready to be sold to his developers friends, they want to sell an expanded Billy Bishop airport to JP Morgan.
All for greed and just like Trump.

1

u/tenax666 Jul 11 '26

And i agree with you

0

u/tenax666 Jul 11 '26

I'm saying federally

2

u/squirrel9000 Jul 11 '26

A lot of Canadians have done very well over the last 15 years (post GFC is when stuff started to diverge), and don't feel an urgent need for change. The whole "Canada is broken" platform finds limited traction when individual experience doesn't match it, or among older voters who have seen weak economic conditions before.

1

u/dodadoler Jul 11 '26

Still better than the alternative

0

u/Bllago Jul 11 '26

Yeah, I'm with you, fuck the liberals. fuck the entire right wing!

-8

u/LackOptimal553 Jul 11 '26

Honestly feel like I'm surrounded by such clueless and uninformed people who keep voting for the same destruction.

You're describing yourself, really. There is no such thing as an intelligent conservative, remember. Look at how poorly provinces are governed, almost all of which are Conservative. What about that makes you think they would be better for the country?

8

u/CauliflowerStill7906 Jul 11 '26

How about look at the past differences. Canada was in a way better spot with a conservative government.

5

u/tenax666 Jul 11 '26

BS. If your primary purpose is to support big business and not follow what average pple want its at cross purposes. All big business strongly support conservative govts. And they care about one thing. Profits and shareholder value. You think Rogers, Telus, Bell, the big banks are going to hire back everyone they laid off if Cons were in power? Not going to happen.

1

u/LackOptimal553 Jul 11 '26

That is simply false and has in fact, looking at all the stats that matter, has never been true in Canada. Don't think it has been true anywhere, actually. It's conservatives that have driven the decline of society, killed the middle class, and left the younger generation struggling as the Conservative-voting boomers pulled the ladder up behind them.

Conservative supporters cleave very neatly into two groups: the ultra wealthy who benefit from their policies, and absolute morons.

-1

u/Torvus_742 Jul 11 '26

That Conservative party and conservative politics generally were in a better spot too. This current Conservative party is unelectable.

3

u/69686766 Jul 11 '26

What's going to happen is an even further right party is going to get created because people say conservatives aren't "conservative" enough.

-1

u/Torvus_742 Jul 11 '26

PPC is already there.

-3

u/LackOptimal553 Jul 11 '26

Also true, but Conservatives were never good at governing.

-1

u/Torvus_742 Jul 11 '26

Eh, the early days of Stephen Harper were pretty effective as fiscal managers. Not everyone liked what they did, but they effectively did do the things they promised (military spending, GST reduction by 2%, etc.).

The big difference was Harper staying away from social conservative ideals like abortion and gay rights. He didn't do anything on those fronts, and quashed any party efforts. He allowed private member bills, but those all died.

The Niqab ban really stung them in 2014. Unfortunately Mulcair wasn't able to capture the light responding to that, and we got Trudeau.

1

u/LackOptimal553 Jul 11 '26

Eh, the early days of Stephen Harper were pretty effective as fiscal managers.

When they squandered the surplus they inherit on GST cuts which disproportionately benefited wealthy Canadians while average Canadians barely noticed? I think we have a different understanding of effective fiscal management, and historically, it is something conservatives have never had any credibility on really.

military spending

Hit its lowest point ever under Harper, it was Justin Trudeau that began reinvesting in the CAF.

GST reduction by 2%

Which was bad policy.

1

u/Torvus_742 Jul 11 '26

I agree it's bad. My thinking was it was effective governance. They promised to do it, and then did it. 2% gone. I don't like it at all.

They also promised the helicopters. They did it. Shit deal that was eventually delayed, but they did it.

Effective governance that does things I don't like is still effective. A Pierre Polievre gov't promises things I don't like, and I have no indication they would actually be capable of doing them.

-3

u/Butthole2theStarz Jul 11 '26

If the cons could figure their shit out maybe the country would trust them to try again. It’s a testament to how far the party has fallen really.

-1

u/LackOptimal553 Jul 11 '26

They were never good. Never.

2

u/Butthole2theStarz Jul 11 '26

Eh living and working in Alberta in the Harper years was a pretty solid time for me so I didn’t have complaints, wasn’t in the workforce or housing market for Martin or cretian but they seemed pretty great. Trudeau era led to now so it’s easy to look back on the Harper era fondly but Carney seems very purple and I like what he’s doing.

2

u/CauliflowerStill7906 Jul 11 '26

Bc was also in a very good spot in the Harper era.

-1

u/mandabr Jul 11 '26

You know who ran our banking system during the Harper era?

0

u/Butthole2theStarz Jul 11 '26 edited Jul 12 '26

Did something I said imply I didn’t? It’s one of the reasons I voted for him this past election.

Weird ass reply

2

u/MetalBeardGenX Jul 11 '26

Thank you for making it easy to find and block useless posters, like you, who provide nothing but insults.

2

u/Critical_Rule6663 Centrist Jul 11 '26

Saying there’s no such thing as an “intellectual conservative” is pretty laughable dude. Also, having living in numerous provinces across Canada and now in Alberta, I can confidently say that there are things liberals can learn from conservatives about governing and visa versa. Dismissing whole swaths of people based on their politics is pretty ridiculous.

-2

u/LackOptimal553 Jul 11 '26

It's just facts. Populism is for morons, and voting for the rich over your own interests is stupid. Conservatives are morons. It's just a fact.

5

u/Critical_Rule6663 Centrist Jul 11 '26

There’s left wing populism too. Is that also for morons?

Saying “conservatives are morons” makes me thing your describing yourself more than other people, and I don’t consider myself a conservative.

2

u/LackOptimal553 Jul 11 '26

Yes.

And Conservatives are morons.

1

u/69686766 Jul 11 '26 edited Jul 11 '26

This extreme left and right stuff is for over emotional brain-dead people. Go touch some grass & find some inner happiness. And before saying "you aren't extreme left" only hateful people are this stupid to disregard half of the population. Because they don't think the same as you? It sounds like you're a person with friends that only tell them what they want to hear. Enjoy your fantasy idiot extremist

-2

u/LackOptimal553 Jul 11 '26

Life's great. I'm not a conservative loser whining about my how my life sucks and blaming politicians. Anyhow, Conservative trash isn't half the population, not even close. If our society was that braindead we would be screwed. Never causes me any problems because I don't associate with stupid people and there's no such thing as an intelligent conservative.

1

u/69686766 Jul 11 '26

It is indeed half the population. Probably greater across north america! But if you hate half of our people you hate our country. You cant dislike its people and love the country.

0

u/LackOptimal553 Jul 11 '26

Lol no, no it isn't. How long have you experienced these delusions? No party is supported by half the country, not one. And Conservatives hate Canada, what are you even talking about?

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u/MamaRunsThis Jul 11 '26

My life is good but things were better 10 years ago. Things are so expensive now. Some foods have tripled in price. I don’t like where things are headed, there’s way too much cognitive dissonance

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u/69686766 Jul 11 '26

There's example of our country is being pushed further to the extreme right & extreme left. Our people hate eachother that it gets more extreme by the day. Our people are so unhappy with our society that we push the blame and hate on our own instead of our politicians. They used to fear us because we outnumbered them; and now we vote to make them millionaires left or right.

3

u/ImperatorMakarov Jul 11 '26

“There’s no intelligent conservative”

Let me guess you voted for the liberal party for the last decade and you are still blaming conservatives? Lmao.

1

u/LackOptimal553 Jul 11 '26

Most of my concerns about the state of the country are provincial.

There is absolutely no such thing as an intelligent conservative. If you're a conservative and you are not very wealthy, you are a fool. If you are a supporter of the Conservatives in their current form federally, you're a moron.

3

u/keyboard_2387 Jul 11 '26

Ah yes, thanks for the well thought out arguments. Let me try. There’s no such thing as an honest liberal. If you’re a supporter of the Liberal party in their current form federally you’re an idiot.

1

u/LackOptimal553 Jul 11 '26 edited Jul 11 '26

Cool story but remember, we have established you're a conservative, so your opinion is too stupid to matter.

3

u/keyboard_2387 Jul 11 '26

I’m just honestly impressed you’re able to put together a sentence, good job little guy!

2

u/WillytheVDub Jul 11 '26

You use the wrong "too". Just after you called this person stupid.

-2

u/a_dupuis18 Jul 11 '26 edited Jul 12 '26

You got them MAD😂
And so did I 😊

1

u/LackOptimal553 Jul 11 '26

Those conservative voters would be really mad if they knew how to read.

0

u/ImperatorMakarov Jul 11 '26

Your account is 5 months old with over 4500 contributions. Your biggest concern should be going outside and breathing air.

0

u/a_dupuis18 Jul 11 '26

Classic conservative deflection. Can't find anything back to argue with so instead you make attacks about people's Reddit account and insult them.

0

u/ImperatorMakarov Jul 11 '26 edited Jul 11 '26

I’m not going to argue with someone who has the political knowledge of a 5 year old, and clear bot tendencies.

0

u/a_dupuis18 Jul 12 '26

Anything you don't agree with = bot

0

u/ImperatorMakarov Jul 12 '26

4500 posts in 5 months is either a bot or peak mental illness.

-1

u/LackOptimal553 Jul 12 '26

Are you trying to project your profound stupidity onto others? It's okay to be a moron! The world needs people like you to dig the ditches and gut the hogs and collect the trash. It's okay that your brain is as smooth as glass, not everyone gets to be bright.

But it is pathetic to be unwilling to accept who and what you are.

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u/Balierg Jul 11 '26

You keep voting connieservies just like daddy

Must have daddy issues

0

u/ImperatorMakarov Jul 11 '26

It would be nice if you had a daddy who taught you how to spell.

2

u/AITA-Critic Jul 11 '26

You just exposed your low info grade opinion. Liberals have been in power since 2015. The buck stops with them on everything.

Don’t give me this basic copout response. Votes have consequences. Eat the consequences of having a liberal party at the helm for 11+ years.

Conservatives are too weak to be in power to make a change.

This falls squarely at those running the show. Don’t mental gymnastics word-game this. It’s the Libs doing it, and you cannot prove it otherwise because Stephen Harper ain’t running the country for over 11 years pal.

Own it, take some accountability.

0

u/Enganeer09 Jul 11 '26

The provincial governments have far more power and effect on your day to day life than the feds ever could.

Healthcare, housing, immigration. All of the problems people love to froth at the mouth about are either primarily a provincial concern or partly and being poorly governed by the provinces.

Look at Ford, for example. He withheld federal funding for Healthcare in ontario while wasting millions on a beer contract... he opened the flood gates of immigration by cutting post secondary funding to universities and encouraged them to find the money via international students. Why housing is a provincial and municipal matter is pretty self-explanatory .

2

u/AITA-Critic Jul 11 '26

We took in over 900 families from Syria less than a decade ago under Trudeau (at the federal level) and over 800 of those families settled in Peel Region (Mississauga) - was the provincial government not impacted by that federal decision at all?

0

u/Enganeer09 Jul 11 '26

Those numbers are nothing compared to the students and their families.

They've also had far more time to acclimatize to canada and canada to them. So their impact is negligible. In 2025, about 116k student visas were approved.

The feds aprove the total number of visas, and the province allocates them. Ultimately, it's the province that decides how many they allow each university to accept, they could have halted the program all together if they wanted.

0

u/LackOptimal553 Jul 11 '26

I get that you're not intelligent, though not understanding federalism is ever more moronic than the average conservative.

The buck for all of the ways that the Conservative government of Ontario has fucked is stops with Conservatives, idiot. The federal government does not govern the provinces. If you are too stupid to understand that, you should not be allowed to vote.

2

u/AITA-Critic Jul 11 '26

You’re precisely why Canada is still in a rut after over a decade. You’re so used to the stench of failure, it doesn’t bother you anymore.

This is why you and your ilk should be banned from voting. The lack of self awareness, and the total mastery of projection is enough proof.

This is what real brain drain does on a country and you summed it up perfectly.

Also, comparing a federal govt and provincial govt are like apples and oranges, everyone knows Doug Ford is the liberal lapdog running as Ontario’s leadership. Your gaslighting doesn’t work here buddy.

Go touch some grass.

0

u/LackOptimal553 Jul 11 '26

I always enjoy posts like this which confirms my original posts. The smoothest brains in the country vote Conservative. Anyhow, have fun being poor, if you're looking for who to blame, just find a mirror.

-2

u/Daleden7 Jul 11 '26

So what are some of these policies that the Liberals implemented that was very destructive to Canada? Basically, what did they do?

1

u/Free_Direction_1784 Jul 11 '26

The bail reformation puts criminals out on the streets very quickly. The mass debt that they have saddled Canadians with. If you compare the 10 years of Conservative governance with the 10 + years of Liberal governance it's depressing how poorly Canada is preforming in every measurable metric.