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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   Related Stories • Take off to the Great White North 11/17/08   CONTACT THE HERALD Melanie Munk, Features Editor munk@heraldnet.com   Published: Monday, November 17, 2008 That's a switch: Canada now a Republican refuge By Charmaine Noronha Associated Press TORONTO -- For Jeb Assaf, Barack Obama's election win and America's overwhelming vote for "change" has forced him to seriously consider a long-feared change of his own: moving to Canada. As a John McCain supporter, Assaf says he is fed up with the direction of U.S. politics. He feels his only real option is to make the move north that so many Americans joke about when things don't go their way. "I am so disappointed that my fellow citizens have looked past the lack of (President-elect Obama's) relevant experience and poor judgment and have treated something so important and sacred like it was 'American Idol,' " said Assaf, 26, of Brooklyn, N.Y. "At least I know what I am getting with (Canada's Conservative Prime Minister) Stephen Harper." In the days following the election, Canada's Citizenship and Immigration's Web site traffic went to the high end of its normal range, said spokeswoman Karen Shadd. The site, which averages 13,000 to 19,000 hits from U.S. visitors, logged just under 19,000 on Nov. 5. While it's too early to tell if any recent interest will translate into a significant increase in immigration, Canadian lawyers say there was a significant flood of Americans after President Bush's 2004 re-election, when Web traffic at Canada's immigration site hit a record high of 150,000 visits in a day from Americans. In fact, any influx of Americans disgruntled with Obama might be countered by a return migration of those who left during the Bush years. About 11,000 Americans immigrated to Canada in 2006, the last figure Canada's immigration department has, up from about 6,000 in 2003. Because it can take years to finish the immigration process, experts said the latest numbers reflect moves initiated after Bush's re-election. One of those immigrants was Shirley Kelley, 64, a retiree who left Seattle after Bush's win to seek what she calls a safe haven in Canada's beautiful coastal region of Vancouver, B.C. "I was angry, I was ashamed of being an American. I was afraid of where my country was heading, and I just had to get out so I packed up my yellow Lab and headed North," she said. Viewing Canada as a place of refuge started during the Vietnam War, when many young men fled to Canada to escape the military draft. Following the end of the war, emigration of native-born Americans to Canada was motivated more by vocation or lifestyle until the 2004 election led some Bush opponents to head north. This time around is a little different. For the first time in years, Canada has had a successive Conservative minority government, which means that the government must rely on opposition support to pass budgets and legislation. It's a departure from Canada's left-leaning governing tradition, since the Liberal party has formed the government for most of Canada's 141-year history. And while Canada has not become starkly conservative by any means -- the country has single-payer health care -- the country's somewhat transformed political landscape does provide a slight political refuge for Republican Americans. "What scares me about Obama is Democrats having control over both Houses and the Senate, and being able to ram through legislation. Democrats controlling the country is not good. Obama's policies are bad for the country," said Christopher Buck, 28, a recent law school graduate from New Hampshire, who is considering a move to Montreal as a result of the election results. "There's a lot to like about Canada," he said. There are more than a dozen Facebook groups of people threatening to move to Canada, with names like the group Assef founded, "If Obama Somehow Wins, I'm moving to Canada." Assef, a recent law school graduate, has been researching immigration requirements and how to get licensed as an attorney in Ontario. Brian Ray, an associate professor of geography at the University of Ottawa in Ontario, moved back to the province from Washington, D.C., with his American-born partner following Bush's re-election in 2004. "You need to have a pretty strong motivation to move based on political values. It's a big move to make to say, 'I'm going to pack up my life and move elsewhere because I'm not happy with the government in power,' " he said. The couple have now mused about moving back since Obama's election. His partner, Phil, has been to the states for meetings and says there's "this buzz in the air." "Something new and dynamic is happening and that's quite seductive. It's hard to be down there and not to want to be part of that excitement and movement," Ray said. Despite "absolutely loving" Canada and its "gentle, peaceful ways," Kelley said that its the first time since 2004 she's thinking about heading back to the United States. "I feel like I have a new lease on life. Obama is hope. He's my prayers answered," she said. "He's brought back my faith in the U.S." 10 things to know A Canadian's 10 things you should know before moving to Canada: 1. Canada has a prime minister; not a president. Please do not refer to our leader as president. 2. Loonie is the colloquial term for our 1-dollar coin. It is not the colloquial term for our prime minister (who again, is not our president). 3. We live in houses. Not igloos. 4. We do not live in snow 365 days of the year. Canada experiences all four seasons. 5. While many Canadians love hockey, it only became our national sport in 1994, when the federal government gave it that status. Before that, lacrosse was considered our national sport. And a Canadian invented basketball. 6. We have provinces, not states. To be exact, we have 10 provinces and 3 territories. The major difference between the two is that a province receives its power and authority directly from the Canada's constitutional monarchy and territories derive their governing mandates from the federal government. So please do not refer to us as the 51st "state." 7. All Canadians do not have a penchant for saying "eh" and "aboot." 8. Even though British Columbia is well known for its marijuana culture, it remains illegal. 9. Canada is the world's second largest country, larger than the U.S. 10. While many Canadians do enjoy their beer, we're not a nation of drunks. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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