All things considered there are far worse places in the world to be in than Canada at this time - such as the United States.
As you may know I was born and raised in Canada. Most of my childhood was spent in Thunder Bay, Ontario (save for a year our family resided in Victoria, B.C. during my Dad's sabbatical from Lakehead University). My university years and early adulthood were spent in Ottawa - the nation's capital (aside from a few months in London, England during my last year as an undergraduate) before moving to this country in 2000.
I miss Canada. The last time I set foot on Canadian soil was six years ago this month. This is the longest period of time I have been away from my home and native land. During my visit in 2014, I split the week between Toronto and Ottawa. While in Ottawa, my family convened to celebrate my maternal grandmother's 95th birthday. It would be the last time I would see her alive.
I had made plans to travel back up to Thunder Bay in 2015 and to Toronto/Ottawa in 2017 (to commemorate Canada's 150th birthday) but these plans did not come to pass. Presently, the Canada-U.S. border is closed due to the pandemic so any designs to go north of the border are not possible for the foreseeable future.
Back in late March I commemorated my 20th anniversary in the U.S. during the early days of the pandemic and discussed having no regrets about coming down here:
Had I written these reflections earlier in the month they would have been undoubtedly different. To some degree I do feel some disappointment over the past two decades. The man who drove me from Ottawa to Boston that day is now a provincial cabinet minister and might end up Premier one day. I, other on the hand, am a file clerk who lives with my Dad - forced to move to New York when I could not find a new roommate in Boston. I make a modest salary, have no wife or girlfriend let alone any children and the likelihood of that situation changing for the better is while not impossible remains nevertheless highly unlikely.
But we are now living in the midst of a pandemic which has changed life as we know it. Under these conditions, as of this writing, I am healthy and have gainful employment. My Dad is also healthy. Too many others aren't so fortunate. As such I cannot ask for more - at least for now.
Life a series of decisions big and small. In many respects, small decisions can have far bigger consequences than big decisions. On one on Monday morning almost seven years ago I took a train to Concord, Massachusetts to go to Minuteman Park instead of making my way to Boylston Street to watch the Boston Marathon. There but for fortune.
Had I remained in Canada chances are my life would be much the same as it is in terms of my social status. Of course, had I remained in Canada I might very well be slapping myself for not having taken the opportunity to move to the United States with the possibility of a better life. One can drive oneself crazy with such thoughts. As such it is best not to dwell on the what ifs at length. One can only deal with what is rather than what might have been.
I still don't regret my decision. However, a few days after writing this I lost my job and am currently on both unemployment insurance and pandemic relief. The latter is due to expire at the end of this month barring an extension by Congress and the President. Since early April, I have been subletting an apartment upstairs from my Dad. I can afford the rent because of the additional pandemic relief. That will not be the case if it expires. I am, however, happy to report that I am healthy and so is my Dad.
But COVID-19 is far from over. Accompany it with the social unrest which was unleashed with the murder of George Floyd by the Minneapolis PD on Memorial Day you have a country full of tension. This tension is exacerbated by President Trump who throws gaslight on the fire.
Because of these conditions, for the first time in the 20 plus years I've been in the U.S., I have contemplated moving back to Canada notwithstanding the current situation with the border. Mind you this is mere contemplation. At this point, if I were to go back to Canada I'm not sure where I would go. Back to Thunder Bay or Ottawa? Toronto? Perhaps somewhere in Western Canada like Winnipeg or possibly in the Maritimes as I have been to Halifax several times. But if by the end of 2020 a) I haven't found work; b) Trump is re-elected and c) the border is reopened then this contemplation shall escalate into planning.
Of course, I have not given up for looking for work either here in New York or elsewhere in the U.S. and there's a very good chance Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th President of the United States in 203 days from now. With that said it has been 112 days since the NBA shutdown beginning the panic. Under these conditions 203 days is a very long time from now much less the election which is 125 days away.
In just under five months, more than 2.5 million Americans have been afflicted with COVID-19 resulting in more than 125,000 deaths. By contrast, Canada has a little over 100,000 cases (104,204) and slightly under 8,600 deaths (8,591). (Only yesterday, Dr. Anthony Fauci expressed concern the United States could add 100,000 COVID-19 cases a day.) At this point, 86% of the cases are concentrated in Ontario and Quebec along with 95% of the fatalities. Remarkably, four provinces have COVID-19 death tolls in the single digits (Manitoba, New Brunswick, P.E.I. and Newfoundland & Labrador) while no deaths have been recorded in the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut (which also has no recorded cases).
To put this number into perspective let us consider Massachusetts - the state where I resided for 18 1/2 years. Massachusetts' population is more than five times smaller than Canada and yet the Bay State has more COVID-19 cases (108,882) with only a few hundred fewer deaths (8054).
Mind you, I harbor no illusions about Canada. After all, I lived there the majority of my life (27 1/2 years). I have many unpleasant memories and have no expectations that either my personal or professional prospects would vastly improve should I choose to return. There are miserable people everywhere in the world. Canada has the same kind of socioeconomic problems the United States does (albeit on a smaller scale) and I care no more for Prime Minister Trudeau the Younger than I do for President Trump.
Yet I do believe with all its shortcomings there is more peace, order and good government in Canada than there is in the United States. Above all else, one is less likely to become infected from and die from COVID-19. While there are no guarantees the odds of survival are surely improved in Canada.
At the very minimum, I do hope to visit Canada sometime in the near future. Perhaps come Canada Day in 2021. Whenever that day comes, I have been away far too long.
Until then I wish who call my native land their home a very joyous and safe Canada Day.
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