59+ Immigrants on What They Love About Living in Canada
Canada isn't perfect, but...
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Things have gotten progressively worse in Canada over the past few years. Prices are through the roof. There are numerous Instagram and TikTok videos about how expensive it is to live in any of Canada’s major cities.
Young graduates are moving south to build startups. Heck, the co-founder/CEO of the hottest B2B SaaS startup of the past 18 months, Clay, was an Electrical Engineering graduate from McGill University. Housing, the economy, productivity, the issues seem to come in twos and threes and fours.
But maybe, just maybe, there’s something to feel good about living in Canada. So, ahead of Canada Day, we asked 61 immigrants and one Canadian what they loved about living here.
This is how they responded.
Editor’s Note: We have summarized and lightly edited the responses for clarity and style.
Three broad themes emerged from their responses: opportunity, diversity, belonging. But Fiston Muganda, who moved from Uganda, captured the Canadian dream best:
“Canada is where merit meets possibility for me. It’s where a boy from a refugee camp with no passport, no wealth, only a vision can raise over $50,000 not by luck, but through human conviction. I love that in Canada networks matter more than names. Ideas can outgrow origin stories. And I am not reduced to where I come from but challenged by where I intend to go and how much I’m willing to bet on.”
Fiston’s response set up the central theme from the survey responses: Canada is a country where your origins matter less than your aspirations.
Now, to the responses.
Opportunities, Growth, and a Chance to Reinvent Myself
The common thread was opportunity.
For Vero Sepehr, who moved from Ecuador, “It’s a chance to reinvent myself (personally and professionally), rediscover my values, and find like-minded people.”
Simi Ajayi, who moved from Nigeria, is in a similar situation. “Living and thriving in Canada means I’ve had to develop a different set of skills. For me, that’s growth.”
“Canada offers opportunities for those willing to go the extra mile. The idea that no job is too small hits home for me, and it keeps me going when all hope feels lost,” says Nupur Mittal, who moved from India.
Again and again, respondents spoke about a country where effort leads to growth. “I love living here because if you work hard, you’ll be rewarded,” says Femi, who moved from Nigeria.
For Rehana Malik-Mbanga, who immigrated from South Africa, Ibukun Orefuja, who moved from Nigeria, and Sabit, who moved from Ethiopia, it’s about “access to different opportunities and the chance to achieve anything you set your mind to.”
Gerard Keledjian, who moved from Dubai, expands on the above sentiments: “What resonates with me about living here is how Canada continuously inspires me to grow and pushes me to be my best. It’s a place that offers opportunities to achieve and make a meaningful impact on people’s lives.”
For others, the opportunities manifest through entrepreneurship. Jonah, who moved from England, appreciates “the entrepreneurial spirit here that encourages people to chase their dreams and build something of their own.”
What makes these opportunities feel sustainable, rather than just another grind, is how Canadians approach the relationship between work and life.
Gabriela Casineanu, a Romanian immigrant, thinks life in Canada is less stressful with a strong focus on work-life balance. “You can build your professional path in any direction (regardless of background). However, it takes curiosity, assertiveness, openness to learn, and grit,” she says.
“Living in Canada has given me ‘breathing space’ to rebuild, reflect, and evolve on my own terms. After the pace of Lagos, there’s something liberating about the stillness here. Calgary, with its big blue skies and quiet strength, has offered me peace and possibility,” Ifeoma N., who moved from Nigeria, adds.
The “breathing space” Ifeoma describes points to something deeper than economic opportunity. An environment that makes growth feel possible.
Culture, People, and Quality of Life
Opportunity means nothing without the social fabric to support it. For some respondents, what they loved about Canada wasn’t just that they could succeed, but how they were treated while trying.
Catherine Venot, a Venezuelan immigrant, speaks to the Canadian way of life: “I appreciate the culture of respect, the power of one’s word and how Canadians value relationships. This approach translates into all areas of life, including the way we communicate with each other, the way we interact, the way we work in teams, the way we provide feedback and support. I love Canada and the Canadian way.”
Tehmina Chaudhry, who moved from Pakistan, expanded on Catherine’s point, “Here, you can meet someone from a different culture or country on every corner. Yet there’s this unspoken thread of kindness connecting us. It’s not perfect, but there’s space to grow, learn, and belong. And that, to me, makes it feel like home.”
For Paulo Petitinga from Brazil and Awe Adedoyin, who moved from Nigeria, it’s the “considerate communication styles and mutual respect.”
Beatriz Zanatelli, who moved from Brazil, summed it up: “The kindness.” And that kindness isn’t just basic politeness. It affects everyday life.
For Fisayo Ojelabi, who moved from the United States, it’s the pace of life. He and Fatemeh Alhosseini, who immigrated from Iran, appreciate the government’s social nets like universal healthcare, child benefits, and employment insurance.
Abdul O, who moved from Nigeria, doesn’t mince words. “The social amenities are way better than those of my country,” he says.
These social benefits mean, as Simon from Nigeria puts it: “Peace of mind and quality of life.” Seyi Ogunsola, also from Nigeria, and Victoria Patenaude, who moved from Poland, echoed this with a simple “Peaceful and secure.”
For families, a peaceful and secure society creates space for the life many are looking for when they moved to Canada.
Hugo O’Doherty moved from Ireland to Montreal, and loves raising a multilingual kid in a fun, safe city with a vibrant arts, sports, and food scene. “When I moved in my twenties, I loved how affordable and fun it is here. It’s an amazing spot to meet people from all over, and now I get to rediscover the city again as a parent,” he says.
Bruce Faulkner, who moved from Nigeria, agrees that Canada is “family friendly,” while Tinsae Kebie from Kenya appreciates the “safety.”
What makes this cultural foundation feel real is how Canada embraces what immigrants bring with them.
Diversity, Food, and Freedom
I love living in Canada because it accepts that I can be both Canadian and Nigerian.
It’s the same for Shamira Madhany, who moved from Kenya: “I love how Canadians embrace diversity and inclusion as a core part of who they are. These are the values I hold close to my heart. When I walk down the street, I hear different languages, I see how we celebrate different cultures and embrace abilities and disabilities, and I see how we accept various gender orientations and identities. All these remind me that belonging doesn’t mean being the same; it means being accepted for who you are.”
Jack Johnson, an immigrant from Togo, describes our daily reality in Canada: “Canada is a place where you can meet people from around the world. We learn from one another. We learn from the different ways we see and do things. This cultural exchange enriches our lives and helps us grow as individuals and as a community.”
Gurasis Singh, who moved from India, goes one step further. “There’s a real sense of inclusion and multiculturalism. It’s not just about tolerance, but actual celebration of different cultures, which makes me feel proud and connected.”
For Umir Hossain, who moved from Italy, this mix of ethnicities increases the chance of serendipitous conversations.
Naz Noorani, who moved from India, puts it simply: “I get to meet people from all over the world, try different foods, hear different stories, and learn so much just by being here. It’s one of the few places where many cultures live side by side.”
And nowhere is this diversity more evident than in the food, which for folks like Daniel Bernhard, born in Canada, and Katherine Li, who moved from China, is what they love most about living in Canada.
A key theme was freedom. Anna Otroschenko from Ukraine, Quincy Birch from Germany, and Moira Deval from China cited it as what they love most about Canada. For any immigrant fleeing authoritarian regimes or restrictive societies, this characteristic makes all other opportunities possible.
Nature and Climate
Canadian weather gets a bad rap globally. But for Mario Meyer, the combination of “culture, climate, and people” makes living in Canada special. Kateryna Havrylova went straight to the point: “Nature.”
For Rim Aoude, who moved from the UAE, it’s the four seasons. Considering the UAE’s hot, arid desert, Canada’s seasonal changes mean a different way of experiencing the year for Rim.
Mher Mardoyan moved from Lebanon, and he captures the appeal of Canada’s natural beauty: “The country’s landscapes, from mountains and forests to lakes and coastlines, provide endless outdoor activities and a strong connection to nature.”
Fin
Canada isn’t perfect. But the responses show the country represents something increasingly rare in today’s fractured world. A place where home can be built rather than just tolerated. A place where success doesn’t require abandoning who you are.
Complaints about living costs and brain drain are real, but many people still choose Canada. When asked why, they don't talk about tax policy or GDP growth. They talk about kindness. About a chance to be themselves. About belonging.
I think that's worth celebrating this Canada Day.
