Suspectzero:
To be honest, about this whole where to school your kids thing...

I believe what it really boils down to, and i'm not aiming this just at ipopalomo but people with his philosophy, is that it is not a case of giving your kids superior morals or character. Canada has superior morals and builds greater Characters too. You do not have a Nation like Nigeria if it was the bedrock of Great Morals and Character.

Anyway, the real issue i see with people with this mentality is that they go to Canada and they see how black Canadians and second Generation act, behave, think and talk and they can not relate with it at all. It is Alien to who they are and what they grew up to be. This realization then strikes a fear in them that their kids too would grow up to be this way, their beliefs, accent, behavior, exposure etc would be totally different from what they had to experience.

It is this fear of not being able to see a lot of yourself in your own kids, basically your kids being full Canadian while you still consider yourself very much Nigerian with a Canadian passport, it is this fear that drives them to get their kids as much exposure as possible to the Nigerian reality so they can relate better with their Half Nigerian/Half Canadian kids and still see a bit of themselves in the kids. This is what i believe drives this mentality.

Nothing to do with Morals, or Character building, those are just rationalizations. You want your kids to be more like you so you can see some of yourself in them and be able to relate with them better. End.

To start with, one trailer of whatever you drink or eat ... I like this discussion because I always see something I agree with in every comment, both opposing and supporting ones. First, I call it a discussion and not a debate because the onus lies on us to decide for ourselves. No one here can dictate or trash another for where they choose to raise their own kids, especially when that place is their own country as well. If we were talking about sending them to the U.S or europe for the same purpose, no one would view it as a "mentality". I believe we have to understand that these things are a matter of preference and not a matter of intellectual superiority or civility.

Now, where do I agree with you? The being able to see a part of you in your kids is a very valid reason. If one wants kids that are completely ailien to them, we would have just been sperm and egg donors. In short Quebecois went separatist nuts simply because parents found their kids and grandkids becoming anglicized. Till this day, there are offsprings of immigrants who refer to themselves as irish-canadian, scandinavian-canadian and some do return home. So, it isn't wrong to want a part of your identity to reflect in your kid, even if you are from shithole Nigeria. Besides, shouldn't it be great if they can get the best of both worlds? or there is absolutely nothing good about Nigeria?

Of course even if you raise them in naija, they would be still a bit different from you but to what extent and what areas is the deciding factor. Some people saying this is a non-issue would be the same ones in years to come, finding out they are only accepting it and not necessarily what they wish.
Sure it is left for parents to raise their kids but we seem to forget that society to a large extent dictates if that way is a norm or not and it would ultimately influence the kid. Immigrants wake up everyday realising this at the last hour. To my knowledge this is most common with nigerian parents in the U.S, the same ones who were once excited about raising american kids. it happens so fast that all they can do is make peace with their new found reality.

Also, I am not so big about morals. To me, nigeria has no morals, not even respect. Afterall the same ones who champion respect, would deride an old man who has no money and worship a wealthy young boy. However, if you lived in Nigeria, you should know when Nigerians speak of morals, it connotes religion and family. Like kids being submissive to their parent's will, without negotiations, even if it means pretending. And the state not handicapping you on how to raise your kids. Generally, nigerian morals is on not being sexually pervasive or lewd in public(whatever you do in secret is fine by Nigerian rules lol) and family culture.

I was about to ask what motivation got you working 60hours a week consistently for a year. Work here is hard on one, except is a laid back job like security. Then I saw the quote you replied to. Yeah hypothetically speaking, if you work 60hours a week consistenly for a year, you should have decent savings but occasionally stupid variables like getting sent home early, shifts getting cancelled or just being tired, could reduce it. Eitherways, who wan save go save something. So long as they live modestly and don't have other financially draining goals like education or pursuing professional licensure.

naijaman3:


Why are you saying what you do not know without any concrete facts to back it up.



This is pure ignorance way of talking!



You definitely have reading comprehension problem because the article is talking about ability of Canadian to increase their monthly savings by $360 (save more by $360) and not their ability to save $360.

In addition to this when it comes to saving money, do not compare Nigerians who are now Canadian or still permanent resident with Canadians who were born in Canada because our saving goals are different. An average Canadian does not want to save. They will rather work less, go on vacation and spend a lot. While on the other hand Nigerians will work a lot, spend less and save a lot.


I believe the op (@atutupoyoyo2211). His goal is very doable with discipline and I know a lot of people that I have done it for a while and people still doing just to raise capital to start their own thing.

Rather than arguing about this without facts and figures, I will present facts and figures for intelligent people to use when making comments. Let us look at the situation of a person who is either a Canadian citizen or permanent resident (just like @atutupoyoyo2211) or hold unrestricted work permit (i.e. not an illegal person). For someone that spends less, their expenses could look like this

Expenses:

• Rent including utilities (one bedroom or self-contained apartment) = $700 per month
• Monthly bus pass (no car, no insurance required, go fueling required) = $103 per month for Calgary (will be $109 starting January 2019)
• Food (this person cooks. No eating outside or restaurant) = $300 per month
• Phone Plan = $50 per month
• Other miscellaneous expenses: $100 per month
• Vacation (chooses not to take any because focus is on saving): $0

Total monthly expenses = $1253
Total Annual expenses = $1253 X 12 = $15306

If this person lives in Alberta where minimum wage is $15 per hour for the first 44 hours worked in a week and 1.5 multiplied by $15 (or $22.5 per hour) for any hour worked over 44 hours in a week for the same employer, his annual before tax income, after tax income and annual savings for two different scenarios will be as follows:

Scenario 1: Working 10hrs a day and 6 days a week for 60 hours a week (say in two different jobs and not more than 44hrs in each job so that no overtime pay)

Annual income before taxes and other deduction: 60hrs/wk X 52wks X $15/hr = $46,800
Annual taxes and other deductions (Employment Insurance & Canada Pension Plan): $10,059
Annual after taxes and other deduction: $ 36,741
Annual expenses (as calculated above): $15306
Annual Savings: $36,741 - $15,306 = $21,435


Scenario 2: Working 10hrs a day and 6 days a week for 60 hours a week (for the same employer. He will be paid $22.5/hour after 44 hours a week)

Annual regular pay before tax and other deduction: 44hrs/wk X 52wks X $15/hr = $34,320
Annual overtime pay before tax and other deduction: 16hrs/week X 52wks X $22.5/hr = $18,304
Annual total pay before taxes and other deduction = $34,320+$18,304 = $52,624
Annual taxes and other deductions (Employment Insurance & Canada Pension Plan): $ 12,113
Annual after taxes and other deductions : $ 40,511
Annual expenses (as calculated above): $15,306
Annual Savings: $40,511 - $15,306 = $25,205

Now, this calculation is based on the minimum wage anybody in Alberta could be paid. Now, consider if this person is now able to get a job that pays way more than minimum wage say $20, $25, $35 etc per hour and continues to maintain the same annual expenses ($15306) as above because they want to save. Can you imagine what the saving could be in a year? I will leave you to figure that out by yourself.

Can you also now imagine after you are able to get a job in your profession (Engineering, IT guys, Doctors, Accountants, Nurses etc) where you can make anywhere from $35/hour to $150/hrs. At this point, you do not even need to work more than 40 hours a week to make such savings and also increase your monthly expenses to include taking annual vacation, buying a house and a good car.

@opebiboy: What I need from you is to challenge my number and facts as listed. Don’t come and tell me what an average Canadian is saving because their focus is to spend and not to save. The ops focus is to work a lot, spend less and save more.

@atutupoyoyo2211: Do not be distracted. Keep doing your thing because it is doable. I am personally a testimony to that. Number and facts that I presented above are also testimony to that.

Link to the taxes and other deduction calculator I used: https://simpletax.ca/calculator

atutupoyoyo2211:
I dont get offended when people post negative stuff online because when whenever we post something online we should expect both negative and positive comments. I get encouraged by the negative comments.
@opebiboy you sound like a hardworking Nigerian that is just trying to be successful like each and everyone of us. You mentioned you import cars from overseas which is an honorable business. let me tell you what i see at the site i work security. This is a 5 year construction project going on here. Every day i sign in trucks to drop off sand and gravel on the site. Now 90% of the drivers of these trucks are Indian, and what they do is that, they bring their brothers from Indian to learn truck driving under them and within 2 years, the apprentice has his own truck and then delivers on his own. Most of them then register their own company and you see the name on the truck. i am at work right now and i truck driver just came. I was registering him in the system when i asked him what company he works for, and he said the name. And i released this man, who is a born and bred Canadian is driving trucks fro and Indian immigrant. The owner of the company was still delivering today, and i talked with him,. he told me he has 3 trucks that drive for him. My bank rep once told me that, everyday she sees truck drivers and restaurant owners, who come in and they have account balances of $300k and above. Anyone in Canada can correct me if i am wrong.
The longshoremen that work on our site make $50 an hour and above. And they are unionized, so their pay always goes up. One of the longshoremen on our site drives a bentley bentayga. My own Security supervisor drives a 2013 g wagon. He is from Iran. He came to Canada and worked Security and warehouse for 6 years straight, working 16 to 18 hours a day. Right now he only works 8 hours a day and his daughter also works on site as the assistant security supervisor. she is also a workaholic getting experience to be a police office. she drives a BMW X6. When my supervisor saw i was ready to work, he always gave me shifts.
The purpose of this is to tell @opebiboy, it is not all about scam, people work hard, people toil day and night to succeed.
You keep posting links thats says "the average Canadian this, the average Canadian that', I am not an average Canadian. I am and will be a successful Canadian through hard work. The internet says Nigerians are poor but all Nigerians are not poor. Try not to be classified as part of the average.

First I must commend your polite response. Secondly, most of what you said tallies with my experience so far. However, we should be careful not to use what car one drives as a metric of success. In canada, most cars are financed(bought via loans or credit). Most of my friends drive 2017 cars and make only a couple dollars above minimum wage. I have also worked at warehouses where my colleagues drove sports cars and we all earned the same wage and put in the same hours. This is just to clarify that cars here is hardly an indication of how well someone is doing financially, it is a matter of one's taste. The banks and dealers are willing to finance or lease a brand new 2020 car to you if you have a good credit score. For slightly older cars, you can even get them with a bad credit, only that the interest rate and downpayment would be higher.

There is a reason why most Canadians find themselves at collections or bankrupt once they miss a couple paycheques.

Aside this, Indians indeed dominate the haulage industry. Not many people want to do that job. Many immigrants work crazy hours here at blue collar jobs(at least for a start), the scammers are in the minority. Though if one has a family, they could still be struggling paycheque to paycheque despite the supposedly fat income as bills arent funny here. It is a better life overall, but nigerians back home shouldn't just assume minimum wage of $14 is a whole lot of money as though their bills and expenses would remain in naira here.

bily:


We are not saying all schools are like that... We are taking in terms of the average reality of what is on ground.

If you are talking of the best of the best school in Nigeria, those schools are patterned to replicate what you have in developed countries, so what's the extra they want to teach your children

Let's say the truth, we want to send our children to school in Nigeria not because of the quality of education when compared to Canada, but to instill values and make them 'street smart'

I went to a military boarding school and I had the same sentiments to send my kids to boarding school.
Till I did some deep thinking and realised it wasn't really the school that made me turn out this way, but the values instilled on a subconscious level by my parents.

The funny thing is now my parents are not really strict with their grand children nowadays. Things they will never let slide with us when growing up, they now overlook with the grandchildren. This also, you have to take into consideration especially when you will be in Canada while the kids are schooling in Nigeria.

Honestly sending your kids to a Catholic school in Canada if possible, may be far better than sending your kids to school in Nigeria.

I agree with you on a lot you said but I would like to point out that catholic schools in Canada is not what we know catholic schools to be though. I attended a catholic school at some point in Naija, and have had interactions with a friend who attended one here in Canada. Catholic schools here are similar to attending a very liberal posh private school in naija. Inshort what we call liberalism in Naija, is conservatism here. Then another thing is, most people who jump on the catholic school train do it with the hope that they wouldn't have pro LGBTQ type of classes/clubs. This is often not the case, as catholic schools have their hands tied since they are public funded and have to be seen following the govt's bidding.

Influential101:
I completely agree.. Parents play a huge role in the lives of their children.. Except you have a very disciplined and strong person to take care of your kids, they may turn not out worse in Nigeria. and grandparents tend to pamper their grandchildren.

I didn't do a lot of things in boarding school, not because of Nigeria but because of my parent's strictness. I just didn't dare disappoint them. I had that value right from a little child.

My children will be coming to Nigeria may be for one or two months holidays to get a feel of Nigeria but not to live permanently. I need to be in my children's lives especially in their formative and teenage years. Can't leave training my kids to someone else.

The morals we had in Nigeria during our time is no longer same.

Check Nairaland front page, see the comments from Jambites and WAEC candidates and tell me if Nigeria is better. The only difference is that oyibos may be doing theirs openly but in Nigeria children lie and deceive their parents to cover up things.

There are good kids abroad just as we have in Nigeria.

Your comment deserves a trailer load of beer. People often think the Nigeria they grew up in is the same as what you have today. The culture has devolved.

Suspectzero:


It's not compulsory to suffer in order to become a good person. If that were the case, Nigeria would be full of good people but look at the state of the Country and you know that is not the case.

I don't know how you'll convince them that their Mom and Dad are over in Canada enjoying life in a developed country but want them to go through the trials and tribulations of living in a failed State just because that's what their parents went through. I hope your thinking evolves as time goes on.

I wouldn't want this for my offspring sending them back to were i escaped from. There are so many things and opportunities that happen in those formative years of teenage-hood that you would miss out on and that Nigeria would not help your kids develop. Could be sports or musical talents or IT programming. Even memories they'll create about High school. They would not be able to relate to other Canadian adults they would inevitably mingle with when they graduate and come back. It's just not right in my view.

Take them back on summer vacations for 3 months at a time, that's enough to appreciate the reality in Nigeria. But not sentencing them to 6 straight years. Anyway, that's my 2 cents.

Not everyone views leaving Nigeria as an escape though. Some of us still have plans to leave Canada for somewhere else, would that be an escape?
I have heard of a number of people(esp folks in the U.S) who did what iPopAlomo has in mind and their reasons were hard to invalidate. Mind you, most nigerian private secondary boarding schools are filled with kids of folks in the diaspora. I am talking schools whose fees are 1m+ , it would be hard to think they are suffering. We also do have people who relocate to Naija, partly to raise their kids and obviously because they are wealthy enough to afford a luxurious life in Naija. While I completely understand your sentiments, it is important to realise that people here have very diverse backgrounds and interest.

iPopAlomo:



Primary school here in Canada...

Secondary school back in Nigeria...

University back in Canada...

And they'll be staying with my mom... Lol... Not traveling back with anybody...



I want them to understand that there's lights out and data cap and nights where you drink garri to bed.

The few Africans I've met born here in Canada don't really have a clue... I turned out okay and I really pray my kids turn out okay as well... That is what I can't teach but I can influence...

That sounds like a plan but then again it depends on so many factors. First, one would need his/her spouse approval, and this is easily a contentious topic. Then my utmost worry is that the ages when a kid is in secondary school is a very important time for kid's to bond with one's parents and for parent's to shape their kids. You could work around this by flying them to Canada every hols, assuming you don't find it prohibitively expensive.

The whole thing seems easier conceived than acted out, I suspect I would end up abandoning the idea.

iPopAlomo:



Job Field: IT
Specification: Technical Support Specialist
Company: classified Evul laughter.


The job description is mostly what you need to get a job here... Your resume most match the Job description 110%. That gets one foot in the door... The rest is up to you.

Leave a really good impression and hope for the best.

Here nah Jungle... And I realised Canadians are very laced... Nigeria finish work for my body as I'm of both worlds... My children will probably have their primary education here... Then secondary and technical school in Nigeria or something... Then come back here.

For B. Sc and whatever.

Lol I.T and finance have it the easiest here, though it is I.T that has the better remuneration of the two. For some other field, like engineering, it often isn't a plug and play scenario as the industry is very risk averse. There is a reason why international students land "core" engineering jobs much faster than experienced immigrant engineers. Then again it is best to have an open mind and chase your goals.

I don't have a family but have thought a bit about where would be best to raise my unborn(hopefully I am fertile cos we can't be too sure yet ). I am at a dilemna because I know I don't want them completely raised in Canada, but there is so much about Nigeria that leaves me sad and hopeless for the country. The mentality and culture that is evolving in Naija is one that I detest. Yet there are a lot of pros to growing in Naija that I feel it is necessary my kids live and build some roots there a bit and not merely visit. I watched Akon talk about how his Dad sent him and his siblings off to Senegal, while they only visited the U.S during hols, until they were done with secondary school. He makes it seem like he got the best of both worlds from it but I wouldn't want to assume everyone gets the same result from that experience. I wish I can learn of more cases like that, to help me draw an informed conclusion.

Another issue is in whose care and discipline would you entrust them? Would you relocate to Naija with them or would you just ship them out to boarding houses while you stay back in Canada?

I can't argue with points 6, 7, 11 and 12. My God she perfectly summarised Canada in the bolded, especially that point 7! People here are two faced and eye service is a huge part of their workplace culture. I cant count how many times people have spoken very ill of someone to me, but go on leading the person to think they are best of friends. They even find it odd when you choose to be neutral. You really can't tell where you stand with a canadian, esp at work. It is very common for seeming good friends at work to forget your existence the moment you or they change jobs. People socialize on a need-to-basis here. This is why most immigrants default to mostly associating with people of their own culture, just to preserve their social sanity. It is the second generation of immigrants/kids that often get used to the flow.

Then the healthcare thing... that one beats my comprehension. There is an acute shortage of specialist doctors, Canadians even travel abroad to get healthcare, yet doctors have to go through an abysmally long winding path to licensure. It seems like there is a deliberate plan to maintain the shortage.

Collintos:
6 - Unless you are an engineer or have an MBA or, if you are a real estate or car sales agent (or wish to become) forget about doing anything ambitious. You could have all the qualification in the world and work in Walmart and enjoy your 4 K salary with benefits (many people are happy with that and do put aside their goals and settle with having enough pay to get by as an ultimate). And if you refuse to work for years on years in job for which you are overqualified, you are pointed at as a sloth who doesn’t want to work. Your success is measured by salary, pension, and mortgage, not if you are happy with your job (it's actually the norm to hate your work). Ironically no one wants to talk about numbers when it comes to money. There is a presumption everyone's wellbeing and financial condition is safeguarded by some godly ransom that they digged up from the graves of their ancestors.

7 - Dishonesty. The way [most] people do not tell you what they mean and confuse you with their actions and words is astonishing here. Barely anyone is straightforward, and humor is the lost word in Canadian English. Everyone seems to have a stick up their arse (and you will become like that too). People only open up after getting absurdly drunk - mainly for a few seconds before they lose the ability to collect their conscious.
(Edit: there is a general assumption that people in countries with Arctic climate and low-density populations have bigger bubbles around their selves, are more difficult to connect and are easily out of touch with their emotions. I cannot speak for Scandinavia for example, but, have heard foreigners from dense societies feel the same about them. Take this tho; emotional has negative connotations in Canadian English. So you know who you are).


11 -Universal Health Care: it’s there, it’s good, so long that you are not actually sick or require an emergency. I cannot count the number of times I have heard people they were kept in the ER for hours with no rimary care, no drugs nor testing because there were no specialized doctors available to look t them (this goes from food poisoning to having a broken bone to anything else). I am not talking about medical mistakes. I am talking about a sever shortage in doctors.



12 - Unemployment Benefits; I am not going to say it is awful to have help when you become unemployed (but I guess most governments in the world have something along those lines). It is relatively easy to get the few hundred dollar checks and it can cover some basic costs. But the thing is, those who actually rely on this money either torn apart native people, and you know that their conditions go back generations (again I am not going to elaborate on what has happened to the indigenous peoples of Canada, you do your research) and their unemployment in a colonial system that is not compatible with their lost traditions, is not something that can be fixed with a few hundreds of dollars per month, but needs a historical healing. The other benefactors are lazy entitled [often local white] people who do not look for work, do not accept low wage work, and do choose to beg on the streets (because they can collect some more from kind people who help them) while they reside in social housing or dirty cheap team houses. Often drunken bad-mouthed homeless people who are plenty in the richest cities of the country - you only need to take a 5 minute walk n downtown Ottawa or Toronto, for example, to realize poverty is not something specific to ‘the developing countries’. But interestingly, there are no videos or pictures showing this type of thing to the enthusiastic immigrants as ‘Canada’. No, Canada is not only its homeless people. Neither it is its national hockey team. But there are these issues here, like anywhere else in the world and the spotless imagery many people have of this country is simply laughable.


Please could these be true @ seniors in the house??

Well, there are a lot of facts in it but not all of it is true, and some aren't to the extent she portrayed it.

Collintos:
By Golbon

I do not regret moving away from home and experiencing a new life.

But I do regret choosing Canada over Europe (I did have the choice).

Here are a few things I am sure the responses, especially the ones from those who have ‘just’ moved here and likely wrote the comments in their ‘high’ of traveling do not cover.


Please could these be true at seniors in the house

abbey4christ:
Congratulations iPopAlomo, people are always scared of starting from the scratch. Canada no won send you even if you're a manager before you left Naija, you must be humble to climb that ladder but that "we have moved on with other candidates" dey pain Thanks for sharing, but wait did i see 42%

lol @ bolded. It depends on where the person's experience and degree is from though. If from a first-world commonwealth nation, with some luck the person has some chance of remaining at the same level.

Beside the issue of Canadian experience and Canadian degree, the major issue is that the economy isn't expanding as fast as the number of job seekers. As there are quite a number of canadian degree holders still searching for a good job.

iPopAlomo:
I been no wan talk before... But at this point... I need to share to some ghost reader that'll be needing this sometime in the future.

I'll be starting a new role on Monday... Dream job that comes with all the PERKS of a big company downtown OTTAWA.

It wasn't easy, I'll be honest but plenty observation and work got me in... and if you ask me... Most of them follow me come from Nigeria.

Unlike most people... I had no friends and/or family living in Canada. So that itself shows say nah Baba God follow me come.

But the biggest decision i took coming here was emptying my cup... I had to start from scratch... I got a job less than a month of landing that pays a little over minimum wage... It paid the bills, i am a good cook and I was comfy. but that no be wetin carry me come here as iyawo dey UK... I was always looking for that oppurtunity. Three months in my old role... I started Job hunting again... I got a juicy position with NCR and i got dropped for not having a G licensce... (I got my G - licence a month and a half later, re-applied to NCR, only if they call me tomorrow or something). I got another interview with survey monkey (Fortune 500 company), I did the networking, added people on linkedin, met people for coffee, did the due diligence, I know I did well... only to be told my SaaS skill wasn't Canadian enough.... That shii pained me... That shiii pained me entyer blood because i knew that was a stupid excuse to drop me after doing really well...

Your moniker is to die for, lol. I have had to completely quit drinking because I am still on G2. I never thought I could but it was between risking a DUI that could send me back to naija, vs Uber anytime man sips something. I can't afford taking an uber and still pay pricey car insurance, I have to maximize my money's worth lol.

Congrats on the new job, care to state what industry/profession it is? It would help someone in a similar field know what is applicable or perhaps reach out to you for tips.

Newww:


Please can you advice which of the provinces would permit direct application to P.Eng.
Also, do we need to write any exams?
Thanks.

I can only speak of Ontario. PEO allows direct application for P.Eng. However, tIt is still left to their discretion and evaluation to determine if you should be asked to sit for technical exams, come for interview or do both. In the end they would decide wether you get EIT without acknowledging your experience(meaning you would wait at least 4years to P.Eng) or EIT awaiting Canadian experience(1 year left to P.Eng). For details consult the website of the licensing body for the province of interest.

WoodcrestMayor:
Make i follow add mouth for this matter.

Get insurance coverage where you can to protect your cash flow. You fall in winter and you're unable to work for 3months. Your work pays you 55-75% of your income but this isn't enough to see you through the month. The amount from work ideally should only cover your feeding and lifestyle.Mortgages and other loans shouldn't be a part of what you pay from short/long term disability income. It is a good idea to take separate insurance on loans so you have one less payment to worry about if stuff happen.

I had something like that on my credit card, the monthly premium for the insurance made me prefer risking all that. So, I cancelled the insurance lol. It makes sense for me since I don't have mortgage or loan to service yet.

zohan101:
Please oo; elders of this forum who are engineers. Has anyone sat for engineering professional exams(P.Eng) on arriving canada?? Seems most of the stories i have heard are experienced 9ja engineers going through the EIT route even after possessing more than 5years of engineering experience in 9ja..Cc @oga Salford @eisteino and other senior members..Please your advise is needed.

I would advise you apply for P.Eng rather than EIT. Wether this is possible would depend on the provincial regulator you choose to go with. If you do succeed and meet the academic requirements, you would be given E.I.T status pending when you get 1 year canadian engineering experience.

CanadianWasp:
Amen! Thank you oga Salford!

I worked briefly as a collections agent. One of the questions we asked debtors was "how did you get into this trouble?". Usual response could be "I fell ill for 2 weeks" or "I lost my job a month ago" and I saw how majority of Canadians and even newly landed immigrants live from paycheck to paycheck, and it was scary! And it's soooooo easy to actually be in this state, when you have money/ credit being thrown at you left right and center from banks and other companies. No be to pay small small? Lol.

Gbam! Each time I come out to my work's parking lot and see the cars my colleagues drive, I begin to suspect HR is only paying me a quarter of my wage. It is so hard to believe that folks who earn the same hourly rate as me would dare to drive sports cars and fancy trucks. These guys here just put everything on credit and finance option, which isn't exactly a bad thing but they often do this in a very financially irresponsible way. Once they miss one pay cheque, their whole life comes crumbling like a pack of cards. I remember when I called my bank a couple months ago, the call centre rep checked my account and was like "Oh your account looks good, care for a credit limit increase?"... You would think she saw millions in it, money wey dey inside no go even sustain me pass a month without income but because canadians hardly have savings without heavy debt, na beautiful account to her. and the only thing she could think of suggesting was credit limit increase, so that I go come carry gbese wey go wipe the savings

It is true that in this part of the world, credit and finance options are a nice to have and often a necessity, but living within your means is a universal necessity else you would die above your means lol. If you wan dey buga for this Canada, banks go just dey happy on top your matter. People here need to learn how to manage their finances.

Lol the internet is where smiling and socalled polite canadians say what they really think about immigration. I took the following screenshots on the comment section of a site just a few minutes ago, comments were posted today.

Funny how this one is riddled with so much ignorance about the scheme, the govt needs to let its citizens know that immigrants work their asses off and are not spoon fed. Moreso, did anyone catch the line about "demographics" ?

salford:


Took about 15min in all. The actual vote itself took like 2 minutes. The remaining 13minutes was spent on driving to and fro. No sign of area boys anywhere or police/mopol on standby.

Baba how are we going to fix Nigeria? The problem isn't our leaders, that's an over simplification. I think the problem is in everyone of us, there is something about our culture that makes it not matter who is president or governor. The same old shit, would still go on regardless because we are cultured the same. It explains why born Canadians of Nigerian descent are ideologically very different from their parents.

akosh005:


Pls, how much was budgeting to feed dogs for the election. Because here for naija, big money.

Mehn eh I felt embarassed for Nigeria. No wonder some people see us as sub-human.

I am not quite sure if what I witnessed yesterday was an election, because it seemed like just a normal day. The country went to work and school, only dashing out for a few minutes to vote! Some schools were even used as polling centres while the pupils and teachers went about their usual business! There was not a single police on the street, no thugs, just people taking selfies at polling centres like na shoprite dem go. I watched some candidates do a house to house visit without company, motivating people to just vote, not necessarily to vote for them! At the end, I watched them only count votes, they had no deaths to count. I watched everyday people, school teachers, newscasters, get elected without Godfathers! Heck Wilson Raybould ran independently(without a party) and won! I watched  the parties that lost congratulate themselves, and the party that won reach out to those who voted against them! No talk of 97% vs 5%... I strongly suspected I was hallucinating, I said to myself "there must be something in the water I have been drinking here". So I slept hoping my brain would be in order when I wake but here I am still having these weird memories that claim to be real. Please I want to find out from you guys, if what you witnessed was the same.

Bawss1:


That's a hot topic. Bernier and the PPC say that the current immigration levels are unsustainable and they want to cut it by half. I think that is a sentiment that a growing number of people hold quietly but if they voice it in today's hypersensitive environment they will be termed a racist or whatever.

I also believe the current level of immigration cannot continue forever without any negative consequences for the entire country. Immigration policies should be rooted primarily in the country's economic and societal interest. Anything outside of that should be treated with heavy caution in my opinion.

Right now we are told that immigration is a net good for the country; meaning there are some negatives but overall it is good. I cannot help but ask then if the numbers keep increasing exponentially at what point is the net gain neutralized? I also have many questions as to what informs the immigration policies the Liberals are following but that is a post for another day.

So far I think the Conservatives have the best plan when it comes to immigration.

Regardless of what we are made to believe, when these guys say they are against immigration, what they actually mean is "non-european" immigration. If the immigrants are Europeans, to them that is just a Canadian yet to learn the canadian accent lol. Their major problem with the current immigration levels is the sharp change in the demographics. For instance, the percentage of non-whites have spiked under the current immigration scheme, not everyone is happy with this. Before you take sides in an argument, make sure you watch out for the underlying tone. Not everything is truly about merits and demerits, some folks just hide under them to push their agenda.

salford1:

EE was the brainchild of Jason Kenney and Chris Alexander under Harper.
PPC wants to reduce the level to 150k from the present 300k per year, but Bernier would likely back track too if he ever becomes the PM.

Backtrack? lol that guy sounds like Trump, I would be very surprised if he cares for political correctness.

efosa2020:
Hello bosses in the house please how can I apply for admission into a university in canada.

Please I need your prompt respomse.

Check the websites of the universities of interest. Look out for the admission requirements and application deadlines, then prepare your application. Also, there is a Canadian study visa thread on Nairaland, head over there for support and people on the same mission as you.

maternal:


Bros jump on the next plane with your family. To begin with Ottawa is a cheap city to live in. It's a small city (a bit over a million) with big city amenities. Taxes in Ontario is a bit more, but that extra 18k gross will more than offset it. An extra 18k gross a year will net you at least an extra 9k in your pocket easily. You'd be crazy to turn down an extra 9k in your pocket yearly. This narrative that Ottawa is way more expensive than Calgary is a lie. I've lived in both cities. Lastly with Ottawa being the capital, a lot of government agencies are looking for someone in your field. I feel there's more opportunities in Ottawa for you. Not to mention you already got a job that pays 18k more. People should be careful of people who are enemies of progress. Canada is yours to explore. If things don't work out trying to explore X then you can always return to Calgary. I can live with making a mistake, but not regrets.

You gave a very good reply, one that I couldn't agree any more with... though with the exception of the bolded. The earlier respondent may have been wrong but that doesn't make him an enemy of progress, that's too serious an accusation to just fling at someone. One may argue that the matter at hand is too dire to pardon misinformation but hey that's a risk you sign up for when soliciting advice on forums. The whole purpose of posting answers on a forum is to help checkmate such ill advise, as it is bound to happen no matter how informed we are. Having people answer questions in the open allows a peer-review(like you did) that normally wouldn't be possible with private message. Knowing this, if someone has any intention of sabotaging another, do you think he would be foolish enough to do it in the open? It may be that he hasn't lived in Ottawa, so it is possible his advice was based on hearsay. In such a case, that can only mean he wasn't cautious to indemnify himself, doesn't make him an Enemy of progress.

nwadiuko1:
"politics" is not only about elective positions......

Even then this kingship is still an elected position, it says olowo elect was selected by the senior omolowos and ratified by the king makers. Such selection involves lots of politicking with the kingmakers and Governor of the state. Any kingship selection process that isn't directly hereditary(father to eldest son) in Nigeria, is usually determined by exchange of Ghana must go bags or having close ties to the govt in power.

krattoss:
Electricity isn't cheap anywhere in the world.

The problem is will they deliver after the payment?

well, considering what the minimum wage is in Canada, I think electricity is much more affordable to Canadians than it is in Nigeria.

Hephgirl:
PART 3

SAT HI TO THE LATEST PR
IT'S A LONG READ... BRACE YOURSELF.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE IGNORE THE TYPOS

Congrats

Narkoya:


Thanks a lot. Hamilton it is then. Pls do you have any pointers for me with respect to settling down?

I think all you may have read on settling down in Toronto or any part of Canada should suffice, as Hamilton can only have a few peculiarities in that regard. What would help is to find someone who is living/have lived in hamilton to maybe give you pointers on the best area for newcomers and the no-go areas. Also, such network could make finding your way around town and job hunting easier than it usually is.

EHAO:



Pls can you add me to the whatsapp group? I have a background in petroleum engineering and hope to be landing in Alberta in the later part of the year. Can I pm you my details? Thank you

Yes, you may send a pm. Just to keep your expectations in check, pls note that it is a very small group and it is often quiet unless there is really something to talk about or answer.

Narkoya:


I'm not in London. Landing in October and trying to make a decision between Hamilton and London.

okay. Hamilton is closer to Toronto, about 30mins drive while London is roughly two and half hours drive away. I have been to hamilton once, it is an okay place. I haven't been to London before but I would be there this week.

donrabii:
Please, any bridging program for Chemical /Process engineers? Most of the bridging programs offered by the settlement agencies are usually tailored towards Civil/Mechanical/Electrical.

cc ,@Einstein @,salford1

Ryerson University has a bridging program for Engineers. However, I think one of the requirements is that you submit a PEO committee review letter, meaning you first need to have applied for P.Eng and have been instructed by PEO to take further training inorder to meet its academic requirements. In my opinion, aside from PEng license, it doesnt really help you much in the job market.

There is a chemical Engineer I know that recently landed a process engineer job, you might want to hook up with him for pointers. We have a very small whatsapp group of Nigerian Engineers in Canada, it might help to join the group to get a diverse opinion as I can only know so little outside my discipline(Civil Engrng).