Would be interested to hear people’s thoughts and reasoning.

48 comments

  1. This gets asked every month or so. It’s always that most Americans would have no problem, but the Canadians would never go for it.

    Edit: I see you posted this to r/askacanadian too. You’ll see what I mean soon enough.

  3. Most of the border with Canada is very rural or very small communities. There’s only two, maybe 3 notable population centers. I think we should do what we can to make it quick and easy for commuters in those few areas to speed up the process as much as possible before we go into some unknown territory.

    Despite how culturally similar we are, our countries are very different and also have our own sectors to protect on each side. So I don’t think an EU style thing is ever going to happen. Especially since both nations have a high degree of sovereignty and part of the EU is giving up some of that.

  7. Yes sure. I think French Canada would never allow it. It would brain drain Canada so bad. You’d see a mass exodus of computer science and engineers virtually overnight. The most Canada might get from us is a lot of artists and chronically ill.

  8. It’d be detrimental to Canada, so I doubt they’d be fond of the idea.

    We’d happily accept the products of their brain drain though.

  9. Get Mexico involved too, O.N.A.N or bust. We’ve got a Great Concavity that those Caknuckleheads up there might be interested in…

  10. I don’t think that many Americans would be opposed to a Schengen-like area being created between the US and Canada; most Canadians I know, including family members, would be entirely opposed. Canada is a great country with a strong culture, but it’s always struggled to be entirely independent from US influence due to its small population and close proximity. Any deal for free movement, common currency, or super-national federation between the two countries would undoubtedly be US-centric, and would only further reinforce this issue.

    I personally think that it would be entirely worth it for both parties to become better connected than we already are, but it’s going to be a hard sell to convince a country that is already upset with the amount of influence the US has over it that they should begin coordinating government oversight.

  11. Canadians would definitely not, Americans would be just fine with it.

    That being said, it’s already so easy to travel between the US and Canada, I just don’t think it’s necessary. From the United States, you can cross the border by car with a Driver License if it has the proper Real ID/whatever the term is classification.

  12. would canada applying to join the Union be a better idea? or is this a bad idea for Americans?

  13. 45 years ago on our honeymoon we essentially had that. We boated over to the Canadian side from Lake Namakan in the US whenever we wanted, just don’t have your fishing gear onboard without Canadian permits. At International Falls we just walked over into Fort Frances for pizza and beer. We can’t remember if we had to show our drivers license, we just had to say if we were staying the night. No background checks – no internet.

  15. Kinda do, you just need an enhanced license to get into Canada or Mexico.

    But I think the biggest issue is our different gun laws tbh

  16. Absolutely not! They are very dangerous and have a reputation for being exceptionally rude! Their crime is always so sky high, and we cannot allow their antics to come down here with us. Did you know that Canada was been involved in a decades long war with *DENMARK*, a peaceful and quiet nation, over a tiny uninhabited island?! They’re SO warlike clearly! Do you want their citizens to do the same to, say, Oahu or Nantucket Island?!! We cannot take this risk, it is time for us to take a stand – no Canadians in the states! No Canadians in the states! No Canadians in the states!

  17. I would expect the Canadians would go for it, considering almost *everything* is cheaper in the US. Food, clothing, gas, electronics, appliances, airline tickets. I could go on…

  19. I’m open to it.

    The problem is that the dominant political faction in Canada is nationalists, since Canada as a nation has had to justify not being part of the US since there’s ever been a US. Originally it was right-wing nationalism (respect to monarchy, thinking we were too fascinated by our “savage natives,” having too many blacks and Jews and Mexicans, etc) and now a liberal nationalism (especially in Ontario) focused on trying to preserve some Canadian identity and being proud of things like the NHI (which isn’t ranked that highly globally but at least is free), which we see in what got excluded from NAFTA (telecoms, milk, etc) and what they’re trying to do to Canadian content creators on YouTube (YouTube must push Canadian content to Canadians).

    We’d also have to synchronize our immigration laws, since there’s are more lax for a less desirable country, and ours are more strict for a more desirable country. It’s been common strategy to become a Canadian citizen first, then apply to move to the US, since theit standards are lower but it doesn’t grant you the right to just go to the US. Even if they’re both lowered to be like Canada, or both completely open, they just have to be the same to prevent problems in that regard

  20. Yes. Frankly all of North America (including the various Caribbean islands) should have that.

    Also, USA really needs to dial back on gun culture and paranoia and allow the right to roam. I shouldn’t have to worry about getting shot simply for passing over someone’s land if it’s quick, and I should be trusted to do that.

  21. I wouldn’t personally care as I have some snow Mexicans working for me already and my wife is one. I’m sure you will get a different answer from our friendly neighbor to the north though.

  23. It already exists for certain professions. It is WAY easier for Canadians to find a job here than for anyone else.

  24. It used to be easy to cross borders. Most of the time border agents would just ask where are you going and where are you from. Unless you looked sketchy.

  25. I wouldn’t care if Canadian citizens had freedom of movement. Canadians would be pissed though.

  29. We used to. I live in metro Detroit and we never needed a passport or enhanced license til after 9/11

  30. Yes I would like it. I live in Buffalo so it would be nice to not have to go through border controls if I want to go over to Canada for whatever reason. Crossing the border now isn’t too bad since border control only adds an extra few minutes most of the time and I always have my enhanced drivers license on me.

  31. No. The US and Canada are far closer culturally then European countries. The reason that a North American free movement treaty has not occurred is because of different laws.

    For the US, Canada’s more lax visa- free policies means that denizens of many countries not on the visa-free list could simply travel to Canada and then just travel across the border.

    Canada also has lax marijuana laws compared to the US. While this may not be an issue for much longer, marijuana is still illegal at the federal level and Uncle Sam does not want Canada to be even easier of a vector for cannabis then it already is. This also applies for alcohol; free movement with Canada makes the effective US alcohol age 18.

    For Canada, the problems are even greater. Free movement with the US means that the brain drain instantly increases manyfold. Professionals of all sorts depart Canada for the much more lucrative American markets in law, medicine, and technology, among others. There’s no laws, tax codes, or borders to stop them; a treaty guaranteeing the right to live and work makes the two countries much closer to one in this respect.

    Also, the US’ more lax gun laws means that stopping flows of guns into Canada is all but impossible. For better or worse (and the Canadian government thinks for worse) Canada is left, in practice, with all US gun laws except for public carrying.

  33. We basically do in that we can go to each other’s countries for vacation within each other’s countries.

    It would be interesting to be allowed to live and/or work in the other nation.

    I’d be fine with it. Probably Canadians would prefer not.

  35. That was already kind of the status quo in the border towns like Buffalo up until the Great Overreaction of 2020.

  36. No, the immigration system should be based on the merit of the individual petitioning, not their country of origin. Why should a “normal” Canadian have priority over a engineer or a scientist from Spain?

  37. Lol the people over at r/askcanada are really a nasty lot I see.

    Well its fine. We dont even have to try and we devastate their tech industry with brain drain.

    Canada will remain the quiet backwater I suppose. I do say we get rid of free trade and see how much they actually import.

  40. As a Canadian I’m strongly against due to the desire to protect our country. The US is just too much of a shit storm right now and I like having at least somewhat of a barrier between it and us. For example Westboro Baptist Church nutbags were able to be turned away from the border a few years back when they wanted to protest in Canada, we don’t need that kind of bullshit up here

  41. Yes. A lot of people think the UK is our closest ally, but I’ve always felt that was Canada. That isn’t a knock against the UK though.

  42. As a US citizen, I would love that. But Canada deserves better that to have us freely roaming over there.

  43. No, I think that would be horrible because it would increase American influence over Canada, and that’s rarely good.

  44. It used to be that way before 9/11. I remember going to Canada and only having to produce my drivers license. In fact, I remember once just being asked where I was born.

  45. It used to be, at least in terms of movement. All you needed was a US driver’s license to cross into canada. That changed after 9/11

  46. Why? I don’t think it’ll benefit either country. Americans have enough beautiful National parks to visit, stores are plentiful and prices are cheaper, so many variety of restaurants, and warmer. Our healthcare is terrible but Canada you have to wait a long time for treatment/surgery unless if you are dying. Canada wouldn’t want Americans there either. From what I’ve read Canadians look down on Americans, 😂

Leave a Reply
You May Also Like