Canada is undeniably one of the safest, most convenient, and most liberal countries in the world. Canada unlike other countries is devoid of any major hardships or challenges. Immigration to Canada might not be an easy process because of the formalities and tests involved but once a person gets there, he or she is sure to experience an improved standard of living with other social and healthcare facilities available to them.
Canada has a clean environment and a comparatively lower crime rate. People living in Canada are extremely wealthy which has even led to concerns regarding the inequality growing in society.
Men, women, and children enjoy protection and rights under the law of Canada.
Canada’s health and safety culture
Canada’s life expectancy rate for men and women is 80 and 84 years respectively. People of Canada usually live a satisfying and healthy life and don’t have any major diseases lurking around. But most people of both genders have died due to cancer and heart disease. Other diseases which have caused deaths are diabetes, pneumonia, strokes, respiratory issues, and Alzheimer’s disease. Few individuals die because of their old age.
Only five percent of deaths account for accidents or on-the-spot deaths during jobs and only 1 percent are due to suicidal attempts. These kinds of cases concern those under the age of 40.
Citizens of Canada who suffer from HIV/Aids and also who use injections (usually in prisons) are rare but do exist. These kinds of people are just half-a- a percentage.
Indigenous Canadians are more prone to infections than the rest of the Canadians. Canada has witnessed several cases of Multiple Sclerosis with 290 people out of approximately 100,000 people.
Housing culture in Canada
Not everybody owns a house in Canada and those who do are up to 66 percent of the population in Canada. Those who don’t own a house in Canada live in rented apartments or have landlords.
Individuals in Canada usually live with their parents only until they are running in their 20s and when they turn 30, they opt for mortgaging their apartment usually with their spouse.
With the increased price of houses, people are generally unable to afford the cost of houses. This is a great cause of concern for individuals in Canada.
As per official reports by the government of Canada, it is stated that approximately 150,000 to 300,000 individuals in Canada lack a proper and permanent home at least once a year. Mostly middle-aged men come under this category of homeless people.
However, there are shelters for homeless people carried out by the government and charitable institutions which further help people by providing temporary places to stay.
Financial conditions of Canada’s individuals
The conditions faced by Canadians in terms of their finances, debt is a common condition for most of them. Individuals facing debt often have to mortgage their homes. Those living in highly expensive buildings generally owe debt in finances because of real estate’s excessive cost.
The mortgaging system also means that even if individuals owe heavy debts, they still have assets as balance.
In 2014, the annual median family income in Canada was reported as $78,870.
The disparity in the economic condition and poverty in Canada
When a family living in Canada earns lesser than half of the median family income then they are considered under the low-income category as per the statistics Canada.
The Low-Income-Cut-Off (LICO) determines whether an individual’s income will be sufficient or not based on factors such as the exact area where they live, and family size. The Low-Income category was said to be around 13 percent of citizens in Canada in 2014.
Since the 1990s, Canada is observed to have signs of economic inequality with a huge disparity between the rich and poor classes. Also, poverty in Canada can’t be calculated because it hasn’t been designated officially.
The economic inequality score of Canada is 33 percent as per the World Bank. This score speaks volumes of the worst condition of Canada as compared to most of Western Europe. Although, its condition is still better than Great Britain and the U.S.
However, Canada soars high in terms of economic mobility thereby leaving an opportunity for Canadians suffering from poverty to experience a shift in personal wealth during their lifetime.
Canada’s safety culture- Crime rate and punishment
The crime rate in Canada has declined over time although it is still higher than what it was in 1960. Most of the criminal activities prevalent in Canada are minor crimes such as non-violent and non-dramatic thefts, robberies, mischief in the public, crimes related to traffic, and activities involving drug distribution, etc.
The murder rate in Canada has been calculated up to 600 each year. An estimated number of 40,000 criminals are under imprisonment which makes it less than one percent of the entire Canadian population. Also, most of the criminal activities are performed by males and this percentage is close to 99 percent. A very minor percentage of females caught doing criminal activities are sent to female prisons as punishment.
Human Rights regard Canada’s prisons as way above the usual standard but the practice of solitary confinement makes it controversial. Also, the diseases HIV and Hepatitis C continue to exist amongst Canadian prisoners at a higher rate than the national average. Indigenous, Black Canadians, and those suffering from mental disabilities are often observed to be over-represented.
The state of the environment in Canada- Pollution
Canada is considered one of the top nations in the world when it comes to the environment. Its air quality is top-notch as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO). It is also placed in the 25th position across the world by the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy based on water and air quality with a quality score check of 85 out of 100.
Canada’s lack of inhabitants doesn’t pose a threat to the environment. Environmental destruction isn’t majorly caused by mankind here. Environmental stress is mostly due to mining activities, dams, pipelines, power plants, natural gas, and oil.
Canada has experienced its disasters due to accidents caused by the extraction site of resources or transportation system.
Canada is also considered to be emitting Greenhouse gases and therefore, Canada also focuses to reduce the usage of those automobiles which are petroleum based.
Status of women in Canada and their rights
The Constitution of Canada regards both men and women with equal legal rights. Women are protected from any sort of gender discrimination under the government’s federal and provincial laws.
Military service, marriage, and divorce all have equal laws for both men and women and they are part of the federal laws.
Stereotypically, as per the gender role, women are more likely associated with jobs such as teaching, nursing, and job as a waitress, and are rarely seen in jobs related to construction, trades, etc.
Also, women are observed to work lesser in terms of full-time jobs and the total number of hours. There is also a general complaint that women are being paid less than the opposite gender.
The employment insurance program provides women with an opportunity to take 12 months period of maternity leave. Also, it is considered offensive for anyone to discriminate against a woman employee due to her pregnancy. She can’t be punished during her pregnancy and for the same.
Women in Canada might not be fully satisfied with their position as compared to men. They feel a lack of progress in several fields which still stereotypically associated with men. Positions concerning leadership, business, or politics. They aren’t considered equal in terms of intelligence, trust, and competency. Women are less likely to serve in the roles of Presidency, CEO, and other similar high-profile roles for larger organizations.
There are several women who face discrimination in the workplace or business, both government and private.
Existence of children’s rights in Canada
The mortality rate of infants in Canada is low according to the global standard but still accounts for 5 out of every 1000 and continues to prevail. As per the standard of a developed country, this is not considered a very good sign. On the northern side, inadequate medical facilities result in high infant death rates.
Canada holds the child labor scenario as legal but with specific rules and regulations to be followed as per the provincial government. Children are not supposed to work while they’re in school and also younger children are subject to permission from their guardians or parents and even the government. Depending upon the job type, the children need to belong to a specific age group as well. The children who are non-adult and work are usually between the age of 14 to 17 years. They tend to work in the sectors of fast food, farming jobs, and retail.
The criminal code of Canada as per section 43 provides the chance for higher authority people such as teachers and parents to amend their child’s behavior, whenever necessary, using physical force which is reasonable and justified. The Canadian Supreme court also modified this law for disabled children of around two years as it is better suggested to not hit them.
