This article is taken from the special issue of Le Figaro “D’Est en Ouest – Vivre au Canada”, available on the Figaro Store.
Since the creation of Quebec City in 1608, Canada has become an important migratory destination. In 2022, the country welcomed 437,180 immigrants and recorded a net increase in the number of non-permanent residents estimated at 607,782 people. As of the last census in 2021, nearly one in four people surveyed was or had been a landed immigrant or permanent resident, the highest proportion among G7 countries.
This long tradition of hospitality has made the country an extremely ethnically and culturally diverse society. Canada is a bilingual English-French country. Its inhabitants have the right to obtain services from the Federal Government in both languages, regardless of the region in which they live. However, this reality is not always true in practice. As for the provinces and territories, English is the official language, with the exception of New Brunswick, the only officially bilingual province, and Quebec, where French is the only official language.
A mari usque ad mare (from one ocean to the other), such is the motto of Canada, the second country in the world by area (nearly 10 million km2, or 18 times the size of France). This gigantic country, the second in the world, extends over more than 7000 kilometers. It takes seven days to drive from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Vancouver, British Columbia. Despite its considerable size, much of the territory is sparsely populated, which explains its relatively low population density (3.9 inhabitants per km2). Canada will have nearly 40 million people by the end of 2023. As a Nordic country stretching to the Arctic, 80% of its population is concentrated in its southern zone, less than 150 km of the border with the United States, which is not without consequences for the way of life of Canadians, first and foremost North Americans, including in Quebec.
According to Environment Canada, Canadians spend more on clothing than any other country. The reason ? Precipitation, snow, ice, winds, humidity… and the sun come in all possible shades. Temperatures can exceed 30°C in summer and drop below -30°C in winter. So it’s better to plan ahead when it comes to clothing! While the Pacific Coast enjoys a more moderate climate with little snow, the Central Plains and the Northern Territories have the coldest winters. Ontario and Quebec enjoy a temperate climate with short springs, while the Atlantic provinces have a variable climate where ocean currents cause thick fogs and heavy precipitation. Unfortunately for the environment, Canada is warming, on average, at twice the rate of the rest of the planet.
Also read Our advice for a successful expatriation in Canada
As one of the world’s great economic powers, Canada enjoys a more than enviable standard of living. In 2023, its unemployment rate will hover around 5%. This economic well-being is attributable to several factors: the abundance of natural resources (water, forests, natural gas, oil), the vitality of the manufacturing and construction industries, the good health of the financial sector as well as the dynamic trade relations. with other countries (head of which the United States). Above all, Canada has been able to evolve towards a knowledge-based economy and has favored innovation and technology. Today, the service industries that now employ three out of four Canadians offer the best chance of finding a job.