The Q at Parkside

(for those for whom the Parkside Q is their hometrain)

News and Nonsense from the Brooklyn neighborhood of Lefferts and environs, or more specifically a neighborhood once known as Melrose Park. Sometimes called Lefferts Gardens. Or Prospect-Lefferts Gardens. Or PLG. Or North Flatbush. Or Caledonia (west of Ocean). Or West Pigtown. Across From Park Slope. Under Crown Heights. Near Drummer's Grove. The Side of the Park With the McDonalds. Jackie Robinson Town. Home of Lefferts Manor. West Wingate. Near Kings County Hospital. Or if you're coming from the airport in taxi, maybe just Flatbush is best.

Monday, February 28, 2011

From Caton to Canada


When all else fails...there's always Canada.

While waiting for the useless walk light at the absurdly dangerous corner of Ocean and Parkside, I noticed the above poster. I spent the rest of the day thinking about it, reading about it. With so much ugly discourse in our country over immigration, and so much economic adversity in our midst, and health care merely a dream for millions...you gotta wonder whether America is really the best destination for those looking for a better life. The more I read, the more I realize that Canada beckons like a giant neon chunk o' tundra.

Living here in Caledonia, you can't swing a dead cat without hitting an "illegal." Or more delicately, we keep the immigration lawyers in diapers. For me, frankly, it's one of the blessings of living here. And how fitting for a Canadian immigrant headhunter like JMED to reach out to Flatbush.

The propaganda, in this case, is largely true. From the Living In Canada website:

For several years now, Canada has been accepting around quarter of a million new Permanent Residents each year. For people with skills, work experience and a good standard of English or French, qualifying for residence is not a huge barrier. Once accepted, you can take pleasure from the fact that you will be free to live permanently in a country consistently rated by the UN as the world's best country to live in.

Furthermore, Canada is the world's second biggest country, rich in natural resources. Despite the abundance of natural wealth, real estate in most Canadian locations is cheap compared with other developed countries. Add to this the fact that Canada's 34 million residents enjoy virtually unlimited recreational opportunities and you might be forgiven for thinking you have found paradise.

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