2026-07-02 from nationalpost.com by Jack Mintz and Neil Seeman
Every July 1, we surrender to the anesthesia of rituals: a stylized maple-leaf exceptionalism, a collective sigh of relief that our society has escaped the perceived vulgarities of the American experiment, and a nod to a social safety net romanticized as our secular covenant. Gazing at the flag, we repeat a self-congratulatory narrative about a kinder, gentler nation.
Yet a discordant storyline buzzes amongst us and even among Americans, operating entirely outside our national mythology: many Canadians are relocating south for better health care, not just economic opportunity and lower taxes. Seriously?
For decades, Canadian economists conceptualized emigration as a math problem solved by income differentials. Policymakers posited that those packing moving trucks to the much bigger U.S. always chased a higher salary, a higher-status job or lower taxes. We comforted ourselves believing our departing talent whispered prayers of gratitude for the beatified system left behind.
The data unmasks a less pious reality.
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