Canada/Laws/Political Attitudes

[The Hammer]

I am an American looking into going to university in Canada to finish my degree, and my wife and I are curious as to what the political climate is in Canada, is it as vitriolic and awful as it is here in the US? What are the laws on self-defense, as I've heard interesting reports of being unable to defend one's own property from intruders due to legal liability (being sued/charged). What are the gun laws like? Can you really be pulled over for a minor traffic violation and be drug tested/DUI checked without reason (due to cannabis legalization)? Does anyone have any info on the Canadian public school system? Thanks for any replies I get.

Edit: I'm hoping for responses from Canadians current and former.

 

[fantome profane]

What are the laws on self-defense, as I've heard interesting reports of being unable to defend one's own property from intruders due to legal liability

You can’t kill somebody for stealing your television if that is what you are asking. You can use reasonable force in protecting yourself or someone else.

 

[Vinayaka]

I am an American looking into going to university in Canada to finish my degree, and my wife and I are curious as to what the political climate is in Canada, is it as vitriolic and awful as it is here in the US? What are the laws on self-defense, as I've heard interesting reports of being unable to defend one's own property from intruders due to legal liability (being sued/charged). What are the gun laws like? Can you really be pulled over for a minor traffic violation and be drug tested/DUI checked without reason (due to cannabis legalization)? Does anyone have any info on the Canadian public school system? Thanks for any replies I get.

Edit: I'm hoping for responses from Canadians current and former.

This is just one singular Canadian opinion, from the village idiot, so consider the source.

I feel that in the US, disagreement about politics has morphed into hate. What was once civil disagreement for many is now hate. I blame Trump. It is only slightly better here. But that too is changing. 6 months before our next federal election, rather that stating disagreement, there are already hating attack ads aimed at Trudeau. So who knows really? I don't have high hopes on that front.

Self-defense laws are similar to the US. You can defend yourself, but 'reasonable grounds' might have a stricter definition than in the US.

Very few people own or carry guns. There is a small criminal element, and maybe 5% of all people are hunters. Probably 40% of farmers would own a gun, but rarely use it.

I haven't been pulled over randomly for 30 years or more. I follow traffic laws. Police are visible, but if you're speeding or driving nuts, yes, you can get pulled over. The major cities have photo radar.

I was a public school teacher. The students who I taught who had been in US schools said that by about 5th grade, we were ahead of the US by about a year. It's quite similar, but depending n exactly where too. Some larger cities do have 'slum' areas where school are rougher. But if you're even a bit selective, that can be avoided.

If I may ask, where are you headed? That will make the answers vary as well.

 

[The Hammer]

This is just one singular Canadian opinion, from the village idiot, so consider the source.

I feel that in the US, disagreement about politics has morphed into hate. What was once civil disagreement for many is now hate. I blame Trump. It is only slightly better here. But that too is changing. 6 months before our next federal election, rather that stating disagreement, there are already hating attack ads aimed at Trudeau. So who knows really? I don't have high hopes on that front.

Self-defense laws are similar to the US. You can defend yourself, but 'reasonable grounds' might have a stricter definition than in the US.

Very few people own or carry guns. There is a small criminal element, and maybe 5% of all people are hunters. Probably 40% of farmers would own a gun, but rarely use it.

I haven't been pulled over randomly for 30 years or more. I follow traffic laws. Police are visible, but if you're speeding or driving nuts, yes, you can get pulled over. The major cities have photo radar.

I was a public school teacher. The students who I taught who had been in US schools said that by about 5th grade, we were ahead of the US by about a year. It's quite similar, but depending n exactly where too. Some larger cities do have 'slum' areas where school are rougher. But if you're even a bit selective, that can be avoided.

If I may ask, where are you headed? That will make the answers vary as well.

I'm looking into UBC, Vancouver specifically.

Edit: I appreciate your singularly Canadian input than, although I'd disagree with village idiot haha.

 

[The Hammer]

You can’t kill somebody for stealing your television if that is what you are asking. You can use reasonable force in protecting yourself or someone else.

Does that sound like what I was asking, or were you putting your own interpretations on my words? What is considered "reasonable force", and by what/who's standards?

 

[fantome profane]

Does that sound like what I was asking, or were you putting your own interpretations on my words? What is considered "reasonable force", and by what/who's standards?

For reasonable force you need to considering what is necessary stop the attack and proportional to that attack.

 

[Vinayaka]

I'm looking into UBC, Vancouver specifically.

Edit: I appreciate your singularly Canadian input than, although I'd disagree with village idiot haha.

I'm in Edmonton, but have a son in Vancouver, so we have been there a lot. The UBC campus is beautiful, as is most of the city. Traffic congestion can be a problem, but out there by UBC it's not so bad as downtown, or getting into downtown from the east. The other thing that comes to mind is the the cost of housing. Best wishes on your move.

Edited to add: Politically, BC is known to be more left of center generally than most of the rest of Canada. It's also very ethnically diverse. Lots of historic and recent immigration.