It's been a while, hubski, but checking in from Canada as I watch the final results tally in. Damn, guys... Even the most conservative people in the prairies here are just shaking their heads.
And Canada's always been an idea of a refuge for the US citizens unhappy with the current political makeup, hasn't it? But how many actually move (or are planning to shortly)? It's always sounded (perhaps tainted by the sarcastic tone overpresent on the Internet) like a juvenile ultimatum: "I have this and this better here, or I move to Canada!" - that is, not something one's actually going to or willing to do. I'm still skeptical about the actual effect Trump's presidency will have because the thought process has been muddied by overwhelming emotions so soon after the sudden enactment.
If George Bush's presidency from 2000 to 2008 is any indication, few who say they're leaving actually will. I looked at emigrating to Canada myself, and it isn't simple. When I looked at it in 2004, there was a points system, and you needed a certain number of points. Advanced degrees in technical fields helped. Having family there helped. Speaking English or French or both helped. But Canada won't take someone who decides on a whim to move there and figures they'll live on savings and shop around for whatever job they can find.
The easiest way to immigrate is to know French. It gives a disproportionate amount of points to new immigrants. 2 kids, a knowledge of french, be young and you're pretty much good to go. It's funny but because of that we have an over-representation of immigrants from certain countries. I've never met a Jamaican or Cuban, but plenty of people from Haiti. Lebanon, Morocco, Egypt too. It goes both ways too, I felt like living in the states for a couple years (not even my whole life, just bum around NYC, get an internship of something!) but it turns out it's pretty much the same rules about your employer having to prove you're the only candidate for the job. Plus, I don't get what's up but you have this lottery system that doesn't really look at your merits :(