I'm just fantasizing about escaping my current situation. I'd like to live in the middle of nowhere, tinker with trading systems, and be able to live on $10,000/yr or less out of an RV. Has anyone applied for Canadian residency? Do I need to get a real job? If I break an arm while canoeing, will the government let me use their health care facilities? Part of the problem of doing small business in the US is that if you don't have health insurance and something happens, that can screw up business for years. Any Canadians out there living my dream lifestyle? And don't f'in tell me you live in some deluxe condo in Vancouver, or that your town has lots of hot women or whatever. I don't want hot women, or any other distractions. If anything, I want ugly women everywhere so I stay home and read more. I just want to live cheaply and trade for a year or two before I return to the projects (i.e., the United States.)
Apply as a refugee. Just claim that Homeland Security wants to waterboard you; it will take about two years to process your claim. You'll be covered for health and Bell provides ultra high speed internet in most small towns.
if that's all you want then you don't need to limit yourself to canada. the u.s. actually screws you in many ways. health insurance, car insurance, capital gains tax, sales tax, property tax, etc. are just the many ways that your money gets taken back by the corporations and the government.
Hay River is supposed to be an excellent place to live. Don't know about internet connection though. It's at the south end of Great Slave Lake.
Dude, in case no one told you: Canada is COLD. Why do you think 90% of Canada's population lives in a 50 mile strip along their southern border? Don't worry about breaking your arm canoeing. The water is only liquid for about 25% of the year. Seriously, I took the family on a summer vacation to the Maritimes a few years back and it was really nice. Real estate is cheap, the people are nice and the winters probably aren't as bad as the prairies. I liked PEI particularly.
Interior BC might be something you like. I live in the mountains myself. One of the best places to live IMO.