Canada’s a pretty great place to live.
Some would even consider it the best place to live – but that doesn’t mean there isn’t some room for improvement. And where better to look for inspiration than the world’s strongest economies.
Here are 19 things Canada can learn from every other G20 nation in the world…
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Argentina
Friendship Day, an official holiday to bask in the companionship of your amigos. It happens every July 20th and is a national holiday in Buenos Aires; cell phone networks collapsed in 2005 as a result of its popularity.
Australia
A $17 minimum wage. That’s over six dollars more than our national average.
Brazil
Compulsory voting. Literate citizens between 18 and 70 years old are required by law to attend polling stations during federal elections, resulting in an 83 per cent voter turnout.
China
Work ethic. China didn’t build the world’s largest economy on talent and innovation alone – the country’s citizens are widely considered the most diligent in the world.
France
How to defeat terrorism with extravagant pastries – a metaphor for maintaining joie de vivre in the face of adversity.
Germany
How to drive. More specifically, how to implement proper speed limits, keep right except to pass, and zipper merge.
India
Harmony. It’s no coincidence that the world’s most peaceful religions – Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism – as well as yoga were born in India.
Indonesia
How to be properly bilingual. With over 700 indigenous languages, most Indonesians can speak at least two. French fluency outside of Quebec? Not so impressive.
Italy
Valuing family. It’s like every day is Thanksgiving.
Japan
Awesome vending machines. The Canadian vending machine landscape is bleak, littered with dispensers of items we’d be mildly excited to obtain maybe once every few years. This is especially true compared to what you can find from a vending machine in Japan – floral arrangements, umbrellas, ties, beer, and BBQ’d meats.
Mexico
Celebrating death. Mexico’s ‘Day of the Dead’ occurs every November 1, where family and friends to pray for and remember loved ones who’ve passed away by erecting shrines in a fiesta of art, food, and drinks.
Russia
Subbotnik, which are days of volunteering organized to clean the streets, fix public amenities, collect recyclable material, and carry out other community services.
Saudi Arabia
No taxes. Understanding how this works is the reason we’re not economists.
South Africa
Connection to nature. Though South Africa’s population is urbanizing at a growing rate, its citizens are deeply appreciative of the country’s exceptional biodiversity, fruit harvest, stunning landscapes, national parks, and vineyards.
South Korea
Web speed. South Korea is home to the fastest internet connection speed in the world – and it’s not even close.
Turkey
Hospitality. Pro tip: Always accept an invitation for food.
United Kingdom
Time off. Workers in the U.K. are entitled to 28 paid vacation days a year. Canada, meanwhile, ranks third last in the world ahead of only Japan and the United States, where freedom doesn’t take a single day off.
United States of America
Not much. Just kidding – In-N-Out would be pretty great.
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