What do Canadian Expats want in a Community?

Sean Mitton, Canadian Expat Network

Over the past 3 years, I've asked Canadian expats what some of there are needs were in terms of building an expat.

The most consistent need was to share Canadian Heritage and experiences. Other studies have shown that Canadians are nationalistic in nature. We see ourselves as being from Canada versus a certain city or province. This is certainly evident during Regional Canada day celebrations.

Other needs include business and social networking. As we leave Canada, it can take time and be overwhelming to create new networks. In joining any new company, it generally takes 3 -6 months just to get oriented with the people and roles within an organization, so it would make sense that building a business community what take substantially longer. The same holds true for the social side and certainly can be different whether you're alone or bring a family.

The final need I heard cited the most was access to information relating to specific expat issues. Those were namely immigration, healthcare, cross border banking, tax planning and estate planning to name a few. Information was not always easy to find and sometimes conflicted.

The Canadian Expat Network will look to address each of these needs. You can play a vital role in the community by giving additional feedback and spreading the word to others.