By Jessica Draker
Ottawa Scots say they would rather stay in Canada to watch football, drink whiskey and eat their Scottish pie.
Scottish First Minister Jack McConnell is coming to Canada this month to entice expatriates back to Scotland, but local Scots say they prefer what Canada has to offer in terms of raising a family, job opportunities and the lower cost of living.
“I want to tell them where Scotland is today in terms of financial services, universities and our cities, as well as the rebirth of Scottish culture,” McConnell told The Times, a U.K. newspaper.
“Canada is the best country in the world,” Iain Reid says. “Scotland does not have anything to offer in comparison to Canada.”
Reid is a member of the Ottawa Rangers Supporter’s Club, a small organization located in the basement of the Westboro Masonic Temple, and is made up of dedicated Glasgow Rangers football fans.
The members recently came together to watch their beloved team on television.
Despite it being an early morning game, many members did not hesitate to eat some Scottish pie or even have a couple drinks.
Another club member, Gordon Smith, says Ottawa has a large Scottish community.
According to Statistics Canada, close to four per cent of the total Canadian population claim Scottish heritage, and expatriates have an easier time maintaining their culture, Smith says.
“It’s far easier to adjust when you have people in your community like you to sit and talk about common things,” Smith says.
The younger a person is when they arrive to a new country, the harder it is for them to want to move back, he says.
At 13-years-old, Smith came to Canada in 1976 with his family. He says he would not consider moving back to Scotland because his life and family is in Canada.
“It’s easier for younger generations to integrate because we went through the school system in Canada and a lot of us have married Canadian spouses,” Smith says.
“Some of the older guys didn’t have that option.”
Raising a family in Canada keeps many Scots from wanting to return to their native country, says former deputy chief of police Sandy Mackie.
Mackie says he left Scotland with his wife and two young children 29 years ago to enjoy the Canadian standard of living.
“I came here to make a life for myself and my family,” he says. “I’ve become settled; this is my home and Canada has been good to me.”
Ottawa is a great place to raise a family because it is beautiful, safe and the residents are friendly, he adds.
“I was born and brought up in Glasgow and I would not want to drive through some parts,” he says referring to some of the city’s rough neighbourhoods.
Retired civil servant, Bill Burns, came to Canada in 1966 with plans to move back to Scotland when he made enough money to buy a house.
But he says he decided to stay and take advantage of the great number of job opportunities instead.
Born in Inverness, a Scottish town in the Highlands, Burns moved to Glasgow for work. He says he found the Scottish big-city life to be an upsetting experience.
“The drugs, vandalism and religious bigotry was bad,” he says. “Now that has gotten worse.”Burns would like to move back to the highlands, but says the financial hit would be too great.
“You can’t even compare the cost of living to Canada’s,” says Burns.
“You pay nearly two-and-a-half times as much in Scotland.”