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I was born here (Quebec)- lived in the UK and then the US for many years and am recently back in Canada. (Manitoba)

Living away has really caused in me a great appreciation for Canada that I never had before. I used to think it was just a boring place  compared to our neighbour to the south we don't make interesting headlines. But now I love this about Canada. It's very easygoing here. Sometimes too much. People don't seem to get very worked up about things. But people generally seem too politically correct compared to the US and the UK.

Being close to nature is important. No matter where you live, nature, peace and quiet, getting away from crowds, is never more than a 45 minute drive away. Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto areas are more crowded, but in the Prairies, you can go camping 1 hour away from the city and sometimes maybe see one other family. Not counting the busy highways, but sometimes you can drive for hours and only see a handful of other vehicles, whereas in the UK there always seem to be cars on the road no matter the time or season.

Weather is colder in winter (unless youre in BC) but I now love the cold. We go hiking, skating, skiing in the winter (on the prairies) and never feel cold. Just dress for it! Probably will try winter camping this year.  winter only lasts half the year, but the other half is spring, hot summers and beautiful fall colours. It's not ALL about winter and it's not always cold. I like the extremes. Cold winters, hot summers. Missed that while in the UK more than anything.