Long Distance Phone Calls: Immigration

Immigrant Issue Dept: At age 21, my wife and I sailed on the maiden voyage of the SS Maasdam, landing in Montreal, to become landed immigrants. I paid full fare without assistance from either the Dutch or Canadian governments. In fact, the only officials we met were immigration and customs officers. We travelled to Toronto, where we had friends. I bought a Toronto Star to look for work, which I found that day, and started to work the following day. I have worked from that day until a year ago, when my health became an issue and I had to stop, according to Montreal Gazette. But some of our politicians are trying to turn Canada into the world's welfare state. We, too, had family in Holland that we left behind, but the idea of uprooting elderly folks, many of whom cannot speak the language and are in poor health, is ludicrous. Millions of grandparents have never seen their grandchildren, but long-distance phone calls are inexpensive and the English-language leaders' debate got my dander up when Jack Layton laid into Stephen Harper on the immigrant issue. In 1952 there was no health-care coverage, and when my wife became pregnant three years later, I paid the medical bills from my earnings. At no time have we ever been contacted by any government official at any level to find out how we were making out, never mind to offer help. Fortunately Canadian neighbours and friends were very helpful. We became citizens six years later and have been proud of our new country ever since. I am now a widower, retired and financially independent. Great country, Canada! As reported in the news.
@t canadian neighbours, health care coverage