Mandate-free states appeal to some Canadians looking to move south
Canadians often dream of warm weather and beaches during the winter months.
Once Cesare Petrucci and his wife retired in 2018, they started looking into the idea of moving south. Their dream is becoming a reality sooner than they thought.
“We felt more pressure to speed the process up to leave and to seek, I’m not going say refuge, but to seek another way of life in Florida,” said Petrucci.
The couple, who are both fully vaccinated, settled on moving to Florida. The Sunshine State’s relaxed COVID-19 rules played a part in their decision.
“It’s come to the point where we find the mandates a little too heavy-handed at this point,” said Petrucci.
“We’re ready to leave and start a new life.”
Immigration lawyer Lauren Cohen says, in the last year, she has seen a drastic increase in inquiries from Canadians who want to move south.
“My average was two to four new consults a month from Canadians, now it’s two to four consults a day,” said Cohen.
According to Cohen, the demographic looking to move is all over the map - singles, couples and families. The majority are looking to relocate to Florida, Texas or Arizona, all Republican run states with little to no restrictions.
“Instead of looking at this as oh my God, I’ve got to get out of Canada, look at it as this is an opportunity to find a new life,” said Cohen.
Once their applications are processed, that is what Petrucci says he and his wife will be do.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.