Okay, who let the yanks in?

According to ABC News, Canada is being invaded by Americans:

It may seem like a quiet country where not much happens besides ice hockey, curling and beer drinking. But our neighbor to the north is proving to be quite the draw for thousands of disgruntled Americans.

Well gee, I wonder why.

The number of U.S. citizens who moved to Canada last year hit a 30-year high, with a 20 percent increase over the previous year and almost double the number who moved in 2000.

In 2006, 10,942 Americans went to Canada, compared with 9,262 in 2005 and 5,828 in 2000, according to a survey by the Association for Canadian Studies.

But, just like hockey, we've made a few trades to the yanks as well:

Of course, those numbers are still outweighed by the number of Canadians going the other way. Yet, that imbalance is shrinking.

Which relates to the above photo as well.

Last year, 23,913 Canadians moved to the United States, a significant decrease from 29,930 in 2005.

We're not stupid. We do get American teevee news up here - most particularly The Daily Show and The Colbert Report.

"Those who are coming have the highest level of education — these aren't people who can't get a job in the states," he explains. "They're coming because many of them don't like the politics, the Iraq War and the security situation in the U.S. By comparison, Canada is a tension-free place. People feel safer."

I think Michael Moore has something to do with this too. If he'd just stop making documentaries about how wonderful we are, yanks wouldn't be flocking here in droves.

One recent immigrant is Tom Kertes, a 34-year-old labor organizer who moved from Seattle to Toronto in April.

Hey! I know that guy from the American blogs. Welcome, Tom! Have a free hockey puck and some maple syrup. Glad you made it, "eh"?

Now if the rest of the yanks coming up here are like Tom, they'll do just fine. In fact, didn't we trade away David "axis of evil" Frum for him? I definitely think we got the better end of that deal.

As for the rest of you yanks coming to live here, you'll need to learn our other favourite pastime if you plan on staying. Anything less would be un-Canadian. (Sorry.)