Ecuador 101 and Other Options For Canadian Refugees
Is escaping Kanada for a new life without snow & totalitarianism for you?
LATEST UPDATES (as of 250504):
Section K: Conclusion
> Ecuador strengthening relationship with Israel
Section J: Alternatives to Ecuador
> New section: Alberta, Canada and the independence movement.
Why We Left Canada
After we were stripped of our rights in 2021 by Blaine Higgs, Premier of New Brunswick, for refusing the experimental covid ‘vaccine,’ Prime Minister Trudeau announced his plan to lock people like us not only in our province, but we would not be able to leave the country despite the Mobility ‘rights’ in Canada’s Charter of [Imaginary] Rights And Freedoms. My ‘doctor’ refused to give me an exemption despite knowing that one of the key side effects of the ‘vaccine’ was Pericarditis, and that I’d had a heart attack years earlier due to Acute Pericarditis. He was willing to kill me or damage my heart further in order to fulfill his role in politicized mob medicine.
I have many years experience working with Jewish people against antisemitism, and I understand how quickly a civilized country can descend into hate-fueled mistreatment and violence against ‘othered’ people once they have been dehumanized and segregated from society.
Our government intended to lock us in Canada as of November 30, 2021, so we had mere weeks to give away all our possessions (there was not enough time to sell them) and find a new country.
We seriously considered Florida, Panama and Mexico before deciding on Cuenca, Ecuador where we arrived on November 18, 2021. Despite deep scars we are very happy here, and are grateful for many reasons, most of which we discovered after we arrived. We live in a 1 bedroom cottage in a garden beside the Tomebamba River, and we have a life here we never had, and could never have, in Canada. As you will learn, Ecuador is the perfect country for Canadian pensioners.
About Me
I am 68 years old, and my wife, Debbie (with the alpaca above), is slightly older. You can read my full bio on the About page. It also contains more detailed info on why we decided to leave Canada as vaccine refugees from the country we were born in, the country I served in the Canadian Forces, including as a UN peacekeeper.
Introducing…Ecuador!
We often get inquiries from Canadians wondering what Ecuador is like and what it takes to gain residency. This is a list of references to help you decide if this amazing country might be a place to escape Canada and build your new life. The info will be updated as appropriate, but the intent is only to provide basic, but important references in the early stages of your research.
Do not rely on the information provided without verifying it for accuracy as it applies to your sitution. It is your responsibility to do your homework. NOTHING here should be construed as legal, immigration or financial advice.
I have added other countries along with other Canadian refugees in those countries where they exist in the very last section, but if you are receiving a Canadian pension, Ecuador should be at the top of your list for consideration because of the Canada-Ecuador tax treaty which we will discuss below.
I do not receive any 'finder's fees' or kickbacks for any business that may be mentioned in this article.
If you find any typos or factual mistakes, please let me know. My contact info is at the bottom.
Overview: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
THE GOOD:
Socialists/communists soundly defeated in 2025 election.
Very well-run and transparent elections (according to EU & OAS observers)
Cuenca ranked #1 in South America for quality of life.
Wonderful sense of community among gringos.
7-10,000 gringos in Cuenca (pop. 500k), but not overpowering.
Climate away from coast is like permanent early Canadian summer.
No mosquitos in Cuenca.
Drinkable tap water in Cuenca. Rated best in Latin America.
No humidity in Cuenca.
Great healthcare in Cuenca.
Low crime in Cuenca.
Cuenca is clean.
Cheap food.
Cheap rent.
Cheap fuel.
Cheap taxis & buses.
Fab, easy-to-use transit system in Cuenca.
Nice people. Grey hair gets you a seat on the bus!
Beautiful country; lots to see & do.
In Cuenca, you’ll do a lot of walking and like it and lose weight.
Easy to qualify for visa.
Great constitution.
Low inflation.
High interest on long term deposits.
Mainly cash economy. CBDCs rejected.
Unique tax treaty w/Canada benefiting pensioners.
Over 65s get up to $130/mo of their IVA (like HST) back on purchases.
Over 65s get 1/2 price on government services and much more.
Over 65s get double personal tax exemptions ($22K/yr USD).
Great ethnic restaurants.
We have llamas and alpacas.
We have several hot springs resorts within Cuenca.
Great & affordable dental care.
No mobs of savages terrorizing Jews (Ecuador took in Jews during the Holocaust, and today has a close relationship with Israel)
Very little ‘woke’ nonsense.
THE BAD:
Expensive real estate in popular areas + need cash to buy.
Hazardous sidewalks.
Handrails are optional.
High altitude (Cuenca 8500’) can affect some.
Ecuadorian food is bland.
5% Exit tax on funds leaving Ecuador.
Hard to get Miracle Whip & HP Sauce. :(
30% +/- exchange on CAD to USD (still worth it!)
THE UGLY:
Gang crime on the coast.
Occasional home invasions in rural south
Table of Contents
A. Ecuador - General
B. Visas
C. Real Estate - Buy or Rent?
D. Ecuador’s Economy
E. Canada-Ecuador Tax Treaty & Banking Info
F. Is Ecuador Safe?
G. Where Should I Start My New Life?
H. Healthcare
I. Politics
J. Alternatives to Ecuador
K. Conclusion
A. ECUADOR - GENERAL
Cuenca ranked #1 in South America for Quality of Life
Let’s start off with a good news story from the international ranking website Numbeo:
“Cuenca has the best quality of life of all major South American cities, according to international online rating service Numbeo. Quito also ranked high in the 2025 survey of cities with populations of 500,000 or higher, at number 10.”
https://cuencahighlife.com/cuenca-ranks-first-in-south-america-for-quality-of-life/ (April 28/25)
More references
1. Mark Vandermaas on the Latin Life Podcast, Dec 10/24
One hour conversation with visa agent My Latin Life (https://linktr.ee/mylatinlife) about why and how we left Canada for Ecuador and how you can, too:
X.com: https://x.com/MyLatinLife/status/1866999333809250392
Spotify.com: ‘This Retiree ESCAPED Canada for Ecuador’
2. Amelia & JP's ‘Unconventionals’ Youtube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@AmeliaAndJP
Nearly every gringo in Ecuador has watched their videos. They are an American couple who came to Ecuador 6 years ago and have produced countless videos covering life here. Be sure to get on their mailing list at ameliaandjp.com. Recently, they've started producing videos about Mexico and European countries as well, but are most known for their Ecuador work. They cover many aspects of life and tourism here as well as real estate and immigration. The main drawback of their amazing work is that they don't really convey what we found was the greatest aspect of life here: the sense of community among gringos.
3. Cuenca Highlife:
English-language publication that provides translated news and commentary. A must-read to understand what’s happening in Cuenca and Ecuador.
4. Gringo Post:
English classified postings. Great place to see what’s happening and research rentals, but don't jump too quickly. The best way to find a great place is to get settled in for a while, develop your circle of friends and let them know you're looking. We get offered places all the time at incredible prices through our friends. One was a 4 bedroom, 3 story home in a private, gated, family enclave for $450 including all utilities! It was unfurnished, though. Besides, we love where we are now.
5. Kris & Mike’s Youtube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@KrisandMike
These Canadian expats from Deer Lake, Ontario are newer to Ecuador than we are having arrived in 2023, but they’ve produced an impressive collection of videos about their new life in San Jose near the gorgeous beaches of Olon. Because of them, we are definitely going to check the area out once we get some wheels!
Mike really likes doing research and dealing with statistics, particularly on crime in Ecuador. I’ve linked to one of his recent videos below in Section ‘F’ (IS ECUADOR SAFE?) on that topic that blew me away for its thoroughness. Spoiler: Cuenca is the safest city in Ecuador. Only the much-smaller town of Otavalu is slightly safer.
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Can I get by without Spanish?
Yes! We are living proof. We only know the Spanish we picked up since we arrived in November 2021, and have only recently (April 2025) started formal lessons. BOTTOM LINE: If you can’t make it in Cuenca without Spanish you won’t be able to make it anywhere in Latin America. That’s because Cuenca, with a population of around 500,000, has about 7,000 gringos, so there is an un-official support industry for us here. Our doctor, dentist, lawyer, insurance broker, credit union manager and landlord all speak very good English. There are even English-speaking doctors who will make housecalls(!). Speaking English is valued in Ecuador, so many people are able to do so. Those who don’t are very gracious to those who are just learning.
Google Translate is a great, but can lack context sometimes, context you can only get from formal lessons. It is available for your computer and phone. You can type the words/sentences you want translated, or you can use your voice. You can even use the ‘photo’ feature which allows you to take a photo of Spanish words, as in a menu, sign or food container and see it translated as you read. People here all have phones and are capable of carrying on a limited conversation using Google Translate.
For more complicated things, like dealing with government offices (some people do speak English) or setting up bank accounts, or dealing with hospitals, there are facilitators you can hire for $10-12/hour. Once you arrive you will begin meeting new people very quickly, all of whom are happy to help you with a referral or suggestion, no matter what your question or concern.
When you’re ready to begin becoming fluent, you can take live classroom training here, or sign up for online programs like Pimsleur or DuoLingo. A friend used DuoLingo to become quite fluent within a year, but she was very diligent about doing lessons every day. Our Canadian friend, Robert, recommended Pimsleur which he had used to learn Japanese, so we are signed up. Pimsleur teaches you how to pronounce words and phrases like locals, so doing some learning before you come will make your life much easier.
TIP: To get the best deal on Pimsleur, don’t sign up right away. Join their mailing list and wait for the offers to come in by email. When you see one you like, you can pounce on it.
Just living here forces you to learn. We can now order in a restaurant or pick up fruit and vegetables in a local tienda, and greet people appropriately. We didn’t have time to learn Spanish before we escaped Canada.
We have now been here almost 3.5 years, and recently decided to sign up for Level 1 Spanish classroom lessons taught by a fabulous teacher with great learning materials. We have learned so much in just the first level, but of course we are not even close to fluent. The cost was $110 USD each for 6 weeks of lessons consisting of 2-1.5 hour lessons per week. It’s very important to do the homework assigned which includes various exercises in her workbook, basic reading in a novella (Patricia Goes to California/Patricia va en California), and online flash cards that are a breeze to use. Here’s a sample.
In our minds, we didn’t want to invest the time/money in lessons until we knew we were going to stay, but in hindsight, I wish we had started the classroom lessons earlier. Do you need to start lessons as soon as you arrive? Definitely not. You have bigger fish to fry as you get oriented to your new home. But, plan to get started on your Spanish-learning journey before the end of your first year, assuming that you are fairly certain you are staying.
Must-have apps
Communications: WhatsApp. EVERYBODY in Ecuador uses it, including professionals, bankers, stores. EVERYBODY. When you call or text your doctor it will be using WhatsApp, and she/he will respond to you directly in most cases. I get that you might hate Facebook and Zuckerberg, but you need WhatsApp to function here. In fact, you will quickly learn that for most Ecuadorians and businesses here, your email inquiry may never even be read. A real estate agent on the coast told us they didn’t even have email addresses; everyone in the office uses WhatsApp. Culture shock for this former real estate broker.
Translation: Google Translate. See notes for WhatsApp. I hate Google, too, but I had to get over it. You can carry on a basic conversation with Ecuadorians, most of whom know how to use the app.
Transit: Moovit. This app is a gamechanger if you are in Cuenca! We used taxis for 5 months before someone showed us how to get bus/Tranvia (light rail) passes and use this app. Now, we almost exclusively take the bus everywhere. The system is laid out so that you almost never have to transfer. All the buses have Wifi, so you can see exactly where you are and when you have to ring the bell to get off at your stop.
Your phone’s app store will have these available for download.
How is the internet in Ecuador?
For the first 2.5 years we relied on the free internet at our ‘aparthotel’ (people can stay for a few days, months or even years like us) and got by quite nicely with some glitches depending on how many people were online. In July 2024) we treated ourself by having our own fibreoptic line run into our unit from the street. We’re getting around 200MB download speed, so it means Deb can stay on hold with suppliers and have clear communications with clients for our travel business without getting disconnected. Cost is just under $40/month. That price includes ethernet connections to our computers, the big screen TV and the range extender in the bedroom. We love it!
It’s really neat to drive through remote villages at the top of the Andes Mountains and see billboards advertising fiberoptic internet service. We didn’t have fiberoptic where we lived outside of Moncton, New Brunswick. It’s amusing when people look down their noses at Ecuador as a ‘Third World’ country. Canada is closer to ‘Third World’ than Ecuador in many respects, and getting more-so every day.
We have had scheduled, rotating blackouts in the past due to a prolonged drought which lowered water levels for hydro-electric dams. Fortunately, we don’t need heat or AC in Cuenca, and we cook and heat water using propane, so the impact was minimal despite some inconvenience. The 2024 drought is long over, but to ensure continuous business service to our clients, we bought an ECOFLOW River 2 Max power station that provides back-up for up to 8 hours for our router, printer and two computers. If we also use our 70” TV, it can deliver two hours backup time. It is normally charged by the grid, but can also be charged by a cigarette lighter, USB-C or our portable solar panel array if needed (have not needed it). ECOFLOW makes a complete range of power stations that can power any house, even those in cold climates.
B. VISAS
You have to want to be here
The important thing to know is that you have to want to live here. Ecuador is not the place to come for a ‘fly-in and leave’ visa with no or minimal residency requirements. A Temporary Residency visa is fairly easy to obtain as you will see, but you have to invest the time in-country to keep it and move on to Permanent Residency and, eventually, citizenship if you want to have an Ecuadorian passport.
Types of visas and how to qualify
There are a number of ways for gringos to qualify for a visa including: Retirement Visa (the visa we are on), Professional Visa (if you have a degree), Investor Visa and the more recent 'Digital Nomad' visa.
The qualifying income for visas below is from Sara Chaca, an attorney/visa agent based in Cuenca, Ecuador in this July 31/24 webinar:
Retirement Visa (Temporary)
The current qualifying income for a Retirement Visa is (always subject to change without warning) $1380 USD/mo plus $250/mo for dependents. It is calculated based on multiplying 3 x Ecuador’s standard monthly minimum salary currently set at $460 USD/mo. If you’re both on pensions and one of you doesn’t qualify, ask your visa agent whether you can do a Primary/Dependent visa rather than separate visas. As a dependent, you still retain residency rights if your spouse dies. Or, consider the Investor Visa.
Qualifying requirements can change without notice. When we arrived in November 2021, one only needed $425 USD/mo (one standard monthly minimum wage at that time) each for a Temporary Retirement Visa. Three months later, it tripled to $1275, and is now $1380. If you’re serious about getting out of Canada, get busy now.
Investor Visa (Temporary)
To get an Investor Visa, you have to deposit 100 times the standard monthly minimum wage (currently at $460 USD/mo) into a Certificate of Deposit (CD), real estate or company shares for two full years. $46,000 USD into a CD at 10.5% (yes, really) earns you $4,830 USD/year AND, unlike most Canadian GICs (Guaranteed Investment Certificate) you can get interest paid to you monthly that you can spend! Only your principal investment is locked in for 2 years. You also have to prove (currently) that you have at least $460 USD monthly income from passive sources (not employment) which is 1/3 of the requirement for a Retirement Visa.
Keep in mind, though, that living on $877/month ($460 passive income + $417 CD interest) is not going to be fun, although we do have a single friend who lives in a nice 1 bedroom apartment in the old city on $1100/month from US Social Security. He doesn’t live high on the hog, but he’s very happy compared to how he’d be living in the USA. So, if you’re a little short of income to qualify for a Retirement Visa, but you have cash for the CD, an Investor Visa might be just the ticket.
Getting your cedula
Within a couple of weeks of obtaining your visa you will have an appointment for your ‘cedula,’ the national ID card, to be issued. Your visa agent or rep will go with you. You will then be fingerprinted. It’s an exciting day when you finally get your cedula.
Important limitation on temporary visas
You can come and go as much as you please on a Temporary Residency, however, if you want to apply for Permanent Residency you cannot have been outside Ecuador more than 90 days during the first two years after obtaining your Temporary Residency visa. If you do so, you will have to reapply to renew your Temporary Visa, then wait another two years to apply for a Permanent Visa.
Permanent Residency
If you have not been out of Ecuador more than 90 days during the first two years of your Temporary Residency you can apply for Permanent Residency. In order to obtain your Permanent Residency, you only have to prove ONE standard monthly income, currently $460 USD/month.
Once you have your Permanent Residency, you cannot be outside Ecuador for more than 180 days/year for the first two years. After two years as a Permanent Resident you can be outside Ecuador for up to two years at a time. As long as you come back for at least 1 day every two years, your Permanent Residency remains valid and it never expires…you have it for life. After three years as a Permanent Resident you can apply for citizenship.
Citizenship
According to Sara Chaca in the video above, to get citizenship you have 4 requirements to prove your desire to be a citizen:
Have a bank account in Ecuador.
Show some investment in Ecuador. Money in the bank does not qualify. It must be an investment in Certificates of Deposit, real estate or a company.
You must show monthly deposits into your bank of at least one standard monthly minimum income for the last 12 months before applying. This is a little harder for Canadians on CPP/OAS because while Canada does have a great tax treaty with Ecuador, it does not have auto-deposit of pensions into Ecuadorian banks as it has with many other countries. Your visa agent can make it work.
You must show basic fluency in Spanish, and pass a written test of Ecuadorian subject matter. If you are 65 or over, you are exempted from the written test. This is a very good thing because gringos with university degrees and fluent Spanish have been unable to pass it.
What does it cost?
We paid $1500 each for our Temporary Residency visa application in November 2021. Some agents may charge less. This price included all government fees. There may be other charges such as for processing documents for your driver’s licence, or registering your marriage in Ecuador. Our Permanent Residency application cost us $800 each (2024) because we get a 50% discount on government fees as over 65s.
How long does it take?
The old process we used took about one month after our visa agent had all our documents submitted with our application. According to Sara Chaca, Ecuador is now introducing a new, fully-electronic process that supposedly can do it in five days. We shall see. If you have a criminal record or dependents, you will be required to attend an interview in a location near you. No home visits are done as is the case in El Salvador, for example.
Use a visa agent!
We strongly recommend that you consult and use an experienced Ecuador visa agent/lawyer even if you are fluent in Spanish. They will tell you which documents you need to get from Canadian authorities. One of them will be an RCMP fingerprints records check. If you have a criminal conviction it may not automatically exclude you, but you need to discuss it with your visa agent before you start the process to be sure. Some visa agents are listed below.
Timelines
You can come to Ecuador as a tourist, then apply for residency if you like, which is what we had to do, as we had to leave Canada before we would have been locked in as of November 30/21. We got as many documents as we could, then waited for the rest to arrive at a friend’s house in Canada who then couriered them to our Canadian documents processor in Ottawa. Your initial entry to Ecuador is valid for 90 days, and you can renew it for a further 90 days for a total of 180 days while your residency visa is being processed. At this time, Canadian citizens do not need a visa to enter Ecuador as tourists.
The best way, though, is to do as much as you can before you leave Canada unless it’s just not possible (i.e. if the government announces plans to lock un-jabbed folks in the country again). Our visas cost us an extra $1500 CAD total because we had to do it from Ecuador using a company in Ottawa get our documents authenticated by Global Affairs Canada, then legalized for us at the Ecuadorian Embassy. As of January 11/24 Canada joined the Apostille Convention which is supposed to make processing easier.
Keep in mind that your document authentications are only good for 6 months. Once you are inside Ecuador, however, that clock stops. As always…confirm with your visa agent to make sure you are in-country with unexpired documents.
Visa agents
Do not base your final decision on information from visa agent websites. You must speak to them directly about your personal situation. Sometimes, the government changes requirements and their website can suddenly become outdated.
Visa agents will have their fans and their detractors. No agent will be perfect for everyone. The services below have the experience and contacts to work out any 'kinks' in your application. They are listed in alphabetical order.
Note that one of the common sore points for gringos with some visa agents is poor communication. Expect some frustrations, but be assured that you will get your visa if you qualify. Be sure to ask questions. Do not assume anything. Be polite. Ecuadorians are not confrontational, so getting angry never helps.
Gringo Visas (visa agent): https://gringovisas.com/
This was the visa agent we used for our Temporary Retirement Visa. They are based in Cuenca, but have an office in the US as well. Since they already had our documents and files, we also used them to obtain our Permanent Residency Visa in May 2024.
One consideration is that Gringo Visas requires payment in full up front.
Joseph Guznay, visa agent: expatlawgroup.com Email: josephguznay@gmail.com
Joseph used to work for Ecuador’s Ministry of Immigration. Friends of ours have used Joseph and were very happy with his services. He does not require payment in full upfront. Although he is based in Quito, his mom helps him with servicing clients in Cuenca. Here is a 2022 interview of him with the founder of the well-regarded Vilcabamba-based real estate company, Abundant Living:
Isabel Mosquero (visa agent): https://cuencahighlife.com/classifieds/business-promotions/temporary-and-permanent-visas-100-guaranteed-by-isabel-mosquera/
This article includes Isabel’s contact info, and mentions the fact that she has a car she uses to take clients to appointments. Close friends were very happy with her services. She lived and studied in Canada for many years. Our friends introduced me to Isabel via a brief conversation with her on the phone, and I do hope to meet her soon.
Sara Chaca (visa agent/lawyer): https://www.ecuadorvisas.com/
We have never met Sara, but we have friends who have used her services and have been very happy. She is based in Cuenca, and does not require full payment up front. Her webinar above at the top of this section is very informative.
You will be in good hands no matter which of the above visa agents you choose.
Other considerations—Driver’s licence
Your Canadian driver’s licence is valid here for 6 months after you arrive. If you plan on getting an Ecuador driver’s licence, you will need to order your driver’s record (abstract) from your province, have it notarized by a Canadian notary/lawyer and then apostilled/authenticated. You can do it in Canada, or here.
Getting your driver record done after you arrive in Ecuador is more difficult and expensive because you have to get a Canadian lawyer to notarize it remotely, then pay the expense of having the original couriered to you in Cuenca by DHL (the only one we would use. They have a depot close to us in Cuenca). The cost to courier our driver abstracts was $125 CAD, then we had to pay Gringo Visas another $200 to have it authenticated at the Canadian embassy in Quito because they never told us about it. Which is a great lesson—ask questions, don’t assume anything. Keep asking if there’s anything else you need to do.
Ecuador is a party to the International Driving Permit Convention, and the CAA can issue one to you. These permits are valid for one year. I have never tried to obtain one, so am not familiar with the process, therefore, I am not sure if it could be renewed once you are outside Canada. Still, at the very worst, it might give you an extra six months of driving privileges here, assuming Ecuador has not withdrawn from the Convention. As always, you must verify this to be sure.
C. REAL ESTATE - BUY OR RENT?
The standard advice for all new gringos is not to buy any real estate until you've been here at least one year, and it is very good advice. In fact, after being here for over three years, I would suggest waiting at least 2 years because that’s how long it will take to get the obsession with home ownership out of your heads so you can make a rational, informed choice about where you want to live and what to do with your money.
Rents are cheap, most apartments are furnished, and you have a lot on your plate with building a new life in a strange country. Pick a place to start your new life, then from that base, take your time to get to know the city and/or country to decide where you want to be in the future. Things are different here. Real estate doesn't work the way it does back in Canada. One of the big problems is siblings that are automatically on title after a parent dies which makes it difficult to get clear title. So, slow down and find a lawyer and real estate agent you can trust. You can get badly hurt, or end up in some place you decide you don't like.
Condos
Condominiums are full of potential land mines. We checked out a beautiful 90 unit condo for just $125,000 USD right on the beach in Salinas with 2 elevators, 2 swimming pools, a generator and its own electrical transformer. I am a former real estate broker in Ontario, so I knew what questions to ask. The building had NO budget, NO building insurance, and a reserve fund of just $7,000! There was no way we were investing in that potential liability. If condo living is what you want, choosing the right builder is critical as well as serving on the board of directors. Hopefully, you are fluent in Spanish, and the board will act responsibly.
On the other hand, we have friends with a spectacular condo in Cuenca overlooking the Tomebamba River with a kitchen that belongs in House Beautiful Magazine. They bought it from plans from a very respected builder, and closely supervised the design and construction to ensure it turned out the way they wanted.
Another friend bought a new condo for $135,000 USD here in Cuenca of which he takes possession later this month (July 2024).
An acquaintance of ours got very badly burnt on a new condo she bought, not from the builder, but from contractors for the builder who received the unit in payment. She had to engage a lawyer, thought everything was settled, but is now immersed in a lawsuit through no fault of her own.
Gringos do buy condos successfully, but you need to be very careful. Slow down, give yourself time to adapt to your new country and its customs and foibles.
How cheap ARE the rents?
That’s kind of like asking how long is a piece of string, but here are some examples. We have a friend who pays about $250/mo USD for a very small 1 bedroom apartment, including utilities in an OK area, and another who pays $$350 for a nice 1 bedroom in a nice area of the old city across from San Sebastian Square, again, including utilities. He lives on about $1100/mo US Social Security.
We currently pay $640 USD/mo on a long term lease for a large 1 bedroom cottage in a garden right beside the river, including water, electricity, gas (for cooking & hot water only since heat & AC are not needed in Cuenca), fibreoptic internet, satellite TV and housekeeping once per week. Rental units usually come furnished here in Cuenca, as did ours, but we bought our own leather living room suite from a local manufacturer for just $1700 USD on-sale, incl tax & warranty.
We have other friends who live in a highrise on Ordonez Lasso in ‘Gringolandia’ who pay $600/mo USD plus utilities. Other friends who recently left to return to the US were paying $1200/mo USD for a huge, spectacular, 2 story, 3 bedroom penthouse on Ordonez Lasso in Cuenca. A couple who came to Cuenca for a visit and have now decided to stay because they love the gringo community here were paying $1800/mo for a waterfront apartment in Manta on the coast. None of us can believe they were paying that much! It must have been a pretty amazing place.
No mortgages
Mortgages are not really a thing here unless you are a local. Almost all transactions are in cash, and the official currency is US Dollars. Real estate agents will not work with you unless you can pay all-cash. Also, your house is not a liquid asset here; it can take a very long time to sell if you decided to leave because not only do you have to find a buyer who wants to live where your property is; you need someone who can pay cash. That is a very limited market. Not impossible, mind you, but it makes it critical for you to be sure what you’re buying, and where.
10.5% on your money? Why buy?
The vast majority of gringos in Cuenca that we know rent their units. Some friends have bought or built their own homes, but this is not widely done. One of the reasons renting makes a lot of sense is that banks and credit unions in Ecuador pay between 8-10.5% on a 1 year Certificates of Deposit (CD) which are like Canada’s Guaranteed Investment Certificates with one great difference: you can get your interest paid monthly into a bank of your choice instead of waiting until the end of the term!
Our major bank pays 8.8% on CDs and our AA- credit union is offering 10.5%. Should one tie up, say $120,000 USD for a condo with maintenance fees & taxes (very low!) versus earning up to $1000/month interest while renting for much less than that? Only you can answer that question. Perhaps, it’s worth it to you to have the comfort of knowing that in the worst case you have a place to live if the world goes to hell.
UPDATE: Rates offered by cooperativas dropped to around 8% prior to the April 13/25 presidential runoff election where the communist candidate was slightly favoured to win (she lost by 1M votes). We are waiting to see if they go back up. As of June 01/25 our cooperativa is currently paying 8.35% on Certificates of Deposit.
Ecuador has had banks fail in the past, so be cautious when deciding where to invest your money. One great aspect to the Ecuador economy is that it rewards savers and makes borrowers pay. It is also very much a cash economy in which, generally, only expensive items like, say, a watch or an expensive dinner or a car would be put on credit, so it is not built on a credit bubble which can burst. Also, Ecuador cancelled Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) in 2017 because people here are skeptical of the banking system.
Accounts here are insured up to $32,000 USD per person per bank/coop.
The banks here are very professional and very diligent about knowing their customers. They do not hand out credit easily. We were told by our major bank that in order to get a credit card, we had to invest in a CD and the limit of the card would only be 80% of the value of the CD. Contrast that with the huge amounts of unsecured credit that Canadian banks throw at people. It illustrates clearly the stark difference between Ecuador's cash economy and Canada's credit bubble economy.
Finding a home
YapaTree Properties (real estate sales & rental agents): https://yapatree.com/cuenca-ecuador-real-estate/
Although I have never met the folks behind YapaTree, I have heard good things about them, including from two people who have bought properties in Cuenca through them.
TRIVIA: A ‘yapa’ is a gift given by a vendor to a regular customers After they (usually, a ‘she’) weighs your fruit/vegs, she might add in 1 or 2 pieces of fruit to say thanks for your patronage. It is such a great and wonderful contrast from the ‘Big Food’ experience in large Canadian grocery stores. We have those too, such as Coral or SuperMaxi, but you can get most of your fresh food from vendors who either grew the food themselves or are 1 or 2 links away from the farm. Sometimes, we just marvel at the difference in our lifestyle now because we eat better and cook from scratch more. I even make my own homemade catalina salad dressing and shrimp marinade!
Abundant Living Ecuador (real estate brokers/developers): ABEcuador.com
I had heard good things about these folks who include at least one Canadian. We finally got to meet one of their partners during a week-long trip to Vilcabamba where Ryan Pemberton took us out to see vacant land, and gave us a tour around town. One Canadian who follows my Canadian Refugee in Ecuador X feed (x.com/cdnrefugee) purchased 93 acres of land through them and was impressed with their service. They operate in the south of Ecuador from Loja down.
Hotel Otorongo ('Apartamentos Otorongo' in Spanish): hotelotorongo.com
This is a wonderful, relatively inexpensive slice of paradise on the Tomebamba River in Cuenca within walking distance of the old city. It has beautiful gardens and sitting areas. The hotel is run by husband and wife Xavier & Samara Montezuma who also offer extreme adventure tours (bicycling, hiking, mountain climbing) and have an equipment store on-site. Xavier’s grandparents bought the land, and his parents built the beautiful buildings. The gardens are Samara’s passion and you will always find a new plant to admire all year. They speak English very well, and you can stay for as long as you want, from a few days to years. But, you need to book early.
This cozy 'aparthotel' is not for tourists looking for glitz and glamour; it appeals to down-to-earth travelers who appreciate a homey, informal atmosphere and are looking to make friends and share experiences. It is a great place to begin the process of understanding your new country and building your tribe.
MLS Ecuador: https://mls-ecuador.com/en
Unlike Canada where nearly every house for sale is listed on Realtor.ca, most real estate here is NOT listed. This site, however, will give you some insight into prices. Many properties stay on the market for a long time.
Cuenca's Best Properties: https://cuencasbestproperties.com/
This site is oriented to the Cuenca and surrounding area. I am not recommending the agent's services because I do not know her. It is, however, a great place to see what prices in the area are like. Some of the listings may already be sold.
Amy Prisco Real Estate: ecuador-realty.com/en
Amy has a lot of listings on the coast. I am not recommending her because I do not know her.
I again caution you not to buy any real estate here for at least one year, preferably two years. Don’t be in a rush. As we say here, ‘Tranquilo.’ (Don’t worry). Relax. Take your time.
D. ECUADOR'S ECONOMY
Ecuador uses the US Dollar (USD) as its official currency. This is great for Americans but we Canadians have to mentally adjust prices by adding around 40% to prices when considering a move here (as of last update above).
Be sure to exchange your Canadian Dollars to US before you come to Ecuador. It is very difficult to find an agency to do the exchange, and the rate you may be offered will likely be very low compared to using a service like Canada’s Knightsbridgefx.com. Even the Ecuador Central Bank in Cuenca will not exchange CAD-USD.
Fortunately, your bank card will usually work at most banks in Ecuador. Banco Guayaquil in Cuenca allows up to $500 withdrawals per day, and their ATMs have an English menu option. Not all banks/credit unions have these features.
If you plan on staying, it is best to open an account with a major Ecuadorian bank as soon as you get your residency visa and cedula (national ID card). These include Banco Guayaquil, Banco Pichincha, Banco del Pacifico or Produbanco. Then, you can simply use your Canadian bank’s dashboard to transfer funds to your Ecuadorian bank and use the various ATMs to withdraw cash. Credit unions, where many people have investments, do not have SWIFT money wire capabilities, so they rely on major banks for wire transfers to them.
Your money and the future of the USD
There are economic developments that could cause serious damage to US dollar value and the banking system in the West as countries in the BRICS+ alliance (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa + many more) move to create a gold/commodity-based currency to attack/replace the USD as the world's reserve currency. This is in reaction to the debt levels of the US caused by printing trillions of dollars, but mainly to the US weaponization of the SWIFT foreign funds transfer system (Russia was ejected), and the seizure of Russian assets over the Ukraine war. This has made many nations afraid of depending on the US and the systems it controls. BRICS is working to create its own financial system free of US bullying.
The disruptions could mean some level of devaluation of the USD and possibly the closing of banks in the West, including here in Ecuador, at least for a time. Some commentators/experts feel the change could be serious and rapid. Others believe it will take longer to play out. Therefore, please do not take the above paragraph regarding the merits of renting vs. buying as legal or investment advice. For more info about these developments this video featuring Andy Schectman of Miles Franklin Precious Metals explains the timeline of events very well. Keep in mind, though, that he is in the business of selling precious metals:
With the January 2025 inauguration of Donald Trump and his pro-nationalist, America First approach which includes defending the dollar and reducing debt through ‘DOGE’ (Department of Government Efficiency), the effect of BRICS moves and debt-based inflation caused by currency debasement may be blunted, although no one can know for sure until things play out and some sense of stability returns…hopefully.
Why Ecuador has super-low Inflation
Ecuador has the lowest inflation rate in South America at 1.35% in 2023. The combination of a cash economy, limited credit availability, low (subsidized) fuel prices, stability of the USD as a currency, and a government that rejected most of the heavy borrowing of the previous socialist government have worked to maintain a very stable economy.
Not long after we arrived in Ecuador in November 2021, we had dinner with a Canadian economist on vacation. Prior to leaving Canada, I had been very concerned, not only by the vaccine abuses, but about hyperinflation because of the Trudeau government’s money-printing and carbon taxes, so I asked her about the possibility of hyperinflation in Ecuador. She replied, “It can’t happen here because Ecuador uses USD, but cannot print USD.” Wow.
Exit taxes
I deal with the issue of taxes on unrealized Canadian capital gains for new non-residents in Section E below. An ‘exit tax’ is a tax on money that you pay simply for moving it out of a country. It is not dependent on your residency status. Canada does not have an exit tax…yet, but Ecuador does.
The previous Lasso administration was gradually reducing the tax on money leaving Ecuador to zero. Unfortunately, the Noboa government has raised it to 5% because it needs money that it cannot get via printing as Canada or the USA would do. It is understandable, but keep that in mind before you move large sums to Ecuador. Be sure you plan to stay for a while. Most gringos feel that the tax is worth it if they can get 8-10.5% on their money in Ecuadorian financial institutions. It remains to be seen what effect it will have on foreign investment.
E. CANADA-ECUADOR TAX TREATY & BANKING INFO
This information is not to be relied upon in lieu of consulting a tax expert. It is your responsibility to verify your tax obligations for your particular circumstances.
There is only one country in all of Latin America—north, central and south—that has a tax treaty with Canada exempting the first $12,000 of Canadian pension income, from Canadian tax, and it is Ecuador. Amounts above $12,000 are subject to 15% tax. Article 18 of the treaty deals with pension income:
Canada-Ecuador Tax Treaty: https://www.treaty-accord.gc.ca/text-texte.aspx?id=104278&Lang=eng
This page contains an easy-to-understand table showing tax treaty benefits for Canadian pensioners living in various countries. Scroll down to Ecuador to see the notes, including the pension tax exemption percentage as well as the requirement to file Form NR5 to claim treaty benefits:
Taxes on Pensions And Benefits For Those Outside Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/publicpensions/cpp/cpp-international/before-apply.html
Form NR5 - Download: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/forms-publications/forms/nr5.html
Form NR5 - 5 Year Administrative Policy: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/international-non-residents/competent-authority-agreements-notices/form-nr5-5-year-administrative-policy.html
The treaty also provides for treatment of certain Canadian-originated (or Ecuadorian) business income under certain circumstances. This is important for two reasons: once you decide to become a non-Canadian resident for CRA purposes you lose all your personal tax deductions other than the pension exemption above as per the tax treaty. Ideally, you want to have income taxed in Ecuador because the basic exemption is $11,000 USD per person which doubles to $22,000 if you’re over 65.
Again…you need to discuss this with a tax expert if you have a business in Canada that you intend to manage from Ecuador as a non-resident.
Do I automatically become a non-resident of Canada for tax purposes when I leave?
No! There are a number of considerations that go into deciding if you are a non-resident, including the length of time you spend in Canada each year, and whether you have financial, business, familial and asset ties to Canada.
There are two ways to become a non-resident: first, CRA can declare you a ‘deemed non-resident’ or you can declare yourself a non-resident. Either way, CRA will conduct a ‘deemed disposition’ of your assets, and you will be liable to pay tax, including on any capital gains.
We are now at the point where we feel we need to go back to spend half the year in Canada, or make a declaration of non-residency. It is critical that you talk to a tax expert.
Until you know for sure that you are going to make a permanent home in Ecuador, it is best to consider yourself on an extended trip outside Canada, but be aware that if you wait too long CRA may declare you a non-resident. Consult a tax specialist about your particular situation.
Will I have to pay an ‘Exit Tax’ if I decide to move tax residency from Canada to Ecuador?
Please consult your tax advisor for accurate information about your situation!
We are now (early 2025), more than three years after leaving Canada, starting the process of transferring our tax residency to Ecuador with our accountant. Our non-financial-expert understanding is that there is no such thing called an ‘Exit Tax’ when you become a non-resident for tax purposes. There is, however, a requirement to pay capital gains tax on unrealized capital gains on assets. You may be forgiven for wondering if this is a distinction without a difference, but it should not be confused with Ecuador’s tax simply for moving money out of the country irrespective of your residency.
When you decide to switch your residency, you can choose the valuation date (the date you decided to become a non-resident) that best suits you. We decided, for example, to choose January 1/24 since this was before Bitcoin and bullion exploded in price.
To start the process, we had to provide information on the purchase prices and dates of our assets as well as valuations as of January 01/24. Keep good records and bring them with you to Ecuador. Since the process is ongoing, I cannot really comment with confidence at this time.
You will want to have your primary residence sold long before moving your tax residency so it will remain a tax-free gain. See the following sub-section.
Again…get professional advice on your tax situation before you decide to leave Canada. This stuff is complicated.
Selling your home
Talk to your tax expert about the best time to sell your house because you want to be sure it is done before becoming an official non-resident in the eyes of CRA. Be aware that if the lawyer handling your sale believes that you have become a non-resident, they will have to withhold part of the sales proceeds from you to satisfy any tax owing (we have experience with luckily avoiding this situation). To repeat, the best approach is to consider yourself as being on an extended trip outside Canada until you know for sure you aren’t going back.
Do I keep my Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS)?
Once you have been outside Canada for more than 6 months, you are no longer entitled to the Guaranteed Income Supplement. If you are receiving it, you will need to notify the program to have it terminated, and you will be required to repay any funds received after the 6 month cutoff date (we have experience!). It will be restarted once you return permanently to Canada.
Do I keep my government pensions if I live outside Canada?
Canada will continue to pay you Canada Pension Plan benefits no matter where you live, and if you’ve lived in Canada all your life you will also receive your full Old Age Supplement (OAS). If not, this article will give you a good overview on OAS entitlement but, consult your tax expert to confirm:
Langford Financial—What Happens To Your CPP and OAS if You Retire Outside Canada?
Will Canada deposit my pensions into an Ecuadorian bank?
Alas, no. Canadian expats in many countries have that option available, but not Ecuador. You will have to convert funds to USD using a service like KnightsbridgeFX.com, then use your online banking to send funds. You can, of course, use your bank’s conversion, which will be easier, but likely more expensive.
Yes, it is rather bizarre that Canada has a special tax treaty with Ecuador, but it will not deposit pensions into Ecuadorian bank accounts.
Transferring money to Ecuador
You cannot initiate a wire funds transfer remotely while out of Canada; you must have a person added onto your account as a joint-owner to do that for you. However, depending on your bank, you may be able to transfer funds here using online banking. TD, for example, has TD Global Transfer that allows up to $6500 CAD/day. RBC has a program called International Money Transfer that allows transfers up to $50,000 CAD/day. We have used both of these banks’ services to transfer cash to Ecuador.
The TD Bank service has a much lower daily limit, but is far easier to use by merely logging into your bank’s dashboard and entering SWIFT code and account info. The RBC transfer also requires SWIFT codes and your Ecuadorian bank account details, but it requires a phone app, two-factor authentication as well as ID scanning verification via the phone of your driver’s licence or passport. More secure, but a pain in the butt to use.
Both use the SWIFT money transfer system, so I do not understand why a wire transfer is not allowed remotely, but these methods are acceptable…a mystery, indeed. Check with your bank to ensure you can use their online dashboards to send money to Ecuador, and be sure you understand what limitations apply.
As back-up, I would strongly recommend that you add a very trusted person to one of your accounts in case you do need to do a wire transfer, say to a Canadian Bitcoin exchange.
If you bring cash with you (you should), do the conversion to USD before you leave Canada. There are very limited options here for CAD-USD currency transactions. In the rare case that they are available, i.e. Quito airport, you will likely be offered a shockingly-poor exchange rate as happened to a friend here (late 2024).
Canadian credit and debit cards
Your Canadian debit card will allow you to withdraw US Dollars from some Ecuadorian bank ATMs. We found Banco Guayaquil the best as they allowed up to $500 at a time per day. Your credit cards will work, too, but you won’t need them for day-to-day items as it’s almost all cash. Having a local bank account here is the best option long term. Then, you can sometimes use your local debit card.
Ecuadorian bank accounts
A bank account with a major Ecuadorian bank (Banco Pichincha, Banco Guayaquil, Produbanco, Banco del Pacifico) will allow you reliable access to Ecuadorian bank machines. Generally, you can withdraw up to $500 USD from your own bank, $100 from other banks and credit unions. As soon as you get your cedula, open an account with a major bank to start building a banking relationship.
Credit unions (cooperativas) do not have direct access to the SWIFT system, so start with a major bank for regular banking, then consider cooperativas if you’re planning to invest in Certificates of Deposit at a higher rate of return. Customers of cooperativas get access to SWIFT through their partnership with a major bank, so you can transfer funds to them, but not directly. Get a big bank account first, then take your time to find the right coop for your your investment.
Can I open an account with just my passport as a foreigner?
According to our cooperativa manager, you can fly into Ecuador, meet with him to open the account, then transfer funds once you return to Canada. The transfer will be done by a SWIFT transfer to a major Ecuadorian bank which will then get it to your co-op so you can start collecting those sweet interest earnings. We have no experience doing this, but we do know a Canadian couple from Alberta who have opened an account using their passport. Keep in mind that Ecuador has a 5% exit tax on money leaving the country should you decide to move the money out.
F. IS ECUADOR SAFE?
We feel safe!
We have lived in Cuenca for over 3.5 years. We've travelled to Salinas on the coast, to various towns around Cuenca, to the small towns of Macas and Puyo eight hours north of us on the edge of the Amazon jungle to work with indigenous people (renovating a community centre, and delivering water filters), and to Vilcabamba 4.5 hours south. Not once have we ever felt unsafe.
This doesn't mean there isn't crime, including some very violent crime. The vast majority of violent crimes are happening on the coastal areas associated with the drug trade in places like Guayaquil and Esmeraldas and other towns, including Salinas. Cuenca is extremely safe and we will walk home at night from downtown after a (free!) symphony concert.
Recently, there was a violent home invasion in the town of Malacatos just north of Vilcabamba in southern Ecuador where some elderly gringos were seriously assaulted and robbed. It galvanized people, including Ecuadorians, who marched and rallied with politicians against the violence hurting their gringo neighbours. It was a bad news story, but with hope:
Canadian expats Kris & Mike live in San Jose near the beautiful beaches of Olon, and have a popular Youtube channel. Mike does deep dives into Ecuador’s crime stats, and concludes that Cuenca is the safest place in Ecuador after the much smaller town of Otovalu in the far north area. Mike also notes that when you remove the gang-on-gang crime from the stats that does not usually involve ordinary people, Ecuador is very safe. We feel safer here in Cuenca than we would in downtown Toronto, but we wouldn’t walk around at night in Guyaquil, either.
Ecuador’s version of neighbourhood watch
We often comment that the Ecuadorian people are so nice that it's hard to imagine that there is any crime at all, but it exists. Neighbourhood watch programs aren't like in Canada: if you are caught stealing, diddling kids, being violent or trying to extort money from businesses, there's a good chance that you will wind up being either severely beaten, burned or killed if you are not lucky enough to have police show up to save you.
Your vehicle will also be likely torched as well. In one instance a couple of kilometers away from us, two extortionists were caught. Their bodies were found on the grounds of Hospital del Rio in Cuenca, strangled and stabbed. Some speculate that this, coupled with increased police activities, was responsible for a 78% drop in Cuenca crime.
Is Canada safe?
One hour away from our old home in New Brunswick 22 people in Nova Scotia were murdered by an RCMP informant with no gun licence and illegal guns. Since we left, Canada is becoming more dangerous thanks to Hamas supporters terrorizing Jews with impunity, and 5000 more Gazans raised in a culture of rabid Jew-hate are coming. Canada’s crime rate has escalated dramatically under the ‘Liberal’ government, including violent crime. Sadly, Canada’s rule of law is collapsing along with its healthcare while police and politicians turn blind eyes to it all. If we were Jewish I would be far more afraid of being in Toronto than in Cuenca.
Will President Noboa be our Nayib Bukele?
After the assassination of a presidential candidate, the Ecuadorian government enacted an 'exception' decree to our constitution, rather like El Salvador President Nayib Bukele used to take radical action against the drug gangs. In the case of El Salvador, Bukele's actions changed the country from one of the most dangerous in the world to one of the safest by reducing violent crime by 95% now that most gang members are in jail. Hopefully, our new President, Daniel Noboa, will follow in his footsteps.
If you aren't planning on being involved in crime in Ecuador you are probably going to be quite safe. Of course, there are no guarantees no matter where you live in the world.
Sidewalks are a bigger threat than criminals
You are actually at far greater risk of hurting yourself from tripping over an uneven sidewalk than during a criminal act. The sidewalks have holes, obstructions or drop-offs that you very quickly learn to scan for as you walk. I tripped twice in our first two days here, bruising myself badly on the second one. I tell new gringos that the first survival rule is, ‘Don’t walk and gawk.’ The moment you turn to look at something interesting while walking is the moment you will trip over an old steel street sign someone cut off with two inches remaining above ground, or miss the hole or driveway ramp built into the sidewalk.
G. WHERE SHOULD I START MY NEW LIFE?
Like all good Canadians our initial thought was finding a warm place on a beach. That means on the coast in a place like Salinas, Olon, Manta, etc. We originally thought to start our new life in Manta, but we're so glad we came to Cuenca instead. There are 7,000-10,000 'gringos' here (that is not a pejorative term here), so there is an unofficial infrastructure built around us. There are great hospitals here. You can get a doctor, insurance broker, real estate agent or lawyer that speaks English. Many other Ecuadorians speak English.
The weather is like a permanent early Canadian summer. Even the locals can't tell you what season it is here. Sometimes sun. Sometimes. rain. Sometimes warm. Sometimes cool. Sometimes all of the above in one day.
If we really want to walk on the beach, Cuenca is only a 5 hour drive from the coast through gorgeous mountain scenery. But, we’re not far from warm water. Cuenca has two hot springs day resorts you can visit, one of which was featured on Amelia & JP’s Youtube channel: Piedra de Agua. You can soak in hot water in an underground cave, and get a massage in another cave. We’ve been twice.
There are other, less well-known hot springs in the Cajas peaks within 1 hour of Cuenca. We’ve taken groups up to relax in crystal clear hot water beside a river running between the Andean mountain peaks. Ahhhh. You might even see some llamas along the way.
There is another fabulous, low-cost ($5/day for seniors!) hot springs resort in Cuenca near our home that we love, but only share it with friends. ;)
We may yet move to the coast, but we love our life in Cuenca for now, and we don’t really like eating fish which is a staple there. Once we get a car, we’ll go for a month-long vacation along the coast and check out what’s for sale in the beach towns. No rush, though.
Can you drink the tap water in Ecuador?
Yes, but only in certain locations. This is another reason why you should consider starting your new life in Cuenca, because Cuenca water is the best in Ecuador and in all of Latin America.
Environmental ministry study gives Cuenca rivers and drinking water the highest marks for quality
It is very common for people here to order ‘agua Cuenca’ (Cuenca tap water) in restaurants here. It really is that safe and good tasting. Many people, including us, use bottled water because we don’t want the chlorine (it’s not overpowering, though). Our hotel offers 5 gallon jugs for $5.
Once you get outside Cuenca, however, things are not quite the same. Our friend, John, has a Christian mission to to get micropore-type water filters to the tribes in the jungle who have a problem with intestinal parasites from drinking river water. We have taken trips up to Macas & Puyo, small cities on the edge of the Amazon about an 8 hour drive from Cuenca. In those towns, we are cautious about drinking water out of the tap. Apparently, it has had some treatment and is visually clear, but out of caution, we avoid drinking it plus, we take Ivermectin before and during the trip because the food is prepared with tap water, and is known to cause issues. (IVM is very easy to obtain here without a prescription at a cost of between $2.50-$3.00 US for a box of six pills.)
If you go 4.5 hours south to Vilcabamba, the Izhcayluma Resort (fabulous and cheap) uses the water out of the Podocarpus hills (5000 ft altitude) without treatment. We have never drank tap water at a village restaurant, though.
No snow. No humidity. No mosquitos. No heat or AC required.
Cuenca's climate means no heating or air conditioning is needed, but at night during July-August it can get cool enough that you'd like to have a small room heater on for a few hours sometimes. We’ve only used ours perhaps six times since we’ve been here. There is no humidity, and very few flying insects. In over 2.5 years, I have seen perhaps 4 mosquitos. Most people do not have screens on their windows. We had screens installed, not for bugs, but to keep our indoor kitty from going on un-supervised walkabouts.
After being here in Cuenca, we've made so many friends that it would be hard to leave. If you're not sure where you want to go, start in Cuenca. You just can't go wrong. And there is so much help available from other gringos just for the asking. Whether you’re a Trump-supporting Maple MAGA conservative or a woke, Trudeau Liberal socialist you’ll find your tribe here.
Cuenca has marvelous architecture--like the famous six blue domes of the 'new' church at Parque Calderon below, and a safe, clean, amazing transit system that we use for 90% of our trips.
Should I take an exploratory tour of Ecuador to see where I might want to live?
You will definitely see some beautiful locations on an organized exploratory tour, but I advise potential new gringos NOT to do an exploratory tour of Ecuador because the purpose of your trip is not sightseeing; it is to begin to find your ‘tribe’ in a location you like. With rare exceptions, you are almost certainly going to end up in Cuenca anyway, and from there you can become acclimatized to your new country, make friends and get the lay of the land. Once you’ve been here a while, you can explore other areas with a view to moving.
I suggest that you save money on doing a tour and spend as much time in Cuenca as you can. If you stay at our aparthotel, I can provide some guidance during your stay…and even a BBQ meal.
Cuenca transit
You don’t need a car here, for real. Most gringos don’t have cars. We are only now, planning to get some wheels in the coming months after being here three-plus years. The transit system—which includes a modern light rail line called the Tranvia—is incredibly easy to use thanks to the Moovit app which you can download on your Apple or Android store for free.
As +65ers, we ride for 1/2 price, so the buses cost us 15 cents and the Tranvia is 17 cents.
Cuenca is a true ‘15 minute city,’ but without the bullying and surveillance.
Intercity travel
Intercity travel on nice coaches and short buses is cheap and easy. If you are over 65, prices are even lower. A 5 hour bus ride from Cuenca to Guayaquil Airport on the coast is around $10 for seniors. If you are prone at all to car sickness, take some anti-barf pills and bring a barf bag because the roads are incredibly windy as you snake back and forth through the mountains.
You can also hire licenced drivers. A day trip will be around $10/hr + tip + meal for the driver. Most speak English. If you have a bigger group that wants to take a trip, say to the hot springs in the wilds of the Cajas peaks or to the famous Ecuagenera orchid farm in Gualaceo near Cuenca you can book a small bus fairly reasonably and split the cost. Custom is to tip the driver and pay for their lunch.
Recommendation
If you’ve decided that Ecuador is your new country, Cuenca is almost certainly where you want to start. Once you travel and understand the culture and society more, you can think about where else you might like to be.
Should you do an ‘exploratory trip’ to check out Ecuador?
Many gringos do exploratory trips to scope out the country. We didn’t have that luxury. We had about 45 days to find a new country and give away everything we owned. We chose Ecuador because it would take us un-jabbed, we could qualify for a visa, we could apply as tourists without having to go back to Canada and because we watched a bunch of Amelia & JPs videos that gave us a glimpse into the country. Now, we realize just how insanely lucky we are to be here!
If you just can’t imagine moving to a new country without visiting it first, I strongly suggest you spend 1 month in Cuenca if you can, that you don’t bother with too much sightseeing around the country. Your goal is not a vacation; your goal is to see what life is like here, and you can best do that by meeting some of your future tribe—which, thankfully, is very easy to do in Cuenca. You can do some fabulous day trips within one hour of Cuenca, so you won’t be deprived of the Ecuadorian ‘experience.’
We have folks visiting Cuenca who have spent quite some time in Manta on the coast. They are astounded by the social circles here as well as the limitless restaurants of nearly every kind. Whether its Italian, Indian, BBQ, Thai, Japanese, Chinese or American food you’re looking for…it’s here in Cuenca. We are lacking a Greek restaurant, so there’s an opportunity for you!
If you come to Cuenca for a month, you won’t want to leave. If you can’t make it as a gringo in Cuenca, you won’t be able to make it anywhere.
Cuenca’s altitude might be a problem
Cuenca sits at 8500 feet above sea level in a beautiful valley at the top of the Andes Mountains. That altitude can cause nasty side effects in some people. Fortunately, most adjust within a few days or weeks. This is another reason you want to give yourself as much time in Cuenca as possible if you do an exploratory trip. For those who have more trouble, pharmacies have drugs, and doctor housecalls are available.
Should I ship a container with my stuff?
I believe that paying $10,000 or more to ship your stuff to Ecuador is one of the biggest mistakes gringos make unless you have very specialized/precious possessions that are irreplaceable or unavailable here.
Clothes here, especially for women, are very stylish, so no need to ship in your old wardrobe that you probably haven’t worn in 10 years (some gringos actually do this!). Also, dress here is quite casual. You can buy fabulous furniture here very reasonably, so paying big bucks to ship it is not worth it. We bought a beautiful 3-piece custom-made, custom-dyed, 100% leather suite from the Renaciente leather factory right here in Cuenca on sale for $1690 USD, including tax, delivery, 7 year warranty and power recliner.
Most places you will rent will come furnished as ours did. Gringos who rent unfurnished apartments often regret it because they are then encumbered by having to buy heavy appliances should they choose to later move. We have friends who brought a container of stuff in hundreds of large plastic boxes that fills two of their three bedrooms which makes it daunting to consider moving from their current apartment and location which they do not like.
We arrived in Ecuador with three suitcases, two laptop computers and one 15 lb Norwegian Forest Cat. We didn’t buy furniture to replace that provided by the landlord until after we had our Temporary Visa and knew we were staying for the long term.
Don’t be controlled by your stuff. Come light and flexible because you’re probably going to move a couple of times before you settle down. Saving $10,000+ USD by not shipping a container buys you a lot of new stuff! But, if you do feel the need to ship some stuff, you can get a smaller container or a pallet.
H. HEALTHCARE
Will I lose my Canadian healthcare benefits if I leave Canada?
Alas, so long as your tax residency is Canadian, you get to pay for healthcare, but cannot use it once you have been outside of Canada too long. This time limit varies from province to province. In New Brunswick, for example, we could be out of the province for as long as 210 days per year and keep our benefits, such as they are. Even if you go back, you’ll probably have a 3 month waiting period before you requalify. Check with your province.
Ecuador healthcare vs Canada
Healthcare in Ecuador is far superior to Canada’s because it has both private and public systems. You can mix & match. Until recently, we belonged to both systems. There are also ‘regional hospitals’ for those without any insurance.
The public system is part of a social security safety net called IESS (Instituto Ecuatoriano Seguridad Social (Ecuadorian Institute of Social Security). The current cost is about $100 USD/month for a couple, $80 for the primary user plus $20 for the dependent. IESS is like Canada’s public healthcare. You may get care when you need it; you may not. It may be great care; it may not. We have spoken to longtime gringos who like it, and others who hate it, including one woman who was turned away from the IESS emergency department with severe abdominal pains, who told her to “Come back if the pain gets worse.” She called her doctor who told her to get to Mount Sinai private hospital (picture below) ASAP where she had an emergency 4 hour operation that saved her life. Unfortunately, she did not have private insurance, so she had to put the $7,000 cost on credit cards.
You will not be able to enroll in IESS until you have a residence visa and a cedula (national ID card). In order to obtain your visa you will need to show proof of private health insurance. Fortunately, there are many options available, from low-priced policies with a $10,000 limit to catastrophic coverage up to $500,000 with a $5,000 deductible. This is the policy we have, and it costs us $115/month each as seniors close to age 70. According to our insurance broker, she could make more selling other policies, but our private Confiamed policy allows us to be admitted into a private hospital during an emergency with just our cedula (national ID card) and be covered directly by the insurance company if the $5000 deductible is exceeded.
In Ecuador, prior existing conditions are covered by private policies after two years but, as with everything in this article, you must verify this with an Ecuadorian insurance broker.
Most gringos pay out of pocket for routine care, including specialists and minor operations because it is very inexpensive. A 1 hour visit with our doctor, a Belgian lady who speaks 4 languages fluently costs $40. Some charge less. A specialist might charge $60. Housecalls cost $60. And, you can get appointments very quickly. As a former heart attack survivor, I am very grateful to have easy access to affordable, world-class healthcare when I need it.
A true Canadian health story in Ecuador
Two Nova Scotians from the Yarmouth area came to stay at our aparthotel two years in a row for 3 months each time. They are unable to get a family doctor in Canada despite years of waiting. They decided they would try to get some medical issues addressed while here, so we told them to start with our family doctor whom they were able to see within 48 hours. Later that day, they dropped by to tell us—stunned—that they were able to get our doctor on her cell phone, she had seen them and referred them to an orthopedic specialist. They called the specialist right away, reached him on his cell phone, and were invited to see him at 4pm the same day since he’d had a cancellation. Within 1.5 weeks, they had seen our doctor twice, seen two specialists twice, got x-rays, bloodwork, an MRI and a diagnosis that they could never seem to obtain in Canada. They couldn’t believe it! The total bill was about $500.
Healthcare here is nothing like Canada, thankfully. But, if you find yourself in a private hospital you will not be able to leave until the bill is paid in full. They will keep you and charge you (if you’re lucky) half the daily rate until the bill is paid. If you come for an exploratory trip make sure you get travel health insurance, and it wouldn’t hurt to have a credit card with as high a limit as you are able.
There are a number of world class private hospitals in Cuenca, including three within walking distance of our home. One of them is the very respected Mount Sinai on Avenida Fray Vincente Solano:
Dental care
Ecuador is a great place to get your mouth renovated! For the many years during my work as a rule of law activist in the Caledonia crisis, we could not afford much dental care and our teeth were a mess. Debbie and I are now finished our extensive dental restorations that included bridges, crowns and implants. The total bill was about $15,000 USD with a 10 year guarantee. An implant with a top quality Italian zirconium crown costs around $1300 at our dentist.
Remember the Nova Scotia couple from above who were blown away by the medical care? She had a pain problem with a bridge that no Canadian dentist could fix. While here, their Ecuadorian dentist (not ours) discovered she needed a bone graft to build up her jaw. Now, she’s pain-free.
If you need extensive dental work, dental tourism to Ecuador might be for you. In fact, our dentist specializes in it. He speaks English fluently, and has an English-speaking administrative assistant who can help organize your work. The practice was featured in Cuenca Highlife in July 2024: Do you need dental work? How about a vacation? You can have both with this dental clinic in Cuenca!
I. POLITICS
BACKSTORY: On August 21/23 Ecuador held a national election following the assassination of a conservative candidate. The socialist Citizens Revolution Party was leading all other parties before the assassination, but a conservative party won, and their leader, Daniel Noboa became our president.
Ecuador just announced (Feb 02/25) that Noboa had concluded an important trade deal with Canada.
So far, Noboa is remaining popular even though he wants to remove fuel subsidies in order to help balance the budget, but has not done so as of February 2025. Ecuador cannot print US Dollars, so it must be financially responsible by exploring all revenue possibilities. He raised the exit tax on funds leaving Ecuador to 5%, and he recently brought in a VAT-type tax on accommodations, although paying cash may help you avoid it.
Ecuador’s national elections Feb 9/25 & April 13/25
The national election results of Feb 9/25 left the communist/socialist Citizens Revolution Party without a majority in the Assembly for the first time in a long time, however, the constitution required a run-off election for the position of Presidente. Unlike in Canada where the socialist would be Prime Minister due to our first-past-the-post system, Ecuador's constitution requires a run-off election unless the lead candidate gets at least 40% of the vote AND at least 10% more votes. So, contrary to what you may have been told by people who couldn't find Ecuador on a map, this so-called 'Third World' country has a much stronger democratic process than Canada's.
International observers of the main 2025 election stated the following:
“In our view, Ecuador continued its tradition of more than 30 years of hosting transparent and well-organized elections,” [Gabriel] Mato [of the EU Observer team] said. https://cuencahighlife.com/observers-see-no-election-irregularities-more-than-1000-ecuadorians-deported-country-risk-rises-cne-warns-of-premature-national-assembly-projections/
On April 13/25, the presidential run-off election was held, and the incumbent president, Presidente Daniel Noboa, won a large majority, beating the socialist/communist candidate by approximately 1,000,000 votes. The polls had been predicting that the socialist was slightly ahead, but this proved not to be the case as at least four provinces on the coast, traditionally socialist, flipped for Noboa.
The Organization of American States (OAS) had this to say about Ecuador’s 2025 run-off election, as quoted by Cuenca Highlife:
In its final report on the election, the OAS said Ecuador’s elections “continue to be among the best managed and most transparent” in Latin America. https://cuencahighlife.com/oas-recognizes-election-results-and-says-its-review-of-ballots-eliminates-ink-transfer-fraud-fraud/…
People here have a long memory of the times when the socialist government under Rafael Correa nearly bankrupted the country with extreme spending and borrowing for vanity projects as well as some good infrastructure upgrades to roads. The 2025 election results provide Ecuador with the stability needed to maintain progress while not embracing the radical policies of of the past.
In the previous iteration of this article, I suggested people hold off on any decision to make Ecuador their home until after the presidential election. Now, I can once again urge you to consider this amazing country for your next home.
Canada’s critical election
Canada’s national election was held on April 28/25, and the ‘Liberals’ who ran the country into the ground under Trudeau for his 3 terms won a fourth, near majority government after they used their time-honoured fear incitement method to cast blame on others as they did against unvaccinated Canadians. This time, their target was Donald Trump and America. In his book, Values, the installed prime minister, Mark Carney, has praised both Karl Marx and climate hoaxer/Jew-hater Greta Thunberg. He wants to introduce a central bank digital currency (CBDC) as well as punish companies that do not meet his expectations of ‘green’ policies.
Carney earned praise from Hamas terrorists for a joint letter he signed with French President Macron and UK PM Starmer in which they condemned Israel’s war to free their hostages in Gaza and remove Hamas as a future threat. This will undoubtedly empower Hamas to reject any peace agreements/surrender, and embolden the mobs of Jew-haters on Canadian streets calling for genocide against Jews.
Now that the ‘Liberals’ have won, and appear determined to go down the road of siding with violent Islamists, getting out with your money may become even more urgent as these radical socialists also continue to try to restrict your freedom and tax you into oblivion to pay for their wild schemes and special interests. As we watch the rising Jew-hate and national security threat of ‘Palestinianism’ in Canada, and its tolerance by federal and provincial governments, we are seeing the rule of law collapse in Canada in real time.
What about Western alienation: Will Alberta separate? In addition to the collapse of the rule of law, we see the terrible results of the vaccine sadism that ripped the soul of the country apart, as well as extreme western alienation. The ‘Liberal’ win has strongly reinvigorated the western secessionist movement.
While there is a growing sentiment to leave Confederation in western Canada, Alberta has a very large, radically-socialist voting block. During the last Alberta election, the United Conservative Party (UCP) won a majority, but lost 14 seats to the New Democrat Party radicals. As I stated in this article, Alberta is one election and a handful of seats away from returning to socialist/communist rule. If a vote for secession were held today, it is unlikely to succeed…in my opinion. That said, one poll shows as much as 47% support for independence. There is much work yet to be done before any secession referendum should be held, an opinion held by Albertan Cory Morgan, who once led an Albertan secessionist party. I highly recommend his book, The Sovereigntist’s Handbook, in order to gain a realistic and sobering insight into what needs to happen in order to bring about an independent Alberta.
Keep in mind, however, ensuring that a ‘Liberal’ government cannot steal your wealth in the form of home equity taxes (they have researched this for years) or via wealth taxes or higher capital gains taxes depends on you having Permanent Residency in Ecuador AND that you have decided to stay here AND that you have completed all the paperwork to transfer your tax residency here from Canada with the Canada Revenue Agency. Obviously, this is not a quick process. The longer you delay, the more vulnerable you will be.
It is a very good feeling to be able to watch Canada from afar, knowing that we are safe, happy and economically secure from its insanity. If, by some miracle, the Alberta does manage to secede, we can pursue citizenship there if we are able.
Ecuador’s constitution
Ecuador has a very strong constitution, much better than Canada's. It is why Ecuador stayed open to un-injected foreigners like us throughout the entire covid fiasco except for one month shortly after we arrived. The country had severe lockdowns and mask mandates, but did not impose mandatory vaccinations or close the country.
Some attempts were made by the emergency measures organization (COE is the acronym) to limit access to businesses to 'vaccinated' people after we arrived, but this did not last long. In any event, the measures did not have the effect they would have had in Canada because most food is distributed not by large grocery stores, but by small tiendas (tiny mom and pop stores) and mercados (larger farmers markets). We lived in New Brunswick where the cruel 'Conservative' government actually tried to deny food to un-jabbed people after we left! So, it was a little traumatic to be turned away from SuperMaxi and Coral stores here, but not as bad as it would have been in Canada where food distribution is controlled by a few big grocery chains.
No CBDC. No carbon taxes.
In addition to the distrust Ecuadorians have in the banking system which forced the cancellation of CBDCs, the other good news is that the government is severely limited in its ability to impose carbon taxes on energy which is already subsidized. In 2022 a two-week strike was launched with the partial objective of rolling back fuel prices even more. In response the government reduced the price of regular gas and diesel by 15 cents per US Gallon to the current prices, again...USD per USG. In Canadian terms, regular gas is 63 cents/L, and diesel is just 46 cents/L:
If a Trudeau-type climate tyrant tried to burden Ecuadorians with insane fuel taxes, we are fairly confident that there would be an actual revolution. Yes, really.
J. ALTERNATIVES TO ECUADOR
Canadian refugees have found great new lives in other countries that you might want to investigate as well as Ecuador. Keep in mind that none of them have a tax treaty with Canada containing the pension taxation exemption discussed above:
Mexico
A lot of Canadians went to Mexico. We couldn't because we didn't qualify financially, but folks who did are enjoying themselves:
Mexico Relocation Guide: https://mexicorelocationguide.com/best-places-to-live-in-mexico/
Canadian refugees to follow on X (Twitter):
1. ‘Tacos y Libertad’: x.com/tacosylibertad (ex-RCMP officer who got out of Canada in late 2020 with his family, his brother's family and their parents)‘Positive Options For Success’: x.com/for_options
‘Canadian nurse living in Mexico’: x.com/LoLinseyLou
We are advised by a Mexican contact that the country is becoming much more socialist with the election of Claudia Sheinbaum as President in 2024.
El Salvador
Canadians make up the largest group of 'gringos' in 'The Saviour.' El Salvador? Isn't is dangerous there!?! Nope. Not anymore. ES is on a rapidly-ascending freedom and economic trajectory due to President Nayib Bukele's success in destroying gangs, and implementing Bitcoin (BTC) as an official currency...first in the world to do so.
Notably for Canadians, President Bukele told Trudeau after he crushed the Convoy that he should never lecture any other country on human rights again. He also famously said that while the world descends into tyranny, El Salvador will be a place of freedom.
If our Plan B in Ecuador goes off the rails for any reason and became like Canada, El Salvador could be a consideration for our Plan C, although I have concerns about the vehement anti-Israel views of President Bukele’s two key Bitcoin advisors, Max Keiser and Saifedean Ammous.
Tucker Carlson interview with Max Keiser, Sr. Bitcoin Advisor to President Bukele: https://www.bitchute.com/video/7IdP1NIfX7GG/
Tucker Carlson interview with Michael Saylor, owner of Microstrategy Corp which holds $8B in Bitcoin. Not about El Salvador, but very valuable if you are new to BTC: https://www.bitchute.com/video/ZAt3NnARPw0D
El Salvador President Bukele on Twitter: x.com/nayibbukele
Canadian refugees on Twitter: x.com/twopeopleinpara This couple, Ryan & Jessica from Halifax, Nova Scotia run a Youtube channel called Two People in Paradise. In this heartbreaking, yet hopeful video, they describe for a Salvadoran audience why they left Canada to start a new life — ‘Why We Left Canada Permanently.’ Every time I watch it, I get tears in my eyes because their story has much in common with our own.
Paraguay/Colombia/Argentina
Landlocked Paraguay could be the perfect country for Canadians who aren't ready to leave, but want a refuge available on short notice if they need to leave. That's because, unlike Ecuador or El Salvador, once you get your residency visa you don't have to spend much time in country to keep it. As always, be sure to verify this with a visa agent before making important decisions. Paraguay is also a member of MERCOSUR, the South American free trade organization that allows easy movement between countries, somewhat like the European Union. Ecuador is also a member.
One minor drawback of Paraguay is that they use 220 volt electrical supplies like Europe, so your North American appliances will not work without adapters. Ecuador uses 110 volts, so you can order anything you want from Amazon and it will work.
Our pastor’s wife spent years in Paraguay as a missionary and found it hot and humid.
I do not know any Canadian refugees in Paraguay, Argentina or Colombia, but I have checked prices for several Paraguay visa agents. One was more than double the price we paid for our Ecuadorian visa. The other, Manuel P. Schipper below, was much more reasonable, but still more expensive. He seemed responsive and pleasant to deal with, and another gringo Canadian confirmed a similar experience. He also does visas for Argentina and Colombia:
Manuel P. Schipper, Visa agent/attorney, Ascuncion Paraguay
Paraguay Unlocked, x.com/PYUnlockedWhatsApp: +595984111682
E-mail: info@paraguayunlocked.com
Website: http://paraguayunlocked.com (under construction)
Buenos Aires Bar Association (Argentina)
LLM in International Business Law (Belgium)
Economy Law specialist (Colombia)
The new, libertarian president of Argentina, Javier Milei, is making enormous changes to Argentina’s socialist economy that are rapidly bringing down inflation and jumpstarting the country in a whole new and positive direction. He is also very much pro-Israel. If we had to leave Ecuador, Argentina would be on the Plan C list along with El Salvador for consideration.
Costa Rica
We don't know a lot about CR beyond conversations with several people here in Cuenca who checked it out firsthand, but there are Canadian refugees there: x.com/ahandygingergal. This Canadian couple have a couple of acres in the hills and grow/raise a lot of their own food. They once showed video of a 3-Toed Sloth pulling himself along the framework of their dining area! Very cool. Our understanding from people who have been on the ground checking it out as a retirement solution is that CR is beautiful, but much more expensive than Ecuador, especially if you try to live like a gringo.
Panama
We were getting quite serious about Panama as we scrambled to find a country that would take us without a jab. Our plan was to go to Boquete in the hills where the climate is mild rather than the hot & sticky coast. We decided not to go there after our Panama source (link below) let us know that Panama was considering bringing in vaccine passport segregation.
In retrospect, we are so glad we didn't go to Panama as rents in Boquete have risen quite a bit since we started looking. There are a lot of gringos heading there and the town has only a population of 23,000 compared to Cuenca's 300,000, so the pressure on prices is much higher.
We can very highly recommend Panama Relocation Tours as a credible, honest, fantastic resource. Owner, Jackie, called us one night during our stress-filled, frantic scramble to get out of Canada to tell us that Panama seemed ready to implement a vaccine passport, and that we probably should not come. She refunded our money in full without even being asked! I cannot recommend her and her company enough if Panama is on your radar.
Panama Relocation Tours: PanamaRelocationTours.com
One Canadian refugee in Panama to follow is ‘Oldger58’: https://x.com/Oldger1958
USA
We cannot advise you to break US immigration law, but the fact is that even if you don't have a green card, it is possible to live in the USA by claiming asylum should you find yourself on US soil.
Before leaving Canada, we consulted a US immigration lawyer to ask about claiming asylum:
Matthew Kolken, US immigration attorney: https://www.kolkenandkolken.com/
This lawyer had never filed an asylum claim for a Canadian as of the date of our conversation(October/November 2021), but has done so since. At that time, when we were about to be prevented from leaving Canada, his opinion was that Canadians should qualify for asylum. It may well be that our Supreme Court's 2023 refusal to hear the appeal by Sheila Lewis who was denied a lung transplant for refusing the covid 'vaccine' may strengthen the case for asylum.
You will have to consult a US immigration lawyer and do research to establish whether you could get a driver licence, bank account or buy property as an asylee as well as obtaining health insurance in the state you wish to live.
Once you file the appropriate application for asylum you cannot be removed until all your hearings are completed. Since the final level is the Supreme Court of the United States, this could take many years. Unfortunately, you would have to plan to pay many thousands in legal fees, and live in limbo for an indeterminate amount of time. That is why we decided not to go this route, but if we did, we would head straight for New Hampshire, the free-est state in America thanks to the New Hampshire Free State Project (fsp.org / twitter.com/freestateNH).
Alberta, Canada
If you cannot leave, or don't want to leave Canada, but you also don't want your kids and grandkids to grow up under communism, the only Canadian alternative left is to head to Alberta and work for independence.
The leading organization working for independence appears to be the Alberta Prosperity Project. There are several constitutional lawyers speaking out aggressively for independence since the April 28/25 national election, including Keith Wilson and Jeffrey Rath. Mr. Rath also has a Substack, The Road To Freedom.
Here, in an interview with Candice Malcolm, Mr. Wilson explains the movement for independence. He was a strong opponent of covid/vaccine abuses.
What’s the downside? Unfortunately, Alberta has had an NDP government in the past and the socialists made startling gains in the last provincial election, picking up 14 seats at the expense of conservatives. Albertan independence will require a lot of work to prepare for a winning referendum, including education, an Alberta pension plan and police force as well as attracting enough conservative people to move to Alberta to offset the socialist radicals. This will take time.
If Alberta independence is attractive, I strongly recommend Cory Morgan’s fabulous book, The Sovereigntist’s Handbook which lays out a thoughtful, realistic path based on the lessons he learned leading an unsuccessful independence party . I highlighted material on almost every page, it’s that good:
K. CONCLUSION
My only 'agenda' is your freedom
Is Canada really over?
This video I made from my hammock in Cuenca explains why I believed Canada could not be saved no matter how big a majority Pierre Poilievre and the ‘Conservative’ Party won. Of course, we now know that the woke, corrupt, anti-Israel, anti-freedom, Net Zero, globalist Liberal Party won the April 28/25 election, setting the country on a path to further destruction. I believe that Canada’s problems are irreversible.
Mark Vandermaas: Can Canada Be Saved?
Isn’t it wrong to leave Canada? Shouldn’t I stay and fight?
The Jews who left Germany lived. Those who stayed went up chimneys. East Germans who got out lived in freedom and prosperity. Those who stayed lived miserable, impoverished lives under totalitarianism. There is nothing wrong with keeping you and your family safe from tyrants. If the independence movement in Alberta starts taking off, you can always go back. We are definitely watching developments there. In the meantime, we love our life in Ecuador, especially knowing that we have a permanent ‘Plan B’ to protect us from Canada’s abusers if we did return.
Speaking of Jews…
If you’re Jewish, it might interest you to know that during the Holocaust, while Canada was turning away Jews, Ecuador was taking your people in:
Times of Israel, Dec 08/18: How Tiny Ecuador Had a Huge Impact on Jews Escaping The Holocaust
More good news: on May 04/25, the office of Ecuador’s president, Daniel Noboa, posted this announcement on X regarding closer cooperation with Israel:
"Ecuador & Israel are consolidating their bilateral relations and strengthening the historic ties of friendship, cooperation, and mutual respect. Both nations agree on the importance of working together, primarily on issues of security, technological support, and defense."
I am SO proud of Ecuador bucking the trend of demonizing Jews and Israel for defending themselves against barbarity. I have no desire to live in a Jew-hating country as Canada has become. Well done, Mr. Presidente. Very well done.
How much are you making off helping people, Mark?
As stated in the intro, I do not accept any kickbacks or finder’s fees from any entity I may mention, and I do not charge consulting fees…yet. That could change in the future if demand grows too much, but not anytime soon. I have not made a single dime from helping Canadians escape or make exploratory trips. That said, some people do bring welcome gifts of HP Sauce and Miracle Whip, which is hard to get here. :) Yummmm.
Sadly, this Canadian Forces vet has lost my love for Canada and for its people. My compassion is for those whose lives were destroyed by covid crimes against humanity, those who lost jobs, those who were injured, those who were segregated and bullied and vilified by their ‘friends,’ families, neighbours, politicians, journalists and ‘doctors.’ And, of course, I would like to be of service to my terrorized Jewish brothers and sisters seeking to escape Canada.
Good luck!
I hope this article and the Can Canada Be Saved? video above give you a dose of hard reality, some hope, and a starting place for your journey to your new life, wherever that may be. My X account is x.com/cdnrefugee where I regularly post opinions about Canada's fall into madness, pics from our amazing life in Ecuador as well as info about other countries and Canadian refugees.
My other X account, for my Israel land rights training work, is x.com/israeltruthweek, and my website is IsraelTruthWeek.org where you can take my Mandate For Palestine training online and follow along with my downloadable workbook. My heart was broken by October 7th and the awful Jew-hatred unleashed in its wake. I will be focusing on my Israel advocacy in the coming months.
My email address is mark@israeltruthweek.org and, after you’ve done some research with help from this article, I’m glad to answer your questions about building a great new life outside Canada…no charge. But, do your homework first, please.
Hope to see you in Ecuador!
Mark Vandermaas, Canadian Refugee
Cuenca, Ecuador
(formerly of Hillsborough, New Brunswick)
Saludos, me pareció muy interesante tu reportaje, soy de Cuenca y me agrada que ames tanto a nuestra ciudad, me gustaría compartir tus reportajes en mi blog personal, si te animas te dejo mi WhatsApp +593998101224 pero escríbeme antes por que no contesto llamadas por la delincuencia de hoy. te dejo mi blog y muchas bendiciones. https://periodistasdelascalles.blogspot.com/
Saludos, me pareció muy interesante tu reportaje, soy de Cuenca y me agrada que ames tanto a nuestra ciudad, me gustaría compartir tus reportajes en mi blog personal, si te animas te dejo mi WhatsApp +593998101224 pero escríbeme antes por que no contesto llamadas por la delincuencia de hoy. te dejo mi blog y muchas bendiciones. https://periodistasdelascalles.blogspot.com/