I agree with a majority of points that you have raised (especially around cost of living vis-à-vis HHI), but it’s not exactly gloom and doom either.

The major issue is that most immigrants don’t do extensive research before making that move.

I talk to new immigrants in my social circle frequently in a bid to help people out or answer any questions they might have- and most of them move to either Vancouver or Toronto for no substantial reason. They have limited clarity in terms of the average cost of living in their targeted city. They do limited research to figure out which organizations they should be targeting/what’s the average salary for their YOE/skills/location.

That often results in a rude shock. A friend of mine was taken aback when she realized that she’d have to pay 1800 for a crammed up basement in GTA, when their monthly HHI was around 3200. Another acquaintance landed in Vancouver without realizing that there are limited firms that hire for his core skills (they eventually moved to Toronto). Another couple I know stayed in Canada for a mere 15 days before they decided that they hate feeling isolated from their family- and took the next flight back.

I don’t really worry about people who’re working in tech, but I have seen people who’re working in other fields struggling to make ends meet as they spend months (if not years) trying to get their foot in the door.

The way I see it, one should immigrate with both of their eyes wide open, and remove the rose tinted glasses before they take that flight.

Since you’ve already listed why Canada isn’t a good choice- I’ll list out a few why I personally found it was worth it.

1. Clean air, pavements (on which you can actually walk), traffic rules being followed, public parks, stellar public transportation in major cities, suburbs are closer to major cities and easily accessible for travelling back and forth from work- the little things add up to the overall quality of life.
2. Because of their views towards immigrants- it has a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic community. I won’t say discrimination and racism won’t exist, but the instances are few and far in between.
3. Views on politics and religion aren’t discussed openly. Which means that there is lesser friction on that topics when you’re interacting with people.
4. It’s a safe haven if you belong to the LGBTQ+ community.
5. Work-life integration is a drastic change from my experience in Indian corporate. Can’t remember the last time I was asked to work beyond office hours or called during my sick leaves. Not sure if it’s the same for blue collar roles though.
6. The weather is not as horrendous as people make it out to be (I reside in GTA). As long as you’re clad in the right clothes, stepping out during winters isn’t really painful. Internal heating works like a charm at home or any mall/store/workplace that you’d be visiting.
7. Human Rights! The laws here are well defined, stringent, and there are easier avenues to leverage those. In India, if your manager screams their head off at you, or if they discriminate against you because you belong to a certain region/state, or if you’re laid off without any substantial reason- you can’t really do much. Not to mention that unless you’re working in Big Tech in India- you’re most likely living from one weekend to the next.
8. Public Education
9. Universal healthcare. Even I resent the wait time and lack of accessibility compared to what we had in India, but it works well for severe conditions and emergency intervention.
10. Proximity to US- for jobs, travelling for leisure, et al.
11. Canadian Passport- gives you the ability to travel visa-free to multiple countries. Opens you for TN Visa, if your job role is aligned to it.

But yeah, it irks me a bit when people immigrate without understanding that it’s not all unicorns and rainbows. The housing market, the job market, the rental market- these are grim elements of the move that need to be looked at exhaustively. Before moving, not after.