I am not white and have a multicultural background. From what I hear, Canada/Vancouver is more receptive of people from different backgrounds.
Vancouver is very diverse in ethnic population. Most visible are east Asians and south Asians, but there are people from everywhere here. You may run into an asshole racist from time to time but mostly people don't think twice about it.
I love the Swiss mountains and love that I can reach a hiking/biking trail or ski resort in less than an hour. Vancouver also has a lot of nature and mountains around. Are there as many options and are they just as easy to commute to?
Mountains galore, a couple do have bus service but to really get some decent hikes in you'll need a car. You can join a co-op program like Car2Go if you don't want your own wheels.
Taxes are higher in BC but cost of living is lower and I don't have to pay for health insurance.
Cost of living here is mostly dependant on where you want to live. Rents are high, purchasing is higher. A 1br apartment can rent for $1200/mo and to buy the same place you're looking at $400,000+. And you actually do have to pay a monthly health care supplement, because the Provincial government lowered income taxes awhile back and now can't afford to support the weight of the health care system. It's $60/month for a single person.
I believe living standard (housing, cleanliness, public transportation) might be higher in Zurich.
Probably, yes. Never been to Zurich so I don't know for sure.
I lived in California for many years and sometimes miss the lifestyle/culture. I believe Vancouver has a similar culture. Zurich often tries to mimic the culture but usually falls short (e.g. don't even think about trying 'mexican' cuisine here).
Eh, that's a debatable point of view. I guess we're more like California tham Zurich is, and we do have amazing international food here. But a lot of Canadians chafe at the idea that we are similar to Americans, it offends our sense of Canadian-ness.
I do have a few friends in Zurich from having spent quite a bit of time here. It will be difficult to say goodbye to them and make new ones in Vancouver. But I imagine meeting people is fairly easy or at least easier than it is in Zurich.
Not so much. Vancouver has a reputation for being hard to make friends in.
I hear that crime is higher in Vancouver. Is it actually bad or just the news media up to their usual shenanigans?
Property crime is high, and the police don't put much effort into investigating or following up on it. There are gangs here that shoot each other up over drug disputes. It doesn't affect most people's daily lives though.