Several members and even a Director of the Canadian Snowbird Association have shared their personal experiences with us describing how the provincial governments of Canada have been applying their residency requirements "by the book" to the personal detriment of these otherwise respectable citizens of Canada.

In this and future issues of CSANews we will explore the funding and functions of the various levels of Canadian government that have the power to aid or alienate us in our quest to exist as we desire and so richly deserve.

Our first excerpt explores the trickle down funding process that ultimately leads to the short sighted application of residential status and the restriction of health care benefits to citizens while at home in Canada.

Health care is probably the most common subject covered in today's popular Canadian press. Rarely does a day go by that some aspect of our health-care system, or lack thereof, is exposed in daily print, radio or television news. In addition, health-care stories are always covered in the front section of the newspaper; this reinforces the subject's broad relevance as opposed to subjects covered in the more specialized sections that follow. Why does the subject consistently carry such a high profile? The immediate answer, which Canadian snowbirds know all too well, is that we all require reassurances that we will be taken care of when it's our turn to rely on the system to take care of our loved ones and/or ourselves.

The second answer is that health care is a mega-industry in which we are commonly invested like no other. The health-care basket carries a huge collection of our national eggs and, as a result, will always be a source of major interest to Canadians everywhere. The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) recently reported that in the 2002/2003 fiscal year, provincial/territorial governments will spend close to $68 billion on health care. This is up from $66 billion in the previous year. CIHI also reports that in the past five years, provincial and territorial governments have been investing in health care at an increasing rate that is, on average, higher than in any other five-year period since 1975.