Miriam Levin-Gold likes Prime Minister Mark Carney's idea of Canadians being able to live and work in the European Union under proposed closer ties with the trade bloc. "I think that's great for young people to explore different parts of the world and work in different places and have different experiences," the commuter told the BBC in Toronto. Canadians woke up to news of Carney's speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Thursday morning, welcoming the EU's ambition for Canada to become its first "associate member" as he urged closer co-operation on defence and energy.
"We should deepen our people-to-people ties, allowing our youth to live, work and study where they want on either side of the Atlantic," the PM said. Carney told MEPs that Canada and Europe were "stronger together" in the face of "geopolitical rupture". But before Canadians start packing their bags, "associate member" status does not currently exist within the EU and could take years to implement, given that all 27 EU member states would have to approve such an arrangement.
Nevertheless, people the BBC spoke to were excited about the potential prospect of working and studying in the EU as news of Carney's speech spread. Alex Nash, from Montreal, said closer ties would clear away the obstacles of work visas and permits. "It would certainly be really nice for that to be easier, more convenient and to be able to visit more easily," she said.
Canadian social media has lit up with the topic. One person on a Facebook group, A Canadian Outlook, said they would love the opportunity for their grandchildren to study at European universities for better rates. Another woman said it would make it much easier for the home she already owns in France.
"Snow birds are going to love it," another person said, referring to Canadians who head to warmer locations for winter. The sentiments hint at dissatisfaction in Canada over bilateral tensions with the US. Growing up in Canada, David Jardine thought of the US as not just a neighbour, but an epicentre of culture and cool.
"I remember wanting to go and visit New York all the time," he told the BBC after finishing his overnight shift, not far from one of Toronto's most iconic buildings, the CN tower. But he's become a lot more sceptical in the light of US President Donald Trump's trade war with Canada and rhetoric about annexation. "I would say I think not only does it make more sense to associate closely with Europe, it's a place that I would rather be associating with given the way things are these days," he said.
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