>"don't pay very well." is a key point in Canada.

You say that, and it's probably true on average, but I'm making 33% above the average salary for my province. Granted, I don't live in one of the "big" provinces and competition for tech jobs is not as high as it would be in hotspots like Vancouver/Toronto/Ottawa/Montreal.

Granted, I'm making less than an equivalent job in one of the big tech hubs in Canada, but the cost of living is a fraction of what it is in the bigger cities as well.