International Living's affordable retirement living--as an expat

If you're willing to leave the U.S. to retire, International Living rates countries by affordability, climate, healthcare, stability and so on. This year's list looks like this:

Malta 10
Portugal 9
Nicaragua 8
Spain7
Malaysia 6
Columbia 5
Costa Rica 4
Ecuador 5
Panama 6
Mexico 7

I've been following this list for years now and know more about Ecuador than anyone should, who has never been there. Ecuador was top of the list for many years. This year it's Mexico, but not just any part of Mexico, only the safe parts. Do your homework. Evidently, you can live well in Mexico on $1200 a month. I'm pretty sure that's on the low end of the scale even for Mexico.

Anyway, these places are all warm; some of them are just hot. Most of them have beaches. All of them have humongous bugs and mold.

Canada has never made the list, even though a lot of people speak English here, even though there are beaches at either end and at the top too--who hasn't wanted to lie out on a beach on Baffin Bay on the beautiful blue waters of the Arctic Ocean?

Who doesn't want snow at Christmas, Easter and, if you're lucky, Mother's Day?

I'm exaggerating. We've had very little snow. Right now it's 15 degrees, but feels like 8, but get this, tomorrow the temperature will be 48. I prefer a yo yo climate. And no matter what time of the year, one can always go to the beach:

Is Canada cheap? No. Is it stable? Heavens yes. And where else can you see a Polar Bear? What other country touches the Atlantic, the Pacific and the Arctic Ocean? Whooo Hooo, Canada!