Definitely agree with this. I enjoy my work for a small company in Waterloo, but the compensation is definitely a pittance, and that aspect has frustrated me the entire time I've been there. We get a lot of government money too--- IRAP, SR&ED, OCE, etc, but the lack of a VC scene means we're basically stuck bootstrapping the company. Everyone's very wealthy on paper, but stock options don't put a roof over a young family.

We've stayed in the area for exactly the reasons you speak of---proximity to family, and concerns about US politics, healthcare, etc. But it's agony to look around and see so few job alternatives, especially when I've been invited on multiple occasions to apply for positions in the valley based on nothing more than a HN comment. sigh