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I don't know what the job market looks like in Canada, but there are still good jobs to be had in the U.S. if you have needed skills. Having a degree in General Arts may increase your ability to move up the ladder over time, but it probably doesn't set you up for a good paying job right out of school. What is your other-half's major? You have to expect to live a meager existence when you first start out working towards your long term goals.
Always take your parents advice into consideration, but the final decisions rest on the two of you because you're the ones who have to live with them.