I was wondering
 

Hi, I was wondering if Self-employment is something common in Canada?
I always thought that permanent positions are preferred because are more secure.

It’s not always true. I prefer contracts because they are better paid and can have a vacation whenever I want. I am not a “corporate climber” type. I don’t want to be a manager and work 12 hours a day without getting paid for that. It depends of the personality.

I agree with SDuncan. Self employment in Canada is huge right now. There are lots of opportunities and lots of help available through government programs. I also like the idea of working your own schedule. the key is to find a niche and a target market for your product or service. You may end up working longer hours in the beginning but, in my opinion, the rewards are much greater.

Not just Canada, but everywhere in the world, self employment is becoming a more appealing option to people.
People like the freedom and control they have over their own business.

While it's not for everyone, if you have the drive to succeed, I believe that anyone can do it.

I don't think permanent positions are more secure than contracts. Permanent employees are huge liability, because they are long term expense. The contractor is hired to do a job for certain period of time for certain amount of money. A good contractor will always find a job, while if the economy goes bad, I wouldn't say so for all the laid-off permanent employees.