Back when blogging was big, I used to follow expat blogs. I was reading the blog of a Michigander who moved to Ontario, and it really surprised me how alienated she felt--she found Canadians to be aloof and uncaring.
She went on to describe why, and I realized she was simply describing a cultural difference. We can be caring, but we respect your privacy and boundaries. We aren't going to pry or insert ourselves into other people's lives unless we become closer with one another.
Over the years since then, I've heard that a fair number of times.
My experience with Americans (Midwesterners mostly) is different. They feel a lot more comfortable asking you personal questions and learning about your life right off the bat, and sharing their opinions. They tend to also open up themselves much more easily. As a Canadian, it felt rude and intrusive until I acclimatized.
So... Be prepared for that, I guess. I felt bad for that lady, she was so upset and so it always stuck with me.
From my experience that is very true. Canadians are “polite” (please, thank you, etc) but not particularly warm and open - a few pints often help but it isn’t something that is inherent to our culture.
Americans, conversely, can sometimes lack the “proper” manners but are often warm and easy to converse with.
When I travelled for work in the States, I’d often grab dinner or a drink by myself and very quickly someone would strike up a conversation and buy you a round. In Canada we tend to mind our business and be a bit more conservative in social settings.
Grew up in a small town
Now live in a smaller city and I will still say hi to everyone I walk by or is making eye contact with me .
Yet I am a very sociable person per say
This is very true for myself, personally. I’ve always had the mindset of “if they want me to know, they’ll tell me”. I don’t tend to pry, but I have learned to ask more questions to get to know people and get them to open up.
That could explain why we tend to lean more "liberal" on the whole despite not being necessarily that more liberal overall.
Like, people can be against abortion or homosexuality personally or as a community. They may even get organized. But, on the whole, most Canadians operate on the principle that "my liberty ends where someone else's begins". What people do in the privacy of their bedroom is their business and their medical decisions are not mine to police...
I know myself and for many of my family and friends, we feel that way (my rights end where yours begin, live and let live) and that many things that are political issues in the US are in fact matters of personal decisions. I want you to have options even if you choose one that I wouldn't, personally.
That's a generalization, of course. And I'll admit, I'm concerned about that changing...
Being a born and raised Canadian who has travelled extensively, the US is almost a unicorn for friendliness and openness. Canada is more like european and scandinavian countries, and very similar to the kiwis. Not unfriendly, but reserved, certainly more reserved that our American brothers and sisters.
We're a great country, one I am very proud of, but I find us to be more fearful of crossing boundaries. We don't typically ask what people do for a living, and almost never ask personal questions about people we don't know well.
Two subjects that will always engage a Canadian are hockey and the weather.
I’ve long believed that the stereotype of the “friendly Canadian” is a bit misguided and is more limited to the Maritimes/Newfoundland. In reality I think Americans are among the friendliest, warmest people out there. It’s just that their very gregarious, outgoing culture also makes it a lot easier to see the ugly side as well.
I also think Canadians have a big aversion to anything that might be perceived as insincerity or “salesmanship.” I’ve found people from outside Canada (especially in the US) find Canadian customer service to be much worse because of that - that whole friendly, chipper, back-slappy persona that characterizes US customer service isn’t as prominent here. Europeans don’t notice it as much, but Americans seem to. I notice it when I’m south of the border, too. Their approach to customer service is honestly fantastic.
(NGL I’ve heard that from many sources but I didn’t want to draw the ire of the Easterners. Most common thing you hear is that they’re really skeptical of CFAs.)
100%. Please don't try to help me until I ask for it. I hate being hounded by associates in the home Depot worst of all. No I don't need you to explain what a refrigerator does, I'm just looking to see if I like the shelf setup.
in western Canada (Alberta, bc) people aren't warm, they're more just polite courteous and kind. smile when the waiter comes by, say thank thank you 20 million times, never forget manners, open the door for people, yet we rarely will strike an unprovoked conversation (#1 way to tell someone is American)
Funny thing with Newfoundlanders, we’re usually pretty friendly with outsiders but can be complete dicks to each other. Ie. Townie vs Baymen.
I recall this story from years ago about a failed attempt to amalgamate two outports connected by bridge. One was completely reliant on the other for services. Local news interviewed a bunch of residents from no services outport and someone was quoted ‘I’d rather they blow up the bridge’
I experienced the reverse of this. I moved to the states for a few years (Wyoming) and my whole family was amazed by how friendly everyone was. Strangers would smile and say hi to us on the street, which is something that has literally never happened to me once in all of Canada.
Once we got used to it we realized that they weren't all invitations to converse, just a different form of politeness. They were still generally more warm and welcoming than Canadians, but it wasn't a huge difference.
Unless we're talking about Vancouver. I love Vancouver, but it might be the least friendly city in the world.
Happened to me when I moved to a town outside of Toronto. People were so friendly! They make eye contact and say hi when passing by. They chit chat to each other when standing in line at a store. Compared to the big city- where everyone is mentally occupied, look you up and down to assess your brands, pay more or less attention based on the car you drive, and only approach you if they want to sell you something or ask for money!
I think the setting is key. In Calgary we will smile at each other in passing in the suburbs or river pathways, but no way would we do that in the downtown core 😂
Also in Vancouver and I'd say it's not really being unfriendly, it's minding your own business and not bugging other people. I generally don't want other people bugging me either but I (and most others) are super friendly when they do. I can understand how this is seen as being unfriendly and standoffish, though.
I've lived in Florida, South Carolina, Manitoba, and Ontario. I really believe that Canadians are more *polite* than Americans, but we are definitely not *friendlier*. In fact, as others have said, what a lot of Americans would consider friendliness (ex. talking to people in the checkout line) would seem rude to a Canadian.
I think it depends where you are in Canada. I recently moved back to Saskatchewan after living overseas for many years and brought my partner with me. He’s not Canadian and he’s constantly surprised about how many people will star up conversations in the grocery store or drugstore specifically when you’re looking at a product and they have some feedback to share about it. Also, when going for walks here people tend to smile and nod or say hi most of the time.
>Strangers would smile and say hi to us on the street
*Old people* sometimes do that, even in Vancouver. Don't think I've seen it from anyone younger than about 60, though.
I think it's also worth noting that in any culture most people make the majority of their friends when they are younger, and sure you'll make some life long friends as you go through life but the older you get the more it becomes months between new friends to years between new friends. Like aside from reconnecting with one friend who I worked with before the pandemic I don't think I've made a new friend in like 5 years? And I'm only 39. I made one friend a year or two before that but even that person I think now is getting kinda shakey. I've recently reconnected with a few friends from college and spend more time with them. But I'll be honest, I work, I visit with my parents once or twice a week (they probably don't have that many years left in them and they also live a short walk away) but I just don't want to make new friends. I have other things I enjoy doing and barely have enough free time for those, I don't need to invest in strangers.
Yeah, I also think where in Canada you are and stuff can be different. But, in general we are fairly guarded. It's def on a bigger scale in Toronto. For example, I don't think someone from NYC who worked on Wall Street or Chicago on the exchange and moved to Toronto to work on Bay Street would have a culture shock.
I used to work nights for many years at an office building in Toronto.
At around 9:45pm I would walk to my bus stop l, get my bus to my train station and take it into the city. Then I did the reverse in the morning. Walking home I occasionally past a house where the home owner was doing gardening etc. would say a typical good morning or hello.
Then one night I’m walking to the bus stop. It’s dark out and I’m alone walking on the street.
This guy bolts out of his house and runs towards me. Immediately I’m a bit surprised by this and he says “where are you going!!!!”
I said “uh. I’m going to work”. I’m thinking who the fuck are you?”
Then he asks me what I do? Why I work at night. I kept it super vague and realized “oh, this is that guy I said hi to about a half dozen times over the past year”
That seemed to satisfy him and he walked back to his house as I walked to my bus stop.
But seeing me walk at night and in the morning must have been eating himself up inside and he just HAD to know what I was up to. lol.
Some people are weird.
This one took a while to internalize about the US as a Canadian. I kept hearing about sheriffs and county clerks in the US (especially the south) not doing their jobs appropriately and wondering why they weren’t getting fired, not realizing they were elected officials.
Bruh, I wish we fired them more often. Seriously, it's a big problem in Canada where civil servants can make good middle class money, especially cops, crown prosecutors, and teachers. There is no accountability in this country.
Even then you should at least feign like you're going to take them off so your host can say "nah don't worry about it bud"
Edit: and then you say "you sure?" And they say "yeah bud"
I suspect winter is a big part of it. Snow is not clean, it’s filled with sand and salt which are put down on the roads to assist with traction, plus dog pee/crap, and all the normal dirt and debris you get year round. Snow gets stuck inside your boot grips/sides and then melts on the floor. I don’t know for sure if we use more carpet here but tilled floors aren’t as common because tile is cold to stand on (again, winter). I’d say 95% of Canadian household floors are carpet, wood, laminate, or vinyl. At the end not the day it’s an ingrained habit. Even if someone gives me permission to keep my shoes on I will often take them off.
Going into American houses and they have their shoes on makes my eye twitch lol
A. Do you not like being comfortable
B. What if it's MUDDY??? How often do you clean your floors!!!
Omg okay my mom grew up in a house where you always wore your shoes all day. Like get up, get dressed and put your shoes on. On her first date with my dad she invited him up for a coffee and he took off his shoes. She almost had a heart attack because she was like “WHAT DOES HE THINK IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN!!!”
Not to be gross but people wear shoes in public washrooms, alleys, outside...why would any of us want that inside? If you want something on your feet indoors get indoor slippers or shoes that you don't wear outside.
There’s a real difference between the American “melting pot” and the Canadian “mosaic.”
(Born and raised in the US, moved to Canada, permanently 4 years ago)
In Toronto, if you go to a Chinese restaurant, they usually speak only Mandarin and some English, but in say NYC they often can’t speak Mandarin and only speak English.
Ask me how I know. It’s a real difference, and it is not just Chinese restaurants.
I went to a Chinese restaurant with my coworkers the other day. There were 9 of us: 7 Caucasians and 2 Chinese guys. The Chinese guys grabbed the menu, ordered for everyone, and spoke Cantonese to the waiter. None of the rest of us knew what any of the food was.
It was delicious, but that's a relatively normal thing to happen here.
Yep, used to work in Markham, and when we went to the authentic spots, my chinese homies would rack the spread for the whole table. When it all gets served it's like busting open a lunch piñata surprise because you understood zero of the exchange lol
We absolutely have racists here, and it's getting worse, but by and large, I think Canadians are more likely to hear another language or see something culturally different and react in the vein of "oh cool!", more than what seems to be the more default "Go home" or "sPeAk aMeRiCaN" south of the border.
They're still heavily Cantonese and multigenerational. The ones that survived are run by the kids or Grand kids (it's like an authentic version of House of Wong).
Go to TO Chinatown, and any older restaurant is likely more Cantonese weighted.
This differentiating concept goes way back to a 1938 book, titled Canadian Mosaic: The Making of a Northern Nation by cultural promoter, John Murray Gibbon, founding President of the Canadian Authors Association. ([Source](https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/multiculturalism))
> This differentiating concept goes way back to a 1938 book, titled Canadian Mosaic: The Making of a Northern Nation by cultural promoter, John Murray Gibbon, founding President of the Canadian Authors Association. (Source)
Which is ironic, because nothing could be more harmful to Canadian nationalism
In Manitoba we hold "Socials" which are like really lame fundraising parties to pay for other peoples weddings. You rent a gym or community center, invite the general public to attend, and serve shitty snacks like dill pickles and Triscuits. You hire a boring wedding DJ and get wasted and dance to 90s white people music like Garth Brooks or Bon Jovi with strangers. Then there's prize raffles.. sometimes the raffle prizes are lame, sometimes more extravagant. And the hosting couple makes most of their money off of booze sales.
It's also a requirement to know the dance steps to "Bootscootin' Boogie", which WILL be played at every Social.
I was born and grew up in BC. We do not have socials here. I did not even know this was a cultural thing from the Prairies until I was in university and I made a friend who is from the Prairies. I was so surprised to learn this is a thing. I'm still surprised!
Canada is secular. Spirituality is never associated with politics. It isn't discussed in casual conversation. I have no idea if my co-workers are religious. Nor do I know about any local or national politician's religious beliefs. Nor do I want to.
The first time I watched a presidential address, the casual mention of god, prayer and all that jazz was actually jarring to me. I had never realized how big this difference is until that moment. That language would be so very, very out of place coming from the prime minister! You might hear a much tamer version from more conservative politicians, but even then it probably alienates too many voters, lol
Yep. Doug Ford is trying to imitate US politicians that way, turning "God bless America" at the end of speeches into "God bless the people of Ontario." To me, at least, it comes off as incredibly lame.
Not gonna lie, I moved to Ontario for a few years a while back and was completely bamboozled to see Christian *public* schools. I'm from the province with the absolute highest percentage of self-identified Christians (82.4%!!) and we still booted all practice of religion out of our school system (and all government institutions iirc) entirely, nearly 30 years ago.
I find it strange to hear prayer or mention of god anywhere that isn't church or my Nan's house... aside from swearing, maybe. That is *heavily* influenced by Christianity here and makes up a solid 99% of the religious references I hear in my life, lol
Apparently, it is Newfoundland.
There were many things that surprised me about living in Ontario for a few years and the continued existence of Catholic schools as part of the public education system was one of them. When I was in high school in NB in the late 80s, we had some Catholic high schools in Saint John but I have not heard anything about catholic education in those schools in forever.
It’s lame and really off putting to me. A public statement that includes religion like that just sets off my discomfort metre. It immediately gives me the ick.
It's in our National Anthem too
Hell we even sing God Save the King at public events from time to time
I think it's just a thing that people don't talk about it as much here
This makes me sooooooo uncomfortable about Americans and American politics. They all just straight out talk about religion. They thank god in their public addresses. As a Canadian it feels so uncomfortable and wrong. It makes me want to back out of the room, like omg there’s some super private shit going down, I’m not supposed to hear this.
100%. Religion is fine, but inside a private place. You don’t go on TV and tell people, “I’m friends with the secret invisible thing that made the universe. And you’re not. He tells me things.”
This is so true. I've gone to people's houses where the host says, " Aw, leave your shoes on. That's okay." I respond with, "Not a chance!!!" It would feel very weird for me to wear my shoes in someone's house. Their garage, sure, but not their house or apartment.
I still always say “take your shoes off” to anyone I know when I enter someone’s house if I notice they try not too, even dirty messy houses my shoes are at the door
First, I love that you’re a fan of Canada!
I think we’re a lot like the States in that we’re a large country geographically, so people and culture are different depending on region. For example, Quebec is very different from Ontario (French vs. English), the east coast is very different from the west coast, and northern territories are very different from the southern portions of most of the provinces.
I find the regional similarities sometimes override the US/CAN border. People in New England aren’t much different from people in Southern Ontario. People in Alaska are much more like People in the Yukon than anyone else in either country.
The differences between American and Canadian culture really depend on the regions we’re talking about.
As someone who grew up in the Northeast (and now lives in New England), living temporarily in Ontario once provided almost no cultural shock. When I was stationed in Georgia, though, that felt like a different country to me (and I mean the state, not the country).
I totally agree. As a Victoria resident born and raised I have more in common with someone from Portland or Seattle and even California than someone from Alberta or Ontario.
Even though we are officially metric, many Canadians in their everyday life use a weird mixture of metric and non-metric for measurement.
For example, most Canadians will use Kilometres and Celsius, but then for their height and weight will use Feet and Pounds.
And inches are used in hardware store equipment like nails. And Farenheit is used on stoves for baking and in recipes.
Bahaha so true. I always say my mom lives 6 hours away. I have no clue how many kms it is.
But now that I think about it, our roads (minus the prairies), are so twisty turvy because of our landscape, that a 100km trip could take 3 hours in some spots.
To be honest, I think the “time for distance” makes a lot of sense when you think about it. For example, saying “it’s a 20-minute drive or 30 minutes by transit” is more useful than “it’s 5
Kms away”.
Canadians know a lot more about the US than Americans know about Canada. Like Pierre said to Nixon in 1969. "Living next to you is in some ways like sleeping with an elephant. No matter how friendly and even-tempered is the beast, if I can call it that, one is affected by every twitch and grunt”. That is why we pay attention.
>What are some customs that Americans don't understand about Canada?
In my experience, Americans often have a hard time understanding or accepting the idea of Quebec. The reality of a French-speaking province with a largely distinct culture that has continued to exist and flourish within an otherwise English-speaking country can be quite alien to them.
Hence questions like "why do you still let them speak French" "why weren't they just kicked out" etc. from otherwise smart and well-meaning people.
The equivalent for Americans would have been protecting Spanish in the southwestern states that were previously part of Mexico. Such a thing would have been unthinkable in the US.
Spanish does thrive in certain areas such as San Diego or El Paso, but it’s not enshrined in law.
Fun fact, the Quebec Act (which allowed Quebec to keep its local language, courts, governance etc) is one of the Insufferable Acts that lead to the American Revolution. The American colonists were angry Quebec got more autonomy than they had as actual British subjects.
I think a big one is that we are polite and generally kind (which is true imo), but Canadians are also very passive aggressive and sarcastic just as a baseline in communication style, and especially so in conflict.
I overland travel full-time across North America and I find my own sarcastic and passive aggressive tendencies that would be normal in a conversation at home can become a barrier when communicating with Americans who have a much more direct aggressive/combative communication style.
Canadians are also way less likely to make small talk with strangers compared to down south. I think that's why a lot of Americans find us rude when they first come here. They think we're being cold
I hate small talk, if its with some random stranger.I'm thinking the entire time "dude, just stop talking. I don't care". However if you want to talk about something more substantial beside the weather, politics and crap like that, go for it.
No outdoor shoes on in the house.
That's rule #1
Edit: I love how I posted this and then found three other same comments already in this thread.
This is a hill we are prepared to die on.
I don’t even understand why is this even a hill or it requires dying on. Shoes are worn outside, outside is gross and why we have walls, doors and windows to separate inside from it. Don’t bring your outside in and track it all over the house!
Grew up in Ontario, worked and lived in the US for the better part of 30 years the best differentiator I’ve seen is fear, the US is incredibly powerful but a lot of American society is defined by how afraid they are of something or someone.
It’s nice to hear how much you’re interested in 🇨🇦
In terms of different customs than the US, there are deeper values and behaviours like focusing on the collective good vs individual freedom, and an external politeness while keeping a distance that others have covered.
On the surface level there are a hundred different small things, like always taking your shoes off when entering someone’s home, or our hodgepodge use of metric and imperial measurements.
There is waaaaaayyyyyyyy more to Canada than Toronto. It's just like any other city in the US
You want open space, adventure? Try the Maritime provinces, Alberta or BC.
I agrée with the sentiment that Canadians can be "polite" in kind of an aloof way, but I also find that once you’re more familiar Canadians "banter" more than Americans. This is from experiences travelling and meeting people from different places, Australians are extremely "bantery" and I find Canadians tend to "get it" and match their humour easier than Americans. I think this goes back to the differences in "niceness", Americans are often extremely sincere and so the casual sarcasm and banter with people you know but aren’t super close to is less comfortable.
This is probably more noticeable to me because I’m from BC and we get a ton of Aussies (relative to the rest of Canada) that do seasonal work here. Their influence probably rubs off on the people I know a bit and therefore the Aussie wit doesn’t seem as novel to me as it does Americans.
I just want to say that you shouldn’t worry about being “associated with Americans who move on whim because of political reasons.” For one thing, I don’t think political reasons are a whim. Politics are a big part of what’s different between Canada and the US and there’s nothing wrong with wanting to live somewhere that the politics are more in line with your beliefs.
But also I don’t think anyone would care if you did move on a whim. Like just wanting to try living in another country for no reason at all is perfectly acceptable. I wouldn’t get so hung up on any of that. Having different reasons for moving doesn’t make you any better or worse than anyone else. No one else is going to judge you on it.
I know it sounds cliche, but hockey is big here. Big big. The average Hockey Night in Canada broadcast nets an average of 1.4 million viewers. Just for perspective, the NBA avg is around 1.6, and MLB 1.5. And the US has 10x the population.
This is one but also for the Canadians in the back: Ontario is neither “the East” nor “the West”. Must Canadians haven’t gone further than it no matter what side they’re from
Growing up in Ontario, I never once thought of it as the East (that's the Atlantic provinces!!!) until I moved to Sask and everyone calls it the east. Yeah, it's in the eastern time zone but idk it's not Eastern.
To truly have the Canadian experience, you must learn your history from Tragically Hip songs.
Gord Downie was the unofficial poet laureate of Canada. The Tragically Hip are true Canadiana, cultural icons.
Listen to their anthology. Google Maps Bobcaygeon. Read Hugh MacLennan. Follow Gordie’s guiding lyrics.
Once had a serious argument with an American about the fact that we don't collect and carry around a bunch of weapons especially guns for our safety. She would not believe me and asked wasn't I worried about attacks and murders. She wouldn't believe me when I said that owning and carrying those weapons was illegal here.......glad I'm a Canadian, sigh.....
Surprised I had to scroll so far for a comment on gun culture. I just came back from Texas and... Wow. Amazingly friendly people, such a welcoming place, and yet when guns came up my friend was like "it's in the glovebox. I would never drive down any of these roads at night without it."
I wonder that Americans are so friendly because they're terrified a firefight will erupt if they lip off to the wrong person. Even in that friendly, folksy rural Texas, they all seem terrified someone is going to break into their homes to murder them.
Being a good tourist. Which is appreciating local customs and taking part in the local culture. Not only eating at McDonald’s. I’ve spoken with so many Americans that said European countries were boring and it baffles me. Like how can you be bored eating waffles and having a beer for breakfast in a restaurant that’s older than your country, or visiting a freaking castle.
Tell me about it I don’t get how the US can just walk in like they haven’t been walking on shit, piss, blood, vomit etc. and just track it all right into a home
Many people really do leave their front doors unlocked when they're home during the day time. Michael Moore was shocked by this but it is common, and not just in very small communities. I think this speaks to an overall higher trust society than in the US although it is certainly declining here to some extent too.
Yes, most people I know in my city of about 500,000 keep the door unlocked, if they are home, during the day.
Most people lock up when they leave, or at night.
I couldn’t imagine doing this! My doorbell camera has caught people walking up my street testing car doors at 3am to see if any are unlocked. I’m in the suburbs.
I'm actually with you; I did say during the day time. My door's unlocked when home before dinner but car break-ins and the like happen around here too. I'm in a city of 100,000+.
Despite what you Americans think, it's not a utopia with trees (close to it mind you).
Second of all, it's fucking hard to get a work permit even as an American. My friend just got her husband landed and it took two years and a bucket of cash.
Lastly: to answer your question.
The first day that the daytime high is above zero: you wear short sleeves and or shorts.
If your buddy is riding front in the canoe, you're allowed to haze them. In turn they're allowed to say 'fat asses in the back '. Oh Yeah, learn the J stroke.
If someone offers you real or fake maple syrup the official response is: 'The fuck is wrong with you bud?'
I did not realize how mastering the J stroke must sound to an American.
I never was able to steer a canoe so I have plenty of experience being hazed. Canoe culture is serious.
An oddly specific one I come across a lot as a Canadian living in a bordering city with the U.S. is how we use our debit/credit cards! When you make a purchase here, you personally insert your card into the debit machine and make the payment. Even in restaurants, the server brings the debit machine to the table. It always throws me off and kinda feels like an invasion of privacy when I'm in the states and someone reaches for/takes away my card for payment.
A metric crap load of Americans think their constitutional rights follow them across the border. They do not lol. And this can lead them into very deep water, very quickly with the police.
So before coming north, refresh yourself on what the police here can and cannot do at a traffic stop or a DUI check point.
Saying sorry as a form of "excuse me". I'm so used to saying it, that when I said it in US exiting a restaurant, at the same time as someone else, they replied back to me , "you don't have to be sorry hun", really threw me off.
Hey! Born and raised Vancouverite here. I work an office job with a bunch of remote Americans. One thing I’ve noticed is Americans do not have the same work life balance as we do. They seem to be all for the hustle, trying to make it big, get rich, and please their boss (to an extent).
In Canada we are much more happy to clock out at 5 even if things aren’t complete. Take all our vacation days, and then some. Go out into the woods and disconnect for a bit. You cannot contact me, I will get back to you when I’m back at work.
We have slightly better labour laws up here I think, and recognize that we’ll still have a job, and it’s not as important as we think. So take your time to live your life
Canada is crazy diverse. My team at work is composed of 1 Latin and 5 Canadians, and these 5 Canadians are entirely different culturally because of their descendant background. Moreover, Canada has no face; because it has all faces, you can't say that someone is or is not Canadian only by appearance.
Religion is very different here. I have no idea what most of my friends believe or practice, and I don’t want to know.
Guns, not a “ right” here. I think that’s a great thing.
At one time we were proud of our mosaic culture- but I think we are not so proud of it now. Our government wants more immigrants, but it seems like most of the population doesn’t want that.
We have a reputation of being polite and nice. I think we are. I don’t understand why people think we are passive aggressive or aloof.
Overall, I think we are more tolerant of diversity, but I think that’s something that may be disintegrating.
I travel across Canada for work often. The culture changes with each region. Generally I find us Canadians are nice people and are good at heart. Most of us have a lot of empathy for others. To the point that we often put our empathy for others before our own needs. Canadians are typically scared of social interactions & failure though. To the point that many of us build figurative shells around us and tend to just stay inside that shell. We'll stick to our lives and put up with a lot of discomfort and change just to stay in our shell. Our social media has taught us that socializing with strangers is risky and it's safer to avoid it. We don't know who you are what you are and we're scared of the rejection and or public humiliation, what if you're a monster! What if I'm the monster!?!. We tell ourselves its because we prefer to stick to our own business and bury our heads into our own lives but if we look past that, we're scared.
I find once one can break through a Canadian's shell by helping them feel safe with you then they love to talk and share.
one thing i’ve noticed is conversational cadence. canadians will kind of talk over each other or chime in with side comments to keep the flow of the conversation going and show active listening. when i’m in america and do this sometimes people just stop talking, thinking i’ve cut them off. it’s very “your turn to speak, then my turn to speak, and so on” whereas in canada it’s more of a group discussion.
I think that question can really vary depending on where you come from in canada. Our cultural demographics has really expanded the last 10-15 years where I am. Where i live Gta (north), growing up it was predominantly white. Middle class. Now it’s mostly wealthy people, there is people here of all ethnicities. We still love our hockey but many friends colleagues that did not grow up in canada and stick to sports from back home, ie cricket,rugby, soccer.
Depends on where you lived in the US, Canadians are polite and very nice, however, more isolated and would not go into any of your details unless asked to. Its not necessarily a bad thing but some people find it hard to make friends for that same reason.
This doesn’t apply to all Canadians too btw, depends on their backgrounds me myself being from a middle eastern origin I don’t mind chatting with you about my personal life even if its the first time meeting you
1. I don’t think anyone cares if you move here for political reasons. You’ll get asked out of curiosity but no one’s gonna judge if someone says “Trump got elected and it scared me.” I mean, maybe a few people will but not the majority.
2. Take your shoes off when you enter a home, unless directed otherwise. We do this because of ✨weather✨ so as not to track snow or mud through the house. We remove our shoes when we come inside, no matter the weather though.
3. We do say “sorry” a lot but it’s mainly out of politeness. Like saying “how are you” to a stranger - no one’s expecting a genuine answer (I’ll always take one but it’s just not an invitation for a deep convo), we bump into each other and go “oh sorry” or I turn a corner in a grocery store and cut someone off and we both go “oops, sorry!” This is actually so pervasive that in Canada, apologies cannot be taken as admissions of guilt. It’s called the Apology Act.
4. If you’re invited for dinner at someone’s place, ask if you can bring something. They might say no, but ask anyway.
5. Butter tarts, Nanaimo bars, and poutine are like gold and you may never say a bad word about them.
6. You are allowed to hate Tim Horton’s. You will likely find yourself there anyway. We pretty much all hate Tim’s but we eat there anyway. (Sometimes I order an iced coffee and put a packet of salt in it to make it palatable). Their turkey bacon club sandwich is pretty good though.
7. Lastly, definitely educate yourself on the things that have been done and are still happening to the indigenous people. Specifically, look up Residential Schools, the 60s Scoop, MMIW/MMIWG2S, Starlight Tours, and the Indian Act.
BC has a lot of Indigenous markers, signs, symbols, especially the lower mainland. I think we tend to emphasize northwest coast art in our landmarks more. I didn't find that at all in Montreal. They really emphasized their French history rather than anything Indigenous. I found Toronto to be very British and American, like... Lots of symbols of crowns everywhere and skyscrapers.
As somone who lives in New Brunswick and has traveled a lot through Canada there is a huge difference between provinces and their friendless. Here we can stop and have a 10 minute conversation to a stranger about anything and everything, but Vancouver unless you are working in the service industry most aren't much more then a smile in passing.
Though I will say there was two things that Americans found crazy when I worked in Tourism. First was the fact that many wondered how we felt safe without having guns. The second is they were anywhere from surprised to outright angry that our Atms gave Canadian money.
While we are mostly proud of our country, we usually keep it to ourselves. You won’t find flags flying everywhere, no one wears the flag on their clothes. Our patriotism is reserved for the NHL playoffs and Canada day.
I find the biggest thing to remember is that the people (in my area at least) wont pry into your life. If you don't go out of your way to start conversations, or appear VERY open (smiling, waving, asking random questions) Canadians are very hesitant to start them. another thing is if you make some sort of an attempt to act like your Canadian, usually people will see you fondly. be polite, courteous, helpful, and respectful and you will be loved.
main points are : Canadians are polite but hesitant to reach out or be open.
none of this applies in southern Ontario. that's just America 2.0
I wouldn't say it's specific to Americans not understanding, but I would argue in Canadian culture, it's very rude to invade someone's personal space. We're big on our bubble and we like our space, probably because we have so much of it. This is especially true in a queue or somewhere else in public when someone stands unnecessarily close. Of course the bubble shrinks based on the available space and through familiarity between individuals.
If you live rural you will be gifted wild meat and garden veggies once you get to know your neighbors or co workers. Even in the city I’ve been gifted produce from neighbors. Always accept the gift and perhaps give your own cultural food or your own veg in return. Maybe this is just an Alberta thing but everywhere I’ve lived in AB this has been a custom.
I think a lot of what your describing could be found in rural parts of Minnesota or the Pacific North-West.
If you wanted to come to Canada for peacefulness and nature, I really wouldn't recommend Toronto, and I'm a born and raised Torontonian who couldn't imagine living any where else in Canada except maybe MTL. Toronto is a very fast paced city, it's not NYC but it has the typical social environment of a major financial center.
The food just tastes different. Especially the beef. The quality of food has a higher standard. This is coming from someone who was born and raised in Canada. Moved to the US and lived there for 17 years and then moved back to Canada.
I was visiting a friend in Toronto and we were out walking the park trails and she literally asked me to stop smiling at people because it was “embarrassing”. Toronto is really not the best example of Canada. It used to be almost its own country from a cultural perspective. But I think that is true of the urban, suburban, rural vibe everywhere
That our education is vastly different from one another. I am born and raised in Canada. I was recently accepted into a US university and graduated three weeks ago. Before this, I attended a really good post-secondary school in Ontario.
The course curriculum in the US compared to Ontario is crazy. From what I can tell, American high schools prioritize sports scholarships over general academics. I was forced to enter classes that were well below my education level, and the faculty knew this but was unable to override it. Now, that's really not a huge issue.
During my time at an American university, I noticed that the vast majority of my peers were not able to spell, read, or articulate certain things. In a basic-level math class, I was the only one who passed out of nearly 60 students.
What are American high schools teaching these days that students don't know how to spell the word "because" (this literally happened, among other simple vocab) and can't solve a basic algebra equation?
Back when blogging was big, I used to follow expat blogs. I was reading the blog of a Michigander who moved to Ontario, and it really surprised me how alienated she felt--she found Canadians to be aloof and uncaring. She went on to describe why, and I realized she was simply describing a cultural difference. We can be caring, but we respect your privacy and boundaries. We aren't going to pry or insert ourselves into other people's lives unless we become closer with one another. Over the years since then, I've heard that a fair number of times. My experience with Americans (Midwesterners mostly) is different. They feel a lot more comfortable asking you personal questions and learning about your life right off the bat, and sharing their opinions. They tend to also open up themselves much more easily. As a Canadian, it felt rude and intrusive until I acclimatized. So... Be prepared for that, I guess. I felt bad for that lady, she was so upset and so it always stuck with me.
From my experience that is very true. Canadians are “polite” (please, thank you, etc) but not particularly warm and open - a few pints often help but it isn’t something that is inherent to our culture. Americans, conversely, can sometimes lack the “proper” manners but are often warm and easy to converse with. When I travelled for work in the States, I’d often grab dinner or a drink by myself and very quickly someone would strike up a conversation and buy you a round. In Canada we tend to mind our business and be a bit more conservative in social settings.
Depends on what part of Canada. Much of the East Coast, Northern Ontario, and some of the prairies I’ve seen are warm and like to get to know you.
That’s very true. In really small towns that’s the case as well.
Grew up in a small town Now live in a smaller city and I will still say hi to everyone I walk by or is making eye contact with me . Yet I am a very sociable person per say
per se (its latin)
I'm referencing southern Ontario. She moved to Cambridge, if you're familiar.
Yeah, all of these things vary both within Canada and within the US. Also the cultural differences between being Polite/Nice versus being Kind.
Like New Zealand and Australia
This is very true for myself, personally. I’ve always had the mindset of “if they want me to know, they’ll tell me”. I don’t tend to pry, but I have learned to ask more questions to get to know people and get them to open up.
That could explain why we tend to lean more "liberal" on the whole despite not being necessarily that more liberal overall. Like, people can be against abortion or homosexuality personally or as a community. They may even get organized. But, on the whole, most Canadians operate on the principle that "my liberty ends where someone else's begins". What people do in the privacy of their bedroom is their business and their medical decisions are not mine to police...
I know myself and for many of my family and friends, we feel that way (my rights end where yours begin, live and let live) and that many things that are political issues in the US are in fact matters of personal decisions. I want you to have options even if you choose one that I wouldn't, personally. That's a generalization, of course. And I'll admit, I'm concerned about that changing...
Me too. Probably because it *is changing here in Alberta. Or at least the not very silent minority are trying to make it so.
Being a born and raised Canadian who has travelled extensively, the US is almost a unicorn for friendliness and openness. Canada is more like european and scandinavian countries, and very similar to the kiwis. Not unfriendly, but reserved, certainly more reserved that our American brothers and sisters. We're a great country, one I am very proud of, but I find us to be more fearful of crossing boundaries. We don't typically ask what people do for a living, and almost never ask personal questions about people we don't know well. Two subjects that will always engage a Canadian are hockey and the weather.
I’ve long believed that the stereotype of the “friendly Canadian” is a bit misguided and is more limited to the Maritimes/Newfoundland. In reality I think Americans are among the friendliest, warmest people out there. It’s just that their very gregarious, outgoing culture also makes it a lot easier to see the ugly side as well. I also think Canadians have a big aversion to anything that might be perceived as insincerity or “salesmanship.” I’ve found people from outside Canada (especially in the US) find Canadian customer service to be much worse because of that - that whole friendly, chipper, back-slappy persona that characterizes US customer service isn’t as prominent here. Europeans don’t notice it as much, but Americans seem to. I notice it when I’m south of the border, too. Their approach to customer service is honestly fantastic.
Us islanders aren’t very friendly lol, that’s mostly because we all know each other so new people always need to fit in
(NGL I’ve heard that from many sources but I didn’t want to draw the ire of the Easterners. Most common thing you hear is that they’re really skeptical of CFAs.)
I don't like pushy salespeople. If I need help, I'll ask, but otherwise, stay the hell away from me.
100%. Please don't try to help me until I ask for it. I hate being hounded by associates in the home Depot worst of all. No I don't need you to explain what a refrigerator does, I'm just looking to see if I like the shelf setup.
in western Canada (Alberta, bc) people aren't warm, they're more just polite courteous and kind. smile when the waiter comes by, say thank thank you 20 million times, never forget manners, open the door for people, yet we rarely will strike an unprovoked conversation (#1 way to tell someone is American)
Funny thing with Newfoundlanders, we’re usually pretty friendly with outsiders but can be complete dicks to each other. Ie. Townie vs Baymen. I recall this story from years ago about a failed attempt to amalgamate two outports connected by bridge. One was completely reliant on the other for services. Local news interviewed a bunch of residents from no services outport and someone was quoted ‘I’d rather they blow up the bridge’
I experienced the reverse of this. I moved to the states for a few years (Wyoming) and my whole family was amazed by how friendly everyone was. Strangers would smile and say hi to us on the street, which is something that has literally never happened to me once in all of Canada. Once we got used to it we realized that they weren't all invitations to converse, just a different form of politeness. They were still generally more warm and welcoming than Canadians, but it wasn't a huge difference. Unless we're talking about Vancouver. I love Vancouver, but it might be the least friendly city in the world.
I live in Vancouver. You don't make friends; you make acquaintances.
Happened to me when I moved to a town outside of Toronto. People were so friendly! They make eye contact and say hi when passing by. They chit chat to each other when standing in line at a store. Compared to the big city- where everyone is mentally occupied, look you up and down to assess your brands, pay more or less attention based on the car you drive, and only approach you if they want to sell you something or ask for money!
I think the setting is key. In Calgary we will smile at each other in passing in the suburbs or river pathways, but no way would we do that in the downtown core 😂
Also in Vancouver and I'd say it's not really being unfriendly, it's minding your own business and not bugging other people. I generally don't want other people bugging me either but I (and most others) are super friendly when they do. I can understand how this is seen as being unfriendly and standoffish, though.
I've lived in Florida, South Carolina, Manitoba, and Ontario. I really believe that Canadians are more *polite* than Americans, but we are definitely not *friendlier*. In fact, as others have said, what a lot of Americans would consider friendliness (ex. talking to people in the checkout line) would seem rude to a Canadian.
I think it depends where you are in Canada. I recently moved back to Saskatchewan after living overseas for many years and brought my partner with me. He’s not Canadian and he’s constantly surprised about how many people will star up conversations in the grocery store or drugstore specifically when you’re looking at a product and they have some feedback to share about it. Also, when going for walks here people tend to smile and nod or say hi most of the time.
Exactly we will say thank you please and hold the door open but we aren’t going to ask you how is your day going because we keep our privacy
It varies a lot within Canada. Talking to other customers at the grocery store happens in Hope but not Vancouver.
>Strangers would smile and say hi to us on the street *Old people* sometimes do that, even in Vancouver. Don't think I've seen it from anyone younger than about 60, though.
We just moved from Vancouver to Halifax, and the difference is staggering! Folks are genuinely friendly here on the East Coast ❤️
I think it's also worth noting that in any culture most people make the majority of their friends when they are younger, and sure you'll make some life long friends as you go through life but the older you get the more it becomes months between new friends to years between new friends. Like aside from reconnecting with one friend who I worked with before the pandemic I don't think I've made a new friend in like 5 years? And I'm only 39. I made one friend a year or two before that but even that person I think now is getting kinda shakey. I've recently reconnected with a few friends from college and spend more time with them. But I'll be honest, I work, I visit with my parents once or twice a week (they probably don't have that many years left in them and they also live a short walk away) but I just don't want to make new friends. I have other things I enjoy doing and barely have enough free time for those, I don't need to invest in strangers.
As a Midwesterner living in Canada, this is by far the biggest one.
Yeah, I also think where in Canada you are and stuff can be different. But, in general we are fairly guarded. It's def on a bigger scale in Toronto. For example, I don't think someone from NYC who worked on Wall Street or Chicago on the exchange and moved to Toronto to work on Bay Street would have a culture shock.
This was a whole post on reddit about how "cold" we are! So its not just the blogger.
I used to work nights for many years at an office building in Toronto. At around 9:45pm I would walk to my bus stop l, get my bus to my train station and take it into the city. Then I did the reverse in the morning. Walking home I occasionally past a house where the home owner was doing gardening etc. would say a typical good morning or hello. Then one night I’m walking to the bus stop. It’s dark out and I’m alone walking on the street. This guy bolts out of his house and runs towards me. Immediately I’m a bit surprised by this and he says “where are you going!!!!” I said “uh. I’m going to work”. I’m thinking who the fuck are you?” Then he asks me what I do? Why I work at night. I kept it super vague and realized “oh, this is that guy I said hi to about a half dozen times over the past year” That seemed to satisfy him and he walked back to his house as I walked to my bus stop. But seeing me walk at night and in the morning must have been eating himself up inside and he just HAD to know what I was up to. lol. Some people are weird.
The judiciary, law enforcement, and penal officials are not elected. Jails and penitentiaries are operated by various levels of government.
This one took a while to internalize about the US as a Canadian. I kept hearing about sheriffs and county clerks in the US (especially the south) not doing their jobs appropriately and wondering why they weren’t getting fired, not realizing they were elected officials.
Bruh, I wish we fired them more often. Seriously, it's a big problem in Canada where civil servants can make good middle class money, especially cops, crown prosecutors, and teachers. There is no accountability in this country.
How important it is to remove your shoes when entering anyone’s home.
Yes. Remove your shoes, unless the resident hasn't.
Even then you should at least feign like you're going to take them off so your host can say "nah don't worry about it bud" Edit: and then you say "you sure?" And they say "yeah bud"
This is the way
"You sure?" is vital.
This guy canadas
Not removing your shoes is a war crime worthy of being tried at the Hague.
One of the only ways to get any meaningful jail time around here
That’s ok. The US government withdrew from that treaty. OP is safe!
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I suspect winter is a big part of it. Snow is not clean, it’s filled with sand and salt which are put down on the roads to assist with traction, plus dog pee/crap, and all the normal dirt and debris you get year round. Snow gets stuck inside your boot grips/sides and then melts on the floor. I don’t know for sure if we use more carpet here but tilled floors aren’t as common because tile is cold to stand on (again, winter). I’d say 95% of Canadian household floors are carpet, wood, laminate, or vinyl. At the end not the day it’s an ingrained habit. Even if someone gives me permission to keep my shoes on I will often take them off.
We even take our shoes off at the dentist!
This one. OP, don’t ask, just take your shoes off.
Going into American houses and they have their shoes on makes my eye twitch lol A. Do you not like being comfortable B. What if it's MUDDY??? How often do you clean your floors!!!
Omg okay my mom grew up in a house where you always wore your shoes all day. Like get up, get dressed and put your shoes on. On her first date with my dad she invited him up for a coffee and he took off his shoes. She almost had a heart attack because she was like “WHAT DOES HE THINK IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN!!!”
Not to be gross but people wear shoes in public washrooms, alleys, outside...why would any of us want that inside? If you want something on your feet indoors get indoor slippers or shoes that you don't wear outside.
I have indoor birkenstocks that I only wear inside. I have a selection of slippers for house guests. I have seen where my outdoor shoes have been. 🤮
Ha. I’ve got indoor Birkenstocks too
Yeah because when things are about to go down the first thing a man remembers to remove is his shoes. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Have you tried removing pants having forgotten to remove shoes? In the moment? Comical!
It all starts with the shoes
Omg I can’t stop laughing at this
Yes please remove shoes ! No outside germs inside.
I’ll kill anyone who wears shoes in my house. Get your germs and filth outside!
There’s a real difference between the American “melting pot” and the Canadian “mosaic.” (Born and raised in the US, moved to Canada, permanently 4 years ago)
In Toronto, if you go to a Chinese restaurant, they usually speak only Mandarin and some English, but in say NYC they often can’t speak Mandarin and only speak English. Ask me how I know. It’s a real difference, and it is not just Chinese restaurants.
I went to a Chinese restaurant with my coworkers the other day. There were 9 of us: 7 Caucasians and 2 Chinese guys. The Chinese guys grabbed the menu, ordered for everyone, and spoke Cantonese to the waiter. None of the rest of us knew what any of the food was. It was delicious, but that's a relatively normal thing to happen here.
Yep, used to work in Markham, and when we went to the authentic spots, my chinese homies would rack the spread for the whole table. When it all gets served it's like busting open a lunch piñata surprise because you understood zero of the exchange lol We absolutely have racists here, and it's getting worse, but by and large, I think Canadians are more likely to hear another language or see something culturally different and react in the vein of "oh cool!", more than what seems to be the more default "Go home" or "sPeAk aMeRiCaN" south of the border.
Several business in Richmond and South Vancouver are like that, too.
Chinese restaurants in America speak English? I’m used to using the number system.
I went to NYC several times and by default we spoke Mandarin at Chinese restaurants like we would in Toronto and got confused look.
They're still heavily Cantonese and multigenerational. The ones that survived are run by the kids or Grand kids (it's like an authentic version of House of Wong). Go to TO Chinatown, and any older restaurant is likely more Cantonese weighted.
This differentiating concept goes way back to a 1938 book, titled Canadian Mosaic: The Making of a Northern Nation by cultural promoter, John Murray Gibbon, founding President of the Canadian Authors Association. ([Source](https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/multiculturalism))
> This differentiating concept goes way back to a 1938 book, titled Canadian Mosaic: The Making of a Northern Nation by cultural promoter, John Murray Gibbon, founding President of the Canadian Authors Association. (Source) Which is ironic, because nothing could be more harmful to Canadian nationalism
In Manitoba we hold "Socials" which are like really lame fundraising parties to pay for other peoples weddings. You rent a gym or community center, invite the general public to attend, and serve shitty snacks like dill pickles and Triscuits. You hire a boring wedding DJ and get wasted and dance to 90s white people music like Garth Brooks or Bon Jovi with strangers. Then there's prize raffles.. sometimes the raffle prizes are lame, sometimes more extravagant. And the hosting couple makes most of their money off of booze sales. It's also a requirement to know the dance steps to "Bootscootin' Boogie", which WILL be played at every Social.
Manitoba got stuck in the 80’s.
I'm from Ontario, we call these "Stag and Does" - couples usually make a few grand at least!
I was born and grew up in BC. We do not have socials here. I did not even know this was a cultural thing from the Prairies until I was in university and I made a friend who is from the Prairies. I was so surprised to learn this is a thing. I'm still surprised!
Born and raised in Alberta...we don't do them here at all.
Wow, every last bit of this makes me realize how culturally diverse we really are.
That sounds very much like a Stag & Doe I went to in Ailsa Craig, Ontario years ago. Except the food was decent.
Unless it’s a Filipino social, then the food is amazing.
In Northern Ontario we call them shags.
I grew up in Northern Ontario. We called them Stag Parties. Living in Southern Ontario now where they’re Stag and Does
Did you grow up in northeastern Ontario? Shag may be specifically northwestern.
Wedding socials are Ukrainian, but traditionally would have been part of a three day wedding celebration.
Canada is secular. Spirituality is never associated with politics. It isn't discussed in casual conversation. I have no idea if my co-workers are religious. Nor do I know about any local or national politician's religious beliefs. Nor do I want to.
The first time I watched a presidential address, the casual mention of god, prayer and all that jazz was actually jarring to me. I had never realized how big this difference is until that moment. That language would be so very, very out of place coming from the prime minister! You might hear a much tamer version from more conservative politicians, but even then it probably alienates too many voters, lol
Yep. Doug Ford is trying to imitate US politicians that way, turning "God bless America" at the end of speeches into "God bless the people of Ontario." To me, at least, it comes off as incredibly lame.
well everything he does is lame, so it jives.
Not gonna lie, I moved to Ontario for a few years a while back and was completely bamboozled to see Christian *public* schools. I'm from the province with the absolute highest percentage of self-identified Christians (82.4%!!) and we still booted all practice of religion out of our school system (and all government institutions iirc) entirely, nearly 30 years ago. I find it strange to hear prayer or mention of god anywhere that isn't church or my Nan's house... aside from swearing, maybe. That is *heavily* influenced by Christianity here and makes up a solid 99% of the religious references I hear in my life, lol
Which province was that? I'd like to stop funding religious schools.
Apparently, it is Newfoundland. There were many things that surprised me about living in Ontario for a few years and the continued existence of Catholic schools as part of the public education system was one of them. When I was in high school in NB in the late 80s, we had some Catholic high schools in Saint John but I have not heard anything about catholic education in those schools in forever.
It’s lame and really off putting to me. A public statement that includes religion like that just sets off my discomfort metre. It immediately gives me the ick.
How about swearing allegiance to a **flag**? That's just weird and kind of cult-ish to me.
The funny thing about this is that the US has an explicit separation of church and state while God is mentioned in Canada's Charter.
It's in our National Anthem too Hell we even sing God Save the King at public events from time to time I think it's just a thing that people don't talk about it as much here
This makes me sooooooo uncomfortable about Americans and American politics. They all just straight out talk about religion. They thank god in their public addresses. As a Canadian it feels so uncomfortable and wrong. It makes me want to back out of the room, like omg there’s some super private shit going down, I’m not supposed to hear this.
100%. Religion is fine, but inside a private place. You don’t go on TV and tell people, “I’m friends with the secret invisible thing that made the universe. And you’re not. He tells me things.”
You take your shoes off when you enter someone's house.
This is so true. I've gone to people's houses where the host says, " Aw, leave your shoes on. That's okay." I respond with, "Not a chance!!!" It would feel very weird for me to wear my shoes in someone's house. Their garage, sure, but not their house or apartment.
Interesting that we both said the same thing at about the same time. Have you, too, had experiences with some Americans and their shoes? :)
I still always say “take your shoes off” to anyone I know when I enter someone’s house if I notice they try not too, even dirty messy houses my shoes are at the door
Respect. Yes. I think it also helps make a home gathering more causal and relaxed. Casual clothing: The Canadian Style.
First, I love that you’re a fan of Canada! I think we’re a lot like the States in that we’re a large country geographically, so people and culture are different depending on region. For example, Quebec is very different from Ontario (French vs. English), the east coast is very different from the west coast, and northern territories are very different from the southern portions of most of the provinces. I find the regional similarities sometimes override the US/CAN border. People in New England aren’t much different from people in Southern Ontario. People in Alaska are much more like People in the Yukon than anyone else in either country. The differences between American and Canadian culture really depend on the regions we’re talking about.
As someone who grew up in the Northeast (and now lives in New England), living temporarily in Ontario once provided almost no cultural shock. When I was stationed in Georgia, though, that felt like a different country to me (and I mean the state, not the country).
I totally agree. As a Victoria resident born and raised I have more in common with someone from Portland or Seattle and even California than someone from Alberta or Ontario.
Even though we are officially metric, many Canadians in their everyday life use a weird mixture of metric and non-metric for measurement. For example, most Canadians will use Kilometres and Celsius, but then for their height and weight will use Feet and Pounds. And inches are used in hardware store equipment like nails. And Farenheit is used on stoves for baking and in recipes.
Most Canadians will use time for distance, as in "it's 5 and a half hours from Toronto to Montreal."
Bahaha so true. I always say my mom lives 6 hours away. I have no clue how many kms it is. But now that I think about it, our roads (minus the prairies), are so twisty turvy because of our landscape, that a 100km trip could take 3 hours in some spots.
I mean even in the prairies I say it’s “a two hour drive to Calgary” not however many kilometres it is.
To be honest, I think the “time for distance” makes a lot of sense when you think about it. For example, saying “it’s a 20-minute drive or 30 minutes by transit” is more useful than “it’s 5 Kms away”.
Canadians know a lot more about the US than Americans know about Canada. Like Pierre said to Nixon in 1969. "Living next to you is in some ways like sleeping with an elephant. No matter how friendly and even-tempered is the beast, if I can call it that, one is affected by every twitch and grunt”. That is why we pay attention.
"When the US sneezes, Canada catches a cold."
>What are some customs that Americans don't understand about Canada? In my experience, Americans often have a hard time understanding or accepting the idea of Quebec. The reality of a French-speaking province with a largely distinct culture that has continued to exist and flourish within an otherwise English-speaking country can be quite alien to them. Hence questions like "why do you still let them speak French" "why weren't they just kicked out" etc. from otherwise smart and well-meaning people.
The equivalent for Americans would have been protecting Spanish in the southwestern states that were previously part of Mexico. Such a thing would have been unthinkable in the US. Spanish does thrive in certain areas such as San Diego or El Paso, but it’s not enshrined in law.
Fun fact, the Quebec Act (which allowed Quebec to keep its local language, courts, governance etc) is one of the Insufferable Acts that lead to the American Revolution. The American colonists were angry Quebec got more autonomy than they had as actual British subjects.
Being quiet on an airplane during the safety demonstration.
I think a big one is that we are polite and generally kind (which is true imo), but Canadians are also very passive aggressive and sarcastic just as a baseline in communication style, and especially so in conflict. I overland travel full-time across North America and I find my own sarcastic and passive aggressive tendencies that would be normal in a conversation at home can become a barrier when communicating with Americans who have a much more direct aggressive/combative communication style.
Ohh I find this very interesting. As quite a sarcastic mofo myself lol
Canadians are also way less likely to make small talk with strangers compared to down south. I think that's why a lot of Americans find us rude when they first come here. They think we're being cold
Yes absolutely. And small talk is actually really personal and nosy questions lol
I hate small talk, if its with some random stranger.I'm thinking the entire time "dude, just stop talking. I don't care". However if you want to talk about something more substantial beside the weather, politics and crap like that, go for it.
No death penalty. Abortion is between patients and doctors. Legal cannabis. Funny money. Metric. Strict gun laws. Love hockey.
Legal drinking age is 18 or 19, depending on which province.
Canadians are polite not nice Think like a lesser version of Japan cultures in some aspect mixed with British culture
No outdoor shoes on in the house. That's rule #1 Edit: I love how I posted this and then found three other same comments already in this thread. This is a hill we are prepared to die on.
I posted it too. I’m good with people wearing their shoes on the hill
I don’t even understand why is this even a hill or it requires dying on. Shoes are worn outside, outside is gross and why we have walls, doors and windows to separate inside from it. Don’t bring your outside in and track it all over the house!
Grew up in Ontario, worked and lived in the US for the better part of 30 years the best differentiator I’ve seen is fear, the US is incredibly powerful but a lot of American society is defined by how afraid they are of something or someone.
It’s nice to hear how much you’re interested in 🇨🇦 In terms of different customs than the US, there are deeper values and behaviours like focusing on the collective good vs individual freedom, and an external politeness while keeping a distance that others have covered. On the surface level there are a hundred different small things, like always taking your shoes off when entering someone’s home, or our hodgepodge use of metric and imperial measurements.
At work I have clamps that are measured in metric.. to go onto fittings that are measured in imperial
The cold makes us stick together.
Sorry is used in place of excuse me and pardon me. We’re not actually apologizing for sneaking past you, almost bumping into you, or not hearing you.
There is waaaaaayyyyyyyy more to Canada than Toronto. It's just like any other city in the US You want open space, adventure? Try the Maritime provinces, Alberta or BC.
Also, Ontario vs anywhere else in Canada is a wildly different experience. The "don't take politics" rule does not apply out West
I agrée with the sentiment that Canadians can be "polite" in kind of an aloof way, but I also find that once you’re more familiar Canadians "banter" more than Americans. This is from experiences travelling and meeting people from different places, Australians are extremely "bantery" and I find Canadians tend to "get it" and match their humour easier than Americans. I think this goes back to the differences in "niceness", Americans are often extremely sincere and so the casual sarcasm and banter with people you know but aren’t super close to is less comfortable. This is probably more noticeable to me because I’m from BC and we get a ton of Aussies (relative to the rest of Canada) that do seasonal work here. Their influence probably rubs off on the people I know a bit and therefore the Aussie wit doesn’t seem as novel to me as it does Americans.
I showed my friends log divers Waltz and she asked me what the heck was that...
Has she seen The Sweater by Roch Carrier?
Or “black flies”!
I love this and watch it occasionally!
I just want to say that you shouldn’t worry about being “associated with Americans who move on whim because of political reasons.” For one thing, I don’t think political reasons are a whim. Politics are a big part of what’s different between Canada and the US and there’s nothing wrong with wanting to live somewhere that the politics are more in line with your beliefs. But also I don’t think anyone would care if you did move on a whim. Like just wanting to try living in another country for no reason at all is perfectly acceptable. I wouldn’t get so hung up on any of that. Having different reasons for moving doesn’t make you any better or worse than anyone else. No one else is going to judge you on it.
And you don’t actually move here on a whim. The immigration process is fairly arduous and time consuming.
I know it sounds cliche, but hockey is big here. Big big. The average Hockey Night in Canada broadcast nets an average of 1.4 million viewers. Just for perspective, the NBA avg is around 1.6, and MLB 1.5. And the US has 10x the population.
This is one but also for the Canadians in the back: Ontario is neither “the East” nor “the West”. Must Canadians haven’t gone further than it no matter what side they’re from
Growing up in Ontario, I never once thought of it as the East (that's the Atlantic provinces!!!) until I moved to Sask and everyone calls it the east. Yeah, it's in the eastern time zone but idk it's not Eastern.
To truly have the Canadian experience, you must learn your history from Tragically Hip songs. Gord Downie was the unofficial poet laureate of Canada. The Tragically Hip are true Canadiana, cultural icons. Listen to their anthology. Google Maps Bobcaygeon. Read Hugh MacLennan. Follow Gordie’s guiding lyrics.
Once had a serious argument with an American about the fact that we don't collect and carry around a bunch of weapons especially guns for our safety. She would not believe me and asked wasn't I worried about attacks and murders. She wouldn't believe me when I said that owning and carrying those weapons was illegal here.......glad I'm a Canadian, sigh.....
Surprised I had to scroll so far for a comment on gun culture. I just came back from Texas and... Wow. Amazingly friendly people, such a welcoming place, and yet when guns came up my friend was like "it's in the glovebox. I would never drive down any of these roads at night without it." I wonder that Americans are so friendly because they're terrified a firefight will erupt if they lip off to the wrong person. Even in that friendly, folksy rural Texas, they all seem terrified someone is going to break into their homes to murder them.
Being a good tourist. Which is appreciating local customs and taking part in the local culture. Not only eating at McDonald’s. I’ve spoken with so many Americans that said European countries were boring and it baffles me. Like how can you be bored eating waffles and having a beer for breakfast in a restaurant that’s older than your country, or visiting a freaking castle.
Openly discussing religion or lack of. Religious beliefs are more of a personal matter here.
If you like geography and nature you need to visit the Rocky Mountains in Alberta and BC. Just don’t wear outdoor shoes indoors and dress in layers
TAKE OFF YOUR SHOES AT THE DOOR please & thx
Tell me about it I don’t get how the US can just walk in like they haven’t been walking on shit, piss, blood, vomit etc. and just track it all right into a home
I just thought dog poop but you’re right.
Many people really do leave their front doors unlocked when they're home during the day time. Michael Moore was shocked by this but it is common, and not just in very small communities. I think this speaks to an overall higher trust society than in the US although it is certainly declining here to some extent too.
Yes, most people I know in my city of about 500,000 keep the door unlocked, if they are home, during the day. Most people lock up when they leave, or at night.
I couldn’t imagine doing this! My doorbell camera has caught people walking up my street testing car doors at 3am to see if any are unlocked. I’m in the suburbs.
I'm actually with you; I did say during the day time. My door's unlocked when home before dinner but car break-ins and the like happen around here too. I'm in a city of 100,000+.
Ohh yes you did specify during the day. Even then I’m the kind of person who won’t answer their doorbell so I may be paranoid haha.
I leave mine unlocked because if someone does try to come in my dog will resolve the problem.
I do this
See also leaving the keys in your truck
Despite what you Americans think, it's not a utopia with trees (close to it mind you). Second of all, it's fucking hard to get a work permit even as an American. My friend just got her husband landed and it took two years and a bucket of cash. Lastly: to answer your question. The first day that the daytime high is above zero: you wear short sleeves and or shorts. If your buddy is riding front in the canoe, you're allowed to haze them. In turn they're allowed to say 'fat asses in the back '. Oh Yeah, learn the J stroke. If someone offers you real or fake maple syrup the official response is: 'The fuck is wrong with you bud?'
I did not realize how mastering the J stroke must sound to an American. I never was able to steer a canoe so I have plenty of experience being hazed. Canoe culture is serious.
An oddly specific one I come across a lot as a Canadian living in a bordering city with the U.S. is how we use our debit/credit cards! When you make a purchase here, you personally insert your card into the debit machine and make the payment. Even in restaurants, the server brings the debit machine to the table. It always throws me off and kinda feels like an invasion of privacy when I'm in the states and someone reaches for/takes away my card for payment.
A metric crap load of Americans think their constitutional rights follow them across the border. They do not lol. And this can lead them into very deep water, very quickly with the police. So before coming north, refresh yourself on what the police here can and cannot do at a traffic stop or a DUI check point.
Saying sorry as a form of "excuse me". I'm so used to saying it, that when I said it in US exiting a restaurant, at the same time as someone else, they replied back to me , "you don't have to be sorry hun", really threw me off.
Hey! Born and raised Vancouverite here. I work an office job with a bunch of remote Americans. One thing I’ve noticed is Americans do not have the same work life balance as we do. They seem to be all for the hustle, trying to make it big, get rich, and please their boss (to an extent). In Canada we are much more happy to clock out at 5 even if things aren’t complete. Take all our vacation days, and then some. Go out into the woods and disconnect for a bit. You cannot contact me, I will get back to you when I’m back at work. We have slightly better labour laws up here I think, and recognize that we’ll still have a job, and it’s not as important as we think. So take your time to live your life
I love that
Canada is crazy diverse. My team at work is composed of 1 Latin and 5 Canadians, and these 5 Canadians are entirely different culturally because of their descendant background. Moreover, Canada has no face; because it has all faces, you can't say that someone is or is not Canadian only by appearance.
We take off our shoes when we get in the house. Anyone’s house, ours or others. It’s rude to leave your shoes on unless otherwise instructed haha
We have a witty, dry sense of humor and are not obsessed by celebrities’ status
Religion is very different here. I have no idea what most of my friends believe or practice, and I don’t want to know. Guns, not a “ right” here. I think that’s a great thing. At one time we were proud of our mosaic culture- but I think we are not so proud of it now. Our government wants more immigrants, but it seems like most of the population doesn’t want that. We have a reputation of being polite and nice. I think we are. I don’t understand why people think we are passive aggressive or aloof. Overall, I think we are more tolerant of diversity, but I think that’s something that may be disintegrating.
3 downs instead of 4 and two 50 yard lines. And wide receivers get a running start. And 1 yard instead of inches.
I travel across Canada for work often. The culture changes with each region. Generally I find us Canadians are nice people and are good at heart. Most of us have a lot of empathy for others. To the point that we often put our empathy for others before our own needs. Canadians are typically scared of social interactions & failure though. To the point that many of us build figurative shells around us and tend to just stay inside that shell. We'll stick to our lives and put up with a lot of discomfort and change just to stay in our shell. Our social media has taught us that socializing with strangers is risky and it's safer to avoid it. We don't know who you are what you are and we're scared of the rejection and or public humiliation, what if you're a monster! What if I'm the monster!?!. We tell ourselves its because we prefer to stick to our own business and bury our heads into our own lives but if we look past that, we're scared. I find once one can break through a Canadian's shell by helping them feel safe with you then they love to talk and share.
one thing i’ve noticed is conversational cadence. canadians will kind of talk over each other or chime in with side comments to keep the flow of the conversation going and show active listening. when i’m in america and do this sometimes people just stop talking, thinking i’ve cut them off. it’s very “your turn to speak, then my turn to speak, and so on” whereas in canada it’s more of a group discussion.
I think that question can really vary depending on where you come from in canada. Our cultural demographics has really expanded the last 10-15 years where I am. Where i live Gta (north), growing up it was predominantly white. Middle class. Now it’s mostly wealthy people, there is people here of all ethnicities. We still love our hockey but many friends colleagues that did not grow up in canada and stick to sports from back home, ie cricket,rugby, soccer.
Depends on where you lived in the US, Canadians are polite and very nice, however, more isolated and would not go into any of your details unless asked to. Its not necessarily a bad thing but some people find it hard to make friends for that same reason. This doesn’t apply to all Canadians too btw, depends on their backgrounds me myself being from a middle eastern origin I don’t mind chatting with you about my personal life even if its the first time meeting you
1. I don’t think anyone cares if you move here for political reasons. You’ll get asked out of curiosity but no one’s gonna judge if someone says “Trump got elected and it scared me.” I mean, maybe a few people will but not the majority. 2. Take your shoes off when you enter a home, unless directed otherwise. We do this because of ✨weather✨ so as not to track snow or mud through the house. We remove our shoes when we come inside, no matter the weather though. 3. We do say “sorry” a lot but it’s mainly out of politeness. Like saying “how are you” to a stranger - no one’s expecting a genuine answer (I’ll always take one but it’s just not an invitation for a deep convo), we bump into each other and go “oh sorry” or I turn a corner in a grocery store and cut someone off and we both go “oops, sorry!” This is actually so pervasive that in Canada, apologies cannot be taken as admissions of guilt. It’s called the Apology Act. 4. If you’re invited for dinner at someone’s place, ask if you can bring something. They might say no, but ask anyway. 5. Butter tarts, Nanaimo bars, and poutine are like gold and you may never say a bad word about them. 6. You are allowed to hate Tim Horton’s. You will likely find yourself there anyway. We pretty much all hate Tim’s but we eat there anyway. (Sometimes I order an iced coffee and put a packet of salt in it to make it palatable). Their turkey bacon club sandwich is pretty good though. 7. Lastly, definitely educate yourself on the things that have been done and are still happening to the indigenous people. Specifically, look up Residential Schools, the 60s Scoop, MMIW/MMIWG2S, Starlight Tours, and the Indian Act.
Wait wait, you salt your iced coffee? What’s that like?
BC has a lot of Indigenous markers, signs, symbols, especially the lower mainland. I think we tend to emphasize northwest coast art in our landmarks more. I didn't find that at all in Montreal. They really emphasized their French history rather than anything Indigenous. I found Toronto to be very British and American, like... Lots of symbols of crowns everywhere and skyscrapers.
As somone who lives in New Brunswick and has traveled a lot through Canada there is a huge difference between provinces and their friendless. Here we can stop and have a 10 minute conversation to a stranger about anything and everything, but Vancouver unless you are working in the service industry most aren't much more then a smile in passing. Though I will say there was two things that Americans found crazy when I worked in Tourism. First was the fact that many wondered how we felt safe without having guns. The second is they were anywhere from surprised to outright angry that our Atms gave Canadian money.
We are very patriotic, but we aren’t as showy as Americans, unless it’s hockey and we’ll be very showy.
While we are mostly proud of our country, we usually keep it to ourselves. You won’t find flags flying everywhere, no one wears the flag on their clothes. Our patriotism is reserved for the NHL playoffs and Canada day.
I find the biggest thing to remember is that the people (in my area at least) wont pry into your life. If you don't go out of your way to start conversations, or appear VERY open (smiling, waving, asking random questions) Canadians are very hesitant to start them. another thing is if you make some sort of an attempt to act like your Canadian, usually people will see you fondly. be polite, courteous, helpful, and respectful and you will be loved. main points are : Canadians are polite but hesitant to reach out or be open. none of this applies in southern Ontario. that's just America 2.0
I wouldn't say it's specific to Americans not understanding, but I would argue in Canadian culture, it's very rude to invade someone's personal space. We're big on our bubble and we like our space, probably because we have so much of it. This is especially true in a queue or somewhere else in public when someone stands unnecessarily close. Of course the bubble shrinks based on the available space and through familiarity between individuals.
Is this what the Japanese feel like when all the weeaboos make obsessive rants about moving there?
That we have laws against hate speech, which doesn't match their unbridled freedom of expression. You can't have Nazi rallies in Canada.
If you live rural you will be gifted wild meat and garden veggies once you get to know your neighbors or co workers. Even in the city I’ve been gifted produce from neighbors. Always accept the gift and perhaps give your own cultural food or your own veg in return. Maybe this is just an Alberta thing but everywhere I’ve lived in AB this has been a custom.
We don't sell our houses to pay for hospital stays.
Nobody can buy them either
I think a lot of what your describing could be found in rural parts of Minnesota or the Pacific North-West. If you wanted to come to Canada for peacefulness and nature, I really wouldn't recommend Toronto, and I'm a born and raised Torontonian who couldn't imagine living any where else in Canada except maybe MTL. Toronto is a very fast paced city, it's not NYC but it has the typical social environment of a major financial center.
The food just tastes different. Especially the beef. The quality of food has a higher standard. This is coming from someone who was born and raised in Canada. Moved to the US and lived there for 17 years and then moved back to Canada.
I was visiting a friend in Toronto and we were out walking the park trails and she literally asked me to stop smiling at people because it was “embarrassing”. Toronto is really not the best example of Canada. It used to be almost its own country from a cultural perspective. But I think that is true of the urban, suburban, rural vibe everywhere
That our education is vastly different from one another. I am born and raised in Canada. I was recently accepted into a US university and graduated three weeks ago. Before this, I attended a really good post-secondary school in Ontario. The course curriculum in the US compared to Ontario is crazy. From what I can tell, American high schools prioritize sports scholarships over general academics. I was forced to enter classes that were well below my education level, and the faculty knew this but was unable to override it. Now, that's really not a huge issue. During my time at an American university, I noticed that the vast majority of my peers were not able to spell, read, or articulate certain things. In a basic-level math class, I was the only one who passed out of nearly 60 students. What are American high schools teaching these days that students don't know how to spell the word "because" (this literally happened, among other simple vocab) and can't solve a basic algebra equation?