Canada For Non-Canadians - Put Your Tips Here!

Every once in a while on CC I noticed that people ask questions that make me wonder if Canada is really as unknown to our neighbours to the South as Mongolia. So, I decided to start a thread where us Canadians can tell Non-Canadians all about Canada and they can easily get a better understanding of us. I'll start, I know that everyone won't agree, but I'll do it to the best of my abilities.

Currency: CAD (Canadian Dollar) - The exchange rate fluctuates daily but at this current moment is close to par. ATMs generally dispense CAD (though a few specialized ATMs dispense US funds. Credit cards from American Express, MasterCard and Visa are generally accepted. Diners Club is accepted as well. Discover is accepted only by tourist outlets since it is not generally available to the Canadian public.

Coins (common) - 1c (penny) picture of a maple leaf, 5c (nickel) picture of a beaver, 10c (dime) picture of the Bluenose II, 25c (quarter) picture of a caribou but often changed for commemorative coins, $1 (loonie) picture of loons, $2 (twonie) picture of a polar bear. The loonie is gold in colour, the twonie is silver on the outside ring and gold on the inner ring. Images can be found via http://www.mint.ca/royalcanadianmintpublic/index.aspx?requestedPath=/en-CA/Home/default.htm and then clicking on the Passion, Our Coins.

Bills (common) - $5 blue with a picture of Sir Wilfred Laurier, Canada's first French Canadian Prime Minister. $10 Purple with a picture of Sir John A MacDonald, Canada's first Prime Minister. $20 Green with a picture of the Queen of Canada. $50 Red with a picture of William Lyon MacKenzie King, Canada's longest service Prime Minister. $100 Brown with a picture of Sir Robert Laird Borden, Prime Minster during WWI. Images of the bills can be found at http://www.bank-banque-canada.ca/en/banknotes/general/character/2001-04.html

Passport Requirement: Currently Canada does not require a passport for US tourists, photo ID and birth certificate or citizenship are usually enough. The US does require that you have a passport to fly in and out of the US, so you will need it if you are flying.

Government: Constitution Monarchy (Democracy - Bicameral)

Head of State: Queen of Canada (Elizabeth II) represented by the Governor General (currently Michaelle Jean.)

Prime Minister: The leader of the party holding majority in the house of commons. Currently Stephen Harper of the Conservatives. Lives at 24 Sussex Drive in Ottawa Ontario.

National Capital: Ottawa, Ontario. Chosen because it is right on the Ontario/Quebec border. Known for the world's second largest tulip festival.

Provinces: 10 - Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. Each province controls it's own medical system, alcohol and taxation. Note, the province of "Newfoundland"'s official name is Newfoundland and Labrador

Territories: 3 - Nunavut, Northwest Territories and Yukon. They are subordinate to Provinces because they do not have full self government.

Population: About 33 million people, give or take a few. Generally pleased with their country but not always their government, like everyone else in the western hemisphere.

Language: 60% Native English, 23% Native French, 17% Other. Both English and French have official status. New Brunswick is officially bilingual. Quebec is officially French speaking. Ontario and Manitoba both have large Francophone minorities. Quebec has a large Anglophone minority, especially in Montreal. All Federal government services are guaranteed to be offered in English and French.

Sales tax: National GST (Goods and Services tax, called VAT in many other countries) is 5%, each province has it's own tax except Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick which have a combined tax of 13%. Many provinces have a PST (Provincial Sales Tax) ranging from 0% in Alberta up to 10% in Prince Edward Island. Sometimes including services and other times not. Quebec and Prince Edward Island charge their sales tax on the total including GST. Prices generally do not include the taxes. Some provinces/cities have special tourism taxes on hotel rooms (Quebec does, for example) and they may vary from region to region.

Health Care: Universal Medicare but administered in each province separately. Canadians usually have a card to prove their access to medical services (and in some provinces prescriptions as well.) 100% of Canadians are covered by this medical plan (and it costs about half of what it costs per capita in the US). Are we all happy with the plan? No. Does it work? Yes. Would most Canadians give it up? No. How do we know it works? We live longer and healthier than countries that don't have national health care. Do we openly complaint about waiting times? Yes.

If you need to visit a doctor in Canada be prepared to pay immediately. Generally a doctor's visit for non-Canadians is in the range of $100. Canadians usually don't know the cost of any medical care because we have never paid for it and don't realize that there is a cost. It's one of the least of our worries.

Food: Generally more expensive in Canada than in the US because fresh food needs to be imported in the winter and we have more controls on our food supply and our employees. For example, Worker Safety Commission requires that the food lines run slower to ensure worker health.

Tipping: Generally about 15% of the total before taxes. Drinks are usually about $1 to $2 a drink.

Discrimination: Canadians can get upset at open displays of discrimination. Generally followed by the stare of death! The right to be free of discrimination under Canada's constitution comes before the right of free speech. Which is why hate-speech can be prosecuted in Canada.

Alcohol: Strictly controlled by each province. Drinking age varies from 18 (Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec) or 19 in all other provinces. Alcohol taxes can be heavy in Canada and in most provinces sale is limited to specifically run government stores. In some provinces wine and beer are sold in separate locations or stores.

Police: Generally municipal, outside municipal you have provincial police. In the absence of provincial police, the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) have jurisdiction. The RCMP are a national police force, generally considered the equivalent of the US FBI. CSIS (Canadian Security Intelligence Service) is Canada's equivalent to the CIA/FBI (MI5/MI6 in the UK).

Any more ideas of things that visitors need to know? Questions, ask... let's make this into a FAQ to help our visitors.

Great post and I run a similar one in my area. I would like to add that Canada is as diverse as the USA and offers something for everyone. I have been through much of the east side and a little out west. My upcoming cruise will take me to Victoria, Prince Rupert, Nanaimo and Vancouver. Do you think I am excited?

When I have political conversations in the hot tub with Americans, many are curious about our system of government and how it differs from their own.

Ths biggest difference is that there are no term limits in office for our Member's of Parliament, including the Prime Minister. An election is "typically" called for 2 reasons:

1. The Prime Minister's party has been the ruling party for 4 or 5 years and they want to "go to the people" to reaffirm their mandate is supported by the people. This is "convention" rather than written law. This is usually the situation when the ruling party has a majority of the seats in the House of Commons.

2. If the ruling party puts forward a bill having to do with budgets or major issues like constitutional issues and that bill fails to pass, the ruling government "falls" and an election is called. This situation is likely when the ruling party does not have a majority seats in the House of Commons and this is what the current situation is.

This system prevents a "lame duck" situation.

Also our Senate is for the most part a "rubber stamping" body that does not have the same powers as the USA Senate. It just approves what the House of Commons passes most of the time. They do have the function of studying bills.

Thank you for such a helpful idea.

I am travelling to Canada in June for an Alaskan cruise on the Norwegian Sun. Do you know if there any requirement for UK visitors to obtain a visa for such a trip?

Also, as I am hoping to have a brief stopover in Vancouver before the cruise, can anyone recommend any trips or excursions there?

Any suggestions gratefully received:)

The following countries have a visitor visa exemption and therefore do not need to apply for a visa before visiting Canada:

Many people do not require a visa to visit Canada. These include:

• Citizens of:
  • Andorra
    
  • Antigua and Barbuda
    
  • Australia
    
  • Austria
    
  • Bahamas
    
  • Barbados
    
  • Belgium
    
  • Botswana
    
  • Brunei
    
  • Czech Republic
    
  • Cyprus
    
  • Denmark
    
  • Estonia
    
  • Finland
    
  • France
    
  • Germany
    
  • Greece
    
  • Iceland
    
  • Ireland
    
  • Israel (National Passport holders only)
    
  • Italy
    
  • Japan
    
  • Korea (Republic of )
    
  • Latvia (Republic of)
    
  • Liechtenstein
    
  • Luxembourg
    
  • Malta
    
  • Mexico
    
  • Monaco
    
  • Namibia
    
  • Netherlands
    
  • New Zealand
    
  • Norway
    
  • Papua New Guinea
    
  • Portugal
    
  • St. Kitts and Nevis
    
  • St. Lucia
    
  • St. Vincent
    
  • San Marino
    
  • Singapore
    
  • Solomon Islands
    
  • Spain
    
  • Swaziland
    
  • Sweden
    
  • Slovenia
    
  • Switzerland
    
  • United States
    
  • Western Samoa;

  [*]People lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence who are in possession of their alien registration card (Green card) or can provide other evidence of permanent residence;

  [*]British citizens and British Overseas Citizens who are re-admissible to the United Kingdom;

  [*]Citizens of British dependent territories who derive their citizenship through birth, descent, registration or naturalization in one of the British dependent territories of Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn, St. Helena or the Turks and Caicos Islands;

  [*]People holding a British National (Overseas) Passport issued by the Government of the United Kingdom to persons born, naturalized or registered in Hong Kong;

  [*]People holding a valid and subsisting Special Administrative Region passport issued by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China;

  [*]People holding passports or travel documents issued by the Holy See. (ie the Vatican.)

Source: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.asp

Here's a couple more differences

We pronounce z as Zed not z as Zee

It's flavour not flavor and neighbour not neighbor.

Cheers

Dennis

Also Center and Harbor are spelled Centre and Harbour.

Legally all measurements in Canada are Metric. That means that temperature is in Celsius (also called Centigrade), scales are in kilograms and distances are in kilometres, etc.

Temperature - 0c is the temperature at which water freezes, 100c is the temperature at which water boils, 37c is body temperature and 22c is about room temperature (72f). To convert, take Fahrenheit, subtract 32 then divide by 9 and multiply by 5.

Distances - a mile is about 60% more than a kilometre. The speed limit in Canada is generally 100 km/h, about 62 mp/h. People generally know inches/feet when it comes to measuring bodies (or body parts), but long distances and speed are always in metric.

Volume - Gasoline is sold in litres, so are milk, water and other liquids. Paint (for some unknown reason) is sold in American gallons in spite of the fact that in Canada the gallon was actually 5 quarts (4 imperial quarts)

Weight - Supermarkets usually post prices in both pounds and kilograms, though prices in kilograms are the official price. People generally know their weight in lbs and the larger posted price is in pounds only because it appears to be a lower price.

Need help with the conversions? Google can help. Type: 72 f in c and you get the calculation done for you.

Incidentally Google can also help with currency conversions. 1 CAD in USD gets you the US dollar equivalent of $1 Canadian dollar. You just need to know the currency codes. Here are a few of them: CAD (Canadian dollar), EUR (Euro), GBP (Great Britain Pound), MXP (Mexico Peso), ARS (Argentinian Pesos). A larger list is available at Oanda.

And us Canadians poke fun at ourselves - a lot!

For our American friends....try to avoid going home with CDN $1 and $2 coins in your pocket. They become interesting conversations pieces....interesting souvenirs....great scrap metal...really good 'show and tell' pieces if you have young school kids in your life....but will cease to be "real" money when you get home.

It is my experience that most US banks will convert CDN paper money...but the 1 and 2 $ coins really cause them more trouble than they are worth so they just won't convert them.

Yes, just for our foodie friends, here is a list of some of the speciality foods that you will find all over Canada that you may not be able to find elsewhere...

Nanaimo Bars - (British Columbia) A crumb-based layer, topped by a layer of light custard or vanilla butter icing, which is covered in soft chocolate.

Poutine - (Quebec) French fries, gouda cheese curds and a thick brown gravy. If your arteries weren't clogged before this, they will be after. Never to be hand in a fast food chain. The cheese changes from place to place but the original is gouda cheese curds (sometimes called fromage kwee-kwee in Quebec because of the sound they make in your mouth when you eat them.)

Beef - (Alberta) C'mon, this is the place to have a steak in Canada.

Rappie Pie - (Nova Scotia) Chicken or pork broth, with meat and onions, and served within layers of grated potatoes. A traditional Acadian dish

Screech - (Newfoundland and Labrador) Okay, it's a drink and not food but it's truly Newfoundand. Rum Newfoundland style. Drink some screech, kiss a codfish and say something Newfie and you may even get a certificate!

Doner - (Maritimes) It may have started in Turkey, but it's a Maritime tradition in Canada.

Tourtiere - (Quebec) A pork mince meat pie, generally served around Christmas.

Soupe aux pois - (Canada) Yellow pea soup. Yes it's yellow and not green. And it's probably the soup of the day at almost every restaurant in Quebec on a Friday. Made with ham. In Newfoundland you will find more vegetables. The most famous canned brand in Canada is Habitant.

Baked Beans - (Canada) While American Baked Beans are generally made with molasses, in Canada you will find that they have the taste of maple... because they are cooked with maple syrup.

Barbecue (Rotisserie) Chicken - (Canada) St-Hubert in Quebec, Swiss Chalet in other provinces or just the local supermarket. Served with a gravy of course.

Smoked Meat - (Montreal) It's a local tradition. Essentially a smoked pickled brisket cut into a beautifully delicious sandwich. Best served "medium" (ie not too lean) on rye bread with mustard (sometimes with chopped liver, but NEVER with cheese or anything else!) on a plate piled high with a side of coleslaw and fries. Arguments in Montreal always arise over who serves the best, but Schwartz's is the most famous. Great with a can of Cott's black cherry soda.

Montreal Bagel - (Montreal) Montreal bagel are different than other bagels in that they aren't left to rise entirely in the water. In Montreal they are always baked in a wood fired oven. The most famous two bakeries (where you can easily pick up a hot dozen) are Fairmount and St-Viateur. And no one agrees which one is best (but Fairmount has the most different varieties).

Maple Syrup - (Canada) Do I really have to say more? Available in different formats including "tire" (pronounded like tear) which is more of a taffy that is warmed and then poured on snow. Once you have the real stuff it's hard to go back to imitation flavoured "aunty" corn syrup. Generally sold in Canada in lovely economical tins, with grading starting at clear. Personally, I like a medium amber with it's woodiness.

Vachon Snack Cakes - (Canada) The Canadian Little Debbie and Hostess, including such favourites like Jos. Louis, 1/2 Moon, Passion Flakie and May West.

Chocolate Bars - (Canada) There is a different tradition in chocolate in Canada and the bars on the shelf reflect the mix of Canada's origins. Here are a few: Aero, Caramilk, Cherry Blossom, Crunchie, Clodhoppers (sold in bags), Coffee Crisp, Crispy Crunch, Eat-More, Glosettes (raisins, peanuts or almonds), Kit Kat, Mr. Big, Mack (Toffee), Oh Henry!, Skor, Smarties, Wunderbar, Sweet Marie, Malted Milk and Pep. To name a few. Most Canadians can easily sing the Smarties ads to you... "When you eat your Smarties do you ..." Smarties are to Canadians what M&Ms or Reese's Pieces are to Americans.

Timbits - (Canada) Doughnut holes from Tim Horton's. And doughnuts are a Canadian tradition.

Coffee - (Canada) Often stronger than from our friends to the south, especially in Quebec where coffee comes in strong, stronger or strongest. Look for chains like Coffee Depot and Second Cup in Canada for those who like the special order kind and Tim Horton's for those who like the easy to order kind. If they ask you "double double?" they want to know if you want two sugar and two milk! There are more Tim Horton's restaurants in Canada than there are McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's combined. There are a few more chains in Canada and you will see people having fresh sandwiches, soup and even breakfast at their local Tim's.

Lobster - (Maritimes) Found in lobster dinners in PEI but served all over the Maritimes. Beautifully fresh, sweet and succulent.

Salmon - (Maritimes and BC) Atlantic salmon is often farm raised (and therefore should be limited to consumption once a week), but Pacific salmon is all natural. It's all great.

Malpeque oysters - (PEI) Famous the world over.

I'm sure that I have forgotten some things... just add them.

Hot Hamburger - (PEI) Ground beef patty between two pieces of bread smothered in gravy and topped with canned peas. Served with fries, also smothered in gravy, and cole slaw.

Fries with the Works - (PEI) The Low Carb version of Hot Hamburger, french fries covered in ground beef, fried onions, all smothered in gravy and topped with canned peas. There are variations of this which can include but are not restricted to chicken and cheese.

Rapure - Our version of Rappie Pie and IMHO much better. Rappie Pie or Rapure recipes can vary from province to province and even from family to family. My fav is grated potato mixed with, mashed potato, seasonings, chunks of cooked pork and onions, slow baked til it has a crunchy top. Served with butter and some, like myself, add molasses.

Chicken Fricot - (Maritimes) Another Acadian dish, soup with potaoes and chicken topped with dumplings, my grandmother (who was Acadian) made this and rapure all the time, no wonder I loved to spend all my holidays with her.

Just a few comments on Ephraims list:

Doner - We actually spell it Donair here. It’s seasoned ground beef, slow roasted on a spit, shaved and served on pita bread with tomato and onion with a sauce made of evaporated milk, sugar, garlic and vinegar. Mmm mmm mmm

Tourtiere - (Maritimes) I’ve had a version of tourtiere made with ground beef. My grandmother’s Acadian meat pies contained various types of meat or sometimes a combination of chicken, pork and rabbit.

The Montreal Smoked Meat sandwich should be served warm and has to be the best sandwich ever! I had mine at Ben's years ago and for dessert had the Apple Brown Betty served with sour cream on top. Divine.

Cadbury and Nielsen chocolate are the best. I cannot even eat Hershey chocolate, I guess I’ve been spoiled.

Lobster - (Maritimes) A warning, once you’ve had our lobster you may never be able to eat that warm water Caribbean thing they try to pass off as lobster on the Caribbean cruises. On PEI you can get a lobster dinner at most restaurants but to have it in true PEI style you should attend one of the "Lobster Suppers". The places that serve these are only open in the summer. A traditional lobster supper is a whole lobster served with a side of cold potato salad and a dinner roll. You will require a bib, shell cracker (nut crackers will do) and knuckle picker.

Malpeque oysters - (PEI) Famous the world over. And try our mussels too!! Steamed and served with melted butter, can’t beat it. These are often served as "all you can eat" appetizers at Lobster Suppers.

Some Canadian English for our American friends....

Anglophone - Someone who's native language is English

Francophone - Someone who's native language is French

Allophone - Someone who's native language isn't English nor French

Brown Bread - Whole Wheat Bread

Bill - Sometimes it's on a duck, but it's also a sign that the meal is over and someone wants some money.

Caisse Populaire (or Caisse Pop) - Co-operative "bank" (Trust) mostly in Quebec and some in New Brunswisk. Co-op in the rest of the country.

Entrée - Often what you are served before the main course (from the French word for "to enter")

Chesterfield - Something you sit on in a living room, sometimes also called a couch or a sofa depending on what part of the country you are from.

Click - A kilometre by any other name.

College (CEGEP) - Above high school but below university in stature.

Loonie - A single dollar coin (it has a picture of a loonie)

Toonie (or Doubloon) - A two dollar coin by any other name.

Eh? - Basically Canadian for "what do you think?" and better than saying "uhm".

Tap - We buy faucets, but we turn on the tap. Got it?

Gallon - Not the same as the American gallon. 5 quarts or 4.5 litres, not 4 quarts or 3.8 litres.

Homo Milk - Homogenized whole milk, everyone is welcome to drink it, regardless of their sexual orientation. (And you can buy it in bags or cartons.)

Housecoat - What you wear so you don't shock the neighbours when you go out for the newspaper in the morning. A bath robe by any other name.

Keener - That guy at the office that seems to have a brown nose

Pissed - Angry or drunk, depending on usage.

Pur Laine - Pure wool, meaning that the person's origins go back to New France and the original settlers of Quebec. Can be seen as mildly offencive when used to denote racial purity. (And usually earns a remark about the relationship of the Filles du Roi and their not so pure origins.)

Railways - A railroad by any other name.

Riding - When used as a noun, a political district.

The States - Neighbours to the South when talking, on paper it's the US except in Quebec where it's the EU.

Tory - Conservative Party of Canada, then the Progressive-Canadian Party of Canada, then the Conservative Party of Canada again (though seen as co-opted by the Reform Party of Canada.) Did you really want to get into Canadian politics anyway? (Blue)

Grits - Liberal Party of Canada (Red)

NDP - New Democratic Party of Canada, the Social Democrats in other countries. Sometimes called knee dippers. (Yellow)

Traveller's cheque - Portable safe money that is now out of fashion (note the double ll, the apostrophe as well as the spelling of cheque.)

Twenty-Sixer - Old name for a 750ml bottle of hard alcohol. Most alcohol in Canada is sold in 750ml bottles instead of 1 litre bottles because of cost.

Two-Four - A case of 24 beer in the Maritimes where a case is oddly only 12 beers, unlike the rest of the country.

Tuque - Winter hat, oddly shaped but cheap and effective.

Two-fer - As in two for the price of one. Seems like they used to do this on Tuesdays for movies, but now they charge more than half price (cheap bastards!)

Washroom - A WC, no bath needed.

Pogey - Unemployment (or welfare).

UIC - Sometimes also called UI or EI now. Unemploment insurance which is oddly called Employment insurance not. Short for Unemployment Insurance Corporation, the government crown corporation that administered the program.

Runners or Running Shoes - Sneakers in some other countries. Shoes for sports.

Billion - A thousand million and not the British million million, which Canadians call a trillion.

Humidex - Humidity Index. Basically what the temperature really feels like based on the humidity.

Wind Chill - How damn cold it really feels because of the wind chilling me to the bone!

Holiday - A day off from work, like Thanksgiving, Boxing Day and Canada Day.

Vacation - Time off from work. We get at least 2 weeks a year, often more, by law.

Bunny Hug - A hoodie in the Prairies.

Prairies - Grasslands in Canada, called "the plains" in the US.

Dépanneur or Dep - A convenience store in Quebec

ATM/ABM - An automated bank teller or automated bank Machine.

Guichet - See ATM/ABM but in Quebec. Also sometimes a GAB.

Screech - When used as a noun, a drink in Newfoundland and Labrador based on Rum and often moonshine.

Mountie - An RCMP (GRC in Quebec) officer, with or without the horse.

Bachelor - Unmarried man or a studio apartment

Cutlery - Silverware for eating food.

Garberator - A garbage disposal

Hydro - Electricity (since it often comes from water in Canada)

Packsack - Backpack

Chocolate Bar - A bar of chocolate, often called a candy bar in the US, but no one in Canada knows why it's a candy bar when it's made of chocolate and not candy.

Double-Double - Coffee with two sugars and two creams.

Mickey - Not a mouse! A half Twenty-Sixer. 375ml of hard alcohol.

Bum - Your backside or someone begging for money that we all ignore.

Squeegie - Annoying guy standing in traffic and making your windshield dirtier than it was before and hoping you are willing to give him money for having done it.

Expiry - When items go bad.

Close/Open - Quebec usage for turning lights on and off.

Hogtown - Toronto

Cowtown - Calgary

Jacked - Stolen

Kerfuffle - An argument or a strained situation.

Newfie - Someone from Newfoundland.

Pepsi or Pepper - Derogatory term for someone Francophone from Quebec.

Yak'ed - To vomit.

Yank - A loving term used to refer to our neighbours to the South.

Some Canadian English for our American friends....

Anglophone - Someone who's native language is English

Francophone - Someone who's native language is French

Allophone - Someone who's native language isn't English nor French

Brown Bread - Whole Wheat Bread

Bill - Sometimes it's on a duck, but it's also a sign that the meal is over and someone wants some money.

Caisse Populaire (or Caisse Pop) - Co-operative "bank" (Trust) mostly in Quebec and some in New Brunswisk. Co-op in the rest of the country.

Entrée - Often what you are served before the main course (from the French word for "to enter")

Chesterfield - Something you sit on in a living room, sometimes also called a couch or a sofa depending on what part of the country you are from.

Click - A kilometre by any other name.

College (CEGEP) - Above high school but below university in stature.

Loonie - A single dollar coin (it has a picture of a loonie)

Toonie (or Doubloon) - A two dollar coin by any other name.

Eh? - Basically Canadian for "what do you think?" and better than saying "uhm".

Tap - We buy faucets, but we turn on the tap. Got it?

Gallon - Not the same as the American gallon. 5 quarts or 4.5 litres, not 4 quarts or 3.8 litres.

Homo Milk - Homogenized whole milk, everyone is welcome to drink it, regardless of their sexual orientation. (And you can buy it in bags or cartons.)

Housecoat - What you wear so you don't shock the neighbours when you go out for the newspaper in the morning. A bath robe by any other name.

Keener - That guy at the office that seems to have a brown nose

Pissed - Angry or drunk, depending on usage.

Pur Laine - Pure wool, meaning that the person's origins go back to New France and the original settlers of Quebec. Can be seen as mildly offencive when used to denote racial purity. (And usually earns a remark about the relationship of the Filles du Roi and their not so pure origins.)

Railways - A railroad by any other name.

Riding - When used as a noun, a political district.

The States - Neighbours to the South when talking, on paper it's the US except in Quebec where it's the EU.

Tory - Conservative Party of Canada, then the Progressive-Canadian Party of Canada, then the Conservative Party of Canada again (though seen as co-opted by the Reform Party of Canada.) Did you really want to get into Canadian politics anyway? (Blue)

Grits - Liberal Party of Canada (Red)

NDP - New Democratic Party of Canada, the Social Democrats in other countries. Sometimes called knee dippers. (Yellow)

Traveller's cheque - Portable safe money that is now out of fashion (note the double ll, the apostrophe as well as the spelling of cheque.)

Twenty-Sixer - Old name for a 750ml bottle of hard alcohol. Most alcohol in Canada is sold in 750ml bottles instead of 1 litre bottles because of cost.

Two-Four - A case of 24 beer in the Maritimes where a case is oddly only 12 beers, unlike the rest of the country.

Tuque - Winter hat, oddly shaped but cheap and effective.

Two-fer - As in two for the price of one. Seems like they used to do this on Tuesdays for movies, but now they charge more than half price (cheap bastards!)

Washroom - A WC, no bath needed.

Pogey - Unemployment (or welfare).

UIC - Sometimes also called UI or EI now. Unemploment insurance which is oddly called Employment insurance not. Short for Unemployment Insurance Corporation, the government crown corporation that administered the program.

Runners or Running Shoes - Sneakers in some other countries. Shoes for sports.

Billion - A thousand million and not the British million million, which Canadians call a trillion.

Humidex - Humidity Index. Basically what the temperature really feels like based on the humidity.

Wind Chill - How damn cold it really feels because of the wind chilling me to the bone!

Holiday - A day off from work, like Thanksgiving, Boxing Day and Canada Day.

Vacation - Time off from work. We get at least 2 weeks a year, often more, by law.

Bunny Hug - A hoodie in the Prairies.

Prairies - Grasslands in Canada, called "the plains" in the US.

Dépanneur or Dep - A convenience store in Quebec

ATM/ABM - An automated bank teller or automated bank Machine.

Guichet - See ATM/ABM but in Quebec. Also sometimes a GAB.

Screech - When used as a noun, a drink in Newfoundland and Labrador based on Rum and often moonshine.

Mountie - An RCMP (GRC in Quebec) officer, with or without the horse.

Bachelor - Unmarried man or a studio apartment

Cutlery - Silverware for eating food.

Garberator - A garbage disposal

Hydro - Electricity (since it often comes from water in Canada)

Packsack - Backpack

Chocolate Bar - A bar of chocolate, often called a candy bar in the US, but no one in Canada knows why it's a candy bar when it's made of chocolate and not candy.

Double-Double - Coffee with two sugars and two creams.

Mickey - Not a mouse! A half Twenty-Sixer. 375ml of hard alcohol.

Bum - Your backside or someone begging for money that we all ignore.

Squeegie - Annoying guy standing in traffic and making your windshield dirtier than it was before and hoping you are willing to give him money for having done it.

Expiry - When items go bad.

Close/Open - Quebec usage for turning lights on and off.

Hogtown - Toronto

Cowtown - Calgary

Jacked - Stolen

Kerfuffle - An argument or a strained situation.

Newfie - Someone from Newfoundland.

Pepsi or Pepper - Derogatory term for someone Francophone from Quebec.

Yak'ed - To vomit.

Yank - A loving term used to refer to our neighbours to the South.

Another oddity

In the States if you are a Democrat you are Blue while in Canada if you are Blue you are a Conservative.

If you are a Republican you are Red while in Canada if you are Red you are a Liberal.

Canadians can freely travel to Cuba - Americans can't.

Cheers

Dennis

We write a cheque and in the US they write a check.

We have Arbutus trees and in the US they are called Madrona trees.

I allways am carefull to ask for the restroom in the US instead of the washroom or bathroom.

In Canada we relax outside in a Muskoka chair. In the US they call them Adirondack chairs.

Here is a list of the government's official websites for tourism:

Canada: http://www.canada.travel/

From West to East...

Provinces:

British Columbia: http://www.hellobc.com/

Alberta: http://www.travelalberta.com/

Saskatchewan: http://www.sasktourism.com/

Manitoba: http://www.travelmanitoba.com/

Ontario: http://www.ontariotravel.net/

Quebec: http://www.bonjourquebec.com/

New Brunswick: http://www.tourismnewbrunswick.ca/

Nova Scotia: http://www.novascotia.com/

Prince Edward Island: http://www.gentleisland.com/

Newfoundland and Labrador: http://www.newfoundlandandlabradortourism.com/

Territories:

Yukon: http://www.touryukon.com/

Northwest Territories: http://www.explorenwt.com/

Nunavut: http://www.nunavuttourism.com/

How do I order a black cofee with nothing in it at Tim Horton's?

I love the coffee but can't seem to get away from the sugar.

Thank you!

My mother drinks it black and she always orders it this way. Coffee, black, no sugar, filled to the rim. They are so used to pouring and leaving space at the top that she always reminds them to fill it to the rim.

You could always claim being a diabetic with lactose intolerance :)

My mother drinks it black and she always orders it this way. Coffee, black, no sugar, filled to the rim. They are so used to pouring and leaving space at the top that she always reminds them to fill it to the rim.

 

You could always claim being a diabetic with lactose intolerance :)

I seem to have to be in Canada for over 24 hours before my brain kicks in to understand these things. My most recent trip to Ottawa I decided to buy some Tim Horton's coffee and tea ware. Great stuff! I love the tea storage containers.

I wish I could order via a WEB site.

Yes, just for our foodie friends, here is a list of some of the speciality foods that you will find all over Canada that you may not be able to find elsewhere...

 

Nanaimo Bars - (British Columbia) A crumb-based layer, topped by a layer of light custard or vanilla butter icing, which is covered in soft chocolate.

 

Poutine - (Quebec) French fries, gouda cheese curds and a thick brown gravy. If your arteries weren't clogged before this, they will be after. Never to be hand in a fast food chain. The cheese changes from place to place but the original is gouda cheese curds (sometimes called fromage kwee-kwee in Quebec because of the sound they make in your mouth when you eat them.)

 

Beef - (Alberta) C'mon, this is the place to have a steak in Canada.

 

Rappie Pie - (Nova Scotia) Chicken or pork broth, with meat and onions, and served within layers of grated potatoes. A traditional Acadian dish

 

Screech - (Newfoundland and Labrador) Okay, it's a drink and not food but it's truly Newfoundand. Rum Newfoundland style. Drink some screech, kiss a codfish and say something Newfie and you may even get a certificate!

 

Doner - (Maritimes) It may have started in Turkey, but it's a Maritime tradition in Canada.

 

Tourtiere - (Quebec) A pork mince meat pie, generally served around Christmas.

 

Soupe aux pois - (Canada) Yellow pea soup. Yes it's yellow and not green. And it's probably the soup of the day at almost every restaurant in Quebec on a Friday. Made with ham. In Newfoundland you will find more vegetables. The most famous canned brand in Canada is Habitant.

 

Baked Beans - (Canada) While American Baked Beans are generally made with molasses, in Canada you will find that they have the taste of maple... because they are cooked with maple syrup.

 

Barbecue (Rotisserie) Chicken - (Canada) St-Hubert in Quebec, Swiss Chalet in other provinces or just the local supermarket. Served with a gravy of course.

 

Smoked Meat - (Montreal) It's a local tradition. Essentially a smoked pickled brisket cut into a beautifully delicious sandwich. Best served "medium" (ie not too lean) on rye bread with mustard (sometimes with chopped liver, but NEVER with cheese or anything else!) on a plate piled high with a side of coleslaw and fries. Arguments in Montreal always arise over who serves the best, but Schwartz's is the most famous. Great with a can of Cott's black cherry soda.

 

Montreal Bagel - (Montreal) Montreal bagel are different than other bagels in that they aren't left to rise entirely in the water. In Montreal they are always baked in a wood fired oven. The most famous two bakeries (where you can easily pick up a hot dozen) are Fairmount and St-Viateur. And no one agrees which one is best (but Fairmount has the most different varieties).

 

Maple Syrup - (Canada) Do I really have to say more? Available in different formats including "tire" (pronounded like tear) which is more of a taffy that is warmed and then poured on snow. Once you have the real stuff it's hard to go back to imitation flavoured "aunty" corn syrup. Generally sold in Canada in lovely economical tins, with grading starting at clear. Personally, I like a medium amber with it's woodiness.

 

Vachon Snack Cakes - (Canada) The Canadian Little Debbie and Hostess, including such favourites like Jos. Louis, 1/2 Moon, Passion Flakie and May West.

 

Chocolate Bars - (Canada) There is a different tradition in chocolate in Canada and the bars on the shelf reflect the mix of Canada's origins. Here are a few: Aero, Caramilk, Cherry Blossom, Crunchie, Clodhoppers (sold in bags), Coffee Crisp, Crispy Crunch, Eat-More, Glosettes (raisins, peanuts or almonds), Kit Kat, Mr. Big, Mack (Toffee), Oh Henry!, Skor, Smarties, Wunderbar, Sweet Marie, Malted Milk and Pep. To name a few. Most Canadians can easily sing the Smarties ads to you... "When you eat your Smarties do you ..." Smarties are to Canadians what M&Ms or Reese's Pieces are to Americans.

 

Timbits - (Canada) Doughnut holes from Tim Horton's. And doughnuts are a Canadian tradition.

 

Coffee - (Canada) Often stronger than from our friends to the south, especially in Quebec where coffee comes in strong, stronger or strongest. Look for chains like Coffee Depot and Second Cup in Canada for those who like the special order kind and Tim Horton's for those who like the easy to order kind. If they ask you "double double?" they want to know if you want two sugar and two milk! There are more Tim Horton's restaurants in Canada than there are McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's combined. There are a few more chains in Canada and you will see people having fresh sandwiches, soup and even breakfast at their local Tim's.

 

Lobster - (Maritimes) Found in lobster dinners in PEI but served all over the Maritimes. Beautifully fresh, sweet and succulent.

 

Salmon - (Maritimes and BC) Atlantic salmon is often farm raised (and therefore should be limited to consumption once a week), but Pacific salmon is all natural. It's all great.

 

Malpeque oysters - (PEI) Famous the world over.

 

I'm sure that I have forgotten some things... just add them.

Butter tarts- like a pecan tart in the US or treacle tart in UK, but buttery. I used to make them for bake sales when we lived in the US, and between that and the Nanaimo bars, I could have opened a bakery.

Bloody Caesars- An alcoholic drink like a Bloody Mary, but made with clamato juice. Invented in Calgary.

Viv

When you pay for something with American money or a traveler's cheque and get change in Canadian funds, please don't ask if you can have your change in 'real' money.

That is very insulting

And be aware that many smaller places don't take Canadian 50s and 100s, let alone large American bills.

Viv

I seem to have to be in Canada for over 24 hours before my brain kicks in to understand these things. My most recent trip to Ottawa I decided to buy some Tim Horton's coffee and tea ware. Great stuff! I love the tea storage containers.

 

I wish I could order via a WEB site.

Contact me via my blog and you might actually convince me to buy and send some stuff. Of course there are a few people selling it on eBay as well.