What are your misconceptions of Canada?

Question

As a Canadian, I have been noticing many stereotypes of Canada, most of which are not true. I live in British Columbia, and I can speak for Western Canada in saying we do not say 'aboot', it is not winter all year round, and, although we do say 'eh', we don't say it after every question we ask. Most Canadians do not say 'ruff' instead of 'roof', although I know there are a few. Many Canadians love the United States, but many do not. We have a population of 33 million, we have electricity and running water, and I've never seen a beaver or a moose in the wild.

So have I surprised any of you yet? I'm interested in what other people from around the world know (or don't know) about Canada. Please answer; I won't criticize.

Answer 1

Before I moved to Canada from Europe I had not given it a thought. I didn't know anything about Canada. I thought.. I guess that's where only the ice bears and Grizzlies live and it will be like Antarctica.. I just never thought about it.. then I visited Canada a lot of times and have been living in Eastern Canada since the year 2000.I know that British Columbia is very nice, lots of mountains and lakes, Victoria is a pretty town, Vancouver is the capital city and also nice and Vancouver Island takes a long time to walk around it.. a nice park by the river. Very close to the nice US city of Seattle which one can conveniently visit for a day trip from there.. and no, the beavers are here in the East.. we got them. and EH is something people also say here in Ontario. Nobody does in British columbia and they talk proper there.. maybe all people here are hard of hearing to say ''eh'' I live in Ottawa, the capital of all of Canada. The Parliament is here.In Eastern Canada we are 6 hours behind Central European time and 5 hours behind British time and of course in the West.. in British Columbia they are 3 hours behind us, so they are 9 hours behind Central European time and 8 hours behind British time.. and of course there is running water and electricity but the winters are harsh and long. minus 22 celsius is quite cold and winter starts in November and ends in April each year but on the West coast the climate is a bit milder than here in the East... xx And we do like Americans but the town of Buffalo NYC really sucks, it's like a ghost town.

Answer 2

Maybe you can blame Weird Al for making Canadian Idiot.  ;)

No, not really.  Stereotypes aren't always right.  I was surprised that you haven't seen a moose in the wild.

Hmm... here's an assumption I'd make... in winter you can go ice skating at the nearest body of water.

Answer 3

Easy answer to that one: Just ask your parents; I'm sure they'll tell you you were actually born in America.

Answer 4

that they don't like americans?

Answer 5

Of course you won't hear yourself monophthongize the vowel /ou/ like with the word < about > just like most American dialects no longer hear a phonological difference between the words < pin > and < pen > when they interchange these words because you are accustom to hearing and speaking in this particular way.

The difference in pronouncation stems from how most Canadians round their lips when they merge /ou/ -- as opposed to other varieties of North American English (like in California) which also monothongize this vowel, but they don't round their lips while saying it [see Labov's study I cited below].

That's why Southern-raised Anglophones (like myself) can notice this difference right away ... the same way you -- as a Canadian -- can quickly determine someone is Southern because of their monophthongization of the vowel group /ay/ in words like < tied > or < tight>.

But don't get so offeneded when Americans joke with you about the /ou/, it's just part of the quarkie aspect of language.  If anything, it's one of the few prestiges of North American English which Candians can cherish as being specifically their own, much like Southerns relish our much beloved word "y'all."

Answer 6

Sad to report that we Brits have a real job distinguishing between Aremicans and Canadians, although at close quarters, Canadians do seem to have a more "British"-style sense of humour.