American's general knowledge about Canada

Factual Questions
21

Very true, but it gets worse.
The “world news” on US TV has shrunk to “What has happened elsewhere that a US politician commented on, or that killed a US citizen?” If it doesn’t fit those narrow critera, it isn’t reported.

And more, if you get “National News” from a local station in San Francisco, it becomes “What has happened elsewhere that a California politician commented on, or that killed a Killed a Californian?” If it doesn’t fit those narrow critera, it isn’t reported.

For the record, personally, I love Canada. Grew up in Detroit with Canadian TV channels, Canadian relatives, and my brother was a resident alien there for many years in Vancouver and Regina, where I would visit. But I recognize i’m in the minority.

22

I think that some of this is simple geography-Canada is a huge country in area, but over 90% of its poulation lives within 100 miles of the US border. How much that happens in the Yukon is of interest to ANYONE? Or, take Newfoundland-what really is of interest there?
Also, Canada really has never played a major role in world politics, and its interests (for better or worse) mostly coincide with the USA’s - hence the “invisibility” to most Americans. Does this mean that canada suffers-not at all! of course, I can’t blame them-most of the crap on American TV is pretty unwatchable. But if the canadians really want their own “culture”-go ahead an have it-nobodie’s stopping you-eh!

23

That was the joke.

One of the best episodes had Governor Bumpers (D. Arkansas) earnestly wishing Canada’s King Sven all the best in his efforts to raise funds to preserve our National Igloo which was threatened by global warming. Another side-splitter during the NATO-Kosovo bombings had Mercer asking Americans if they felt that NATO should send troops into Saskatchewan? Most said yes.

24

I know I’m bad in not giving you a cite, but even if it’s not true, it’s still relevant.

My mother told me the other week about how ignorant George W. Bush is, and how when asked about “Prime Minister Poutine”'s policies on something or other, answered in all seriousness, referring to him as “Poutine”.

For those of you who don’t know, our Prime Minister is Jean Chretien, and poutine is a Quebecois food, fries with gravy and cheese curds. =>

25

When my husband was working in Missasau…Missausag…near Toronto, I went to visit him once. We were out to eat at a Golden Griddle and these people were just going on and on about how the Americans need to do this and the Americans should keep their noses out of that. ? Also about how US school systems are so horrible. My goodness, you would have thought from hearing them that there are gangs of eight year olds running lose raping and pillaging every elementary school and that none of them could read either.

Hubby and I were just like, “Try not to do anything too American. Maybe they won’t notice us.”

26

I think I’m the only American who knows who Sir John A. McDonald is.

27

My question may be unrelated but… here goes…

How do the majority of Canadians feel about Quebec?
What are the differing veiws?

28

[hijack]Isn’t there a word in French that is both “hooker” and the aforementioned food? It may be poutine, or possibly something else. It’s Canadian.

Also, I don’t have a terribly good knowledge of Canada, but I do know what Nunavut is.[/hijack]

29

The French word for “whore” is putain. Although it might look similar, it sounds quite different than poutine. Thank goodness!

30

Cute, but how many Canadians would recognize all the US states? Or state capitals? There are many Americans who can’t even do that. For most people, it’s trivial information; does not knowing Canada’s capital is Ottawa somehow interfere with the normal American’s life? Probably not.

Knowledge is power, and I agree that people should make an effort to fight their own ignorance, but IMHO there are more important things in life for most people than memorizing the internal borders of Canada.

31

There are likely as many views on Québec as there are Canadians who hold them. I assume from your question that you are referring to Québec’s place within Canadian conferderation, not ‘how do most Canadians feel about Québec maple syrup.’

For the most part, the sentiment in English Canada toward Québec is akin to a family member’s feeling about another family member who alternately expresses love and affection, or hate and desire to move out. There are a few idiots out there who cross there arms, stamp their feet and pout “if Kwee-bec wants to seperate, let’em go” without stopping to think about the ramifications on the rest of Canada of losing (i) a qurater of the population (ii) a third of the land mass (if you think our currency is weak NOW . . .).

I think that for the most part Canadians understand that the vast majority of Québecers want to live theiur lives and not be politicized at every turn, just as English Canadians do. It’s the vocal minority of what I call ‘professional seperatists’ who can’t get off their soapbox lonmg enough to see the damamge their rhetoric causes not only to the economy, but to the peace of mind of their population. Bear in mind also that these politicians and academics are correct in asserting that Québec got the short end of the stick for generations, that Québec sent more into federal coffers than it got back, and that the federal government was often ignorant as to the vagaries of life in La Belle Province. But that situation has been remedied over the past generation or so, with more going into Québec than coming out (in Canada all 10 provinces receive ‘equalization’ payments from the federal government based on things like population, unemployment etc. ie. the rich provinces like Ontario and Alberta pay money to the poorer provinces. Québec used to be one of the rich guys, now they’re one of the poor guys).

I liken the situaion to the equal rights movement in the USA. There are those who assert, rightly so, that minorities have not always been treated fairly in the USA. Hence ERA in the 60’s. Now, there are some opposnents to ERA who say the situation has been redressed, hence no more need for the ERA. Conversely, there are some (like the seperatists) who cannot forget the bad old days.

Finally, within Québec, it is only about 25% of the pouplation who actively advocate an actual sepration from Canada (secession if you like). Another 25% are less ‘seperatist’ and more ‘sovereignist’, asserting that Québec is a distict society within Canada and should therefore have greater control over its social laws, courts, education etc. The other half of the province voted in the 1995 referendum to stay in Canada and not to renegotiate the constitution to give the province more powers. So you’ve got seperatists, sovereignists, and federalists. The majority of Québecers, when in a ballot box, tend to root for the home team, but recognize the value of playing in a bigger league.

32

I think you’d be surprised at how many Canadians know the states. We may not be able to list them all alphabetically, but give us a map of the US and I think most of us could identify many, if not all, the states.

State capitals are another story, but I can recall many of them from my days playing organized league trivia: Albany, New York; Bismark, North Dakota; Jefferson City, Missouri, and so on.

Part of our ability with the states is, I think, the sheer amount of American influence that crosses the border via TV, radio, and printed media. We watch TV ads for the Consumer Information Catalog from Pueblo, Colorado; we read news reports about Senator Whatzisname (D. Arkansas), and we hear about companies like Ford that are in Detroit, Michigan. When you’re constantly bombarded with city-and-state information, you can’t help but pick it up.

Perhaps there are more important things in an American’s life than learning the internal borders of Canada. But if you plan to meet any Canadians (on business, perhaps), it would save you embarrassing yourself by saying something like, “Ontario? Isn’t that a town in British Columbia?” Which, by the way, an American once asked me.

33

You may have a point, but I am willing to bet that a large majority of Canadians would know a state of the union if they heard it. I don’t have the slightest doubt that anyone I know (I am Canadian) wouldn’t know that, say, Deleware or Rhode Island is a state. However, I also know a few Americans personally and one actually thought Nova Scotia was in England or Scotland.

I don’t think that Americans need to know the “internal” borders of Canada, but at least I would think they should know roughly as much about the country north of them as most Canadians know about whats south of them. Then again, ignorance is bliss I suppose.

My .02c

34

Thing is, if someone gets one wrong, and it sticks out in your mind more than the 10 or 20 people who get it right. And I bet most Canadians would have a difficult choosing which state was Kansas/Nebraska, Vermont/New Hampshire, and Wyoming/Colorado. Most Americans probably would have a hard time with those unless they live there.

As has been pointed out, it seems like it’s simply that we market ourselves better than Canadians. If you expect us to notice you as much as you notice us, you’ll have to blow your own horn a little more. But then everybody will hate you as much as they do us… Perhaps a little anonymity is a good thing sometimes.

35

FWIW, I am currently working on This Hour Has 22 Minutes and, even as I type, Rick Mercer is in Des Moines waiting for Al Gore’s arrival tomorrow. Should be interesting to compare him to Bush. However, I must say that I find this whole “Americans are ignorant” thing a bit tired.

It’s fair to say that federal politicians should know a bit better, but sticking a microphone in the face of some tourist or whatever is too easy. Alright… so they don’t know (or care) much about us. So what? Want another barrel to shoot into? How about trying the French or English. It’s like some stupid attention getting device we use notice ourselves. Same deal with those “I Am Canadian” ads.

Our perception of this whole cultural awareness gap (for lack of a better expression) seems to have shifted. Widespread US unfamiliarity with all things Canadian used to be a source of humour and frustration. Now we celebrate it. It just seems cliche, hostile and, I might add, very un-Canadian. Or maybe I’m just a bit bothered by the way Molson seems to have marketed their way into the national discourse.

36

**
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For the most part, the sentiment in English Canada toward Québec is akin to a family member’s feeling about another family member who alternately expresses love and affection, or hate and desire to move. **
[/QUOTE]

I am a computer support tech and work with people throughout North America. I generally talk to 80-90 people during my ten hour shift. I talk to people in Vancouver, Calgary, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto, Thunder Bay, and countless other cities. These persons are generally warm and friendly and quite courteous. I tend to match my tone, speed, and the inflection of my voice with the callers. Please do not take offence - My concern is with the abruptness and general rudeness with which I am treated 80% of the time by persons living in the city of Quebec. Is this a French vs. English thing? It seems as if I should react to the agressiveness of their tones. (which I try not to do!) Any ideas on this? Is there something else I should know about when dealing with Quebec?

“Go away, or I shall taunt you a second time. ‘English, sniget’!” M.P.

37

You have to remember that in bits like this (on Leno too) they only show you the stupid people. Anyone who answers correctly is edited out.

That’s what makes it funny, but it is by no means impartial.

38

Hell, I’m Canadian and I guarantee I know more U.S. history and geography than I do Canadian history and geography.

Quite frankly, what the U.S. does is important to us. Probably more important than most of what our own country does. So most of the interesting news comes from the U.S. plus, we get American TV, most books are published in the U.S., etc.

SO WHAT? You guys are big, we’re small. Canadians, let’s get over it. The one constant amongst Canadians is that they tend to carry a terrible inferiority complex when it comes to the U.S.

A Quiz for Canadians: How many people are there in Mexico? How about Iceland? Who are the political leaders of each country? What are the major issues facing each of them? What’s the prevailing religion?

If you don’t know, ask yourself why - because it DOESN’T MATTER TO US. These countries don’t have much of an effect on our lifestyle, so we ignore them.

Much as the U.S. tends to ignore us. And as they should. There’s no moral imperative that American citizens get to know Canada. There’s not even a good practical reason, unless they already know all the more important stuff.

39

My concern is with the abruptness and general rudeness with which I am treated 80% of the time by persons living in the city of Quebec. Is this a French vs. English thing? It seems as if I should react to the agressiveness of their tones. (which I try not to do!) Any ideas on this? Is there something else I should know about when dealing with Quebec?
**
[/QUOTE]

Ummmm, you do know that Quebec is a province AND a city, no? Or do you mean that people from Montreal, Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivieres are nice and polite while people from Ville de Quebec are rude?

40

Absolutely not!! That is why in my post I have ‘city of Quebec’