# Insight into the Canadian mind **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 5, 2012, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insight-into-the-canadian-mind/611893 "2012-02-05T21:26:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insight-into-the-canadian-mind/611893/1 "2012-02-05T21:26:33Z")
I mean this in no way as a slight. I’m really, truly, interested in something we saw in Washington state while we were up there this summer. “Canadian money at Par”: So, 1 dollar US is 1 loony Canadian, with no fees or penalties, and what I saw was WAVES of Canadians coming south of the border to buy Gas and Milk. I understand travelling a little to get a good deal, but it was NUTS. The Costco we went to had a 45 minute wait to get gas. There was a 2 or 3 hour wait to get over the Border (90 minutes each way), and everywhere there were signs limiting people to 8 gallons or so if Milk. Is the difference SO great in price that it’s worth burning most of a day to go get Gas and Milk? Or is it seen as a getaway with the added benefit of some cheap stuff in the deal? ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insight-into-the-canadian-mind/611893/2 "2012-02-05T22:04:29Z")
Safe bet that the sign is a hold-over from a time when the U.S. dollar traded considerably higher than the Canadian. That said, many items can be had in the U.S. for astonishingly lower prices. (Here’s a little [insight](http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/its-time-to-question-canadas-cheese-prices/article2231511/) into that.) I have never been a cross-border shopper but I know plenty of people who find it worthwhile to head down to Blaine of a week-end - 45 minutes to get down there, buy clothes and electronics, then stock up on grocery items that are much much cheaper before heading back. It seems like too much of a pain in the ass to me to bother, but it’s easy to understand when you see the difference in prices. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insight-into-the-canadian-mind/611893/3 "2012-02-05T22:19:56Z")
Here’s [GasBuddy’s chart](http://www.ontariogasprices.com/Retail_Price_Chart.aspx) of US versus Canadian gas prices. You can choose different locations, and display the prices in US dollars per US gallon or Canadian cents per litre. The average difference between Canadian and US prices has been around a dollar per gallon. If you live close to the border, or are planning a long trip that can go through the States, buying fuel in the States can make a significant difference. My sister and her husband live a ten-minute drive from a border crossing, and they go across to fill up fairly frequently. If you’re more than an hour or so from the border, or live near an especially-crowded crossing, it’s less advantageous… I think very few people in Toronto would go to Niagara and cross the border just to get gas and milk. People do organize larger-scale cross-border shopping trips though, and during these they would certainly take the chance to fill up. And there are a lot of people from Toronto who drive or take a bus to Buffalo airport to get cheaper US domestic flights. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insight-into-the-canadian-mind/611893/4 "2012-02-05T23:01:33Z")
No, it doesn’t surprise me in the least. Even in my family, there are folks who are just so thrilled at finding a ‘bargain’, they’ll waste $30 in gas to save $40 on clothes. I don’t get it myself… ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insight-into-the-canadian-mind/611893/5 "2012-02-05T23:40:59Z")
There are things that we’ll hunt for while we’re in the States when we’re there, but we don’t live close enough to indulge in regular cross-border shopping. If we lived closer, though, I would do it, too. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insight-into-the-canadian-mind/611893/6 "2012-02-05T23:46:40Z")
Mom lives in Blaine. 🙂 It just seems like there’s a huge ‘time tax’ in making the trip. Now, granted, I saw the bulk of this behavior at Costco and a Dairy, so that may explain some of it. Do y’all throw some money at a friend making the trip? I can’t imagine how big a family you’d need to run up against an 8 gallon limit for milk. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insight-into-the-canadian-mind/611893/7 "2012-02-05T23:51:08Z")
You could be looking at people stocking their restaurants and corner stores, too. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insight-into-the-canadian-mind/611893/8 "2012-02-06T00:01:03Z")
Good point. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insight-into-the-canadian-mind/611893/9 "2012-02-06T00:17:55Z")
They were smoking BC weed and got the munchies. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insight-into-the-canadian-mind/611893/10 "2012-02-06T01:10:01Z")
> [@Larry\_Mudd](#): > > I know plenty of people who find it worthwhile to head down to Blaine of a week-end The SO has mentioned a few times that most of the cars in the parking lot at the Blaine Cost Cutter seem to have Canadian plates. We went there recently (The Market is nicer, IOO, so we tend to go there) and I noticed the five cars parked next to where we parked. Ours was the only one without a BC plate. > [@Unintentionally\_Blank](#): > > Mom lives in Blaine. 🙂 Your mom told me to tell you hi, BTW. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insight-into-the-canadian-mind/611893/11 "2012-02-06T01:13:16Z")
I’ll just bet. It’s freeking [Mayberry](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayberry) up there. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insight-into-the-canadian-mind/611893/12 "2012-02-06T01:16:18Z")
> [@Unintentionally\_Blank](#): > > I’ll just bet. It’s freeking [Mayberry](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayberry) up there. Ayup. Mayberry with delinquents. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insight-into-the-canadian-mind/611893/13 "2012-02-06T01:28:53Z")
A friend of mine makes quarterly trips to Buffalo for groceries. He uses spreadsheets and tracks costs here and there and according to his calculations he saves about $400 a trip. It costs him about $200 for the weekend away. It wouldn’t be worth it to me but I suspect the game is as much fun as the savings for him. ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insight-into-the-canadian-mind/611893/14 "2012-02-06T01:31:49Z")
You may notice, traveling down I-5 from the Canadian border at Blaine, that every shopping mall along the way from the border almost to Seattle, has a Canadian flag flying right next to the US flag. Yessir, we really like those Canucks. One never sees the reverse of this situation on the Canadian side of the border. ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insight-into-the-canadian-mind/611893/15 "2012-02-06T01:58:09Z")
I haven’t done cross-border shopping, but my MiL, who lives in Niagara, has, and she says groceries are much cheaper across the border. Especially things like meat and dairy. Next time she goes she’s going to buy me a lot of butter. It’s about $5 a pound here. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insight-into-the-canadian-mind/611893/16 "2012-02-06T02:07:44Z")
Actually, I’ve been thinking of cross-border shopping the other way. Ikea is in Renton, like 120 miles south of here. There’s also one in Richmond, about 30 miles or so from here. ---
**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insight-into-the-canadian-mind/611893/17 "2012-02-06T02:34:53Z")
The last couple times I drove to Canada, the Canadian border patrol pulled me aside, did a criminal background check and asked questions such as “have you ever had a job?”. I would suppose the U.S. customs is generally more friendly if Canadians are driving over just to bargain shop. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insight-into-the-canadian-mind/611893/18 "2012-02-06T02:41:05Z")
Did you use your passport, **GreenElf**? We travel from Canada to the US by car frequently, and our stop at the border is usually quick and painless (we do use our passports). ---
**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insight-into-the-canadian-mind/611893/19 "2012-02-06T03:35:07Z")
No. Is that the ticket? I like Canada once I get there. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insight-into-the-canadian-mind/611893/20 "2012-02-06T04:58:00Z")
We’ve found if we say “Nice toque!” to the border guard, we breeze right through. Petting his moose helps, as does humming Michael Bublé songs. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insight-into-the-canadian-mind/611893.md?page=2)