# Non-Canadians who have visited Canada - what surprised you about the country? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 6, 2015, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364 "2015-03-06T15:36:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![BrickBat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@BrickBat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrickBat)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/241 "2018-12-02T18:48:16Z")
Northern-ish Ontario. Polite ( other than the border official ) good natured people. Very courteous drivers. Weird conflation of metric and imperial system, noted in interactions with people. “They just poured 50 cubic meters of concrete, 6 inches thick”…that sort of thing. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2018, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/242 "2018-12-02T19:25:43Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > The border crossings went smoothly. They asked a few simple questions, then let us through. I guess we didn’t stimulate their “spidey senses.” > > - Restaurants don’t have restrooms. They have _wash_rooms. > > - Drivers are aggressive; they’re _very_ fast, and will tailgate you if you’re in their way. Most of the Trans-Canada Highway has a speed limit of 90 km/hr, yet most drivers were doing at least 110 km/hr. > > - Where we were, the Trans-Canada Highway was mostly a two-lane highway. But every 20 km or so it became a four-lane highway for a couple kilometers, and then resorted back to two-lanes. I suspect they do this to allow faster drivers to pass the slower drivers. (Even though I was doing 100 km/hr, I was constantly tailgated, so was thankful every time the road temporarily transitioned to four-lanes.) > > - Native (First Nations) culture was everywhere. One day we took a drive into the Sagamok Indian Reserve. The homes were nicer than anticipated. We tried to drive down to Fort La Cloche from the Indian Reserve, but the snow was too deep for my Saab. > > - We saw some Mennonite families. We also have Mennonite families in the U.S., but for some reason I wasn’t expecting to see them in Canada. > > - As others have mentioned, people were very nice. > > - The “paper” money is plastic, as opposed to the “fabric” our money is made of. I received a $2 coin and a deli. > > - Massey, and the towns we drove through, were very quaint. Many of the stores and restaurants were mom-n-pop establishments; there weren’t many chains. > > - Here in the U.S., I believe most cemeteries are non-denominational. But all of the cemeteries I drove past in Ontario were denominational (Lutheran, Catholic, etc.). > > - Lots of religious signs (small billboards, more precisely) on private property. > > - Lots of Canadian flags flown. > > - I bought beer at the LCBO in Massey. Most of the craft beer was sold in individual, 473 ml cans at $3 to $4 _each_ :eek:. In the U.S., craft beer is usually sold in 4-packs or 6-packs, and at a considerably lower price. > > - The cottage had satellite TV. Much of the programming was Canada-centric. As if the producers were wanting to make a point that this program was made in Canada, this product was made in Canada, etc. Of course, I didn’t mind this. But just thought it was interesting. And there was lots of hockey on TV. We generally call them washrooms, though in Quebec we can be blunter, and call them “toilettes.” Yes, a lot of First Nations culture. Last weekend I was walking in an unfamiliar place and got lost, and ended up on a reserve at a truck stop. They were nice, and helped me get home. Here in Quebec, you can buy beer at grocery stores and corner stores. Yes, people do tend to drive fast on the highways. ---
**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:** [December 3, 2018, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/243 "2018-12-03T05:35:10Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > And Mackintosh Toffee is fucking awesome. You can usually buy it in the poor areas. I have received marriage proposals over a recipe that uses Mackintosh toffee. ---
**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:** [December 3, 2018, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/244 "2018-12-03T05:47:20Z")
Highway 11’s 90 kph is significantly faster than highway 17’s 90 kph. ---
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2018, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/245 "2018-12-03T05:50:43Z")
I think the most shocking thing to me about Canada when I first visited was that all Canadians are descended from Brazilians, and how every one of them made tender but ecstatic love to me. ---
**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:** [December 3, 2018, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/246 "2018-12-03T06:34:58Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > - Massey, and the towns we drove through, were very quaint. A radio ad from Massey’s hock shop and gun store a few decades ago: “Buy now, use now, and don’t pay for until hunting season.” When it comes to hydro, Massey was a pivot point at which the tree huggers succeeded in blocking several dams and creating a provincial park, and more significantly got the proponent of a class environmental assessment that would set the small hydro approval process for the entire province to be a lot more reasonable. In the spring, Massey’s River aux Saubles is a delight for white water paddlers. > **[Canyon of the River aux Sables](http://my.tbaytel.net/culpeper/CanyonoftheRiverauxSables.htm)** > > Canyon of the River aux Sables Ontario canoe and kayak trip > **[River aux Sables Notes](http://my.tbaytel.net/culpeper/RiverAuxSablesNotes.html)** > > River aux Sables Ontario canoe and kayak notes ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2018, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/247 "2018-12-03T08:09:45Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > Here in Quebec, you can buy beer at grocery stores and corner stores. And here in Alberta, you can buy beer at privately-run liquor stores. Many are open until midnight (or later), seven days a week, unlike Ontario. I always get a kick out of Americans recounting their experiences of “Canada.” Most of what they mention (drinking ages, purchasing alcohol, road signs, just to name a few), is controlled by the provinces. Like US states, the provinces control certain things that the federal government constitutionally cannot. So when I hear an American say, “The only place to get beer in _Canada_ is at a government-run store,” I have to laugh. Then I ask what _province_ they visited. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2018, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/248 "2018-12-03T16:04:31Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > I always get a kick out of Americans recounting their experiences of “Canada.” Most of what they mention (drinking ages, purchasing alcohol, road signs, just to name a few), is controlled by the provinces. Like US states, the provinces control certain things that the federal government constitutionally cannot. So when I hear an American say, “The only place to get beer in _Canada_ is at a government-run store,” I have to laugh. Then I ask what _province_ they visited. For this reason, I always talk about my time in Ontario, not my time in Canada. In the spirit of this thread, I never really think anything’s really all that different about Ontario. I grew up in a time when crossing into Canada didn’t require documentation. My grandmother was from Sarnia (she went to school with James Doohan [Mr. Scott]). Our town was not developed to the extent it is today, so all of the good shopping was in Sarnia (now the roles are reversed). During one of the oil embargoes, we’d go to Sarnia just to fill up. Ontario’s beaches are better, because they have the sandy side of the lake (Michigan has the rocky side). I lived in the in the GTA for a year. Really, the differences between Michigan and Southern Ontario are all superficial. If I want to go some place where there are deeper differences, that’s San Diego, for example. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2018, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/249 "2018-12-03T17:38:14Z")
I grew up in Sarnia. Are you from Port Huron, Balthisar? ---
**Author:** ![EscAlaMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/escalamike/32/4177_2.png) [@EscAlaMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EscAlaMike)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2018, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/250 "2018-12-03T17:47:09Z")
I’ve visited Canada twice, both times by car. We drove into Windsor and spent a couple of days there. I had always heard about how clean Canada was, but I didn’t find Windsor to be especially clean. Also, Canadians are supposed to be friendly, but the waiter at the restaurant we ate at was a jerk. GW Bush was President at the time, and once the waiter found out we were Americans (I’m not sure how he found out, maybe our accents?) he started bashing Bush and American politics. Now I am not nor was I a fan of W or American politics in general, but dude come on, time and place. That’s the only thing I was surprised about. On another occasion, we drove into Montreal from Vermont. The Quebec countryside was beautiful, and Montreal was an interesting city. I don’t think anything surprised me though. ---
**Author:** ![senoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@senoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/senoy)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2018, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/251 "2018-12-03T19:41:05Z")
> [@EscAlaMike](#): > > I’ve visited Canada twice, both times by car. > > We drove into Windsor and spent a couple of days there. I had always heard about how clean Canada was, but I didn’t find Windsor to be especially clean. Also, Canadians are supposed to be friendly, but the waiter at the restaurant we ate at was a jerk. GW Bush was President at the time, and once the waiter found out we were Americans (I’m not sure how he found out, maybe our accents?) he started bashing Bush and American politics. Now I am not nor was I a fan of W or American politics in general, but dude come on, time and place. That’s the only thing I was surprised about. > > On another occasion, we drove into Montreal from Vermont. The Quebec countryside was beautiful, and Montreal was an interesting city. I don’t think anything surprised me though. Canada is a big country with lots of people. It’s hard to stereotype too much. There’s also a lot of relativity. If you’re from New York City, Canadians as a general rule are much friendlier. If you’re from Savannah, probably not. (Again, depending on where you are. Toronto is much different than say Thunder Bay.) Mostly though, Canada as a generic entity is politer than America as a general entity. “Friendliness” is a different concept and I think that as a general rule Americans are more open than Canadians - which might be one definition of friendly. The one broad exception might be parts of Quebec where sometimes people can be real jerks at times to anglophones, but other parts of Quebec the people are positively lovely - so pretty much like anywhere else. Cleanliness is relative too of course, I would say that overall there is less litter in Canada than in the US. Again, just speaking overall. As for upkeep of homes and businesses, it’s a mixed bag and largely dependent upon where you are. Canada has less income disparity, so you end up with a lot more ‘middle class’ areas. Their poverty rate is lower than in the US and it also is heavily racialized poverty that tends to collect in certain neighborhoods, so a typical ‘tourist’ type of experience largely avoids those areas where you do tend to see a bit more rundown areas. As a tourist, you’re not going to the seedier parts of Scarborough, so where you do tend to go is usually a lot nicer. I would also be willing to claim that even the seedier areas of Canada are still upkept better than the seedier areas of the US. Places like Parkdale in the 90s (as opposed to today when it’s rapidly gentrifying) really didn’t have that completely destitute, nigh post-Apocalyptic look that say Gary Indiana in the 90s had. No explanation for that, but it’s true. (Although parts of Winnipeg did have that look, especially North End-haven’t been to Winnipeg in 20 years though, so hopefully things have changed.) Windsor as an example is not especially clean, but it is also essentially Canadian Detroit, so you can’t compare it to Newport, Rhode Island. You compare it to Detroit and I would say that it’s remarkably better kept. ---
**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:** [December 3, 2018, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/252 "2018-12-03T21:25:01Z")
Although most alcohol is sold through Liquor Control Board of Ontario stores (LCBO stores and Beer Store stores), there are some private businesses (general stores, variety stores [LCBO Convenience Outlets (LCO) - Google My Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=18ousgzboAKJxcsC_VnCoEPnz5MI&ll=47.34777281591568%2C-87.3526083061945&z=5) and grocery storeshttps://www.ontario.ca/page/beer-wine-cider-sales-grocery-stores for the most part) that sell booze under licence from the LCBO. What does not take place is unrestricted distribution and sales, so don’t expect alcohol to be available the way a Coke would. ---
**Author:** ![AngelSoft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angelsoft/32/440_2.png) [@AngelSoft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelSoft)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2018, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/253 "2018-12-03T21:49:17Z")
I have visited Toronto and St. Johns. The two things that shocked me most were the fact that you were always asked if you wanted gravy with your fries and…good lord…the…the bacon. I don’t know what is different but the amount of bacon you are given is…it’s heavenly. Here in America, you’re lucky to get 3 slices of bacon TOPS. But when I ordered a breakfast there with bacon…it was like someone just took a heaping handful of bacon, dropped it in a deep fryer and then placed it on my plate. I’ve never been so happy in my life. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2018, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/254 "2018-12-03T22:23:27Z")
That’s an anomaly; our bacon servings are pretty much the same as yours. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2018, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/255 "2018-12-03T22:28:07Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > (snip) > > What did you like about it? What did we like? The cobblestone streets, the ancient (by North American standards) buildings, the cozy restaurants and _patisseries_. I had a couple of great runs on the Plains of Abraham. Under rainy, cold skies Quebec City was pretty; I imagine in the summer, the views over the Ste. Laurence are stunning. The friendly people; one morning on a run, I stopped to ask a young millennial construction worker for directions. He spoke no English and couldn’t help me, but smiled and gave me a cheerful “_bonne journee!_” regardless. My wife loved the foreignness of it; she wanted to be reminded that she was in another country. To me, on the other hand, Quebec City felt very American. I don’t mean that in any sense referring to the U.S.; I mean that it felt very tangled up in the colonial history of the continent, that important things for North American history occurred there. Which is, of course, true. In that manner, it very much reminded me of Charleston or Boston. We were only in the city for a couple of days, so we spent most of our time in Vieux Quebec and thus didn’t get to see the non-touristy part of the city. But we stayed in a great Airbnb off rue Cartier, a street full of nice restaurants, _boulangeries_, and a cool bookstore. And a running store, where I spent an enjoyable half-hour chatting with the manager and a customer about the local running community. I missed one of their group runs by a day, alas. All in all, and admittedly based on a small sampling, it seemed a pleasant, smallish, friendly city. I’d go back if I got the opportunity. ---
**Author:** ![AngelSoft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angelsoft/32/440_2.png) [@AngelSoft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelSoft)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/256 "2018-12-04T01:15:05Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > That’s an anomaly; our bacon servings are pretty much the same as yours. You shut your lying mouth! Every place I go in Canada is going to shower me with bacon! Bacon and gravy!!! It is the promised land and I won’t be swayed by your deceitful lips! ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2018, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/257 "2018-12-04T12:19:59Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I grew up in Sarnia. Are you from Port Huron, Balthisar? Yup, or rather its suburb, Ft. Gratiot. ---
**Author:** ![popomomo\_cocoyoyo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3da27b/32.png) [@popomomo\_cocoyoyo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/popomomo_cocoyoyo)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2018, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/258 "2018-12-05T19:05:12Z")
> [@kopek](#): > > What the freak do you people do? Destroy every piece of money you have after 5 years? Sheeesh! > [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > - The “paper” money is plastic, as opposed to the “fabric” our money is made of. I received a $2 coin and a deli. There’s a very good reason we’ve switched to [polymer banknotes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymer_banknote) and taken the old bills out of circulation: [counterfeiting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banknotes_of_the_Canadian_dollar#Counterfeiting). The old bills became easy to counterfeit when colour printers and copiers became commonplace, and if the non-polymer banknotes were kept in wide circulation, the counterfeiting would’ve continue. I used to see counterfeited $5 bills about once a month, sometimes I’d notice as the store clerk tried to pass it on to me and ask for a different one, sometimes I’d notice too late. Then it becomes a big hassle, either I’d have to pass it on, which is technically a crime, or destroy it and be out $5. I’m very happy we switched to polymer banknotes, great progress. I was going to say all modern countries have switched to polymer banknotes but surprisingly the Euro hasn’t, and unsurprisingly it’s one of the most counterfeited currencies, Wikipedia mentions 300 PPM (300 bills per 1 million in circulation). Canada went from 470 PPM in 2004 to around 40 PPM after switching to polymer, again according to Wikipedia. ---
**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:** [December 5, 2018, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/259 "2018-12-05T22:42:54Z")
That, and used poly bills do not smell the way used cotton bills used to smell or the US cotton/linen bills smell. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2018, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/260 "2018-12-06T00:27:38Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > That, and used poly bills do not smell the way used cotton bills used to smell or the US cotton/linen bills smell. You sniff bills? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364.md?page=14)