# 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:** 3
**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:** [March 6, 2015, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/41 "2015-03-06T19:26:29Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Poutine. > > “Well it looks like vomit so I’m not poutine it in my mouth” > > Is this really a popular dish? Any first time visitors that have tried it? Not trying to poop in your thread, **EmG**. I’ve never been to Canada but sure do hope to some day. I don’t think you’re thread-pooping. Well… I admit, poutine looks not too appetizing to me too. In fact, here’s a story for you. (spoliered because it’s disgusting and some may be disgusted by it, especially poutine lovers.) My friend told me this story - he got really drunk one night and ate poutine. He then threw up and the poutine looked the same as before it had been eaten. Hey, my mother and sister found the story funny. :rolleyes:😛 Though I don’t think poorly of people who do like poutine. It is very popular among the locals, and most of my out-of-town friends who have tried it really like it. I like plain fries myself. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/42 "2015-03-06T19:45:21Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Poutine. > > “Well it looks like vomit so I’m not poutine it in my mouth” > > Is this really a popular dish? Any first time visitors that have tried it? Not trying to poop in your thread, **EmG**. I’ve never been to Canada but sure do hope to some day. I had poutine on my first visit to Montreal. It’s fine. It’s delicious. It’s french fries with yummy stuff on top of it. How could that be bad? It tastes like you would expect it to. Here in the United States, we put cheese and chili con carne and onions on fries. So, in Montreal, instead you put whatever—gravy, cheese curds, sausage, bacon. There’s plenty of delicious foods that look like glop on top of something—creamed chipped beef on toast, sausage gravy and biscuits, spaghetti marinara, eggs benedict, … That doesn’t make it taste bad. In England, I had fish and chips with curry sauce. That’s pretty much the same idea as poutine. ---
**Author:** ![protoboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@protoboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/protoboard)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/43 "2015-03-06T19:49:02Z")
The gory pictures on the cigarettes was kind of a shock, I actually think it’s a good idea though. Also the accents are stronger than I expected, people always say Canadians sound exactly like Americans but they really don’t. Some people there almost sound Scottish or Swedish. The cities are much more dense and vibrant too. Victoria is much smaller than my home town of Portland, Oregon, but probably has at least as much to do. Oh yeah beer can be insanely expensive there too, especially cheapo American beers. And it’s weird you can’t buy it in convenience stores, you have to go to a “beer store”. I saw a 12 pack of Bud Light for $30 in Vancouver! ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/44 "2015-03-06T19:51:33Z")
My SO loves poutine. Thinks it’s the bees knees. I like it, but only in Montreal. He seriously stocks up on poutine packets and makes it at home. I don’t understand how he never gets fat. I thought of another pleasant thing - way more interracial couples than anywhere but maybe NYC or Chicago. And lots more gay couples, too, then I am used to seeing. Being a member of an interracial couple it was really nice not to stand out. ---
**Author:** ![protoboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@protoboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/protoboard)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/45 "2015-03-06T19:52:38Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I’ve only visited Vancouver (many times), Victoria, Sidney, Nanaimo, Barkley Sound (eight straight hours of kayaking 🙂 ), and I’ve been diving off of Nanaimo. One camping trip to Kelowna. > After all of the hype, I was surprised that Tim Horton’s wasn’t all that great. I don’t think they’re as good as Winchell’s or Spudnuts. I think they’re better than Krispy Kreme at least. That stuff isn’t much better than 7-11. ---
**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:** [March 6, 2015, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/46 "2015-03-06T19:53:15Z")
**protoboard,** in Quebec, you can get beer and wine in corner stores (dépanneurs, we call them,) and in supermarkets. In other parts of Canada you can only get booze in liquor stores, from what I understand. ---
**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:** [March 6, 2015, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/47 "2015-03-06T19:57:09Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > **protoboard,** in Quebec, you can get beer and wine in corner stores (dépanneurs, we call them,) and in supermarkets. In other parts of Canada you can only get booze in liquor stores, from what I understand. Alberta has privatized sales too. ---
**Author:** ![protoboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@protoboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/protoboard)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/48 "2015-03-06T19:57:56Z")
Oh yeah another thing, the traffic lights in Canada look weird. In BC and Ontario they’re yellow plated and look very distinct. I can always tell if a movie was filmed in Vancouver or Toronto by those traffic lights on the street. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/49 "2015-03-06T19:58:21Z")
I vacationed in Victoria last year. I’d have to say the main thing that confused me was their version of a Bloody Mary, called the Ceasar. I’m always game to try the local drink, so I gave it a shot. I’ll be nice and say I guess it’s an acquired taste. It’s vodka and clam juice. Another thing I noticed was that the credit card with chip in it is a far, far superior way to pay for things. No taking your card and wandering off with it while you wait around for them to run it through along with everyone else’s credit card. They bring the little machine to your table, you put your chipped card in it, pay right there and leave. Excellent. ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/50 "2015-03-06T20:03:02Z")
> [@JohnGalt](#): > > Drove from Duluth Minnesota to Thunder Bay along Lake Superior. The Minnesota drive is beautiful: vast lake views, heavily forested, amazing granite cliffs. > > Then you cross in to Canada, and suddenly it’s farms, cleared land and small towns with lots of shops and stores. Then I realized that the most northern part of the US is seen as a cold untamed wilderness, but the southernmost part of Canada (at least in that region) is their best, warmest, most desirable area. I’ve noticed a similar thing when you cross the Montana/Alberta border. On the Montana side, it’s mostly big open ranches with grassland whereas on the Alberta side things look a lot more midwestern. I think it’s a similar situation where that land and climate is pretty marginal by lower-48 agricultural standards but is some of the best in Canada. ---
**Author:** ![protoboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@protoboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/protoboard)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/51 "2015-03-06T20:05:00Z")
> [@GreasyJack](#): > > I’ve noticed a similar thing when you cross the Montana/Alberta border. On the Montana side, it’s mostly big open ranches with grassland whereas on the Alberta side things look a lot more midwestern. I think it’s a similar situation where that land and climate is pretty marginal by lower-48 agricultural standards but is some of the best in Canada. Alberta actually reminds me more of North Dakota than of Montana, even though it borders Montana. It’s weird. ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/52 "2015-03-06T20:10:25Z")
I spent 2 months in Southern Ontario as an exchange student in the summer of 1989. Among the things that surprised me at the time: - There were neither mountains nor forests, two features that I stereotypically considered as typically Canadian, in the region where I stayed. - On a related note, the weather in August was surpisingly warm, even hot. I spent the afternoon after I arrived at the swimming pool. - The National Anthem played after the first class at school 😕 . - No kissing on the cheek to say hello :o . - The tree leaves turning a more spectacular red than I ever imagined in October. - 16 is old enough to drive a car. All in all, it was a wonderful, formative experience for me although at 14, I was a bit too immature to take full advantage of that chance. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/53 "2015-03-06T20:12:46Z")
I drove through parts of Canada with the family, maybe 30 years ago. The surprising thing was that I was able to pay for things with American dollars. I got Canadian change, but still… ---
**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:** [March 6, 2015, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/54 "2015-03-06T20:17:06Z")
**Les Espaces Du Sommeil** , the cheek kissing thing is more of a Quebec thing, I believe. I’ve done it here in Montreal. ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/55 "2015-03-06T20:23:27Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > I vacationed in Victoria last year. I’d have to say the main thing that confused me was their version of a Bloody Mary, called the Ceasar. I’m always game to try the local drink, so I gave it a shot. I’ll be nice and say I guess it’s an acquired taste. > > It’s vodka and clam juice. Actually, it’s vodka and _ **Clamato** _ juice and doesn’t have a noticeable clam flavour\* especially when you spice the drink as you supposed to. I prefer lots of Worcestershire - recipes call for a few dashes, I put in at least a teaspoon. Delicious! \*Canadian spelling 🙂 ---
**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:** [March 6, 2015, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/56 "2015-03-06T20:24:48Z")
> [@protoboard](#): > > I think they’re better than Krispy Kreme at least. That stuff isn’t much better than 7-11. I’d rather have doughnuts from anywhere else before Krispy Kreme. ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/57 "2015-03-06T20:33:43Z")
Anyone know anything surprising or interesting about Calgary? I’ll be spending a week there at the end of April. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/58 "2015-03-06T21:07:29Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I’d rather have doughnuts from anywhere else before Krispy Kreme. I don’t know what Krispy Kreme places you’ve been going to. They make fresh doughnuts. That makes them better than any grocery store, convenience store, or Dunkin Donuts. As far as national chains go, they’re the best. The only doughnuts that are better than Krispy Kreme are the little, locally owned artisanal doughnut shops. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/59 "2015-03-06T21:20:36Z")
> [@protoboard](#): > > …people always say Canadians sound exactly like Americans but they really don’t. Some people there almost sound Scottish… This is especially common in the Maritimes. I especially noticed it among older people. Newfoundland, however, is more of a mix between an Irish accent and some West Country (the stereotypical “Pirate” accent, matey). ---
**Author:** ![polar\_bear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@polar\_bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/polar_bear)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364/60 "2015-03-06T21:23:27Z")
First of course the beer which was sold “normally” in Quebec, in New Brunswick we had to go to the store for special people and in Nova Scotia it was the normal store again. Then when we were on just about the most Northern tip of Cape Bretton, we bought a case in a convenience store and the very chipper cashier asked us to put the on the counter ourself (it was the kind of place where you just hand over you basket)… because she was under 18 and wasn’t allowed to handle alcohol. Selling it was fine though, as long as she didn’t touch it …in the middle of frickin nowhere. Which leads to another point: in the midst of summer/holiday season we were in the supposedly very touristy Cape Bretton… with hardly anyone else around. Going by the amount of hotels and restaurants we saw, they weren’t expecting large crowds either. Was fun though, actually bumping into some moose and having a friend anger a momma moose, just to get a better picture ;). Also, all the border officers (both on the airport and the road) were just as unpleasant and distrusting as their southern neighbors. Really, whenever I enter the US or Canada I feel like I’m being given the third degree because I obviously must have something sinister in mind (although the guy in St Paul at least smiled once or twice). I somehow had expected the Canadians to be friendlier… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-canadians-who-have-visited-canada-what-surprised-you-about-the-country/714364.md?page=4)