Hockey is Like Everything… Really

One common Canadian stereotype is that all Canadians like hockey. Obviously that’s not true. There are probably some Canadians out there somewhere who don’t like hockey, just like there are probably some Americans who don’t like college football. However, these people are very difficult to find and even if we did find them, we wouldn’t …

They Take Their Shoes Off Indoors

Canadians take their shoes off when entering a home. There isn’t any questioning it. As soon as you enter the front door you’re taking off your shoes. That’s just the way it is. As a Canadian myself, I find this practice completely normal. For most of my life I assumed that everyone did this. Apparently …

Sewing a Canadian Flag on a Backpack is their idea of Blatant Patriotism

Canadians are not flag wavers. While their neighbours to the south hang Old Glory from anything they possibly can, Canadians are much less flashy with the Maple Leaf. There isn’t a flag pole in front of every house in Canada. Canadians don’t have ticker-tape parades where flags hang from buildings in celebration. That’s just not …

Tim Horton is known more for Coffee than Hockey

Canadians love hockey. This isn’t an insider tip that will help you spot a Canadian, it’s a well-known fact. To a Canadian, hockey is a way of life. It’s what tea is to the British, what a kilt is to the Scottish or television violence is to the Americans. It’s part of their society. So …

They want a Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup… but not the Leafs

Canadians love hockey. I don’t think that statement needs to come with any sort of proof or statistics attached to it. It’s a well known fact. Hockey to Canadians is like soccer (football) to the world outside of North America. It’s a religion. It’s a way of life. Canadian children learn how to skate before …

Minus 10 isn’t cold (and it’s measured in Celsius)

The fact that Canada is cold is a well-known fact. But non-Canadians don’t truly understand how cold it really is. Until you’ve stepped outside in February and your breath is not only visible but turning into a solid, you just don’t understand. The remarkable thing about Canadians is that it’s never too cold to do …

They define themselves as being “Not American”

Outside of stereotypes, there isn’t all that much to separate Canadian culture from American culture. They eat McDonald’s, drink Coke and have their local businesses destroyed by Wal-Mart on both sides of the border. The prevalence of American music, movies and television programs in Canada far outnumbers local Canadian programming. This dependence on American culture …