Most of us are a =
peace-lovin=E2=80=99=20
bunch. We don=E2=80=99t go around flaunting our national pride, but =
we=E2=80=99re quick to=20
defend our Canadian roots.
1. =E2=80=9CYeah you guys have healthcare, but it =
sucks.=E2=80=9D
An American actually said this to me a few weeks ago. If =
there=E2=80=99s one thing=20
most Canadians agree on, it=E2=80=99s that we=E2=80=99re extremely =
grateful for free healthcare,=20
and we don=E2=80=99t mind paying higher taxes to have it. (Those who =
aren=E2=80=99t haven=E2=80=99t had=20
health issues.) I=E2=80=99m not sure where this idea came from that the =
quality is lower=20
than elsewhere, and sure sometimes our wait times to see specialists are =
a=20
little atrocious, but we=E2=80=99re still pretty happy about not having =
to pay $3,000=20
for blood work.
We also get kickass maternity leave. A whole year of it.
2. =E2=80=9CYour military is puny.=E2=80=9D
Because other countries generally think we=E2=80=99re okay people, =
and they don=E2=80=99t=20
wanna fight us.
3. =E2=80=9CYou=E2=80=99re from Canada =E2=80=94 you must be used to =
the cold. Ha-ha. I=E2=80=99m=20
original.=E2=80=9D
I admit I sometimes joke about this myself. I was roaming around =
Santorini=20
recently on a sunny day, wearing only a t-shirt and shorts. A local saw =
me and=20
did a double take. =E2=80=9CIt=E2=80=99s too cold! Come back in the =
summer!=E2=80=9D And then I tossed=20
out a line about me being used to it as a Canadian. Ha-ha.
In reality, it=E2=80=99s only the far north that gets those extreme =
temperatures.=20
Most of the major cities, like Vancouver=20
and To=
ronto,=20
typically experience milder winters.
Or, when our winters are shit, they=E2=80=99re usually offset by =
brilliant summers of=20
30-degree temperatures and nonstop sunshine. Really. It=E2=80=99s not =
the Arctic=20
Circle.
4. =E2=80=9CCanadians are so nice!=E2=80=9D
We=E2=80=99re not all nice. I don=E2=80=99t intend to defend =
douchebaggery, but=20
generalizations can be frustrating. The biggest asshole I=E2=80=99ve =
ever met while=20
travelling, actually, was another Canadian. I told him I was from =
Newfoundland=20
and Labrador, and he cracked some joke about =E2=80=9Credneck =
Newfies=E2=80=9D that made my=20
blood boil. Canadians can be aggressively loyal to their home cities or=20
provinces.
5. =E2=80=9CAll Canadians wear flags on their backpacks so =
they=E2=80=99re not confused with=20
Americans.=E2=80=9D
People automatically assume I=E2=80=99m an American when I travel. =
It=E2=80=99s a big=20
country. I mean, the state of California has more people than the entire =
country=20
of Canada.
And while I=E2=80=99m vehemently proud of my Canadianness, wearing a =
flag is=20
unnecessary, and it=E2=80=99s silly to think we all do it. Who cares if =
they think I=E2=80=99m=20
American?
If people are treating you poorly, it might not actually have =
anything to do=20
with being American (or any other citizenship). You might just be an=20
asshole.
6. =E2=80=9CYou say =E2=80=98about=E2=80=99 funny!=E2=80=9D
NO WE DON=E2=80=99T. SHUT UP.
7. =E2=80=9CYou say =E2=80=98eh=E2=80=99 all the =
time!=E2=80=9D
Big fat lie. I=E2=80=99m from the East Coast, where it=E2=80=99s more =
common to punctuate a=20
sentence with =E2=80=9Chey?=E2=80=9D or various other =
Newfoundlandisms.
8. =E2=80=9CI=E2=80=99ve been to Canada! I visited =
Toronto.=E2=80=9D
Canada is incomprehensibly massive. Most of my friends =
haven=E2=80=99t been to the=20
other side of my province, never mind the damned country. The diversity =
is=20
insane. You cannot compare Newfoundland and Labrador to Quebec or =
British=20
Columbia, and vice versa. They=E2=80=99re practically their own =
countries. So when you=20
make Canadian assessments after only seeing an extremely small part of =
it,=20
you=E2=80=99re just showcasing your own ignorance.
9. =E2=80=9CMargaret Atwood sucks.=E2=80=9D
We will fight to the death.
10. =E2=80=9CThe only interesting thing to happen in Canadian =
politics is ROB=20
FORD!=E2=80=9D
As if finally we have our own undeniably corrupt politician and now =
cannot be=20
triumphant about our =E2=80=98functional=E2=80=99 government. Did you =
know that most Canadians=20
abhor Stephen Harper, although he won the last election despite being =
the first=20
prime minister to have his government ruled in contempt of Parliament? =
Or that=20
the entire province of Quebec came very, very close to declaring =
independence=20
and separating from Canada? It gets real up here.
11. =E2=80=9CYou=E2=80=99re a Canadian and you don=E2=80=99t watch =
hockey? That=E2=80=99s not=20
right.=E2=80=9D
We=E2=80=99re not all hockey lovers, although even I love the pride =
invoked by the=20
sport. I mean, we=E2=80=99re a country that legalized selling alcohol at =
bars at 5am=20
just so people could get up and watch the 2014 Olympics gold medal game. =
Pride.=20
=20
Get more stuff like this in your inbox!
Sign up for our newsletter and get emails of great stories like =
this.
Candice Walsh is a Professional Experience Collector and full-time =
writer,=20
blogger, and inventor of job titles that don't make much sense. She's =
based out=20
of St. John's, Newfoundland. Follow=20
her website for more shenanigans.
It=E2=80=99s definitely annoying hearing people make fun of our =
military size,=20
however the excuse that no one wants to fight us is the reason for =
this is=20
absurd and our military is definitely extremely active in conflicts =
around the=20
globe. our military is also considered extremely well trained =
considering it=E2=80=99s=20
size and annual budget=E2=80=A6. when people say we have no military =
cause people like=20
us, it sounds just as ignorant and as annoying as the people making =
fun of=20
it=E2=80=99s size in the first place
You=E2=80=99re right. Also, don=E2=80=99t take me so =
seriously.
=20
=20
Jeremy Crosby =
=20
The reason we dont have a large military is strictly due to the =
fact that=20
no one challenges canada! Believe me though let someone challenge us =
and it=20
wont be hard to pull together a large military force. The USA had us =
fight=20
along side of them in almost every major war and there are quotes of =
canadian solder throwing down their guns and fighting with thier =
hands=20
during wars. Other than that, im canadian and i live in the US and =
ive been=20
all over the US, i have yet to see any difference between US and CAN =
citizens untill u get down south. If u want to see nice people and =
extremely=20
proud people u havent seen anything until ur in Kentucky or=20
Oklahoma.
Griffen =
=20
Ew Kentucky.
=
=20
=20
Jolly =
We are peaceful people. No worries for us.. we don=E2=80=99t go =
out creating=20
chaos everywhere we go.
=
=20
=20
Stu =
No Bieber comments?
I find it strange that in one point that you use Toronto as an =
example and=20
in the next you act like being there doesn=E2=80=99t count as visiting =
Canada=E2=80=A6 Is it=20
or is it not part of Canada?
Reread. I said that only visiting one city/area doesn=E2=80=99t =
qualify as seeing=20
Canada. Doesn=E2=80=99t matter where it is. I=E2=80=99ll work on the =
Bieber=20
jokes.
frankgrimes78 =
=20
I advise you stop reading comments, I personally enjoyed it. It =
was=20
well thought out and articulate, who would=E2=80=99ve thought =
Americans wouldn=E2=80=99t=20
like it though? It mentions them, and doesn=E2=80=99t talk about =
their gold medals=20
or football/basketball/baseball players and or celebrities. As =
those are=20
the things most important in the states right? Meanwhile the same =
people=20
who broke the world will never be charged, or even have their =
assets=20
seized all while they continue to cut the food stamps and other =
benefits=20
for the people that now need them because of the financial loss =
they=20
suffered at the hands of the douchebags who won=E2=80=99t ever be =
penalized for=20
it. Sorry, kind of a bad week. I really did like the article. =20
=
=20
=20
Matt =
It would be great if the us got government health care so candians =
would=20
shut up about it. Half of this article is complaining-bragging. =
It=E2=80=99s so tough=20
being better than people from the US. This attitude of superiority =
taints most=20
interactions I=E2=80=99ve had with Canadians. My advice is stop. You =
are not your=20
healthcare system and your good relations with rest of world are less =
to do=20
with being such good people than have a small population and not being =
on=20
anyones radar. Americans and Canadians are not so different=20
really.
Still remembering when in Italy, there was a girl wearing a Roots =
Canada=20
sweatshirt. Well, there were other Canadians (other then us) nearby =
who asked=20
her where she was from in Canada=E2=80=A6to which she sheepishly =
replied=E2=80=A6I=E2=80=99m from New=20
York=E2=80=A6BUSTED! And as a Nova Scotian, we were mistaken for =
Scottish from=20
apparently an Italian language teacher or linguist, but also by =
someone from=20
Toronto=E2=80=A6lolz. And people gotta lighten up..I took this as =
tongue and=20
cheek=E2=80=A6mostly =20
Melanie S =
=20
It=E2=80=99s a compliment to be mistaken as Scottish! When I =
travel in the UK I=20
feel right at home because the accents are so much like=20
Newfoundland.
=20
=20
kzpbb2 =
I have a number of relatives who are Canadians and they would =
frequently=20
remind me when I said I was an American that they too are Americans by =
virtue=20
of living on the continent of North America! Beauty, =
eh?
=20
=20
Bud =
Come on now lets not hate on rob ford.
=20
=20
Griffen =
Living in a border city, and having vacationed all over Canada =
(Vancouver=20
is beautiful, as is Prince Edward Island). I can say that some =
stereotypes of=20
Canadians seems to be true.
1. Canadians do come across the border and purchase a large number =
of=20
medical products (asthma equipment, wheelchairs etc etc) I guess =
it=E2=80=99s because=20
of wait times for these in Canada? But anyways, the conversation on =
healthcare=20
comes up a lot with Canadians as dentist and medical warehouses =
advertise to=20
them.
2. Canadians suck at tipping in the US. See the study conducted by =
the=20
Toronto Star.
3. Having gone to Toronto for nearly my entire life as a little=20
=E2=80=9Cstay-cation=E2=80=9D I do feel like Canadians are nicer. Each =
time I looked lost or=20
confused at the train platform or on the street someone always comes =
up to me=20
an helps (though this is also common in my own city it=E2=80=99s a =
rarity in NYC,=20
Boston, or LA)
On a final note, loved the article.
Some random Canadian =
=20
Your #2 comment.
I go to Boston every year and there is one simple thing that =
really=20
pisses me off and quite frankly either lowers my tip or they =
don=E2=80=99t get one=20
at all. I=E2=80=99ve gone to a few restaurants with a group of =
friends and out of=20
the 5 restaurants we went to over the weekend only 1 of them asked =
us.
=E2=80=9CDo you want this all on one bill or separate?=E2=80=9D =
I for one do not want to pay for what my friends eat or share =
their bill.=20
I want to pay for my own food that I ordered. It=E2=80=99s a simple =
thing but really=20
it=E2=80=99s quite rude to just throw everything on one bill without =
asking. That=E2=80=99s=20
not good customer service.
Griffen =
=20
Really? That=E2=80=99s rude? I mean come on, they ask that =
EVERYWHERE!=20
Sometimes a host (A mom, dad or boss) will pay the entire tab, or =
everyone=20
pools their cash together to pay the bill. It=E2=80=99s common =
place, in the=20
states or in Canada.
=
Melanie S =
=20
You do realise that you can ASK for a separate bill? It is MUCH =
more=20
common for people to just split from my experience, so I =
don=E2=80=99t see why the=20
wait staff should have to ask. It=E2=80=99s up to you to ask them. =
That=E2=80=99s not a=20
reason not to tip!!
=20
Clive Bartlett =
=20
Two ladies are riding the train out of Boston=E2=80=A6. Lady =
#1: I go into=20
Boston every Friday to get scrod. Lady #2: So do I, but I =
didn=E2=80=99t=20
think it had a past tense.
=20
Carissa =
=20
I live in the states and usually one person pays for the whole =
bill. If=20
im out with friends we split it ourselves, it saves us from being =
the=20
douche and asking to split it. We will put 1s next to the first =
bill 2s=20
next to the 2nd bill and so forth.
=20
=20
=20
PeteG =
I do say =E2=80=98eh=E2=80=99. All the time. Most Canadians do say =
it but don=E2=80=99t realise=20
they do. I refuse to believe a Canadian hasn=E2=80=99t said =E2=80=9CI =
know, eh?=E2=80=9D (at least).=20
Far better than the really annoying (and American) =
=E2=80=9Criiight?=E2=80=9D Eh can be used=20
in many different ways. It can be used where ever you use =
=E2=80=9Cright=E2=80=9D or =E2=80=9Chuh=E2=80=9D=20
whereas they both cannot always be used where you say =
=E2=80=9Ceh=E2=80=9D. Proud of my =E2=80=9Ceh=E2=80=9D.=20
Don=E2=80=99t take my =E2=80=9Ceh=E2=80=9D away. Now, off to poutine =
and a beer. X
Jolly =
wrong, that is a French or Itallian or Native decent, I say AYE, =
or HEY.=20
nothing close to eh as in Bed
=20
=20
Sinnister =
=20
Why do Canadians prefer doggy style when they have sex? So they =
can both=20
watch the hockey game. Thank you. Thank you. I=E2=80=99ll be here =
all=20
week.
frankgrimes78 =
=20
Haven=E2=80=99t heard that in years, =
lol.
=20
=20
Roguewave1 =
=20
You need to booze it up at 5:00 AM to watch a hockey game? Really? =
No=20
wonder youse guys require someone else to tap for your medical=20
fees.
=20
EliteCarryOfficer =
=20
From one of obnoxious American to a nice Canadian shut your damn =
Poutine=20
Hole nobody gives a shit what you should and shouldn=E2=80=99t say to =
a Canadian. No=20
one ever has. Although, I=E2=80=99ve been Toronto. It=E2=80=99s =
nice.
=20
=20
Melanie S =
=20
From one Newfoundlander to another, our winters are really cold =
compared to=20
most American states/cities. Also, in Southern Quebec the winter is =
freezing=20
as heck even for me. Oh, and I saw those pictures from last week where =
the=20
snow was up to someone=E2=80=99s roof on the West coast of =
Newfoundland. So I think=20
the cold is a fair comment, honestly. And a lot of us do wear Canadian =
flags=20
when we travel (and yes, I travel a lot and current live abroad) =
because of=20
pride and shit. And I know Americans that wear Canadian flags because =
the US=20
of A made some international enemies when Bush Jr. was in power, just=20
sayin=E2=80=99.
I agree with everything else. What=E2=80=99s with all the rude =
commenters here?=20
It=E2=80=99s like the internet has been taken over by jackasses =
lately. If you don=E2=80=99t=20
care then don=E2=80=99t read the article! Jeeze. =20
frankgrimes78 =
=20
Some of it is true, and I as an Ontarian will openly admit I =
absolutely=20
love people from Newfoundland. I don=E2=80=99t mean that in any kind =
of offensive=20
way, it=E2=80=99s just that I=E2=80=99ve had fun, unique and utterly =
hilarious times with=20
Every Newfoundlander I=E2=80=99ve ever known and there is plenty of =
people in that=20
category.
Also I=E2=80=99m sorry, but you are correct, and it is nothing new. =
People online=20
have taken the habit of spewing hateful, mean things at the first =
sign of=20
someone saying, typing anything that they don=E2=80=99t agree with, =
goes against any=20
of their religious/political views etc. Finally I feel for you =
SOOO much.=20
We had a bad winter here in N.Ont(Also let=E2=80=99s not forget our =
neighbours to=20
the south got some terrible winter weather all season as well, just=20
sayin)but compared to out east we were warm. Anyway that=E2=80=99s =
my personal=20
theory why Newfoundlanders kick ass. When your community can be shut =
down by=20
the horrible weather, you have to depend on your neighbour, and they =
you. So=20
that type of thing just becomes normal, thus it=E2=80=99s also why =
most Canadians=20
are generally nice. Lots of us who grew up else where were still =
raised the=20
same way, I know it=E2=80=99s probably stupid but just thought =
I=E2=80=99d let you know=20
there are plenty of nice people online too. =20
=
=20
=20
John Gallant =
=20
I feel used. This article is pretty bad. You forgot =E2=80=9CNot =
all Newfies are=20
funny, even though they think it=E2=80=99s a =
rite=E2=80=9D
=20
=20
MHF =
Why would a Canadian be bothered if somebody said these things? =
I=E2=80=99m=20
Canadian =E2=80=93 almost all of them are true.
Also, this article would be better without the left wing=20
politics.
=20
Dunkenstein =
=20
Most Canadiabs abhor Stephen Harper=E2=80=93 =
source?
![](3D"http://cdn1.matadornetwork.com/blogs/1/2014/03/canada3-m=)
![](3D"http://cdn1.matadornetwork.com/assets/images/site/matado=)
More=20
like this: 7 signs you were born and raised in Canada =
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