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Explaining Canada to Americans


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I love the states. I really do. I have travelled from California to Florida to Michigan. One thing I have found with many americans is lack of knowledge of Canada.

But the school system (from what my american friends tell me,) is that they do like 1 week on Canada and that is it where Canadians do semesters on USA.

I love coming to the states and every chance I get for holidays I spend in the states but to no suprise I get asked the most bizzare questions...

No its doesnt snow all year. Yes we get 100f temps and we use celicius not farenheit.

We use kilometers not miles

We dont all live in iglos, we do not all play hockey, and no Wayne Gretzky is not my neighbour. IN fact David Suzuki was at one point in my life.

We have 4 seasons, our summers are as hot as yours.

Hollywood is more than half Canadian.

We supply more oil to the USA than any country.

anyway....i chuckle because I love Americans.

Tom Browkaw made this awesome video....

thought id share as a proud Canadian.

I have sent it to some of my american friends and they were shocked at what they did not know.

I am also including a video of my city

http://www.wimp.com/explainscanada/

and my city...

http://www.lovelondoncanada.com/

and....

Justin Beiber,Rachel MacAdams,Ryan Gosling and my son....all born same hospital and probably same room.

(this post wasnt meant to offend anyone)

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Canadians are an awesome people and Canada is one of the cleanest and friendliest countries I have ever been to, no question about it. They do, however, need to learn that those of us from the states who work in the service industry rely on TIPS. Those Canadians who speak French should learn that they are not all that. Please don't tell my wife, who was born in Toronto and raised in Vancouver, that I wrote this. ;):D

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Jimmy, thank you for the compliments on our country. I know service all too well. Was a Barber !!! I agree 100%. I can not speak for the French as I OVERTIP. Especially when I recieve good service. Not only do I tip, I will do a survery or call store manager and state my compliments. I have written letters, I have gotten staff free merchandise because I was treated well and went out of my way to say thank you.

On the other hand, I was recently crossed, treated like an idiot in the US and I have gone out of my way to complain.

Stores fault. They screwed me over 3x. I sent the CEO a letter asking him if he only hired idiots.

At any rate. Dont let us Canadians speak for all of Canada (especially the french). Because if I was a customer whereever you were and was treated well. You would remember me. I am this way because I worked in service industry.

I recall an instance when I owned my hotrod barber shop. A fellow I knew asked how much...I said $15 cut and style(includes wash as well n/c).

He freaked and said oh my god $15, hold canoli. I pay $6 up the street...I said hmmmm You work at a grocery store right? Yes....You are a produce manager right? yes....You have full benefits and pension right?....yes...You make $65,000 a year right?....Yes....You wouldnt work for $5/hr would ya?...NO....So dont ask me to then !!!!!

I had a policy in my shop. Unless you were 100% satisfied, it was free. It never happened but I lived by that. I got tips and lived off them because by the time I paid, heat,hydro,water,insurance,rent. I had 0 left. I lived off tips.

I agree 100% about what you said. My experience with SOME french have been unpleasant to say the least. HOWEVER, I will not paint every single french Canadian with the same brush. You can be a cheap **** from any province,city or country.

By the way. I was born in Vancouver (Richmond to be exact).....EH !!!!

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I love Canadians. I have at least one good friend from there (hard to keep track these days).

I was born in Iowa but now live in England, and most Brits think I'm from Canada because of my soft accent.

Here is my favourite movie clip about Canada (from the movie Canadian Bacon).

MG

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Great music and musicians out of Canada: Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, (most of) The Band, Heart, Bachman-Turner, Guess Who (whatever became of Burton Cummings?)  Steppenwolf (yes I'm old enough to remember the Guess Who and Steppenwolf), and probably a bunch more I can't think of right now and a lot of new bands I never heard of.

And yeah, we tried to invade Canada 201 years ago, but I hope you've forgiven us by now. (You kicked our ass after all.)

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Biebers hometown...20 min from my house. My son.Justin Beiber,Ryan Gosling,Rachel MacAdams all born same hospital room

Burton Cummings is still rocking the house

Wayne Gretzkys home 1 hr from here-Brantford Ont

his dad Walter is always here doing pr work for Parkinsons

Alan Thicke went to school here as did Jenny Jones.

Rachel MacAdams always in town,lives in Toronto and her parents 15 min from me. Same house.

Penecilin was born here

We have world renoun hospitals here, best nuerosurgeons on the planet aka my DBS.

I am 2 hrs from Detroit, 2 Hours from Toronto and have a beach 45 min each side from me on Lake Huron or Lake Erie

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Canucks were billeted around here during WW2

We owe a great debt for their brave action defending our shores from the German invasion, and honored to have provided a last “home” to those who lost their lives on the Normandy beaches and further.

Their impact, good and bad, has been chronicled by Eastbourne historian Michael Ockenden.

Canucks by the Sea

During WW2, Eastbourne was 'home' to thousands of Canadians.  From the recollections of veterans, residents and war brides - with regimental histories and War Diaries, this is a slice of social and wartime history.   Pubs boomed, soldiers brawled in the streets, and Canadians met women - single and married.  Their infantrymen defended the beaches and AA guns fought off the Luftwaffe.  A Bren-gunner downed a FW-190; another pilot escaped - 60 years on he was interviewed in Hanover.  The destruction of Belle Tout caused indignation; now the events are described by the Canadian range party.

The Germans never invaded England through Eastbourne and the East Sussex coast during the Second World War, although there was a real prospect of that at one time.

Instead the sedate seaside resort had another, friendly, invasion by hundreds of Canadian soldiers.

In case you didn't know (and I didn't) Canucks was the affectionate shorthand word for these men.

Canadian soldiers first arrived in Britain soon after war had been declared in 1939, most of them going to the Home Counties with a large concentration around Aldershot.

In 1941, three regiments of the 2nd Canadian Division moved to the Eastbourne area to look after most of the East Sussex coast.

They were the Black Watch, the Maisonneuves and the Calgaries.

Aldershot had not been a popular location, with the gloomy town and uncomfortable barracks. Ockenden says the troops could hardly believe their luck when they saw the standard of accommodation in Eastbourne.

They moved in to some of the finest houses in town, which had been vacated as Eastbourne was under heavy bombardment during much of the war.

Most of the locals welcomed the new arrivals but there were some unfortunate incidents.

Ratton Manor, the former home of Lord Willingdon, burnt to the ground in December 1940 and was never rebuilt.

It was rumoured that Canadian soldiers were billeted there at the time, although this has never been confirmed.

Belle Tout Lighthouse, also privately owned and vacant, was heavily damaged by misdirected fire during target practice on the Downs. Heavy vehicles took a toll on local roads.

The new arrivals also proved to be of great interest to Eastbourne girls and 150 of them married soldiers. A Canadian wives group was instituted.

Some of the girls later went back to Canada with their new husbands but in more than one case, the long journey into strange territory proved unnerving.

There were also allegations some of the soldiers drank too much and a few were guilty of sexual harassment although the problems were limited.

Another concern was the spread of sexually-transmitted diseases.

But at Christmas, local families would invite men into their homes and hospitality was returned by Eastbourne people being invited to regimental dances.

Many of the soldiers were itching to see action and in the event it was fortunate they did not take part in the ill-fated Dieppe raid of 1942, which caused severe loss of life.

There were some casualties even in Eastbourne. One soldier died after innocent horseplay with a colleague.

A motorcycle dispatch rider was killed when he was hit by an Army lorry in Seaside. A third man was killed by a motorcycle while walking near Polegate at night.

At least one soldier was reported to have committed suicide, shooting himself through the head after falling into debt.

Eight medics quartered next to the Princess Alice Hospital were killed by a bomb and a further three were seriously injured.

Ockenden says the Canucks felt frustrated for much of the war. They were fit and fully armed, yet most could do nothing against attacks from the air.

The Canadians gradually left Eastbourne, the final contingent departing in 1944. Many eventually made it on to the Continent, following the Normandy invasion, taking part in the great push towards Germany. Sadly, some lost their lives including, probably, men who had been stationed earlier in Eastbourne.

All the soldiers in East Sussex were volunteers and many arrived for idealistic reasons.

Ockenden says Canadian soldiers played a key role in the war and adds: "We were extremely fortunate to have had them at our side".

shocked

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Uhhhh... what is it with les Québécois exactement?

I don't understand... pretty much the only place in Canada where people tip decently is in the French speaking Province of Québec.

Now yes, there are a few morons of ours who go out to the US, Mexico and Cuba, and Florida, and are often referred to as "los tabarnacos". They are not our ambassadors and do not represent Québec well at all.

Montreal is one of the greatest city (well I guess Québec City also) in the world to spend some time in the summer as it's Festival time all summer long, people dancing in the streets... music, fun. And yes, they tip good, much more than in Ottawa, Vancouver where tipping is not usual at all.

And by the way, CanadiAns don't know much about their "French" province, Québec, not much more than americans may know about Canada.

It's 2 separate countries, really. The actual Prime minister of Canada Stephen Harper, is trailing in surveys at about 8% in the province of Québec, only has a handfull of MPs elected here and represents in all ways the exact contrary of what Québec is, its people, its society, its image... We want out, and I still believe we will succeed in doing so some day, for there is no point remaining part of this "country" and keep on being bashed at.

Québec's population represents 23% of that of Canada, meaning there is more than a quarter of the population of Canada who has French as a first language, and often the only language (a million out of Québec). We are different, and that's why Canadians bash on us, but we dislike them too. We like Americans and we almost joined them around 1837 as we do not relate to the Queen of England not one shadow of a bit, and CanadiAns are subjects of her majesty Elizabeth II (and have always been. Not us, never. She didn't dare coming back here afetr she got thrown eggs and tomatoes in Québec City 50 years ago. We like americans here because they at least don't come here with a preformated opinion about les Québécois as the CanadiAns do.

And why is the hockey club in Montréal called Les Canadiens? That is because a Canadien (or Canayen), not so long ago still, was a french speaking person, the others were English. There were the CanadiEns, who spoke French, and the English, who venerated the King of England, then the Queen...

It's 2 separate things. We were conquered by the English in 1759 (then abandonned by France at the Treaty signed in Paris in 1764), but we didn't become English, and we still speak mostly French and kept our ways... we are republicans, in the sense that we do not accept being ruled by a king or queen. The French kings who ruled over here between 1608 (Québec City's foundation) and 1759 did not have much impact on our society else than collecting taxes and our resources. In that century and a half, we had time to developp our own individuality, which did not include any reverences to any king or queen.

I'm not Canadian. I'm Québécois... and remember we invented poutine :P, Céline Dion is from here, and so is Le Cirque du Soleil and Robert Lepage... Québec's cinema industry is much more succesfull than Canada's and films in French from Québec producers were nominated for Oscars for the last 2 years (3?) in the foreign language category...

I had not came here today to defend my people, rather discuss CH subject, but I find it kind of insulting seeing a post bashing French-Canadians (les Québécois)... I hope that Americans will take the time to study a little history and not take any CanadiAns' opinion about what is Québec, because they just don't know us. Two solitudes...

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and not a word in that video about Québec and the fact that 1/4 of Canada's population speaks mostly French, just ONE shot of the Whole province (8 million inhabitants), the one with the horse and calèche in Old Montréal. When I say Canadians don't know us... they also ignore us.

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ClusterHeadSurvivor, I got carried away, I apologize. Well I was not offended by your post, and I had realized you were specifying Canada has many faces, I was more reacting to I'm not sure what reply... as I say, I got carried away.

well perhaps this post will be informative for Americans and others to get to know Canada... and Québec ;) a little more.

And I will  :-X on politics on here from now on... this is no good for clusterheads, it didn't help me today on this side, sorry if I increased anyones's CH.

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