 sj |
||
|
||
BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada
|
|
|
Subject: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: Steve Latimer Date: 15 Oct 01 - 12:47 PM I thought that this was pretty good. It sure explains a lot about we Canucks.
|
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: Clinton Hammond Date: 15 Oct 01 - 01:12 PM Great site that!! LoL!!!! |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: Bev and Jerry Date: 15 Oct 01 - 02:14 PM The strangest thing we found in Canada this summer is you can't buy a roll of paper towels in the market. They only come in packages of two, at least in BC and Alberta. Why is that? Bev and Jerry |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: 53 Date: 15 Oct 01 - 02:18 PM i've been to windsor once and i was amazed on how clean it was over there compared to detroit. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: Steve Latimer Date: 15 Oct 01 - 02:23 PM Bev and Jerry, If that's the stangest thing you found in Canada I'd say we're doing pretty well. However, I think you must have had a bad tour guide, I could show you lots of strange. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: Clinton Hammond Date: 15 Oct 01 - 02:30 PM 53.. as Canadian cities go, Windsor is a pig-sty! on many different levels too! ;-) |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: Ebbie Date: 15 Oct 01 - 02:59 PM Good site. I like knowing that each of us tends to end up where we need to be. Some questions and comments: So Canada was 'confederated' in 1867? In what way did it differ from before? Did they get home rule then? In my experience, more Canadians call the US 'America' than we do. Baffles me. Calling the US people 'yankees' seems fairly provincial (no pun intended) to me. I can see Europe doing it, but as physically close as Canada is, I should imagine they know the difference. On the other hand, I can see that it's a convenient term. It would mortify me if everyone took to calling us the USers, pronounced "yewsers", fitting as it may be. Ebbie |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: Metchosin Date: 15 Oct 01 - 03:21 PM Ebbie, I didn't look it up to see what they said in the link, but in the west here, you are most often referred to as "Americans" and you reside in the "States"or Stateside. I've not often heard Americans referred to as "Yankees", but more commonly, "the Yanks", colloquially. More info on Confedration here |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: Jack the Sailor Date: 15 Oct 01 - 03:32 PM In Newfoundland, it has traditionally been Yanks. And if you go to Newfoundland you will find stranger things than double rolled paper towels. Cod tongues anyone? |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: Steve Latimer Date: 15 Oct 01 - 03:35 PM Hey Jack, I've been screeched in. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: Metchosin Date: 15 Oct 01 - 03:37 PM further, Canada's Constitution was not patriated until 1982 and prior to that time, all parliamentary Bills had to receive Royal Assent from Britain, in order to passed into law in Canada (some bright spark will probably correct the fine details of what I have just written, but that's sort of the idea). |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: Jack the Sailor Date: 15 Oct 01 - 03:59 PM Canada did not have a constitution until 1982. Before that it was the British North America Act. A law passed by the UK Parliment. Before 1982 all acts of Canadian Parliment had to be rubberstamped by the governor general and the appointed Senate. Same thing applies now. The differences seem to be totally semantic. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: Jim Dixon Date: 15 Oct 01 - 04:03 PM Regarding the web site's "How to Tell You're in Canada" page -- We have engine block heaters here in Minnesota, too. Not every car needs them, but everyone knows what they are. I have heard dentists say "freeze" in the way described on the web site, but they are perhaps more likely to use the word "numb" as a verb: "We'll numb that for you." Asking for Novocaine brands you as a non-dentist. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: kendall Date: 15 Oct 01 - 04:42 PM I hope you Canadians dont think that all Americans are ignorant about Canada? |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: CarolC Date: 15 Oct 01 - 04:53 PM The sugar tastes different in Canada than in the US. I was told that's because it comes from Cuba. It seems a little less sweet, and has a somewhat distinctive character. I remember the milk in the plastic bags. It seems like a very good idea. Can't imagine why we don't do that here in the US. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: Jim Dixon Date: 16 Oct 01 - 09:41 AM I've seen stores in Wisconsin that sell milk in plastic bags. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: Jack the Sailor Date: 16 Oct 01 - 10:42 AM From: kendall Date: 15-Oct-01 - 04:42 PM I hope you Canadians dont think that all Americans are ignorant about Canada? Having lived in the USA for more than three years now, I would say that only 99% of Americans are ignorant of Canada, including, until recently the President. I've met a couple who could discuss Canada intelligently. I've met a half dozen Brits since I have been here and they know way more about Canada than the average American. I will say that people closer to the Border, Maine, Vermont, Upstate New York, Michigan, the Dakotas, Washington State etc. know a lot more about Canada. But that is one of the difficulties about making generalities about a country this size, you can often find 20-30 million exceptions. And that on the whole, the average Canadian is quite knowledgeable about USA. Probably as knowledgeable as the average person born in the USA is. Don't take this as a condemnation. It is just that, until recently people in this country have not felt the need to look outside their borders. I think things like the website which is the subject of this post, which is both entertaining and informative, Can go a long way towards fostering mutual understanding. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: CarolC Date: 16 Oct 01 - 07:17 PM I surprised the hell out of a Canadian last winter, when I was able to tell him the names of all of the provinces. It was nice, though, because he was proud of me for doing it. Jack the Sailor... maybe the ignorance of most people in the US about Canada is a good thing for Canada overall. At least that's what some Canadians tell me. I suspect they may be right. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: 53 Date: 16 Oct 01 - 09:55 PM sorry that windsor is a pig stye, but that's the only time i've been to canada. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: GUEST,John Leeder Date: 16 Oct 01 - 10:49 PM Minor point of fact. Before 1982, it was only constitutional changes that had to be okayed by the British Parliament, as the Canadian consitution before that was an act of the U.K. Parliament which could be amended only in Britain (ironically enough, since the U.K. has no written constitution itself). Nowadays, the constitution can be amended in Canada. All ordinary laws have to be okayed by the Governor-General, who is technically the Queen's representative. (The Queen could do it herself if she had a mind to, but she doesn't bother.) This is no different from pre-1982. The difference is that the G.-G. used to be appointed by the U.K. government, now is appointed by the Canadian government, although technically the Sovereign accepts the appointment. It's also technically incorrect to say that Canada didn't have a constitution before 1982. The B.N.A. Act *was* a constitution, it just wasn't "patriated". It's now embedded word-for-word in the current constitution, and is equally as lawful as it was before. I'm sure you're all fascinated by this. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: GUEST,John Leeder Date: 16 Oct 01 - 10:51 PM Most Canadians get U.S. television. Most Americans don't get Canadian T.V. This makes a huge difference in what we know about each other's countries. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: gnu Date: 17 Oct 01 - 05:02 AM Charlie Farqhuarson (Don Heron) [apologies for incorrect spelling] wrote an excellent book, "Charlie Farqhuarson's Histry of Canada", albeit prior to the patriation of the Constitution. It contains many interesting viewpoints on our history... eg, the history of how the Canadian flag was instituted and we let the Union Jack off. The TV observation is spot on. As well, the fact that Yanks near the border know more about Canada can be reversed, especially when you consider the fact that 95% of Canucks live near the border. Can't wait to read up on that site when I get some time. I'm sure I'll learn a thing or two about my own country. I've only been west of New Brunswick a few times since I was a kid. When I did go to a conference in Ontario, I pissed off a lot of westerners by constantly saying, "Wow, just like in the States !"... a common saying roun ese parts. Keep yer stick on e ice, eh. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: Steve Latimer Date: 17 Oct 01 - 08:09 AM Gnu, I was never a big fan of Charlie Farqharson. I thought it was something for the unhip, my parents generation. I was at a conference about eight years ago and Don Heron (as Charlie)was the guest speaker. Keep your stick on the ice should go into the advice my mother gave me thread. Better advice was never given. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: GUEST,Johnny Reb Date: 17 Oct 01 - 09:53 AM John Leeder and Gnu make excellent points about the disproportionate amounts of knowledge that Canadians have about the U.S. Population distribution and mass media do play a powerful role. The same is true for popular culture. If someone admires the pop culture of another society, it often stimulates them to learn about that society in general. So, I daresay that the "typical" Canadian in Ontario probably knows the capital of New York, the name of our top politicians, and where Elvis is buried. But on the other hand i doubt that they know the capital of Illinois or who is buried in Grant's tomb. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: Jack the Sailor Date: 17 Oct 01 - 10:37 AM It certainly is a Media thing in that Canadians pick up oa lot of pop culture. But in my experience Canadians Also know way more about the rest of the world than Americans do. For one thing we can tell the difference between an Australian and English accent. Being here in Georgia with amny Engish friends, I will tell you that many many Americans cannot. I think that Canadians are just more interested. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: Little Hawk Date: 17 Oct 01 - 11:30 AM The capital of Illinois? Well, I know Chicago is there, but I suspect it is not Chicago, but a somewhat smaller place, eh? Let's see...ummm...okay, ya got me! Springfield? Peoria? Who's buried in Grant's tomb? Hell, that's easy...Stonewall Jackson! Right? No? Okay, umm...George Custer? Willie Mays? Roy Orbison? Jubal Early? "Jeb" Stuart? Geez. This is tough, eh? *G* - LH |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: GUEST,Johnny Reb Date: 17 Oct 01 - 02:38 PM Jack, You might be careful about how you use "we." A well travelled Canadian from a metropolitan area who has hung out with English folks might recognize accents and/or know a lot about the world, but can you say the same for a Newfie or someone from the middle of Manitoba without the same experience? Furthermore, and i don't mean this as an attack, my experience is that there is a difference between actually knowing more than other folks and assuming that you do. I have met a lot (not all) of Europeans and Canadians who think that they are very wise and worldly and who in fact were amusing in their naivete. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: artbrooks Date: 17 Oct 01 - 07:11 PM I remember with pleasure living in Erie (Pennsylvania) and being able to listen to the CBC station from across the lake. I enjoyed getting a different perspective on news items from Canadian radio, as well as hearing about everything going on that our own media generally ignores. English (language) accents? Canadian is easy to understand, and to pick out, but I remember being really confused trying to figure out where a woman born in (the former) Rhodesia was from. Some of the regional accents that show up on UK television shows are REALLY hard to understand. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: Metchosin Date: 17 Oct 01 - 07:52 PM John Leeder, thank you bright spark! |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: gnu Date: 18 Oct 01 - 05:44 AM Little Hawk.... it's a trick question... Elvis is buried in Grant's tomb... sheesh !!! |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: kendall Date: 18 Oct 01 - 07:55 AM Just to stir the pot a bit, on my recent trip to England, I talked to some locals who knew very little about American history. I've said it before and will again. Probably the main reason for our ignorance of Canada is the fact that, Canada, unlike us, has a habit of staying home and minding their own business. They dont go pushing other people around and "kicking up a rough". Hey, you wanna be recognized? Invade some foriegn country. Guaranteed to get you into the newspapers. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: gnu Date: 18 Oct 01 - 08:34 AM We did. Remember ? |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: GUEST,Johnny Reb Date: 18 Oct 01 - 10:10 AM Kendall, Someone feel free to correct me if I am wrong, but I think that I am on the right track in saying that Canada has been involved in many of the major wars, police actions, and NATO interventions of the twentieth century. In fact, many wars/police actions such as Korea and even Vietnam which most view as solely American conflicts did involve other countries. They may have had a minimal presence, but as the Brits say, "In for a penny, in for a pound." Furthermore, it seems as though Canada has on occasion did a pretty good job of "kicking up a rough" with its Native American people. Just providing a balanced perspective... |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: GUEST Date: 18 Oct 01 - 10:13 AM |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: Willie-O Date: 18 Oct 01 - 02:58 PM Well, "Native American" is a U.S. term, but Johnny Reb has a good point. Canadians were heavily involved and took very heavy losses in both world wars, (and entered them both YEARS before the U.S. did), as well as Korea and many more recent peacekeeping actions. But our reasons for going there are usually because someone (the U.N, the U.S., the U.K.-- long as it starts with "U" we seem to be willing to jump in) asks us to and we're too polite to say no. We have too much country to take care of already and don't need any more. Right now, though, we are sending what's left of our Navy off to the Indian Ocean just in case there's something we can actually do there to help y'all smoke bin L. out. It's hard to tell how popular this move is at this point, since there was no debate in Parliament, the government of Canada just acted unilaterally to sign us on. This is a departure for us since we're not in the habit of tagging along on American ventures. (The Gulf War being the only other one in recent memory). Just to clarify Johnny Reb's point though, Canada did not send troops to Vietnam, or participate in that travesty in any military way, and of course we gave sanctuary to draft dodgers and deserters from that era (which has enriched our social fabric considerably, a lot of them preferred to stay here after they had the option to return to the U.S.) Britain and Australia did participate in the Vietnam war. Willie-O |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: artbrooks Date: 18 Oct 01 - 05:24 PM And, just to put the perspective in perspective, several thousand Canadians served in the US military during the Vietman War, and there are a number remembered on the Wall. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: Steve Latimer Date: 18 Oct 01 - 10:04 PM Willie-O, Canada did send troops to Vietnam, however it was after the U.S. had finally seen the sense to pack it in. They were there as peacekeepers, but according to a fellow I used to work with who was a Canadian Soldier, there was still a fair amount of combat going on that they somtimes found themselves in the middle of. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: GUEST,John Leeder Date: 20 Oct 01 - 12:11 PM A few random observations on points others have made -- I haven't been back to the site for a few days: Accents: A book called "Speaking Canadian English" by Mark (forgot his last name; he wrote law textbooks in real life) makes the point that Canadian English is much more influenced by early immigrants from the U.S. than Canadians realize. Which may be why Americans find it easy to understand, and why Canadian newscasters get big jobs in U.S. television (e.g., Peter Kent, Ashleigh Banfield). A TV series on The English Language made the point that Canadian English is much more homogeneous than you'd expect, given the small population in a large geographic area. Regional accents don't seem to develop, and what regional accents exist (e.g., Newfoundland, Ottawa Valley) are gradually heading towards the mainstream. This doesn't seem to happen in Britain or the U.S. I speculate that this is because we have a lot of national institutions, both corporate and governmental, and they move their people around a lot. It's no surprise to find an R.C.M.P. officer from Newfoundland stationed in British Columbia, or somebody from Nova Scotia working in a Canadian Tire store in Alberta. Over a generation or so, the accents get smoothed out. I get the impression, without any evidence to support it, that Canadians are more prepared to move around the country than Americans or Brits. In a resource-based economy (mines, forestry, etc.), people go to work where the resources are. Must leave -- back later. |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: GUEST,kimmers at work, no cookie Date: 20 Oct 01 - 02:27 PM On my last trip to Canada (BC), I also noticed that the cream cheese is different than the stuff we have in the States. It looks the same on the label (except for saying "Philadelphia Cream Cheese" in both English and French) but the texture is very different. It's firmer, more buttery, less gummy. I liked it better. When I had my hair cut in Whistler, the stylist kept holding up my limp fine hair and asking, "You don't use a two-in-one, do you? You should never do that, it'll weigh your hair down." I assumed he was talking about conditioner but I've never been able to find out for sure. I adore Canada, and can't wait to go back for my next visit! |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: Little Hawk Date: 20 Oct 01 - 02:37 PM Elvis can't be buried in Grant's tomb! I saw him in the Edmonton Mall last July. - LH |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: Metchosin Date: 20 Oct 01 - 02:54 PM John, I suspect you are right regarding internal migration and the homogeneous aspect of language in Canada. Climate also plays a part, for the masses that retire to the west coast, rather than face another winter in the hinterland.
And, rather than going to where the resources are, there is and has been, a tremendous amount of people, particularly the young, reluctantly forced to leave areas where the resources or the will, are no longer. The demise of the family farm on the prairies, the collapse of the east coast fisheries and coal industries and now the terrible problems with fisheries and the logging industry (50,000+ people out of work in the last three months) here in west.
Where I live on Vancouver Island, the young are leaving in droves to seek their fortunes elsewhere, in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal, because the only prospects here seem to be Macjobs catering to tourists, retirees and civil servants and one of the few growth industries, the field of geriatric care. In this city alone, we had a plywood mill, canneries, numerous lumber and sticker mills (now they just boom the logs out wholesale), a brewery, two foundries, two major shipbuilders, truck gardens and a brickyard, all gone in my lifetime. Now we have Undersea Gardens, the Wax Museum, Whale Watchers, a dozen Starbucks and a couple of sex shops. Times change.
|
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: GUEST,John Leeder Date: 20 Oct 01 - 03:05 PM It was Mark Orkin.He also wrote Speaking Canadian French, Canajun, Eh?, and Canadien, Hein?, as well as a bunch of law textbooks. (I'm not a lawyer, but I used to edit law books for a living, in case you're wondering.) Thanks, Metchosin, for expanding on what I just sloganized on. Economic refugeeism involves more than just going where the resources are, it also involves getting away from where the resources aren't any more. And there's all that relocating for other reasons. My point is that I think Canadians may relocate more readily that Americans or Brits. I'll be out your way next weekend (well, just Vancouver) for the annual meeting of the Canadian Society for Traditional Music. Has Mike Ballantyne talked you into going? Or do you know him? Must rush off to a gig. (Strange thing for a banjo-player to be saying, eh?) |
|
Subject: RE: BS: A guide for Americans Visiting Canada From: Metchosin Date: 20 Oct 01 - 03:09 PM Oh and to further thread drift and add a musical note regarding Victoria
"They're tearing down Sailor Town
|