MillieF

I don't disagree. They are hostile to lots of things that they perceive to be threatening. If you are well travelled, just on your Resume, I'm not talking about opening you mouth...it's threatening. If you 'look' like you might think stupid things are stupid...that won't go down well either.

With hindsight I wish that I had just been 'me' rather than tried to fit into some person that I thought they might want, and I have discovered I can't be... If I had another crack at it..I really would try to be 'true to myself'.

BristolUK

Just to clarify, I meant all that rain in Oink's part of the world.

scilly

I don't agree that they are naturally prejudicial and hostile

But after almost 49 years here (in August), I think I could say that they object to being told how wrong things here are and how much better they are or how they work better "back home". Or being told that you are, or you think you are, superior to them, their education, etc etc

Heck, even I can get upset when someone keeps saying how much better it was "back home", and feel like saying "well go then!"

Not very nice of me, but ...............


They're a bit like the Australians in that sense ........ only the Ozzies used to be much more verbally aggressive about it, especially back in the 60s and 70s.

In other words, keep your initial thoughts to yourself!

Canadians also are not swayed by the British accent, quite unlike the Americans who are much more likely to say "Gee, I just looove your accent! Say something".

Been there, done that! I got that comment every single working day for 11 months.


You are in fact immigrating to a foreign country. None of the old "colonies" are extensions of the UK, never really were despite how hard those early immigrants tried, and most certainly are not now.

If you accept that fact, and learn to live here, learn and speak the language (yes, it is different!!), and enjoy the sports here ....... you'll do just fine!

suzeandmatt

I wish that were the case for me in Calgary. I've been here since the beginning of Jan and every day someone comments on my accent.
The other day in Safeway I was asked by the lady on the till (and the queue behind me!) to tell a story just so they could listen to my accent! Haha I find it weird. I'm Geordie- though not broad- but I hate my accent so it's new to me for people to tell me they like it! Haha

scilly

oh dear, I'm sorry!!

I'm from Lancashire, have not lost my accent in all these years although it is maybe less strong than it was. But I honestly have never been asked that question in Canada, no matter which province we have been in (and we have literally visited every province but not the territories).

DandNHill

I've been told many times "I could listen to you all day long!"

suzeandmatt

Haha well I did ask the people I work with in terms of the accent thing- all of them said that to them, British English all just sounds the same no matter where in the country the accent is from. They did in fact say it just sounds "posh" and I could talk about s**t all day and they'd still want to listen. They have all said they find it difficult to differentiate between the different accents in the UK. Though I've also had many people ask me if I'm Scottish, Irish or Australian. (I get the Scottish/Irish thing with being Geordie- but the Ozzy one is new to me)

Anyway...I digress...apologies. :-)

Oink

It's bit rich when we (UK) invented Canada. You'd think they would show a bit of deference but unfortunately they're just mostly uneducated and horrible cads.

Novocastrian

Or French.

BristolUK

Living in the same house as 3 to 5 Canadian family members it's something I always tried to steer clear of and bite my tongue.

But at the same time "it's the way it is" and "if it ain't broke don't fix it" when it assuredly is broke or was never right in the first place is equally maddening.

A woman in Shoppers several years ago said my accent was a chick magnet

scilly

how many of you can tell the different Canadian accents???

I know find that I can't really distinguish a lot of English accents ..... obviously Lancashire, Yorkshire, Geordie, Welsh lilt, Irish and Scottish, and "posh"

but I can also differentiate between several Canadian accents.


I do hope Oink was being his usual leg pulling self!

suzeandmatt

Yep I'm the same- can't notice much of a difference between Canadian accents. Haha

scilly

There are at least 6 very different Canadian accents ...... Maritimes, Newfoundland, Quebec, and Irish settlements in Ontario and one in Quebec, and people from the area around Hamilton used to sound very much like someone from the Bronx in NY.

But then all the rest sort of blur. The only difference really to me in the latter group are the words used ........

for example, "cabin" is used for any kind of second house in BC, but heaven help you if you say anything other than "cottage" in Ontario or NS (that I know of, may also apply in other provinces!).

I find it confusing because both words in their respective provinces can cover everything from a 1 room shack to a multi-million dollar 10 bedroom second house on the lake front!

But "cottage" owners are terribly insulted if you refer to their place as a "cabin" ....... I learnt that by experience!

It took me years to live it down.

FromUKtoBC

Many thanks for sharing your experiences and insights. Much appreciated!

I had originally intended to visit this January/February, but my house move had happened much later than anticipated.

I will bear in mind to make sure i take time out to ENJOY the experience of being there to see if it is really what i want!

dbd33

We were in the Mennonite butchers in Mount Forest and the man behind the counter asked where we're from. Note that all Mennonites sound Dutch to me and a good number around here speak no English, only some guttural Flemish or Schweizerdeutsch thing. We asked him to guess and he got "England" but had no clue that there's a place called "Northern Ireland".
Our turn. "Guess where I'm from" he said "they know I'm not from around here". We were hopelessly wrong and he explained "I'm from Hamilton way, that's how I have this brogue". It was like Newcastle vs. Sunderland to me, important if you can tell.

Varieties of Canadian accent are not of much relevance here. I met someone who claimed her Ottawa Valley accent was unique but I hadn't heard a cradle speak for years and so had no point of comparison. I suppose 10% of the people I meet in a day were born in Canada and, of those, many have the accents and mannerisms of their immigrant parents.