BristolUK

You know how, back in the UK, you could be sitting on a bus and passengers might become aware of a couple of Americans talking and the whole bus falls silent as they listen in.

Well I still feel that here. I hear a conversation and my first though it is "oh, they're speaking American."

Of course I live with three Canadians but they're from Quebec and when they're not speaking French their English isn't the same as the English of other Canadians. Or maybe it is but I'm so used to them that it doesn't seem it to me.

As with many things, 'Canadian' just sounds like American Lite to me. Although some Newfies do sound Irish. That's as far as me telling the difference goes.

scilly

I find most Canadians, apart from the areas I mentioned before, have a non-accent to me ............. it's the accent I've come to accept as the one of this country.

It's similar to the way in which I didn't notice the accent in my home town in Lancashire, until I first spent time in Manchester and then Liverpool ........ very different accents there! Then I would notice the accent in my home town after 3 months away!

BUT I notice 2 Americans talking on the bus, immediately!

JamesM

Spend time in the supermarket looking for the stuff you'd normally buy in England. That will depress you a little but you'll know your new reality.

In fact probably worth investigating all the day to day products in your life so you understand the lack of choice and cost of goods and services in Canada. Remember to add provincial taxes to the prices you see.

JamesM

French in denial at being french

BristolUK

You make it sound like the third world.

But not food, so that's about 90% of what you regularly buy not having additional taxes. Even the booze in the liquor store is priced with taxes included.

JamesM

That is a fair point. I've just looked at my weekly grocery receipt and the tax is 34 cents on a $70 bill.

Canada does sit between developed world and developing world. I'm no longer in denial.

scilly

Please explain why you, or any other immigrant, would expect to be able to buy all the products you would be buying in England??

Canada is NOT England.

You have emigrated to, or are planning on emigrating to, another country, to all intents and purposes a foreign country, not a county attached to England but separated by an ocean from all the other counties.

Canada was not even founded by Brits ......... if I remember my Canadian history correctly, the first settlers were Vikings followed by Portuguese fishermen who overwintered in Newfoundland and possibly NS. I think the French might have pre-dated the English on the Atlantic side while the Spaniards were here first on this side.

and of course, the various First Nations were all here before any of them.

Are you among the ones who expect to get English food in Spain, France, or any Asian country????



I don't deny that we buy Heinz Salad Dressing in addition to other salad dressings, but only because it is on the shelves of our local store, we don't go hunting for it. Similarly, I would buy Branston Pickle because it was on the shelves, but it was removed some time ago, and we have found alternatives.

We do like Christmas pudding, but we make our own using a recipe from a Cheshire cook book, and using ingredients commonly available in the store.

It's a waste of time and effort to tour around hunting for items from the old country!

DandNHill

I will pop on to the British store if I'm in orangeville. No point going to the international section in walmart around here as they only do Indian and Asian.
I'm really not bothered about finding English food.
Haven't we all discussed this before recently? Or am I senile and just repeating myself on the same thread? Raclette?

cxx

I read the suggestion to check out the items you usually buy in the UK slightly differently and thought the poster meant check out the difference in price and quality of your weekly groceries, so things like chicken or cheese which are way more expensive. Also the quality of a lot of fruit and veg items.

JamesM

I thought the point of the recce was to establish how your life style would be different? Surely establishing what is and isn't available is a part of that?

And what on Earth is English food?

Lastly why on Earth shouldn't an immigrant be they English, Syrian or Swahili expect basic fundamentals in a supermarket?

Danny B

I don't think anyone can honestly say that the average Canadian supermarket doesn't have the basic fundamentals in stock.

I think the point scilly is making, is that you cannot expect stores in Canada to stock UK Cadbury's Dairy Milk, Monster Munch, Branston Pickle etc. Just get used to the Canadian alternative or find a niche store that sells all that stuff for 10x the price.

JamesM

Not everyone is comfortable jumping into a swimming pool with out knowing it's depth.

Someone moving from the UK to Canada needs to understand the reality that they will be faced with a lot less product sku's. It is not a question of refining taste but dumbing taste down.

Scilly made the move 49 years ago the gulf has only widened since.

R I C H

True enough, but if you want a wider range of products it's generally necessary to visit multiple specialty stores. My experience is that it isn't a convenient one-shop process as you might be used to in the UK.

cxx

Totally agree. You can't get decent wine at any of our grocery stores, although a few do have NB Liquor next door.

Danny B

If you are moving to the Arctic then this is definitely true. Fresh fruit and veg may not be as plentiful up there.

We do 75% of our food shopping at Superstore, the other 25% we buy in bulk at Costco.

My Wife is originally from the Philippines, the 'International Foods' section in Superstore has everything she needs to cook her traditional Filipino meals. No specialty store necessary.

Going back to the original point though, had you known then (before you moved to Canada) that you would be in this food crisis of dumbing down your taste, would you have moved? I'm genuinely curious how many people are affected by this.