Steve_

Didn't I start a thread about this where everyone got really angry.

At the end of the day, hey, I'm Canadian. I'm a Canadian citizen who lives in Canada. Something like 8% I read of the population of Calgary are British citizens.

It's a nation of immigrants, so first thing everyone does is dispense with that enormous chunk of the population who are still fairly recent immigrants and focus on the native-born white folk. I'd say your impression is fairly accurate. But it's hard to generalize about millions of people.

I tried to draw a comparison in that thread I started whereby I pointed out that to actually get to the truth you have to get them angry, in fact I did get one Canadian really angry and he said he wished we'd all get stuffed, etc.

I don't think I can really say anymore tbh. I've lived here too long.

I think generalizing massively, Canadians are more musical than average, certainly around here they are.

They have a very low opinion of lawyers, to the point that it is counterproductive, the rule of law often seems to get lost in a tirade against lawyers.

SambaDeAmigo

Most Canadians are very bad drivers compared to Brits

Jimbo2012

A few random observations, purely speaking as I find, based on nearly 2 years in East/Central Ontario.....

1) 99% of Canadians (and non-Canadian residents) I have met have been nothing less than friendly and helpful

2) Canadians are generally proud of their country and happy to live here, whereas many Brits seem to be unhappy and disillusioned with the UK

3) Canadians don't particularly "do" the dry humour/sarcasm bit, so it's best in most cases to just keep it literal

4) Canadian males on the whole seem to display less overt aggression, which is a refreshing change from the boozy "fight the world" culture that is prevalent in the UK. Mind you, it looks like many of them keep their frustrations for when they are on the ice!

5) Conversely to the above, Canadians are less polite as drivers than Brits, rarely "let you out" or indicate and are perhaps more complacent than motorists in the UK

6) A surprisingly high number of people here smoke

7) Life is more laid back here and there is far less an obsession with social status/class. People just seem to want to have an enjoyable life without worrying about getting ahead of the neighbours.

Steve_

Absolutely, they're bad drivers compared to Americans, that's what blows my mind. I think it is exacerbated by the road conditions though, I think of all the stupid things I've done at exits off the Deerfoot, because there's no consistency and I'm always in the wrong lane or whatever. And the road markings are very hard to see.

They do seem to be better in Vancouver, I think just the presence of more and more traffic makes you a better driver.

In Calgary we get a lot of people who've moved here from the sticks, I think that is another factor.

Paul_Shepherd

I 100% agree with every point you have made here! spot on!! You have took all the words right out of my mouth! And then I noticed you live in Peterborough! must be something about the location. Out of interest where did you used to live in the UK?

Paul.

Jimbo2012

Hi Paul

I lived in South East Wales prior to moving to Canada. I miss a good curry, "soccer" culture, family/friends, but not much else to be honest.

How long have you been in Ptbo?

haggis88

Deerfoot makes me want to ****ing kill people

i mean seriously, how ****ing hard is it to drive in a straight line with no stop signs or roundabouts yet they still can't manage it

just about every car here built since 1980 has cruise control yet they can't seem to keep a constant speed...i set my cruise when i enter Deerfoot and every morning i have people who i overtake (or undertake) and a couple minutes later, they're back in front of me...wtf

MikeUK

IMHO Canadian’s worry too much about being better than the states, in almost everything they can think of
The focus is good enough, and no more… when achieved we’ll stop for a coffee and dounut
They give the impression they’ll give you there shirt of their back, and will be the most helpful people around, right up until you ask for real help…. Then you’ll find they’ve left!
They all talk the strong fit healthy lifestyle, but very very few actually do it…
When theyre government say’s bend over, they know to pull their pants down, and take it lying down

Passive is the way of life in Canada

Mary louise

My Canadian husband's business is partly in the UK, where we live at present, and partly in Canada (BC). I deal with admin bits for both sides and I can say that, nice as the Canadians are, having to deal with the local authority and even the people who work for us ( but especially the local authority!! ) nothing happens quickly or with any urgency - it takes months to even get a reply to a query and if you try phoning, the person you need to speak to is away on holiday or off that day etc, etc......soooo frustrating compared to the UK.

kswoosh

I think that hockey being a) more agressive in nature and b) more popular leads to the lack of aggression seen on the soccer fields.

By and large, as soccer is the main sport in England, loads of people play it, irrespective of ability, size, physical makeup or desire to exert physical force, and outside of rugby, there is very little opportunity to play a mainstream sport. I get the impression that, in Canada, the more agressive types play hockey and football, where there is much more opportunity to smash people, leaving the less physically charged people to play football in a good natured (albeit still sometimes very physical) way.

That's my take on it, anyway.

kswoosh

Interesting, in Vancouver I would definitely have said the opposite. But Vancouerites are weird fitness freaks though.

Danny B

Think back to how people behaved in Britain in the 70's. That's how they are here (Kamloops) in 2014

Neighborly, watching out for one another, and *generally* nice people. You can have a drink in a pub, and not be worried about getting mugged or beaten up on the way home.

Jingsamichty

They might run you over though as they drive home from the pub smashed - just like Britain in the 1970s.

BristolUK

I think this might be something that varies hugely.

I cycle and drivers let me pull out of side streets all the time. They do it when it's busy or even when it's not busy and all I'm doing is waiting for them to go by and then it's completely clear.

There's a busy-ish road between me and the local shops. Much the same thing happens. I'll come out the store and if there's nothing coming one way and just one or two cars coming the other way, I'll wait (rather than use the crossing 40 yards away) thinking it's clear once they've gone. But they'll stop and wave me over.

In the UK I always had the impression that in that situation drivers deliberately slowed down a bit....not enough for me to cross, but enough to increase the chances of it no longer being clear when they'd passed.
(of course I don't really believe that...it just seems like it)

I've lived in Montreal and there were some differences there....but drivers would still stop at every intersection on a long street, some distance from where a school was. Even those with no crossing point and even when there was no likelihood of kids out of school.

Okay there are laws about that, but there are laws about speeding and not going through red lights, but drivers still do it.

Maybe they're happier running down adults than kids.

mazmataz

- Sense of humour, there is definitely a difference! Although there are always a few exceptions...one Canadian guy in my work can dry wit the hell out of most Brits I know (although even he aknowledges that his sense of humour is lost on most Canadians!).

- Driving! I thought it was just a Vancouver thing but it looks like the complete lack of manners (in an otherwise very polite culture) on the road is Canada wide.

- On the back of that, drinking and driving seems to be socially acceptable here. Pretty much every Canadian driver I know is happy to sink 3 pints and drive home. Sure I would feel okay to drive after 3 pints, but it doesn't make you any less over the limit if you get caught...and it seems the penalty of a DUI is just as severe as in the UK, yet not a crap is given.

- On the whole, people are very polite, friendly (on the surface anyway!) and helpful. You would be happy asking anyone for directions on the street here.

- Canadian news! Oh the laughs! They do try their best to keep it all as jolly as possible, with little focus on the negatives on the world and more pieces on Scruffy the dog who found his way home after 3 months of being lost, that kind of thing. Which I personally love ;-)