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-   -   Differences between Canadian and British people (https://britishexpats.com/forum/canada-56/differences-between-canadian-british-people-832323/)

Harrisonasa Apr 30th 2014 5:45 am

Re: Differences between Canadian and British people
 
Oh absolutely Paul. It is impossible to have a car in good condition! I decided not to ever buy new because it would be about a week before the first scrape or dent! :D

Former Lancastrian Apr 30th 2014 5:56 am

Re: Differences between Canadian and British people
 
Cant we just agree there are differences between Canucks and Brits. Neither is better than the other we just have our differences, but if we were talking differences between the Canucks and French or the UK and the French then its a no brainer who is better:sneaky:

phr1 Apr 30th 2014 1:57 pm

Re: Differences between Canadian and British people
 

Originally Posted by Jingsamichty (Post 11236405)
Without wishing to generalize or cause offence, Canadians are slow-witted, docile and conformist. They are the cud-chewers, if you like, of the human race.

So true

Paul_Shepherd Apr 30th 2014 2:06 pm

Re: Differences between Canadian and British people
 

Originally Posted by phr1 (Post 11241734)
So true

I must have met some pretty special Canadians then! :)

daiske Apr 30th 2014 2:26 pm

Re: Differences between Canadian and British people
 
Canadians are boring

Shard Apr 30th 2014 3:20 pm

Re: Differences between Canadian and British people
 

Originally Posted by daiske (Post 11241745)
Canadians are boring

Is this some kind if troll remark or are you living in the middle of nowhere?

daiske Apr 30th 2014 4:10 pm

Re: Differences between Canadian and British people
 
Well...not boring...I'd say bland, "predictable", that's my experience anyway.

Another difference I find (I am not british, but I lived in Uk and Ireland), is ...maybe some people don't agree with this, but I find british more open-minded than canadians, again that's my experience.

Oink Apr 30th 2014 4:44 pm

Re: Differences between Canadian and British people
 
The problem with Canadians is they tend to generalize too much. :thumbdown:

bats May 1st 2014 3:08 am

Re: Differences between Canadian and British people
 

Originally Posted by Oink (Post 11241818)
The problem with Canadians is they tend to generalize too much. :thumbdown:

Nice one. Why only yesterday I heard one say that Westerners are more laid back and smile more than Ontarians.

Former Lancastrian May 1st 2014 3:13 am

Re: Differences between Canadian and British people
 

Originally Posted by bats (Post 11242390)
Nice one. Why only yesterday I heard one say that Westerners are more laid back and smile more than Ontarians.

After todays Ontario budget that might be truer than you think :lol:

caretaker May 1st 2014 4:53 am

Re: Differences between Canadian and British people
 

Originally Posted by bats (Post 11242390)
Nice one. Why only yesterday I heard one say that Westerners are more laid back and smile more than Ontarians.

We generally don't speak too well of Ontarians. Stuffy, 'provincial' if you will, self-important (especially Torontonians). Whether it comes from their Upper Canada history or somewhere else there is a common bias, but it's situational and some like Quebec, some not and same for the maritimes though maritimers have always been well received here in my experience. A carpenter foreman at Ft Mac said the only good guys he has are Newfies and Frenchmen (he's from Halifax)
Southern fairies vs dirty northern bastards only sideways. Before the white men came the Plains Cree felt different from the tribes that lived in the north and didn't have to move with the migrations of the buffalo. They were a bit scared of their medicine, believing that they could better consolidate their power by living in one place. Just trying to illustrate it may be universal. TO to Red Deer is like New York to Dodge City so there are going to be cultural differences. Regina has the longest running symphony orchestra in the country, but sadly no ballet, though several good companies perform here every year. Problem with generalisations is they're so rarely right - the door swings open and in walks a contradiction.

tweed_wearer Jul 1st 2014 8:33 am

Re: Differences between Canadian and British people
 

Originally Posted by mazmataz (Post 11239602)
- 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 ;-)

Canadians are proud of their country and can get quite aggressive if an outsider finds even the smallest fault. I was talking with a very sweet Canadian girl and we were discussing the price of things, starting with her assertion that England was expensive. I mentioned that some things are a lot cheaper in England, such as a lot of groceries, her immediate response was along the lines of "well people are fatter in England", true, perhaps but it seemed like a snipe and I was a bit taken aback by it.

This is strange for Brits - we seem to have made an industry out of talking down our country and achievements. Perhaps justifiably.

Even with my Canadian wife, we can sensibly and entertainingly discuss the pros and cons of the UK and other countries, but i have to tread carefully if I want to point out any flaws with Canada; the blinkers go on even for very dry topics she knows nothing about (like pensions regulation, access to the professions, working conditions in large companies)

To a Brit, Canadian news can seem very strange - I watched the business news section on Canadian TV and they spent a good 5 minutes having an informal but excited chat about how good it was that (Canadian and much maligned) Blackberry had now started to turn a profit.

The Frankie Boyle school of comedy (making outrageous and offensive statements, simply to elict shock and incredulous laughter) has not made it to Canada. Canadians tend to assume that if you say something, you mean it.

Canadians do not do eccentricity and outlandishness like the brits do - any attempt for canadians to be 'wacky', to me seems to be a bit false, as if they are trying too hard. Ikea monkey lady excepted.

Canadians are extremely generous. I was married in Canada recently and we received many warm wishes and generous gifts - including family heirlooms and things that people had skillfully and lovingly made for us.

paolob99 Jul 1st 2014 9:56 am

Re: Differences between Canadian and British people
 
one thing I have encountered, and it was really a surprise, as I was looking through rose tinted giggs, is the dishonesty of some canadians on a consistent basis.

This might be a Nanaimo thing, small town mentality and all that, but it really was a shock to me.

A one off, maybe a two off, but it does seem that there is an air of dishonesty and sharp practice

Shard Jul 1st 2014 10:23 am

Re: Differences between Canadian and British people
 

Originally Posted by paolob99 (Post 11321833)
one thing I have encountered, and it was really a surprise, as I was looking through rose tinted giggs, is the dishonesty of some canadians on a consistent basis.

This might be a Nanaimo thing, small town mentality and all that, but it really was a shock to me.

A one off, maybe a two off, but it does seem that there is an air of dishonesty and sharp practice

Any examples? I can't recall any dishonesty.

caretaker Jul 1st 2014 12:35 pm

Re: Differences between Canadian and British people
 
The difference that is most obvious is that British people talk funny. I've just had Eastenders on and it's hard to understand parts. Some Newfoundlanders are just as bad, of course and I've heard Americans say that Canadians say 'oot' instead of out. I've never noticed that (we don't do it in Sask), so could that be an Ontario thing? Anyone? Over the last 20 years or so various corporations moved their call centres to Regina because we have a neutral accent that's easy for most English speakers to understand. At least half of those packed up due to the economy though.


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