The only person I've met from the Isle of Man was obsessed with bar billiards "it's the dog's bollocks in the Isle of Man" he said, repeatedly. I felt no need to go there.

Ahem. The quintessential Canadians are William Shatner and Pamela Anderson neither of whom live quietly. Alex Trebek is, of course, a Canadian. Garrison Keillor, otoh, is an American.

Overall there's no difference to the naked eye.

You're uninformed and running on ignorance...these ppl you're stating are Cdn born, but are American citizens...no longer Cdns. Once they do that, they're done! Don't wan'em!

Might want to brush up on who Cdns consider quintessential: Romeo Dallaire, Sarah McLachlin, Bare Nake Ladies, Holly McNarland, Diana Krall...all of whom stayed home and didn't become fame whores like the ppl you mentioned...very unCanadian to become a fame whores...

You won't see papparazzi on the streets of Canada...you just won't, nor will you see mobs of ppl around famous ppl - Cdns don't care...we don't have home grown game shows, nor do we have 'home grown' tabloid magazines...we just don't care!!! That is what I meant.

I KNOW when I am in the US, because it a totally different country from mine...not the same at all!!

I read his book. An awful piece of prose, seemingly mechanically translated from French. There must, I think, have been some excitement in his life, after all he had a nervous breakdown, but his account is like reading the tax code. Yes, maybe, you do want to count him as the definitive Canadian.

First succeeded in Baltimore, later caught on in Canada. Nothing wrong with that but a fine example of their being no border culturally.

Ben Mulrooney. Presenter of tabloid trash on Canadian TV trading on the fame of his father. Entertainment Tonight (Canada) the show's called.

I put it to you that the US and Canada are very very similar, "USA Lite" is a fair description of Canada. The differences are as subtle as those between England and Scotland.

<snort>

I'm just glad that I moved to Canada so I can help Canada to stick to her roots and veer away from all that American nonsense. I don't know why I didn't think of it before, this is what I will say when people ask why I moved here.

Then again, I may have f***ed all that up by choosing Toronto.

Y'all hold up a cotton-pickin' minute. I know you were in Michigan this past weekend, I know you were just in Utah, what we have here is a failure to immerse.

It's called "diversifying".

You know they say about opinions...they're worth what you've paid for them...

I know that Canada and the US are very very very different...that's not an opinion, that is just KNOWING from a born and raised Canadian.

Your opinion is...well...your opinion, but here are some Canadian facts:

Our military is deeply entrenched in our British roots - I know, I served. The Americans do not...

Our government is modelled after the British. Americans do not...even our right wing is still quite left compared to the American system...

7/10 provincial flags have the UJ in it...Americans don't.

We have the second highest standard of education according the UN and OECD as of 2009. The Americans don't value education at all...I know, I took a programme at Cornell...no comparison...

We have universal health care. Americans do not...

We do not have a myriad of entertainment shows...the Americans do...

We do not have gossipy reality tv shows i.e. the real housewives etc...the Americans do...same with the Aussies...

We have strict gun laws...the Americans do not...

According to Stats Canada 13% of Cdns do not have grade 12...over 60% in the US not have grade 12...

the CF recruiting system mandates all recruits must have grade 12 and no police record...the US takes the bottom of the barrel.

Canadians travel better abroad...Americans do not...I know, I've travelled and ppl hold their breath when they hear my accent, until I quickly identify as a Cdn and demonstrate the difference in accents...then they relax...

We're a peaceful nation...we don't want to go and "kick some ass" just to have a war on oil...the Americans do...

We're a clean, friendly nation who cares about the environment...I can speak for BC...the US, any time I have travelled, has been dirty, crowded, and no care or concern for other ppl. AND EVERYTHING IS LOUD!!!!!

When travelling abroad or just living in Canada, I can TELL I am speaking to an American just like I can speaking to an English person or Quebecois. An American can tell I am not American just from my demeanour.

When I go to the US, I do NOT feel at home because it is so different - I can tell that I am in the US.

If we were the same, then Michael Ignatieff would have been PM...but he's not because he lived in the US too long and Cdns were not willing to accept him because of that fact...

I just don't see the similarities...sorry!

Ahh...opinions...

On gun laws, do you know that there are more machine guns legally in private hands in Canada than in the US? Do you know that it's legal for me to drive around with my gun in plain sight here in Ontario? That's less strict than the rules in Washington DC. Hell, you can't even legally hold a hand gun in DC.

On the environment, may I point out that Fort McMurray is in Canada rather than the US, the continuing exploitation of the tar sands rather suggests that Canada is as bad or worse than the US in this regard.

This, of course, is opinion

"even our right wing is still quite left compared to the American system"

but who do you think in America is to the right of the Heritage Front? In mainstream politics Stephen Harper is the figurehead for the relgious right, he's Ronald Reagan with worse hair, there's no difference there.

"I just don't see the similarities...sorry!"

Stick around, I'll try to bring you up to speed.

"When I go to the US, I do NOT feel at home because it is so different - I can tell that I am in the US."

How? What is it about Costco that's different there than here, how does McDonalds differ? How are the ancient bands on the radio less tired there than here? Seriously, while eating a wing or buying a pair of shoes, how do you know which of the two countries you're in?

How's that working out for you?

Sorry, your too late by a number of decades....Canada is well on the way to assimilation....resistance has proved futile........ 'Canada Lite'....is almost Canada free.....

I think my irony meter just exploded

My interlocutor had PM'd me reprimanding me for my position and pointing out that the US and Canada are no more alike than England and Scotland. I wouldn't have thought of the comparison but it seemed fair so I used it.