DMajor

At work yesterday I was chatting with a Dutch guy in his 70's.
He's a citizen and has been in Canada since his late teens but still says he's Dutch.
When do you start to feel Canadian?

Former Lancastrian

When you start saying EH on a regular basis. I have been here nearly 35 years and even though I have a Canadian passport and even work for the Canadian Govt I don't think there is such a thing as feeling Canadian. Yes you might do things Canadians do but does that mean you are totally Canadian? I don't dwell on it.

Stumpylegs

Come on half the Canadians here try to say "Oh yea, I'm Scottish, my great grandparents uncle was from Elgin" so even they don't feel Canadian yet!

Danny B

On Thanks Giving I feel Canadian for a day.

dbd33

I feel as Canadian as I do Mesopotamian. "Canadian" is a specific legal status like "green card holder" or "licensed plumber". It's a status one may find it prudent to hold but it's not an emotional condition, one does feel like a "licensed plumber" (not that I'm not a licensed plumber so the idea that being one does not seize one's heart and soul is slightly speculative on my part, it may be more engaging than being a legal Canadian, which I am).

Pulaski

It may never happen.

I am in the US, not Canada, but I have been married to an American for 23 years, I have lived and worked in the US for 21 years, I have been a US citizen for 15 years, but I still don't truely feel American.

It probably doesn't help that about once a week, still; after 21 years in the US, I get someone ask me where I am from, with the clear assumption that I have only arrived fairly recently, confirmed when they express surprise when I mention how long I have been here.

So here I am a non-American living in America, who will probably never really feel like I belong here.

JamesM

Spot on. I've lived in Toronto longer than most at 14ish years but still get the fresh of the boat questions.

I did have some family visit last year and we hired a cottage by the Kawartha Lakes. As we navigated the week I realized in some ways I was a "Canadian" on the basis that things they found odd were no longer odd to me. I also introduced them to "The Tragically Hip" by playing Bobcaygeon and also chatting about a couple of other bands that were from that part of the world. Explaining politics and other nuances I somewhat knew more than I realized. In many regards I am assimilated- however I could quite happily go anywhere else and I would not regard myself as Canadian anymore.

Partially discharged

You are truly Canadian if you like the Tragically Hip. Sorry, just can't get into them and to me they (and Bryan Adams, Celine Dion) are net beneficiaries of Can Con quotas. I've been here more than 2/3 of my days and consider myself a hybrid but leaning towards the Canadian side. Sense of humour and appreciation of banter still on the british side.

scrubbedexpat143

When you start paying tax in Canada, you will start feeling Canadian, quickly-smartly!

More seriously now. I left Canada almost 50 years ago, initially for Southeast Asia and eventually to Australia, where I've lived (Sydney 10 years, Melbourne 38 years) since. Very happily so. Haven't been back to Canada since 2012 for various reasons, no immediate family left there now, cousins and nieces and nephews are all strangers to me. As well almost everyone and everything I knew in my home town in New Brunswick (excepting a good lobster feed and a well-chilled glass of Moosehead Pale Ale, the latter for old time's sake as I didn't drink it much when I lived there). Even in Montreal and Toronto where I lived for many years have changed too much for me to feel at home. Also the (to me silly) requirement to return, I now have to have a Canadian passport. I have dual nationality, but as I'm now in mt 70s the thought of parting with a few hundred precious dollars for a Canadian passport I would be using one more time at most, holds no appeal to me.

Anyway, the last time I felt more Canadian than ever was when my last Canadian passport expired and I made the decision to apply for an Australian one. On that day it really hit home that I was giving up something that meant a lot to me.

Your situation is quite the reverse to mine, but there seem to be similarities in there.

CanadaJimmy

Great question. For me I think it was when I got citizenship and then when I used my Canadian passport when visiting the UK. That’s when it really sank in.

Ultimately I think it depends how attached you are to your heritage. I sometimes feel like I will never see the world the same way as native born Canadians but then I never saw the world as most British people either so I don’t feel a huge attachment there.

I definitely have a more euro-centric mindset when it comes to things like work-life balance and my boss is from Germany so he gets it too. I’ve often clashed with other bosses who seem to want to just get every last drop of time and energy out of you.

scilly

We arrived in Canada, and I've felt Canadian since before we got citizenship back in 1973/4, that was why we went for it.

I no longer feel English, and haven't since that time. If asked, I say "obviously you can tell I was born elsewhere from my accent, but I'm Canadian".

jerry brewer

Hi
been here 17yrs, still dont feel canadian

was in a pub the other day and asked if i was on vacation here

i think i will be devonian until the end

cheets J

scrubbedexpat143

Another thought.

I also felt particularly (and at times peculiarly) Canadian when I paid federal and provincial sales tax on everything I bought in the stores, also full knowing that by hopping over the border I could buy almost everything at half the price even with the CDN/USD exchange rate.

Especially so after living in Australia so long where we get slugged with only 10% GST (not on food or other essentials) and Our Glorious Aussie leaders in Canberra make all my meds and many other service I now require in my retirement, tax-free.

Canada is a great and even a wonderful place in many ways, but everyone there gets hit hard with all those extras to be paid for.

But that's life in a good country. More seriously said,Like Jerry (#12) and so many others posting here, even after 48 years away, on many occasions I still feel Canadian and even like a New Brunswicker (where I was born) in many ways. When I pour maple syrup on my muesli or when someone who has been Back Home comes visiting and gives me a Cherry Blossom.

CanadaJimmy

Most items are comparable, and groceries are actually more expensive in the US and the food is often worse quality. Clothes are the exception, as well as specialist things that are hard to get - they usually cheaper, and the other main benefit is more selection in the US. But certainly not almost everything is cheaper.

DMajor

Some good answers.
I don't really do much 'Canadian' stuff.
Not a big fan of skiing, don't watch ice hockey, never go in Tim Hortons (rubbish coffee and bland food) although I have found myself saying 'eh' a few times.

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