We’re back. We couldn’t resist this one. Tim Hortons has taken Manhattan. The once-again Canadian company has expanded into New York City. And Canadians couldn’t be more proud. Newspapers and television programs presented the news as if it were a successful Canadian invasion. And, in a way, it was. Not since the War of 1812 have Canadians felt so …
Read the full post →“A Doughnut Shop Opening in New York is a Huge Canadian Story”
Canadians take their shoes off when entering a home. There isn’t any questioning it. As soon as you enter the front door you’re taking off your shoes. That’s just the way it is. As a Canadian myself, I find this practice completely normal. For most of my life I assumed that everyone did this. Apparently …
Canadians are not flag wavers. While their neighbours to the south hang Old Glory from anything they possibly can, Canadians are much less flashy with the Maple Leaf. There isn’t a flag pole in front of every house in Canada. Canadians don’t have ticker-tape parades where flags hang from buildings in celebration. That’s just not …
Read the full post →“Sewing a Canadian Flag on a Backpack is their idea of Blatant Patriotism”
Canadians love entertainment from around the world. They all wish they could have the same dry humour as the British or the same cool attitudes as the Americans. But they don’t. The kind of shows that are produced in Canada about Canadians are shows like Anne of Green Gables and Degrassi. It’s not exactly blockbuster entertainment. So, to …
Read the full post →“They Produce “Canadian Versions” of International Entertainment”
In 1814, during the War of 1812 (yes, the war of 1812 continued after 1812 ended) a group of British soldiers set Washington D.C ablaze. Included in the buildings damaged by the fire was the White House. The fire was in retaliation for the Americans burning down the Parliament Buildings of Upper Canada, which sat …
Read the full post →“They Secretly Want to Burn Down the White House Again, Just for Fun”
In the United States, beer commercials showcase parties, girls and talking frogs. In Canada they play a completely different role. Canadian beer commercials are filled with hockey, beavers, snow and everything else stereotypically Canadian. Canadians aren’t a very openly patriotic people. They typically wear their Canadian pride underneath a snowsuit, rather than hang it from a …
Read the full post →“A Beer Commercial is a Source of National Pride”
Canadians love Obama. During the 2008 Canadian election, there were Obama for Prime Minister t-shirts and Canadians took to the frozen streets in celebration when Obama won the election. and it’s not that Canadians are just so interested in politics that they watch elections in other nations either. Canadians don’t care about their own politics; only 59.1% of Canadians …
Read the full post →“They Wish They Could Have Voted for Obama”
Outside of stereotypes, there isn’t all that much to separate Canadian culture from American culture. They eat McDonald’s, drink Coke and have their local businesses destroyed by Wal-Mart on both sides of the border. The prevalence of American music, movies and television programs in Canada far outnumbers local Canadian programming. This dependence on American culture …
Read the full post →“They define themselves as being “Not American””
