{image by Sandy}
How did you like learning about Japan yesterday? Just wait until you see what other countries I have for the remainder of this week and all next week. Today, I had three Canadian readers telling us about “O, Canada” – OK not the anthem but the beloved country. Some of us in the U.S. may not think of Canada as being so foreign. But I think you’ll be surprised. And have you noticed that Canadians are all so kind? I have several friends from Canada and they are the nicest people I know. With three Canadians contributing to this Q&A, I’ve taken bits and pieces of their answers to shorten this post a bit.
Our three Canadians include Melissa who lives in Fort St. John, British Columbia. Fort St. John is a small city located in the northeastern part of the province, close to the Peace River. Melissa’s family moved there when she was 10. She left for college in Vancouver then moved back. Melissa and her husband, Rob, have a soon-to-be 3 year-old name Rhys.
The second Canadian is Shauna who lives in Victoria, British Columbia. She was living in Vancouver for the last two years but recently moved back to Victoria, as it’s definitely what she considers home. She is 26 and newly married. She works as a French teacher. And Shauna loves to cook and play ice hockey.
And the third Canadian is Sandy who lives on Sointula Island on the east side of the north end of Vancouver Island. She has lived there for 11 years. Sandy has been married for 41 years and have three grown children.
What are some traditions or customs of Canada?
Melissa: I live in Northern Canada, and for many people in the North, outdoor activities are a huge part of our culture. In the summer, most families go camping, fishing, boating (river boating is especially popular where I live), hiking, ride ATV’s or horses and have lots of picnics and barbecues with family and friends. In the winter, activities involving snow and ice are huge – hockey and skating, tobogganing, snowmobiling, curling, downhill and cross country skiing. In fact ice is loved so much here (at least we “try” to love it), our city hosts a major ice carving festival every year where professional ice carvers from all over the world come to compete. The sculptures are absolutely stunning, and every year they build better and more elaborate ice slides for the kids in one of the parks in the centre of town.
Shauna: Canadians are definitely known to be extremely friendly and like talking about their feelings. We don’t have a lot of strictly “Canadian” traditions, although watching hockey games could be said to be one.
What is your favorite food that is only served in Canada?
Melissa: Many other Canadians would probably say Poutine, which is French fries with gravy and mozzarella cheese, but while it is delicious, it is most definitely not healthy. Where I live, which is Northern Canada, we eat a lot of wild game (moose, elk, deer) or bison, rather than the traditional beef.
Shauna: Nanaimo bars are delicious. They’re a chocolate-coconut/nutty cookie type base with a layer of buttery icing topped with a layer of hard chocolate. I’m also a big fan of real maple syrup on my pancakes.
What are the living conditions like in your town/city?
Shauna: There are lots of condos and houses. Some of the homes are 100+ years old (that’s old for here). Most of the homes are multi-stories, built mainly with wood, as opposed to the bricks used in more Eastern cities. Open concept living is popular, with an open kitchen and living room. Homes tend to be fairly spacious, with each child in a family having her own bedroom, and there are usually multiple bathrooms. The condo buildings are in general about 4-5 stories high as there are height restrictions in many areas.
Sandy: No apartments and one small seniors complex. Lots of homes are still woodburning. Some were float houses originally. We range from very old to very new and modern log homes. Walking and biking are common modes of transportation but we just about all have cars.
{image by Sandy}
What are some trends in fashion and interior design?
Shauna: Lulu Lemon pants (a brand of yoga wear) are popular amongst young women, as are slim dark wash jeans and flats (shoes). Everyone’s sporting scarves right now – a nice pair of jeans, a sweater, a scarf, and a great pair of knee-high boots is very fashionable. Interior design – lots of browns and taupes on the walls, hardwood flooring, stainless steel appliances, dark dark brown furniture with a cozy area rug. Everyone seems to be excited about clean lines and (what I find to be unfortunate) non-wired lighting, so you have to have lamps in every room.
Sandy: Thrift store chic jeans and shirts very casual We laugh because we might drop something at the thrift store only to have a friend buy it for us because they thought it would suit or to even buy back your own. Mostly we shop down island.
What is the biggest thing happening in the news there?
Melissa: The biggest news here right now is definitely the Olympics. We have two local athletes competing in Vancouver, which is pretty great for the size of our city. The Olympic torch passed through our community about two weeks ago, which was a lot of fun. It was really nice that the Vancouver Olympic Committee did such a good job of trying to get the torch to nearly every community in Canada.
Sandy: We had the torch land in Port Hardy (north end of Vancouver Island) by ferry and all the local talent was out. Talent from more than four communities native dancing, choir and band. One of the hockey teams ran the torch. It was a real local event with fireworks to end the evening.
What is it like to be a mom there compared to other parts of the world?
Melissa: I think that it’s pretty great to be a mom in Canada, or more specifically, British Columbia. There is a lot of opportunity for our children, and there are a lot of resources available to parents. Our province funds a lot of really great (free) programs for infants, toddlers and preschoolers. And because I live in a community that consists largely of young families, there are tons of activities available each week for me to take my toddler to. In fact, I have to be careful that we don’t try and do too much each week!
Melissa and her son Rhys
How are children raised differently there? What do they eat, play with, popular games or toys?
Melissa: I feel that in my community, children are fortunately still encouraged to be quite active. We have lots of parks, walking paths, trails for the summer, three indoor ice complexes (one of which is enormous and brand new) along with an outdoor ice rink in almost every neighbourhood. Our city is quite safe and children will walk or ride their bikes to school, and we have an abundance of high quality athletic programs from hockey to dance to martial arts. There is always space for your child, no waiting lists. However, there is still a lot of unhealthy eating habits, junk food, etc. maybe partly to do with the fact that families are always racing from one activity to the next.
What is something that all moms can learn from Canadian moms?
Melissa: This is by far the most difficult question. Maybe it’s because I am Canadian, and we tend to be rather modest about our accomplishments (unless it’s about winter sports). While we might be incredibly proud of our country and our accomplishments, we try to teach our children to be proud and confident, but also humble. There is always more than one way to do something, and everyone is important. I think that we have a cultural aversion to arrogance, and while yes, there is both poverty and extreme wealth in our country, we aren’t divided into distinguishable classes, and for the most part, everyone has the same opportunities.
» Tell me… Did you learn something new about Canada? What was it? To read other articles in the Education Week segment, click on the logo below.
I think I just submitted a comment without my info. (About nanaimo bars) You don’t need to publish this, but here is my info. I hope the last message from me worked.
Lame, this was my first time posting here, sorry to mess it up
I was just writing before that I love love love nanaimo bars. My husband and daughter are Canadian. I was shocked to learn how diverse Canada is. I thought it was just a Northern USA, but it is so different. I love all of the different cultures that you find there.
It’s great to read about Canada but I’m disappointed you choose all 3 woman from BC. That is just one small area is a very large and diverse Canada.
it’s true. Canada is huge. i wished i had responses from readers in other parts of Canada and not only BC. if any of my Canadian readers want to share with us their answers to the above questions… please do! i would love to hear what other parts of Canada is like.
I’m from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Middle of the country, but the capital of the province (think above North Dakota). One thing I noticed that the BC ladies left out is the importance of families. My family has always lived within minutes of each other. Aunts, uncles, cousins, grandmas, grandpas. We all get together often and just be. My childhood was spent sitting on the veranda (front porch) with grandma watching the thunder storms. I loved it. We are also very culturally diverse. Unlike Americans who would say “I’m African American or Irish American”, in Canada we are just understood to be Canadian and then whatever other mixture we are from. I would just say I’m Irish and Scottish. The Canadian part is understood. I don’t need to preface my nationality. Though Canadians are extremely proud of our homeland, we don’t flaunt it a lot. That’s why the PM said that we would cheer for Canada during the Olympics and apologize for our pride later. We are a humble people. Our country is stunningly beautiful, but most people overlook that and just make fun of us for the word “eh” and other such accents. However, accents are varied across the country just as much as they are in the US. For example, some people from the Maritimes have strange accents to me, being from Manitoba. Accents also vary depending on cultural background. My family has a UK background, so I pronounce words differently than my friends with a Ukranian background.
Manitoba though is pretty flat. We call these central provinces the Prairies. Winnipeg is a bustling city but can get pretty cold. In winter it can get to -40C (which is also -40F), however in the summer, we get up to the mid 30sC. I love the open parks and wildlife that surround the city. There is even a Canadian Geese reserve in the city. It’s always amazing during migration season. You can read more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnipeg or here: http://www.gov.mb.ca/
Thank you so much for contributing to the Canada post, Robin! It’s so fun to read about Winnipeg.
I loved this article, the series and Robin’s comment as well!
thanks! i’ve been enjoying learning about some of my international followers. they are great, aren’t they?!
I’m another Canadian follower. I was born in New Brunswick (above Maine) and I now live just outside Toronto. I’m married to a guy Newfoundland.
Many of the things the other ladies have said pose true for most of Canada (I’ve lived in Alberta too) But we have quite a few foods that are uniquely Canadian. Butter Tarts, Smarties (think M&M’s but different), sponge toffee, there must be others but I am forgetting them at the moment.
After travelling 90% of the country, I have to say that Canada is very unique in every way. People might not think we have culture, but there is so much that is uniquely Canadian. The way we view ourselves, the world and how we attempt to solve problems.
That’s one thing I gathered from the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Olympics. Canada has such a great history and culture.
I didn’t know Smarties were Canadian! Ya learn something new every day
Well, I think I will give this a go too
I enjoyed the posts!
I am from St. John’s in Newfoundland – the other end of the country from your BC responders. We are the “far east of the western world” -Cape Spear is the most easterly point in North America. We were discovered by Cabot in 1497 and were settled by fishermen from around the world (though we were a British Colony) – there are pockets of the island where the Spanish, Portuguese, French etc. settled. We are the youngest province – we joined Canada in 1949 after a referendum to decide between continuing as our own country within the commonwealth, joining the States or joining Canada. Many still consider themselves Newfoundlanders first, Canadians second (which does not diminish our pride in being Canadian!). Most communities are near the ocean, with the interior still largely unsettled. Areas outside the city are called “outports” or “around the bay” and many will refer to themselves as a “bayman” (like my mother – from around the bay) or a “townie (from the city like my Dad). Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin met off our coast during WWII and the Titanic sank off our shores.
~~What are some traditions or customs of Canada?
Canada is so vast that we have many different interests, traditions and customs from one province to another….
Fishing is big here, as we are surrounded by water, and whale-watching. We go on iceberg hunts with our kids in the spring – it is the water-cooler talk that time of year. Skiing, snowshoeing, ice-fishing, skating on outdoor ponds or in indoor rinks in winter. Cabins are popular as is camping. Impromptu family gatherings. “Kitchen” parties are big – that is where everyone ends up during a party afterall!
Most communities host a community day with family events in the summer and many have a winter festival as well. In the outports, or even just 15 min from the capital city there are many community parades where even the main road can be closed off due to a Lion’s Club march or St. Patrick’s Day or Orangeman’s Day celebration.
Newfoundland traditions would include “mummering” – dressing up in disguise and going door to door during the 12 days of Christmas – if, when you knocked “mummers are allowed in”, you go inside and dance/have a few drinks while the household tries to guess who you are – this is less popular in the city but still practiced in the outports. We also have a very popular boating regatta on QuidiVidi lake on the first Wednesday of every August or the first fine day thereafter – if it is too windy/rainy/stormy it will be postponed until a nicer day – this always amuses the mainlanders I work with (if it is rainy tomorrow I’ll be in, but if it is nice, we have a statutory holiday!).
Until about 10-15 years ago the education system in NL was denominational, based on the family’s religion, but they have since been amalgamated into one system. However, our winter and spring breaks are still based on the Christian festivals of Christmas and Easter (we have Easter break, not March break). Many schools provide French Immersion – I did my schooling in French and my children do too.
Hockey night in Canada (Saturday night) is big – I am a hockey widow every winter but that just gives me time to scrapbook and read so I don’t mind. Ball Hockey is a popular weeknight activity to keep fit.
~~What is your favorite food that is only served in Canada?
Nanaimo bars and snowballs. I’m not big on poutine. Moose meat is VERY popular. Seafood is common of course! Fish in Newfoundland is cod – other fish you would specify the name, but if you say fish you mean cod for sure.
~~What are the living conditions like in your town/city?
Mostly wooden houses with siding on newer ones. Not a lot of 100+ houses due to fires back at the turn of the last century. Most houses are 2-story or split entries, attached garages are popular the last 15-20 years. Brick houses are rare here and stick out like a sore thumb. Front porches with double doors are a must, as we get a lot of wind and have a lot of slush. Kitchens tend to be fairly big an open to eith a dining room/living room area or to a family room. Everyone has there own room. Developed basements for extra family-room space are the norm. Sheds are a must to house the snow-blowers! Master ensuites and multiple bathrooms are the norm in the city.
Newer neighbourhoods tend to have a mini-playground per street with a bigger neighbourhood playground nearby.
We have the most pubs per capita in North America, colourful houses and roads that twist up the hills around the harbour. Travel by car, foot, bike, bus, depending where you are. Outports would have mainly older homes.
~~What are some trends in fashion and interior design?
Denim. Knee-high boots & a good umbrella. Stainless steel appliances, colour outside with neutral tones and punches of colour inside.
~~What is the biggest thing happening in the news there?
The Olympics and always the weather. The Olympic torch was by here back in October. The premier going to the US for a surgery.
~~What is it like to be a mom there compared to other parts of the world?
AWESOME! We have a lot of opportunity and we have available free healthcare (which does create waitlists for some surgeries, etc but we ARE taken care of). We get a year paid maternity leave, which can be shared with the father (i.e.: I took 10 months and my husband overlapped and also took the first 2 months after the babies were born – so it was a year between us). There are a lot of free playgroups and the playgrounds are safe. Lots of activities for families, and plenty to do outside.
~~How are children raised differently there? What do they eat, play with, popular games or toys?
Hockey is popular, and skating and swimming. Healthy eating is encouraged through the schools and at home. Nintendo DS and Bakugan are popular among the boys (I have 2 sons). Kites and snowshoes.
~~What is something that all moms can learn from Canadian moms?
I would agree with the other responses – consideration for others is very important. Be confident but be humble. Help out whenever you can. Respect for diversity, and the importance of teaching kids about their roots (we have English and Mi’kmaq blood on my side, French and Scottish on my husband’s) – knowing we are all interconnected encourages further understanding and respect of the immense diversity this world has to offer).
Thanks so much, Vero! Thanks for sharing with us what your part of Canada is like. I used to go whale watching all the time as a child in Hawaii. It’s such a breath-taking experience.