Many Americans learn about Canadian life from TV or old things they heard years ago from friends. Sure, some of these “facts” do sound reasonable & have a little truth to them. But a lot of them are completely false.
Whether it’s because they’re regional habits, rather than national norms, or they’re simply not true, a lot of myths about Canada have stuck around.
Here are eleven Canadian lifestyle myths that quite a few Americans still believe. It’s time to learn the truth, once and for all. Which of these false stories about Canada annoys you the most?
Health care covers absolutely everything
Quite a few Americans hear about free health care in Canada and assume it covers everything. They seem to think that you get every medical treatment for free, no exceptions, although the truth is rather different.
Under the Canada Health Act, public plans only have to cover medically necessary hospital & physician services. We have to pay for any prescription drugs outside of hospitals.
It’s the same story for dental and vision care, neither of which is universally covered.
Milk comes in bags across the whole country
One of the most common stereotypes about Canadians is that we all drink milk in bags. That’s mostly a regional thing. You can get bagged milk in Ontario and parts of Quebec & the Maritimes, but it’s harder to find outside of those places.
The majority of provinces sell milk in cartons or plastic jugs, like in America. Bagged milk is most definitely not the typical way of consuming milk in Canada.
Hockey is the only sport Canadians do
Yes, hockey gets a lot of attention as a Canadian sport. It’s easy to assume that it’s the only sport Canadians play, but the truth is that we’re a lot more varied in our habits.
In fact, swimming & cycling are some of the most commonly played sports in the country. Basketball is huge; soccer is gaining momentum. Even running is very popular.
Hockey is something we’ll always be proud of playing, but it’s not the most popular or only sport that people like to play.
Canadians don’t own guns
The idea that Canadians don’t own guns is false. The ownership rate is a lot lower than in the United States, yet Canadians renew hundreds of thousands of firearms licences each year.
The RCMP’s Canadian Firearms Program actually processed over 489,000 individual licences in 2023 alone. Firearm ownership is more regulated over here than in America. But it does exist.
Winter is brutally cold everywhere in Canada
So many Americans imagine Canada as being frozen all year round, and they don’t really understand how different winter can look from place to place.
Coastal cities like Victoria & Vancouver usually have mild winters.
Even places like Toronto & Halifax are warmer than the Prairies or the northern regions of the country, since the nation doesn’t experience a single winter climate. You can find many places with temperatures above deep-freeze levels.
Public narcotics use is fully legal in Canadian cities
British Columbia’s decision to decriminalize certain substances makes many Americans think that people can use narcotics anywhere in the country. That’s not true.
Only B.C. is trying a 3 year trial period where people with small amounts of certain substances will not be arrested or charged. The rest of the provinces are not a part of this trial.
Even in B.C., though, the rules are strict on where people are allowed to consume. They’re not allowed to do so in parks, transit areas, or on playgrounds, nor on the sidewalks. It’s not a free-for-all.
Canadians rely mostly on public transit
There’s a common idea that Canadians don’t own cars. Instead, they apparently get around only on public transportation. But the truth is that the majority of Canadians still drive each day, and especially those who live in the suburbs or in mid-size cities.
It’s common for people to rely on their own vehicles for commuting or doing the grocery run. Not every Canadian uses public transportation to get around.
That said, public transit use is still much higher in Canada than in the U.S. Approximately 12% of people rely on public transit for commuting to work in Canada, versus just 2% in the U.S. This could be due to denser, smaller urban areas than many U.S. cities, plus more consistent service in Canadian suburbs.
Canadians aren’t ambitious
You might be surprised to learn how many Americans assume that Canadians don’t care about career progress or financial success. They sometimes think their neighbors up north are passive about life.
But in reality, Canadians are equally as keen to pursue promotions & launch businesses as anybody else.
Income data shows that Canadians actually work in quite a few high-earning fields, while entrepreneurship rates remain high across the country. We take our career status & financial security rather seriously.
Canadians are less competitive socially and professionally
Another similar myth is the idea that Canadians avoid competition because they prefer to work & socialize in a more relaxed way. That’s not true. In fact, research from the labour market shows that Canadians compete quite a bit for jobs, including leadership roles.
We care about getting ahead, and we’re willing to compete in order to do so. The idea that we’re all so passive is a complete lie.
Canadians eat poutine all the time
Talking to an American, you’d assume that poutine is a daily meal across all of Canada. But most Canadians don’t eat it all that regularly.
Instead, it’s more of a comfort food or a late-night snack, perhaps an occasional treat, than something we eat every day.
Canadian food is far more varied than many Americans give it credit for, and it’s certainly more interesting than lots of Americans expect.
Canadians always drink Tim Hortons
Yes, Tim Hortons is probably the most famous Canadian coffee shop, but it’s hardly a ritual that every Canadian follows. Plenty of us choose independent cafés or chains instead. You’ll even find that 70% of consumed coffee in Canada is actually made at home.
As recognizable as Tim Hortons is, it’s not the place that starts every single Canadian’s day.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.
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