Americans and Canadians may share a border, but there are still plenty of things Americans misunderstand about life in Canada.
The weather
Some Americans believe that Canada is a huge, frozen wasteland where snow never stops falling. In fact, most Canadians live within just a few miles of the U. S. border, and our summers are oppressively hot and humid, with temperatures reaching 30°С (86°F) or more in major cities such as Toronto and Montreal.
“Free” healthcare
Americans tend to believe that Canada has one national medical system controlled by the federal government in which everything is free.
In reality, every province has its own individual insurance plan. The system also does not pay for routine expenses such as eye exams, dental work, or prescriptions, so Canadians must also get additional insurance through work.
Being too soft
Canadians have the reputation of being too passive people who don’t like conflict.
The history books will argue otherwise: Canadian troops were some of the hardest fighters in WWI and WWII, and that fierce competitive streak comes out every single night on the ice in professional hockey.
Play money
Americans see Canada’s multicolored plastic bills and hefty dollar coins (aka Loonies and Toonies) and poke fun at saying it looks like Monopoly money.
What they don’t know is that Canadian cash is made from waterproof, tear-resistant high-tech plastic polymer. In addition, Canada has some of the safest and most advanced banking in the world, and Canadians have been tapping their cards and using chip technology years before the U.S. did.
Mounties everywhere
Pop culture has led Americans to believe that all Canadian cops ride around on horseback wearing brightly colored red jackets, tall boots, and bushy hats.
Except for formal events, Canadian police drive regular cruisers and wear normal dark uniforms just like police everywhere else.
The “Eh” accent
Many Americans believe that all you need to do to sound Canadian is put “eh” at the end of every sentence.
They conveniently forget how vastly the accent differs throughout the nation. On the East Coast and Newfoundland especially, the Canadian dialect actually sounds more Irish/English.
Speaking French
Since Canada is officially bilingual, Americans think every Canadian can speak English and French fluently. However, outside of Quebec and certain areas, most Canadians speak only English and remember a few random words from their grade school French lessons.
Pop and soda
When ordering soft drinks, Americans expect the exact same sizes and flavors across the border. However, Canadian fast-food places serve smaller drink sizes and use different recipes; for example, Canadian Ginger Ale is notably less sweet, while Canadian Mountain Dew was actually caffeine-free for years due to stringent food regulations.
Head of state
Many Americans believe that the Prime Minister is equivalent to the President of the United States. However, Canada is actually a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy.
Charles III is Canada’s head of state. The Prime Minister is Canada’s head of government and is responsible for the day-to-day business of running Canada. Canada has a parliamentary system based on the British Westminster system, not the US presidential system.
The Capital city
Ask any American to name the capital of Canada and chances are they’ll say Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver.
They’re usually stunned to discover Canada’s capital is actually Ottawa. Ottawa was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1857 because it was deep enough in the woods to be safely out of reach of an American attack.
Indigenous history
Americans like to copy-and-paste their history onto Canada and assume things like their relationships with Indigenous peoples worked the same way north of the border.
However, Canada’s legal system is entirely unique. It affords Aboriginal peoples, i.e, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis, their own constitutional rights and treaty recognitions.
Milk bags
Americans learn about Canada’s famous bagged milk and assume the whole country uses bags instead of jugs and cartons.
Actually, buying milk in clear plastic bags is regional: Ontarians and Quebecers do it. Western Canadians in provinces such as Alberta and British Columbia use plastic jugs just like Americans.
Hockey obsession
Americans like to think every Canadian loves hockey. But it’s actually nowhere near that simple. Hockey does matter in Canada, but lots of Canadians don’t care about sports at all.
In cities especially, you’ll find people who care more about basketball, soccer, music, or something else entirely. Canada also has very high multiculturalism, so not everyone is raised around hockey.