Americans often find themselves in love with little things about Canada that Canadians already take for granted.
Straight from the faucet
One thing that most Americans quickly learn to love when visiting Canada is how good tap water tastes in many communities. Canadians have vast reserves of freshwater, including the Great Lakes, and millions of Canadians receive treated drinking water from municipal water systems. Americans visiting cities served by mountain watershed systems, like Vancouver, may notice the taste of fresh water the most.
However, few Canadians stop to think twice about filling a glass from the kitchen tap and enjoying cold, refreshing water.
Nature on the doorstep
Americans love that Canada’s spectacular scenery can feel a part of everyday life. Mountains tower over Vancouver, lakes surround communities across Ontario, and vast wilderness areas often seem to start right after you drive out of cities.
The United States certainly has plenty of awe-inspiring scenery, but Americans can still find themselves smitten by Canada’s vast forests, pristine lakes, towering mountains, and open spaces. When Canadians load up the car and head to a lake for the weekend, they may not realize what an awesome thing that is.
Exciting Summers
One thing visitors from many parts of America may enjoy about Canada is our extremely long and exciting summer days. Cities across Canada transform in the summer. Places like Edmonton experience daylight well into the night at midsummer. This allows for more time enjoying patios, taking strolls, barbecuing and spending time outside in general.
For many Canadians, the comparison of life in winter versus in the summers is just something we are used to. For many Americans, such beautiful summer days are not what they expected from the Great White North.
Winter done properly
Residents of warmer U.S. states often appreciate how ready Canadian communities are for winter weather. Snowplows, salt trucks, winter tires, and established snow clearing routines allow many regions to operate during weather that would grind others to a halt. Snowstorms that drop a foot of snow overnight won’t keep commuters from heading to work the next morning.
Canadians will inevitably face delays, hazardous roads, and occasional closures in heavy storms. But for most, snow on a daily basis is something that their community is just prepared to handle. To outsiders, such preparedness can be impressive.
The coffee ritual
Americans adore getting the uniquely Canadian experience of stopping at Tim Hortons for coffee and Timbits. For them, ordering a Double-Double feels like bonding with Canadians over some weird national tradition.
For Canadians, it’s just somewhere they stop on the way to work. Tim Hortons does exist in sections of America, but its place in everyday Canadian life is what Americans often find charming.
The everyday politeness
Americans often love Canada’s image as a polite nation because they experience many small examples of it during their visit. Someone holds a door for them; strangers apologize for bumping into each other, or they see a bus passenger thanking the driver on her way off.
Americans can be just as polite themselves, but Canada has cultivated a unique culture of quiet politeness that visitors find charming. Canadians don’t always realize they’re doing anything remarkable.
Skating is just normal
People who come from warmer climates in the United States love watching how seamlessly skating is incorporated into Canadian winter culture. Community rinks are packed with families. Children tote hockey sticks through residential streets. Skating at public places can be a casual night activity.
While hockey-obsessed Americans may already understand the culture, to others, it screams unmistakably Canadian.
Maple everything
American tourists can’t resist buying maple goodies when they visit Canada. There’s a reason souvenir shops overflow with maple cookies, candy, butter, and syrup.
Many Canadians laugh at the excitement. After all, maple syrup is just something every Canadian ate while growing up. A seemingly mundane bottle in a Canadian kitchen turns into a prized treasure for an American traveler’s suitcase.
Money that stands out
Canadian money appeals to many Americans due to how futuristic it looks compared to regular American paper currency. Bills in Canada are made from polymer, and each denomination has its own color. They’re also waterproof and tougher than U.S. bills.
Plus, there are see-through windows and intricate security designs that make them look strange. Most Canadians don’t bat an eye at using these vibrant bills, but to tourists from the U.S., even paying with cash is sometimes weird.
A taste of Europe
Americans tend to enjoy Quebec since it can feel worlds away without having to fly across the Atlantic. Hearing French, old architecture, cafes, ancient streets, and unique food make destinations like Quebec City feel memorable.
For Americans, seeing them for the first time is a novelty, but Canadians have been looking at English and French labels their whole lives, so it means little to them.
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