When Canadians venture outside of the great white north, they naturally brace themselves for all of the stereotypes they will surely be subjected to.
Despite how ridiculous many of them are, most of us just laugh off the assumptions of people who have clearly never been to Vancouver, let alone heard of Red Deer, Alta. or Houston, B.C.
Because Canada’s 150th anniversary is just around the corner, we thought we’d put together a list of some of the most common stereotypes we’ve heard. When it comes to stereotypes, just like a party- the crazier the better.
1) Beer is basically like water to us
Canada is known for beer, with brands like Molson Canadian and Kokanee. Although beer is pretty popular, some of us don’t even like it. We do have wine, after all. Shocking, right?
2) We say sorry constantly and are extremely polite
You’ve obviously never seen Canadians fight if you think we are all sweet and kind. While we tend to present a pretty pleasant face to the outside world, we’re not all the angels we are made out to be.
3) We all live in igloos
Most of us haven’t even seen an igloo, although it would be a cool concept. Cool, get it.
4) We have pet beavers
Beavers may be our national animal but we have goldfish and puppies in our homes just like the rest of the world.
5) Tim Hortons coffee is basically pumped through an IV to our blood stream
Some of us actually prefer McDonald’s or Starbucks. There, we said it.
6) All we wear is plaid
We have nothing against plaid, but it’s definitely not all we wear. And when we do, we don't look like lumberjacks In fact, some of us are pretty fashionable.
7) We live for the game of hockey
While some of us start skating at a young age and love nothing more than cheering on our favourite team, some of us find it just as boring as any other sport. It really depends.
8) If we’re from Canada, we must know everyone else from here
No, we don’t know John from Toronto. Stop asking.
9) It’s always winter
Some of us are pretty used to the extreme cold, especially on the prairies, but that doesn’t mean July and August don’t reach 30C. Along the West Coast, people are more used to rain than snow. Either way, all of us love a good beach day.
10) We say ‘eh’ every second word
Some people say ‘eh’ once and awhile, but a lot of people have never said it and will never say it. Every once and awhile, we just aren’t sure if you agree, so we’ll throw a question at the end. Ex. “It sure is cold out, eh?” Then again, most of the time we say it to make fun of eachother or people who think we say it.
11) We all live in the middle of nowhere
This may sound crazy, but we do have major cities. You may have heard of Toronto or Vancouver, but there are actually over 50 cities in Canada with over 100,000 people.
12) We are all fluent in French
While many people think that Canada is completely bilingual, that is not true. Out of all of our provinces and territories, New Brunswick is the only one that voluntarily chose to be bilingual. If you decide to learn one French word before visiting Canada, make it poutine.
13) Everything is free
While we don’t have to pay to see a doctor, we do have to pay for our prescription medications, dental procedures and eye glasses unless we have extra insurance.
14) Our meals consist of maple syrup and back bacon
Sure, we love a good stack of pancakes for breakfast, but we can’t have them for every meal of every day. We have fitness goals too, guys. Refer to the part about us having beaches.
15) We don’t leave the house without a toque
“Beanies,” as the rest of the world calls them, are kind of a thing now, but a lot of times when we wear them, it’s simply to keep our ears warm. People who live in Vancouver rarely have to wear toques because it doesn’t get that cold, while people in Manitoba and Saskatchewan rely on them for like six months of the year.
Have you ever heard a crazy Canadian stereotype? Let us know in the comments below.
