For Americans, what are the biggest differences you notice in Canada? (home, live)

[Trimac20]

Does it immediately feel like you've entered another country when you've crossed the border? I'm from Australia but haven't been to Canada. I plan to go on a working holiday there soon though. I've been to the States, and it struck me as pretty different to home but familiar in some ways. Kind of like a bizarro parallel world, like I'd stepped into the TV!

What are the things you notice first/the most? Is the urban form much difference? On streetview Canadian cities look a bit more familiar than most American cities except San Diego.

[PostSecularist]

Does it immediately feel like you've entered another country when you've crossed the border?

Nope.

What are the things you notice first/the most?

Kilometers instead of miles. Old lady on coins. Colorful paper money. Maple Leafs instead of Stars and Stripes.

Is the urban form much difference? On streetview Canadian cities look a bit more familiar than most American cities except San Diego.

Not much difference between the Northern United States and Canada to me in terms of urban form.

[f1000]

a few for me (but have spent alot of time in Canada so am more aware of the differences):

- smaller freeways (except Toronto) and hardly any (if any) flyovers, less development/ billboards alongside the freeways
- less master-planned and manicured communities as well as the other extreme of less ghetto-ized areas
- less extremes of social strata (less flaunting of wealthy but also less poor)
- less obese people of all variations
- far more British or British-influenced old people
- people are less likely to be preppy and more likely to be "granola"
- French on packaging of consumer goods
- less displays of patriotism, military affiliations, religion- no megachurches
- more cosmopolitan feeling in big cities vs US counterparts (hard to describe until you visit)
- more expensive

[Chatteress]

Originally Posted by Trimac20

Does it immediately feel like you've entered another country when you've crossed the border? I'm from Australia but haven't been to Canada. I plan to go on a working holiday there soon though. I've been to the States, and it struck me as pretty different to home but familiar in some ways. Kind of like a bizarro parallel world, like I'd stepped into the TV!

What are the things you notice first/the most? Is the urban form much difference? On streetview Canadian cities look a bit more familiar than most American cities except San Diego.

I've only been to Victoria, BC so my response is limited to this city. This particular city has a unique British feel to it that I've never experienced in the US. Also, I noticed that the "Garden City" was really clean and well maintained as compared to the Los Angeles Metro area where I live. Other than that, I actually felt at home even though I was in a foreign country. Oh yeah ... the money is definitely different and I get a big kick out of the "loonies" and "toonies"

Now ... I'll have to return to this thread once I complete my trip to Toronto in July and give you my perspective

[Trimac20]

Originally Posted by PostSecularist

Nope.


Kilometers instead of miles. Old lady on coins. Colorful paper money. Maple Leafs instead of Stars and Stripes.


Not much difference between the Northern United States and Canada to me in terms of urban form.

So basically nothing you could notice just walking the streets? lol

[Trimac20]

Originally Posted by f1000

a few for me (but have spent alot of time in Canada so am more aware of the differences):

- smaller freeways (except Toronto) and hardly any (if any) flyovers, less development/ billboards alongside the freeways
- less master-planned and manicured communities as well as the other extreme of less ghetto-ized areas
- less extremes of social strata (less flaunting of wealthy but also less poor)
- less obese people of all variations
- far more British or British-influenced old people
- people are less likely to be preppy and more likely to be "granola"
- French on packaging of consumer goods
- less displays of patriotism, military affiliations, religion- no megachurches
- more cosmopolitan feeling in big cities vs US counterparts (hard to describe until you visit)
- more expensive

Are roundabouts more common in Canada or equally rare as in the US?

By 'granola' I assume you mean more hippie, less into looking flashy/fashionable, material wealth.

It's kind of like the Australia and NZ comparison, with NZ obviously being our Canada.

[mikmaq32]

Originally Posted by Trimac20

So basically nothing you could notice just walking the streets? lol

Or basically that's all he did. You can goto canada, and pretend it's the exact same place, or you can get to know people and you'll realize it's different. Just as texas can be very different from california, ontario is very different from alberta. My point is that the border like most is just a imaginary line.

[krock67]

Canada is much cleaner.

U.S. has better and cheaper shopping options.

In Canada you see a lot more people riding bicycles to get around.

The U.S. is more self-centered. Always looking inward...unlike Canada.

Canada is more liberal than the U.S.

[kovert]

Originally Posted by f1000

a few for me (but have spent alot of time in Canada so am more aware of the differences):

- smaller freeways (except Toronto) and hardly any (if any) flyovers, less development/ billboards alongside the freeways
- less master-planned and manicured communities as well as the other extreme of less ghetto-ized areas
- less extremes of social strata (less flaunting of wealthy but also less poor)
- less obese people of all variations
- far more British or British-influenced old people
- people are less likely to be preppy and more likely to be "granola"
- French on packaging of consumer goods
- less displays of patriotism, military affiliations, religion- no megachurches
- more cosmopolitan feeling in big cities vs US counterparts (hard to describe until you visit)
- more expensive

As an American that has also been to Canada, I would say you're post is right on the money. My experience is limited to anglophone Canada, but I had a good friend & colleague from Quebec who gave me his own particular views on Canadian society.

On the surface, Canada does seem like less of a foreign country, but it has its own aura & atmosphere. I sharply notice this as soon I have to contend with overzealous U.S. agents looking for a reason to give me a hard time on my way home.

[PostSecularist]

Originally Posted by Trimac20

So basically nothing you could notice just walking the streets? lol

Lol, it does sound weird, but that's exactly how I feel walking around Downtown Vancouver and Downtown Seattle. If you stop to notice the differences, sure there are bunch of city to city differences, but it's to the point where the differences are like the differences between Seattle and Portland rather than Seattle and, say, Cairo or Moscow lol.