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in canada as well. High tea is served in a lot of high end hotels, but they do that in the states as well. Tea shops are plentiful in victoria and the maritimes. There is one within walking distance from me in vancouver. Yes, canada is filled with english style gardens and they are an obsession especially since many parts of canada have such " english " weather. [Emphasis added.]
What?!? I think you may need to see more of Canada outside of the Victoria and the Vancouver areas of British Columbia, Natnasci. The States as well.
What?!? I think you may need to see more of Canada outside of the Victoria and the Vancouver areas of British Columbia, Natnasci. The States as well.
I have travelled fairly extensively, including the US since 1964. Perhaps your Motel 6 stays didn't offer High Tea.
' In the United States, about 85% of the tea consumed is served cold, or iced.[2] Iced tea is more frequently consumed during periods of hot weather or in lower latitudes, and hot tea is likewise more common in colder weather. Any confusion when one is visiting different parts of the country can easily be solved by explicitly asking for either "hot tea" or "iced tea." Afternoon tea, as a meal, is rarely served in the U.S. except in ritualized special occasions such as the tea party or an afternoon out at a high-end hotel or restaurant, which may also offer cream tea on their menu.'
Wiki http://www.fairmont.com/the-plaza-ne.../afternoontea/
I could go on, but why bother? As for gardens, want another list? ( I'm assuming you knew the comparison of weather was between the areas of Australia that get the " English " weather at certain times of year compared to the greater areas of Canada that do )
I've been all over the States and Canada as well, and I've stayed in a Motel 6 only one time. My typical stays are in four-star properties, with the odd five-star property thrown in if I score a good deal. I've also lived in the British Isles, in both Ireland and Scotland, and have travelled extensively in England.
Anyway, it's odd to suggest that the high tea tradition is common in high-end hotels in Canada and the United States. The Fairmont chain seems to do it at some of its properties and I'm sure you can find it at a handful of hotels in places where WASP culture is strong or English expats abound. This wouldn't seem to suggest that it's common and I've only come across it at one or two properties in my travels.
Similarly, English-style gardens are a curiosity in North America and they aren't as commonplace as you would suggest. Additionally, English-like climates and patterns of weather are common only in your neck of the woods in Canada and in the Pacific Northwest of the United States.
Why would you try to insist that these things are common over here when they aren't common at all? I find that, well, a little strange if we're being honest. Am I missing something here? Were you trying to be funny?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Natnasci
I have travelled fairly extensively, including the US since 1964. Perhaps your Motel 6 stays don't offer tea.
' In the United States, about 85% of the tea consumed is served cold, or iced.[2] Iced tea is more frequently consumed during periods of hot weather or in lower latitudes, and hot tea is likewise more common in colder weather. Any confusion when one is visiting different parts of the country can easily be solved by explicitly asking for either "hot tea" or "iced tea." Afternoon tea, as a meal, is rarely served in the U.S. except in ritualized special occasions such as the tea party or an afternoon out at a high-end hotel or restaurant, which may also offer cream tea on their menu.'
Wiki Afternoon Tea in the Palm Court at The Plaza, New York Hotel
In W.A. maybe, certainly not here in Victoria for the last more than 100 years. Probably why we wanted to become a republic and no one else did.
Yep. Telling the average Australian that they live in a "British colony" would certainly get you a response...just not a very pretty one.
In the late 1800s each state voted to join the federation, and each state voted to ratify the constitution. In doing so they voted to bury any notion of being anyone's colony.
Anyway, it's odd to suggest that the high tea tradition is common in high-end hotels in Canada and the United States. The Fairmont chain seems to do it at some of its properties and I'm sure you can find it at a handful of hotels in places where WASP culture is strong or English expats abound. This wouldn't seem to suggest that it's common and I've only come across it at one or two properties in my travels.
Good that you picked up on that.
I believe that across Canada high-tea is generally only served in the classic "railway" hotels - the Royal York in Toronto, Château Laurier in Ottawa, the Empress in Victoria. Most of Canada's large cities have one of these grand old hôtels in their downtowns and this is where you go for high-tea. I doubt you can find it in many other places anymore.
Interestingly enough I am pretty sure you can even have high-tea at the Château Frontenac (also a grand railway hotel) in ultra-French Quebec City!
But other than that... it's not something that's common in Canada at all.
Could this have likely happened? If Canada (at least the English-speaking parts) tried to cling on to its Britishness to assert itself culturally, could it have been the Australia of the northern hemisphere, even though it's beside the United States?
Or would it have not been possible, given the strength of the ties it had to its neighbor southward, and it would be inevitably as American-influenced as it is today.
If Canada did try to cling to its Britishness today, perhaps Americans would find visiting it a much more "foreign" experience, for there would be a strongly British country which stands out from the US even outside of Quebec, rather than just (minus Quebec) another version of America with the metric system and less guns.
Your question seems to imply why Canada could not be more like Britain so that is more "different" or "interesting" to an American visitor?
Firstly, I'm sorry it can't be different for your personal interests but the truth is that Canada has always been more North American since day one because Canada and the US evolved together from the same time. Both Canada and the US were founded mainly by the British along with other European settlements like the French and later Germans, Scots, Ukraine etc. The culture on the continent would therefore be expected to be the same on both sides of the modern day border. People of the British crown moved there for a new life and were enticed by land and farming opportunities. After reading a book on Canadian History, it was interesting to note that the vast majority of the population in Upper Canada at the time of the war of 1812 actually came through the US colonies over certain waves of immigration. By then, I'm sure most these folks were born in the US Colonies but many probably were probably born in Britain as well. It is very possible that the origin of most Canadians may actually stem from immigrants from the US.
So the culture of "North America" was always just that, an offshoot of Europe that developed into what it is today because they were more or less Europeans of similar descent trying to carve a life on a new continent. Aside from weather differences, I don't think culture in what is modern day Ontario or Michigan or Minnesota or New York state would have been that different. Of course there was a huge slave trade in the southern colonies. But food, language, entertainment, music, and day-to-day life was probably similar and driven more by a blend of European ancestry and the local environment. Remember, People migrated and move around for opportunities to survive back then and there was no concept of Canada and the US.
The turning point was the American Revolution in which the US Colonies asserted independence from Britain. At this point, the Americans decided to become a Republic and do things their way. They in effect left the British household and moved out on its own. Canada did not follow this path and stayed under British household longer and eventually pulled away (without conflict) to become a fully independent state. Under these circumstances, Canada continued to operate under British institutions which is evident in our political and educational institutions today. British influences exist as part of our identity but we have always been primarily North American. The identity issues exists today because the US is a behemoth country which steals the spotlight when it comes to culture on the continent so Canada has the inevitable position of having to differentiate itself from the US when the truth is that our origins as a people and hence our cultural traits are shared. Culturally, Canada overlaps more with the US than Britain for sure but it is not 100% American. Maybe the overlap is 75% with the 25% being driven by our different histories which shape a slightly different attitude with respect to some things even though day-to-day life is similar. If you look at most measures, Canada seems to fall between the US and Europe (although tilted slightly more US) which is comes to capitalist and social policies. There is a difference beneath the surface but it's not in our accents but we are still first and foremost North American, not Europeans. So I'm sorry we can't be more different because we are both young sibling countries with the same origins but with different upbringings.
Last edited by johnathanc; 01-31-2014 at 08:09 AM..
Your question seems to imply why Canada could not be more like Britain so that is more "different" or "interesting" to an American visitor?
Firstly, I'm sorry it can't be different for your personal interests but the truth is that Canada has always been more North American since day one because Canada and the US evolved together from the same time. Both Canada and the US were founded mainly by the British along with other European settlements like the French and later Germans, Scots, Ukraine etc. The culture on the continent would therefore be expected to be the same on both sides of the modern day border. People of the British crown moved there for a new life and were enticed by land and farming opportunities. After reading a book on Canadian History, it was interesting to note that the vast majority of the population in Upper Canada at the time of the war of 1812 actually came through the US colonies over certain waves of immigration. By then, I'm sure most these folks were born in the US Colonies but many probably were probably born in Britain as well. It is very possible that the origin of most Canadians may actually stem from immigrants from the US.
So the culture of "North America" was always just that, an offshoot of Europe that developed into what it is today because they were more or less Europeans of similar descent trying to carve a life on a new continent. Aside from weather differences, I don't think culture in what is modern day Ontario or Michigan or Minnesota or New York state would have been that different. Of course there was a huge slave trade in the southern colonies. But food, language, entertainment, music, and day-to-day life was probably similar and driven more by a blend of European ancestry and the local environment. Remember, People migrated and move around for opportunities to survive back then and there was no concept of Canada and the US.
The turning point was the American Revolution in which the US Colonies asserted independence from Britain. At this point, the Americans decided to become a Republic and do things their way. They in effect left the British household and moved out on its own. Canada did not follow this path and stayed under British household longer and eventually pulled away (without conflict) to become a fully independent state. Under these circumstances, Canada continued to operate under British institutions which is evident in our political and educational institutions today. British influences exist as part of our identity but we have always been primarily North American. The identity issues exists today because the US is a behemoth country which steals the spotlight when it comes to culture on the continent so Canada has the inevitable position of having to differentiate itself from the US when the truth is that our origins as a people and hence our cultural traits are shared. Culturally, Canada overlaps more with the US than Britain for sure but it is not 100% American. Maybe the overlap is 75% with the 25% being driven by our different histories which shape a slightly different attitude with respect to some things even though day-to-day life is similar. If you look at most measures, Canada seems to fall between the US and Europe (although tilted slightly more US) which is comes to capitalist and social policies. There is a difference beneath the surface but it's not in our accents but we are still first and foremost North American, not Europeans. So I'm sorry we can't be more different because we are both young sibling countries with the same origins but with different upbringings.
Excellent post. The only thing I would mention is that prior to the American Revolution, except for Newfoundland the anglo population of what is now Canada was miniscule, almost non-existent. Acadia and New France were fairly "newly acquired" and large-scale settlement from the UK had not really begun in either area yet. So it's not really that there was a good-sized anglo population on either side of the new Canada-US border that was split by the Revolution. A large-sized anglo population on the Canadian side of the border came about as a result of the Revolution and the migration that ensued.
Population-wise, much of Canada remained effectively a frontier until the mid-1900's, and the British influence on Canada was massive when compared with the US. Not only did Canada not obtain self-government until the passing of the Statute of Westminster in 1931, but English Canada developed a sort of hybrid identity of being both British and Canadian at the same time. English Canadians were much, much, more likely to have one or more British grandparents, or parents, in the 1800's and 1900's than an American. An example of this can be seen by looking at the British population as late as the 20th century; during World War I British colonists made up a very significant 11 percent of Canada's population, and accounted for nearly 3/4 of the Canadian Expeditionary Force fighting in Europe.
All in all, this illustrates a picture of a country with a very unique cultural history, and one that significantly differs from the US.
I've been all over the States and Canada as well, and I've stayed in a Motel 6 only one time. My typical stays are in four-star properties, with the odd five-star property thrown in if I score a good deal. I've also lived in the British Isles, in both Ireland and Scotland, and have travelled extensively in England.
Anyway, it's odd to suggest that the high tea tradition is common in high-end hotels in Canada and the United States. The Fairmont chain seems to do it at some of its properties and I'm sure you can find it at a handful of hotels in places where WASP culture is strong or English expats abound. This wouldn't seem to suggest that it's common and I've only come across it at one or two properties in my travels.
Similarly, English-style gardens are a curiosity in North America and they aren't as commonplace as you would suggest. Additionally, English-like climates and patterns of weather are common only in your neck of the woods in Canada and in the Pacific Northwest of the United States.
Why would you try to insist that these things are common over here when they aren't common at all? I find that, well, a little strange if we're being honest. Am I missing something here? Were you trying to be funny?
It is not odd to suggest that High Tea a is common in high end hotels in Canada and the U.S. Google ANY city in Canada and High Tea and you can easily see that every city has hotels that serve High Tea. So yes it's not rare at all if it exists in every city and even small towns.
Just because YOU haven't noticed them or been does not mean they don't exist.
as I said before I could go on and list more and more. Is it the fact that not all hotels offer it that has gotten you gander up? My original comment stands. High Tea is served in HIGH END HOTELS across Canada and the U.S.
English style gardens exist in Canada, not just of course in B.C. Again the response was to a poster who was stating that Australia was more British because they had English Style gardens…Canada does too. So if a poster can make a point that PARTS of Australia have that type of garden, why is it not fair to counter that Canada does too. BC is part of Canada, where English Style gardens are abundant. They exist as well in southern Ontario and other places IN Canada.
When comparing weather, of course SW BC is more " English " year round than southern Ontario. That wasn't my point. My point is that compared to Australia's weather, which is mostly sub tropical, greater parts of Canada are closer to " English weather " than Australia at certain times of year.
Don't forget that an English Garden, is not just a public garden. It is actually the style that most peoples gardens in Canada fall under.
Most parks, like High Park in Toronto and La Fontaine in Montreal, can be classified as " English Style " since they follow the pattern that moved away from formal French Style gardens.
As for trying to be funny, Note to self. Maclock does not get sarcasm.
Last edited by Natnasci; 01-31-2014 at 11:31 AM..
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