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K, have spent alot of time in Canada and just got back from Vancouver again (very familiar with the city) and also was in Toronto in the summer, and always wonder how come Canadian people in general are so reserved..."Reserved" as in people don't really make the first move when speaking to you- and also they don't look you in the eye (or look away) when walking on the street! As a comparison, these cities imo have the same indifferent "cold" feel as say Seattle (with its Seattle Freeze)- which is probably the most anti-social city in the US.
And also there seems to be alot of Canadians I've encountered who are very soft-spoken- even mousy or timid in disposition...not like there's anything particularly bad about this- but where's the "zip" (giggles)..though I must say Canadians are very open-minded and kind people, it's just that they keep to themselves.
Canadian men- they're definitely more reserved and less direct- been reading those threads about ppl complaining about meeting up/ socializing in Vancouver/ Toronto & I see firsthand these are not easy places for that.
ya I've been to Calgary and Montreal and yes those places are a little friendlier- but still relatively reserved compared to most parts of the US or other parts of the world.
I guess weather plays a huge role in this, i guess.
Thats the way they are. Accept it, you are on their turf. Whether in Canada or Italy or Australia.. just go with the flow.
I was on an elevator in Niagara Falls once and it was full of loud, chatty somewhat obnoxious Americans.. I just assumed thats how those individuals were and did not make a general assumption about all Americans. I actually cringed as I was not in the mood to be fake nice nice with those people nor did I want to talk about personal matters with complete strangers in a confined space.
I just go with the flow. If people are nice, I'm nice. If people are reserved, I don't expect them to be different to suit me. I just look for the things that are different and appreciate things. I don't expect everybody to always act like myself or my country.
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Originally Posted by f1000
K, have spent alot of time in Canada and just got back from Vancouver again (very familiar with the city) and also was in Toronto in the summer, and always wonder how come Canadian people in general are so reserved..."Reserved" as in people don't really make the first move when speaking to you- and also they don't look you in the eye (or look away) when walking on the street! As a comparison, these cities imo have the same indifferent "cold" feel as say Seattle (with its Seattle Freeze)- which is probably the most anti-social city in the US.
And also there seems to be alot of Canadians I've encountered who are very soft-spoken- even mousy or timid in disposition...not like there's anything particularly bad about this- but where's the "zip" (giggles)..though I must say Canadians are very open-minded and kind people, it's just that they keep to themselves.
Canadian men- they're definitely more reserved and less direct- been reading those threads about ppl complaining about meeting up/ socializing in Vancouver/ Toronto & I see firsthand these are not easy places for that.
ya I've been to Calgary and Montreal and yes those places are a little friendlier- but still relatively reserved compared to most parts of the US or other parts of the world.
I guess weather plays a huge role in this, i guess.
Last edited by minibrings; 12-04-2011 at 04:20 PM..
The people in smaller Canadian cities like Niagara Falls are way friendlier than people in large U.S. cities like New York or Philadelphia. Toronto... not so much. That's just the way big cities are.
The friendliness varies a lot from place to place. As does the scenery. And the accent. And the cuisine. And the level of reservedness. And the BMI. And a myriad of other factors.
Vancouver and Toronto aren't any more representative of "Canada" and Canadians than San Francisco or Miami are wholly representative of "the United States" and Americans.
I think maybe what you call reserved is what some other people might call a little bit mysterious or secretive. And others might call it just quietly and politely minding one's own business. I don't think most Canadians are reserved with their friends, family and co-workers, they're just not loud, blatant or exhibitionist about making their business any concern of strangers. Once strangers have taken the time to show they can be trusted and genuinely want to be friends then Canadians become less reserved with them.
I dunno, just my 2 cents, I never had trouble engaging in conversation with Canadians when I travelled in Toronto and Niagara or met them abroad. I think calm and soft-spoken are far different from stand-offish. Maybe the demeanor just suits my character. Its often said that quite a few U.S. Americans are boisterous but have trouble having an actual conversation (unless its about Tim Tebow ...) But that's just another stereotype!
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Vancouver and Toronto aren't any more representative of "Canada" and Canadians than San Francisco or Miami are wholly representative of "the United States" and Americans.
One thing that's interesting for me is that the metros of Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal account for just over 1/3 of Canadians. If you count the Golden Horseshoe, its closer to 40%. In this respect, Canada is a much more metropolitan country than the U.S. Not to ignore the other 50%, of course!
Agreed we have all sorts of places in the US with cultural differences. There seems at times to be quite a (perceived?) divide between "middle America" and our coastal cities ...
Last edited by docwatson; 12-04-2011 at 11:48 PM..
While there may be a general trend, I'd say offhand based on my own considerably well-lubricated experience with Canadians, anyone who thinks they are very reserved probably hasn't gotten hammered with them that often. They seemed pretty animated while I was observing them through the lenses of half-empty beer glasses. Of course, that could have been things moving around due to my blurred vision. Had a great time, though.
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