20 THINGS that British people find WEIRD about CANADA

Instagram @lukelivinginyyc
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This video explains 20 things that British people find weird in Canada. We touch on topics ranging from turning right on red. To added taxes and bar etiquette. It's a fun video and some of these things it does take a while to get your head round.

[robertpearson]

I'm old enough to remember when Canadian Banks opened at 9:00 or 9:30 AM and closed at 3:30 PM most days but stayed open until 5:00 or 6:00 PM one day per week. People used to line up at lunch hour to deposit their pay cheques. The good old days, NOT. I also remember when everyone in the Province renewed their vehicle license stickers at the same time instead of around their birthdays. The line-ups were horrendous.

[cathygillies]

Coronation Street has been shown in Canada since the 60s. Used to be broadcast in the afternoons along with the American soaps but got switched to evenings. Canadians do love Corrie. We also get some other British shows as well. Emmerdale used to be on but didn't catch on like Corrie for some reason.

[gordondavies]

Tax is added on to the price so that everyone is aware of it. Taxes can't be raised covertly. Everyone in Ontario knows that HST is 13%. If the taxes were part of the posted price and taxes were raised, many people would just assume that the price of the item had gone up.

[dmack]

I used to spend a lot of time in UK for work and always loved the reaction from locals if they asked how you spent your day. We often stayed in Cambridge but would drive to Southampton to see a friend and back same day or over to Lowestoft to have dinner with a friend. "What? All in one day?" :)

[adrianadrian]

VAT in the UK was introduced at 10%. It is now 20%. Being concealed in the price, there is rarely much notice taken of it. In Canada GST was introduced at 7%. It is now 5%. Having the tax as a separate item makes it much harder for governments to slide up.

[matkins]

It's too bad so few people see this because you described Canada from a UK point of view so well.

[canadaskylark]

Yes, agreed, snowfall in Ontario is pretty relaxed. The first snowfall of the season is the most dangerous though because everyone is still booting around like the roads are ice-free. Seems bumping into another car's rear bumper is the official way Ontarians are reminded the road conditions have changed. You get bumped in the back end and look into your mirror and there's someone waving and gesturing "sorry bout that." I know because I do it too. Just a slight misjudgment, no damage though.

[shirleyk]

Vancouver is the same. A few inches of snow and the place shuts down. 6” makes breaking news!!!

[wjdietrich]

Good observations.There are some places where turning right on red is restricted - but there would be signs indicating so. We celebrate "Victoria Day" - the closest monday to May 24th( or the 2 - 4 weekend, also what we call a case of beer, 2-4)) in commemoration of Queen Victoria's birthday, the ruling monarch who granted Canada's independence, 1867, when we REQUESTED it! That's right we've always had a good relationship with England and "asked" - no wars fought! (like our neighbours to the south some 90ish years earlier). Significant to us, Canadians - not so much to the Brits. We pay Federal taxes GST (constant across Canada) AND Provincial taxes PST(varying as each province sets these according to their needs ) combined together called the HST(harmonized sales tax) on top of the price of most goods and services but not all.Yes we pay A LOT of taxes but most of us are satisfied with what we get. Don't forget, Canada is the 2nd largest country by area(most provinces are WAY bigger than Britain) with a fairly small population - so providing quality services to everyone is quite expensive. As you say, how and where one can get alcohol has/is changing and also varies provincially as that's who controls it.

[yanicdl]

Actually about Alcohol it is not the same in Québec. Here you can buy Wine, beer and Cider in Grocery and in convenience store. The Government owned liquor store will sell liquor but will also sell wine.

[tjblues]

Right turn on red is OK in Ontario but not necessary in other provinces. And the same applies to US; each state has its own rules. There are also different regulations in regard of alcohol in each province and state.

[shadepollution]

The French languages in Canada is like talking about religion (almost). It causes fights. In the province of Quebec is the biggest populations of French speakers, there are others in other provinces just keep an open ear.

[gabydersch]

Been watching Corrie Street in Canada since 1965. 😂 Thanks for the post. God bless. 💗➕💗

[jameslatimer]

Just 20 tings, eh? That's pretty good. I found a few hundred things in the UK. Like, firstly, not have bathrooms (on Loos) as part of most hotel rooms. Then having multilevel buildings with no elevators. Having to put coins in the electric meters all day and night. As for looking around to see horse-backed knights, I found that drivers over there put on their vehicles like armour and drive like they're tilting/jousting on their highways, And, that's just the beginning.

On the other hand it is similar to drive around in the UK as it is here in that the street signs are right at the intersection and you're always in the other lane. In the traffic circles the turns you have to make are across that intersection. So you have you go around.

[helbent]

I can only speak of my home city in BC.
1) Here in Vancouver on the west coast due to the general lack of snow the city generally does shut down.
2) Turning right on a red is legal, but not everywhere. And it should not be allowed as this is where most traffic accidents occur, especially involving pedestrians.
3) In BC slower traffic actually must travel in the curbmost lane possible. If you are in the centre or passing lane you must yield to traffic overtaking from behind, even if they are travelling above the speed limit.
4) Here the provincial government (like in Ontario) used to have an almost total monopoly on liquor sales, although you could also buy beer and similar spirits from a pub or bar and it was called "off sales".
5) As a kid in the 70's and 80's I remember watching Coronation Street, On the Buses and of course Dr. Who. I guess there was a viable market for British programmes like this because of Canada's large population of British-Canadians, many of whom who immigrated in the 60's-70's and were already watching it by then. Because of the timing not very many would have watched East Enders, which premiers in 1985. (A Londoner in Thailand joked about me and my wife's names: "Tony and Michelle? That sounds like a couple of characters on East Enders!") I think they could have also been cheaper to rebroadcast than American TV shows.
6) We used to take 6 hour drives to visit our grandma on a regular basis and didn't think anything of it. Here if you drive for 14 hours that just gets you to the next large Canadian city, Calgary.
7) We still say "zed" here, not "zee". Could be an Alberta thing, as they are practically Americans in training. Although "route" is more being pronounced like "rout" and not "root".
8) The running bill in a bar is called a "tab". Apparently this kind of "alcohol only" tabs is actually illegal in the UK unless there is also food involved.

[amandagraham]

Welcome to Canada 🇨🇦. We're an interesting lot! I'm Scottish and Irish.

[jkprez]

Hey Luke, interesting take on things there bud. As for the right turn on red...driving laws are province specific. I remember this was illegal in Quebec and New York State years ago, not sure if it still is. My beef are people that forget they require to full stop at intersections before turning right and just take the corner while barely slowing down.
Regarding roads on grids. This is most prevalent in Western Canada where most streets are numbered. When you learn the numbering system it becomes easier to find out where an address is located than having to memorize every street name in a city. (notwithstanding Google Maps).
As for paying in bars after every drink, I saw this in Aussie when I was there. Is this because there is a lack of trust of patrons paying up at the final tally ?
And, I definitely agree with the pricing situation and wish all sticker prices included all the taxes. I have always been annoyed by having to pay the tax on top of the bill. At least here in Alberta the extra is only 5% GST since we have no PST (Yet !) Cheers mate.

[alphabeta]

Undertaking is frowned upon if not illegal. Right turn on red is not allowed in some US cities. You can run a tab in a bar, don't have to pay for each drink. Coronation Street was a few months behind the episodes shown in the UK. Not sure where it is now.

[robertpearson]

For most people here the legalization of weed has been a non-issue. The horror story scenarios envisioned by many have failed to materialize. The biggest problem has been the obnoxious odors coming from the grow facilities for those who reside nearby.

[Terri_MacKay]

I live in Ontario. You mentioned buying liquor at the LCBO, but forgot to mention that we buy beer at the Beer Store.
I do love Corrie, but I am also able to watch EastEnders, and have been for the last few years.
Although England may not be very French now, keep in mind that the Normans ruled England, and made up most of its aristocracy at one point. That's why so many things (especially food) in England are called by their French name. Even Anglesized words like "beef", "mutton", and "poultry" are derived from the French.