The Canadian Dollar is worth a bit more at purchasing-power-parity than it is on exchange rates. Cars are (usually) cheaper here, and you cannot legally buy a car in Canada then take it to the states and resell it, if you owned it less than a year or two.

Some things, like gas, are more expensive. Canadians tax petrol use heavily.

Subway in Canada and Subway in the US have the same prices, in my experience. Canadian Subway is in Canadian dollars, US Subway is in American dollars.

There are different plans: THERE IS PRIVATE HEALTH CARE IN CANADA, we just ignore the broad terms of health when we talk. We talk about hospitals, surgeries and doctor's office appointments, and we beam with national pride. When the question turns to dental, vision, pharmacare, emergency transportation, WOAH THERE BIG GUY, that stuff costs money...

Yes, usually an employer will kick in and cover that extra coverage and call that insurance, but don't ever call it 'health insurance'. That is an afront to our national illusion of FREE HEALTH CARE. It is more properly called "Vision and Dental Coverage" instead.

If you can't see and can't eat, I'd say you were pretty unhealthy. IMHO.

I think most full time employers cover anything under the private insurance except your kids braces... you need a real cadillac program to cost share that. I heard of a guy that had his plan PAY FOR HIS KIDS BRACES IN FULL, but I forgot where he worked. If your plan pays this, count yourself lucky.

There are limits (1 free eye exam per year, X number of dental visits with an X amout total fee) to the plan to avoid the brutal overuse of the system.

If you are working min wage or a little above, and you don't have a plan, the costs for drugs, eyeglasses, dentists, and god forbid an ambulance ride can be really steep.

Ontario universal health care does not cover dental/vision. Nor is it a drug plan, so diabetics ... have issues.

Health Care is actually a provincial responsibility in Canada, which means it varies from province to province. The Federal government does set some standards and gives the Provinces transfer payments to pay for it.

The Federation of Provinces in Canada is not the same as the Union of States in the USA. For example, it is the position of the Canadian federal government that a province can secede from Canada if it has a referendum with 50%+ support and a clear question. Quebec has had referendums on secession, but no province has left as yet. In many ways, the Canadian Federal Government is mostly a tax, accounting, and inter-provincial welfare balancing organization: most of the day-to-day matters of government are delivered by the provincial government. Criminal law is Federal, Civil law is Provincial. The RCMP is our national police force: many of the provinces also use it as a provincial police force. Quebec and Ontario have provincial police forces.

I'm tangenting too far.

I live in Alberta.

My Alberta Healthcare is covered because I am a student (although it should be noted that I'm an adult (24) student). I pay for a "B" class plan with Alberta Blue Cross, an insurance agency. It covers the non-Alberta Healthcare critcals; ambulance rides and hospital rooms, dental checkups and 80% of most dental work (fillings, caps, etc), 70% presriptions, eye appointments and 100% of contacts/glasses (from approved providers), and a few other misc things. Also get 14 days of international insurance per year, extra days $5 each. I pay $23 a month and it covers my fiancee for emergency stuff too (but she doesn't get the dental or vision care or prescriptions, unless its emergency). There is also allowance in my prescrition plan for birth control, but only 6 months worth per year, since I'm male.

All said, I think it is worth it for $275 a year. I feel pretty secure that I can get hurt accidently and not be bankrupt.

My office pays for my additional coverage. The plan is pretty suck ass and only covers 80% of dental and 80% of perscription. It also allows for an upgrade to a semi-private room if I have to stay in the hospital.

The plan sucks because there is no coverage for glasses or braces. Other plans do.

I too, live in Alberta. Alberta Health Care is manditory. Depending on your income its $0-88 dollars/month (lower incomes are subsidized, hence the cheaper payments). It covers basics like doctor visits, hospital visits/stays.

Then there is your secondary coverage, which may or may not cover dental.
Most get Blue Cross.If you choose to get individual(not through an employer) coverage, payments vary on those covered/ages/if you smoke, etc. Some employers offer partial or fully paid secondary health insurance. Secondary insurance usually covers eye exams, partial coverage of eyeglasses/contacts, medical devices, ambulance service, prescriptions, etc.
Planned parenthood...the health clinics here offer free services/education on such matters. Costs of birth control pills are usually covered by secondary health plans. Hormone patches/depo-provera etc, I'm not too sure of. Of course, the provincial medical plan covers all doctor visits & hospital stays for childbirth.
Healthcare (provincial & secondary combined) for me & my 2 kids costs $110/month. This doesn't include dental, which I get free from my employer.

14th Question.

I do not feel too serious today..... so lets have a fun. What do you think the weirdest/funniest things Canadians do are? What do you think the weirdest/funniest things Americans do are?

NASCAR... and you've got a bunch of Canadians following in your footsteps. To me there is nothing more ridiculous than NASCAR racing, but it's almost as popular as poker. I just do not find it interesting at all.

I also think it's weird that Americans think we're so different than them.

I would have to say the whole Polar Bear initiation right-of-passage thing...

We carve out a hole in the ice in a body of water and then jump in, usually naked. It is weird because the sensation is of being LIT ON FIRE, not dunked in ice water. Why do we think that it is patriotic to do that?

Also, it is weird to see Canadians upset over anything. It happens on occasion, but the reality is that we are not inclined to "lose it" over something. When I see someone "lose it" I am so shocked that I feel weird.

Oh, and Canadians make love with our socks on. It helps keep our feet warm. Noone likes cold feet touching them, and it is a real turn-off. Therefore, we wear socks in bed, and don't take them off during the festivities.

omg! I thought I was just weird (alone). Even with an electric blanket I still actually get up and put on my socks before engaging in spread out activities!


I think the funniest/weirdest thing that americans do is claim that we pronounce the word 'about' like it was spelled 'aboot' which we clearly don't do. I also find it funny that they pronounce the word 'about' like it was spelled 'abawt'.

hey, maybe it's all relative....

I am Canadian. All but one of my past partners have been Canadian. No one has kept their socks on*. I admit that my fiance does sometimes sleep with socks on in the winter, but even that is a bit weird.






*not applicable when camping or otherwise out-of-doors.

I've never heard a Canadian say "aboot". I have heard them say, "aboat" though.


I don't know that Canadians have anything that is wierd nationally (like the Australians and their vegemite for example). I suppose the oddest thing we have is a greater appreciation for the fine sport of curling.

You can actually watch curling matches on TV and not just some specialty cable channel. I don't watch or play myself but I have noticed that a lot of people here do.

See now I thought that was just a Wisconsin thing. Every New Years day the Polar Bear Club hops into Lake Michigan to freeze their tails off. I can't say that I have done it, nor do I think I will be signing up any time soon.

I saw a new report from Newport Beach ( is that in Virginia? NJ?) anyways, they were doing the polar bear club there.

Plus on CSI New York, I think they had a show where there was a Polar bear club outing near Coney Island (I think or Rockaway beach - My american geography is really sketchy)



Charl... I watch the Tim Hortons Brier on sunday. the whole thing was broadcast over the weekend on CBC. So I agree, curling on mainstay network stations Plus more fans in the arena than some NHL teams can muster up...


I think that one weird thing (now that you mention food) that canadians do is to refere to Kraft Dinner as KD. Every body knows what it is by KD. Apparantly americans go with the more generic maccaroni and cheese dinner.

One weird thing that Americans do is refer to ham slices (a la egg mcmuffin ham) as Canadian Bacon. When ever I heard the term Canadian Bacon, I always wondered what the American bacon looked like, because, I was used to the strips of side bacon that we all eat.

Maybe they mean peameal bacon, but that isn't cut round like egg mcmuffin meat. plus it has cornmeal on the outside, plus i don't know anybody that regularly eats it....

Well, we do simplify a little. Most say mac and cheese

The French are probably confused about french fries too. Speaking of fries, what are they called up there.

good one. but I think the term 'frenched' is a general cooking term to refer to anything that is cut in a long strips, but wider than julienne cut. (speaking as a kitchen-whore...as in frenched rack of lamb..) so frenchfries, are fries cut long and slender, versus wide and flat (nothing to do with France). imho.

at any rate, we call them fries, or french-fries. If they are served with fish, then it's fish'n'chips. But generally chips refer to potato chips ala Lays or Humpty Dumpty or Hostess.

In Quebec, I assume that fries are called frites or fries.

Well, I for one do not wear socks during mating. No matter how cold it is!

That's just not right.

At all.

I tried to french a rack of lamb once and all I got for my troubles was a scrape on my tongue and a case of food poisoning...

The first time for me I got everything but my socks off before my seductress hauled me into the bed. When all was said and done I had to bit my tongue, because I almost said "Well, apparently that didn't seem to knock my socks off." That would have been very very stupid no matter how funny I thought it was.

I did customer service for a large American wireless provider as a second job for a little while, and different times I was asked if I was Canadian because of my accent. "Ah cood tail bah the way yew sayd abaht". Really, what a surprise.

One word: CURLING

Charlatan, you're doing it all wrong. The lamb will absolutely french nicely if you first buy it a nice dinner, preferably vegetarian, maybe with a nice red wine. Candlelight is always nice, but not required. Avoid flowers on the table, she'll eat them.

Then, go for a nice drive in the country, tell her how beautiful her big round eyes lok in the moonlight, then gently lean in, go slow, and sure enough, you'll get some tongue.

Once you have it, brown lightly on both sides in a pan with olive oil, then add a can of diced tomatoes and about a cup of fresh basil, salt and pepper to taste and lots of fresh chives, cover and simmer for about two hours on low.

Serve with spanish rice and asparagus, very nice.

Um, sorry, lost my train of thought there.

Peace,

Pierre

15th Question.

O.K. guys, I have been slacking here......missed the last two days. Please forgive me. Today is St. Patricks Day! It got me wondering about Canadian holidays.........What holidays do you celebrate?........What is the deal with them?......And which ones do you get off of work for?

Cheers!

Well, we have Aboriginal Day and get a day off for that. Free fishing lures too!

Lures? Lures?! We don't need no stinkin' Lures!

Hey brother, stand on th eother side of this river, and grab this net. It's smoked trout for dinner eh!

But really, holidays are much the same as American Holidays, some of them just happen at different times. Thanksgiving is way earlier in Canada, but we still have one. We (sadly) don't take Halloween as seriously, but I thikn it should be a holiday everywhere.

If you live in Albera, there is a strange "Family Day" holiday that seems to be out of sync with everything else, but then so is ALberta generally.

We, of course, have Canada Day on July 1st, where as your 4th of July is Independance Day (I think, right?), but it usually turns out to be a long weekend for both sides of the border.

We have Victoria Day in May which usually coincides with the American Memorial Day weekend, but sometimes (like this year) they are one week apart.

Still, on average, Americans and Canadians recieve about the same amount of holiday time in the course of the year. Ironically, Europeans get about 30 - 40 percent MORE holidays than North Americans, yet a recent in-depth study revealed that they even though they work fewer days a year, and generally fewer hours in a day, they productivity of the two groups is equal. Go figure.

Peace,

Pierre

going by memory, our stat holidays are:

New Year's day - jan 1
Good Friday - march 25
Easter Monday - (gov't & banks & schools) march 28. For the Easter weekend, it changes year to year The ecclesiastical rules are:
Easter falls on the first Sunday following the first ecclesiastical full moon that occurs on or after the day of the vernal equinox;
this particular ecclesiastical full moon is the 14th day of a tabular lunation (new moon); and the vernal equinox is fixed as March 21. resulting in that Easter can never occur before March 22 or later than April 25 source: http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/easter.html)

Victoria Day - this year on May 23 We often call this the May 2-4 - and not becuase it is the unofficial start of the summer season with lots of drinking i.e. the two-four of beer but because it is 24th of May holiday derived as follows:

'In Canada, the celebration of Victoria Day occurs every year on Monday, prior to May 25th. It is the official celebration in Canada of the birthdays of Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II. Victoria Day was established as a holiday in Canada West (Now Ontario) in 1845, and became a national holiday in 1901. Before Victoria Day became a national Holiday, people had celebrated Empire Day , beginning in the 1890s as Victoria approached her Diamond jubilee in 1897. ' from http://www.inglewoodcarecentre.com/history/victoria.htm

this is the first of two days where fireworks are sold and celebrated. We usually call it fireworks day. the other day is July 1st:

July 1 - Canada Day (formerly dominion Day) commemorating Confederation in 1867

August 1 - in toronto called Simcoe Day . a generic stat holiday in august. John Simcoe was a guy who basically founded the city of Toronto, amongst other things back in the day.

Sept 5 - Labour Day

- The first Monday in September is Labour Day in Canada. Although we may spell it differently, it has the same purpose as the holiday in the United States. Read on for some history of Labour Day and follow the links at the bottom of the page for related organizations. from http://www.craigmarlatt.com/canada/s...abour_day.html

Oct 3 - thanksgiving - this year

- on January 31st, 1957, Parliament proclaimed
"A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed... to be observed on the second Monday in October." http://www.craigmarlatt.com/canada/s...nksgiving.html

Nov 11 - Remembrance Day not a stat, but banks and gov't get it off. it is inhonour of armistace day for WWI.

Dec 25 - Christmas Day (a Christian holy day)
Dec26 - Boxing Day

- Boxing Day is a holiday in the United Kingdom, Canada, and many other Commonwealth nations. It is spent with family and friends at open gatherings with lots of food, fun, and the sharing of friendship and love. http://www.craigmarlatt.com/canada/s...oxing_day.html


that's all i can contribute factually. Except we do not get enough days off. for example from new years day to Good Friday is a long stretch. some people are trying to get Sir John A. McDonald's birthday (sometime in Feb i think) as a stat...

What? Halloween is the best damn holiday ever!
This is why I asked. I can not come up with a rational reason for this. North Americans need more time to play. I was really hoping to hear that you guys followed the europeans work ethic. :(

Halloween brings back horrid horrid memories. A word to the wise, NEVER lose a bet just before Halloween.

Also, shaving your legs as a man is a good way to pass out from blood loss.

We do Halloween large my neighbourhood...

I think Janey has it all covered by the way.

May 24 and Boxing Day are the ones that always make Americans scratch their noggins... Also the fact that our Thanksgiving is in October and is nowhere near as big a deal as it is in the US.

That makes me sad. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday...mostly because I get to cook a lot AND eat a lot.

oh, we still cook ( a hell of a lot: turkey with all the trimmings, pumpkin & apple pies) family gets together, kids come home from university. It's a biggy. but nowhere as , um fanatical? as in the US. For us, the Christmas feast is much more significant. I could never get my head around how Americans can have such a huge turkey day in November, and a scant 6 weeks or so later, do it all over again on Christmas. Unless of course, Christmas is played down.

For us, the feast days are spread apart more, and therefore more palatable: turkey at thanksgiving in October (note, all the fall colours are in full force, harvest/ fall fairs are in full swing, apple picking and pumpkin buying are the weekend activities) followed by Christmas turkey dinner in December, and now the appproaching family Easter dinners which are usually ham and sometimes turkey.

That leaves summer with its various weekly BBQs and pool parties with burgers, ribs, and, increasingly, pulled pork and tri-tips....

It is as Janey describes... we still do all the food and such but it is just not as big a deal. Now Christmas, that is a big deal. That is the time where I *must* see all of the family. There are usually several feasts involved in my family because both my wife and I come from divorced parents... That usually means four separate meals with four different parents (since my Dad died, my brother took over his boxing day meal and get together).

In Quebec there is an extra holiday.

June 24 is St. Jean Baptiste day.

This day has effectively become the celebration of Quebec day.
This day is often referred to as the Fête nationale - for those of you who do not understand French, Fête nationale means National Holiday.
If you are aware of Quebec politics you will understand the significance of calling a holiday the Fête nationale (National Holiday) and not referring to Canada, the country within which Quebec resides.

In Quebec, this day has become the most significant holiday of the year. You cannot work on this day. You cannot have your business open on this day. There was a time (I can't say for sure anymore) that open businesses would be threatened.

The upside is that it is a perfect time to have a holiday. The day falls out exactly one week prior to Canada day so, in Quebec, there is a day off two weeks in a row.

In Quebec, Jan. 2nd is also oftne give as a holiday.

Here is a list (2005) of the Canadian holidays (days that banks will most likely be closed)
http://www.cba.ca/en/viewdocument.as...docid=530&pg=1

Typical of English Canadians to forget Saint Jean Baptiste.

Of course in Quebec, July First is not Canada Day, it's moving day. Due to their reliance on some Napoleonic laws, July 1st is the day almost all leases come to an end...

Is this still the case Sticky?


It should be noted that all of the comments that were made above about Canadian TV, our peculiarities, etc. were all about English Canada. The French in Canada have their own lists...

You should know that Quebec has its own star system. They have multiple magazines and tv shows to support this sytem (a la People and Enterainment Tonight). They have a whole system of swearing that has nothing to do with the swearing that occurs elsewhere in the world. They eat Poutine, although in the last 15 years that trend has moved out to English Canada.

Quebec is a distinct society to be sure.

I heartily agree. It is a distinct society, which I believe would stand on it's own merits without being propped up by legislation. But I digress from the intent of this thread.

Well, is it a digression? If this American is asking us about Canada, then we would be remiss in not pointing out that, within our country's borders lies the truly unique and, yes, distinct society that is Quebec.

The uniqueness of this province, the rest of Canada's love/hate relationship with it, and its tumultuous politics are something that every American wishing to learn more of Canada should be made familiar with.

And, I also agree with the assertion that the society, as disctinct as it is, could easily survive, even thrive, without waste0of-time legislation like bill 101 and the like. Totally agree. After all they have history behind them, and that is still something very strong.

Peace,

Pierre

As a Canadian, I am extremely proud of the heritage of both partners of the founding nations of confederation. I also hate that we are reduced to using Orwellian tactics like Bill 101 (in this supposedly enlighted age) to enforce a status quo.

There still is, of course, Canada day. If fact that is a day off as well.

But you are correct that July 1st is considered moving day. While leases are generally 1 year long and can begin/end on any other dat of the year, July 1 is generally the date that most new leases start.

This has benefits and problems

Benefits
- There should be alot of rentals to choose from several months before your lease is coming to an end becuase a majority of other leases are coming to an end as well.
- If you start looking early enough it should be pretty easy to find what you are looking for.
- if you are trying to rent your place you will have people whoses leases are ending as potential customers (instead of, say, mid-november when there maybe very fiew people looking. You may think that it would be more beneficial to the Lessor if there are few apartments to pick from as he will be able to charge a higher price but you are wrong. In Quebec rent is controlled. You cannot raise your rent to what the market will bear. If you do and the new leasee brings you to the rental board you will likely loose your case. The laws are setup to protect the Leasee.

Cons
- Everybody and there brother are moving on that day as well.
- Moving prices are higher - if you are able to find a mover
- Contractors (for work like painting and other) are hard to pin down
- You loose your day off work for Canada moving your stuff from one place to another. This sucks because Quebec law allows you to take a day off work for moving day anyway. This means that you caould have had your Canada day and had a day off work to move if the general moving day was not Canada Day.
- All other services and products needed for moving of for a new place are hard to get and are possibly priced higher.


I am sure that you could think of more if you tried, but you get the point.

Alot of things are different in Quebec.
For example the supreme cour of Canada refused to strike down the Quebec government's controversial ban on butter-coloured margarine.
That's right. In Quebec you are not allowed to make margaring the color of butter.

Believe it.

The idea is that the law "aims to protect Quebec's huge dairy industry by eliminating potential confusion with butter."

And Canada keeps on proping these things up.
"The top court found Quebec's position so compelling that the judges declined to call on the province's lawyers to defend the ban. It heard only from Unilever's counsel, Gerald Tremblay."

And as with most other things somebody tries to boil the issues down to Quebec sovreignty.
'Jean Vigneault, spokesperson for the Quebec Federation of Milk Producers, said "It's a question of sovereignty of governments to regulate commercial practices."'

Of course you should reas the whole article on this as I am just grabbing quotes for effect.
http://www.canada.com/montreal/montr...f-8efed407c377

16th Question.

What is the deal with Quebec?
As an American, who was taught history in public schools....I have no idea what you are talking about. I find this seperation you speak of to be intriuging. Can you guys expand a little.......? I don't even know what to ask!

This could take a thread of its own... I don't have time right now but will try to comment on this later.

[QUOTE=Sticky]

Alot of things are different in Quebec.
For example the supreme cour of Canada refused to strike down the Quebec government's controversial ban on butter-coloured margarine.
That's right. In Quebec you are not allowed to make margaring the color of butter.

Believe it.

The idea is that the law "aims to protect Quebec's huge dairy industry by eliminating potential confusion with butter."

QUOTE]

that used to be the case here too. But not for years.