Canada Local Custom Tips by sim1 Top 5 Page for this destination

Trucks

Trucks... to be continued...

Working on the road

Working on the road.... to be continued....

The national anthem : "O Canada"

Singing the national anthem is a very weird experience when you move to another country. I never thought of it, but I know the national anthem of The Netherlands so well, hahaha, at least enough to sing along with it in the first few verses ;-)
But living in Canada now, I have to get used to another national anthem : "O Canada". The first time I had to sing along was at a graduation ceremony.... I have to admit I didn't know any of the words. It feels so weird, and it made me realize that I am so new to this country and that I have so much to learn about its local customs.

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The National Anthem:

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.

With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!

From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
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Etiquette during the playing of the national anthem
There is no specific rule as to when it is appropriate to sing the national anthem at an event. It is up to the organizers to determine if "O Canada" will be sung at the beginning or at the end of a ceremony. If two anthems are to be played at the beginning of an event, "O Canada" should be played first followed by the other one. When anthems are played at the end of an event, "O Canada" should be played last.

As a matter of respect and tradition, it is proper to stand for the playing of "O Canada" as well as for the anthem of any other nation.

It is traditional for civilian men to take off their hats during the playing of the national anthem. Women as well as children do not remove their hats on such occasions.

There is no law or behaviour governing the playing of the national anthem; it is left to the good citizenship of individuals.

Useful Conversions of weights and measure

Although Canada is officially metric, this is not always the system that is used in every day life. I always think in metric, because that is the system in The Netherlands (where I used to live), so now I get confused very often in Canada with the weights and measurements when I go to the shops. The road signs are all in kilometers, so that is great for me. Hahaha, at least one thing I don't have to get used to.

Here is a useful conversion of weights and measures :
1 hectare - 2.471 acres
1 inch - 2.54 cm
1 ft. - 30.48 cm
1 oz. - 28.57 grams
1 lb. - 0.454 kg
1 cm - 0.39 inches
1 meter - 3.28 feet / 1.09 yards
1 km - 0.62 miles
1 liter - 0.26 US gallons
1 inch - 2.54 cm
1 foot - 0.39 meters
1 yard - 0.91 meters
1 mile - 1.60 km
1kg - 2.2lb
1 gallon - 3.78 liters

What is different....

In these local custom tips I want to show you some things I noticed in Canada that are totally different than in my home country The Netherlands. The list will not be complete at all, just a few things that cought my attention. I think many of these things don't only apply to Canada and the Netherlands, but are in general things that are different between Europe and North America.

After that I want to give you some practical information about Public Holidays, currency and the metric system.

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Provincial Parks
I love the provincial parks in Canada. There are so many beautiful parks! This is Grundy Lake park in Ontario, one of the wonderful parks you can go to. Beautiful nature and beautiful campsites, that is what you find in these procincial parks. So much space compared to most campgrounds in Europe and always is a beautiful nature area!

Make a campfire in the evening, have a drink, stare in the fire or look at the moon. And listen carefully for all the creatures crawling through the forest around your tent and guess who they are. I have seen a lot close to my tent already. I remember the moose, walking in the woods behind my tent. The raccoon, taking a peek from the edge of the woods. Or some deer taking a rest close to my campsite. I can hardly wait for my next camping trip!

Currency

Currency:
The Canadian currency is in dollars. There are one dollar coins (called "loonies" because of the loon depicted on the gold colored coin); two dollar coins with a gold colored center and silver border ( called "toonies" because they are equal to 2 loonies); dime; nickel and penny. The paper currency comes in denominations of $5; $10; $20; $50; $100. The present exchange rate is between $1.42 and $1.50 Canadian for every US dollar. Rates vary widely depending on where money is exchanged. Banks give the best rate.

Public Holidays

Public Holidays:
Jan. 1 - New Year's Day
March or April(varies) - Good Friday
March or April(varies) - Easter Monday
May (Third Monday) - Victoria Day
July 1 - Canada Day
August (First Monday) - Civic Holiday
September (1st Monday) - Labor Day
October (1st Monday) - Thanksgiving Day
November 11 - Remembrance Day
December 25 - Christmas Day
December 26 - Boxing Day

More differences

There are many more little differences that I've noticed. Here are a few more, and I'll add a picture and text to each of them as soon as I can :
Schoolbus
Muffins
campfire
hamburgers/barbeque
pick-up truck
no radio
long trains
snow
big rig
noose sign/wildlife
baseball cap
beerstore
no smoking

Tim Hortons

Hahaha, well I have! Fresh made sandwiches and a good cup of coffee! Great to make a stop at a "Timmies" when you are on the road. We only have the McDonalds in my former homecountry.... argggghh, I wish they had the Tim Hortons! It is great to be able to buy fresh made sandwiches while you are travelling, and not only have one option : junkfood.

Long lonely roads

Long lonely roads....... what a difference to the traffic jams I have every morning when I go to work. I love these roads : I put the car on cruise control, the stereo on loud and follow the endless road that seem to go nowhere.......