5 Ways Canadians Act So Differently Than Brits That I've Noticed Since Moving Here

The views expressed in this Opinion article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.

When it came to moving to Canada from the U.K., I was pretty excited to get to grips with a new culture.

Now that I've been here for 18 months, I feel like I've finally started to understand Canadian people and there are actually some huge differences between how people act in Canada as opposed to the U.K.

From having a completely different sense of humour to how drinking culture differs, people in Canada are definitely not what I'm used to.

The humour is so different

One of the things I noticed straight away is just how different humour is in the U.K. to most places in North America, Canada included. And yes, it extends further than just which iteration of The Office is funnier.

In general, most British people I know are way more deadpan, super sarcastic and honestly, a bit mean. But it usually comes from a place of love.

In fact, I'd argue the meaner a British person is to you, the more they like you. Don't hold me to this, though!

People are way less low key

It's really hard to explain this, but as an outsider, I would argue that Canadians are more expressive than people across the pond.

The biggest example of this is probably when someone in Canada asks me how I am, and my automatic response is always, "yeah, not too bad."

For some reason, this was a cause of alarm for a lot of Canadians when I first moved here, who seemed to think it might have been a cry for help. Trust me when I say in British terms, "not too bad" is usually good. We just don't shout about it.

British people swear... a lot

Along with having a cutting sense of humour, most British people I know swear way more often than your average Canadian.

In the U.K., swearing doesn't really seem to hold as much weight and dropping in an F-bomb in every other sentence really isn't a big deal. Although, maybe not if you're with your grandma.

Canadian friendliness is real

It's a bit like chalk and cheese comparing the super-friendly Alberta to the notoriously miserable London. Whether you're in an elevator, out on the street or out hiking, Albertans will quite often say hello or start a conversation, which was something I really had to get used to.

Londoners especially very much keep to themselves. They'll actively try to avoid eye contact just in case someone tries to make some kind of connection. Don't even think about talking to someone on public transport.

That being said. I know there's the classic Canadian stereotype of saying sorry a lot, but I don't think it's said anymore here than in the U.K. Maybe in the U.K. it's just said with more of a passive-aggressive undertone to let you know they aren't really sorry, which Canadians don't seem to have as much.

Drinking culture is definitely a change

Canada has a lot of happy hours, and it seems fairly common for people to go out for a drink or two after work before calling it quits.

The U.K. definitely has a little bit more of a drastic approach, usually picking one night on a weekend and getting a little bit too wild before ending the night in McDonald's.

There are also so many local breweries and stuff in Canada, all with completely different vibes and offerings. The U.K. tends to have the same chain pubs in most towns and cities, so there really isn't that much variety.