Opinion

If it's been a while since your last visit to Dollarama, consider this your sign to check out your local store. The shelves have been stocked with some seriously good finds under $5 lately.

Listen, I go to Dollarama multiple times a week, and writing about my favourite picks is literally part of my job, so I officially consider myself a Dollarama expert at this point.

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When I moved to Canada from Ukraine four years ago, I knew there would be some big cultural differences to get used to. But what I didn't expect was how many little things about everyday life in Canada would still surprise me years later.

From Canada's obsession with camping and Tim Hortons coffee to the way Canadians use credit cards, pay sales tax and even treat Canada geese, there are plenty of things that still feel completely foreign to me.

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When I first moved to Canada from Ukraine with my family, one of my most confusing experiences as a newcomer happened somewhere I never expected — Canadian Tire.

It all started when I needed to buy a thermos for my son's school lunch. A friend suggested heading to Canadian Tire, but I couldn't understand why. I knew what "Canadian" meant, and I definitely knew what a "tire" was. So why was I being sent to an auto shop for lunch supplies? Did Canadians really buy soup containers at gas stations?

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I've lived in the U.S. for years now, and while there are plenty of things I love about living in America, there are some things Canada just does better.

Sure, I miss my favourite Canadian snacks, but it's the everyday things I never thought twice about growing up in Vancouver that I appreciate most now. From colourful money to customer service and a few small conveniences I seriously took for granted, here are the Canadian things I appreciate so much more after living in the U.S. (and you shouldn't take for granted).

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Alberta small towns all kind of have a Hallmark-quality to them. Charming streets, quaint shops and snow-capped mountains enclosing it all? Yeah, it's the setting for a good rom-com I'm watching on repeat.

But my recent trip to an especially picturesque Alberta small town has topped them all. Just over an hour outside Calgary, this little escape is where time slows, city noise fades, and a quick evening stroll gives you a view of a lifetime.

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