7 things about Ottawa life that I didn't know were weird until I moved away

1. We dress for winter like it's barely an inconvenience

As Canadians, we all know how to deal with some serious snow. But I have genuinely never seen people dress for winter the way we do in Ottawa.

It can be actively snowing and freezing cold, and you'll still see someone on Bank Street going for a run in shorts — but with a toque on, of course. And trust me, I've spent many a winter wearing sneakers instead of winter boots in deep snow, so I get it.

Here in Japan, though, people bundle up.

There have been many days when I was outside in a T-shirt while the Japanese people around me were still wearing jackets.

Now, I genuinely think Ottawans have some sort of built-in weatherproofing.

2. Locals' favourite pastime is complaining about transit

Nothing characterizes Ottawa more than our collective complaining about OC Transpo.

If you're not from the capital, don't even bring up the name unless you want to set us off on social media, in person or pretty much anywhere else we can get our story in.

I never thought much of it because, well, it's just how taking transit in Ottawa works. But after living in Japan, I think I see the madness even more clearly.

Here, the trains are fast, super clean and pretty much always on time.

Then I flash back to Ottawa and remember the bus driving right past me while I stand at the stop, the LRT breaking down every winter, hopping on the packed R1 bus like a sardine and planning to get somewhere 30 minutes in advance just in case the bus is late (or doesn't come at all).

Now, I'm very grateful we have a transit system — don't get me wrong — but the OC Transpo chaos we survive is definitely a uniquely Ottawa experience.

3. Shawarma is a genuine Ottawa personality trait

New York has pizza, Italy has pasta, Quebec has poutine and Ottawa has... shawarma.

I know lots of Canadian cities have foods associated with them, but Ottawa is just on another level with our shawarma game.

We're literally the shawarma capital of Canada, we broke a world record for the longest shawarma line and it feels like there's a shawarma shop every few blocks or tucked into every plaza.

If you don't want to cook dinner, need a meal on the go or have a 2 a.m. craving, shawarma is there for you unlike any other food in the city — and we all love it.

4. Ottawa really is a government city

You can't separate Ottawa (or Ottawans) from the government.

We have tons of government workers — usually at least a couple of everyone's family members — so it's completely normal to grow up knowing people who work for the city, the federal government or at one of the countless other organizations around.

And because Parliament Hill is smack downtown, it's the centre of so many of our protests, which honestly feel like your average Tuesday once you've lived here long enough.

And I think pretty much every Ottawa kid did the classic field trip to Parliament at some point growing up.

5. We casually cross provincial borders for everyday errands

I know other Canadian cities sit right on provincial borders, but crossing the Alexandra Bridge to Quebec feels like such a normal part of life in Ottawa — and you can even walk across in under 10 minutes.

I don't necessarily think it's like that everywhere else.

In the capital, people cross the bridge every day for work, school, to see friends or sometimes to grab drinks... I'm looking at you, 18-year-old Ottawans.

When you live in the city, you don't ever think, "Wow, I'm going to a whole other province," because at this point, Gatineau just feels like it's part of Ottawa.

6. Everything closing at 10 p.m.

We've all seen posts online saying Ottawa is boring or that it's a sleepy city where everything closes at 5 p.m.

I definitely disagree with that sentiment, but I do think Japan has spoiled me when it comes to store hours.

In Ottawa, it's pretty normal for pharmacies and grocery stores to close around 9 or 10 p.m., and most restaurants close around that time too.

And yes, I know some restaurants are open until midnight or even 2 a.m., but if you close the kitchen two hours prior... are you really fully open?

Here in Japan, I can go to the grocery store, do karaoke, grab a meal or play arcade games basically 24 hours a day.

Once you're used to having things to do all the time, it's hard to picture going back.

So, it's not completely weird that things close around 9 or 10 p.m., per se, but I wouldn't mind having a few more late-night options in Ottawa...

7. The Rideau Street McDonald's raccoon is an Ottawa core memory

The Rideau Street McDonald's was an Ottawa institution up until it closed.

I've been caught up in the chaos there more than once, but that never stopped us Ottawans from going back.

Then came the viral moment.

I'm sure everyone in the city has the image of that guy pulling a baby raccoon out of his sweater burned into their minds.

And when the McDonald's closed in 2023, we all collectively mourned, and locals literally held their own funeral for it.

But hey, now we get the new takeout-only one not too far from the original.

Plus, someone on Reddit will always remind us of the local legend, so the Rideau McDonald's lore will live on forever.