From accents and unique traditions to different road signals, here are just a few of the things that gave Canucks culture shock in other parts of the country.
Newfoundland
"Mine is Newfoundland," said one commenter. "Everything from the music to the accents, traditions and the island itself felt like a copy and paste of Ireland. Didn't feel like Canada."
"Newfoundland is basically its own thing all the way over there," someone else replied.
The comment definitely has merit — in fact, Newfoundland and Labrador has been called the "most Irish place outside of Ireland," due to the high number of Irish migrants that came to the island between 1770 and 1780.
As their descendants continued to carry on many of their ancestor's Irish traditions, it created a unique subculture in the province that definitely makes it feel more like Ireland than Canada.
Flashing greens
"Flashing green light meaning something entirely different in ON/QC," said another user, adding that their friend gave them a "heart attack" while driving in B.C.
"Definitely not an advanced green turn left signal… you figure that out real quick," said another.
In Ontario and Quebec, a flashing green at a stoplight indicates to drivers that they have the right of way to turn left. However, it means something much different on the West Coast.
In B.C., a flashing green means the signal is pedestrian activated, according to TranBC. This means that drivers may have to stop and yield to a crossing pedestrian — not that they have a protected left turn.
Bagged milk
"The West Coast doesn’t have bagged milk, which is super popular in Ontario/eastern provinces," said one person.
"As a Westerner who moved to Ontario, I nominate bagged milk," another person chimed in.
While it's a topic that frequently comes up, it certainly would be a bit of a culture shock to go from never seeing milk in a bag to seeing bagged milk available in every grocery and convenience store.
According to Reader's Digest, parts of Canada originally implemented bagged milk as a cheaper alternative to glass bottles.
Bagged milk can mostly be found in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritime provinces, but isn't really found elsewhere. For the rest of the country, it'd be more common to get milk in a carton or jug.
Beaches
"Nova Scotia has amazing beaches," said one person.
For those who thought you couldn't find spectacular white sand beaches with crystal clear water in the Maritimes, you'd be wrong.
Nova Scotia has loads of beautiful blue water beaches, and with the title of "Canada's Ocean Playground," it certainly makes sense.
One not-to-miss spot is Carters Beach, a beach with powdery white sand and bright blue water that looks like it belongs in the Caribbean rather than Canada.
Taxes
"Going from a province with 15% sales tax to Alberta," said one person.
Some provinces have just got it a bit easier when it comes to things like money. As one example, the sales tax for each province varies, and while many are in the double digits, others are quite low, it turns out.
As the commenter mentioned, Alberta's sales tax falls on the lower end at just 5% GST, with no HST or PST added on for the lowest sales tax in the country, along with the Northwest Territories and Yukon, which have the same tax.
On the other end of the spectrum, the provinces with the highest sales tax (15%) are New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, P.E.I. and Newfoundland.
Weather
"How humid most of this place is," said one person. "The dry prairie weather can beat up your skin for sure, but it's nice to not feel like you're stewing in your own juices."
It's no secret that Canada's weather varies from coast to coast. But how much it affects you can be a bit of a shock.
"Yep. Flying from Alberta to Ontario you’re going from one of the driest regions of North America to one of the most humid. It’s as a dramatic a shock to the senses as flying from Alberta to Mexico or Hawaii," said one commenter.
"The air out west made my nose bleed and face crack it was so dry compared to the East Coast," said another Reddit user.
"The humidity is bad in the winter as well," another person pointed out. "-20 in Alberta does not feel the same as -20 in Nova Scotia, that humid cold gets right into your bones."
Honorable mentions
Here are some of the other notable culture shocks Canadians shared:
- "All the Chinese wording in Vancouver. Especially since Canada has two official languages and Mandarin is not one of them."
- "Ordering McDonald's in Quebec and expecting "le combo" but they call it "the triple" because you order 3 items. Caught me off guard the first time."
- "Going to Brampton. They may as well be driving on the other side of the road. Super dangerous drivers on the road there."
- "Liquor stores. I've lived in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, NWT, and what is now Nunavut, and it's vastly different from place to place, whereas the U.S. seems to have a more consistent (frankly better) way of sellin' hooch."
Who knew the country was so different?
