I've lived in multiple provinces and these 9 things are surprisingly different across Canada

How easy it is (or isn't) to make friends 

P.E.I. and B.C. have more in common than I expected when it comes to making friends.

In both places, I found that people can take a little time to warm up to strangers, especially if you're not from the province. In my experience, people in these provinces tend to stick with family and friends they've known since childhood or school, which can make it a little harder to break into an established social circle. Most of the friendships I've made in Vancouver have been with people from elsewhere, and I found a similar experience in P.E.I.

I guess Islanders and British Columbians just like to keep it in the family! Gotta respect it.

How the seasons change a place

Was I supposed to know P.E.I. is a seasonal place? Whoops! That's something my family learned the hard way when we moved to North Rustico in November and discovered everything is basically shut down until May. Coming from Ontario, this was a shocker.

We'd never lived somewhere so centred around tourist season before. Places that seemed magical and full of life in the summer looked completely different once the season ended. Businesses closed, tourists disappeared, and suddenly, the place we'd fallen in love with felt like an entirely different town. We didn't realize just how much summer shaped life on the Island until we lived through that first winter.

How people react to snow 

You'd think that for such a major Canadian city, a little snow wouldn't cause so much havoc, but in Vancouver, it absolutely does. A light dusting on the roads and suddenly everyone's freaking out. Flights get cancelled, people avoid driving, traffic accidents pile up, and everyone starts wearing their Super Puff like they're reporting for duty.

It's a far cry from Ontario, where you just grin and bear it, pull out your ice scraper and warm up your car before heading to work in the dark. Meanwhile, in P.E.I., winter storms can shut everything down for days, and everyone knows to stock up on storm chips.

The hustle culture

Something that surprised me about Ontario was how much people seemed to value networking and making connections. And I don't necessarily mean that in a bad way. It just felt like there was an underlying pressure to stand out, whether at work or in your social circle. People seemed conscious of how they presented themselves and how others perceived them, as if there was always a little bit of an unspoken competition to be successful.

Maybe it's because of the environments I found myself in (like the film and arts community) but I noticed a different kind of ambition in Ontario, where who you knew and how you presented yourself seemed to matter just as much as what you actually did.

Local pride

One thing that surprised me about living in P.E.I. was just how much people seemed to take pride in being Islanders. Of course, there's a sense of Canadian identity, but there's also something very distinct about being from the Island. I didn't experience that quite the same way in Ontario or B.C.

There's a real focus on local heritage, from trapping season and potatoes to traditional music and the countless community festivals that pop up throughout the year. These aren't just things the Island is known for; they're part of its identity, and people seem genuinely proud of them. I hadn't expected that sense of local pride to be quite so strong.

The activities and hobby's

I knew B.C. had a reputation for being outdoorsy, but I didn't realize just how much it would influence everyday life in Vancouver. You almost feel like you need to play a sport or have an outdoor hobby to fit in. I never thought I'd be the person paddleboarding or fighting for a tennis court in the middle of summer, but here we are.

Living in B.C. has made me want to get outside and try things I never really did in Toronto or P.E.I. Whether it's finding a court on a hot summer day or getting out on the water, I've come to appreciate the energy around being active. I might not have moved here to become an outdoorsy person, but it's definitely rubbed off on me.

Driving around

I knew Ontario was big, but you don't really get it until you've driven across it. When I road-tripped across the country, I swear I spent forever driving through Ontario. Even living in the province, the 401 can make you feel like you've been driving for hours and still haven't gotten anywhere.

It's just more highway, more cars, and somehow... YOU'RE STILL IN ONTARIO.

P.E.I. is obviously a different story because you never drive that long, and there's usually something to look at along the way. Vancouver is funny, too, because even though there's traffic, the distances don't seem to feel as long to me. But Ontario? You can drive and drive and drive, and still feel like you're nowhere close to leaving the province.

The dresscode

Maybe it's just me, but since moving to B.C., I've become a lot more conscious of how I dress. Athleisure is everywhere, and suddenly, wearing a sweatshirt to dinner is perfectly normal. I now find myself asking, "Will this make me look overdressed?" because apparently, less is more here. I never really had this mindset in P.E.I. or Ontario.

There's something about being surrounded by people with their workout routines, matching activewear and healthy lifestyles all figured out that makes you want to step up your own game. And by stepping up, I mean dressing down.

Who knew I'd move to B.C. and end up putting more effort into looking like I hadn't made an effort at all?

Connection

P.E.I. might be a province, but sometimes it feels more like one big small town. You can meet someone at church who knows someone you met at yoga, and they're not just acquaintances — they're cousins, aunts, or someone's brother is related to them somehow. People recognize last names and immediately have a story to share.

It's genuinely not surprising to go for coffee with someone, mention your chiropractor, and hear, "Oh, that's my cousin's husband!"

Somehow, everyone is connected to everyone else. Coming from somewhere bigger, it's something that really stands out. You quickly learn that on the Island, you can meet a stranger and discover you're only about two degrees of separation away from half the people you know.

I guess that's the thing about living in different provinces: you think you know what to expect, but the little things end up surprising you most.