8 very Canadian things that Vancouver locals can't relate to because we're not true Canucks

We relate more to our PNW friends to the south than to Eastern Canadians

If I drive a couple of hours south to hang out in Seattle or Oregon, it's guaranteed I'm going to find some other athleisure-wearing hiking-obsessed craft-beer lovers. We'll bond over our love for the mountains and ocean.

There's a kinship, you know? Vancouver folks have a lot of cultural similarities with other PNW people, potentially more than we do with our friends on the East Coast. I haven't been to Atlantic Canada before, but I'm pretty sure it's all lobster and milk in bags out there, right?

We don't deal with the same weather

First of all, major respect to all the rest of you Canadians who survive (and thrive?) in -30 weather. I cannot do it. And, luckily, as a Vancouverite, I don't have to.

Vancouver is uniquely warmer, less snowy, and a lot rainier than anywhere else in the country, including the rest of B.C.

With average winter temps between 2-6°C and minimal snowfall, we just don't have that quintessential Canadian experience of battling extreme elements to simply leave the house in the morning. (Unless, of course, you think rain all-day-every-day is extreme… In which case, we're killing it over here.)

We don't play hockey on frozen lakes

Following point #1, we don't skate on frozen ponds in Vancouver. It just doesn't get cold enough for long enough to be possible.

But there is a point every year where the temperature dips below freezing and a slight layer of ice forms on the top of a lake. You'll see people standing around, throwing rocks and sticks to see if it's strong enough to stand on.

Spoiler: it's not. The ice is not strong enough to play hockey on. I repeat: the ice is not strong enough to play hockey on!

We don't eat our maple syrup from the trees

Like any good Canadian, I do truly love maple syrup.

But as a B.C. girl, I've never had the iconic experience of tapping a maple tree, and I've never even had the kind that's rolled up in the snow and eaten as candy. Truly, this is the worst part of living on the West Coast, as it looks like tons of fun.

We have a super-high cost of living

Yes, yes, yes, I understand that Toronto, Montreal, and other major cities across the country are expensive, especially for real estate.

But we still win: Vancouver is the most expensive city in Canada (yay?).

Compared to lots of other parts of the country, all of us city-dwellers are paying an wild premium for access to urban amenities, restaurants, and airports.

Did you know houses exist for less than $400K in some parts of Canada? WILD. No wonder I know several people moving out of Vancouver, while I'm just here, fine-tuning my money-saving hacks and telling myself the mountains are worth it.

Timmies isn't the go-to

We might not be able to afford our houses, but at least we can console ourselves over a decent latte.

I've done a handful of road trips through B.C. and into the prairies, so I've stopped at many small towns. And I just have to say that Tim Hortons really does have a chokehold on Canadians. It's usually the only option besides a literal gas station.

I am absolutely spoiled for choice of great coffee shops in Vancouver, so Timmies is really only ever a back-up option if I'm desperate (or it's the summer, and I need an Iced Capp).

But in general, we Vancouverites enjoy our independent coffee shops and local chains more than the well-known Canadian classic.

We consider sushi a national dish

Not literally, but it's so common in Vancouver that it might as well be. When people ask what they should eat in Vancouver, wanting something really "Canadian," and all I've got for them is sushi — it's really good and really affordable here.

We don't speak French

Obviously, not everyone doesn't speak French in Vancouver, and obviously, not everyone else in Canada does. It varies regionally. But given how often I'm asked if I speak French while traveling as a Canadian abroad, it's a pretty big stereotype of our nation in the eyes of the world.

French is not very common in Vancouver, the same as most of Western Canada. But, like the rest of our nation, we are very diverse in cultures and languages — a Canadian point of pride.

And maybe that's actually the point. As a country as big as Canada, it makes sense that there are extremely diverse regions, cultures, and traditions that make us all unique.

So, Vancouverites are different from Torontonians, who are different from Yellowknifers, and that's okay. It's what makes us all Canadian at the end of the day.