Canada Statistics

Canadians come from many different racial and religious backgrounds. Consequently, it is not easy to define a typical Canadian family. Although the majority of Canadians are Catholic or Protestant, many belong to other religions. Some cultural characteristics, however, are shared by most Canadians.

Body Language

It is customary to shake hands when being introduced. It is not usually considered objectionable to lightly touch someone on the shoulder or elbow during a discussion. Most Canadians do not often kiss or hug when greeting friends.

Introductions in Canada

In Canada, people use their given name first and their surname (family name) last. If you meet someone older than you for the first time, you should probably not use the person’s first name. It is safer to use the surname, preceded by a courtesy title such as: Ms., Mrs., Mr., or Dr.

Formal Greeting to a Stranger: “Hello Mr. Martin. I am very pleased to meet you. My name is Yuri.”

Informal Greeting to a Friend: “Hi Thomas. How are you?”

In the Home

Canadians often behave quite casually at home. Some families do not put an emphasis on greetings and salutations, so do not be disappointed if your host family does not show a lot of emotion when you arrive or leave. Many Canadians do not wear shoes or hats inside their homes.

Smoking in Canada

Smoking is becoming increasingly unpopular and is not permitted in most public buildings. Many families do not allow smoking in their homes. If you smoke, please mention it on your application for admission, so that we can match you with hosts who will not mind.

Equality

Canada enjoys a society that is open and relatively free of class distinctions. Most Canadians take pride in the fact that all people deserve the same rights and respect, regardless of their gender, race, religion, or cultural background. People in Canada usually resent comments that seem disrespectful to anyone from a particular background.

Canadian cuisine varies widely from region to region. Generally, the traditional cuisine of English Canada is closely related to British and American cuisine, while the traditional cuisine of French Canada has evolved from French cuisine and the winter provisions of fur traders.

The basis of both groups is seasonal, fresh ingredients and preserves. The cuisine includes baked foods, wild game, and gathered foods.

The cuisine of the western provinces is heavily influenced by Italian, British, German, Ukrainian, Polish, and Scandinavian cuisine. Noteworthy is the cuisine of the Doukhobors, Russian-descended vegetarians.

The Waterloo, Ontario, region has a tradition of Mennonite and Germanic cookery.

Canadian Chinese cuisine is widespread across the country, with variation from place to place. The Chinese buffet, although found in the U.S. and other parts of Canada, had its origins in early Gastown, Vancouver, c.1870 and came out of the practice of the many Scandinavians’ working in the woods and mills around the shantytown getting the Chinese cook to put out a steam table on a sideboard, so they could “load up” and leave room on the dining table (presumably for “drink”). Ginger beef is a popular Chinese food purportedly originating in Western Canada.

The traditional cuisine of the Arctic and the Canadian Territories is based on wild game and Inuit and First Nations cooking methods; conversely bannock, which is popular across First Nations and Native American communities throughout the continent, is a method for making pan-fried bread introduced to their culture by Scottish fur traders. The cuisines of Newfoundland and the Maritime provinces derive mainly from British and Irish cooking, with a preference for salt-cured fish, beef, and pork. Ontario, Manitoba and British Columbia also maintain strong British cuisine traditions.

Safety in Canada is not usually a problem, and some basic common sense will go a long way. Even in the largest cities, violent crime is not a serious problem, and very few people are ever armed. Violent crime needn’t worry the average traveller, as it is generally confined to particular neighbourhoods and is rarely a random crime. Drug-related crimes also happen. Street battles between gangs happen rarely. Even though major urban areas are experiencing higher than average rates it should be noted that these rates still remain extremely low compared to similar sized urban areas in the United States and the rest of the world (though violent crime rates are higher than most western European cities).

One traveling with laptops or portable devices should have no problem connecting to many wireless networks available in coffeeshops. Cellular companies operate nationwide and allow access to the internet for an extra fee.

Charging your components is the same as in the USA, operating at 110volts using the same plug as US and Japan.

Average winter and summer high temperatures across Canada vary according to the location. Winters can be harsh in many regions of the country, particularly in the interior and Prairie provinces, which experience a continental climate, where daily average temperatures are near −15 °C (5 °F) but can drop below −40 °C (−40 °F) with severe wind chills.[141] In noncoastal regions, snow can cover the ground almost six months of the year (more in the north). Coastal British Columbia enjoys a temperate climate, with a mild and rainy winter. On the east and west coasts, average high temperatures are generally in the low 20s °C (70s °F), while between the coasts, the average summer high temperature ranges from 25 to 30 °C (77 to 86 °F), with occasional extreme heat in some interior locations exceeding 40 °C (104 °F)

I compiled an interactive list of the min/max/avg Weather for areas of Canada.

Although the citizens of many countries are exempt (see below), you may need a Temporary Resident Visa to enter the country. If you plan to visit the United States and do not travel outside the borders of the US, you can use your single entry visa to re-enter as long as the visa has not passed its expiry date. Working while in the country is forbidden without a work permit, although Canada does have several temporary work permits for youth from specific countries.

Citizens of following countries do not need a visa to visit Canada for a stay of (generally) up to six months, provided no work is undertaken: Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Botswana, Brunei, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Portugal, Samoa, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States.

United States citizens traveling by land (vehicle, rail, boat or foot) to Canada need only proof of citizenship and identification for short-term visits. While a passport is preferred by both US and Canadian border authorities, a number of other documents may also be used to cross the border:

US Passport Card

Enhanced Drivers License or Non-Driver Photo ID card (currently issued by Michigan, New York, Vermont, and Washington State)

Enhanced Tribal ID Card

NEXUS or FAST Trusted Traveler Cards (issued by the US Department of Homeland Security).