r/AskACanadian

Additionally, who is the team you usually root for? Are they the same or different?

Any other French speaking Canadians worried about forgetting how to speak French because of working & living in a English speaking environment?

I grew up bilingual since I was born and even went to French school, but I'm always haunted by the thought of forgetting one of my 2 native languages.

Hi all, Aussie here,

Growing up in Australia, I've found that it's pretty common that when Canada is brought up, people will express how much they like Canadians and that "if you go to Canada, it feels so much like being at home" because we're culturally similar etc.

Because of this, I was surprised when, after recently getting more into historical research, I noticed that there seems to be far fewer examples of events and shared relationships between us than I was expecting.

It makes me wonder if a potential reason is that this sentiment has come from more person-to-person stories and relationships that aren't the kind of thing that get written in history books.

So I was wondering: are there any common sentiments you guys may have heard growing up or family stories you've been told etc. involving Australia?

Hi everyone!

I’m posting from the UK. I’ve never been to Canada (though I’d love to visit one day!), but I’ve recently started wearing a "friendship" lapel pin with both the Union Jack and the Maple Leaf.

To be honest, I wear it as a small gesture of solidarity. Given the headlines lately about tariffs, 51st state comments, and threats to Canadian sovereignty, I wanted to show that folks over here are paying attention and standing with you. For me, it’s a way to represent the long-standing bond between our two countries while acknowledging the pressure Canada is under right now. 

I’m curious to know what Canadians think when they see someone (especially a non-Canadian) wearing one? Does it come across as a genuine gesture of support, or does it just look like a typical tourist souvenir? I’d love to hear your general thoughts! Sorry if this is a weird or silly question 😅

Cheers!

Victoria

Hi guys

Posting this here because I need Canadian recommendations!

I'm losing my mind trying to find pants that fit my son. He's almost 8, weighs 47lbs and is 48 inches tall. His waist is between a size 5 and 6 and his height is right at the beginning of size 7. He's currently wearing size 6 but the pants are getting too short and he's right at the max height for most of them (48 inches).

I've ordered size 7 pants from Old Navy/Gap and Walmart (since they have slim options and the inner button adjustment) and they're all humongous on him, even when I tighten them to the max. Also tried some pants from Costco and had the same problem (my mom works there so she literally bought every single pair of pants or combo that came with pants to try).

Where the heck can I buy him clothes? Do I need to go for girl's jeans?

I live in Quebec.

Hi all!

my wife and I are planning a trip this May to visit the east coast. we are from Toronto.

for a 4-5 day trip, what would you all recommend?

We are interested in scenery, just don’t know what would be the best (NF, NS, PEI, etc)

For context to better understand my question: I am a College Guidance Counselor at a high school in America. In my middle class American suburban town outside of a major city, I have observed that my students are under extreme stress and pressure for college applications at a young age. It’s not unusual for parents in my community to spend thousands on private consultants starting in Grade 8 or 9.

With holistic admissions in the USA, it can often look like an extracurricular “arms race” where students spend their summers carefully building their resumes— I rarely see my students holding typical high school jobs, like retail, and much of how they spend their time is for college application prep rather than personal enjoyment. Students in my school need to take 8-10+ AP courses in high school to be possibly competitive for a college ranked in the Top ~50. (The number of AP courses “needed” will vary from school to school depending on what the school offers). They’re often stressed, and I see it take a huge toll on their mental health— even on those not aiming for a very very selective college.

Of course, this can vary from student to student and school to school. Not every kid has the same pressures placed upon them or ambition. And, a lot of this is contextual— students with different backgrounds and socioeconomic circumstances might approach the college process differently.

But how is the typical middle class Canadian student (and family) approaching the Canadian college applications process? Is it an extracurricular arms race? Are they as stressed as some of their American counterparts?

I understand the logistics of applying (a little). I’m curious how it plays out in terms of student wellness, academic pursuits, work/life balance, etc.

And you just assumed this is how the rest of the world does it, until you went on the internet or talked to people outside of Canada, or had someone from Canada come here and you had no idea why they're looking at you funny.

To me it was milk bags. I assumed this is how everyone did until I was in my twenties. Now I actively hate these things. Like...why? It's such a pointless hassle.

For those who don't know, the Ring of Fire was basically this area super rich in chromium and all sorts of minerals in Northern Ontario, so some companies proposed a huge mining project there. It would make a lot of money, but also release huge amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and disturb Indigenous land. It's very controversial which is why the mining project still hasn't begun a decade after it was proposed, but its fun to read about. I'm interested to hearing what are your thoughts on this?

I absolutely despise Brady Tkachuk on the Senators. When he dropped the gloves against Staal on opening face off, it just reinforced how much I hate him. Then I started thinking of Carolina who have so many talented Canadians like Staal, Jarvis, Hall, Stankoven, and don't forget Brind'Amour. I found myself pulling for Carolina. Are other Canadians not cheering for certain Canadian teams if there are players on the team you don't like?

I went to school in Ontario. We had trips to Quebec City and a camp trip in Ontario in grades 7 and 8. There was also a trip to Moosonee, which I didn't go on.

In high school the higher year phys ed class had a winter camping trip in Ontario and some classmates did an exchange program with students in British Columbia. I imagine a trip to Ottawa was offered one year, but I didn't go.

Just curious what overnight trips or exchanges your schools offered within Canada.

Can you tell a difference?

Montreal, QC if it matters. Moved into a condo. I didn't know what a smoke detector looks like until a little while ago.

My smoke detector constantly beeps for unknown reasons. I was told to replace it during the home inspection.

Apparently there are carbon monoxide and smoke detectors that can detect both? So I was curious if that's what Canadians use in general.

I found that a smoke alarm should have a ULC logo, but I don't know anything else about which smoke alarm I should buy.

Please help a clueless dummy. Thanks!

I want to take my kids somewhere next winter, but I’m overwhelmed trying to find things.

Is there a reasonable Canadian website where I can input my budget and dates and it will give me options of flights/hotel? I don’t have a strong preference of location, but would like the bulk of the cost (flights, accommodations and food) up front.

How else do I go about finding an all inclusive resort or cruise?

Back in the 2000/10s I remember a Canadian TV show about 2 guys who travelled around the world. It was on either Saturday or Sunday mornings. I remember they were in their 20s and went to Siberia and North Korea.

My son (12) thinks Canada is probably the best. Whenever I ask him where he'd like to visit, he says Canada. We're visiting family in Michigan this summer and I'm planning to drive to Canada from Detroit for about 3 days. We're doing Niagara Falls for sure. He's big into the outdoors and national/state parks, so we will probably try to do at least one of those. But when I asked him what else, he said he wants to "experience how Canada is different."

Obviously, visiting an emergency room without going bankrupt isn't quite what he meant. Is there anywhere in Toronto or southward that feels quintessentially Canadian (I know Canada is huge had has regional variances, but you get what I mean right?)? A restaurant or shop, or? Thanks. I've also never been to Canada, so don't know where to start.

Why is it never a thing for most Canadians to use toilet bidet? I know some Canadians who adapt using it after traveling to asian countries. More hygienic because you spray with water then wipe it with toilet paper or wipes, it makes you feel fresh than just wiping. It lessen the use of toilet paper and wipes, you save money using less toilet paper. If water leakage is concern most of bidet comes with T valve that you can turn off when you are away.

Hey everyone, I’m your neighbor to the South. I’m in Tennessee and have found some Canadian shows recently and they are far superior to anything I can find around here. Can you suggest some others for me to try to find streaming in the US? Here is what I’ve watched so far. Thanks for your help!

Schitt’s Creek

Hudson & Rex

Burden of Truth

Rookie Blue