A Practical Guide to Living in Canada

When most people think of living outside of the United States, they imagine romantic French cafes or beautiful Japanese gardens. Living outside of the U.S. can be as close as a car ride away, though, if you choose to live in Canada, as I did when I worked and living in Canada for almost three years. While the transition to living in Canada may not be as extreme as living in Europe, there are still many cultural differences that anyone living in Canada should be aware of.

When I was first looking for apartments in Belleville, Ontario, my real estate agent took me to a Tim Hortons coffee shop and ordered me a "Double-Double," a coffee with double cream and double sugar. Little did I know at the time that this coffee would become an addiction, as it is for most of those living in Canada. These coffee shops are integral to local life, with shops seeming to be located on every corner. Prices are a mere fraction of those at Starbucks, with a cup of coffee being less than a toonie (Canadian $2 coin) and a donut less than a loonie (Canadian $1 coin), making it a daily stop for many of those living in Canada, including myself and my coworkers. Those at the manufacturing plant in which I worked introduced me to many other local delicacies including poutine, which is cheese and gravy over french fries, and Nanaimo Bars, the local favorite cookie.

Canadians are very proud of their country and don't want to be known as America's "51^st state." This is for good reason, as living in Canada offers much in the way of distinct culture and travel opportunities. My Canadian friends loved introducing me to popular places such as Toronto, Montreal, and Quebec City, all of which are amazing. We had a great time exploring the outdoors by skiing Mt. Tremblant in the winter and rafting along the Ottawa River in the summer. I am proud to say that I even participated (and won a prize) in our company's curling contest. For those who haven't curled, or watched it during the Olympics, curling is often described as "shuffleboard on ice" and is seen as a fun social event akin to bowling in the States. And yes, Canadians do ice-fish in the winter, and though I know people who did go ice-fishing, I can't say that I actually tried it myself.

If you are living in Canada for any period of time, you should be aware that Canada has a "socialized" healthcare system, in which all legal residents are able to receive free care. While this system is sometimes heralded as the ideal when compared with our system in America, it does have its drawbacks, as I found during my stay. I was on a several month waiting list to have an even routine checkup and basic procedures that could have been completed in the doctor's office in the U.S. had to be completed in the hospital. I had many friends who encountered similar issues, so it certainly is something to be aware of when living in Canada.

It's been over five years since my time of living in Canada and I have to say that I miss not only my dear Canadian friends, but the Tim Hortons coffee and the great adventures that I had during my sojourn. I do have many reminders from my stay - I bought my car in Canada, so the speedometer is still in kilometers as the Canadians follow the metric system. Sometimes I even catch myself ending a sentence in "eh", as my Canadian friends would do. Most of all, I keep an appreciation of the place which was only a seven hour drive from my hometown, but a world away in so many ways.