Seven Common Misconceptions About Canada

People often expect Canada to be a frigid wilderness with eskimos living in igloos everywhere but I am here to clear those stereotypes up.

• 1. Canada is Pretty Much an Uninhabited Wilderness

  

  It's true that there a lot less people in Canada than there are in the US, but there are still a fair amount of cities in Canada that rival American cities. Take Toronto with over 2.5 million residents. There's also Victoria, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Quebec City, Montreal, and Halifax.

• 2. Canada is Always Cold

  

  Right now in Halifax, it is 27 degrees Celsius, or roughly 80 degrees Fahrenheit. I have no air conditioning. Tell me now that Canada is always cold.

• 3. Our Police Look Like This

  

  This is a Mountie, a member of the RCMP, which is the national police force, responsible for enforcing federal laws throughout Canada. You don't really see many Mounties though, and in cities, most policemen look like any other policeman you'd find in the US. Even Mounties don't always look like this; the everyday uniform consists of a grey shirt with dark blue tie, dark blue trousers with gold strapping, regular patrol boots called "ankle boots," regular duty equipment, and a regular policeman's style cap. Another misconception that Mounties are like Dudley Doright. Truth is many are armed with heavy artillery so think twice before you mess with one.

• 4. Canadians Only Speak French

  

  When I was leaving Florida for Halifax, a surprising number of people asked me if I spoke French or asked me if they even spoke English in Canada. While Canada is a bilingual country, French is only commonly spoken within the province of Quebec and parts of New Brunswick. Canadians have to learn French throughout their school years, but still many can't actually speak it.

• 5. Canadians Say "Eh" A Lot

  

  Americans who do know Canadians speak English often assume Canadians always say "eh." I'm pretty sure that's an Ontario thing, because I've probably will hear "eh" only about once a month here in Hali.

• 6. Canadians Are Socialists

  

  One time I was talking to the immigration guy when I was going from Halifax to Florida and he asked me what I studied up here. I told him political science and he replied, "Why? You know they're socialists here?" Canada may have socialized healthcare but it is still a parliamentary democracy.

• 7. We Drink Milk Out of Bags

  

  Once again, pretty sure it's an Ontario thing, (as well as a Quebec thing apparently) because that's the only place I've ever seen people use the bags of milk.