What do Americans honestly think of Canadians and Canada.

[snberk103]

Originally Posted by SoothingOne

I am American and I like Canadians.

Well, thank you very much!

Originally Posted by SoothingOne

I really cannot say anything bad about Canada or Canadians. However, the French Canadians some are not very nice. I think many Canadians that are not from Quebec would probably agree with this.

With apologies, but I think you are wrong. I mean, there are some Quebecois that can, um, 'grate on one's nerves'... but that is true of any culture. I don't believe there are any more in Quebec than anywhere else.

And, sorry but... I don't think Canadians believe people from Quebec are not very nice. Perhaps some of us may think they have an inflated sense of entitlement, as a culture. But for the most part the ROC believes the Quebecois are 'nice', eh?

[JohnLT13]

I nor anyone I know have any ill will towards Canada and its people.
IMO not much difference then the US. I hear the heath care is sub par, but thats hearsay. Should we have a problem with the Great White North?

[4JNA]

ok, just saw this with like 17 pages of replies. i'm slow. or busy. or both.

born in USA, had an uncle who sponsored me and i applied for dual citizenship at the Atlanta, GA Consulate site if it matters. this was LONG before 9/11 in the USA, so probably none of this matters, is current, or is relevant. just my 2 cents.

i loved, no, let me fix that, LOVED living in VON 2PO, and everthing that went with it. spent many nights sleeping at the Nanaimo and Vancouver ferry terminals, LOVED Victoria and everything it had to offer, and can remember getting 'gravy' on my fries from the local McDonalds. strange, but true. and Awesome. being one of the only people on the Island with Florida plates on my truck made me a bit of a stranger or 'outsider'....

that said, got stopped several times for 'worn tires', or a 'crack in my windshield' and had to claim to be an American just on my way to the border. got to see my Aunt/Uncle and the home invasion for 'un-reported' items and the scramble for paperwork after. at the 'Border Crossing' got stopped and had my vehicle stripped several times. really (REALLY, seats out, carpet out, etc) at the border based on me being a 20 something male in a toyota 4x4. i had no guns, i had no weapons, they didn't believe me, and took my truck apart. several times. got really good at putting the seat/carpet back in. not fun. don't even get me started on door panels or plastic connectors... there are some REAL differences in freedom, and FREEDOM! just my two cents. or a $1.50 canadian...

CAN has the health care and gun thing down/working. wish the USA would follow... been to both. lived in both. my 2 cents.

[moosterdom]

[dukebound85]

I'm indifferent.

[4JNA]

Originally Posted by dukebound85

I'm indifferent.

based on what? any opinion is fine, just nice to know what the reason is or what it's based on.

[obeygiant]

I love Canada and Canadians. My grandpa was born in New Brunswick.

[Mr. McMac]

I like that Canada's right next door. Howdy neighbor!

[dukebound85]

Originally Posted by 4JNA

based on what? any opinion is fine, just nice to know what the reason is or what it's based on.

Meaning I have no opinions either way of Canadians good or bad. Same if one was to ask me about people from Montana. Meh

[4JNA]

Originally Posted by dukebound85

Meaning I have no opinions either way if Canadians good or bad. Same if one was to ask me about people from Montana. Meh

fair enough. i only asked/wondered due to family history.

my relatives from MT are nuts. really.

my relatives from BC are awesome. really.

just interested in the perspective. thanks.

[leomac08]

Every time I think of Canada I think of:

-a leaf
-Blackberry
-snow
-France
-more snow
-hockey
-Toronto raptors
-state troppers dressed in red with those hats

something interesting about Canada is that 80% of the population lives within 10-20 miles of the US border

[Tomorrow]

Originally Posted by snberk103

And, sorry but... I don't think Canadians believe people from Quebec are not very nice. Perhaps some of us may think they have an inflated sense of entitlement, as a culture. But for the most part the ROC believes the Quebecois are 'nice', eh?

My only trip to Canada was years ago, when I spent a few days in and around Montreal. Beautiful, fascinating city. But the single biggest memory I have (other than it being colder than a dead dog's dick outside) is that once the locals discovered that I neither speak nor understand French, their entire disposition toward me took a 180° turn for the worse. Not all of them, mind you, but most of them.

[Huntn]

I like Canadians. They are like our trading/business partners up North who seem to be more level headed than we are. It's very easy for our populations to integrate (accept for Montreal, lol). Their banks did not take a licking when the bubble imploded. That was not by accident. They don't seem to be as consumed with greed as we are. But I'm not saying they are perfect.

[snberk103]

Originally Posted by leomac08

Every time I think of Canada I think of:

-a leaf
-Blackberry
-snow
-France
-more snow
-hockey
-Toronto raptors
-state troppers dressed in red with those hats

...

Interesting associations.... the 'blackberry' one is the most curious though.

Originally Posted by Tomorrow

My only trip to Canada was years ago, when I spent a few days in and around Montreal. Beautiful, fascinating city. But the single biggest memory I have (other than it being colder than a dead dog's dick outside) is that once the locals discovered that I neither speak nor understand French, their entire disposition toward me took a 180° turn for the worse. Not all of them, mind you, but most of them.

Ahh.... that's because they probably mistook you for being from somewhere else in Canada, and not the US .....

Seriously.... most countries that speak a non-dominant language will really warm up to someone who tries a few words, even if mangled. The other thing that I've read about Montreal is that service workers like a little banter. So, instead of just asking for a beer, you first comment on the weather. Then perhaps that you are looking forward to the weekend. And then, just in passing, you mention that perhaps - if it's not too much trouble - a beer would taste really good right about now.

Of course, this is much more difficult to pull off in French if you only speak English. So you even if you do mangle the order in French in the interests of being polite... you've still missed the banter part.

Montreal is complicated. But they make great bagels, and Montreal smoked meat is worth the trip.

[mobilehaathi]

I grew up close to Canada, and I've spent a bit of time there (mostly Toronto and Montreal). On the whole I found Canadians to be somewhat nicer than their neighbors to the south. That particular contrast is far starker when crossing the border by car.

I've never had any problems at all in Montreal. I don't know if that can be attributed to my rudimentary command of French, the fact that I don't get insecure and offended when people speak to me in a language I don't/barely know, or none of the above. The thing I've always loved about Montreal is that the city seems radically bilingual and is very proud of it.

[zioxide]

Originally Posted by Tomorrow

My only trip to Canada was years ago, when I spent a few days in and around Montreal. Beautiful, fascinating city. But the single biggest memory I have (other than it being colder than a dead dog's dick outside) is that once the locals discovered that I neither speak nor understand French, their entire disposition toward me took a 180° turn for the worse. Not all of them, mind you, but most of them.

Weird. Both times I visited Montreal everyone I met was very friendly... even to us English-only speaking college kids from Massachusetts and even when I was wearing my Bruins hat.

We ran out of canadien money at one of the bars we were at too and they didn't even care that we paid in canadien and tipped in US dollars. Though I guess money is money either way.

Canada was awesome every time I visited though.

[Shrink]

Sorry, but I don't get the underlying concept of this whole thread.

How can you like, or not like, a whole country?

And how can you like, or not like, the entire population of a whole country?

Forgive me for belaboring the obvious...there are nice people, and not nice people, everywhere. And setting aside grossly overgeneralized stereotypes...how can one make generalized statements about the whole population of a country?

Using stereotypic generalizations about any group allows the user to assume knowledge of any individual member of that that group, as in...all African Americans are...all Jews are...all Canadians are...

Silly, and at the extreme, dangerous.

Having said all that, aren't they the people who make ginger ale?

[Orange Crane]

Originally Posted by Shrink

Silly, and at the extreme, dangerous.

lol

[QuantumLo0p]

Not sure if it's been said yet, as this thread is getting quite long, but Canadians are American. As are central and south Americans, LOL. Tell a Costa Rican he's not American and you'll get a hot tortilla slap upside the head.

As an "estadosunidense" I like Canada. However Quebec's succession antics are proving quite divisive.

[designs216]

When I think of Canadians I think of John Candy, Jim Carrey, Dan Akroyd, Rich Little, Norm Macdonald, Leslie Nielsen and Chris Findlay -- that last joker, from VC Island, is married to my niece.

[snberk103]

Originally Posted by QuantumLo0p

Not sure if it's been said yet, as this thread is getting quite long, but Canadians are American. ...

This would be true if the Unitedian Statians hadn't co-opted the continental moniker for themselves.

Originally Posted by QuantumLo0p

... However Quebec's succession antics are proving quite divisive.

Nah.... it's just good business. My feeling is that a lot of Quebecois scared themselves when they almost did vote for succession. Most thought, imho, that the vote was not going to be close, so it was safe to vote Oui to scare the ROC. oops, eh?.

[mobilehaathi]

Originally Posted by Orange Crane

lol

Not sure why you laugh, he's absolutely right.

[Renzatic]

Originally Posted by mobilehaathi

Not sure why you laugh, he's absolutely right.

Damn straight. There's a reason why the Germans were scared ****less of the Canadians coming for them during WWII. Yeah, they come across like your cool, laid back, unassuming uncle with a slight drinking problem at first glance. But you piss em off, and suddenly you've got a bunch of angry bastards who grew up killing moose and beaver-wolves with their bare hands in -40 C weather out screaming for your blood.

Canada. It's basically Siberia, but with a smile. Never forget that.

Okay, all funny as hell stereotypes aside, I don't think I've ever heard anyone say anything truly bad about Canada. At worst, the most contention you'll get between us are gentle ribbings like what I wrote above. It's like brotherly teasing if anything.

[snberk103]

Originally Posted by Renzatic

Damn straight. There's a reason why the Germans were scared ****less of the Canadians coming for them during WWII. Yeah, they come across like your cool, laid back, unassuming uncle with a slight drinking problem at first glance. But you piss em off, and suddenly you've got a bunch of angry bastards who grew up killing moose and beaver-wolves with their bare hands in -40 C weather out screaming for your blood.
...

Same reason that when the US went into Afghanistan the Pentagon specifically asked for the Canadian Princess Patricias - A Light Infantry Battalion - to help 'em out in the mountain, and then later in Khandahar and the Panjwai district. Goofy....but tough....

[Noahkrz]

Originally Posted by cosmokanga2

I have to agree with you. Where I work I meet lots of people from all over the world and they all see the Canadians and Americans as very different. Most say that the Canadians are in general politer, kinder, cleaner and much better dressed and presentable. They see us of a cross between the europeans and americans. I have never traveled the the States so I can't really comment however I do believe we are slightly different, but every country is.

I do have to say though, I have met and heard stories of some pretty stupid americans before. In Banff for example by dad guided canoes and a common question was where the animals were kept at night and when did Folding Mountain fold up. My favorite though was a comment I got when I went bicycling across canada from a lady in California asking what type of snow plow we use on our bikes. Yes she was serious.

It's funny you say that. Being from California, I can say we do have some weirdos. But also
living in the foothills of the Sierra mountains, I know that mountains aren't fake. For the most part I like Canadians. I just don't like the ones who say Americans are stupid or not classy. The stories you here about are of course going to be the stereotypical and funny ones. Since most Canadians live in the south, they are even closer to America. They share a lot of characteristics with the people in the northern US. And finally if that lady is that stupid and from California, she's probably never seen snow. But I like Canadians.