Canadian People are generally very friendly people and we have our borders open to asylum seekers, immigrants, and tourists, but we will appreciate your return the friendliness by being considerate when you come to our country. We are also pretty fixed in our ways and like things only a certain way. If you are wishing to have a pleasant stay in Canada, you should not do any of the following things. If you are set on doing the following things we would like to politely ask you to stay in your home country, please.
1. If you specialize in hate speech
There are serious laws against hate speech which can land you in jail for up to two years. If you do not like a community or group of people, that’s your personal opinion but we by no means would like to hear it. We help and support each other and care enough to build each other. You will get major looks if you even hinted at any form of bigotry, to say the least.
2. If you fake Accent of Canadian People
Come on! We can tell, we are not stupid and it’s super annoying. It will annoy you too if I try to imitate the way you talk, laugh or walk, wouldn’t it? Please show some respect to us and to your own original accent which I totally believe is as good as any other accent in the world. Please have some pride in your own accent.
3. Do not respect personal space
Unless you know a person very well, you should not stand too close to them and should not be touching their body at all. Do not comment on my looks or my choice of clothing and please do not compare me to any Canadian actor or celebrity. As I said earlier you are entitled to your opinions but we do not appreciate unsolicited advice. Do not try to tell me how to do it unless I explicitly ask you to. If you are extremely vocal about your opinions, you should either reconsider your behaviors or rethink visiting Canada.
4. Think Canada is like USA or Britain
Urrghh stop with this nonsense! We are neither of those countries and do not want to be compared to them. Canadians never voted for Trump or Clinton and Queen of England do not rules Canada. While we are on this please do not suggest that Quebec should become a separate country, it is a very sensitive topic and you will most definitely offend people here.
5. Can’t wait in Queues
As Canadians, we are used to waiting for hours in queues and find it extremely impolite if someone cuts in front. Have some patience and respect the time of people who came before you, your turn will come too.
6. Tell A-boot Jokes
They are not funny but offensive. In fact, they are regarded as an insult towards Canadian People. Also, we do not even talk like that. You will not make any Canadian friends if you keep telling those silly offensive jokes.
7. Do not like Hockey
We take our hockey very seriously, more seriously than we take our health system and political developments. We do have a sense of humor (the extent of which varies greatly which city you are in) but we really lose it if you try to mock our team or a hockey player. Be very careful, or may do not make a remark unless you know what exactly you are dealing with. So if you are going to make disrespectful comments about hockey or the team we are supporting, you better should not open your mouth to talk or even better do not book a flight to our country.
8. Do not appreciate Poutine (Chips and Cheese)
Unless you are lactose intolerant or have any medical reasons please do not decline an offer of poutine serving. It’s a national treasure and one of the most beloved comfort food. We can practically live off it. Even if it does not appeal to your eyes or taste buds in the start you will learn to love it. Give it a try!
9. Do not like Hockey
If you bump into someone don’t go “aaye!” on them. Your go-to response should be sorry and do not load your sorry with a tone that says you want to start something. A sorry in Canada can mean a lot of things from a sincere apology to a passive-aggressive response but we like to keep things polite here. Be polite.
If you are someone planning to visit Canada you should keep all these points in mind. If you are a Canadian please tell me if I have missed any point.
