10 things I wish I knew before coming to Canada

1⃣ Geography and Population:

The major cities in Canada are Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and Calgary. 90% population lives in cities of Canada towards the south in the American boarder. This simply means there is a huge portion of Canadian land waiting for habitation.

2⃣Weather:

We usually believe that Canada is all snow throughout the year but that is not always true, there are places in Canada where we can see 4 seasons.

There are some places where there is snow throughout the year but mostly people don’t live in such areas. In some places temperature goes down to about -40 degree Celsius but in cities like Toronto it’s usually around -5 degree Celsius in the winter.

3⃣Public Transportation:

If you are moving to a major city then you may or may not require a vehicle of your own.

For example, if you plan on living in Downtown Toronto then buying a car will be just a burden as you will need to buy the insurance and face problems with parking and you literally won’t need it because the city is well connected through busses, metros, and street cars.

However, if you plan on living outside the downtown areas of these major cities then a car is a must.

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4⃣Tips:

A tip is a culture in North America; it’s basically about 10 to 15% of the bill. You will be expected to offer tips in a restaurant or even with the cabs.

You will not be killed surely for not offering the tips but be prepared to being stared for failing to do so.

5⃣Lakes, Bears and Animal Bridges:

Canada is the country of Lakes. There are about two million lakes in the country. No matter which part of Canada you are in you will not fail to find the lakes. Bears are a huge part of Canada. There are basically 3 types of bears you can find in Canada, the Black Bears, the Grizzly Bears, and the Polar Bears.

The Black Bears don’t usually harm Humans unless they have been starving, the Grizzly Bears are more dangerous and are lot bigger than the Black ones and the Polar Bears are the most dangerous.

You will see bridges for animals in the highways for them to go past the road without hurting themselves and without an accident. Moose love these bridges and you will see them very often using the green bridge to cross the roads in Canada.

6⃣Multicultural:

Canada is a Multicultural country. It has an official policy of multiculturalism since 1971. You will be surprised to know that there are over 200 nationalities living in Canada and they represent over 250 ethnic origins.

7⃣Two Official Languages:

Canada has two official Languages, English, and French. However there are other languages that are spoken by above 20% of the Canadian population. If you really want to be successful in Canada especially in the Quebec region, then start taking French lessons as you need it.

8⃣Ice Hockey:

Hockey as they say in Canada, Ice Hockey is the National game in Canada. It is a big deal and if you want to get along with Canadians then make sure you understand what Ice- Hockey is.

You will not see many big events than the Hockey league in Canada. They go on war with the sticks in their hands over the Ice arena.

9⃣Poutine:

Poutine is a slang in Quebec which means “Mess”. The dish is basically simple, chips, gravy and melted cheese. Just like the meaning, it is a mess but Canadian loves it, so don’t ever make a mistake of saying ‘no’ when you are offered a Poutine in Canada.

Maple Syrups:

Maple trees are everywhere in Canada and are for good reasons. They are beautiful and Canadians love consuming Maple Syrups. Canada is the largest supplier of maple syrup in the world and there will hardly be a kitchen in Canada that will not have Maple Syrup.

Also read: SOP for Canada

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