OT- What do you consider to be "Distinctly Canadian"

[Gigi22]

Here's another one: butter tarts. I remember an interview with Alan Hamel (married to Suzanne Somers) in which he said he couldn't get butter tarts in the US.
And up until this year, I would have said "Snow Days"!

 

[tink1969]

Yes, unfortunately "eh" is used all the time and people don't even realize it.
It's just part of the Canadian language.
Next time you are speaking with an American, their equivalent to our "eh" is
"uh-huh". Listen and you will see I'm right.

As for what is distinctly Canadian.....how about 'beaver tails'.

 

[mom of 3 blondes]

I know Tim Hortons was mentioned but the phrase DOUBLE DOUBLE is definately one of ours. Doesn't the phrase just make you smile. When we went to Disney last year , it was really like coming home when we flew into the toronto airport and found the Tims. I dont usually have my coffee DOUBLE DOUBLE but I did that day b/c I thought it was special day.

 

[Gigi22]

More good Canadian stuff: the Canadarm; l'Anse aux Meadows, the site of the first European discovery of North America; Anne of Green Gables; "The Jack Pine" by Tom Thompson; the Bluenose; the poem "In Flanders Fields"; sugaring off parties; lobster suppers.

 

[irisesareblue]

Speaking of regional things, something really distinctive to Manitoba is "socials" - Manitobans mainly have them here to raise funds for upcoming weddings and for other special fundraisers. You rent a hall, get a liquor license, sell tickets for $10-15 each person, then hire a DJ and bartender and have a party.....

Very Manitoban.

I'm originally from the East Coast (New Brunswick) and am French Canadian by birth. Tourtiere (french Canadian meat pie) is my fave Canadian thing - when I was living overseas, making tourtiere was what got me through 4 Christmases away from home!

I also agree with the Timmie's! Double Double just got put into the dictionary!

 

[Debbie]

Ooooooh. How about always talking about the weather?

Heck, here we have the Olympics, and what is EVERYONE doing?

I even match my font colour to the weather.

 

[tigercat]

I use eh all the time and so do most of the people I know. Also the electric kettle. I know friends in the States and they have kettles on the stove. Also, tea. I am sorry but I have yet to find a good cup of hot tea in the States. I now just bring my own.
tigercat

 

[Mickey's Best Girl]

Thank you so much for all the great replies.... some of it I have already thought of but a lot of the things mentioned I had not!

I do plan to send my friend some Laura Secord chocolates, Kinder Eggs, package of Tim Horton's Coffee (although we all know it isn't the same brewing it at home) and thanx to this thread I will add smarties to the mix! Hmmm, I'm sensing a trend here......

I am also going to send her a link to this thread so she can read through on her own.

Oh, and for the record, I am an "EH" sayer as well! Not in true Bob and Doug fashion but it definitely slips out from time to time (OK, all the time, who am I kidding!)

Again, thanx so much for taking the time to give me your suggestions, etc. You have been very helpful!

 

[rjan67]

Dill pickle flavoured food and nanaimo bars.

 

[hockey mom]

I say "eh" all the time. We have a server where I work from Peru and he counted the amount of times we all said "eh" in one day and he had to stop- it was getting to high.

As a server I have noticed we say pop while they say soda and our ice t is sweetened while they have unsweetened. Lesson well learned

 

[dancin Disney style]

Americans use 'eh' as well but they put it at the beginning of a sentance.

American.....Eh, how's it going?
Canadian....Hows it going eh?

I am an 'eh' user and grew up in the Bob and Doug era. While I don't use it the way they do, I do use it daily without even realizing it. It certainly is a part of our culture.

 

[Jareds_mommy]

my step moms brother moved to teh US and he has her mail him boxes of shreddies and canadian kitkats they taste different down there
she could point out how we spell some words different like colour, neighbour

 

[calena]

Coffee Crisp
Butter Tarts

 

[Harlie]

One thing I noticed is Coke and Pepsi is different here in Canada in comparison to the US. At home we like Coke and in the US we don't We prefer Pepsi in the US but dislike it here.

Poutine is also Canadian. Bacon here is way way better thicker and ymmy! In the US its paper thin and not as good!

Have her get the kids to try and spell Saskatchewan haha that should be fun! Maybe give the kid that gets it right a box of smarties!

The Crooked Trees in Saskatchewan are neat! http://www.cbc.ca/sevenwonders/wonder_crooked_trees.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mubbB3WOCRw

And of course the Best thing to teach these kids is How to Bleed Green! See my Siggy below!

 

[goldwest]

Have any of you ordered ice tea in the states - it is literally tea with ice. I bet they would enjoy some Canadian style ice tea.

 

[Jareds_mommy]

Have any of you ordered ice tea in the states - it is literally tea with ice. I bet they would enjoy some Canadian style ice tea.

in the US our ice tea is closer to sweet tea in the south

 

[momlee4]

Hi!

This isn't distinctly Canadian, but I thought I'd share it here. When we were at Disney several weeks ago, we ate at Hoop Dee Doo and Liberty Tree Tavern. Both are buffets served family style all you can eat dinners. That means they bring a ton of food to the table for you to share. My brother in law commented to the server that there must be alot of food wasted at these places, because we certainly left alot of food behind, not because it wasn't good, there was just so much! The server replied "That's because you're Canadians! We Americans eat a whole lot more. " And he was not joking.

Also, the same waiter caught me saying "eh" several times, though I didn't think it was a part of my language. Quite funny, it just popped out like I had no control, eh!

 

[Eeyore's the Best]

hey kath...i bet your surprised to see your thread go all controversial, eh? how about Campus Quiz?....lol

My suggestion is Beaver Tails! did somebody already say that?

 

[Mickey's Best Girl]

hey kath...i bet your surprised to see your thread go all controversial, eh? how about Campus Quiz?....lol

My suggestion is Beaver Tails! did somebody already say that?

Hey buddy!

They used to sell Beaver Tails at the Canadian Pavilion in EPCOT.... no more though Apparently they were too costly to keep around

 

[new2disx3]

Hi!

This isn't distinctly Canadian, but I thought I'd share it here. When we were at Disney several weeks ago, we ate at Hoop Dee Doo and Liberty Tree Tavern. Both are buffets served family style all you can eat dinners. That means they bring a ton of food to the table for you to share. My brother in law commented to the server that there must be alot of food wasted at these places, because we certainly left alot of food behind, not because it wasn't good, there was just so much! The server replied "That's because you're Canadians! We Americans eat a whole lot more. " And he was not joking.

Also, the same waiter caught me saying "eh" several times, though I didn't think it was a part of my language. Quite funny, it just popped out like I had no control, eh!

The portions in the states are HUGE! We went to Pennsylvannia last year to do some shopping. At the outlet mall we at at Arby's and I couldn't believe the size of their combos. My small drink and fries were like out large