Where are you from question?

[C&B Young]

We usually say Ontario, Canada and if they don't look confused then we too say where we live in relation to Toronto. Glad to hear we're not the only ones who handle it like that. That's why we like eating at Le Cellier, we usually end up getting a server from Southern Ontario who knows the geography (and they're equally impressed when we know where Welland or Kitchener is!).

 

[Sue M]

I say Winnipeg. This is often (not always!) followed by a blank stare at which point I say "...just north of North Dakota", a further blank stare "... about 8 hours from Minneapolis", which often gets us there.

We have run into a number of florida native cast members who not only knew where Winnipeg was, but had even been here (either friends or family from around Winnipeg).

What is more fun is when someone says, "Oh, you are from Canada! Do you know my friend X from Toronto?". So far, I have never known their friends . I guess a 24 hour drive is a little too much separation.

A funny story- While in NY, my sister-in-laws brother says "oh, I hear you're from Pt Moody, I have a friend who lives there." Don't know why but I asked who his friend was, and turned out the friend lives 2 door down from me
I did indeed know him!

To answer OP- I tell people I'm from Vancouver. Thanks to the Olympics last year most people now know where Vancouver is. Most never heard of Pt. Moody, unless you're from this area. It is in the Greater Vancouver Regional District, so while we're not exactly in the City of Vancouver- close enough!!

Then they ask- it's really cold there right? Um, no I tell them, we get the same weather as Seattle

 

[jsweeks@cogeco.ca]

We say Niagara Falls, and usually they think we are American, then I say Canada then we get.....ooohhhh!

 

[dis_guy]

We usually just go with "Canada". If they ask what part, we just say Alberta. That's when we usually get the glazed over look, if not we say "It's in the west, north of Montana". That usually ends it, especially if they don't really know where Montana is!

 

[Ted in Halifax]

I've given up explaining that Nova Scotia is east of Maine .... just adds to the confusion. My favourite game is guess where I'm from .... they can't place my maritime accent!

 

[Carina]

We usually say Vancouver Island - about 50% of the time peple ask if we like living in such a big city, and the rest of the time they seem to know where we mean. BUT having said that we have only travelled on the west coast of the US and to Yellowstone,

 

[Ken_Breadbox]

Last time we drove down, the overnight stop was Charlotte, NC. I went book shopping at Northlake Mall and my accent gave my Canuckness away, and so I got the "where are you from" question. I said "Waterloo, Ontario" and my jaw dropped when the clerk said she'd driven to Kitchener for Oktoberfest three years previous...

 

[Canadian Disney Mom]

I used to say New Brunswick, but then they always say "Oh, New Jersey!" or "Is that near Toronto?". So now we say "New Brunswick Canada, which is just north of Maine".

I don't even go down the Quispamsis road...

 

[modegard]

We usually just go with "Canada". If they ask what part, we just say Alberta. That's when we usually get the glazed over look, if not we say "It's in the west, north of Montana". That usually ends it, especially if they don't really know where Montana is!

We have had the exact same experience. Surprising how many don't know where Montana is as well.

 

[dvc deernut]

we usually say just north of niagara falls canada. If they say oh weve been there, then we add niagara on the lake, and sometimes they respond by saying oh weve been there thats wine country.

 

[Golden Amik]

I guess that is the advantage of living in Toronto. You say Toronto and they get it.

Growing up in Northern Ontario however I get where people are coming from on this. You might as well say 'Mars', and even then there times when you would still get blank looks.

Yup, this. I live in North Western Ontario. Even people in Ontario don't know where we live and stare blankly when I say we are geographically closer to Calgary.

I imagine I'll say, "Canada".

 

[Ikeifer]

Brantford, Ontario, Canada....an hour from Toronto and hope they can figure it out.

 

[Hemlock]

I just say Canada. It would be too difficult to explain where we live.

 

[hockeymomNS]

I say "Nova Scotia", they say "Nova what?"

Ditto

 

[spatulaqueen27]

I usually say Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, on the border of Michigan.

 

[canadiankim]

We always say toronto even though we are from Guelph..... No one seems to know Guelph but everyone seems familiar with Toronto!

I have the same problem, we are from Guelph too! Most people can't pronounce it when they see it spelt!

 

[Ted in Halifax]

I have the same problem, we are from Guelph too! Most people can't pronounce it when they see it spelt!

Gulp!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I have the same problem, we are from Guelph too! Most people can't pronounce it when they see it spelt!

Our GPS certainly can't pronounce it. Its like it doesn't like the vowels so it just leaves them out. We go to Guelph at least a couple of times a year for basketball, and she drives us nutty with her mispronunciation .

 

[LSmith]

Our GPS can't even pronounce 'Toronto' let alone 'Guelph'.

We've named her Sybil the III ( the last two were stolen out of our car).

 

[jenny-pooh]

To fellow Albertans I say Edmonton. To fellow Canadians I say Alberta. To Americans I say Canada. General to specific.