Hi everybody this is my first post on this website. I have always been secretely interested in the Canadian culture, but we are not taught much about it in the states. I've been reading around the forums and I must say it's pretty interesting. I am now doing a project for school where we had to pick any cultrue and a aspect about it to study and report on. I picked the American-Canadian culture and i'm curious as too the basic feelings of those people towards the Americans as well as the French. Is there a underlying national hate of one or is it all friendly, are any of the cities separated by the french and americans etc?

Also how are the decisions of what America does effecting the Canadians as a country. Is closing gitmo going to cause any troubles across the boarders, is our national debt hurting your economy? Just different things like that,i'm not really asking for a story for a response just kind of what you have the most to say about any of this because personaly I would rather see what an average Canadian thinks over some news reporters and journalists.

Thanks in advance for anybody that chooses to help me.

   

I also have always been interested in the Canadian Culture as well.

My grandfather, his father, and his all lived and grew up in Canada before the family moved down into the states. I can see, and have experienced, some Canadian influences in our family. One reason why I would like to move up there.

I would try www.wikipedia.com and just search "canada" and you will get all the facts you need.

Maybe there is someone who lives in Canada on here who would be able to exchange Emails or IMs to help you out.

   

French? From France, or Quebecois? The former, we don't think about much. The latter, well, they are 'us' so we don't think any differently of them than we do of ourselves.

Basic feelings toward Americans? I'd say the way you feel about close family. Cousins or the like. We wish them well, help where we can, and go out for beers on Fridays.



National hate? No. Regional 'spats', yes. Nothing that can't be worked out though, if Torontonains would only shut the f- up.



If the US gets a sniffle, Canada catches the flu. Everything you do affects us in some way. Which is why we know far more about you that you probably do.

Your unregulated stock market and banking industry has affected the whole world. Our banking system is quite fine, but lack of confidence in banks everywhere has hurt ours. We didn't let people who couldn't afford to buy houses to purchase beyond their ability - yet our housing sector is taking a beating because of the US crash. Our economy was basically going very strong, but since yours is in recession, it directly affects ours. It is most unfair.

As for Gitmo - well that's debatable. Some feel that is has been your biggest mistake, and the sooner you end it, the better. Some never want it closed.



No worries. Keep 'em coming.

   

Thanks for the answeres. So getting this straight there is no completely real thing as a French-Canadian anymore? I know on the founding of Canada it was a lot of the french but have they basically dissolved into just being a canadian?

   

Quebecois. They are French speaking Canadians. That is the proper word, at least.

Which is why I asked if you meant 'French' from France, or Quebecois. 'French' to a Canadian means 'from France'. 'Quebecois', 'Quebecker', 'Francophone' all mean 'French Canadian', but with subtle differences.

I don't think you'll find a 'Canadian' who doesn't speak a little French. Even one who grew up speaking only French probably speaks a little English too, and vice versa.

I'm one of the stubborn asses who sees no difference between French or English Canadian. But, I'll probably get corrected real soon now.

   

LoL ok well that works

So i'm watching some news stories now and curious to see how the canadian media is taking interest. For example the fact of Obama sending so many more troops to Afghanastan im sure this includes the Canadian forces.

Another thought is, what is your biggest economic related problem right now and do you think its come about due to the U.S. actions. Our biggest economic problem I think is the amount of jobs that are being lost daily.

   

The two popular winter sports here are Hockey and American Politics. We have never really 'lost' interest.

More troops in A'stan is a good plan. But we are a seperate country after all, we do control our own troop strength and deployments. We are leaving A'Stan in 2011. The US should have sent the 50,000 they promised in '02, then we might be out of there already.



Fear. Plain and simple. There is nothing really wrong with the economy in general, but the Auto sector has hit a bump. The Banking fear from August has rippled through everything, and everyone is cutting back. And that is costing jobs.

I go to the malls, and it a madhouse. Strange, considering it's a 'recession'. Me personally - I don't see this 'recession'. I see fear, starting back in March with Bear Stearns, and continuing till today with GM. A lot of greedy people lost a lot of money that didn't really exist anyway, now they want a Mulligan.

Me, I'm going to buy a new truck next month, just like I planned to do 3 years ago.

   

Hi curiositism. Well, I can only speak for myself but I'd say our feelings toward Yanks is one of recognition of our similarities but resentment when the presumption is made that similarity=same. Whereas the States exults in its successes (and buries and/or rebrands its failures), Canada by and large in an embarrassed manner tucks away its successes, preferring to enact the "Tall Poppy Syndrome" on them. That is to say, we bring our successes down to the same level as everyone else so that they don't get too cocky.


No more so than any other culture. No large group of people will feel the same way on any two matters. Generally speaking, you'll find a greater tolerance of diverging opinion in the cities as opposed to the towns and I think you'll find the same to be true around the world. Which is not to say that you won't find pockets of foolishness in the cities to be sure.


Hi Elephant. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is mouse.

Given our respective populations, the U.S. sneezes, Canada gets the cold.


That hinges on your politicians and what they see to be in it for them. If closing Gitmo is used as a pretext for making crossing the border in either direction enough of a pain that nationals from either country will avoid it, then clearly it will cause issues. As for your national debt, well, all things considered, it'll be more of an issue for you than us although that's not to say it won't affect us.


No sweat. We're all living in interesting times and hopefully the positive connotation of that will apply over the long haul. We're in a time when extremists of whatever bent can have disproportionate influence and it's the extremists that we must be most mindful of. It's terribly easy to hate and terribly easy to assign blame to one particular group. This doesn't, however, make it correct least of all right. The true challenge in times like this will be maintaining that kind of perspective when all and sundry around would prefer a two-minute hate.

HTH
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