Canada – the American way of life under the sign of the maple leaf

The language(s)

Canada is officially a bilingual country – English and French. But it is not a matter of course that both official languages are spoken and understood everywhere. A person who wants to work in a company in the francophone province of Quebec must as a rule master French; a person who wants to do the same in one of the other provinces must usually speak English. A person who has a fluent command of both languages starts with an advantage.

Manners

In spite of the otherwise rather relaxed manners, in Canada great store is set by punctuality and good demeanour. Just like in England, there is neither pushing and shoving nor impatience. You get into a queue and wait for the question: Who is next? In a restaurant, you on no occasion choose the table yourself; this is allocated by the waiter/waitress. It is not desirable to sit down at a half-full table. If you don’t quite finish your meal, it is customary even in expensive restaurants, to have the rest of the meal packed up to take with you. In many places you are not allowed to smoke, or there are special areas for smokers and non-smokers. In public buildings and on public transport smoking is forbidden by law, and this includes most airports.
At a first meeting, it is customary to shake hands. Otherwise, a wave of the hand or a short nod of the head to say hello is enough. In the French speaking regions, bonjour is used instead of hello. Good acquaintances greet each other with an embrace as well as exchanging kisses on both cheeks. Visits announced in advance are generally seen as an expression of politeness. With regard to invitations to dinner, guests like to bring a little present with them, flowers for example, or a bottle of wine. During a conversation, you should avoid equating Canadians with US Americans. Difficult topics like the situation of the Native Americans or logging are to be avoided.

Eating and drinking

The multicultural society exercises a considerable influence on Canadian cuisine. Typical recipes and foodstuffs from other countries have been integrated and can be seen reflected in the breadth of Canadian cuisine. One particular feature is that practically every province prepares its own specialities. British Columbia is famous for fish, such as salmon or shellfish. Alberta on the other hand excels in its beef which is famous the world over. Another product typical of its region is maple syrup from the province of Nova Scotia and this is particularly tasty as an accompaniment to pancakes. European dishes can be enjoyed in most restaurants of the large cities - a result of the colonial influence which is still noticeable. It is in Quebec, in particular, that lovers of French cuisine will enjoy themselves. In most hotels and restaurants there is a good selection of European and American wines and spirits. In bars you will be served at your table or the counter and you pay for each drink as it comes. Opening hours vary from province to province, as does the minimum age for the purchase of alcohol – 18 or 19. By the way, spirits can only be bought in special liquor stores, so called Government Stores, or in restaurants which carry the title Licensed Premises. No question but that drinking in public, even in parked cars, is strictly forbidden. One tip: many restaurants allow their customers to bring their own wine, beer or maple syrup.

Sport

The national sports are lacrosse in the summer and ice hockey in the winter, ice hockey being an integral feature of Canada’s culture and identity. The Canadians hold the record number of world-championships in ice hockey, with 26 titles, even though the national team rarely goes on to the ice for international title matches with the best players available. Curling and baseball are also very popular. As a professional sport, football plays just a subsidiary role. In 2010, Canada is holding the Winter Olympics, the centres being Vancouver and Whistler.

Infobox

Area: 9,970,610 square kilometres

Inhabitants: 32,040,000 (March 2008)

Capital: Ottawa-Carleton (Province of Ontario)

Type of State: Federal Constitutional Monarchy
Parliament with two chambers (House of Commons, Senate)
Parliamentary rule with majority election (Direct election)

Administrative structure: 10 Provinces and 3 Territories

Official languages: English, French

Currency: Canadian Dollar (= 100 cents)

Memberships: Numerous international organisations, such as OSCE, WTO, OECD, IMF, World Bank, G7/G8, OAS, APEC, Arctic Council, Commonwealth, Francophonie

The Economy

The Canadian economy is in relatively good shape. Canada’s economy is dynamic and forward-looking: biotechnology, automobiles, IT, telecommunications, and aerospace and space technology. The innovative sectors, such as communications technology, alternative energy sources, biotechnology and nano technology receive focussed support and enjoy an increasingly large share in the country’s GDP. But alongside this, Canada has been and still is an important supplier of raw materials and agricultural produce. It can be counted amongst the largest global exporters of corn, and 46% of its land area is covered by forest (10% of the whole planet’s forested area). After the USA and Russia, Canada holds third place in the production of natural gas, 5th place in the production of electrical energy, 10th place in the production of oil, and has the second largest oil reserves on the planet, after Saudi Arabia. It is amongst the most important producers and processors of ores, metals, precious metals and minerals (including gold, zinc, nickel and copper). Canada is the third largest producer of diamonds and the world’s largest source of uranium, ahead of Australia, with 30% of the world’s total production. With economic growth uninterrupted over the last 15 years (in 2007: 2.8%) Canada holds the top position amongst the G8 countries.

Climate

A cold northern climate, with long cold winters and temperatures down to -35° C and short, hot summers with temperatures up to +35° C broadly characterises the larger part of Canada away from the coastal regions. Due to the size of the country the individual provinces are subject to differing climatic zones. The greatest temperature variations are to be found in the Prairie Provinces with temperatures up to +35° C in the summer and approx. -27° C in the winter. The maritime climate on the west coast seems appealing but there is high precipitation here owing to the damp air which comes from the ocean and deposits itself as rain at the western part of the coastal mountains. Seasons, as we know them can only really be experienced in the provinces of Quebec (Montreal) and Ontario (Toronto) – cold winters, mild weather in the spring and autumn, and also warm, at times even humid summer weather from July up to mid-September with average temperatures around 25° C. A tip: don’t forget insect repellent if you’re spending any time near lakes in the early summer!

Holidays

Holidays applicable countrywide are: New Year, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Victoria Day (the Monday before or on the 24th May commemorating Queen Victoria, also called May two-four weekend), Labour Day (first Monday in September), Canada Day (1st July to celebrate the British North America Act of the 1st July 1867), Harvest Thanksgiving (in Canada, the second Monday in October), Remembrance Day (11th November, commemorating the end of World War I), Christmas Day and Boxing Day (26th December).