Canadians Shared 8 Things That Are Wildly Different In The US & America Is Complicated
From politics to activities, there are so many disparities.
The United States and Canada, while part of the same continent, are wildly different just over the borderline. In fact, two Canadians shared with Narcity all the biggest cultural changes seen in the States compared to their country...and America seems so much more complicated!
Idriss Bouchatal lives in Canada and Meghan Bouchard grew up in Montreal, but she now resides in Florida. They say from the political presence all the way down to the number of activities, there is so much more to consider when traveling to the U.S., according to these visitors.
Below, we compiled a list of the shocking differences between both countries.
There's a prevalent political divide in the U.S. rather than Canada.
"The political divide in the U.S. between republicans and democrats is very present in the culture and in the way people interact," Bouchatal said.
He mentioned that it's not necessarily a focal point for Canada and the same goes with religion. He says there's a more clear separation between church and state.
There's presence of guns is felt a lot more in the U.S. than Canada.
In the U.S. guns are a hot-button issue and are sold at places like local Wal-Marts. The right to a firearm is a Second Amendment right in the U.S. Constitution that is still being brought up as a campaign pain point in politics today.
Bouchatal, who visits Florida, often, said that he saw signs all the time advising where you can open carry.
"One thing that surprised me in Florida particularly was the 'no guns allowed' signs on the doors of commercial buildings. This isn’t as much of an issue in Canada," he told Narcity.
Healthcare in Canada is way cheaper, but the U.S. has more doctors available.
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Affordable healthcare has been an ongoing debate in the U.S., and Bouchard, who now lives in America, confirmed there's a stark contrast.
She says the U.S. has hefty medical bills, but, on the flip side, there are more available doctors.
"When I was in Canada," she said, "it would take forever to be able to see a doctor (even the emergency room) but I never end up having bills come in for it."
The U.S. is more culturally different than Canada is (except in Montreal).
"The American Dream," as many call it, is one of the reasons why the U.S. prides itself on being a culturally diverse melting pot.
Bouchatal said that aside from Montreal, the rest of Canada has a pretty similar culture.
"You won’t feel much difference in culture between Ontario and British Columbia, for example, as you would between South Carolina and California."
Bouchard, a Montrealer, agrees in the respect that the province mirrors much of the States, as far as cuisines.
"I lived in Montreal and I find that their food was more diverse. If I wanted Haitian food or Nigerian food it was easier to find than here. It has a more diverse selection of international foods," she said.
With so many cultures, it can be difficult to get adapt to different states, or for a Montrealer's case...choose where you want to eat!
Americans are more approachable with "small talk" rather than Canadians.
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In some regions of the United States, Bouchatal says Americans are way more "approachable and willing to engage in small talk," while Canadians are more "individualistic."
This isn't far off from what one TikToker said back in December after visiting Atlanta, GA. The creator, Chris Zou (@storiesofcz) mentioned in his video that "Southern Hospitality" is unlike what you'd see in his hometown of Toronto.
Everything in Canada is translated in English and French.
Canada has two official languages (English and French), whereas, the U.S. doesn't have an official language.
In Canada, everything is translated into both languages, such as signs, stickers on food, etc.
Bouchatal noticed that the second most popular language in the U.S. would be Spanish, but it's not marked as an official language.
The currency and measurement system is an obvious difference.
The United States has an obvious difference in currency as America has the U.S. dollar and Canada has their own form of currency.
"Obviously the currency is different but Canada uses coins for one and two dollars whereas the US has bills, which takes some adjustment to," Bouchatal said. He joked that U.S. money makes your wallet "fat."
As far as the measurement system, America gets a bit complicated because the country is one of the few globally that still use the Imperial system, while most of the world is accustomed to the metric system.
There are so much more activities in the U.S.
Bouchard, who now lives in Florida, boasted about how much there is to do in America vs. Canada.
"There are a lot more activities to do in Florida! You can go to Devil's Den, the Everglades, the beach, and so many other things to do. Montreal was a small city so it was limited in things to do, I found," she said.
It's a positive for Americans to have so many choices it can be difficult to choose!