Areebah Bint Ayaz

Research - Stereotypes
Busting myths - Top 10 Canadian Stereotypes
1. We say eh? after everything.
Some people do this but most Canadians don’t. Aside from frequent use, it is also said to
be a reflection of Canadian identity because it connotes politeness, friendliness, and
inclusivity. It also becomes a habit to some people and just ends up in their vocabulary.
This doesn’t mean everyone uses it and is influenced by it.

2. Everything and Everyone Runs on Tim Hortons

Be it going on a road trip, or just a quick drive to the store, we stop at Tim Hortons for
coffee. It’s very common for someone to go on a Timmies Run. It’s cheap and addictive.

3. There are Polar Bears Everywhere

Canada does have the highest population of Polar Bears on earth, but we don’t live in
harmony with them. Well, except for Churchill Manitoba where polar bears really do hang
out downtown! And in Churchill they do roam the land freely

4. Everybody Plays Hockey

At some point, most Canadians (who grew up in Canada) played hockey or learned how to
skate. We do win the Olympics a lot and we do win world’s and world Junior’s a lot. And
Canadians really do jump on the bandwagon during these events. All of a sudden the entire
country is talking about hockey!

5. Winter Lasts Forever and Its Always Cold

Canada has a very hot summer. Canada has four seasons and it is only freezing during the
winter months from November – March in most of the country. We regularly go above 30º
Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) and have reached 40 Celcius (104 Fahrenheit) with
humidity. We have heat alerts and we crank our air conditioners just like the warmer
tropical countries do. This year in British Columbia the temperatures reached 46 degrees
Celsius! (114 F)

6. Everybody Speaks French

This is one of those Canadian Stereotypes that I wish were true. The province of Quebec is
our French speaking province. Sure there are many Canadians that are bilingual, but most
of us are not, I am afraid.

7. We eat everything with maple syrup

Canada is the largest producer of Maple Syrup in the world, but most is for export. While it
is fun to go snowshoeing in the winter through maple forests (where maple syrup is
tapped) we don’t all eat maple syrup and certainly not with everything.

8. Canadians say Out and About like “Oot” and “Aboot”

 Canadians do not say oot and aboot. We do say “out” with a different accent than
Americans. They pronounce it more like “owt” while we pronounce it more like “oat”.
They open their mouths a little more and pronounce it with more of an ouch sound. We are
more closed with our pronunciation and lean a little more towards the word oat.

9. We all live in igloos

No one lives in igloos in Canada. Even in places like Inuvik, the Yukon or Nunavut,
people do not live in igloos where it is always cold. Igloos are temporary shelters and
perhaps when out hunting the Inuit of northern Canada might make temporary shelter, they
live in warm houses with electricity and everything the rest of the time.

10. We say sorry all the time

I don’t know what it is about our culture that makes us so apologetic, but Canadians are
always apologizing. Always! Sorry is a very true Canadian stereotype. Whenever we put
the question out there on social media, people always tell us their funny “sorry stories”

Meme for backdrop:

Song for Pre Show:

Oh Canada! - National Anthem