10 interesting things to know about Canada

I just spent three weeks in Canada, which is usually a twice annual trip for our family since my wife, Natalie, was born and raised there. However, we now call Los Angeles home and Natalie just became a U.S. citizen in March; this is what her oath ceremony in Pasadena, California was like.

I’ve probably been to Canada over 50 times and no matter if I go to a new province (Canada has 10 provinces and three territories) or not, I always learn something new and am reminded about how different Canada is from the United States.

Most of my trips are to Ontario since that’s where Natalie grew up but I have been to Alberta, British Columbia, Quebec and the Yukon, too. On my most recent trip, we stayed in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). After filling up my rental car with gas, I noticed how different pumping gas is in Canada, which is what inspired me to write this story.

Here’s what happened: I went to get gas for our rental car and at the pump, I was asked how much I wanted to pay. I had no idea since it wasn’t my car and I just needed to fill it up. I didn’t want to overpay so I entered $30. After I checked the gauge, I put another $10 in and although the meter looked full, I wasn’t sure and didn’t want to get walloped by the car rental company so I put in another $5 worth. I later found out I that could have just chosen $100 because I would only be charged what I used, though it might take a bit of time for the gas station to release the hold.

I’d never seen this before so I started jotting down notes every time I encountered something interesting and different about Canada. Here they are, in no particular order:

1. You’ll see everything written in English and French
Canada has two national languages: English and French. And you’ll see evidence of this everywhere, from street signs to cereal boxes. It’s a great way to pick up a new language!

2. Store hours
Store hours are very different in Canada compared to the United States. On holidays in Canada, you can bet everything will be closed except perhaps Shoppers Drug Mart (a pharmacy, many with a small grocery section), even on Canada Day (July 1) which is their Independence Day. In the USA, on the Fourth of July, almost all the stores have sales. In Canada, you can expect stores to be closed on New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day
Canada Day, New Brunswick Day (1st Monday of August), Labour Day, Remembrance Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. In the United States, most stores are only closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day and sometimes not even. Another big difference is that in Canada, stores don’t open until 12pm on Sunday, I assume that began so people could go to church, though it seems the number of church-goers in Canada are declining.

3. Buying liquor
In Canada, you can’t buy liquor or wine in a grocery store like you can in the U.S. In Ontario, for example, you have to go to a Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) store, a provincial government-owned corporation and one of the world’s largest buyers and retailers of beverage alcohol. The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) sells liquor and wine, while The Beer Store sells beer. However, that’s about to change and as of January 1, 2026, groceries and convenience stores will also be allowed to sell wine, beer, cider, and low-alcohol ready-to-drink beverages.

4. Best potato chips
I don’t typically eat a lot of potato chips … except when I’m in Canada. They have such a fun variety of flavors, the best of which is ketchup. I still have no idea why they don’t sell them in the U.S. because Lay’s sells them north of the border. The general consensus seems to be that Americans just don’t have the same love affair with ketchup chips as Canadians do but that makes me question how many Americans have actually tried (and rejected??) ketchup chips? Because if all Americans tried ketchup chips, I’m pretty sure the majority would be hooked on the sweet and tangy flavor like me.

5. Milk in bags
Speaking of grocery stores… In Canada they sell milk in plastic bags and they have specially designed pitchers at home to plop them into. You can, however, still buy milk in cartons but it’s more expensive.

6. Everything is on sale for Americans
I love going to Canada for a number of reasons but I also love the fact that for Americans, everything is almost 30% off, thanks to the exchange rate. Every time I buy something with my credit card (which is 100% of the time), I get a notification from my bank showing the actual cost in U.S. dollars. The current exchange rate is 1.00 US Dollar = 1.3730409 Canadian Dollars or 1 CAD = 0.728310 USD. It makes it difficult to go back to the U.S. and pay regular prices without always calculating that 30% discount.

7. Canada uses the Metric system and British English
In Canada, they use the Metric system, which takes some time getting used to. I have some tricks to help me convert temperatures from Celsius to Fahrenheit. For example, 16 degrees Celsius is 61 degrees Fahrenheit. Knowing that helps give me an approximation of temperature both up and down from that mark. If you want an exact method of calculation (because your phone is out of juice or you just love math!), here’s how you’d figure it out: Start with the temperature in Fahrenheit (e.g., 100 degrees). Subtract 32 from this figure (e.g., 100 – 32 = 68). Divide your answer by 1.8 (e.g., 68 / 1.8 = 37.78). When I’m driving, I use Waze to ensure I don’t go over the speed limit since Waze will calculate your speed in whichever measurement you set. Canadians also spell using British English, not American English so expect to see ‘colour’ not ‘color’ and ‘neighbour’ not ‘neighbor’.

8. Don’t confuse your candies
If you hear someone talking about Smarties in Canada, you may assume they’re talking about those small, round powdery candies you typically see at Halloween. However, in Canada, Smarties are a small, round candy-coated chocolate more akin to M&Ms. The powdery candies we call Smarties are actually called Rockets in Canada.

9. Foods may look and taste a little different
Certain food additives that are permitted in the United States are banned in Canada. Here are some examples. Other examples include Froot Loops, for instance.

American Froot Loops are different colours than Canadian Froot Loops.
byu/thewhiteponyproject inmildlyinteresting

According to this NY Post article, “the ingredients label on an American box of Froot Loops touts synthetic food dyes like Red 40 and Yellow 6 — which are made from petroleum — while the Canadian version of the cereal contains more natural dyes like concentrated carrot, watermelon and blueberry juices.”

10. Loonies and toonies
In the United States, we use paper money for our $1 and $2 bills. But in Canada, those paper bills have been replaced with coins. The loonie, a $1 coin, was introduced in 1987 and is so called because of the loon on the back of the coin. The loonie was so well-received that the toonie, a $2 coin, was introduced in 1995. While it has a polar bear on the back of the coin, the word ‘toonie’ was coined, a portmanteau of the words ‘two’ and ‘loonie’. Replacing the paper bills with coins was done not just as a cost-saving measure but also due to pressure from transit groups and vending machine operators.

I hope you had fun reading this article and that it inspires you to visit because Canada is not only so close and a great value, it’s different in unique and unexpected ways you’ll have fun discovering!

KEEP READING:

–12 passport tips that will save you time, money and headaches
–The most important thing I do when I travel internationally is …
–Rick Steves got pickpocketed in Paris: Here’s what he wants you to know
–The most important thing for travelers to do according to a safety expert
–What you need to know about renewing or getting an emergency passport in the U.S.

Want more travel news, tips and deals? Sign up to Johnny Jet’s free newsletter and check out these popular posts: The Travel Gadget Flight Attendants Never Leave Home Without and 12 Ways to Save Money on Baggage Fees. Follow Johnny Jet on MSN, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube for all of my travel posts.