These are a few of my top discoveries about Canada upon
moving to Canada. To my Canadian friends/family, these may seem common sense to
you, and may even seem common sense to some of my American friends/family as
well. I did not know these things until I started visiting Canada regularly and
then moving here. These show my ignorance and lack of knowledge of the Country.
But truth be told, we simply did not learn ANYTHING about Canada in school.
·
Canada’s Money: It’s referred to as
Monopoly money, because that’s exactly what it looks like. What shocked me the
most was that Canada doesn’t print dollar bills; they have the “Loonie” coin in
place of a printed bill. After a little
research, I learned the "Loonie" $1 coin was introduced
on 1987. Shortly after the introduction of the loonie, there became a demand
for a $2 coin as well. So, in 1996, the “toonie” was created. These coin
dollars really through me for a loop, and for months after moving here I always
would accept dollars in change and when “coins” handed would think I would get
short changed. In addition, I had to get a new wallet that had a large change
department. Carrying around coins makes the wallet heavy!
·
I never knew that Canada
celebrated their Thanksgiving in October. I always assumed that they shared the
same Thanksgiving holiday as us. I have learned that Canada celebrates their Thanksgiving
the second Monday of October each year. Even though this always hasn’t been the
exact date, in 1957 it was declared to stay as this date by Parliament. The theme of the
Thanksgiving holiday also used to change each year over the decades to reflect
an important event to be thankful for. In its early years it was for celebrated
for the same reason as us, for an abundant harvest.
·
Boxing Day is the large shopping day for Canadians,
which is December 26. They are only starting to (in recent years) incorporate their
own Black Friday in November. The reason being is that the Provinces loose tons
of holiday revenue each year to the US because the popularity draws the
business down south. Stores are starting to adopt their own version of Black
Friday to keep the money local. Since Canadian
Thanksgiving is celebrated in October, we do not have this day off from work in
November and many Canadians will take this day off to travel south for the
shopping craze. My husband and I included!!
·
Canada is known for its “free healthcare”. About
30% of an average employees check is taken out to cover medical costs for their
Province. So is it really free? No. Because you are paying for it
automatically, everyone uses it! It takes you on average 2 weeks to get an
appointment with a doctor, and if you go to walk-in-care, you better bet you
will be sitting there all day waiting to see someone! I was shocked when I
called my doctor for an appointment and learned that I would have to wait 2
months to see him. Apparently he is well liked and you book your appointments in
advance. I’m the type of person that hates going to the doctor and waits till
the last minute when I absolutely should have seen someone days ago. This doesn’t
work well for me here, because I never can get in with my doctor unless I want
to wait a month to see him!
·
The Cost of beer and liquor is about twice the
cost of what it is in the US, in addition its taxed 12%. So an average 24pack
of beer is $44.00+12% tax = $49.40. Beer is definitely considered a luxury!
·
Minimum wage is at $10.00/hour. Significant
increase than the States, which sits at $7.50/hour.
·
You can get a decent paying job without higher
education. It’s not as common for high school graduates to seek a four year degree
right out of high school like in the US. More people attend trade type schools
or don’t achieve a higher level of education simply because it’s not needed to
make a decent living. If you want a specific career, then of you course you
still need your higher education.
·
Taxes are 12% tax on all items, including
clothing!
