• United States!

    United States: Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Go Now!

    United States
    Explore the vast openness and wildlife found roaming in the western United States, including Theodore Roosevelt National Park (pictured) in North Dakota. Begin Your Journey!

  • Trinidad & Tobago!

    Trinidad & Tobago: Beautiful Coastline. Go Now!

    Trinidad & Tobago
    These Caribbean islands mix Indian, African, and European cultures alongside beautiful beaches. Go Now!

  • St. Kitts & Nevis!

    St. Kitts & Nevis: Nevis Island. Go Now!

    St. Kitts & Nevis
    This island nation mixes aspects of European, African, and Caribbean culture... not to mention incredible beaches. Go Now!

  • Honduras!

    Honduras: Children. Go Now!

    Honduras
    The original banana republic, Honduras has made a name for itself with the banana trade; however foreign influences have also vastly altered the culture. Go Now!

  • Mexico!

    Mexico: Sunrise over the mountains in Puerto Vallarta. Go Now!

    Mexico
    Although many people just go for the beaches, Mexico offers impressive mountain vistas (pictured in Puerto Vallarta), great food, and historic ruins that compete with the best in the world. Begin Your Journey!

  • Barbados!

    Barbados: Pier on the beach. Go Now!

    Barbados
    This Caribbean island has hints of British culture, but is wholly Caribbean as well. Explore Barbados!

Culture & Identity of Canada

Introduction

Canadian Culture - Carriage in Victoria
Carriage in Victoria

There is no single way of life in Canada as the country is incredibly diverse. The (relatively) warm Vancouver has a urban vibe focused on nature, while the people in Nunavut seem to have few trees and winters last a long time. This lifestyle also vastly differs from the urban life in the country, with large cities like Montreal, Toronto, and others having a much different lifestyle than that of the rural areas. The last major difference in the way of life in Canada comes in the differences of ethnicities, from the English to French as well as with the many immigrants to the country.

Despite great diversity, an overwhelming percentage of the population lives in the cities, most of which are in the southern part of the country. These areas are a bit warming than the lands further north and today nearly every job is also located in these cities. However, the cities are growing quite diverse, particularly due to immigration so the lifestyle from neighborhood to neighborhood can be vastly different.

Canadian Culture - Fishing Village
Fishing Village

For most working urban dwellers life has a fairly regular routine with most jobs starting at about 9:00 am and ending at about 5:00 pm. During these times prior to and after work the roads tend to fill with traffic and public transportation options are filled. However, beyond this working schedule the way of life is quite drastically different from person to person. The English-speaking population tends to eat dinner earlier than the French who often eat as late as 9:00 pm. For families with children after-school activities take up much time, while for others evenings may be filled with socializing, watching TV, or any other number of things.

Weekends are also occupied in a huge number of ways. For some people religion is a central aspect of their life and attending church on Sunday is a regular part of their weekly routine. Of course for others this religion may be Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and others.

Canadian Culture - University of Toronto
University of Toronto

Although there are vast differences, there are also many similarities, particularly in the daily routine for most people. Another similarity is that most Canadians make enough money to have some discretionary income. This helps people enjoy their time off of work as they can afford to travel, go skiing or play hockey, go out for dinners and drinks regularly, or save money to buy a home. Where this money goes is individual, but for most people it does exist and that gives the people a great amount of freedom in their leisure time.

Identity

Although Canada knows its past and stands tall with pride for its present, more often than not, Canadians are individuals who find their uniqueness in each person's own way. Canadians identify by their ethnic roots, like French or Huron, by their provincial roots, like Albertan or Quebecois, by their religion, native language, or political leanings. Since more interaction among the Canadians is domestic, most people primarily identify in these more localized terms. However, when these Hurons, Albertans, Catholics, and Conservatives go abroad they proudly wear their maple leaf flag and proclaim themselves Canadian. This politically-defined identity is a very unifying identity, which includes all citizens and is often used as a form of identity when aboard and during important national holidays.

This page was last updated: November, 2013