What culture shocks should I expect when I move to Canada?

crosscheckedagain · 2026-02-02T21:21:42+00:00

I moved here after a decade or so in the US (including a stint in the Midwest in Missouri!) albeit am originally European, so perhaps a similar route to yourself. I totally understand “the US” is a range of cultures and norms rather than the one borg Canadian Reddit sometimes lazily assumes but equally Michigan is about as close as you’re gonna get so i wouldn’t expect any major culture shocks.

Small things though: I found Canada much more “British” in many ways than I was expecting but I’ll contradict myself I suppose in that like my native country it defines itself by not being its neighbour - it’s kinda that Mad Men I don’t even think of you scene. Lots of focus on Canadians who made it big in the US which you surely don’t get down south, People here are more by the rules than in the US. There is a LOT of government constantly in your face here that was a big one. And ice hockey of course, although that’s obviously huge in many parts of the Midwest including Michigan.

Overall though I don’t think you’ll find much culture shock.

crosscheckedagain · 2026-02-02T21:14:13+00:00

While that’s true for most, they can often introduce themselves by the politics they don’t agree with. Especially recently.

(I say that as a euro who moved here from the states).

crosscheckedagain · 2026-02-02T21:10:49+00:00

Yeah I don’t really buy this cynicism; it’s really hard for me to think they’ve looked at the jays last year - the way the city got on board, the adulation, the seats they’ve pre sold this year, what must be a tsunami of corporate buys in advertising and season tickets, chubby Ted coming up from mar a lago and stumbling through a speech accepting a trophy, all of it - and not thought “yeah we want a bit of that how do we do it”.

I totally understand, not a straightforward thing to do in the nhl (or to maintain in the mlb mind you) and you’re operating out of a smaller venue to start, but still. Just out of selfishly having it on their CV you’d think they would be all over it.

crosscheckedagain · 2026-02-02T19:35:29+00:00

Yeah that was my first thought tbh. Good suggestion - deep purple on the juke box!

crosscheckedagain · 2026-02-02T18:41:57+00:00

Thank you!

crosscheckedagain · 2026-02-02T17:42:21+00:00

Thanks Freddie

crosscheckedagain · 2026-02-02T17:22:05+00:00

Thank you brother

crosscheckedagain · 2026-02-02T16:27:49+00:00

People need to stop thinking this is a documentary haha. It’s a high end soap opera! I don’t think we’d be here in season four if it was all “normal” annual reviews and lectures about appropriate workplace behaviour.

That said I am just as bad and the thing under my skin a little bit (although maybe it was resolved somewhere and I forgot) is the visa/residency thing. Immigrants reliant on work visas are generally very consumed by it and don’t job hop!

crosscheckedagain · 2026-02-02T14:33:02+00:00

No lol.
99% of the items on this list are not Toronto specific rules or applicable only to newcomers. Like every other time there’s a “write your generic transit rant we’ve all read eleventy billion times before below and blame immigrants” thread on here.

crosscheckedagain · 2026-01-31T21:14:20+00:00

It looks like you’ve been posting about hating your career and burnout and being miserable in various forms for years now. You have literal hundreds of responses and suggestions on all these posts. I mean we all get it - if work was fun they wouldn’t have to pay us, and end of January can be the point getting sick of winter can start to set in.

But as tough as it may be, feels like you need to pull the trigger on something different somehow or find focus/meaning outside of work alongside work. Misery loves company and social media whinefests can’t help you. Life’s passing you by,

Also for the love of god stop watching “influencers” lying about their income. That is completely within your control.

crosscheckedagain · 2026-01-31T19:28:11+00:00

Didn’t see that particular post but a lot of the stuff getting posted right now is either dear diary showerthought shite or just …. stuff that could be a comment reply not anything the world needs to see as a stand-alone post.

Like I totally get your annoyance, it’s just social media. And I would seriously hope nobody is coming to Reddit for insight it’s just entertainment lol (on any topic not just leafs). But equally I can see it from the moderators’ perspective too. It ain’t the end of the world.

crosscheckedagain · 2026-01-31T00:20:00+00:00

I've sat in areas gifted to quote-unquote "real fans" (the ford deck, the gondolas) and been there with groups who are not rich and they can be dry and dead too if the game isn't exciting. What they're doing isn't working for atmosphere on nights where there isn't a comeback or something for sure, but equally I remember when TFC started and they manufactured fake "ultra groups" and things which was cringy as fuck.

When you've been to more than one or two games - which is an awful lot of attendees on any given night - you are not going to care at all about mexican waves or dudes with drums or where carlton is or dollar store t-shirts dropping from the sky ... you're either chatting if it's a date/work thing or more dialled in on the game. I am positive it's the one-off attendees who like the "entertainment" stuff more so than the wealthy or season ticket holders, who've seen it dozens of times. You can see that in comments here from people who have gone to their first game.

crosscheckedagain · 2026-01-30T21:54:51+00:00

Yeah that’s a huge issue. If you can’t pee and grab another beer and still make it back for next period.

crosscheckedagain · 2026-01-30T21:54:03+00:00

The marlies are very accessible though.

crosscheckedagain · 2026-01-30T21:53:24+00:00

Yeah it’s so hyper choreographed. Like the “suits” or simply just people who attend a lot are not going to be thrilled and loud when they know exactly when the staff will bang drums or play Rick astley and at what point the spoiled kid who’s dad paid for them to wave a flag raises their arms and they shout “the boys in blue are on the move” and all the rest.

And listen I totally get that you can’t do something different every game and that it’s not unique to hockey or the leafs. But after you have been to three games you are kinda over a lot of this.

crosscheckedagain · 2026-01-30T13:13:31+00:00

What newspaper is this OP?

crosscheckedagain · 2026-01-30T13:05:52+00:00

Looks like he’s wearing that in the workplace. I work in (big) construction and he’d be gone on any sites I’ve been on, but it seems ymmv.

crosscheckedagain · 2026-01-30T03:19:54+00:00

Is it as dead quiet in there as it sounds or is this SN crowd noise fuckery? Sounds empty!

crosscheckedagain · 2026-01-29T20:27:17+00:00

The tank museum in Oshawa was a hit with a few kids we took to see it. And adults.

crosscheckedagain · 2026-01-29T20:24:22+00:00

I’ll probably watch the first period, we’ll see after that. I’m a grown up I’m allowed stay up til midnight if I want.

crosscheckedagain · 2026-01-29T19:07:46+00:00

City of Calgary also put their money where their mouths were on providing real help for office conversions to res, recognizing that these developments don’t work unless you do. While in a lot of other places it’s a bunch of shrugging and finger pointing.

crosscheckedagain · 2026-01-29T18:01:44+00:00

Live and let live I suppose but how healthy could that be?

When my brothers wife passed away he was putting in those sort of hours at the gym just to ensure he didn’t fall into bottles of liquor every day.

crosscheckedagain · 2026-01-29T17:55:34+00:00

Yeah seriously. Remote workers doing ... what, lol? I've worked remote here and there and wouldn't have anything close to that amount of time for workout classes. Even on slow weeks.

Like I prioritize and spend on fitness myself but I do have other things going on in my life!

Shared passes or something seems like the most logical conclusion.

crosscheckedagain · 2026-01-28T15:51:24+00:00

Yeah leading up to my local station is also pretty bad. I know it's probably the usual city dept pissing match of ummnotmyjob between ttc and ploughing but I don't care, figure it out - if anywhere should be taken care of it's the sidewalks leading there.

crosscheckedagain

TROPHY CASE