# Canadian words and phrases



## canadian citizen (Aug 25, 2012)

Hi Folks.

I'm a life long Canadian, whose ancestors came here in 1801, over 200 years ago, from Cork. 

I though it might be helpfull to give you some clues about words and phrases that may be new to you. 

I'll start with some that deal with the Immigration process. 

CIC. Citizenship and Immigratiion Canada. The Federal Government ministry that deals with Immigration and later on, the granting of Canadian Citizenship. 

CBSA. The Canadian Border Security Agency. This is the Federal Agency that controls entry to Canada, at Ports of Entry, at either land crossings from the USA, or at International Airports. They are both Customs and Immigration officers, and they have Peace Officer powers of arrest, and are armed. When you arrive by air in Canada you will meet them, when you get off the plane, and before you can leave the "control zone " at ther airport. CBSA officers are there to inspect and interview ALL persons arriving in Canada. No person, other than a returning Canadian citizen, has a "right to enter Canada ". On any given day, across Canada, dozens of arrivals are "denied entry to Canada " for a number of reasons. Those that are denied are sent back to where ever they came from. 

RCMP.The Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Our Federal, national Police service, who have jurisdition in ALL parts of Canada. They assist CBSA with investigation and arrest of illegal persons, in Canada. Last year Canada deported about 15,000 illegal persons, from Canada, for various reasons. 

OK thats the enforcement group. 

Now, lets talk about the people that are here to HELP you, to adjust to life in Canada. 

Canada has a whole list of Government agencies that are here to help newcomers, with settlement , and advice. 

At the local level. Public education services, that can give you information about simple things, like how to get a drivers' license, a health card, or where your kids should register for school. Many of these services are located in the local library branch, or community centre. 

At the Provincial level. Each Province has a help service, that provides information, by phone, and or internet, about Provincial Ministries, and what they do for you. Education and health care are Provincial responsibilities, as are professional licences, and business registrations and vital statistics ( birth, death and marriage ) and labour laws and standards. 

At the Federal Level. The Federal Government of Canada is responsible for national legislation, and the day to day operation of the country's military, RCMP, and relations with other nations , outside of Canada. EACH part of the country has a Member of Parliament, who represents,YOUR location, Learn who your MP is, and remember that he/she is there to HELP you, if you need it. At the Provincial level, you also have a MPP ( Member of Provincial Parliament " who represents YOU, in the Provincial Legislature.

In most towns, there will be a Mayor, and a city council, and they are also there to help YOU. They are concerned with purely local affairs, not national ones. 

The local school board. A public agency that runs and maintains the local schools, both elementary, and high school. They hire and pay the teachers, who are all most universally unionised, and they encourge parental involvement, in the school's activities. Schools in Canada have a strict "locked doors " policy, that means that no person , including Parents, can just "walk in the door ". EVERY visitor must be "seen and signed in ", at the main office, before they can go any farther.

Community centres are built and maintained by the local council, for the use of the public. They are staffed and operated all day long, and many are open at night, for use, up till 10 pm. They usually have a gym, pool and general use rooms, and many are so large that they can have up to 4 ice rinks, a indoor soccer pitch, and a weight room and sauna. User fees apply, but are subsidized by the local council, through tax payers. 

Parks. With the large country that we have in Canada, even the smallest places have parks and trails, and many places have a "Conservation Area " that is set aside as green space, and cannot be built on, ever

. Imagine this.......The Trans Canada Trail, is a private right of way, that runs all the way across ALL of Canada, from coast to coast, more than 7,000 kilometres long. You can walk, ride a bike, a horse, snowshoe, cross country ski, and just explore this huge country, And the BEST part.....it is completey FREE to use. It was built as a national project by PRIVATE contributions, from individual Canadians, and Canadian business contributors. Do a Google for "The Trans Canada Trail "

So, what in the world is bannock ? Or, what is a 24 box ? 

Or how about a wolverine ? 

Stay tuned for the next episode.

By the way, lets hear from you. Questions are welcome.

Jim B

Toronto.


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## MR68 (Aug 27, 2012)

Hi Canadian
Hubby and I are from the UK, moving to Quebec (Montreal) hopefully soon  

Hubby is a fluent French speaker (of course otherwise they would not have let us in !!) and 8 year old son and I are beginners in French. 

I am the owner of an English language company (which I will be establishing in Montreal) and so VERY interested in Canadian English. 

I used to go to an American international school in my youth, so quite familar with US English, but I think Canadian English must be very different. 

Would love to hear from you re. some interesting Canadian words as I need to understand them (as well as French) once we are living in beautiful Quebec


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## canadian citizen (Aug 25, 2012)

canadian citizen said:


> Hi Folks.
> 
> I'm a life long Canadian, whose ancestors came here in 1801, over 200 years ago, from Cork.
> 
> ...


Hello again.

Bannock is a old fashioned type of pioneer bread, made in a frying pan, over a wood fire, when in the bush.

A 24 box, is two dozen beer, in a cardboard case. 

So onward.

Canadian words that you may not know.

Snow machine. A snowmobile, tracked, powered by a 4 stroke gasoline engine, and steered by skiis on the front. great way to get around in the bush in the winter. Many parts of Canada have marked snowmobile trails, that run for hundreds of miles, through the bush. Snowmobile clubs make week end runs as a group, usually ending up at a motel, where they have reserved a number of rooms, for the over night.

Snow tires. Many Europeans think that they can drive in Canada, in the winter, using "all season tires " . That is a huge mistake. BUY four winter tires, and use them, and in the spring, switch them for four summer tires, until the next winter season. Winter tires are made for the cold temps, and will STICK at minus 30 C, on ice. All seasons will NOT. 

Four by four. A truck or car that has "all wheel drive " . Good for traction in snow, BUT not good for stopping, if you drive TOO FAST. Many people, who have a 4x4 will over drive them, thinking that the four wheel drive system will help them stop better. WRONG. A tire that is sliding, because the brakes are locked up, will neither steer nor stop well. Look for the 4 by 4 SUV, in the ditch. 

The shed. A place for a married men to go to get away from the wife, and putter with his hobbies. Can be a simple structure, made of plywood, with a window, or it can be a palace, with electric power, propane heater, insulated walls and floor, and a flat screen TV. 

The recreation room. Usually found in the basement of a Canadian home. The place where the teenagers live, along with the laundry room , and the central heating and air conditioning systems, the central vaccum system and the brother in law, when his wife throws him out. 

Block heater. A electrical powered engine heater, for a vehicle, that you plug into the house outlet, before you go to bed , that keeps the oil, engine block and radiator warm enough, to allow a easy start up, in the morning. AN ESSENTIAL item in most of Canada. Don't forget to UN PLUG it, before you drive away, as that 100 foot extension cord is costly to replace. Don't ask me why I know that..........Grin.

Anti freeze. Engine protection fluid, that keeps the radiator of the car from freezing up, down to minus 50C. It is mixed to ensure that level of protection. Your mechanic will test it as a part of the "fall check up " inspection, along with the windshield wiper blades, and the safety of the brakes, lights and steering gear. Winter wiper blades are IMPORTANT, as they are rubber covered so that snow does not stcik to them, as summer baldes do. Have two sets of blades, one for winter and one for summer. Takes three minutes to change them over .

Winter safety kit. A bag that has a blanket, candles, a wool hat, gloves and a set of battery booster cables so you can start a car with a 'dead " battery, from a running car. Some snack bars, matches, and a bright orange flag, that you can tie to the radio anttena, for visibility, should you break down, far from town. I have seen cars that were buried, during a blizzard, that were completely hidden under six feet of snow. Remember that dry snow will be blown by the wind, and can form "drifts " around a car. If you are stuck, make sure that if the engine will run, that you remove the snow from around the tail pipe, or you may wind up dead due to carbon monoxide posioning. Did I mention a cell phone ? 

Volunteers. About one out of every three adult Canadians, is a volunteer, of some kind. They may be volunteer fire fighters, hospital helpers, swim instructors, or visitors for the elderly. Our teen agers MUST complete 40 hours of volunteer work, in each year of high school or they don't pass on to the next grade. 

Recyling. It is a BIG part of our society in Canada. Most locations, big or small have a formal municipal recyling program. If you don't follow the rules about how and when to put things at the street, you will get a visit from the by law enforcement officer, who will warn you, and give you printed information about how to do it, propperly. The compliance rate in Canada is about four times what it is in the UK, for recycling. We recyle just about everything that a private home can produce. Here in Ontario, beer and liquor and wine containers are worth ten cents each, if you take them back to where you bought them, and after a large party, the host makes a "bottle run " to get back the empty money, which may be enough to get a free case of beer. Our beer bottlles are reused, by the breweries, on average , 45 times, before they are broken up to be made into NEW bottles, again, Same thing for the aluminium cans. 

Ok lots to absorb, ask me anything about what I have written here.

Jim B

Toronto.


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## canadian citizen (Aug 25, 2012)

MR68 said:


> Hi Canadian
> Hubby and I are from the UK, moving to Quebec (Montreal) hopefully soon
> 
> Hubby is a fluent French speaker (of course otherwise they would not have let us in !!) and 8 year old son and I are beginners in French.
> ...


Well............... A few facts that you may not know, about doing business, in Quebec.

It is a French speaking Province, and in a attempt to "protect French language and culture " the Government of Quebec has passed some very restrictive laws. For only one example... Any sign on a business, of any kind in Quebec. must be in FRENCH, and any English lettering MUST be 50 percent smaller. All contracts, and business advertising must be in French only. Any professional person, must be able to conduct their profession, in French. So in order to be a Engineer, Medical Doctor, lawyer, or any thing else that requires membership in a professional organisation, you must be fluent in French. 

As a result of these restrictive laws, and a environment of "anti English people " in general, the Province of Quebec, in the last 20 years , has seen a large number of business head offices, that had been in Montreal, move to Toronto. IN addition about 700 thousand anglophones, who in many cases, were BORN in Quebec, have moved to other parts of Canada. Many of the English high schools that were located in Quebec now hold their class re-unions in Toronto, as that is where most of them fled to.

For most of the past 60 years, Quebec has been the "spoiled child " of Canada, who constantly threatens to "leave home " unless they are granted "special staus ' by the Federal Government of Canada. That type of financial blackmail has resulted in a massive amount of trasfer money being sent to Quebec, by the Feds. The irony is that those funds were collected FROM the other Provinces, as Federal taxes. So, in effect the other Provinces are supporting Quebec, who continues to thumb their noses at the rest of Canada. Canada is supposed to a be a "bi lingual country " and the Feds make sure that in ALL the other parts of Canada, Francophone services are available, at all Federal Goverment offices, even when there are NO French speakers in the location. 


Meanwhile. In Quebec, the rule is French ONLY when dealing with the Quebec Government Can you see now why so many Anglo Canadians are fed up with Quebecers ? And why so many have left Quebec ?

You may want to re-think your plans.

BUT don't just take my word about this.

Do some more research about the restrictive policies in Quebec, re language and culture, Francophone versus Anglo. 

Jim B

Toronto.


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## Nbaker (Aug 28, 2012)

*Correction*



canadian citizen said:


> CBSA. The Canadian Border Security Agency. This is the Federal Agency that controls entry to Canada, at Ports of Entry, at either land crossings from the USA, or at International Airports. They are both Customs and Immigration officers, and they have Peace Officer powers of arrest, and are armed. When you arrive by air in Canada you will meet them, when you get off the plane, and before you can leave the "control zone " at ther airport. CBSA officers are there to inspect and interview ALL persons arriving in Canada. No person, other than a returning Canadian citizen, has a "right to enter Canada ". On any given day, across Canada, dozens of arrivals are "denied entry to Canada " for a number of reasons. Those that are denied are sent back to where ever they came from.


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## Nbaker (Aug 28, 2012)

*Correction*



canadian citizen said:


> Just two correction to make:
> 
> CBSA: this refers to the Canada Border Services Agency vice the Canadian Border Security Agency - close, but just off a bit and often incorrect in similar ways.
> 
> ...


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## EVHB (Feb 11, 2008)

canadian citizen said:


> Our teen agers MUST complete 40 hours of volunteer work, in each year of high school or they don't pass on to the next grade.


 In Ontario they only need to do a total of 40 hours in total (from grade 9 to grade 12).



> every student who begins secondary school during or after the 1999–2000 school year must complete a minimum of 40 hours of community involvement activities as part of the requirements for an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD).


 Policy/Program Memorandum No. 124a


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## MR68 (Aug 27, 2012)

Hi Jim

I appreciate your comments on the very Frenchness of Quebec. Hubby and I are aware of this situation. He is a fluent French speaker, he lived in Paris for 3 years before moving to the UK to marry me (silly man ; ) 

I will be running an English language/Business studies school (Business English) so I reckon I will be in the perfect place to use a minimal amount of French in the classroom (ideally no French at all in my school as I will have an ENGLISH ONLY policy in all my classes as I do here in the UK). We will be teaching the local professionals/immigrant professionals advanced English, including preparation for English exams required for immigration to Canada. 

I believe what you say, I have been following the Anglo-French debate (which I gather has been raging in Quebec ever since Quebec came into existence) but fortunately I'm a big fan of French culture and not particularly fanatically ANGLO to be honest (although I love English I also love the French language which I think is utterly beautiful). 

My husband's father was Swiss educated, so I guess we are all a bit Francophile, otherwise, as you say Quebec would not have been our first choice. 

ps - your description of "shed" is exactly the same as British English. British men have a love of DIY (often to get away from the wife I'm sure !!!). I know a few people who have bought the more "posh" variety, the larger ones with heaters, proper windows, etc. to use as an office. UK houses are usually very small. So sheds are VERY useful. 

Love the idea of the "recreation room" in a Canadian basement. My son is 8 now, but I'm sure he would love to have one eventually ; 0 This is an utter luxury in the UK, and only a select few can afford houses big enough with basements or lofts solely dedicated to their teenagers ! In London and other large, expensive cities in the UK, most families (even quite well-off professionals) live in very small houses where there is hardly any room for anything (i.e. you can barely swing a cat in most rooms !!!) let alone a recreation room or large shed in the back garden. 

So once my husband has set himself up in his Montreal "shed" and my son in his Montreal "recreation room" I'll be able to devote myself to my decent-sized kitchen and separate office room, sounds like heaven to me !! 

I also look forward to buying lots of anti-freeze for my 4 x 4, as Quebec I gather goes into sub-zero temps for 6 months : O

ps- most Brits can totally relate to recycling stuff as well as volunteering. The UK is also a country full of charity workers and volunteers. In fact we "recycle" by giving away our stuff to charity shops and then buying other things from the same charity shop. All our charity shops and charity orgs. are run by volunteers. 

Do Canadians say "yard sale" as in the US ?


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## G-Mo (Aug 17, 2011)

canadian citizen said:


> Bannock is a old fashioned type of pioneer bread, made in a frying pan, over a wood fire, when in the bush.


Bannock is not a Canadian term, I believe if you look in to it you will discover it is a Scottish word of Celtic origin.

The Canadian bread you are referring to is of Native American origin, not pioneer.



canadian citizen said:


> A 24 box, is two dozen beer, in a cardboard case.


I, being Toronto born and raised, have never, ever, heard of two dozen beer referred to as a 24 box (twenty-four box)... It is either referred to as "a case of beer" or, more likely, a 2-4 (two-four), e.g. I'm going to The Beer Store to get a 2-4 of Canadian for the long weekend.



canadian citizen said:


> Volunteers. About one out of every three adult Canadians, is a volunteer, of some kind. They may be volunteer fire fighters, hospital helpers, swim instructors, or visitors for the elderly. Our teen agers MUST complete 40 hours of volunteer work, in each year of high school or they don't pass on to the next grade.


My niece just competed high school in Ontario (in a private school) and didn't have to perform a single hour of volunteer work.


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## G-Mo (Aug 17, 2011)

MR68 said:


> I appreciate your comments on the very Frenchness of Quebec. Hubby and I are aware of this situation. He is a fluent French speaker, he lived in Paris for 3 years before moving to the UK to marry me (silly man ; )


Did you know that Parisian French is significantly different to Quebecois French? And the hybrid, Franglais, is even more bizarre! Having lived (briefly) in both Montreal AND Paris, I can attest to the unusual differences between the two. 



MR68 said:


> I also look forward to buying lots of anti-freeze for my 4 x 4, as Quebec I gather goes into sub-zero temps for 6 months : O


Aren't you going to Montreal? No need for a 4 x 4 in Montreal... Buy a car with good airbags so you are safe when the idiots in 4 x 4's hit you.



MR68 said:


> Do Canadians say "yard sale" as in the US ?


I hear it occasionally referred to as yard sale, but, most commonly, "garage sale".


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## Helrig50 (Sep 7, 2011)

G-Mo said:


> Did you know that Parisian French is significantly different to Quebecois French? And the hybrid, Franglais, is even more bizarre! Having lived (briefly) in both Montreal AND Paris, I can attest to the unusual differences between the two.


I can attest to that too. My high school French helped a bit in Montreal but there were so many words and phrases I didn't understand, I could swear it was a different language.





G-Mo said:


> Aren't you going to Montreal? No need for a 4 x 4 in Montreal... Buy a car with good airbags so you are safe when the idiots in 4 x 4's hit you.


lol! Yeah, watch out driving in Montreal, they're feral. I refuse to drive when I'm in Montreal. My husband's from there and he does all the driving whenever we visit. I've seen so many insane maneouvers on streets there, and outright obnoxious aggression. No such thing as merging or etiquette. It's dog-eat-dog while seeing who chickens out first.  

A useful thing there though is the remote car engine starter so you can have your car warmed up before you have to get in it. Very handy for those 30 below temps.

I love Montreal though.


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## MR68 (Aug 27, 2012)

Yes, husband has been to Montreal and has lots of friends there. He has a Parisian accent obviously, but we can both hear the very different Quebec accent quite clearly. Here in the UK we can get French language channels on satellite. We often listen to Quebec radio stations and TV channels - trying to get used to their expressions. 

We have lots of morons in BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, etc 4 x 4 over here in the UK too, usually they are a certain sort of "house wife" in a hurry to get their kids to/from school. 

Ok "garage sale" makes sense as a concept. 

Are there car boot sales in large parking lot areas in Canada ? We usually have car boot sales over here rather than garage sales.


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## MR68 (Aug 27, 2012)

I love the remote starter kit for cars. What a brilliant idea ! 

Any one who has driven in London, Rome or Paris, will be very familiar with Montreal drivers. 

Thankfully I'm a London driver, so completely used to morons on the roads, esp. taxis and "white van man" type of driving. I doubt Montreal is worse than London. Don't forget London has a day time population of over well over 10 million. Montreal has a population of 3.8 million, so is significantly smaller than London. 

Brits are very good at observing driving rules, but not all. Some are complete lunatics on motorways and dual carriage ways (ps - do you say "highway" instead of "motorway" over there ?) 

In London we also have a huge number of newly arrived immigrants, not all whom are good at observing British driving etiquette (oooohhh what a nice French word !!)

In fact I think most English speakers would be surprised, if they found out that that the vast majority of so-called English words derive from Latin, many from French ! Whether we like it or not modern English has been heavily influenced by the French langauge (in the UK due to the Normans coming over in 1066). 

This is not a bad thing. Greek, Latin and French have enriched the English language. Without their words, English would never have reached over 3/4 of a million words. English has the largest and richest vocabulary of any world language (people think Chinese or Russian have more words - but this is not true - it's ENGLISH). 

The Oxford Dictionary lists over 3/4 of a million English words (most are NOT from Anglo-Saxon origin of course but a blend of Greek, Latin and French - French of course being a "Latin" language as well).

I am a beginner in French as I have forgotten all the French I learned at school over 25 years ago ! But reading even advanced French texts (I did lots of reading to prepare for my Quebec interview in Paris) I was astonished that I could actually work out 60% to 70% of what I read, just from my knowledge of English !


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## jawnbc (Apr 28, 2012)

French in Montréal is as standard as French is in Paris: in everyday settings people use the local _argot_; in more official or formal settings they switch to standard French. Kids study French in school, not _québécois_. Whether you're moving to Vancouver or Montéal you will be speaking the Canadian dialect of either official language: no lorries or flats; trucks and apartments. Nor arachides (pinottes) or pommes de terre (patates). It's about embracing the new and having realistic expectations.

I used to tell people that Canadians speak French like New Yorkers speak English--until a colleague pointed out it's more akin to how Glaswegians speak English. Once you get used to the cadence and accent it's French.


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## EVHB (Feb 11, 2008)

French is my 2nd language, but I'm still having difficulties to understand the 'Canadian/Quebecois French' (the French that I hear in my French immersion school). (and the students ask me or my son to speak 'real' (Parisian) French, because they like that accent.


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