My First Impression of Canada

                                             (version 6, final, after 5-th correction)

I am still not familiar with too many aspects of life in Canada, but I would like to share my first impression about Canada.

I moved to Canada from Ukraine in September of 2015 so I am still a new settler in the country. Here, in Canada, I live in a small village, Burns Lake, in beautiful British Columbia with a population of over 2,000. Our city is located between two bigger cities, Prince George in the East and Prince Rupert in the West. My husband and I drove through this village from West to East and from East to West many times, so all my impressions are based on what I saw, heard, read, or was dealing with at that place.

Let me start!

I was impressed by the huge distances! Travelling 200-300 km for the local people is like going around the corner. So a car here is a vehicle and not a luxury, whereas in Ukraine it is still a luxury. Also, I was impressed by the multiculturalism here and the huge number of people of different nationalities who live peacefully. The people are polite, friendly, and tolerant, so no one criticizes anyone for their appearance: piercings, tattoos, green hair, etc. Nobody cares!

Here, there is a well-developed infrastructure for people with disabilities- from reserved wheelchairs to specially equipped busses.  Also, there is very strong financial support for the community. The different companies, firm, and private people donate money to their local community. Volunteering is something that has existed for a long time in Canada, and many people are involved and do it with a pleasure, whereas in Ukraine this is at an early phase. Here, all important documents such as PR Card, driver’s license, insurance card, etc., can be sent by mail, which is convenient and saves time. I can get any information without leaving the house or wasting any time with just a phone call or online transaction. Many times while the hardware store was closed but the fertilizer and ice melt were sitting outside the store, nobody stole them. I felt safe.

Canada has the imperial system of measurement while in Ukraine there is the metric system. So when someone asks me how tall I am in feet, I say “I don’t know”. When I buy potatoes, for example a 10 lb bag, I have to convert it to kilograms, or when I bake I use the conversion table from Celsius to Fahrenheit. The sales tax on most of goods and services which are not included in the price confuses me. Sales taxes in British Columbia comprise 7% PST (Provincial Sales Tax) and 5% GST (Good and Services Tax) which totals 12%. In my opinion it is a confusing situation, when I want to buy a dress listed at $100, but in total I would have to pay 12% more because of taxes. For example, in Ukraine all taxes (20%) are already included in the price, and everybody knows how much to pay, because the posted price is final. Here, it is easy to return any unsuitable or defective thing at customer service within 14 to 90 days of purchase whit the original receipt. In Ukraine this is almost impossible. To return a product I have to fill a form, to explain the reason of returning, and attach a copy of my passport. Then, after due consideration, if I am lucky, they will return the money in three months.

 In Canada I can buy alcohol only in the provincially licensed shops. In Ukraine I can buy alcohol in any shop. For me it was strange to know, that I don’t have to include any information about my age, marital status, or a photo in my resume. In Ukraine the situation is the opposite. The photo, age, and marital status are required; -otherwise, the resume is not acceptable. As I know, in Canada, the employment history is written in the resume, while in Ukraine it is a very important document filled in by one’s employers.

It seems Halloween is as popular an event here as New Year or Easter in Ukraine, and people spend a lot of money during this time. For example, in Ukraine nobody celebrates Halloween because it is associated with monsters. I have seen a lot of Christian denominations in Canada unlike in Ukraine, where the Ukrainian orthodox church dominates. Even our small village with 2,000 people has approximately 15 churches. It seems the traditional Canadian maple syrup is in every house like a sushi in Japan or pasta in Italy. Even I have it!  According my observations all Canadians drink a lot of coffee! And as soon as the break begins, most people go to Tim Horton’s to pick up a cup of coffee. I was disappointed when I couldn’t find any Ukrainian food, which I miss so much: natural ray bread, roasted brown buckwheat, different kinds of salted fish, halva, cottage cheese, and whey. Or it seemed that the name of food was the same, but the quality here is lower. There are a lot of fat people, especially the young generation. The weather changes three to four times a day, so very often I can see people in shorts and flip-flops in the middle of the winter. I feel embarrassed when strangers ask me, “How are you?” whereas in my country it is not good manners to ask a stranger that question. Canadians love their little brothers, I mean, their dogs and cats. And I have never seen any homeless or stray animals.

 One thing that cannot be compared with Canada is its unique nature: endless forests, mighty mountains, fascinating lakes, and wonderful wildlife.

These were my first impressions about Canada, its people, and its situations. Some of them are funny, some are interesting, and some are sad. But despite this, my main goal here is accept that, take the best of it, and become a part of Canadian society.