Moving from Ontario to B.C., I expected to notice the big differences. The mountains. The ocean. The weather. The fact that a two-hour drive can take you somewhere that looks completely different.
What I didn’t expect was to start noticing all the little things I had always assumed were just Canadian but were actually very, very specific to Ontario. Here are 10 surprising things I didn’t know were Ontario-specific until I moved to B.C.
Going “up north”
In Ontario, you can drive a couple of hours north of the GTA, see some trees and a lake, and confidently announce that you’re “up north.” You don’t even necessarily need to say where. Everyone knows what you mean: cottage country, a lake, a dock, a fire, mosquitoes — and basically “past Barrie.”
In B.C., you can drive two hours north of Vancouver and still be in Whistler, surrounded by mountains, and people here still don’t call it “up north.” True “up north” here feels like something much farther away, like Prince George and beyond. Further than, like, Barrie, lol.
Bagged milk
I genuinely thought this was a Canadian thing. You know: buy the milk, put the bag in the plastic pitcher, snip the corner, pour.
Then I moved to B.C. and discovered that apparently most of the country has been buying milk like normal people this entire time.
Calling May long weekend “May 2-4”
In Ontario, you don’t necessarily say “May long weekend.” You say “May 2-4.” And everyone knows what you mean, even if May 24 isn’t necessarily the actual date of the long weekend.
It’s the unofficial start of summer: first cottage weekend, first BBQ, first time camping. Then you move to B.C. and realize people just call it May long weekend. Or “Victoria Day.” I genuinely didn’t know “May 2-4” was an Ontario thing.
Tim Hortons on every corner
Yes, there are Tim Hortons in BC. But it’s just not the same as in Ontario. Growing up in Ontario, Tim’s was the coffee chain. There seemed to be one everywhere — on your commute, at the gas station, in the grocery store, basically anywhere you might suddenly decide you needed a coffee.
In B.C., I noticed there was much more of a local coffee-shop culture. Vancouver in particular has tons of independent coffee shops, and people seem much more likely to have their favourite neighbourhood spot. And while Starbucks seems to be the go-to chain here, there are also plenty of local and regional favourites, like JJ Bean and Blenz Coffee.
Hearing “eh” all the time
I don’t actually say “eh” that much myself, but I never realized how often I heard it growing up in Ontario. Since moving to B.C., I’ve noticed it much less. Instead, I hear “hey” a lot more.
It’s such a tiny thing that I never would have thought of as Ontario-specific. But once you notice it, you can’t unhear it.
Playing euchre
I recently got back into playing cards with friends and mentioned I wanted to start playing euchre. My friends here had no idea what I was talking about. I used to play a ton of euchre in university, and my parents still play it, so I always thought it was a pretty common card game.
But it doesn’t seem to be nearly as popular here in B.C. Or maybe I am just very old…
Beer Store / LCBO being your only alcohol store
In Ontario, I was so used to the Beer Store and LCBO being the (government run) places you went for alcohol that I never really questioned it. But in BC, I was surprised to learn there are a number of privately owned stores that sell beer, wine and spirits — and you can find all kinds of local products that you just can’t find in Ontario.
Hanging out in garages
In my old neighbourhood in Ontario, neighbours would sometimes gather in someone’s garage with snacks and wine for certain holidays. I didn’t think anything of it until I moved to Vancouver and realized people don’t really do that here. First, not a lot of people actually have garages in Vancouver. And I guess people just hang out indoors.
Restaurants and bars closing early
I didn’t realize how late things stayed open in Ontario until I moved to B.C. I was used to being able to go out for dinner late, grab food after a night out, or find a bar that was still going well into the night. I guess I assumed that was pretty standard across Canada.
Then I moved to Vancouver and realized how sleepy things can get. You can be looking for somewhere to eat later at night and suddenly discover that half the places have already closed. Even bars don’t necessarily stay open as late as I was used to in Ontario.
Stag and doe parties
Apparently, people in B.C. have no idea what a stag and doe party is.
You rent a community hall, sell tickets, have a bar, raffle off donated prizes and basically throw a big party to help pay for the wedding. I grew up thinking this was just what people did before getting married. Then I moved west and realized it really isn’t a thing here.
I guess not everyone thinks it’s perfectly normal to help fund a wedding by spending a Saturday night at a community-centre fundraiser. People expect the bride and groom to pay for the wedding themselves…
The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.