Tag: Ottawa

Ottawa vs Québec

On By Dani Francuz RoseLeave a comment

This week, we celebrated the one-year anniversary of our move to Québec, and surprisingly, some of the most regular questions we still get are about the differences between living in Ontario versus Quebec. Of course, comparisons like these are always hard to make because there are so many factors, but now that we have a little more time under our belts, I think I can share some of the bigger differences, or at least the things that have stuck out the most to two random Americans who happened to spend two years in Ottawa followed by a year in Québec City. Differences like:

Taxes

Can you tell it’s tax season? There’s a reason this is at the top of my list. This is our first year doing taxes in Quebec, and it is bringing about a whole new set of challenges. In Ontario, there’s only a federal tax, but in Quebec there’s federal and provincial. Yay! More formulaires to figure out! In general, taxes (sales tax, income tax, etc.) are a bit higher in Quebec, but as far as we can tell, that seems to even out with the cost of living and services provided. Of course, my favorite part of Quebec’s tax system is that they have a high rate of escalation for income tax – essentially, they tax the rich at a higher percentage, bringing equity into the equation, which is très progressif!

Language

I can’t talk about Ottawa vs Québec without mentioning English and French. Both cites have a large number of bilinguals, but the default languages obviously differ, as does the ease of use and readiness to switch. I didn’t hear very much French in Ottawa, and I feel like walking into a Tims there and asking for un café infusé avec une roussette au miel would have been met with blank stares. However, in Québec, it’s quite common to hear both English and French used daily. This disparity is exactly why Quebec has laws to enforce French as the first language of the province, because if not, English might just take over as it has in many other places around the world. Et c’est précisément pour ça que j’apprends le français.

International Influence

Unsurprisingly, Quebec’s French connection has had a lot of influence on the city. Its historical ties to France have shaped the history, culture, and language here, but even today, there are obvious international influences that differ from the rest of Canada. For example, the largest groups of immigrants into Quebec generally come from other francophone countries, which can be seen very clearly in Québec’s restaurant scene. Ottawa has lots of Chinese, Indian, and Iranian restaurants, not to mention shawarma on just about every other street. On the other hand, in Québec, we have way more French, African, and Caribbean options.   

Names

Another difference we’ve noticed has been the names of things. There’s a pharmacy in Ontario called Shoppers, but here it’s Pharmaprix. KFC is PFK; Staples is Bureau en gros; Loblaw’s is Provigo, etc. A combination of language, branding, and company mergers has given us several “hey-I-know-this-place” surprises over the last year. Perhaps even more strangely though, our own names also changed upon moving to Quebec, well, mine did anyway. In Quebec, you don’t take the name of your spouse, so very often for provincial things (like my health card), I’m asked for my nom de naissance or “birth name”, which for me is different than my official/government name. And that’s how I ended up with yet another alias…good luck identity thieves!

Identity

Speaking of identity, we’ve also noticed that Quebecers are not as concerned with the rest of Canada as the rest of Canada is with Quebec. We heard all sorts of things about Quebec and Quebecers prior to living here, and even now when I talk to Canadians in other parts of the country, they have a lot to say about Quebec. On the other hand, I don’t hear Quebecers talk much about the other provinces and territories. I liken it to New Yorkers. Yeah, New Yorkers are technically Americans, but they’re also their own thing, and Quebecers are very similar. They are Québécois first and Canadien second.  

Services/Community

Another thing we’ve been able to take advantage of here in Québec is the huge number of amazing services and community building activities, which have all been free (thus the higher taxes). We recently went snowshoeing, attended a lecture about the history of Québec, received materials that helped us apply for all our provincial IDs, etc. There are free French and English classes, meet-up groups, game nights, and so much more that has allowed us to meet so many people who call Québec home, and we’ve only scratched the surface! There is really an incredible amount of free and/or affordable services for all sorts of needs. Another good example is daycare. Here, you can find subsidized daycares for around $10 per day. Can you imagine?

Cost of Living

This is another one that’s hard to nail down exactly because, of course, it ultimately depends on what you choose to spend your money on. There are some things that might be more expensive here and others, less, but the biggest thing for us has been rent. We rented two very similar apartments in Ottawa and Québec. Both were two bedrooms, a few blocks away from downtown, all utilities included. Our apartment in Québec is 40+ years newer and a little bigger, yet it’s more than $500 cheaper per month. That cost differential will absolutely be worth the small increase we’ll see in taxes this year.

Driving

Somehow driving always seems to be a category in my country/city comparisons, and Ottawa vs Québec is no different! We lived in Ottawa for two years and never got a ticket. Not for driving, parking, or anything. In less than six months, we got two speeding tickets in Québec. I say “we”, but I wasn’t driving either time… Anyway, the point is, there are WAY more traffic cameras in Québec, and they absolutely work. Oddly, with that said, I also feel it’s more common here to come across a person making a U-turn in the middle of the road and/or ignoring any lane markers (if they can even be seen), so maybe there’s a good reason for all the cameras. Ottawa seems to follow the rules without being watched, and Québec seems to skirt the rules, until there’s photo evidence, of course.

Winter Prep

I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned this in a previous post, but I just can’t get over how different the two cities handle winter. Ottawa LOVES salt. Everything is super well-salted; I couldn’t have slipped on a sidewalk even if I had wanted to, but Québec uses a mixture of gravel and salt, which is probably cheaper and better for our boots and car but definitely means there’s more opportunity for slippage. Case in point: Tucker and I have each fallen two times in our Canadian years, and all of them happened in Quebec. With the gravel and salt mixture also comes a lot of slush, which can get a little messy. Cue the abri tempos! Another feature of Quebec winters is the appearance of tents. Tents everywhere! Temporary garages, doorway covers, walkway covers, etc. For half the year, there are pop-ups all over the place making for another difference that is super noticeable.

Joie de Vivre

And last, but not least is the infamous joie de vivre. Literally translated to “joy of living”, joie de vivre has such a palpable presence in Quebec. Ottawa (and much of the rest of North America) has such a hustle culture that is completely missing from Québec. Here it’s still common to take a bottle of wine and have a picnic in the park on a random weekday. Or to enjoy one of the many weeks-long festivals we have here in every season. It seems time with family and friends will always win out over work, and no one ever seems to be in much of a rush. Of course, the architecture, cuisine, and language all make Quebec feel more like Europe, but I think it’s really the joie de vivre that draws people in. C’est magnifique!

And there you have it! Just a few of the many differences between life in Ottawa, Ontario and Québec, Quebec. Personally, I would be extremely happy to live in either city, and as is always the case, there are pros and cons to both. What else is there to say except vive la différence! ;)

Marveling at Murals

On By Dani Francuz RoseLeave a comment

Over the years, I have developed a huge admiration for murals. At first, I saw them as purely decorative, something colorful to brighten up a dull corner of any given city, but the more time I spent in different cities, the more I amassed a photographic collection of their murals, and that’s when I started to notice different themes emerging. Whether the artists were telling a story, alluding to history or social issues, or just having fun, as a collective, murals seem to embody the culture around them. Here are a few of my favorite examples from some of my favorite cities:

Québec City

Québec is still new to me, but upon my first observations, I’d say Québec is proud. This city is proud of its unique history, its industrious people, and even its imperfections.

Ottawa, Canada

Ottawa is inclusive. This capital city is basically a microcosm of Canada’s Mosaic – there’s a little something from everyone on display here.

Guadalajara, México

Guadalajara is vibrant. This city, and much of the country really, is so alive and so fun, and that is immediately evident in its street art.

Orlando, Florida

Orlando is colorful. The people here are about as colorful as they come, and all those different cultures and backgrounds come together to make the beautiful rainbow that is Orlando.

Hefei, China

Hefei is prudent. This is a place where art and function collide. Like the city and its inhabitants, the art here is generally purposeful as well as captivating.

Łódź, Poland

Łódź is quirky. The dark events of its past are evident, but the people here are experts at remembering the past while still enjoying the present.

Of course, it’s easier to see these patterns and make these connections when living in the heart of a city, experiencing the culture day after day. But I think if you look carefully, you can pick up the vibes of any city from even just a glance at its art. Here are some more examples of murals that I think capture the spirit of their homes.

Athens, Greece

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Bogotá, Colombia

Cancún, México

Denver, Colorado

Hong Kong

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Montevideo, Uruguay

Paris, France

Pisa, Italy

Quito, Ecuador

Reykjavík, Iceland

Singapore

Tampa, Florida

Tokyo, Japan

Toronto, Canada

Townsville, Queensland, Australia

So, what do you think? Do the murals match the vibes?

Initial Québec Observations

On By Dani Francuz RoseLeave a comment

We’re almost halfway through April, and we’ve now officially been living in Québec for six weeks, which is crazy since it feels like the move was just last weekend, but that’s how the first few months always go. We get caught up in a daze of setting things up, collecting documents, making appointments, etc. But luckily, this isn’t our first rodeo! Not only are we completely on top of all our paperwork and logistical tasks, but we’ve also made good progress on our observations list. So how different is Québec from Ottawa? Well, here are the first few things that have caught our attention:

The French

Of course, the absolute first thing on the list has to be the use of French. While Ottawa is fairly bilingual, and we definitely got quite a bit of French exposure there, English was still absolutely the reigning language, sometimes even in Gatineau (which is technically in the province of Quebec). In Québec City, however, we’re not only expected to use French 100% of the time, we’re actually legally required to after six months of living here, which is honestly really great motivation!  

The Salutations

Living in multi-story apartment buildings means we tend to have a lot of neighbors, so we’re usually pretty quick to notice how (and how often) acquaintances interact, like in an elevator, the lobby, the parking garage, etc. In Ottawa, most people kept to themselves or smiled politely in passing, but here in Québec, it’s a steady stream of “bonne journées” and “bonne soirées” no matter how brief your interaction is. It reminds me so much of all the “buenos días” and “buenas tardes” we got in Mexico, and it immediately feels so welcoming!

We’re in a Port City

Ottawa is definitely a water city of sorts with two major rivers and a canal running through it, but Québec is even more water-forward. The Québec City icon is fittingly a ship, and with ferries being a common means of transport, international cruise ships docking nearby, and whale watching tours every weekend, we’re not just between rivers anymore, we’re practically seafaring. At least the seagulls make more sense here.

Bizarre Hours

I have no idea if this is a French thing or a Quebec thing or a Québec City thing, but we have noticed that stores, restaurants, and pretty much every kind of business here has bizarre hours. Monday 8:30-4, Tuesday 9-6, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 10-2…I mean, what? Do they just like to keep us guessing or is there some hidden meaning behind these choices? We definitely need more time to investigate.

Definitely not easy to remember…

Laidback Vibes

This might have more to do with Ottawa being the nation’s capital and less to do with Québec, but we’ve definitely noticed things are a little less official here. Our car registration (ou immatriculation) is printed on regular printer paper rather than fancy cardstock, our lease paperwork was submitted while we were still missing a few things, and we’ve gotten several messages along the lines of “X will be sent to you at a later date”. Definitely feels like a slower pace here in general.

Flashing Green Lights

Another thing we immediately noticed (and subsequently had to google) are the flashing green lights or “advanced greens”. Very often in Québec, you’ll come to a stop light and the green light will be flashing, which we learned means it’s basically both a green light and a green arrow. Apparently, this is common in a lot of Canadian provinces (including Ontario), but we had never seen it or at least not regularly enough to really register a difference.

Pedestrian-friendly

Ottawa is pretty pedestrian-friendly as well, but in Québec (at least downtown) the crosswalks are set up to allow for regular double crossing. Instead of waiting for the lights to change and basically taking your turn to cross when the flow of traffic changes direction, cars will be stopped in all directions allowing people to cross diagonally if they want/need. This and the no-touch crossing sensors make this particular pedestrian so happy!

Vestiges from France

I didn’t know how else to label this one, but smoking is much more common here. And by smoking, I mean cigarettes. We went from smelling a lot of marijuana in Ottawa to smelling a lot of cigarettes in Québec, and I can’t help but feel the cultural influences in that.   

Drinking Culture

In a similar vein, Ontario seemed pretty strict when it came to alcohol sales/consumption. It was rare to see alcohol (even beer and wine) sold in stores, but in Quebec, that’s the norm. BYOB is also more frequent here, and it’s custom to bring wine to a park for a picnic.

Food Culture

We’ve also noticed a lot differences when it comes to food. The groceries here are overall cheaper, yet the selection of “fancy” food is definitely wider. There are like three types of caviar sold at the grocery store right next to our building, and if you wanted to try each type of cheese sold there, you’d need a few years. Restaurants here also seem to be a bit fancier – for example, there are fewer fast-casual options than in Ottawa, but way more multi-course menus.  

Still a hard “no” from me though.

Louder

We lived downtown in both cities, and we’re used to hearing a fair amount of shouting, singing, and laughing (especially on the weekends), but I think Québécois voices are literally just louder. Now we can hear the actual words being said, and even the volume of regular conversations here seems to be louder than what we grew accustomed to in Ottawa. Probably still not as loud as our country of origin, but a noticeable difference from the last two years nonetheless.

Colder, Windier, & More Humid

We had our suspicions about the weather being more extreme in Québec. I mean, we are further north and east, both of which usually get hit pretty hard, but we kind of thought we’d need a few months before we noticed if it was really much different. Turns out, we didn’t need long at all. The added humidity and constant wind means that the same temperature feels quite a bit colder. We keep seeing temperatures slightly above freezing, and then step outside only to realize that the real feel is significantly lower. Damp, windy cold is definitely tougher.

Snow-ready

Of course, both Ottawa and Québec are great at handling large amounts of snow, but it seems that they tackle the problem in different ways. Ottawa LOVES salt. The city and its inhabitants go hard on salting everything. Québec uses a mix of salt and sand, meaning that things are a bit slushier here. And maybe for that reason, it’s really common for buildings and houses here to put up tents in their driveways/entryways to keep the slush (and additional shoveling) at bay.

So that’s what we have on our list so far, but as usual, we plan to keep learning and sharing as we go. I’m sure by now it’s pretty apparent that these little differences are one of our favorite things about moving to a new place. Even one province over, there are just so many things to observe! How cool is that?

Some of the Prettiest Views in Ottawa

On By Dani Francuz RoseLeave a comment

As I was writing about all the fun things to do in Ottawa, I realized some of my favorite places in the city wouldn’t make it on the list. They don’t have activities per se, but they’re really beautiful and perfect for just walking, sitting, thinking, and/or taking pictures. So, in no particular order, I give you:

Alexandra Bridge

Rideau Falls

Major’s Hill Park & the Chateau Laurier

Rockcliffe Lookout

The Corktown Footbridge

Stanley Park

Maman & the National Gallery of Canada

Hudson’s Bay Overpass

Parliament Hill

The Ottawa Sign

Ottawa is NOT Boring

On By Dani Francuz RoseLeave a comment

When we first started looking into Canadian cities and where we might want to live, we were a little surprised to find that Ottawa has a reputation for being boring. In fact, one of its less-flattering nicknames is The City Fun Forgot, but over the two years we’ve lived here, I can honestly say I don’t get that at all! There is SO MUCH to do in and around Ottawa, and in order to do my part in shifting this perception, this month, I’ve made a list highlighting just some of the fun you can have in Canada’s capital city.

Food & Drink-related Activities

First up has to be food, right? In a city this diverse, of course there are tons of options. In our neighborhood alone we have not one, not two, but three amazing African grills, several French bistros, at least three fantastic Chinese noodle spots, a couple of taco windows, and more shawarma restaurants than pretty much anywhere else on the continent. But of course, there are plenty of drinks to be had as well! Here are just a few of my many, many food and drink-related suggestions for Ottawa:

Charcuterie at Prohibition
  • Try several of the city’s amazing restaurants. Some of our favorites include Sammi & Soupe Dumpling, Prohibition Public House, Metropolitain Brasserie, The King Eddy, and Bistro Coqlicorne.
  • Grab a drink at a local brewery or pub. Our absolute favorites are Brigid’s (which is located in the basement a beautiful old church), Spark Pizza, Overflow Brewing Company, D’Arcy McGee’s, and Mill Street Brew Pub.
  • Meet new people while on a Thursty Pedaler or Palapa Tour.
  • See the sights and share a snack or drink on a canal cruise.
  • Feel fancy (and productive) at a cocktail-making class.

Outdoorsy Activities

Canada, in general, is known for its great outdoors. Even in the city, there are tons of outdoor adventures you can have, and if you’re willing to drive (or ride) just a little outside of the city, these options truly multiply. Here are some of the most famous (and fun) outdoor activities you can do in and around Ottawa:

  • Drive, bike, or walk around Gatineau Park.
  • Complete a ropes course or simply zip-line from Ontario to Quebec.
  • Go skiing or snowboarding at one of five resorts all within an hour of downtown Ottawa.
  • Get out on the water (i.e. go rafting, kayaking, paddle boarding, sailing, skating, swimming, something!)
  • Take a hike. In the city, we love the Rideau River Trail, the Rockcliffe Rockeries, and Hog’s Back Park. Outside the city, it’s tough to beat Eagle’s Nest in Calabogie, but there are plenty of other, even closer trails that rival it.

Cultural Activities

If adventure sports aren’t really your thing, maybe you’d prefer to do something a little more cultural. Ottawa has you covered there as well. Ottawa has the most museums of any Canadian city, and as the country’s capital, there are more festivals, exhibits, shows, and other amazing events rolling through here than anyone could ever hope to keep up with! Here’s a quick look at some of the more cultural things you can do:

Enjoying Winterlude 2024
  • Attend a festival, such as Winterlude, the Tulip Festival, Bluesfest, Capital Pride, or any of the other countless festivals that are now synonymous with Ottawa. There’s actually a whole Wikipedia page dedicated to Ottawa’s Festivals, check it out!
  • Visit a museum or gallery. Our favorites are the National Gallery of Canada, the Canadian Museum of History, and the Canadian Museum of Nature, and the best part is these and many of the other larger museums/galleries have free admission hours each week.
  • Watch a live Art Battle.
  • Do some crafts or else buy some at one of the many local markets.
  • Participate in a community event. If you find a place you like in Ottawa, follow them on social media, and I guarantee at some point they’ll share an event that interests you. This is how we found ourselves eating pierogi and making pisanki at Wedel in Westboro last Easter.

Game-like Activities

If you know me, you know I love games, and luckily, we’ve found a plethora of game-like activities in Ottawa as well. One of the many upsides to long winters is that people have to get more creative with their indoor time, and that is super obvious when it comes to indoor entertainment in Ottawa. Here are some of our favorite things to do when we want to play (or watch others play):

We ❤️ pub trivia!
  • See how much you know at pub trivia.
  • Escape from one of the many escape rooms in the city. I personally love Escape Manor because they have a super cool speakeasy-type bar and other fun games and activities like bocce ball and interactive darts.
  • Play one of the thousands of games (both tabletop and video) that they have at Level One Game Pub.
  • Watch a sports game. Extra points if you support the Ottawa Senators, Redblacks, or Titans because we do too!
  • Enjoy a round of Bingo or two.

Just-plain-fun Activities

If you’ve already had your fill of all the food/drink, outdoorsy, cultural, and game-like activities on offer, might I suggest a few more things that might not fit neatly into one of those categories, but are still so much fun to do in and around Ottawa:

  • Head to a sugar shack for an incredibly unique Canadian experience.
  • Relax at a nature spa.
  • Drive through Park Omega.
  • Interact with a movie at Bytowne Cinema. Drunken Cinema Night is so much fun, but they also have High Tea Sundays, Sing-a-longs, Sleep-overs, and other fun events every month!
  • Take a free city walking tour or a DIY city murals tour.

I hope this is enough to prove to anyone that Ottawa is absolutely NOT boring. But if you still have doubts, I invite you here to see for yourself. I promise, you won’t regret it!

Winter is Coming (Again)

On By Dani Francuz Rose1 Comment

Ah, December. The pinnacle of the holiday season, the last month of the year, and the official start of winter – yay! Last winter was our first in Canada, and we gleaned so much information. For example, we know that the first snow Ottawa had last year was on October 30th, and the last snow of the season was on April 24th. The coldest day was January 19th at -20°C (approximately -5°F), but overall, it was really a very mild winter. I, personally, hope this year we get a lot more snow and a much longer stretch of extremely low temperatures. How else will I put all our new northern climate knowledge to the test? Knowledge like:

Preparation is Key

One of the first surprises we encountered last winter was just how much preparation both the city and its inhabitants have to do before winter. Everyone started putting out salt chests and snow markers well before the first snowstorm. Businesses added tents and flaps to entranceways; boot trays and coat racks were everywhere, and we even saw insulated porta-potties at nearby construction sites. For our part, we were focused on acquiring all the right winter clothing, which I’m happy to say was well worth whatever we paid for it all! We also had to buy quite a few car accessories, such as shovels, scrapers, sand, winter tires, and non-freezing windshield wiper fluid. This time around, it has been less buying and more restocking, but still, the preparation really makes for a smoother transition.

Probably still quite cold…
These things are everywhere!
Time for the seasonal tire switch
Now we have quite the collection
Great for keeping the salt and any Amazon packages dry lol

Everything Takes a Little Longer

So many layers!

Even after all the preparation was taken care of, we were still surprised by how much longer literally everything takes in winter! Getting dressed, lacing up boots multiple times a day, warming up the car, walking carefully on the ice – it all adds up like we couldn’t believe! Maybe this year I’ll time how long it takes to get the three of us dressed and ready to go outside because I’d guess it’s an extra 10-15 minutes every time. The other time-suck that I didn’t even think about prior to having such long winters was how much more laundry we have. When you’re wearing so many more layers every day, it really turns into a mountain of laundry after just a couple of days.

Winter is Kinda Messy

This is why Canada is shoes off.

Having only lived in northern climates as a child (and/or for short periods of time), I was completely unaware of just how messy snowy winters can be. Everyone walks inside constantly dripping on the floor – the floors of restaurants, our building’s lobby, and worst of all, the entryway of our apartment. It didn’t take long for me to put an extra mat and towels by the door (yay, more laundry), but it doesn’t matter because there’s no containing it all. And you might be thinking, “hey, no big deal, water dries”, which is true, except this isn’t just water. It’s salted, which means everything gets a nice crusty white layer of salt even after it’s dry. The salt and sludge obviously got to the car as well, and we ended up having to get a carwash halfway through last winter because we literally couldn’t see out of the windows. I’m pretty sure I could count on one hand the number of times we’ve ever washed our car, and I would have never thought we’d have to wash it in the dead of winter!

There’s Quite a Bit of Extra Work

Okay, so we learned you have to prepare in advance, spend more time than usual, and always expect a mess, which, of course, requires some extra work, but the amount of extra work really kept surprising us! Scrape this, shovel that, clear a path for the dog to get to the “grass” because the snow walls are taller than she is! On and on it goes! Jenn, too, has to put a bit more effort into her daily tasks. She has to endure the multiple layers of clothing, scale snowdrifts when looking for a place to pee, and get wiped down whenever she comes back inside – all to her chagrin. On the bright side, I do feel like we still meet our exercise quotas because walking in the snow and scraping ice are definitely high calorie-burning activities!

So much fun!
Good thing she’s adaptable!

So Many New Tricks to Learn

Another huge positive is that we developed a whole new set of skills. The best way to stomp excess snow off your boots? We know it. The best way to layer for easy transitioning between indoors and out? We’ve got it down. We’re also now very attuned to the sounds of the snow plows, which comes in handy, and I’m very happy to report that I didn’t fall on the ice even once last year (which I cannot say about our first Polish winter). I’d also add that we’re now very good at switching between Fahrenheit and Celsius, and we’re pretty much experts in interpreting the various weather alerts and winter vocabulary, regardless of the source. If you want to know more about the difference between hail, freezing rain, and sleet, I got you fam.

Lots of Surprises

All in all, I think we took everything pretty well in stride last year, but there were still a few things that we just didn’t believe until we experienced them ourselves. For example, our neighbors told us to watch out for the sunny days because they’re often the coldest, and wow, they were absolutely right! Apparently, clouds signal warmer temperatures – who knew?! We were also extremely surprised by how quick and easy it was to do some of the winter challenges, like freezing ramen noodles in mid-air. It took less than ten minutes! Another thing we didn’t think much about was how gas mileage would be affected, nor did we think we’d even notice if it was. Spoiler, we absolutely did. And perhaps most surprisingly, it didn’t take long at all for 0°C (32°F) to not really feel all that cold. After a week at -10°C (15°F), hovering right around freezing felt downright balmy.

Luckily, It’s Incredibly Fun and Beautiful!

I know most people reading this will say things like “that’s why I hate winter” or “I never want to live somewhere like that”, but even with these added challenges, we had an absolute blast last winter and are so eager to do it all again (hopefully just a little more efficiently this time). Winter is definitely still my favorite season even if it does require a bit more effort up here. In fact, I’d say we actually enjoyed it more because of those extra efforts. Ultimately, it was fun to slow down, get a little messy, and learn a plethora of new things. For me, winters like these are so fun and so beautiful that I quickly forget about any negatives. So, who wants to come visit us in January and see for yourselves? Our winter wonderland will be waiting!

US-Canada Differences Revisited

On By Dani Francuz RoseLeave a comment

Years ago, we came to Canada to see if it might be a place we’d want to move to in the future. During that month-long trip, we noticed many differences between Canada and the US, which ultimately piqued our interest enough to start the immigration paperwork. Of course, we had no idea that we’d be derailed by a pandemic and end up in Mexico for a few years first; alas, we eventually moved to Ottawa and recently celebrated one year of living in this beautiful city!

Quickly becoming honorary Ottawans

As always, the first year in a new place brings about so many fun new challenges and observations, which, of course, we did our best to keep track of! And in honor of our CAnniversary, I thought I’d share some of the most salient differences we’ve experienced as Americans living in Ottawa.

Differences in Administration:

  • One of the very first differences we encountered was when we went to make a copy of the key to our new apartment. They told us it was a “secure key”, which meant they’d have to contact the building’s board to make sure we were on the list of tenants, and thus legally able to copy the key. So thorough!
  • No matter how long we live outside the US, we still struggle with anything other than the month-day-year formula. When I see 10/4, I automatically think October, not my birthday.
  • We were also really confused the first time we looked at an expiration date that said “MA 2024”. Is that March or May?? In Canada, the months are abbreviated JA FE MR AL MA JN JL AU SE OC NO DE to make it work in both English and French.
  • Although we had experienced something like this in other countries, we were still surprised to learn that Canada doesn’t have joint tax filing. Tucker and I had to file separately even though my payment came from the same account his refund will be going to.

Differences in Cars & Driving:

  • After years in Mexico, driving in Canada felt like going back to beginner mode. In fact, there are some things that make us feel like drivers here are not really trusted to make good decisions, like the fact that there are more “no right on red” signs here than we’ve ever seen in our lives.
  • Another immediately obvious difference was the lack of locking clips on the gas pumps. Most gas stations force you to hold the nozzle the whole time you’re pumping (yes, even in -10° weather).
  • Something we’ve long gotten used to, but is still a pretty big US-CAN difference is the use of the metric system here. Our car, which was bought in FL, prominently displays miles per hour, thus we’ve gotten really good at converting on the go.
  • We also were surprised to learn that in some provinces of Canada winter tires are not just recommended, they’re mandatory. We had to provide proof of purchase to our insurance company as well.

Differences in Communication:

  • In our first week in Canada, strangers asked us questions at least 10 times in 10 different places (on the metro, in Canadian Tire, etc.), and it definitely surprised us. It’s common to talk to strangers in the US and Mexico, but to ask for anything other than directions or small talk felt different.
  • Canada (or at least the parts we’ve been to thus far) absolutely loves reservations! A place could be entirely empty at eleven a.m. on a weekday, but when you walk in, they’ll still ask you if you have a reservation. Only recently have I been able to suppress my eyeroll.
  • I’ve already shared some of my favorite Canadian English phrases, but I also have to mention how noticeable the pronunciation of some words is as well. The Canadian “soorry” will forever be engrained in my head!
  • And then there’s the bilingual bit. Always seeing street signs like “rue Clarence st” and Coke cans that say “goût original” definitely reminds us we’re not in Kansas anymore.

Differences in Allegiance:  

  • There are probably many Americans who pay attention to celebrities, but I’d bet that even the most Hollywood-centric Americans likely don’t keep close track of where those celebrities are from. Canadians do though. If you so much as mention someone who happens to be from Canada, you can be pretty certain that fact will soon be pointed out.
  • In a difference that feels somewhat related to the previous one, Canadians seem a little touchy when it comes to comparisons with the US. I imagine it must be like growing up with a famous, somewhat annoying older sibling always stealing the spotlight, which anyone would resent.
  • Another clear difference comes from the past. Despite having separated from the UK over 150 years ago, the royal presence is still absolutely felt here. Canada has both a national anthem and a royal anthem (which, you guessed it, is “God Save the King”). Queen Elizabeth II is on several pieces of Canadian currency, and there are plans to get King Charles III on at least one bill by 2027. And some of the most popular streets around us include George, King Edward, and Queen Street. 
  • Of course, the governments are also quite different, but that’s a long, boring topic for another time. For now, I’ll just say that one interesting difference is that the liberal party here is red and the conservative is blue. Not confusing at all…

Differences in Environment:

  • Another surprise early on in our move was when we received a pamphlet explaining all the city recycling rules, dates, exceptions, etc. There are even hazardous waste or electronic waste pick-up days and Christmas tree collection/composting!
  • Something else we noticed last summer and are eager to see if it holds true again was that any time we went to a restaurant with outdoor seating, they automatically assumed that would be our first choice.
  • In general, Canadians are very nonchalant about the weather, whatever it is. Freezing rain isn’t a reason to miss work or a night out with friends, okay? Just give’er!
  • Another difference (that we absolutely love!) is the abundance of seasonal menus. The food, the drinks, the specials all change with the seasons, which has actually given Tucker a reason to go back to places we’ve already been. Hooray!
Just your average day in January

Misc. Differences:

  • Here in Ontario, milk comes in bags. It’s incredibly unwieldy and honestly way too much milk (three 1.33 liter bags), but it’s definitely different.
  • Canada no longer has a penny. And can I just say, I don’t think anyone misses it. It’s time for the US to do the same.
  • Another interesting difference is the fact that the legal drinking age differs by province, and all of them are lower than the US’s standard of 21.
  • And one more difference that must be mentioned, but not in full because that would take much too long is the healthcare. Pretty much every aspect of it is different, but I think our biggest shock so far was when the dentist gave us both free Sonicare toothbrushes.

Bet you didn’t think I’d have that much to say about the differences between Canada and the US! Honestly, just like every other country we’ve lived in, the longer we’re here, the more differences become apparent. But also like our other homes, we’re quickly adapting to our surroundings and carefully choosing our favorite cultural gems to adopt and take with us to our next home. O Canada – thanks for a great first year!

Fun Facts: Canada Edition

On By Dani Francuz RoseLeave a comment

Less than 100 days in, and we’ve already had three guests come to see us in Ottawa, which means we’ve been learning (and sharing) A LOT about our new home. In fact, I’ve got so many fun facts swimming around in my head that I feel they deserve their own post! Who doesn’t love a little Canadian trivia, eh? So, without further ado, here are 20 interesting facts about our new home:

#1 Surely, we have to start with the name of the country, right? The word “Canada” actually comes from the Huron-Iroquois word “kanata”, meaning “village” or “settlement”. Its first usage was intended to specify one village in particular; however, early French explorers used it to describe not only the village, but also the surrounding area, which kept expanding, eventually giving name to the entire region.

#2 Interestingly, Ottawa (or Outaouais, as it’s called across the river) gets its name from a different indigenous language. “Ottawa” is derived from the Algonquin word “adawe”, which means “to trade”.  

#3 Of course, everyone associates Canada with English and French, but I was delighted to read that there are over 70 distinct indigenous languages spoken here as well. Who’s up for learning a little Inuktitut with me?

#4 No matter how you get to Canada (by boat, by car, or by plane), you’ll likely notice there’s a lot of water here. Canada actually has the most lakes of any country in the world, about 880,000 in all.

#5 The crazy number of lakes should really be of no surprise given the fact that Canada is the second largest country in the world. Only Russia is larger.

#6 Canada does beat out Russia (and every other country in the world) for longest coastline though. There really is water everywhere here!

#7 Speaking of Canada’s coast, Canada is surrounded by oceans: the Atlantic to the east, the Arctic to the north, and the Pacific to the west, which is why you frequently hear Canadian announcers say “from coast to coast to coast”, which I think is brilliant!

#8 Their roadways are also pretty impressive. There’s one highway, the fittingly named Trans-Canada Highway, that traverses some 7,800km (4,800 miles) from one end of the country to the other.

#9 For such a large country, there really aren’t a lot of people living in Canada. With a little under 40 million people, Canada is one of the least densely populated countries in the world with about 4 people per square kilometer (or 10 per square mile). For reference, the US has about 37 per km² (96 per mi²).

#10 But there are still quite a few famous Canadians among us! Celebrities like Keanu Reeves, Ryan Reynolds, Rachel McAdams, William Shatner, Pamela Anderson, Nelly Furtado, Michael J Fox, Jim Carrey, Ryan Gosling, Celine Dion, Drake, Elliot Page, and so many more all hail from the Great White North.

#11 Other notable Canadians include two of the most famous dog breeds in the world: the Labrador Retriever and the Newfoundland, coming somewhat obviously from Newfoundland and Labrador.

#12 Canada has ties to many animals, such as the moose, the polar bear, the orca, the Canada goose, etc. but none of those are the national animal. The national animal of Canada is the humble beaver, which I recently learned is actually classified as a rodent.

#13 Another symbol of Canada is the maple leaf, which has been associated with the region since the early 1800s. Surprisingly though, it only made it onto the flag in 1965, meaning the Toronto Maple Leafs logo is about 40 years older.

#14 Speaking of maple leaves, Canada produces about 80% of the world’s maple syrup.

#15 In addition to giving the world maple syrup (and poutine, of course), there is a huge number of other internationally famous Canadian inventions: basketball, lacrosse, insulin, peanut butter, IMAX, pagers, egg cartons, Hawaiian pizza, and the snowblower just to name a few.  

#16 Canola oil happens to be another Canadian specialty. Canola was first bred (in Canada) as a healthier alternative to rapeseed and has become one of the most ubiquitous cooking oils in the world. The name “Canola” is actually a portmanteau of “Can”, as in Canada, and “OLA” meaning “oil, low acid”. Half a century later, and Canada is still the world’s largest producer of Canola oil.

#17 The US and Canada have a lot of historical similarities, so it’s not surprising that we both celebrate Thanksgiving. The two holidays have similar origin stories and similar commercial influence, but are ultimately celebrated in different months. Canada celebrates their Thanksgiving on the second Monday of October.

#18 Another somewhat random fact we recently learned about Canada is that the “Winnie” in Winnie the Pooh is actually short for Winnipeg (like the city). The stuffed bear was named after a real Canadian black bear that went by the name Winnipeg.

#19 Many of our fun facts stem from our observing differences between the US and Canada, and one of these interesting differences is the legal drinking age here. In three Canadian provinces (Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec) it’s 18, and in the other provinces and territories it’s 19.

#20 And finally a few cold facts for you! Canada is without a doubt one of the coldest countries on the planet. In fact, a city in Yukon once recorded -63°C (-81°F), which is about the average temperature on Mars. Ottawa is often listed as one of the top 10 coldest capitals in world, with an average high of -5°C (23°F) for the month of January. Winter is coming for us…

Well, there you have it, my first Canadian facts round-up! I hope you found these tidbits as interesting as we did, and I hope you make it up to Canada soon to learn a few more in-person! Thanks for reading!

We Have Arrived!

On By Dani Francuz RoseLeave a comment

We did it! We finally made it to Canada! We first applied for our residencies and came up to look for jobs/apartments way back in 2019, so to finally be here with any degree of longevity/stability feels so surreal! But how did we get here? What have we been doing these first few weeks? And what are we thinking for the future?

Getting to Canada:

Where do I even begin with our journey to Canada?! I feel like I’ve relayed bits and pieces of our incredibly long and complicated paperwork journey in several posts throughout the last five years, so this time I’ll stick to describing our physical trip up to the Great White North.

Yay!

For this particular move, we opted to split it into two rounds: one by air and one by car. I documented a few things about our initial fly-up on Facebook, but as a quick recap: back in early May, Tucker and I flew up to Ottawa with several suitcases in order to 1) get our apartment keys and 2) clean/set up a few things before the big drive up/move in. In theory, it was supposed to be a somewhat relaxed way of getting our feet wet in Canada, giving us more time to focus on apartment things, and also freeing up a little more space in the car for what was going to be a very long drive. Turns out, we didn’t get near enough done in that short amount of time, little issues kept turning into bigger issues, and in the end, the car was fuller this time than when we originally drove down to Mexico. Lots of lessons learned though, so at least there’s that.

Spent WAY too much time here though…

The actual driving part of round two went beautifully! Guadalajara to Laredo, Laredo to Little Rock, Little Rock to Tucker’s Dad’s place in Kentucky, Tucker’s Dad’s place to Watertown, and Watertown to Ottawa. 48 hours in total, but pretty smooth, all things considered. The issues we encountered actually occurred at either end of the trip, with the first problem cropping up a few days before we even left GDL. We already knew that we were going to have to export and import our car when we crossed into Canada, and we had everything we needed to complete that process. However, at some point, we read that the export office is only open Monday through Friday 9 to 4, and we were planning on arriving around 6pm on a Saturday. Oops. And that’s why our drive ended up taking a few extra days, and we got an unexpected stop in Watertown, NY. Fun times!

The next problem (that we absolutely should have foreseen, but totally didn’t) was the fact that all of our stuff no longer fit in the car. We were so optimistic in thinking that by bringing 4 suitcases up to Canada pre-drive, we would free up plenty of space in the car…but no, over the years, we have acquired quite a few additional household things like a Roomba, an Instant pot, a laundry basket, small trash cans, a paper towel holder, a cooler, and other items that we’d never think of buying and/or keeping had we been flying to our new home. Alas, we fell into the trap of thinking, “oh, we’ll just toss that in the car at the end”. Well, I did my best Tetris-ing work, trying to fit everything into what I now realize is quite a small car, but in the end, there were still a few things we could have used in Canada that my friends are now enjoying in Mexico! More lessons learned…

Yikes!

Setting up shop:

So, aside from having a pile of immigration tasks to accomplish upon rolling up to our new home, we also had quite a few things we needed to buy for the apartment. But before we could get to all that fun, we first had to shelter in place. The week we were making our way to Ottawa, which lies on the border of Quebec and Ontario, an unusual number of forest fires broke out in both of these provinces. Extreme fires, it turns out, the smoke of which blew its way down to us and then into several NE states as well. This was an unexpected wrench in our first few days, but not too detrimental to our plans because I actually had a lot of work to catch up on, and staying home wasn’t a tough ask after a week on the road. Not to mention, we were categorically prepared with a plethora of masks and DIY air purifier skills!

After the smoke had cleared, we were able to successfully apply for and request all the documents we’ll be needing (and/or make appointments for them). In the next few weeks, we should be receiving our PR cards, ON driver’s licenses, Social Insurance Numbers, vehicle registration, and OHIP cards. Fingers crossed! We were also able to get the vast majority of our apartment set up (unfortunately, still waiting on a few things to make their way to us, but photos to come soon, I promise!). In the midst of all this running around, we also hosted our very first guest (who thankfully brought her own bed in the form of an air mattress), which means we’re now prepared for any/all future guests! Of course, we’ve also begun to dip our toes into what our new neighborhood has to offer by sampling a few of the many, many restaurants and pubs that surround us.

We <3 Lowertown!

Looking ahead:

So, what’s next? Well, the usual, I suppose: trying all the delicious restaurants, walking the entirety of our neighborhood, getting familiar with our new grocery stores, and everything else that comes with finding our place in a new city. I’m super excited to report that we’ve already got library cards, a reservation for weekly trivia, and a growing list of observations to share about the differences we’re already experiencing between the US vs. Canada and Quebec vs. Ontario. As always, there’s so much to learn and explore, and for now, that’s exactly what we plan to do. At some point, we might even break out into something other than the five-block radius between us and the supermarket. Look out, Ottawa, we’re coming!

You might also be wondering just how long we have to explore here (aka how long we plan to stay this time). Good question, but I really never know. Our Canadian residency doesn’t have to be renewed until 2027, and if we stay in Canada for a total of 3 years, we can actually apply for citizenship and never worry about immigration paperwork here again, but honestly, we have no idea if we’ll stay that long. We do know that our current lease here in Ottawa is good until June 2024, so we’ll definitely be in this exact location for at least a year (and, honestly, after all this apartment set-up, we’re already leaning towards two lol). Ottawa is such a beautiful city with so many activities for us to enjoy; plus, Montreal is only an hour away, so I think we’ll definitely need at least two years to do the National Capital Region justice!

As for the more distant future, who knows? Two years in Ottawa could be followed by two in Quebec City (if we do end up loving the winters) or maybe we’ll head back to Guadalajara to thaw out? Or maybe onto Argentina, the Mediterranean, back to Poland or Asia, literally all of these options and more have been discussed, so place your bets! Either which way though, our time in Canada is likely going to fly by, so be sure to come up and visit us while you have the chance! We can definitely host you in Ottawa, or we can meet up somewhere else in this vast and beautiful country. I’m once again aiming to see as many provinces as we can, so you can bet there are already trips planned from coast to coast to coast! Hello, bonjour, Canada! We have arrived!

New Year, New Plans

On By Dani Francuz Rose3 Comments

Wow, it’s officially 2023! Happy New Year! 🎊 I absolutely love this time of year – it’s full of new beginnings, exciting plans, and fresh calendars! However, as per usual, I’ve already written quite a bit in my 2023 calendar because we, of course, have a few trips planned, and this year, we actually have another international move on the docket. So, if you’re interested in some of the ‘where’s, ‘when’s, and ‘why’s of our 2023 whereabouts, here’s what I know so far:

Moving to Canada

We’re finally headed to the far north! After receiving our permanent residencies last summer, we have officially decided to make the move and relocate to Canada later this year. It’s turning out to be quite the memorable move for us because at first, we thought it would be happening in late 2019 or early 2020, and then after the pandemic, we thought it might not be the right move for us at all, so now that we’re looking at apartments in Ottawa (again), it feels a little surreal. But before we get to the move, there are some things we’re planning to do here in Mexico first.

Wrapping up our time in Mexico

Moving to Mexico was easily one of the best decisions we ever made, and we have had an absolutely amazing time here. In fact, our love for Guadalajara and its people and culture was one of the biggest obstacles in deciding whether or not this would be the right time to move. I always feel so torn during our transition periods, because I’m never ready to leave behind the homes we’ve created, but at the same time, I can’t wait for all the excitement and novelty of a new place to call home. It’s complicated. But with this particular re-location, the good news is I have no doubt we’ll be back, hopefully often, because this time, we’re staying on the same continent!

Of course, we know at some point we will have to say adiós, but for now, we plan on fully savoring our last few months in Mexico. We’re already doing our best to check off all the lists we made when we arrived: all the places we still want to travel to, all the restaurants we still want to eat at, and all the things we still want to do or be a part of. In fact, I think next month, I’ll break down our Mexico bucket list and share some of the things we’ve been able to do and see these past 2+ years. I’m extremely grateful for each and every one of these experiences, and I do hope to make Mexico proud with one last fiesta before we go (featuring a limo, another piñata, and some of our best friends) – stay tuned!

On top of saying goodbye to the friends we’ve made and the culture we’ve grown to love, I’ll also be switching language focuses (again). I’ve spent quite a lot of time studying Spanish over the last few years, and while I’m always quick to poke fun at it or complain (as any student would), I’m going to miss it immensely. Therefore, in an effort to ensure my Spanish reaches its current potential and perhaps actually sticks with me a bit longer than my Polish or Mandarin did, I’m planning to take the DELE (a Spanish proficiency exam) in April. I’m hoping to pull off a B2 (upper intermediate level) and potentially work with Spanish in the future, so ¡deséame suerte! But also wish me luck when I switch back to le français because I have a feeling I’m going to need it.

Oh, how far I’ve come!

Flying then Driving

So, it looks like we’re going to have a really fun first few months of the year, but what about the actual move? Well, it’s a lot. Right now, we’re planning to fly up to Canada in late April/early May to secure our apartment and maybe take care of a few other logistics like paperwork and furniture acquisition, but our big move will be at the end of May. Over Memorial Day week, we’re packing everything up (including the dog and all her personal effects) and driving the 44 hours from Guadalajara, Mexico up to Ottawa, Canada. It was a 33-hour drive when we originally came down from Orlando, so how bad could an extra 11 hours be?

For our second cross-continental drive, we’ve planned for several stops along the way: those for resting, those for working, and those for visiting family. We’re also planning on taking more luggage up with us on the initial fly-up, so the car doesn’t have to be quite as packed as last time…although it probably still will be. Since we’ll have two border crossings this time around, we’ve budgeted a bit of extra time around the first and last legs of the trip to hopefully side-step any unforeseen issues. Fingers crossed! And before we know it (hopefully on June 3rd), we’ll officially be residing in Canada.  

Then What?

After we arrive, I have virtually no set plans. We’ll most likely not be renting a fully-furnished place this time, so I imagine we’ll spend a few weeks unpacking, re-furnishing, and getting set up in our new place. We, very specifically, chose to move in the summer months, which should give us plenty of time to prepare for winter. Neither one of us owns a pair of boots anymore, so that’s something we’ll need to take care of. I also wanted Jenn to be able to acclimate to the severe shift in climates as gently as possible – we’re going to get her a heated blanket to help the cause.

And once we’re all set up and feeling comfy in the Great White North, I’ll be making my Canada bucket list and hopefully arranging for people to come visit! One of the best things about living in Mexico was how short a flight it was for visitors. We had a record number of family and friends come down, and I hope that trend will continue while we’re in Canada (hint, hint).

Clearly, we have a lot to look forward to this year, so here’s to another 365 days of new adventures!