So, since this site is based in Canada (British Columbia, to be exact), and I know that some of you that join aren't from there in real life (I happen to live in Canada), I thought I would post a handy little topic that you guys can refer to so as to avoid stereotyping and to make your character authentic. So, here we go:

<sub>001. Contrary to some peoples' beliefs, we do not live in igloos. During the winter, kids might build them out of snow for fun, but they don't live in them, and we do have houses like every other normal person xD Mostly the houses are in suburban neighbourhoods, though we do have rural areas and urban areas as well. Also, we don't have beavers as pets, and we don't have polar bears as neighbours. And I have never seen a moose in my life. (I'm only touching on these subjects because at some point or another they have been brought up D:)

002. It's not cold all year round, hence, we don't wear parkas and toques (which are woollen hats) all the time. It does usually snow in the winter, yes, but we don't have snow every other season. We often dip into the negatives in winter. Fall (autumn) is usually rainy and cool out, spring is warmish or rainy, and summer is often quite hot (30+ deg. C).

003. For the love of all that is holy, please do not put 'eh' after every sentence unless you intend for your character to sound like an absolute twit. It's usually used sparingly and isn't meant to sound so obvious - it's supposed to blend in with the rest of the sentence. I admit that I use it, and often times I don't even notice I am! It's mostly used as a confirmation sort of thing at the end of a question, like saying 'agreed?'. Ie. "What do you think of that, eh?" Please, tone it down if you use it xD

004. The capital of Canada is not Toronto (that's the capital of Ontario). It is Ottawa.

005. Not all of us love hockey (such as myself) but many Canadians do. We also don't all eat bacon, and we don't have pancakes with syrup for breakfast/lunch everyday.

006. Toque =/= tobaggan. A tobaggan is a sled-like thing that's low to the ground and is used during the winter time for fun. A toque is something we wear on our heads.

007. Just like with any other country, Canadians have different accents. People from Newfoundland, for instance, are going to sound different from people who live in BC. However, it has been said that the Canadian accent -is- similar to an American one, but we just pronounce words such as 'know' and 'about' a bit differently. See here for an accent example.

008.

There are some terms and slang that you should know if you don't already.

Tim Hortons - affectionately referred to as 'Timmy's' by a majority of the teenage population, it is a lot more popular than Starbucks here in Canada. It sells coffee, tea, donuts, soups, sandwiches, and a whole bunch of other things. Lineups are usually way out the door.
Double-double - basically, it's a Tim Horton's coffee that has two sugars and two creams.
Kraft Dinner - Also known as KD. It's mac n' cheese.
Pop - Soda
Washroom - Bathroom
Thongs - Sandals
Buck - One dollar. Also called a loonie. For two dollars, it's a toonie.
Bill - A check, like the one that you get at a restaurant. In Canada, a check would usually be the same as a 'cheque' that you deposit at the bank.
Rye - Canadian whiskey.
Chocolate bar - Candy bar (ie. Kitcat, Snickers, Oh Henry, etc.)
Runners - Running shoes, sneakers
Mounties Also known as the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police). Most times, you can simply refer to them as the police or the 'cops' and people will understand what you mean, though.
First Nations - Native Americans
Give 'Er! - Go for it, just do it.
Metro - Subway station. If you use 'subway' in Canada, most people would think you were referring to the food chain called that.
Canucks - Vancouver hockey team.</sub>