Hi there!
New thread (go away, Mike111):
FIRST, this is NOT a country/tourist bashing question. This is NOT to ridicule other nations and their citizens. This is merely for entertainment purposes only!

Given that, what are some silly things you have been asked about Canada?
I have been asked about whale watching in Lake Ontario. I have been asked if one needs to bring a winter coat to Toronto for a July visit ("I've heard that it is always FREEZING there..&quot. I have been asked if we could see some bears, and maybe get our pictures taken with them ("they aren't dangerous if there aren't any cubs around&quot,
and of course, we have our previous 159-message-long thread...
Any other stories?

Someone once looked at me with great suprise and asked , " You mean .... you have UNIVERSITIES there !!! ??? " .

On a cruise, I was asked if "you all have movies up there in Canada". I replied, that "no, we entertain ourselves by making shadow puppets on the walls of our igloos at night".
I think they half-believed me...

Similar to mitchdesj's comments about the elks in Banff, (in the other thread) while riding the tram in Jasper National Park we overheard a lady ask the guide what time they would be putting the animals away.

After telling people that we are from Edmonton, I cannot tell you how many times we have been asked if that is close to Toronto.

In November in England, I was wearing the same winter coat I wear here but two people - one a Brit, the other from the US, refused to believe that's what I wore in a Canadian winter - I'm not sure what they expected I would wear in addition to a winter coat - two coats? Bear skin? Who knows?

A friend of mine is an interpretive nauralist at Cape St. Mary's, Newfoundland. The hightlight there is a huge bird colony of Northern Gannets.

TWICE she has had people ask "What to do feed them?"

I was on a tour of Jack Daniels distillery in Tennessee and the tour guide asked everyone where they were from. I replied, Toronto, Ontario. The guide said, Oh that's one of our northern states isn't it?
I didn't bother to correct him.

Oops ! the quote should say "What do you feed them?"

gannet, that is SO funny!! I love Newfoundland and love to hear any stories about the area.

A guest @ Keltic Lodge in Ingonish, Nova Scotia asked one of the dining room waiters "Where do they get the salt that they put in the ocean?"

You could post a thread with the utterly stupid questions Canadians ask about the U. S., while visiting here. People say silly things everywhere. Stupid is stupid, and it resides on both sides of the Border.

So leelane, I suggest you start a thread on the US board.

leelane, this thread is for fun and certainly is not singling out Americans. By all means if you have a funny story, share it.

leelane:
As I said, this thread is NOT intended to bash anyones country. Please read the top of this thread. It is merely for entertainment purposes only. I don't think ANYONE seriously believes that silly questions are limited to certain countries of origin. It IS interesting, though, that you assume that all silly things are coming from American mouths. I certainly am not making that association...
Hmmm...
Anyways, these posts are funny! I hope to hear more of them!
I was in Jasper years ago, and had to dissuade someone from driving to Vancouver for dinner (!). This is AFTER I was asked if there was any good hiking in the area...

This will be entertaining; there's silliness everywhere but some people's perception of Canada is so archaic at times, it's almost embarassing and is so funny.
I think canadians enjoy making fun of themselves, I know I do.
Hopefully everyone here has a good sense of humor.

The ever present separatism threat in Quebec often makes people think we fist fight in the streets constantly about english versus french. I'm often asked about that. Not silly, but I usually answer that aside from during election time, most of us do not think about it. English or french alike.

One of my European relatives planning a visit assumed that we would pick them up at the airport when they landed in Montreal. Um - we live in Edmonton )!!!!!

Borealis that's too funny! Please tell me you're kidding.

Borealis, that's a hoot.

>>>>>>there's silliness everywhere but some people's perception of Canada is so archaic at times, it's almost embarassing and is so funny.<<<<<<<

But there is one thing about Canada that <b>is</b> archaic, and that's the name of the Royal Canadian Mounted Polic (RCMP). Sure, there are the few specially trained RCMP officers who perform the impressive musical ride. But, beyond that, few RCMP officers ride horses.

When I first arrived in Canada in 1977 and saw a modern police squad car with RCMP painted on its door, I thought it was funny.

Someone once asked me, &quot;If &quot;poutine&quot; is the quintessential Canadian dish, why is it named after the President of Russia?&quot; ;-)

I have visited Alberta several times and enjoy that part of the world. When I tell people I went to Alberta for my trip I usually get a blank stare.

I always like to tell them it is one province farther west than Saskatchewan.
And if they persist, I inform them that Saskatchewan is one province farther west than Manitoba.

And any mention of the Gasp&eacute; usually draws an even blanker expression.

But my favorite is this: &quot;After whom is Ottowa named?