Canadian Culture and Values
Learning objective: After reading this information sheet you must be able to identify and understand the values and culture of Canadians.
The Canadian Way of Life:
Family life and family law:
- Canada finds that it takes two income to raise a family
- Most mothers have job outside the home
- Both parents share the work, shopping, cooking, cleaning the house and looking after the children.
- Because of divorce there are many one-parent families in Canada
- Most single parents are women
- There are also same-sex couples with children
Marriage, Divorce and the Law:
- Canadian law views marriage as a legal agreement between man and woman.
- Unmarried heterosexual couples who lived together for a certain period of time have legal status as “common-law” couples they may call each week other “my partner.”
Divorce
- normally be approved by the courts if both people have agreed to end the marriage.
- Approved if one partner has been harmed through cruelty, adultery or a similar injustice.
Birth Control and Family Planning
- Many Canadians use birth control, it’s a matter of personal choice
Abortion
- is legal but is only available from a doctor.
Youth and their Parents:
Children – usually learn about Canadian quickly through:
- schools
- televisions
- movies
- music
Parents – find out about Canadian life differently
- search for housing
- work
- they need to learn English/French
Youth and the Law
- Canadian youth who commit a crime are held accountable for their actions
- They are not dealt within the same way as adult offenders
- The law for young offenders is called the “youth Justice Act.”
Sports: Popular sports:
- Swimming
- ice hockey
- cross-county
- alpine skiing
- baseball
- tennis
- basketball
- golf
- lacrosse
National Sports: Lacrosse and Ice Hockey
Holidays to Remember:
Holidays to Remember:
- Boxing Day – December 26
- Victoria Day – Monday before May 25 (Queen’s birthday)
- Victoria Day
- Canada Day – July 1
- Labour Day – 1st Monday in September
- Thanksgiving Day – 2nd Monday on October
- Remembrance Day – November 11
- commemoration of Canada’s fallen soldiers.
Multiculturalism
- Canada is populated by people who have come from every part of the world.
- Government encourages Canadians to take pride in their languages, religion and heritage and to keep their customs and traditions as long as they don’t break any laws.
Protecting the Environment:
- Canada has a beautiful natural environment
- Lots of land and a small population
- Most of the country is wild and unspoiled
Canadians are encouraged to do the following:
- Throw waste paper and other garbage in public garbage cans.
- Compost, recycle and re-use products as possible, such as paper, glass and cans.
- Walk, use bicycles or public transit whenever possible.
- Use product that are environmentally friendly.
- Never pour paint, oil or other harmful chemicals down sinks or toilet.
- Educate yourself and your children about environmental issues.
International Public Opinion about Canada:
- Canada was the # 1 choice of people in the U.S and France as the country they would like to live in after their own.
- “The quality of life make it the best country to live.”
Canadians – express contentment with their country and with their quality of life
Reasons:
- personal freedom
- health care
- environment
- peaceful nature of the country are considered key ingredient in their quality of life.
Top 10 Reasons to Come to Canada…
- Canada Rated the BEST Place to Live!
- Every year since 1994, the United Nations has rated Canada as the best country in the world to live in.
- Prosperity in Canada
- The economy is BOOMING! A fast growing, modern, industrialized nation, Canada offers unlimited potential and opportunity, with the highest standard of living. Canada is one of the richest countries and is getting better.
- The Good Life
- Canadians enjoy one of the highest qualities of life in the world. The clean environment makes for clean living. People are healthy and life expectancy is high.
- Growing Job Market
- Canada’s unemployment rate is low, with hundreds of thousands of new jobs created each year. Canadians earn high personal incomes annually, and the cost of living is low.
- Low Tax and Inflation
- Constantly decreasing taxes and a low inflation rate make for a resilient economy, and Canadians get to keep more of their personal income each year.
- Top Quality Education
- Offering free primary and secondary school and subsidized post-secondary studies, Canada spends more on education than any industrialized nation. Canadian universities and colleges have a strong international reputation.
- Health and Welfare
- Canadians have access to social assistance programs, affordable housing, FREE HEALTH CARE, and a strong government that helps its people.
- Safe and Secure
- Community policing, strict gun control laws, and a fair justice system make Canada safe and secure for everyone. Crime rates are among the lowest in the world and continue to decline.
- Multiculturalism
- Canada encourages immigrants to retain their unique culture. Nowhere else can such a diversity of cultures exist together in a tolerant, peaceful society.
- Business and Industry
- Canada is a land of great opportunity. Unlimited opportunities exist in the natural resources, manufacturing, construction, import/export, commerce, high-tech, health care, and service industries.
Block Parent
- is a responsible adult who volunteers his home as a refuge for children in distress. They are screened by the police and is given a Red and White sign of an adult holding a child by the hand and is displayed in the window of their home.
White Out
- low visibility on the highway due to heavy snowfall.
Black Ice
- sudden thawing of ice which makes the road slippery.
