One Year In Canada Review: My Honest International Experience Canada (IEC) Life Update

First Published: 28th October 2025 · Last Updated: 28th August 2026

Me and my husband have been in Canada on the International Experience Canada program for 1 year! Honestly, the time has flown by (as always), and we have had lots of amazing experiences over the last year but also many challenges as well!

We arrived in Canada on 2-year Work Permits in October 2024. After getting ourselves sorted with the IEC arrival basics (bank/phone/SIN/etc!), it was time to get down to living daily life in Canada – work, hobbies, and making friends in our community!

Moving to a new country is never easy, but having done it a few times before (I thought) I was prepared for all the good, the bad and the ugly… but life will always find a way to surprise you!

This post is an honest review and reflection of my personal experience living and working in Canada on our first year of International Experience Canada (IEC). I share where we lived, our jobs, where we travelled, new activities we tried, things we learned, challenges we faced, and my opinion of it all in this blog post!

• Related Read: IEC Arrival Experience – Moving To Canada From UK (Work Permit Guide & Checklist!)
• Discover all my Canada blog posts 🍁

Our One Year In Canada In Numbers (October 2024 – October 2025)

Places Lived: 3

• We started in Calgary for 2 weeks when we first arrived in Canada in October.
• Then we moved to Kitchener, Ontario in October and house/petsat for 6 months.
• We stayed in the Waterloo region and have moved between Kitchener and Cambridge, Ontario, for the remainder of our first IEC year.

Accommodation: 8

• Housesits: 6
• Airbnbs: 1
• Apartment rentals: 1

Travel Trips / Events: 12

• Festivals attended: 2 (Elmira Maple Syrup Festival, Riverfest Elora Music Festival)
• Music gigs attended: 1 (Baths in Toronto)
• Day/Weekend Trips taken:
  • Alberta:
    • 1 day trip to Banff/Johnston Canyon from Calgary
  • Ontario:
    • 2 weekend stays in Toronto
    • 1 long weekend to Bruce Peninsula/Tobermory
    • Mini-honeymoon trip to Collingwood/Blue Mountain
    • 1 weekend exploring Elmira, Fergus, and the West Montrose Kissing Bridge
    • 1 day trip to Niagara Falls
    • 1 day trip to Niagara on the Lake
    • 1 day trip adventure to Pinery Provincial Park

New Hobbies / Activities Tried In Canada: 7

• Pottery – I’ve wanted to try pottery for a long time! I signed up to a six week course in October 2025 at a local pottery studio – and I loved it! I made great friends, and enjoyed the creativity. I became a regular at the pottery studio and have been at least once on most weeks since the course finished!

• Trivia Night weekly at the pub with new friends – We started our team ‘Moomoo’ (named after a cat at Fiachra’s work), and went along to the free local trivia night. More new friends joined our team and it has become a weekly tradition. Our team ranked 2nd/3rd a few times, and even came 1st once!

• Baking with pumpkin and maple syrup – I’m a big pumpkin lover but it isn’t as popular in other countries like the UK. We have been making the most of access to pumpkin and baking delicious goodies like pumpkin pie, bread, muffins, and cake. I also experimented using maple syrup as an ingredient because it is much cheaper in Canada and has such a great flavour!

• Canoeing for the first time at Pinery Provincial Park – We rented a canoe for an hour and paddled up and down the water. Paddling a canoe is much more difficult than it looks! It was a fun experience but I’m in no rush to do it again, haha.

• Swimming at the local outdoor pool – Swimming is an activity both Fiachra and I love, and it’s awesome in Canada that during the summer months, the local outdoor pools open for lane or public swimming. The cost is very reasonable (approx $6) and the pool facilities can be basic but well-maintained. It was an absolute highlight of our summer 2025 and we spent many evenings after work or weekends at the local outdoor pool.

• Canadian tax return – A new task I had to learn how to do was doing my own tax returns! I did my Canadian tax return for the very first time during tax season 2025, and I was pretty proud of myself for figuring out how to file my own return and for FREE! I used the software Wealth Simple to do it by myself online, and it was straightforward after watching some YouTube videos and reading the fine print very carefully!

• Snow, snow, snow – I’d lived with copious amounts of snow before during my 2-year stint living in Hokkaido, Japan, but it was Fiachra’s first time facing a ton of snow! Neither of us are huge fans of the snow, but we were told Ontarian winters are “mild” compared to other parts of the country. Either we were lied to, or they were wrong, because the winters were NOT mild at all! We had to deal with multiple snow storms, -30°C, snow shovelling, slipping and falling over on ice, and being forced to stay inside most of the winter. It was pretty tough, and the winters seemed to drag on forever. But once spring/summer came, it felt as if all the hardship was forgiven because it was glorious!

Jobs: 3

• Jobs had:
  • Lauren x 2 (Front Desk & Reservations Agent; Customer Service Representative)
  • Fiachra x 1 (Groundskeeper)

Special Life Events That Happened: 3

• We got married! We had our wedding at the Waterloo City Hall in September, a day before our 10 year anniversary! It was a very intimate ceremony as it was just the two of us! Plus a photographer we hired to document the ceremony and take photos for a couple of hours afterwards (they did a fantastic job!). It was such a special day and we are both so happy to finally be married!

• Fiachra’s birthday was in December, a few months after we arrived in Canada. We celebrated by staying inside warm and cosy while it was snowing and very cold outside!

• Lauren’s birthday was in August! We celebrated by going to the Riverfest Elora Music Festival to see City and Colour!

Accommodation – Where We Lived During Our 1st Year In Canada

Throughout our first year in Canada, we have not had stable accommodation, and have chosen to move around to a variety of different accommodation options.

We have done a mix of housesitting and private short-term furnished rental apartments.

Housesitting has allowed us to save considerable money as each housesit has been free accommodation (besides our most recent).

This was balanced by paying for furnished, short-term accommodation for around 4 months of the year.

Housesitting Winter 2024-2025

We found housesitting via Trusted Housesitters and Housesitters Canada.

Our journey started with 2 weeks of housesitting in Calgary, Alberta. We would have liked to have stayed in Alberta or relocated to B.C. but the universe had other plans.

An offer via Housesitters Canada of a 6 month house/pet sit from October to April is what brought us to Waterloo region, Ontario. The owner contacted us directly via our profile, and in exchange for taking care of the owner’s cat (an adorable 15 year old tabby boy), we could stay in their home for free for the winter.

This allowed us to have accommodation for an extended period of time without worrying about the costs. We could focus on other arrival tasks such as applying for jobs!

AirBnB & Housesitting Spring 2025

At the end of the 6-month housesit, the owners returned in April 2025. We moved to an Airbnb basement apartment rental for 1-week in Hespeler Village. I loved the area but I really didn’t like Airbnb at all. It turned out to be an illegal basement unit renovation, and it had a bunch of problems. Airbnb is not a service I use often as I much prefer to stay in other options. The Airbnb cost us around $1000 for the week.

After that, we had secured another housesit for 1-week via Trusted Housesitters, then another for 6-weeks (end of April to early June) in Kitchener from Housesitters Canada.

• Looking to get started house and pet sitting? Check out my free guide with lots of information and resources to get started!

Rental Apartment & Housesitting Summer/Autumn 2025

In early June we moved into a fully-furnished aparthotel where we stayed until early August (approx 2 months).

The aparthotel we stayed at was The Laundry Rooms. They have several locations in Southern Ontario. We stayed at the Gaslight Cambridge Laundry Rooms and we had a wonderful experience.

The manager of the property was so friendly and helped get anything we needed to make our stay more comfortable. We had housekeeping every fortnight to clean the apartment, change bedsheets and provide fresh towels and cleaning products.

The location was perfect for us, besides the Grand River and a short walk into Galt. There were so many free and interesting activities happening at the Gaslight District (a new entertainment area of Cambridge in a transformed historic building), and the building facilities were also fantastic with a rooftop garden, BBQs and gym.

The local neighbourhood was just beautiful and I loved going for walks around there. The treelined avenues and periodic homes were so lovely to admire. The area has been used as a filming locations for movies and TV productions including The Queens Gambit and The Handmaid’s Tale.

I booked direct with The Laundry Rooms via their sales manager. They offer long-stay discounts, but it still cost us around $1100 per week, which is an outrageous amount of money. It makes me uncomfortable to think about how much we spent on this accommodation (in the realm of $17,600), but it was the best option available to us.

In Canada rentals are offered on 12-month leases unfurnished. We did take a look at a few rental apartments, which were around $2,000-2,500 per month, plus extra for bills/utilities/parking. In hindsight, it could have been worth it, but at the time we didn’t want to sign up to that, as we didn’t know how long we’d want to stay and we didn’t want to buy furniture.

In early August we did another housesit in Kitchener for 5-weeks we found via Housesitters Canada, before moving back into the same aparthotel in Cambridge in early September to November 2025.

Housesitting Winter 2025-2026

We stayed at the aparthotel until early November, when we moved back into the 6-month housesit we had done the previous winter. The owners offered us the opportunity to house-sit for them again, although their lovely cat had unfortunately passed away just 2 weeks before our start date.

Despite pet care being no longer required, we were still offered the house to sit to take care of the plants, collecting/forwarding post and home security.

This time we were not staying entirely for free and contributed a small amount to utilities each month ($250). However, this amount being very modest and we were both working this time, we were fortunately able to save a good chunk of our salaries whilst housesitting.

The location of the house was in suburbia with cookie-cutter McMansions – not the type of area we personally like but for winter when we are spending much of the time inside anyway it was cosy for us.

Jobs – Where We Worked One Year In Canada With IEC Visa

Finding a job in Canada did come with its challenges. We sent many applications and often heard absolutely nothing back.

In November 2024 I had two interviews in the same week, both for customer service jobs.

I received an offer from one of them in December which was for a hotel to work in their reservations department and front desk. I started the job and enjoyed working there for some time over the winter.

In January 2025 I received a callback from the employer of the other interview I had had in that same week in November. They advised me that I was successful and offered me a role. The pay was more than double than I was getting at the hotel so I had to take it.

I started this new role in February 2025 on an initial 9-month contract until November 2025. When November came around, my temporary contract was extended until the end of March 2026.

The role is hybrid and I have been working 3 days in the office and 2 from home. I started the role on a 7 week training program as the customer service focuses on a specialised area we required training on processes and systems. I really enjoy working for the company, and they have a great culture of learning and development, and I feel very supported by my peers and supervisors.

Unfortunately as it is a temporary contract I do not have any health or pension benefits from the company. It is a unionised role and permanent roles are few-and-far between, so I doubt I will be offered one. Additionally I don’t even have any vacation days besides 3 “floater” days and public holidays. I used these 3 days to take a long weekend to get married in September 2025 so unfortunately I have not had any vacation the whole year. This has been challenging but I am focusing on making the most of the weekends/public holidays I do have for much needed R&R. That said I would absolutely have loved time off to visit my family or travel more in this part of the world!

Fiachra unfortunately was unemployed the whole winter and was not successful in finding and starting paid employment until April 2025. Fiachra found his role at the same hotel I was initially working at, and is part of their groundskeeping team. He is outside most of the day in this role which was pleasant in the summer, but in the winter it is challenging. Temperatures have been -22 degrees C some days, and there is a lot of snow to contend with. His colleagues are friendly and he has found he fits well into his team. Initially he was hired on a seasonal contract but was quickly made permanent after demonstrating his value for the company.

Challenges Finding A Job In Canada On IEC

Difficulty in finding a role was not for lack of trying – finding a job can be really tricky.

In our experience in Canada there are a lot of immigrants to Canada, including ourselves of course, but it does make finding work more challenging. We are currently in a populous area of Ontario with a high number of immigrants particularly from east-Africa, the Middle East and west-Asia. With many newcomers we are competing even for low-paid jobs. We applied for roles at Costco, Walmart, Starbucks, Tim Hortons, Subway, etc and we did not hear anything back.

It can be demoralizing to apply for lots of jobs, of which most we are overqualified for, to be ghosted. We had heard that newcomers to Canada often have to start at the bottom of the ladder, as Canadian employers don’t value overseas work experience. They call it “Canadian” experience, and obviously we didn’t have it.

It is hard to say what eventually helped us to be successful in finding work. Persistence is obviously essential. We also updated our CVs to Canadian formats, focusing on metrics, successes and contributions we made in our previous roles. We applied mostly to entry level roles in areas we already had a lot of skills and experience, and narrowed the locations down to local businesses we could target. LinkedIn was the most useful job board, as well as applying directly to those hiring. Beyond that, I would say it was pure luck.

Day-to-Day Living & Routines On International Experience Canada

Our day-to-day routines in Canada depended on the season.

In winter there is snow to shovel so we had to spend a good portion of our time doing that before and after work! Travel in winter is also more treacherous and takes longer meaning more time was needed to commute to and from work. Winter evenings were spent baking, playing games, watching movies, working out in the indoor gym, or getting crafty at the pottery studio.

In the summer we had a little more time to spend on hobbies/activities outside of work. I’d spend the morning going for a coffee or a walk before starting my shift. In the evenings we liked to go to the outdoor swimming pool or for a walk around the neighbourhood or park, and just hanging outside!

Canadians will spend the winters indoors (of course) as no one wants to be outside! But as soon as the weather turns nice and sunny, everyone is out and about as much as possible (they know what’s coming!)!

Usually our day would start 6:30am/7am when we would wake up and get ready for work, work would be from 8:45am-5pm Monday – Friday, and we would go to bed around 11pm (or later!).

Food & Groceries

We found that food and expenses in Canada was reasonably priced and can even be quite cheap in certain circumstances.

We shopped at a lot of the local farmers markets where we got bargains of fresh fruit and vegetables for as cheap as $1. A lot of the fruits/vegetables available are seasonal so you have to be willing to lean into the seasons in Canada!

Coffee can be cheap too at $2-3 per cup if you go to places like Tim Hortons for a regular brew.

For pantry basics and other groceries, we tended to bulk shop at supermarkets like Real Canadian Superstore. It would cost us $300 for a big shop approx every 4 weeks. As we didn’t have a car we got home delivery but strangely they use Door Dash to deliver the shopping as they don’t have their own delivery drivers!

The quality of the food products in Canada was fine but I wouldn’t say it is anything to rave about. There is nothing I am likely to miss when the time comes to leave Canada.

If you are going to Canada from Europe then some produce is going to seem of worse quality, for example dairy and bread products. Canadian cheese was really, really bad. Milk in Ontario also comes in a 1L plastic bags which is inconvenient and also just weird. It was also really hard to find decent bacon as they don’t sell European style bacon rashers but they do sell American style streaky bacon which we don’t like.

The best and unique groceries you can get in Canada are the maple-flavoured products. Maple is used as a seasoning on everything from crisps/chips to bacon to coffee to cereal and more! The best maple product we liked is the Maple Leaf biscuits which are like custard creams but maple flavoured!

Another flavour that is popular is apple and cinnamon – we liked the Apple and Cinnamon Cheerios which I have only seen available in Canada!

In terms of availability of British products in Canada, there is a shelf in the supermarket for UK/International products. The selection is not that good, and tends to have a lot of stuff from Sainsburys, but if you’re desperate you may find something there!

Getting Around (Car Free!) During Our 1st Year In Canada

We quickly decided after arriving in Canada that we were not going to get a car. This is quite a bold move, seen as Canada is incredibly car-centric. I’m not going to lie, it has been challenging living in Canada without a car, but we have gotten by.

Living in Waterloo Region in Ontario, we do have access to a public transport system, although it is mediocre at best. To get anywhere takes a minimum of 1-2 buses, involving a change at a terminal (almost always in a random, remote location), at least 1-2 hrs of travel time, and possibly a long walk either side.

Most of the time, we take Ubers/Lyfts, because using the bus (the only public transport available to us day-to-day), requires setting aside a considerable amount of time, which in our busy lives we have a lack of. Why take a 1.5 hr bus when I could take a 10 minute Uber?

In a developed country that had the opportunity from its colonization to create sensible, convenient and efficient public transport systems, it astounds me that this has never been achieved. Slowly, progress is being made on the development of trams and train networks, but this won’t be achieved in the time that we are here.

Why We Decided Not To Buy A Car In Canada

With all the difficulty, you may be thinking – well why didn’t you just get a car then? Because, for, well… reasons.

• It came to light in our early Canadian days that the second hand car market is not really a thing. Buying a used vehicle is not very common, and if people do it they usually go to a dealer. Private sales are considered shady and unsafe.

• Tax must be paid even on second hand vehicle sales, which doesn’t make any sense when it’s already been paid once.

• A car bought in Ontario cannot easily be relocated to another province in Canada, if we ever decided to move.

• The quality of the used car market is pretty poor. Regular checks on vehicles for safety and maintenance (such as an MOT) are not a legal requirement, which also doesn’t make any sense. Vehicles are driving around with half the door a gaping hole as the metal has been eaten away by rust.

• The cost to purchase a car and also to insure it was going to be a significant expense. Frankly, we just didn’t want to pay for it.

Yeah, sure, our lives would probably have been easier for commuting to work and nipping around doing errands. We would probably also have had more travel experiences, as we could have taken weekend trips without thinking about public transport and car rentals. But day-to-day, we can get by just fine without having a car. If we had one, we wouldn’t use it everyday. Driving in winter was also a concern – the winters have been brutal so far, and driving is dangerous, and the cost of winter tires is also an unwanted expense.

Despite most Canadians finding it unfathomable that we could live car free, during our time here we met a Canadian couple who also chose not to have a vehicle. We met them through housesitting, and found out we had a lot in common. They had both lived abroad too, mostly in Europe including in the UK, and they understand that cars are not a necessity. They have a cosy home downtown, and they can cycle and walk to all conveniences, and they take the tram to work. I really admired that they were bucking the trend, which made me proud of our own choices.

Best Travel Experiences During Our 1st Year In Canada

Due to our jobs and lack of vacation days, travel has been limited to weekends and public holidays.

We haven’t been able to see as much as we would have liked, but what we did manage to do we enjoyed.

As we didn’t have our own car, we took trips using public transport and the occassional rental car.

Highlights of trips we have taken in our first year in Canada on IEC:

• Driving to the Rockies and hiking the gorgeous Johnston Canyon in the autumn.

• Visiting Tobermory and the Bruce Peninsula. Our trip included having a gorgeous swim in Lake Huron at Indian Head Cove. Hiking in the forest at Five Fathoms, and hoping we got back to the car before dark! (for fear of bears!). We also saw a beaver in the wild! On the way to Tobermorey we passed through Wiarton and saw the famous Wiarton Willie groundhog.

• Our mini-moon trip after our wedding to the Blue Mountain. We had a wonderful time relaxing at the Scandinave Spa.

• Seeing Niagara Falls and taking the boat ride to experience the magnificence of nature! Hiking the Niagara Glen was also gorgeous and feels somewhat of a hidden gem!

• Exploring the exhibitions at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. I particularly loved the dinosaurs and evolution of life exhibits! I also really enjoyed seeing Baths perform in Toronto at an intimate gig.

• Heading out to Pinery Provincial Park to canoe for the first time (more difficult than it looks!) and swim in Lake Huron.

• Taking a trip to see the Kissing Bridge (West Montrose Covered Bridge) – a historical covered bridge in the countryside. It was a filming location in the IT movie, but it reminded me of Beetlejuice – one of my favourite films!

• Attending the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival – the largest syrup festival in the world. As part of the event we also visited a sugarbush (maple syrup farm) run by a Mennonite family, who show us how they are processing maple syrup using traditional practices.

• Having fun at the Elora Riverfest Music Festival for my birthday celebration and seeing City and Colour perform. I was a big fan in my early 20s, so it was a nostalgic moment for me. We made flower crowns at a free workshop! Exploring Elora Gorge was also a highlight and Elora is such a cute country town.

• Visiting the St Jacobs Market – the largest year-round market in Canada!

We haven’t taken any trips to other countries, and we haven’t been outside of Ontario.

I do wish we had the opportunity to travel more in the first year of our International Experience Canada. But we took it in our stride and settled for this time to be for working and saving money. I have enjoyed and treasured what we have been able to do. Mostly we have used the time to work on our hobbies and develop new ones – more on that below!

For our second year on IEC, we are planning to do more travel, so stay tuned! 

Challenges I Have Faced (Health)

Unfortunately I have faced some health challenges during my first year in Canada on IEC.

Experiencing major health concerns in a foreign country is challenging to navigate.

Luckily I didn’t spend a penny due to having an OHIP card, but understanding how the system works and how to get help took time and I am not sure I fully understand the Canadian Healthcare system still.

I’m just glad that I am okay and came out the other side.

Measles

The most shocking health case for me is that I contracted measles in June 2025. Despite being fully vaccinated (two vaccines) as a child, somehow I got the virus.

There has been a surge in cases in Canada and North America in general, due to vaccine hesitancy and anti-vaxxers. We are also living in an area in Ontario close to Mennonite communities, which were a source for local outbreaks and spreading.

Unfortunately I fell victim, and was pretty sick with the disease for over a week. Perhaps I had a milder case overall as I was already vaccinated, but I still felt awful, exhausted and was covered on my head, neck, chest, back and shoulders with the red spots/rash.

I had to report to the local regional health board and provide proof of vaccination and infection for their reporting. The health board sent paramedics to the house with at home testing kits which were then sent to a lab to confirm contraction. I had to isolate from others and inform everyone I had been in contact with. The regional health board also listed my workplace on a warning list for possible risk of infection and sent out a company-wide memo alerting all employees to the risk of transmission!

It was really unpleasant having the measles and also pretty embarrassing as all my colleagues were wondering “who has the measles?”! But of course I was off sick and out of the office!

Thankfully I seem to have had a quick and full recovery, but I do worry about long term health risks from measles – it is known to weaken the immune system and also cause complications, for example in the brain, years later.

Never in a million years I thought I’d get measles after being fully vaccinated, but in Canada I did.

Concussion

While I was sick with the measles, but before I knew I had it, unfortunately I had a weak moment and fainted, causing me to fall down a short flight of stairs. I hit my head badly on the way down.

I lost consciousness for a few moments, and when I awoke I had the most terrible head pain I’d ever felt.

Fiachra took me to the ER at the local hospital. They didn’t diagnose the measles despite beginning to show symptoms over the hours I was waiting, and they didn’t do anything for the head pain either. Honestly, the medical staff were unfortunately pretty useless in this case, and I was in the ER for 6 hours. It was the most uncomfortable and painful night of my life. I saw a doctor for 2 minutes, and they did nothing to help me before I was sent home.

For weeks later I experienced terrible concussion symptoms and went on to see other doctors for follow up. I did exercises at home to help with concussion and tended to the large goose-egg lump and bruises that had formed on my forehead.

Thankfully, after around 6-weeks, the concussion symptoms subsided and I could resume my normal work/life activities.

Flu

Coming to the end of my first year on IEC I got the flu, which I was down with for a week.

Flu season seemed to come early in 2025, and I hadn’t yet had my flu shot. Flu shots are free in Ontario so I’ll make sure to get one going into my second year of IEC.

Things We Have Learned During Our One Year In Canada

Living in a new country gives us the opportunity to experience a place at a slow pace. This is one of the reasons we really enjoy living and working in different countries and taking advantage of the Working Holiday Visas we are eligible for.

Canada has certainly been an interesting experience for both of us and we have learned a lot about Canada and Canadians and also ourselves too during this experience.

IEC Is More About Experiencing Living & Working In Canada, Rather Than Travel

International Experience Canada is an interesting name for Canada’s Working Holiday Visa program. I guess that the Canadian Government phrases it this way because they want people to really experience what life is like living in Canada, as opposed to a work and travel holiday.

My experience in Canada on this visa program has certainly been different to other countries I have had a Working Holiday, such as Australia and New Zealand. In Australia and New Zealand it very much felt like the pattern is work for a while to save cash and then use that cash to go travelling within the country.

International Experience Canada follows a different vibe. Life has slowed down and we certainly haven’t travelled as much. We have worked A LOT during our one-year in Canada so far, and not had the opportunity to travel as much. This has definitely given us insight into how Canadians live. Canadians generally do not get much vacation/annual leave from work, and many Canadians we met had never even been outside of the province, let alone travelled across their own country or internationally.

• Related Read: 12 Best Paid Backpacker Jobs In New Zealand

Canadians Are The Absolute Nicest People (Seriously)

Despite all the time we have spent working, we have had time to enjoy new hobbies and making new friends. I really feel that we have made a community in Canada.

Making friends here has taken some time, but overall it has been much easier than it was in other places we have lived. Canadians are so friendly and I have found them to be welcoming and positive in their outlook in general. They are really very lovely and sincere, enthusiastic to try new activities and invite us along to events or just to hang out.

Canadians will try to assure you they are not that nice, but don’t trust them!

Even our working experiences are so nice in Canada. Our colleagues are professional, supportive, and the vibe is positive. We are both pleased to say that we actually like our jobs – something we have not been able to say for a very long time.

Both Fiachra and I agree that Canadians are much more pleasant to interact with on a daily basis. Comparing to our other experiences, New Zealand was wonderful but we met a lot of unhinged people there and got into some really strange situations. In the UK, people overall can be very gloomy in their outlook and general demeaor and the standard humour is to make fun of eachother, which I have never been a fan of.

• Related Read: Pandemic Perks: Discovering New Zealand’s Hidden Gems As A Tourist For 3 YEARS!

Canada Is Very Influenced By The US

One aspect of Canada that we have both struggled with is the fact that Canada is very influenced by the US. Economically, culturally and politically it is plain to see the similarity with their neighbour.

I have travelled in the US across many states and of course a lot of the media I consume is American, so I feel I am familiar with their culture.

Living in Canada, in Ontario in particular, I have found it is a weird mix between UK and US cultures, with a bit of French thrown in and Canada’s own developed culture. But broadly speaking most things in Canada are very Americanised. This is everything from city planning to taxes.

For me and Fiachra we have learned that we don’t really gel with the American lifestyle and I think this is one of the key aspects of Canada we have struggle to integrate with.

People Tip Even If They Don’t Want To, & You Need To Remember Taxes!

Tipping is expected at restaurants and even bars/pubs, for example 15-20% on top of the bill. It is not compulsary to tip but definitely an expectation of waiting staff.

Customers will tip even if they don’t want to or feel the service wasn’t worth it, just because they’ll feel embarassed if they don’t and if they are breaking a social rule!

From what I heard this custom is an import from the US and Canada typically does not have a culture or history of tipping because they do pay at least a minimum wage to hospitality employees.

Similarly, prices you see in the supermarket or menus are not inclusive of taxes, so you must add tax to every price, for example 13% in Ontario (the % is different per province, Alberta being the lowest at 5% tax).

Speaking of taxes, individuals must file their own tax return to the government every year. In literally every other place I have lived and worked, tax returns are automatically worked out by the system as all income is linked to the social insurance number (or equivalent). In Canada this is not done automatically and everyone has to do their own taxes during “tax season” (Canada’s 5th season).

Not All Healthcare Is Free In Canada – Most People Have Private Health Insurance

Despite Canada having a health care system they are proud of, health care is not completely covered by the government and many people have private health insurance.

Like the US, most companies will offer an employee healthcare insurance program with deductions taken from wages to fund the program.

Many temporary contract roles however do not offer any health or dental benefits (like my job) so if I have any health needs not covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) then I must pay out of pocket. That includes any prescriptions, and the price of those can be ridiculously expensive.

I also learned that people living with chronic illness such as diabetes do not have their medications covered under OHIP and they either need to pay for them privately or use their private health insurance! Shocking as these people will literally die if they don’t get their medication!

Canadians Love Country Music & Sports

Canadians love country music (like the US) which was big surprise for me. Country music is not very popular in other countries like the UK or Ireland for instance.

Sports are also huge in Canada, particularly baseball and hockey (of course).

Canada Is Kinda Ugly (Endless Suburbia & Stroads)

City planning, road layouts, houses and cars are very similar to the US. Yellow school buses are used in Canada. Many new housing developments consist of cookie-cutter McMansions and suburban sprawl. Huge SUV trucks are a common family car.

Retail stores are usually located along huge strip malls, “stroads” or retail parks – there is no “high street” like we would find in the UK. Roads are huge with many lanes and a LOT of traffic!

Canada Is Huge

Canada is massive and people will be quite happy driving 2-hours to visit a friend in an evening and drive 2-hours back home again. Roads can be very long and very straight and there’s not much to see or do on the road between the towns/cities, so driving can be pretty boring!

Public transport is pretty non-existent and most people drive everywhere!

One Year In Canada Review: International Experience Canada – Thanks For Reading!

Thanks for reading my one year in Canada review!

Overall, it was a year full of ups and downs.

Moving to a new country is never easy, but with time things begin to settle into place! I’m pleased of what we accomplished in one year, especially given the challenges we faced.

Here’s hoping our 2nd year is even better! I’ll keep you updated! – Lauren x

• Related Read: IEC Arrival Experience – Moving To Canada From UK (Work Permit Guide & Checklist!)
• Discover all my Canada blog posts 🍁

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