Canadian Money

Here is a practical explanation of Canadian coins, again from J.J.'s Complete Guide to Canada.




A Canadian dollar is made up of 100 Canadian cents, and Canadians deal with their dollars and cents using a variety of metal coins and paper bills.









The Toonie or Twoonie is the distinctive-looking two dollar coin made of two different colours of metal. It replaced the old two dollar bill in the mid-nineties. It’s got a polar bear on it.


The Loonie is the one dollar coin, made of gold-coloured nickel. There used to be a one dollar bill, but it was phased out in the 1980s. It’s called a “Loonie” because it has a picture of a loon, the national bird of Canada, on one side.

The Quarter is the silver-coloured 25 cent piece. Four of them and you’ve got a dollar! It has a caribou, one of Canada’s beloved antlered animals.


The Dime is the 10 cent piece. It has a sailboat on it, the famous Bluenose schooner that was the fastest racing ship in the world for almost 20 years.


The Nickel is the five cent piece. It’s bigger than the dime! And it’s actually made of steel, not nickel! What’s that about? It has a beaver.




The penny has now been discontinued, though you may see one from time to time.  If you pay for something in a store with a credit or debit card, you will be charged and pay the actual price.  If you pay with cash, the price will be rounded either up or down to the nearest 5 cents so that no pennies are needed.



(from www.mint.ca)


Canadian dollar bills have all been recently redesigned and made of a polymer.


       


Here are some handy tips on handing the polymer notes from the Bank of Canada:

Just handed several brand new notes? To separate them, quickly fan them, tap them against a hard surface, shuffle them, or snap two notes together.

• When counting, hold the notes in one hand and use your thumb to push the top bill into your other hand.
• Wipe soiled notes with a damp cloth.
• Dry wet notes with a towel.
• Repair torn notes with tape and use them again. They will be removed from circulation when they are returned to the Bank of Canada.

Tips about Social Customs in Canada

Here are some quick tips about Canadian social customs and manners, from J.J.'s Complete Guide to Canada,  a great website with all kinds of information about Canada.


Canadian Manners and Etiquette 


      The stereotype of the fundamentally “polite Canadian” is a bit of a cornball cliche, but it does have some basis in reality. Canada is a nation with fairly strong conventions of social etiquette, and properly obeying and understanding these rules is one of the most crucial ways to “fit in” to broader Canadian society. In general, Canadians are a mostly friendly, unpretentious people who value honesty, sensitivity, empathy and humility in their relationships with friends and strangers, as well as respect for the privacy and individualism of others. While obviously many Canadians fail at honouring these lofty principles, such values nevertheless provide the basis of what is considered “good manners” in mainstream Canadian society.


Roles and Formalities



Most corporate Canadian workplaces embrace a dress code known as "business casual," with outfits similar to the ones above representing the norm. Ties and jackets have become increasingly uncommon in all but the most formal or high-ranking office settings. Canada is usually considered a mostly egalitarian country in the tradition of other western democracies, which means that respect for hierarchy is not considered a particularly important value in daily life. Most Canadians are strong individualists of one form or another, and will dislike changing too much of their behaviour or personality just to please others — indeed, such aggressive conformity may actually be scorned by others as phony or weak. Modern Canadian children are usually permitted to be relatively outspoken and independent from a young age, and may speak to adults, even teachers or parents, in the same casual style they use for friends. The same is mostly true for employer-employee relations, and maintaining a friendly workplace where everyone acts as if they’re on the same level (even if they’re obviously not) is exceedingly common these days. Though the Canadian government, judicial system and military possess a lot of complex protocols dictating things like proper titles of address and appropriate dress, such institutions are considered outliers of unusual formality and strictness within a broader, casual culture of relaxed relationships.





Signs like this, imploring travellers to surrender their seats to the old or disabled, are common in Canadian buses and trains. The main figures of reverence in Canadian society are people over the age of 70 (so-called “senior citizens“), who are usually given a higher-than-normal degree of politeness and courtesy, and people with obvious handicaps or physical disabilities, who are expected to be treated with compassion and understanding.


Time

Canadians use the 12-hour clock and tend to refer to time in fractions, for example "quarter-after three" or "half-past two." For the most part, Canadians are very literal about time and schedules. If someone says to “come at 3:00″ he usually expects his guest to be there at 3:00. Lateness of more than 15 minutes will almost certainly be taken as a sign that someone is delayed, and an apology or explanation will be expected. Likewise, earliness of more than 15 minutes is usually considered presumptuous and may cause an awkward surprise for a host who is not yet ready. Most Canadians with full-time careers work from roughly 9 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday (so-called 9-to-5 jobs). 12 noon is usually considered lunchtime, while 6 PM is approximately when most families eat dinner. With some exceptions, telephoning people in the very early morning or very late night is considered rude and disruptive. Most do not appreciate being disturbed at work, either. Weekends (Saturday and Sunday) tend to be the most busy and active days for socializing — since most people will not be working — though Sunday morning can be a somewhat taboo time to make plans since many religious Canadians will be attending church.


Canadian Social Customs


Greetings


Canadians meeting for the first time usually shake hands to introduce themselves, and may shake hands before departing, as well. Short hugs are becoming more common for closer friends. Kissing remains mostly reserved for family or lovers, though some French-Canadians may partake in the European practice of giving light cheek kisses as part of a friendly greeting.


Tipping in Canada

These days, a lot of restaurants will give you the option to give an automatic 15 per cent tip when you pay using a debit or credit card machine, thus sparing customers the difficulty of after-dinner math. When dining at any “sit-down” style restaurant, Canadians are expected to tip, or donate, some extra money to their waiter at the end of the meal. The bare minimum expected is 15% of the total price of the bill, but over-tipping in the case of exceptionally good service is common as well. Failing to tip (or under-tipping) is considered extremely rude and will probably generate some sort of immediate reaction, even if only a subtle one. A variety of other professions in Canadian life expect tips as well, including pizza delivery men, taxi drivers, bellhops and hairdressers, among others. Confusion over exactly who should and should not be tipped (and how much) has led to the creation of a lot of helpful online guides. In general, Canadian tipping etiquette is the same as that of the United States, and American tipping manuals are often used for reference.


Gestures


In contrast to some other parts of the world, Canada is not a nation with a lot of obscene or offensive gestures. In general, most rude hand or body gestures are done knowingly, and can be easily avoided as a result. Some of the most common “bad” gestures include: Raising only the middle finger — an extremely obscene gesture of anger/frustration towards someone else. Thumbs down — mild gesture signaling disapproval. Elbows perched on the table while eating — generally considered rude in formal settings, though common in more casual situations. Eating with an open mouth or talking with a full mouth; unapologetic public belching, nose-blowing or other releases of bodily functions — all considered extremely disgusting and are usually expected to be followed by an apologetic “Excuse me.” Sneezing is weirdly ritualized. Sneezers say “excuse me” following a sneeze, while anyone in the immediate vicinity says “bless you,” as a sign of sympathy. Pointing or staring at strangers — considered rude and a form of leering. Conversely, not making eye contact with the person one is speaking to is considered a rude form of shyness or bored distraction.


Other Canadian taboos





Unlike some parts of the world, Canada has a "waiting in line" culture that encourages customers to be patient and orderly when shops or services are busy. "Budging" in line is an enormous social taboo.  Attitudes considered sexist or racist are generally among the most scorned in modern-day Canada, even if not everyone agrees what “racism” or “sexism” actually entails. Canadians’ sense of what is “private” can vary a lot depending on the person, with some having no embarrassment about openly discussing things such as their relationship with their parents, failed marriages, career woes, income or physical appearance. Others, however, may be more guarded, shy, or sensitive. Being a good conversationalist in Canada is generally a matter of being able to sense a person’s level of comfort on different personal topics, and proceeding accordingly.


Canadian Stereotypes





The common international stereotype that Canadians are excessively, or even absurdly polite is well-known in Canada, and even if not entirely warranted, still affects the way Canadians deal with one another. A sort of positive feedback loop, in other words. Our friends on the Internet, of course, have a lot of fun with the polite Canadian stereotype. In practice, a lot of Canadians take very seriously the idea that they should apologize a lot, or only ask for things in a very roundabout, indirect sort of way. There’s also a fairly common perception that a stereotypically “good” Canadian does not engage in excessive bragging or self-praise, but rather carries herself with a strong sense of humility and even light self-deprecation. Of course, in the end stereotypes are just that — unfair generalizations. Each Canadian is ultimately an individual, and as such will likely have his own unique perspective on how to be a decent and well-mannered human being.

Some Facts about Canada

Here are some interesting facts about Canada, from Where.ca

New Brazilian Wave Magazine Online

The latest issue of Brazilian Wave magazine is available online.  It's a Canadian magazine for Brazilians--or anyone interested in Brazil--in Canada.