Things I’m Still Figuring Out About Living in Canada | Victoria, BC

Standard rule. If they are passing you, not fast enough. If you are passing everyone, you are too fast. Just don’t be the fastest car.

Regarding speed limit, I generally keep it within 10% of the posted limit, however, I do not exceed in school zones, construction zones and playgrounds.

I would imagine most of your subscribers — the Canadian ones at least — would be most interested in a video that brings across culture shock or differences between life in Canada as a whole (not just Victoria and B.C.) and the U.S. — that you and your family may have encountered, including even bureaucratic steps needed to make a new life in Canada, metric system confusion, etc. Like, do you watch Canadian news? How does it come across to you? How does getting provincial health insurance work? Maybe you could have some kind of live event with Q+A.

October can be quite nice. Thanksgiving weekend is often lovely!

If it’s a rainy day, you could take them to the Royal BC Museum. There is an Egyptian exhibit on right now. If you’ve never been, it’s definitely worth a visit.

If you liked that Castle, if you are ever in Toronto, check out Casa Loma

Take your parents to Butchart Gardens! I was born and raised here in Victoria but I’m still always impressed w those gardens when I go!

I'd be interested in your son's experience in a Canadian highschool and in particular if he notices much difference in the curriculum or in the academic requirements. And of course his social experiences there as well. And of course, move-in day for Phoenix at their dormitory. Don't forget to take some quiet time for yourself and enjoy the peace.

Afternoon tea at the Empress is a must! ❤

Pro tip here re A & W… get their app because you get points for good free stuff every time you order. Plus you can decide to go, you can place your order and it will be ready as soon as you get there. Re speed in kilometres, I usually go between 5 & 10 over.. to be honest, mostly 10. But don’t do it in school or park zones as there’s a bigger chance the cops will be waiting. At least in Vancouver they are. So glad you’re happy here! And so glad you are here!

The salmon are spawning in Goldstream Park from mid-October to December. There's a bit of walking on a path beside the river, but it's flat.

So glad that you are contributing to Canada. You are a great fit to what we are. Love your updates.

FYI, Canadian tire is kind of a Canadian icon. Its like Home Depot married Autozone and had a Canadian offspring. It was started by two brothers who opened a store in Toronto. It succeeded and later was franchised and it is coast to coast. I worked at head office in the 70s. AJ Billings, the one remaining brother came to the office every day and was still keenly interested in the business in his 90s. They treated their employees really well and gave everyone stock options for retirement. So everyone felt like a stake holder. During rapid growth, the stock gained in value. So you never knew if the old guy sweeping the floors for 40 years was a multi millionaire when he retired and cashed in his options.

Save-On-Foods is a good home base grocery store. I've lived in Victoria my whole life, everyone drives slow here. Around school zones/construction zones you should go the posted limit (cops are usually hiding). For anywhere else going 10km above is the norm.

About Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving did not originate in the US. It originated in England in the 1500s during the Reformation as a day to pause and be thankful for something. Its date was fluid. The first Thanksgiving in North America was celebrated in 1579 in Frobisher Bay, Canada by British Arctic explorers grateful for surviving a brutal Arctic winter. Today Canadians recognize Thanksgiving on the second Monday of October where each person celebrates what they are thankful for. It is not commercialized. It is not anchored to any particular event. It is a meal with family. It is also the last long weekend before winter sets in so we celebrate that too. The famous 1621 Pilgrim feast? That came 43 years later and followed the same old English customs—not the other way around. The pilgrims were very English and brought all of their very English traditions with them, including Thanksgiving. The US has anchored the day to one event and commercialized it. The rest of the world that celebrates their own Thanksgiving does not anchor it to one event. Several British commonwealth countries still celebrate Thanksgiving (Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc) even though the UK does not. Does that mean that the US is still part of the old British empire? Hmmmm...

Hello! Thanks for stopping by Market Collective in The Bay Centre!! That mug is made by Esther Drone 🫶

For driving, 5 km over is normal but going with the flow of traffic is usually OK here as well. I challenge John to try The Grouse Grind while you are in Van. You can take the gondola up and meet him at the top.

Must try Beacon Drive-in for the ice cream. One of the only of its kind left in the city.

Hi Jen! Video wise, it would be nice to see John's prep for full time school, what it looks like for dad as well as the youth. I like footage of your outings, I have never been that far west and really enjoy those. Thanks for keeping us posted, I am so glad you folks seem to be settling in nicely

Hi Jen here's an idea maybe try afternoon tea at the Empress Hotel ❤