Saturday, November 14, 2009

Why do Canadians think we get no snow in the UK?

I moved from Scotland to Canada in June for a year, and pretty much every1 I talk to thinks that I have never seen snow before, some people are even stunned to hear me say it snows in Scotland, I tell them we have 4 seperate ski resorts in Scotland and that it can even sometimes snow in May/June(and not only in the mountains). I'm in Winnipeg at the moment, and people were amazed to hear that it had snowed in my home town of Penicuik before it snowed in Scotland. Do most Canadians not really know world geography and that the uk is further north than most of the large cities in Canada?

Why do Canadians think we get no snow in the UK?
People only know what they know. If they haven't been presented with the fact that it snows in the UK then they don't know it or don't think about it. When you think of most of the television and movie productions you'd think that it doesn't snow anywhere except in Russia and the Canadian arctic. Or that it only snows in the UK for dramatic effect.





Most Canadians know their world geography and know that the UK's climate is moderated by the Gulf Stream so they don't really expect too much snow in the UK. Also BTW are those 4 ski resorts on real snow (man made or otherwise) or are they on the ski mats like they are on some hills in England?
Reply:Don't lump all Canadians together. I'm Canadian and know it snows in the UK. Why do people in other countries think it snows in Canada all year round? Most likely they've never been to that country.





And as far as Canadians being dumb compared to Americans. We won't even go there
Reply:I don't know anyone who thinks that in Canada





As for the guy who said canadians are dumb lol


I met an american who was convinved in england they do not speak ENGLISH and they think we live in igloos in canada year round ...


americans know how to dish insults I see but they can not take it !!


their are idiots in every country and becasue you talked to a small group you think all canadians that way lol


I thought people in the UK were much smarter than that(oops sorry they are ...just some individuals are not )
Reply:Lmfao... Simply_me : I've never actually heard of an american making fun of canadians for a lack of knowledge in regards to geography... Its been totally unprecedented until now...





I wouldn't expect it to snow to the same extent as some parts of Canada ie. Newfoundland, where you can get 20 feet of snow... but yeah I would expect most normal Canadians would know that you do get snow... I mean to be fair, you were asking people in Winnipeg...
Reply:With some of the storms that arise on the North Atlantic and the North Sea, I've always assumed and am not surprised that the UK will get its fair share of snow.





However, when I visited London several years ago, I was told that the amount of snow that the UK gets cannot compare to what some of their neighbours get in Norway, Sweden, Finland, and of course Russia. And it does not stay for near as long as in Canada, where we get snow stays generally from December to April each year and that's at close to sea level. It seems that Scotland gets the snow, but rarely at the lower levels, and it only stays for a few days. And places like London rarely do get any snow that will accumulate.





So perhaps the Canadians you spoke to who thought you may have never seen snow before are under that impression because they have spoken to people from London, or perhaps they meant you've never seen AS MUCH snow as they get in a single storm in Winnipeg.





Regardless, I would not take offense to it. I know many people who come to Canada and think that a lot of us live in igloos and that they have to worry about grizzly and polar bear attacks just outside cities like Montreal and Toronto.
Reply:some people I imagine think since UK is an island it must be tropical and never get snow...which is pretty ignorant of people to think but I have a feeling some do think this way.
Reply:hmm oh. well i guess you met a few dumb ones lol... im only 15 and im aware it snows in the UK i mean, thats where santa came from right, they have to have snow for the slay. and all the old x-mas movies are from the UK, and its snowing.. lol i kinda thought it was obvious... just look how far north the UK is from the Equator
Reply:From an American who lived in Winnipeg for many years... As has been said already, you've just met a few uninformed Canadians, and a couple of uninformed Texans. Don't generalize. The Canadians you've met have the same reason as those who think Canada has snow all year! Many people in North America tend to think of Great Britain as a place of beautiful gardens and green fields, and don't bother to think of anything else. Forgive us all, as I have forgiven Canadians for all their anti-American twaddle.
Reply:they were probably just uninformed, when you hear about the UK snow usually dosen't come up into conversations.


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