First Canada Overnight Impressions

ARFlyer

ARFlyer

En-Route
Joined
Dec 31, 2011
Messages
3,187
Location
Central AR
Display Name
Display name:
ARFlyer
I finally had my first Canada overnight with my job and it was quite interesting to say the least. I found that if your not 100% respectful then their attitude towards you changes. Not that I wasn't, it's just a change from dealing with American airport workers.

A few observations:

Their TSA is extremely nice but will hover over you like crazy, especially when their guarding the aircraft door. However, please take your EFB tablet out of the sleeve. I got told I was highly disrespectful for making them do it. Also don't have ANY liquids in public view. My Captain got yelled at because it shows disrespect towards the passengers.

For the love of God don't walk outside the aircraft before putting on the yellow safety vest. I got stopped while slipping it on while walking down the jetway stairs.

Border Officers get really defensive of their queue lanes. Especially if your accidentally in the handicap lane. OOPS MY BAD! :hairraise:

Overall I enjoyed the overnight. The people are mostly super nice and helpful if you show them the same. It's a refresher after dealing with American gate agents and rampers. Also I had an amazing hotel room in an old remodeled shed.
 
East or West Canada? French Canadians can be a bit more.....well, like the French.
 
ARFlyer said:
Montreal
Click to expand...
Yeah, the French presence is a bit strong there. Nice place to visit, but I have noticed that the people are much friendlier in the English dominated parts like Nova Scotia or western Canada.
 
EdFred said:
That explains it. Probably be much more friendly in Winnipeg.
Click to expand...

I really want to visit St. John's, NF and Halifax. Unfortunately our St. John's flights are very rare and normally during the middle of winter.
 
I visited montreal twice, a long long time ago and it was a really nice city with really nice folks. I also found if you treated the women in the booby bars on st. catherine street with respect that they treated you the same.

oh, and also the Bell Center was an insane place to see a hockey game, I highly recommend it. those fans are L O U D.
 
ARFlyer said:
I finally had my first Canada overnight with my job and it was quite interesting to say the least. I found that if your not 100% respectful then their attitude towards you changes. Not that I wasn't, it's just a change from dealing with American airport workers.

A few observations:

Their TSA is extremely nice but will hover over you like crazy, especially when their guarding the aircraft door. However, please take your EFB tablet out of the sleeve. I got told I was highly disrespectful for making them do it. Also don't have ANY liquids in public view. My Captain got yelled at because it shows disrespect towards the passengers.

For the love of God don't walk outside the aircraft before putting on the yellow safety vest. I got stopped while slipping it on while walking down the jetway stairs.

Border Officers get really defensive of their queue lanes. Especially if your accidentally in the handicap lane. OOPS MY BAD! :hairraise:

Overall I enjoyed the overnight. The people are mostly super nice and helpful if you show them the same. It's a refresher after dealing with American gate agents and rampers. Also I had an amazing hotel room in an old remodeled shed.
Click to expand...


I've never had that experience, if they are taking offense that you didn't take your iPad out of the sleeve or immediately put on a yellow vest, it ain't a problem with you, it's something wrong with them.
 
eman1200 said:
I visited montreal twice, a long long time ago and it was a really nice city with really nice folks. I also found if you treated the women in the booby bars on st. catherine street with respect that they treated you the same.

oh, and also the Bell Center was an insane place to see a hockey game, I highly recommend it. those fans are L O U D.
Click to expand...

I don't go to a titty bar looking for respect. Haha
 
Wannabee Europeans. :rolleyes:
 
Western Canada is a great place for a visit,can't be bothered going to the French sections. They don't care for English speaking Americans and they show it.
 
I really enjoy driving across western Canada. Friendly folks, but worst place to find Chinese food.
 
I spend a lot of time in maritime Canada. O.M.G.

My experience suggests that Canadians tend to be very compliant of rules and regulations, no matter how trivial they may be. The Quebecois less so, but still they have no trouble figuring out who the Americans are.

I always enjoy watching international folks queue up. The Canadians politely line up, while the Italians and Arabs push their way to the front. Just a cultural difference. The Americans see the folks pushing to the front of the line and leave their place in the queue to join them.
 
I agree about Alberta being like Colorado. Calgary reminds me a lot of Denver.
 
The 99's International meeting next year is in Ottawa. I'll have to remember to give a report here after that.
 
gprellwitz said:
The 99's International meeting next year is in Ottawa. I'll have to remember to give a report here after that.
Click to expand...

I like Ottawa. I went on a tour of Parliament, and they also have a nice aviation museum (and many other museums) there.

Actually I like Canada in general, except for the winters.
 
gprellwitz said:
The 99's International meeting next year is in Ottawa. I'll have to remember to give a report here after that.
Click to expand...

Never had any problems going through Customs or security at Canadian airports as a crew member in uniform. Just comply with what's required and get through. Spent many layovers in Ottawa (also Toronto & Montreal), an enjoyable experience. As mentioned visited Parliament and some of the museums, the outside market area (forget the name), and the bars. Nothing like sitting outside on the patio drinking a brew watching the lovelies ride by on bicycles, roller skates, or just walking in the summer. Ottawa easy place to get around by just walking. Not as large and congested as Toronto and Montreal. Love hearing the ATIS broadcasted in French and English.

There was a sports bar we used to patronize in Toronto near the airport that had a strip club next door, and a pilot supplies store next to the strip club. What more does a pilot need! :yes: Always thought the guy that built all three must be a pilot!
 
Last edited:
mscard88 said:
Never had any problems going through Customs or security at Canadian airports as a crew member in uniform. Just comply with what's required and get through. Spent many layovers in Ottawa (also Toronto & Montreal), an enjoyable experience. As mentioned visited Parliament and some of the museums, the outside market area (forget the name), and the bars. Nothing like sitting outside on the patio drinking a brew watching the lovelies ride by on bicycles, roller skates, or just walking in the summer. Ottawa easy place to get around by just walking. Not as large and congested as Toronto and Montreal. Love hearing the ATIS broadcasted in French and English.

There was a sports bar we used to patronize in Toronto near the airport that had a strip club next door, and a pilot supplies store next to the strip club. What more does a pilot need! :yes: Always thought the guy that built all three must be a pilot!
Click to expand...
You do realize that the 99's is an Int'l organization of WOMEN pilots, right? :goofy:
 
Brad Z said:
I spend a lot of time in maritime Canada. O.M.G.

My experience suggests that Canadians tend to be very compliant of rules and regulations, no matter how trivial they may be. The Quebecois less so, but still they have no trouble figuring out who the Americans are.

I always enjoy watching international folks queue up. The Canadians politely line up, while the Italians and Arabs push their way to the front. Just a cultural difference. The Americans see the folks pushing to the front of the line and leave their place in the queue to join them think about kicking their asses for cutting the line.
Click to expand...

FTFY.
 
petrolero said:
Alberta is like the Texas of Canada, which means the mix of people and attitudes is about like Colorado. :D

Alberta is a cool place.
Click to expand...

Lived in Alberta for 20 years. Came back to BC almost three years ago. Alberta grew a lot in the time we were there, driven by oilsands development, employing tens of thousands from all across Canada and many others from other countries. Now it is in deep trouble, with oil at $30, environmentalists yelling about CO2 emissions and other issues surrounding oilsands extraction, and a recently-elected NDP provincial government. The NDP is a socialist party that can't separate ideology from reality, and they are bringing in carbon taxes and farm labor laws that threaten to extinguish the family farm. They are also legislating the end of coal- and natural-gas-fired powerplants in favor or wind and solar power. They have learned nothing from the disaster in Ontario, where the government did just that and had to double the cost of electricity to consumers AND tax them to subsidize it as well. The upshot was the departure of much of the remaining manufacturing base, for whom the cost of electricity was the last straw. Now the tax burden is spread among fewer folks, which is the way Alberta is heading, with 65,000 jobs lost this year alone plus the ripple effect across the rest of its own and Canada's economies. Housing prices heading for freefall, along with lots of used toys on the market.
 
gprellwitz said:
You do realize that the 99's is an Int'l organization of WOMEN pilots, right? :goofy:
Click to expand...

Of course I do, but what's that have to do with writing that I enjoyed my layovers there? The women can check out the Canadian men walking/running around and at the bars too if that's what you're getting at! Who knows, they might meet up with an aircrew w/ a layover there too! :D
 
Last edited:
gprellwitz said:
The 99's International meeting next year is in Ottawa. I'll have to remember to give a report here after that.
Click to expand...

The IEEE International Symposium on EMC is being held in Ottawa the last week of July next year. Having been to Ottawa a couple times previously I'll tell you now that it's a great city and you'll have a great time there. Plenty of great places to eat, things to see and do. Have fun.
 
Dan Thomas said:
Lived in Alberta for 20 years. Came back to BC almost three years ago. Alberta grew a lot in the time we were there, driven by oilsands development, employing tens of thousands from all across Canada and many others from other countries. Now it is in deep trouble, with oil at $30, environmentalists yelling about CO2 emissions and other issues surrounding oilsands extraction, and a recently-elected NDP provincial government. The NDP is a socialist party that can't separate ideology from reality, and they are bringing in carbon taxes and farm labor laws that threaten to extinguish the family farm. They are also legislating the end of coal- and natural-gas-fired powerplants in favor or wind and solar power. They have learned nothing from the disaster in Ontario, where the government did just that and had to double the cost of electricity to consumers AND tax them to subsidize it as well. The upshot was the departure of much of the remaining manufacturing base, for whom the cost of electricity was the last straw. Now the tax burden is spread among fewer folks, which is the way Alberta is heading, with 65,000 jobs lost this year alone plus the ripple effect across the rest of its own and Canada's economies. Housing prices heading for freefall, along with lots of used toys on the market.
Click to expand...
And yet, these Progressives- so called- are voted into office regularly.
 
paflyer said:
And yet, these Progressives- so called- are voted into office regularly.
Click to expand...

First time for Alberta, and probably the last time for a generation. BC has done it twice, a generation apart, and ended up with massive debt each time that the succeeding conservative governments had to sort out and try to get back the jobs that left when companies left or shut down.

The public's memory is short, and young folks especially like the socialist ideas because they promise lots of goodies paid for with other people's money. Once they grow up and have to suffer high taxation for the foolishness, they don't elect any more socialists; that's left for their kids to do a generation later.

Those who don't learn from history are destined to repeat it. -George Santayana
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top