Are Canadians Really the World’s Nicest People?

A surprising opinion from a Canuck

When I took a ferry from Montevideo, Uruguay to Buenos Aires, I pulled a real bonehead move. Yes, I brought my passport, but no, I didn’t check in with a customs agent when I disembarked. I just left the ferry terminal without a passport stamp.

In my defense, there was no clear signage and other people on the ferry seemed to be doing the same. Now that I say it, it’s a pretty shaky defense.

Anyway, the good people of Argentina were less than pleased when I tried to leave their country with no record of having ever entered it.

Awkward.

The situation escalated a few times and finally, I stood in front of my final arbiter, trying to explain my mistake in broken Spanish. She looked predictably annoyed, but the woman beside her took my passport, studied it, and turned to her colleague.

“Ella es canadiense,” she said, in a tone that implied this was a mitigating factor.

Angry woman looked at me while I tried to give off doe-eyed innocent Canadian vibes.

Finally, she huffed off and got me some special papers for the Uruguayan government which likely translated to “not a threat, just an idiot.”

I’m not sure where the whole ‘Canadians are nice’ stereotype originated, but it’s been around for as long as I can remember. I once had a taxi driver tell me that when his home country experiences drought, they say “Then let it rain in Canada,” as in — if someone else is going to get all the good fortune, let it be people who deserve it.

That kindness is not a coincidence. Canadians start their “nice” training early with school curricula that emphasize collectivism over individuality. The biggest social lessons I remember from school are about sharing and being considerate of others versus leadership or personal interest.

Yet, we are not taught to see everyone as the same — multiculturalism is taught as a mosaic versus a melting pot. People are different, and we are encouraged to respect each other’s differences because they make the country stronger.

As the Globe and Mail put it, many Canadians believe “we are a diverse, but mutually supportive, community in which our collective interests as citizens take precedence over an individual’s freedom.”

Another influence on Canadian behavior is living next to the United States, aka the world’s biggest superpower. For decades if not centuries, being Canadian felt like being the geeky younger sibling of a rock god. For the most part, the world wasn’t paying a lot of attention to the quiet neighbo(u)r up North. We were generally overlooked and reminded daily that we had no reason to get an ego.

When you live life in someone else’s shadow, you learn humility pretty fast. It discourages you from feeling like your needs and opinions are more important than others. So Canadians, by and large, become respectful rule followers.

With that background, it’s no wonder most of us don’t expect exceptional treatment. Case in point, when I worked at Club Med the booking staff were told to give the rooms with the worst views to Canadians because they’re the least likely to complain.

Sad, but I can’t fault the logic.

Okay, so many Canadians are nice, but I still find the stereotype uncomfortable, because the reality is, it’s not just Canadians. I find kind people wherever I go. How did Canadians corner the market on nice when there are good people everywhere?

I spent a month in Uruguay and the way drivers treat other drivers and pedestrians astounded me. Nobody honks, nobody seemingly gets impatient, you just wave away your right of way and sit happily waiting.

In Colombia, local tour guides work hard to perfect their English, including slang and idioms, to make their customers’ experiences more enjoyable.

In a restaurant in Barcelona, the chef got my order and actually came out to my table to tell me it was far more food than I could comfortably eat. He tipped me off as to what was unmissable, and I had a great meal.

In Miami, my tour bus driver made a special stop at his favorite restaurant in Little Havana so I could try it (delicious).

I’ve met great people everywhere. Have I had a few unpleasant encounters? Sure. More than my share in Paris. Sorry Parisians, although I still swoon for your city.

But on the whole, people have been nice, kind, friendly, and helpful most everywhere I’ve been.

All of this great behavior is likely influenced by the fact that I choose to go places where economies are stable and locals have opportunities for meaningful employment. I’ve had people ask me why I go to (relatively) more expensive places, like Montevideo. The answer is simple — I’d rather know the people around me can make a living wage.

When people are given the opportunity to live a good life, they tend to be kinder and more open. They’re less apt to commit crimes to survive and be antagonistic toward tourists. Amazing how that works.

This brings us back to Canadians. Canada is far from perfect, but in a relative sense, our citizens are fortunate and well-off. I have no doubt that our overall satisfaction with life is a factor in our legendary niceness.

And hey, if it helps me get out of passport snafus scot-free, I’ll take it.