A confession from Americans who assumed a lot about Canada.
Most of it was wrong.
Scroll to begin the confession Swipe to begin
It's a borough of Toronto.
We pronounced it wrong for three days before anyone corrected us.
They were very patient about it.
It's a province. A large one.
We're still not confident about the pronunciation.
Nobody has corrected us.
Which means we're either saying it right or they've given up.
It's where 6 million people live.
The Greater Toronto Area.
Not Grand Theft Auto.
Although some of the driving is similar.
Nothing up there is.
We tried. They smiled.
It wasn't a smile of agreement.
Not cartoon characters.
A loonie has a loon on it.
A toonie has a polar bear.
One is worth a dollar.
The other is worth two.
Both are worth more or less than yours depending on the day.
It's complicated.
It's boxed mac and cheese.
And it's a national institution.
They call it KD.
They eat more of it per capita than any country on Earth.
We checked. This is real.
It is. But also it's Québécois.
Apparently that's different.
We're still working on understanding why.
Everyone's been very patient with us.
It was. A hockey player.
Because of course it was.
It's coffee with two creams
and two sugars.
It's also the foundation of a national mood-management system.
We were corrected.
Gently. But firmly.
It's 'Tronno.' Or 'Trawna.'
Never 'Tor-ON-toe.'
Unless you want people to know you're from somewhere else.
It's a hat. An important hat.
We call it a beanie.
They call it a tuque.
Theirs sounds more dignified.
Which, in hindsight, tracks.
People live there.
They're just quieter about it.
Which, in hindsight, also tracks.
We were wrong about everything except the cold part.
We got a lot wrong.
But we're learning.
Sorry about the pronunciation thing.