What you can talk about and what topics should not be touched — you can find all this is in the official guide created by the Canadian authorities.
Canadians are known for their hospitality and polite behaviour. Nevertheless, many people wonder what to talk about when they meet a Canadian. To solve this problem, the Government of Canada has published a cheat sheet on how to start a conversation with a Canadian. Some of the recommendations will amuse you.
There is a section on the Canadian government website that provides guidance for travelers and newcomers when they first get to know the country. There are many helpful tips, an overview of popular Canadian activities, historical events, and clothing styles. One subsection is entirely devoted to information on how to talk with a Canadian.
According to the recommendations of the government, when meeting a Canadian for the first time, it’s important to have a relaxed conversation and focus on various topics that interest most Canadians, namely weather, hockey, Canadian musicians, and beer.
The website also gives tips on how to impress Canadians. For example, you can tell them that they are different from Americans because this will certainly make Canadians proud of themselves. The recommendations suggest that that’s a good topic to talk about as “most Canadians see themselves as humbler, funnier, more tolerant and/or less aggressive than Americans.”
The website also informs newcomers in Canada that there are topics that they should avoid when talking to local people, in particular, politics, wages, and religion. It is also noted that humour “should be approached with caution,” because the sense of political correctness is very strong in many social circles.
As to non-verbal communication, the website recommends giving Canadians 36 centimetres of personal space in public places and avoiding burping in public.