🗣 Canadian English: loonie

🧣 A loonie is the Canadian one-dollar coin. It's named after the loon, the bird on the coin. Canadians also say "the loonie" for the Canadian dollar itself, so you'll hear it in business news too.

🔊 Say it: LOO-nee (sounds just like "loony")
🔜 "Can I borrow a loonie? I'm short for my coffee."
🔜 "The loonie slipped against the U.S. dollar this week."

🌎 Same thing, different English:
🇨🇦 a loonie · 🇺🇸 a dollar coin · 🇬🇧 a pound coin

🪙 Bonus: the two-dollar coin is a toonie (two + loonie).

💡 Careful: spell the money word "loonie". "Loony" is an informal word for crazy.

🇨🇦 @canada

🥙 Where to eat in Halifax: King of Donair

The donair is Halifax's own street food: spiced beef shaved off a rotating cone, wrapped in a soft pita with tomatoes, onions and a sweet, garlicky sauce. King of Donair on Quinpool Road says it opened in 1973 as Canada's first donair shop, and the original location is still serving.

🔹 Price: the Original is listed at $8.99 regular, $11.49 medium, $13.99 large (in-store menu, before tax; may have changed)
🔹 Hours: 10 a.m.–1 a.m. Sun–Thu, until 2 a.m. Fri–Sat
🔹 Address: 6420 Quinpool Rd, Halifax, NS

💡 Tip: A regular is plenty for most people. Grab extra napkins: the sauce drips.

📍 Google Maps: King of Donair

🇨🇦 @canada

🍁 Where to go in Alberta: Lake Louise, Banff National Park

Canada's most famous turquoise glacier lake sits under snow-capped peaks. Stroll the easy lakeshore path for postcard views travellers come from around the world to see.

🔹 Entry: Banff park pass $12.25 adults, $10.75 seniors, youth 17 and under free; family/group $24.50 (CAD)
🔹 Hours: park open year-round; lakeshore trail open (visitor centre 9am–5pm)
🔹 Where: Lake Louise Lakeshore parking lot, Lake Louise Drive, Lake Louise, AB T0L 1E0
🔹 Parking: limited lakeshore lot; paid season ended Oct 12 — arrive early

💡 Tip: Fresh snow and icy patches this week — bring sturdy boots or cleats. Parks Canada shuttle season has ended; drive carefully or take Roam Route 8X from Banff. Dress in layers.

📍 Google Maps: Lake Louise

🇨🇦 @canada

🚨 BREAKING: B.C. Conservatives projected to win a majority

🔹 Lorne Doerkson becomes premier-designate; first Conservative majority since 1928
🔹 NDP Premier David Eby resigns as party leader after the snap-election loss

🇨🇦 @canada

🚨 JUST IN: Canadiens edge Jets 2-1 in Heritage Classic

🔹 Lane Hutson and Kaiden Guhle scored outdoors in Winnipeg; Jacob Fowler stopped 34 shots
🔹 Crowd of 32,342 at Princess Auto Stadium; Isak Rosén replied late for the Jets

🇨🇦 @canada

🗣 Canadian English: premier

🧣 In Canada, a premier is the head of a provincial or territorial government — the "first minister." So you hear "the premier of Ontario" or "B.C.'s premier," not "governor."

🔊 Say it: PREM-ee-er (rhymes with "creamer") or pri-MEER — both are used
🔜 "The premier will meet the other premiers in Ottawa next week."

🌎 Same idea, different title:
🇨🇦 premier (province/territory) 🇺🇸 governor (U.S. state) 🇬🇧 first minister (Scotland/Wales/N. Ireland)

💡 Careful: Canada's national leader is the prime minister (in Ottawa). "Premier" in headlines can also mean a country's PM, but in Canadian news it usually means a province's leader. As an adjective, premier just means "top" or "leading."

🇨🇦 @canada

🗣 Canadian English: premier

🧣 In Canada, a premier is the head of a provincial or territorial government — the "first minister." So you hear "the premier of Ontario" or "B.C.'s premier," not "governor."

🔊 Say it: PREM-ee-er (rhymes with "creamer") or pri-MEER — both are used
🔜 "The premier will meet the other premiers in Ottawa next week."

🌎 Same idea, different title:
🇨🇦 premier (province/territory) 🇺🇸 governor (U.S. state) 🇬🇧 first minister (Scotland/Wales/N. Ireland)

💡 Careful: Canada's national leader is the prime minister (in Ottawa). "Premier" in headlines can also mean a country's PM, but in Canadian news it usually means a province's leader. As an adjective, premier just means "top" or "leading."

🇨🇦 @canada

🍔 Where to eat in Calgary: thick shakes and burgers at Peters' Drive-In

A Calgary classic since 1962 on 16th Avenue: order at the window, eat in your car, and chase a Grade-A beef burger with a famously thick milkshake (mix up to three flavours).

🔹 Order: Cheese burger $7.60; Double Cheese $10.10; small fry $6.50; milkshake $7.95 (before 5% GST)
🔹 Hours: daily 10am–midnight
🔹 Closed: Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day
🔹 Where: 219 16 Ave NE, Calgary, AB (Crescent Heights)

💡 Tip: Peak lines at lunch and after hockey. Bring napkins — the house special sauce drips. Maple or maple walnut is a solid Alberta shake pick.

📍 Google Maps: Peters' Drive-In

🇨🇦 @canada

🏔 Where to go in Nova Scotia: Peggy's Point Lighthouse

Canada's most photographed lighthouse stands on wave-washed granite in the fishing village of Peggy's Cove, about an hour from Halifax. Wander the accessible viewing deck, then watch the Atlantic roll in.

🔹 Price: free entry; free public parking (limited)
🔹 Hours: grounds open year-round, 24 hours; washrooms generally 9am–9pm (seasonal)
🔹 Where: 96 Peggy's Point Road, Peggy's Cove, NS B3Z 3S1 · Hwy 333 from Halifax

💡 Tip: Stay on the dry, white rocks — rogue waves splash the dark wet ones even on sunny days. Visit outside 11am–3pm for easier parking, and respect that this is a living fishing village, not a park.

📍 Google Maps: Peggy's Point Lighthouse

🇨🇦 @canada

🚨 BREAKING: IRCC invites 792 provincial nominees in Express Entry draw

🔹 Round 451 on Oct 26: Provincial Nominee Program; lowest CRS score invited was 761
🔹 At CRS 761, profiles needed a submission time on or before April 3, 2026, 18:00:26 UTC

🇨🇦 @canada

💔 JUST IN: Toronto-born Eric Bauza, modern voice of Bugs Bunny, dies at 46

🔹 The Emmy-winning voice actor, who grew up in Scarborough, also voiced Daffy Duck, Tweety and Marvin the Martian; his family said he died suddenly on Sunday
🔹 The Los Angeles County medical examiner listed hypertensive cardiovascular disease as the cause

🇨🇦 @canada

🗣 Canadian English: keener

🧣 In Canada, a keener is someone who is extremely keen or eager, often the student who sits at the front, does the extra reading and puts their hand up first. It's informal and usually friendly teasing, but it can sound a bit like "try-hard."

🔊 Say it: KEE-ner (rhymes with "cleaner")
🔜 "Only a keener would hand in the essay a week early."

🌎 Same idea, different English:
🇨🇦 keener 🇺🇸 eager beaver 🇬🇧 swot (at school)

💡 Careful: It's a noun, not the comparative of "keen." "She's keener than me" just means more eager, while "She's a keener" is the Canadian label. You can also say it about adults: "Canadians are keeners when it comes to barbecuing."

🇨🇦 @canada

🥐 Where to eat in Ottawa: BeaverTails, ByWard Market

This little walk-up stand on George Street is where the BeaverTails story went big. The pastry was first served at a craft fair in Killaloe, Ontario, in 1978, and in 1980 the first booth opened right here in the ByWard Market. It's a hand-stretched, whole-wheat dough fried until crisp, then topped while warm. Barack Obama stopped here on his first visit to Canada in 2009.

🔹 Price: the Classic (cinnamon sugar) and the Killaloe Sunrise are about $8.25 each before tax; loaded flavours run about $9–10
🔹 Hours: daily 11 a.m.–11 p.m., Friday and Saturday until midnight
🔹 Address: 69 George St, a short walk from the Rideau Centre and Parliament Hill

💡 Tip: Order the Killaloe Sunrise and squeeze the lemon wedge over the cinnamon sugar. It's a classic for a reason.

📍 Google Maps: BeaverTails ByWard Market

🇨🇦 @canada

🍁 Where to go in Quebec: Montmorency Falls, Québec City

Just 15 minutes from Old Québec, this 83-metre waterfall roars down a cliff beside the St. Lawrence. Ride a glass cable car up, cross the suspension bridge right over the crest, then walk down the panoramic staircase with spray in your face.

🔹 Daily access: $13.90 per adult until Nov. 1 ($10.42 in low season); 17 and under free; plus tax
🔹 Cable car: $14.95 adult round trip, unlimited rides that day
🔹 Cable car and services: daily 9 a.m.–5 p.m. until Nov. 1; closed Nov. 2–Dec. 18, but the site stays open (no access fee then)
🔹 5300 boulevard Sainte-Anne, Québec City

💡 Tip: Go in the morning before tour coaches arrive, and wear shoes with grip, since the stairs get slick from the spray.

📍 Google Maps: Parc de la Chute-Montmorency

🇨🇦 @canada

🚨 JUST IN: Canada and the UAE sign a free trade deal in Ottawa

🔹 Tariffs on over 99% of Canadian exports to the UAE will be cut or removed once it is fully in force, expected in 2027
🔹 Signed during the Abu Dhabi crown prince's first-ever visit to Canada, alongside a defence cooperation deal

🇨🇦 @canada

🎤 JUST IN: Canada names 5 finalists for its first-ever Eurovision

🔹 William Cloutier, Josiane, Rêve, Talk and Tyler Shaw were picked by a jury from 325 entries for Eurovision 2027 in Bulgaria next May
🔹 Canadians can vote up to 10 times on CBC until Nov. 5; the winner is due by December

🇨🇦 @canada

🗣 Canadian English: zed (the letter Z)

🧣 In Canada, the last letter of the alphabet is usually called zed, the same as in the UK, Australia and most of the English-speaking world. Americans call it zee. So in Canada you'll hear "from A to zed" and even "Gen Zed."

🔊 Say it: ZED (rhymes with "bed" and "red")
🔜 "Is that Zack with a zed, or Zach with an h?"

🌎 Same letter, different English:
🇨🇦 zed 🇺🇸 zee 🇬🇧 zed

💡 Careful: You'll still hear "zee" in Canada too, especially in the alphabet song, where it rhymes with the other letters. Both are understood, but "zed" is the usual Canadian choice, so don't be surprised when a Canadian reads a Z out loud as "zed."

🇨🇦 @canada

🍽 Where to eat in Québec City: Ashton Côte-du-Palais

Locals still call it Chez Ashton. Ashton Leblond started with a chip truck in 1969 and put poutine on the menu in 1972 — fries, fresh cheese curds, and house gravy that helped make the dish a Québec City staple. Easy stop in Old Québec near the Château Frontenac.

🔹 Price: authentique poutine about $9.15 before tax; loaded versions about $12–16; most meals under $25
🔹 Hours: Mon–Thu & Sun 11 a.m.–8 p.m.; Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–10 p.m.
🔹 Address: 54 Côte du Palais, Old Québec (G1R 4H8), short walk from Place d'Armes

💡 Tip: Cheese curds should squeak — ask for "frais du jour" and grab extra napkins.

📍 Google Maps: Ashton Côte-du-Palais

🇨🇦 @canada