Speech pattern and typographical variations across Canada

[north 42]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

When I was down in Amherstburg, south of Windsor, last year all I could think of was "why is this not one of Canada's best known retirement communities?". It looked perfect.

Amherstburg is actually one of the more popular spots in Windsor- Essex for out of town retirees to locate in. It has an amazing location at the mouth of the Detroit River, is close to many of the wineries, has a charming, historic downtown, and is a close drive to windsor and Detroit. In time I feel it will get more recognition as a retirement haven.

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

In all my years, and in all media I've come across, I've only found one person who says "aboot" unironically.

Political cartoonist (and acquaintance) J.J. McCullough.

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He first says "aboot" around the 0:32 second mark. He's also the only Canadian I have ever heard use the word "aboot" unironically or out of self-parody. All other Canadians I've heard say about pronouncing the 'bout' like when someone takes a bow on stage. I've also heard plenty people use "aboat" (incredibly common amongst Maritimers and rural Canadians), and I've even heard (albeit rarely) people say "abawt".

In all my years, JJ is the only Canadian I have ever heard say "aboot", which is why I find it so frustrating when people claim all Canadians from coast to coast say "aboot". Yes, generally speaking, the way we say "about" can vary from how Americans, Brits, and even Australians say the word, but saying "aboot" is incredibly uncommon.

I've heard and met more Scotsmen and Irishmen who say "aboot" than I have Canadians. I've encountered hundreds of Canadians from east to west, and north to south in my 25 years on this earth, and JJ is the only one I've met who says "aboot".

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

At a cousin's wedding, my father did the Screech In. One of my cousins, born and raised in suburban Halifax, got up to participate. He's been here a lot, but technically not a Newfoundlander and never Screeched In. You should've heard the mumbling.

When my father was Knighting the CFAs with the oar, he cracked my cousin on the head pretty hard.

Funny, we sort of have the same thing going on in my family (without the physical violence! )

My side of the family is quite predominantly Acadian though it has spread out all over the place. Some have become Québécois and Franco-Ontarian and another bunch are solidly anglo who speak no French whatsoever and don't know any more about Acadian culture than Mick Dundee or a Boschiman in Namibia would.

So when the latter group show up at family gatherings and trumpet their "Acadianity", it does tend to ruffle a few feathers among the more Acadian members of the family. In some cases it's not their fault as their parents did not bother to teach them French or anything about Acadia. For others they are ensconced in the North American mainstream, and they don't really give a shit other than when they are with us and I guess it feels cool or "right" to proclaim that they're Acadian too.

Still it seems a bit odd to have people who are "Weekend Acadians" or "Cafeteria Acadians" who don't even know who Édith Butler or Cayouche or Évangéline are, and don't even have the foggiest notion that something like the 1755 Grand Dérangement (deportation) ever happened.

Québécois and Franco-Ontarian* members of the family get a pass because there is a lot of cultural commonality and Acadian culture is present enough in the francophone Canadian mainstream that they aren't completely clueless.

But with the Calgarians and the 905ers, it's a lot tougher.

*My family gets a full pass because we were raised Nova Scotia Acadian, New Brunswick Acadian, PEI Acadian and Franco-Ontarian. My wife gets a full pass because she is Franco-Ontarian and up on all of the Acadian traditions and culture. Not sure about the next generation of my wider family as a lot of its members my age living are basically raising bilingual Anglo-Ontarians: good for federal job interviews, not so good for singing along with aunts and uncles in the crowd on August 15 in downtown Caraquet:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzYUj1NvpeM

[SignalHillHiker]

Oh, Evangeline. The amount we had to study her and that era in school was insane. It's one of the only stand-out things I remember learning about mainland Canada in school. We had to do a play, the works. No idea why. It's not relevant to Newfoundland anglophones and our francophones are not Acadian (with the exception of a few refugee families).

Even in St-Pierre-et-Miquelon, where many eventually settled, they're a minority: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/Monument_Grand_D%C3%A9rangement_Caraquet_2.jpg

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

Oh, Evangeline. The amount we had to study her and that era in school was insane. It's one of the only stand-out things I remember learning about mainland Canada in school. We had to do a play, the works. No idea why. It's not relevant to Newfoundland anglophones and our francophones are not Acadian (with the exception of a few refugee families).

Even in St-Pierre-et-Miquelon, where many eventually settled, they're a minority: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/Monument_Grand_D%C3%A9rangement_Caraquet_2.jpg

About 2 or 3 years ago at a party I met a high school Canadian history (high school) teacher who had never heard of the expulsion of the Acadians. Not that I bring it up (ever), but the discussion sort of evolved into that direction and I brought it up as an example.

But yeah, Évangéline is big...

This song has been recorded by tons of Acadian and Québécois artists, but was originally written by a Frenchman:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbOXJOI4Mm0

And a more whimsical and sarcastic take on Évangéline (bilingual song):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JIYxjVKs9U

[Nashe]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

At a cousin's wedding, my father did the Screech In. One of my cousins, born and raised in suburban Halifax, got up to participate. He's been here a lot, but technically not a Newfoundlander and never Screeched In. You should've heard the mumbling.

That brings up an interesting point. Who qualifies to get a bye on the Screeching In process? Born and raised? Born?

[SignalHillHiker]

Technically, I suppose, you have to be born here - but not necessarily raised here.

However, in practice, that was my first time encountering someone with any significant Newfoundland heritage being Screeched In.

Something, though, that's happening more often but isn't really accepted here is non-Newfoundlanders doing the ceremony (Nova Scotia did it recently to showcase their culture at some event in the West, I forget the details now) or it being done to people who have never been here, a la:

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[lio45]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

It could be like American/European retirement here.

Every other town in Newfoundland has a large, heritage home that's been purchased by an American or European (usually German) family. There are certainly dozens of examples within a 30-minute drive of me.

But that doesn't mean we're a common retirement destination for Americans or Europeans. Most of them would never have even heard of us, let alone considered us in that way.

Yep, well said... nicely put.

"I, a Newfoundlander, personally am aware of a few Americans who chose to retire up here"

and

"Newfoundland is really, really, really, really waaaaay down the list of top retirement destinations for Americans in order of popularity, so low that it's not on the radar at all for 99%+ of retiring Americans; most Americans have never heard of anyone ever doing something as weird as choosing to relocate to Newfoundland to spend their retirement there"

are not incompatible statements at all (and certainly both true).

[SignalHillHiker]

The Kilbride (neighbourhood of St. John's) accent.

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Ellen loved her so much, she sent her to the Grammys:

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[Nashe]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

The Kilbride (neighbourhood of St. John's) accent.

LOL, she's adorable.

[ue]

Very interesting. Although the water and beaches in deep SW Ontario is beautiful, I wouldn't expect it to be on the radar for most, especially out in Eastern Ontario.

Quebec's choices seem about right. A lot of Ontarians and Manitobans also retire to cottage/cabin country.

For Alberta, most will either stay put or will retire to BC (!!!), the Southwest US, or Florida, or will move back home, wherever that may be. But for those that want to leave the city and still stay in the province, most go to Kananaskis Country, between Calgary and Canmore, with its beautiful foothills, or into the mountains in places like Canmore or if you can get in, Banff and Jasper. The rural foothills around Rocky Mountain House is also another popular place to retire to.

[Trevor3]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

The pattern here tends to be for people to retire in their hometowns. They may downsize their home, or move to an assisted living complex, but it's completely normal to retire where you've always lived.

There are two main exceptions:

1. People returning home from lives lived working on the mainland. Most of them tend to be from under-serviced rural areas and choose instead to relocate to the largest service centre in their region (to be close to hospitals, activities, etc.). So, for example, someone from Jean-de-Baie who spent 30 years in Ontario would probably retire to either Marystown or Clarenville.

2. People who have spent their lives working in under-serviced rural areas. Someone who has never left Jean-de-Baie would still probably retire in Marystown or Clarenville.

In both these cases, suburban St. John's is also a popular option, no matter where in the province they are from.

On the west coast of the island (Trevor3 will have to confirm/contradict), I expect retirement to the Maritimes - though uncommon - is certainly present enough to know someone who did it.

And then, after all that, you have Florida, winter vacations down south, etc.

Most people follow the trend you outlined and retire either where they lived or move into the nearest service centre (like leaving Lark Harbour for Corner Brook, usually for health reasons) and then end up in a nursing home in Corner Brook or Stephenville. Then some people go the opposite and leave for a 4 acre lot with an ocean view about 15 minutes out of town.

Some do go to the mainland to be close to kids and grandkids but it's definitely in the minority. Most of the time kids and grandkids live in places like Fort MacMurray, Brampton, or various other suburban areas of southern Ontario which aren't really enticing. I think people are more likely to take extended vacations to those places rather than moving outright.

As for the maritimes, from the west coast of NL all the major cities are within a days travel so it's easy to get back and forth (3 airlines, 2 airports, + ferries) so more people travel than move. But some definitely do, it's present but not widespread.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Vorkuta

LOL, she's adorable.

Really? I could take that for about two minutes before I'd want to slap the white off her!

[Nashe]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Really? I could take that for about two minutes before I'd want to slap the white off her!

I require frequent association with energetic, optimistic people to counteract my passivity and general lackadaisicalness.

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

So, no one has any commentary on my "aboot" video?

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Jamaican-Phoenix

So, no one has any commentary on my "aboot" video?

I have never heard a Canadian say "about" that way. Even stranger is that he doesn't make the same sound when he says book.

[SignalHillHiker]

Mayor Dennis O'Keefe, one of the two main types of old money, upper class accents in St. John's. The most striking element they both share in common to me is how L is pronounced. It's almost a two-syllable sound, and in certain words (for example, "hills"), the L is rolled.

A very similar accent does exist among lower class families in other parts of the province, but it has much poorer enunciation and the silent L in many words (for example, "calm") is pronounced, so it's easy to distinguish from the below:

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[kwoldtimer]

My grandmother (born in rural Quebec, west of Montreal, of Scots ancestry) used to pronounce the "l" in calm. The "a" was akin to that of "apple" rather than "ah".

[ue]

Originally Posted by Jamaican-Phoenix

So, no one has any commentary on my "aboot" video?

I've heard on occasion the 'aboot' phenomenon, but it's always with Southern Ontarians. More commonly, across the provinces, I hear 'aboat'. I even catch myself saying 'aboat' sometimes. It usually isn't very blunt, but it is there if you listen for it. A lot of people alternate between proper pronunciation and 'aboat.'

[SignalHillHiker]

Originally Posted by Jamaican-Phoenix

So, no one has any commentary on my "aboot" video?

I couldn't get it to work. It said error.