In One Word, How Would You Describe Canadians?

The words U of T students chose to answer our question reveal both how Canadians see themselves and how they’re seen by others. Many emphasized kindness. “People are nicer here than where I come from,” says Kate Pallett, a third-year ecology student. Others, such as Harnoor Saran, a third-year student in global health and women and gender studies, pointed to resilience and optimism. “Even with the economy nowadays, we still try to work toward being better.” Only a handful were critical, and one sidestepped description altogether, choosing instead a national symbol: “beavers.”

Warm and kind

63%

 used words such as “friendly, welcoming, nice, kind, warm”

A positive vibe

18%

used words such as “polite, chill, resilient, focused, unique”

Open to everyone

14%

used words such as “diverse, multicultural, open-minded”

Maybe it’s not all maple syrup

5%

used critical words such as “phony” or “annoying”

This highly unscientific poll of 100 U of T students was conducted across the three campuses in February.