Canadians are able to impersonate Americans at will, or so we believe. The recent movie Barbie starred at least eight Canadian actors in addition to Ryan Gosling. When Americans find out we are not fellow citizens, they describe us as “the same, but different.” So why is our “accent” so American? Because of a difference of views over King George III, a number of our ancestors called “United Empire Loyalists” were banished to the northern tundra to play hockey. If you watched TURN: Washington's Spies, a history of the Culper Spy Ring, you will note Lt. Col. John Simcoe is portrayed as a villain for fighting on behalf of His Majesty’s forces against the American Revolutionaries. Canadians remember this “villain” as the first lieutenant governor of the province of Ontario, the founder of Toronto, the founder of institutions such as courts of law, trial by jury, English common law, freehold land tenure, and especially for the abolition of slavery in Ontario, where the Act Against Slavery (1793) became the first legislation to abolish slavery in the British Empire. He is seen by many Canadians as a founding figure in Canadian history. He is commemorated in Toronto with Simcoe Day. There you have it, Canadians—similar, but oh so different.
When considering whether to litigate in Canada, it is important our U.S. clients understand the differences between litigating in the two countries. Here are 10 important differences: