We’re so polite we turn statements into questions, eh? You will also hear “sorry” an awful lot — whether you want to or not.

1. Bundle up: The rumours are true — Canada can get really, really cold. In the winter, temperatures can plummet lower than -40 C, depending on what part of the country you live in. That means that mittens, a warm winter jacket, waterproof boots and a toque (the Canadian word for a knitted hat) are absolute musts. It’s not always the worst. Ice skating, snowshoeing, skiing and snowboarding are fun ways to enjoy the frozen temperatures.

But you should know that it’s not always that cold. Many cities have hot, muggy summers and Canadians love to go to the beach, although in Toronto, a beach is often on a lake, not the ocean.

2. We’re aggressively polite: We’re so polite we turn statements into questions, eh? You will also hear “sorry” an awful lot — whether you want to or not. The word isn’t only used to express remorse or an apology for bad actions. It’s also used when: you bump into someone, you interrupt, you sneeze, or you express a slightly contrary opinion. Don’t confuse “sorry” with a promise to stop the offensive behaviour. Usually, the word is all you’re going to get.

3. Except when we play hockey: The niceties end during sporting events. You would think that professional sports players who get paid millions of dollars would have no reason to beat each other up — you would be wrong. You would think that fans who had just spent $50-plus dollars to go to a hockey game wouldn’t want to waste their time fighting with people who support the other team. You would also be wrong. Even pickup games (casual games played by friends at local ice rinks) can get heated. You are warned.

4. French fries go with everything: About a third of Canadians are overweight. Why, you ask? Because of one dish: French fries. French fries come as a side dish on almost every menu in every restaurant in the country. We like to eat them with ketchup, mayo, or gravy (which is made from some unknown meat substance). A special delicacy is called poutine, which is fries served with gravy and squeaky-fresh cheese curds. We’re sorry.

5. We get really, really excited about our culture: Do you like art? You should see some Lawren Harris paintings! Do you like movies? David Cronenberg is cool! Did you know that Jim Carrey is Canadian? Canada has a bit of an inferiority complex compared to the United States. Like other countries around the world, we turn to the U.S. for much of our entertainment. So when one of our local talents becomes internationally famous, we get really, really excited.

6. And our favourite pop icon is Drake: No Canadian is more famous right now than Drake. His songs reference growing up in Toronto, and he’s soulful, talented, good looking, and hangs with Nicki Minaj. He is the coolest.

7. Not Justin Bieber: Oh, the Biebs. Justin Bieber grew up in Stratford, Ont., about an hour drive away from Toronto. But most of Canada would like the world to forget that. His many high-profile public meltdowns have made him a bit of an embarrassment.

8. Bottoms up: Canadians love to drink. After work or on the weekends, you will probably see many people hanging out in bars, enjoying beer, wine or a cocktail. The streets occasionally get a bit rowdy after midnight, but other than that you shouldn’t be too worried. If somebody asks you out for a drink and you don’t want to, because you don’t like to or because of your religion, just let people know. We will respect that.

9. You can’t get there from here: Canada is really, really big — about the same size as the whole European Union. We are, in fact, the second-largest country in the world by total area. Most of this land is wilderness or countryside — with a population of about 35 million, cities are spread out far and wide and it can take hours (or days) to travel to them by car. That means that it can be hard to travel to one place from another without a plane.

10. We want to welcome you: Look — not everybody in Canada is nice. Some people will welcome you with open arms and some people probably won’t. We’re sorry for them.

But as a whole we care about people enjoying our country, feeling safe and free from harm. We have a Charter of Rights and Freedoms that gives people the right to free expression and safety. We have human rights commissions whose job it is to defend human rights. We have a free and open media whose job it is to make sure that people aren’t taken advantage of and the government does what it says it’s going to do. We also have many services devoted just to helping you settle in.

But most importantly, we have millions of people who want you to succeed. Please reach out to us. We’re here, and now, so are you.