5 Ways Minnesota Really Is 'Little Canada'

Most Americans think Canada is "easy" to navigate, but if you're a Minnesotan - it's probably even easier.

I'll prove this in a bit, but first some background. Ever since I moved to Rochester in July of 2016, I've heard jokes about Minnesota being "Little Canada" - an American version of Canada, if you will. I didn't believe it at first. I knew enough about Canada to seriously doubt Minnesota would have road signs in French as well as English, BUT I was not prepared to be treated like we were "cousins" to Canadians during a trip to Winnipeg.

TSM Rochester

You (like Border Patrol) are probably asking the same question if you've read this far. You're asking, "Why were you in Winnipeg, Val?" My answer: I wanted to cross off "watch a hockey game in Canada" from my bucket list. My husband and I watched the Winnipeg Jets take on the Chicago Blackhawks - with Tim Horton's and beer in hand.

While exploring the city over a long weekend, we were regularly asked what we were doing in town. The inevitable, "Where ya from?" came soon after. When they heard our answer, they seriously responded with "Oh! Cousins!" or "Oh! Beauty! You're not too far from home, eh?"

So, without further delay, here's more evidence that we're not so different from our northern neighbors.

Canadians actually call Minnesotans "cousins". You know, like I stated. That's evidence for me!
We both love hockey. We know our stats too! Just watch out for when the Jets and Wild face each other in the playoffs!
We both love beer. Specifically, local beer.
Our quirks are their quirks. Sure - they have "beauty, eh!" or "take off!", but we have our own expressions too, don'tcha know!? Side note: a lady at the Canadian Human Rights Museum (who did coat check for us) KNEW those Minnesota expressions when I uttered one!
We're both passive aggressive. They actually WAIT for pedestrians to get through the crosswalk. We do too. We're terrified of upsetting anyone, except when it comes to hockey.

In all honesty, we so appreciated the hospitality. It's good to have nice neighbors! Take a look at some pics from my trip below!