Local customs & etiquette in Ontario

Ontario manners are quiet. A line is kept. A door is held. You do not cut in, and you do not make a fuss.

A line

• You wait your turn at a counter, a bus, and a till.
• Cutting in is the clear rude act.
• A small gap is fine. Pushing forward is not.
• If you are not sure, ask who is last.
• The line moves when it moves. Sighing does not help.

Sorry and thanks

• Sorry is said for a bump, even if it was not your fault.
• Thanks is said for a door, a coffee, and a small favour.
• Please still belongs on a request.
• Leaving them out sounds sharp.
• None of them needs a speech.

Shoes

• In a house, you take your shoes off at the door.
• A host may say to leave them on. Wait for that.
• Wet boots stay on the mat.
• A shop and an office keep shoes on.
• Socks with a hole are the only risk.

The table

• You wait until everyone is seated, or until the host starts.
• Elbows stay off if the table is formal. A kitchen table is looser.
• Pass dishes to the left if they are shared.
• Finish what you take. Leaving a clean plate is polite.
• A phone on the table at a family meal is poor form.

Talk

• Weather is the safe opener. Work can follow.
• Money, politics, and a loud opinion wait until you know the room.
• A quiet voice in a public place is the habit.
• Interrupting is noticed.
• A short answer is normal. It is not cold.

Tipping

• A restaurant tip is about 15 to 20 percent if the service was fine.
• A coffee counter does not require one. A jar is optional.
• A taxi and a haircut take a tip.
• Tax is already on the bill. Tip on the total if you like.
• No tip reads as a complaint.