Business dealings in Canada are very similar to those in the United States with a more formal business manner used in eastern Canada and a more casual manner in the western part of the country. It is important to note that there are regional differences in culture created by the sheer size of the country. For example, Alberta is generally considered to be more conservative than Ontario. There are also language issues to consider as well. The official languages in Canada are English and French, with French predominating in Quebec. As a result, in many areas of Quebec it will be difficult to conduct business unless you able to converse in French. However, in most major cities (Montreal and Quebec City) you find a large percentage of the population to be bilingual. Canadian English accepts both British and US spellings for written correspondence.

Canadians are polite, respectful of authority, consensus-oriented and tend to avoid confrontation. They are courteous and respectful of women and older people. People typically observe traditional expressions of courtesy (e.g. a man holding a door open for a woman or a younger person offering his/her seat to an older person). In general, Canadians are health conscious and it is rude not to ask for permission to smoke in front of the individual before lighting a cigarette. More than 300 municipalities in Canada ban smoking in the workplace and most provinces ban smoking in public places such as bars or restaurants.