The US and Canada may share a lot of things in common, but this doesn’t mean you get to live the same American experience up north. From supermarkets to snacks and streaming services, here are 17 things you probably wouldn’t find in Canada.
Little Debbies
Little Debbie’s snack cakes have also been discontinued in Canada, which will be a bummer for many Americans. In November 2022, manufacturer Mckee decided to take these snack cakes off Canadian shelves, and, according to them, this is a move that may last forever.
Target
Despite how popular Target may seem to you, it only operates in the US. Yes, there were Target locations in Canada. But all 133 Target stores have stopped operations since 2015 due to “extensive renovation needs, a flawed merchandising system, a tight time frame, and inadequate leadership,” as CNBC shares.
Doritos Light
You wouldn’t find Doritos Light because they’ve been outrightly banned. In a bid to reduce the fat content in this special junk of theirs, Frito-Lay used a synthetic fat molecule called olestra. Little did they know that it would have bad effects on their customers’ stomachs and the snack’s legality across Canada and even Europe.
Bugles
In 2022, the distribution of what may be your favorite corn snack stopped in Canada, and there’s no sign of it coming back soon. General Mills, the manufacturers of bugles, have even advised that their customers find suitable substitutes for them, as CBC shares.
The Imperial System of Measurement
If you think Canadians will understand when you measure things in inches, then you’ll need to take a few steps back. The imperial measurements of pounds and inches are only used in America, Liberia, and Myanmar. In Canada, you’ll have to get used to the metric measurements of kilograms and meters to fit in perfectly.
Sonic Drive-Ins
There’s so much expense that goes into expanding across borders, and Sonic just doesn’t want to get involved with this. Your favorite Sonic Drive-Ins are solely domestic, and, despite having over 3,500 locations, you’ll only find them in 46 US states.
Stouffer’s Frozen Foods
Stouffer’s Frozen Foods became obsolete in Canada in a 2023 move by Nestle. The company decided to halt its frozen meals and pizza operations, particularly because competition on them was too tight and it simply didn’t see Stouffer’s as a viable priority for its business.
Lean Cuisine
In the same 2023 move by Nestle, your favorite frozen entrées and dinners from Lean Cuisine were also discontinued in Canada. Like Stouffer’s, the brand didn’t fit into Nestle’s long-term growth goals, and consumers in Canada were simply deprived of easy access to them. Frozen food brands Delissio and Life Cuisine were also affected, if you think you’ll see them too.
Hulu
If you intend to move to Canada, you also have to let go of your Hulu exclusives. There are licensing restrictions that make Hulu only operational in the US, and geolocation technology ensures it stays this way. You can use VPN services, but these come at an extra cost and deprive you of seamless, uninterrupted streaming.
Nestle Dunkaroos
Another snack from General Mills you wouldn’t get to enjoy up north are your dunkaroos. Distribution of them stopped as far back as 2018, and the main reason for this was that General Mills wanted to limit its Dunkaroos market by geography, as shared with the New York Times.
Skippy Peanut Butter
For Skippy peanut butter, at least the manufacturers had a harder time discontinuing their snacks than many other snacks on our list. Brian Olson, spokesperson for manufacturer Homel, shared while speaking to CBC that it was a difficult decision forced on them by the high competition and distribution costs.
HBO Max
Like Hulu, you also don’t get to stream your favorite HBO Max shows because of licensing and geolocation restrictions. You’ll just have to settle for services like Crave, or, if you can’t miss out on new seasons of your TV shows, spend extra on VPNs to bypass network restrictions.
M14s and M16s
For the firearms enthusiasts who love their guns, you wouldn’t be able to own or use M14s and M16s in Canada—alongside AR-10s, AR-15s, Vz58s, and other military-grade rifles. The specific reason for this ban is the risk of mass murder that these guns pose.
Ragu Spaghetti Sauces
With Ragu Spaghetti sauces, it’s the same common story—operations in Canada weren’t as profitable as manufacturer Mizkan would’ve loved, and the distribution of the products was discontinued. This was made known through an August 2020 tweet, and if you love sauces so much, you’d just have to settle for other brands like Classico.
Chex Mix
These American-native breakfast cereals are also generally unavailable in Canada. But what’s more interesting is that Chex Mix is our third snack from General Mills that’s just not distributed to Canadians for some reason. This time, many say it’s because of licensing problems.
Bagel Bites
One moment, the Bagel Bites Pizza Snacks were available in stores in Canada, and the next, they were gone without any reason given. Kraft Heinz shared its decision to do this via a tweet in 2022, and all cheese, sausage, and pepperoni flavors have been nowhere to be found ever since.
50-Piece Chicken McNuggets
One thing the US is known for is its larger fast food portion sizes, and even Canadian McDonald’s outlets don’t compete. While you can get a 50-piece McNugget serving in certain stores across the US, the largest portion size you can get in Canada is the 20-piece.
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