When I got admission to study in Canada, one of the many things I did, was try to connect with as many Canadians as possible on Facebook.
For me, it was a way to get a head start on building relationships, understanding the culture, and getting insider tips on what to expect once I arrived.
I knew that having local friends would not only help me settle in more quickly but also learn more about the people.
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If you’re wondering how to find Canadian friends on Facebook, I’ll show you below, how I was able to find many Canadian friends on Facebook.
I know I do not know why you want to find Canadian friends but I promise you, these strategies will work for you.
Whether you’re looking for study buddies, travel companions, or just want to connect with Canadians.
How to find Canadian friends on Facebook
To find Canadian friends on Facebook, I used the Facebook search bar and searched keywords related to Canada, like “Canada” or a particular city in Canada.
I also joined Canadian groups, participated in online events, used the Facebook suggestion feature and followed Canadian pages on Facebook.
Doing any of this (like I did) will help you find Canadian friends on Facebook, but before you go right in, remember, that if you want to gather honey, you must not kick over the beehive.
Canadians are welcoming, friendly, and respectful, so if you want to win them over, you have to be like them; be respectful and genuine in your interactions.
Before you go looking for Canadian friends on Facebook, make sure you appear like someone they’d love to connect with – start with your profile.
1. Update your Facebook profile
If you want anyone to be your friend, you’ve to be someone they’ll be interested in – you can’t want to be my friend and be the opposite of who I want to associate with – it won’t work between us.
Update your Facebook profile information – complete every necessary step in your Facebook profile.
It’ll give any Canadian you’re connecting with a clear picture of who you are and why they should be interested in connecting with you.
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Update your interests, hobbies and background – this will make it easier for Canadians who share the same interest with you to connect with you.
When they check your profile, they should have a glimpse of who you are and what interests you the most.
2. Join Canadian Facebook groups
Another excellent way to find Canadian friends on Facebook is through Facebook Groups.
It helped me a lot!
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There are many Canadian Facebook groups through which you can find Canadian friends on Facebook.
How to find Canadian friends on Facebook using Facebook groups
To find Canadian friends using groups:
Step 1: Go to your Facebook search bar (you will find it at the top of your screen).
Step 2: Type in any keyword that is related to Canada, like “Canada,” “Toronto,” “Vancouver,” or “Montreal.”.
This will bring up a list of groups, pages, and people related to Canada.
Step 3: Click on the “Groups” tab to see a list of Canada Facebook groups.
If you have an interest in anything popular in Canada, you can also search for groups related to your interests, something like “hiking in Canada” or “Dance groups in Canada.”
Step 4: Join any of the groups that have many followers.
Once you’ve been accepted into the group, you can start interacting with other members and making new friends.
Step 5: While in the group, you can click on the “People” tab to see a list of the members.
You can also narrow down the results by using filters such as location, age, and gender.
Step 6: Look for people who share your interests or have similar backgrounds to you.
You can send them a friend request and introduce yourself after they accept your request.
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When reaching out to new people, especially Canadians, be respectful and friendly.
Getting the result you want might take you time so, be patient and keep putting yourself out there.
Be active on Facebook and ensure that you join only groups related to your interests.
You can comment on posts in the group, share your ideas and engage in discussions to get noticed faster.
Most popular Facebook groups in Canada
The most popular Facebook groups in Canada include a mix of niche communities, hobby-related groups, and general interest forums.
Groups like Local Buy and Sell Groups (eg Toronto Garage Sales” and “Vancouver Buy/Sell/Trade), Support and Parenting Groups (like “Canadian Parents” or “Mommy Network) and Fitness-related groups like “Canadian Runners” or “Keto Canada are top of the chart.
3. Follow Canadian Facebook pages
Just like groups, following Canadian Facebook pages is another good way to find Canadian friends on Facebook
How to find Canadian friends on Facebook through Facebook pages
To find Canadian friends through Facebook pages – follow the same procedure as groups:
Step 1: On Facebook, search for pages related to Canada, like “Canadian sports lovers” or “Canadian music lovers.”
You can also search for pages related to your interests, like “swimming in Canada” or “Canadian food lovers.”
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Step 2: Once you find a page that interests you, like/follow the page.
You’ll start seeing posts from the page in your news feed.
Step 3: Engage with the page – you can comment on posts published on the page by other followers of the page, share content, or message the page followers.
To connect with other followers of the page, click on their profile pictures to learn more about them and send them a friend request if you’re interested in getting to know them better.
Following a page will help you connect with other people with common interests.
Most popular Facebook Page in Canada
The most popular Facebook page in Canada belongs to Justin Bieber. It has an impressive following of over 77 million fans.
This makes his page not only the most popular in Canada but also one of the most followed globally.
Other Canadian celebrities with highly followed pages are Avril Lavigne, Drake, and Céline Dion
4. You can also use Facebook’s friend suggestions
Facebook’s friend suggestion feature is another way to find Canadian friends on Facebook.
This feature recommends potential friends based on mutual friends, interests, and other factors.
Once you get this suggestion, send them a friend request and wait for them to accept.
If they find you interesting (through your profile), they’ll accept your request and you can connect with them.
5. You can attend Canadian events on Facebook
This is another method that helped me find Canadians a lot on Facebook.
One good thing about Facebook events is that even though they are not targeted at people in your area, you can also join.
Check for events on Facebook that relate to Canada and attend them, you can find Canadian friends on Facebook through these events.
Sometimes, the friendship can extend beyond Facebook.
6. Engage in conversations
Another way to find Canadian friends on Facebook is by engaging in conversations.
Comment or participate in discussions relating to Canadian topics.
Contributing meaningfully to conversations on Facebook about Canada will help you find Canadian friends a lot on Facebook.
It helped me connect with a student in my school during my time.
7. Use Facebook search
Facebook search is also another option but this time, you aren’t searching for a page or group, you are searching for people.
In the same way as a page or group, enter keywords relating to Canada on your Facebook search bar.
This will pop up numerous options, click on “people” and send a friend request to anyone you find their profile interesting.
You can also search for Canadian universities, companies, or organizations you’re interested in.
8. You can find friends through Alumni Networks
Did you study in Canada?
If you attended a Canadian university or are part of a Canadian alumni network, you can leverage the online community on Facebook to find Canadian friends.
Most Alumni networks have dedicated Facebook groups or pages where you can find Canadian friends.
While trying to find Canadian friends on Facebook, keep the following in mind
- Give it time: It can take time before you start getting results, so give yourself time.
- Be active and genuine: To get results, you need to be an active Facebook user, and regularly share posts, photos, and updates that show you are genuinely interested in Canada and open to making friends.
- Respect people’s privacy and boundaries: When reaching out to Canadians on Facebook, you must respect their privacy and boundaries. Avoid sending excessive friend requests or messages.
- Don’t force it: If someone isn’t ready to talk to you, don’t force a conversation.
- Don’t give up easily: Making genuine friends takes time, so don’t get discouraged if you don’t make a lot of new friends right away.
- Don’t be afraid to initiate a conversation: If you find someone who seems interesting, don’t be afraid to reach out and start a conversation.
Final words
It will be difficult to find Canadian friends if you are not in Canada but Facebook has made it impossible.
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Now, you can find them through random Facebook searches, by joining Canadian Facebook groups or pages, by attending events organized by Canadians or through Facebook’s friend suggestions.
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