the typical Canadian accent

Can anybody address some distinctive characteristics about Canadian English? I know it sounds little bit stereotype, the majorities may don't use the distinctive characteristics anymore, but for a language leaner I think it's better to know and it may help building the native-like accent.

Thank you.

Well, there's
1.
Canadian raising ( /aU/ + voiceless consonant is pronounced something like /@u/ - /@/ is the stressed vowel in ''love, hunt, current'' --- house is /h@Us/, about is /@'b@Ut/ --- similar to ''a boat'' in some UK/US accents)

2.
Canadian vowel shift...
typical sounds:
/a/ (instead of /AE/) in LAST, PAST, FLASH, TRAP, BAG
/AE/ (instead of /E/) in GET, SELF, YES
/Q/ (instead of /A/) in DAWN, DON, JOHN, INVOLVE, DOLL, DOLLAR

Not all Canadians have 1 and/or 2, they may have 1 and/or 2 in some words but not in some other words.

Males seem to have less 2. (so they sound more American), females have more 2. (so they sound more Bostonian/British) - with that back and rounded /Q/ instead of /A/. Most American pronounce DOLLAR with /A/, 99 % of Canadians have /Q/ in DOLLAR.../Q/ is the vowel used in Back East US pronunciation of fall /fQl/, call /kQl/. Also, a region can be a factor...Canadian raising is less frequent in British Columbia, and Canadian vowel shift is less frequent in urban Nova Scotia (so people from Halifax NS, sound more American than people from Manitoba which have /Q/ even in words like father, pa...)

It's easy to notice the Canadian accent. Ask them to say DOLLARS, if they say it like /dQl@rz/ they are likely to be Canadians...if they pronounce it with the /A/ sound...they are more likely to be Americans...the same is true of the word DOLL .../dAl/ is more frequent in the US, /dQl/ is more frequent in Canada.

Also, Canadians seem to prefer /Q/ in sorry, tomorrow, but /A/ can be heard too, especially in Windsor and Atlantic Canada.

Phonologically, Canada is Cot Caught merged (meaning Cot/Caught and Don/Dawn) are pronounced the same, but the most frequent realization of the merged vowel is back and rounded (just like Back East fAll, cAll, dAWn) vowel and not central and unrounded (preferred in California and other parts of WestUS). But, some younger speakers and older male speakers in Canada DO seem to use a more central and unrounded realization (although they round it before L and N: call /kQl/, long (lQn(g))...but /kAl/, /lAn(g)/, common in California, can be heard too!)


Prince Edward Island accent:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=BZqofcN41zU
(notice that the newscaster has /A/ for the merged vowel,
and has /A/ in the word HALL, that means she does not have
the Canadian vowel shift)

Nova Scotia accent:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=DK8FB7USprM

Californian vs Canadian accent:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=bL4tPH0-on8
they are close, but notice /A/ rather than /Q/ in Californian accent:

for example snowball with /A/ in Californian accent

actually Im living in Canada now, but it's hard to ask people that what the distinctive characteristics are in Canadian accent. sometimes they don't have the time, or sometimes they are kind enough but they are not able to tell by the time. I think asking online is a better way out, cuz kind people they can sit there and think then write it down. >:),
I watch CBC all day, but I don't get any difference between Ontario accent and general US accent, hmm... I think if I ask somebody to point them out and pay attention on them when im watching TV stuff that should be a more effective way >:)

''Neither [Q] not [A] is used for these words in Canadian English.''

Canadian newscasters seem to like /A/ in ''tomorrow''
listen here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=BZqofcN41zU