Greeting
In general, Canadians are more reserved and polite than Americans, and take matters of etiquette a little more seriously.
Shake hands and introduce yourself when meeting Canadians for the first time. Always shake hands firmly when meeting or departing. Eye contact is important.
When a woman enters or leaves a room, it is polite for men to rise. Men normally offer their hands to women.
In Quebec, kissing on the cheeks in the French manner is quite common. When close friends and family meet in Quebec, they use first names and kiss both cheeks.
An older French Canadian man may kiss the hand of a woman. Accept this gesture graciously. A foreign man shouldn't kiss the hand of a French Canadian woman, who would be quite shocked.
Canadians are somewhat more formal than Americans with regard to names and titles. Use last names and appropriate titles until invited by your Canadian hosts or colleagues to use their first names. First names are normally used only by close friends and family. Western Canadians may use first names more frequently than other Canadians.
In Quebec, co-workers of similar status generally use first names in private, but always last names in public. The formal "you" is almost always used in a business setting, even after 20 years.
Academic titles and degrees are important to French Canadians. You should know and use them properly.