>"The major U.S. tournaments are usually held in either Hilton or Sheraton hotel ballrooms...in Canada, chess tournaments are often held in church basements, schools, community centers, etc., resulting in a large group of people crammed into a small, dark and over-heated space."

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that in the US, tournaments are also "often" held in church basements and schools. Most often, in fact. Where else are all the small tournaments to be held?

As far as major tournaments, the Canadian Open last year was at the Montreal Fairmont, which is a beautiful venue.

The idea that someone gets "chess culture shock" between Canada and the US is absurd.