July 1st, as Canada Day celebrates its 146th birthday, I celebrate Canada’s triumphs. Next to the United States we might seem insignificant but remember: looks are deceiving.
Maclean’s Magazine just published a Canada vs. America issue proclaiming “99 Reasons Why it’s Better to Be Canadian:We’re happier, fitter and richer and our kids are smarter too.” You can read all the statistics in the July 8, 2013 edition of Maclean’s.
Of course I read this issue with glee. I am not competitive in my personal life, choosing to also praise and exhort others, but I have an ingrained, historically rooted compulsion to out rank the powerful country to the south of me. Perhaps it is a David and Goliath syndrome. Here is a list of why I love Canada, a handful of the stats do come from Maclean’s.
Lyrics O Canada (English version)
O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
- We are more popular; wearing a maple leaf on your backpack means people treat you well in other countries
- We say eh? a word reaching out in agreement and not huh? which just sounds like the speaker is dumb
- One square kilometre of land for every three people
- We are funnier- Wayne and Schuster, Lorne Michaels, John Candy, Mike Myers,Jim Carrey, Catherine O’Hara, Seth Rogen Jay Baruchel,Michael Cera….
- Our banks are better- 4 of the top ten in the world are Canadian, the top U.s. bank ranked 9th-Citigroup
- For our population we break more Guinness world records
- Our government does not kill people; capital punishment was abolished in 1776 and no one has been executed since 1961. The States has 3,125 prisoners on death row.
- maple syrup
- We are more fit. 35.9 Americans are obese and only 24.5 OF Canadians are overweight.
- We live longer- an average of 3 years longer than Americans
- Americans always make fun of us because we are polite; we always say. “I’m sorry” but researchers at the University of Waterloo say it is boosts happiness. Apologizing to the police for speeding results in an average drop of $51 in fines
- The wilderness — we still have lots of it
- Our lobster tastes better
- Our roads are safer
- Fewer homicides per person and mass murders are rare
- Our national animal, the beaver, is industrious and rugged
- The salmon run
- We lead in quantum computing
- Our judges are appointed not voted in
- We can read the cereal box and road signs in two different languages
- A whole T.V. channel dedicated to politicians bickering
- Place Names that come from Aboriginal languages
- We have better skiing with more ski trails, longer runs and more snow on Canada’s Whistler Mountain compared to America’s Vail
- We dominate hockey; it is Canada’s game
- We get more paid holidays. 23% of Americans get no paid time off. ALL Canadian workers get at least 2 weeks paid vacation + 9 paid public holidays
- Newfies – I love their accent and sense of humour. They are the salt of the earth
- The north is a land of untouched beauty
- Driving for miles across the flat prairies. We spotted a farmhouse that was 60 kilometres away!
- Easy geography classes: we only have ten provinces and three territories
- Excellent education system ; our 15 year-olds score in the top 10 of 65 countries. American kids are #17.
- MORE POOR KIDS GO TO UNIVERSITY- 54% OF LOW INCOME KIDS GO TO UNIVERSITY COMPARED TO 30% OF POOR AMERICAN KIDS
- Lots of immigrants — this is the place people from all over the world want to come to!
- Our Government apologizes for past mistakes!
- We get Visits from the Queen and other Royals
- Our corporate taxes are lower
- An almost peaceful history
- Intelligent population
- When spring comes, we appreciate it
- We know how to make good, strong, HOT tea
- The weather is a legitimate topic of conversation and we ALWAYS talk about the weather
- Toques
- Coffee Crisp … Only available in Canada!
- Affordable university tuition
- Lots of fresh water!
- We’re less pushy than some other countries
- We let everyone come here, and do their thing. Even if they wouldn’t do the same for us.
- Ketchup chips … Only here.
- Moose,Elk, Deer
- Brown Bears,Polar Bears
- So many rivers and lakes- we live in the land of a thousand islands
- Great fishing, especially in fly in camps up north
- Majestic mountains
- Coasts on three oceans
- Second largest country in the world
- Largest prosperous country in the world
- Freedom
- Peacekeepers
- Aboriginal people who have fought in all the wars, with an astounding war record
- Official recognition of rights of Aboriginal Nations embedded in our national constitution
- No one ever won between the French and the English: we just compromised!
- Every landscape imaginable, all in one magnificent country
- Enormous National Parks
- Anne of Green Gables
- Lots of hockey rinks, great outdoor skating rinks in almost every village, town and city. We even have one and our population isn’t even posted
- Car heaters that plug-in when it’s cold. Even store parking lots provide plug-ins
- Icicles- some are 3-4 feet long from our roof
- Skating and hot chocolate
- Beaver Tails
- The longest skating rink in the world on Ottawa’s canal
- Sound of crickets
- The sound of Canada Geese flying back from their holiday in the South
- We spell colour and neighbourhood the right way
- We are proud of our British roots
- Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis
- We love to make fun of ourselves
- We love to make fun of people who don’t know anything about us, especially Americans
- Terry Fox was one of us
- Gordon Lightfoot
- Lenard Cohen
- Arctic Rangers
- The change of seasons
- Incredible beauty
- The tundra
- Best opera house in North America is Toronto’s Four seasons Centre built by Jack Diamond who built Mariinsky 11 theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia by invitation of Valery Geriev
- by request TIM HORTENS
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I’m not Canadian. But, I would love to visit. I’d even come just for the maple syrup! 😉
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🙂
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Um…excuse me, we have crickets here….
LOL
😀 Nice List
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okay, okay, i will concede that point- but only the crickets 🙂
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Ummm…no….Vermont has maple syrup and I think Michigan as well….
Sorry – COULD NOT Resist! LOL
😀
When I was 13, my family and my uncle and his family all took a 6 week trip through British Columbia – it was beautiful – my dad wanted to move to the far north – – but apparently, they didn’t need plumbers at that time – 😛
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umm ours is probably better :)- just kidding
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Probably, but ya know, the Von Trapp family farm is in Vermont – so I couldn’t just let the comment go… 🙂
Did you ever read the book? (the book the Sound of Music was based on)
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have not read it, and you are a character- a loveabl character
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I suggest you put in on your reading list – I think you would really enjoy it – interwoven with their story is her passion for her faith and a beauty in her descriptions of feast days, a large family and the ties that bind – both to those on earth and those in heaven…
😀
And thank you for calling me lovable – today will be a hard day and I so appreciate the positive start you’ve given it! 🙂
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i KNOW that I would fall in love with that book
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You are right on been funny – have seen lots programs showing the candy moments of normal citizen and I must say that Canadians are peaceful, funny and lovely.
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don’t forget polite!!
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We have, we have … um … dunkin donuts? (that was terrible lol) I say “eh” instead of “huh” and spent my whole childhood being corrected on my use of “u” in words that American english doesn’t use it in. Seriously the “u” makes colour, neighbour, humour, just … better! But try to explain THAT in an American classroom 😉
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🙂 agreed
Got to love someone like you who knows the correct way to spell inspite of living in the States-
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LOL! I do many things correctly in spite of living in the states 😉 Canadians who come here for work reasons (I’m mere hours from the border) mistake me for one of you all the time, I blame my Grandfather,part of his family was French Canadian and he spent a lot of time in Canada, I’m sure some of his way of being was handed down.
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I knew I liked you for a reason!
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Oh, Canada…..THE TRUE NORTH STRONG AND FREE! Thanks for posting this Melanie. I miss Canada so much although in the Dominican Republic, there are many Canadians and imported Canadian foods. I was staring at a can of Petit Pois today and it seemed like I was back at a Superstore in Vancouver grocery shopping. Maple syrup…and Canada geese. I never thought I would miss seeing them fly overhead in V formation. I so miss Vancouver right now.
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YOU ARE CANADIAN??? AND SO FAR SOUTH- NO WONDER YOUR BODY IS IN SHOCK
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this is closer than before. I was further south before, actually in the southern hemisphere
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but still as hot I bet
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no. Peru has seasons and the Andes is perpetually cold. It was colder in Peru for me because the homes, cars/vehicles and buildings did not have heating so when it was cold, it was cold.
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ahh… never thought of that
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I will be awarding you the
Always Yhere When I need you Award
– tonight
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Thanks for thinking of me!!!! I might not put it up straight away but I am honoured.
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no worries
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Reblogged this on Dancing In The Storm.
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THANK-YOU
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I’d love to be Canadian, but Jason Kenney won’t let me!
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Nice to learn more about Canada!
Have a great day!
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Love your list! It’s better than a tourist ad. I want to go north and explore. Go Canada!
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🙂
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Where’s Tim Horton’s on the list?!? It’s always the first place I go whenever I come back home from visiting somewhere else!
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Oh, and Happy Canada Day, eh?
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okay, okay, i drink tea but i will add it as # 89
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Thank you ! Can’t live without my Timmies!
haha
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it is up
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Thank you/merci
🙂
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Lovely and lovingly tribute to your fine country, Canada! May it always shine!
A belated Happy Birthday, Canada!
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it has goaded one friend to blog all week about the States.:)
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🙂
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I’ve got to agree with you. I”m Australian, and can’t tell a Canadian accent from a US one, but I’ve noticed if you get it wrong, Canadians get testy. And fair enough. I think the maple leaf is a much nicer symbol for a country than the stars and stripes, and you clearly are just a far superior place altogether!
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vey intelligent comment…:)
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Being an avid Blackhawks hockey fan, I do appreciate Canada. I’ve been there before, too, and it was beautiful. And I have to admit that I like your National Anthem. How’s that, eh?
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At least you are keeping up with the statistics for both countries. I’ll give you that. I doubt there is one American in 100 who could give you any statistic about Canada. It is definitely on my ‘to visit’ list and recently I managed to get my husband to consider it for our next vacation. We’ve done the American Rockies and loved them, so now I’m thinking a train excursion through your lovely Canadian Rockies with a long detour at Lake Louise. What’s your opinion?
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an exquisite experience- breath taking scenery
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