I see at Canadian Thinker that the drought is finally over.
26 years ago, Canadian Shannon Tween was named Playboy's Playmate of the Year. For the first time since, that title belongs to another Canadian. Jayde Nicole, 22, of Port Perry, Ontario, has been named Playboy's 2008 Playmate of the Year.
Here's her video data sheet. Meh... I've seen better.
When I saw No Country For Old Men recently, one of the coming attractions we saw was the trailer for Passchendaele, a Paul Gross film about the 10th Battalion, CEF in the First World War at the Battle of Passchendaele.
I thought the trailer was pretty good and I'm looking forward to seeing the film, the most expensive Canadian film project of all time, so I went searching for this trailer on YouTube and the other video sharing sites. I wanted to embed the video here and spread the love a little. After all, I've been looking for more films about Canadian success stories in WWI.
The only instance of this trailer I could find was the premiere as it aired on ET Canada. I figured I'd wait it out and post the Passchendaele trailer when a better version appeared on YouTube. I didn't want to share this trailer with an Entertainment Tonight intro, a tacky "Exclusive ET Canada" logo in the bottom left corner and a ridiculous curtain effect that fills the top and bottom of the screen.
I'm tired of waiting, so I'm just going to ask you to go here to watch the trailer on the official Passchendaele movie site. I'll still embed the ET Canada version, but you're not allowed to click play.
If this were an American film about an American sacrifice there would be trailers oozing out of every crevice of the web. I'm just sayin'...
The film comes out Remembrance Day 2008.
YouTube user inklinkinklink wins the Coke. This is Gordie Johnson playing O Canada on his electric double neck guitar prior to last night's game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the New Jersey Devils at the ACC.
The first one to upload video of Gordie Johnson's O Canada from tonight's Leafs game at the ACC wins a Coke.
If you missed it, CBC broadcast the national anthems and Big Sugar's Gordie "Grady" Johnson played O Canada on his electric double neck guitar in Hendrix-like fashion.
It was pretty awesome. Ladies and gentlemen, start your uploading!
The United Nations has published its human development index which ranks its 175 members plus Hong Kong and the Palestinian territories. Canada is listed as the fourth most desirable country to live in.
We used to dominate this list, finishing first nine times between 1990 and 2000. Here's the new top ten.
A Place to Stand, A Place to Grow (Ontari-ari-ari-o!) is the unofficial anthem of Ontario. It was featured at the Expo 67 Ontario pavilion, so Ontarians my age and younger know it best from Jim Carrey's appearance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien when he came to Toronto for four episodes.
It's cheese, but it's beautiful Canadian cheese, and it was written by Dolores Claman who wrote another Canadian classic, the theme to Hockey Night in Canada. Here it is, but consider yourselves warned. It's very, very catchy.
The great show Ren & Stimpy aired an episode in season 2 entitled "The Royal Canadian Kilted Yaksmen". The song from this episode was frequently aired on MuchMusic in the early 90s as a stand-alone video. Here's the video...
If you know the song, you likely found yourself singing along. Here are the memorable lyrics that fill every Canadian with pride.
Our country reeks of trees
Our Yaks are really large
And they smell like rotting beef carcasses
And we have to clean up after them
And our saddle sores are the best
We proudly wear women's clothing
As searing sand blows up our skirtsAnd the buzzards, they soar overhead
And poisonous snakes will devour us whole
Our bones will bleach in the sun
And we will probably go to (loud farting noise)
And that is our great reward
For being the-uh Ro-oy-al Canadian Kilted Yaksmen!
I don't have a personal story to relate about war. My grandparents didn't serve and I don't have an uncle or a cousin in the armed forces. I once heard about my grandfather's brother serving in WWII, but the details are sketchy.
According to Veterans Affairs Canada, there are 205,533 living Canadians who served in WWII. There is only one living Canadian who served in The Great War. You don't need to have a personal story about Canada's participation in war to appreciate the sacrifice made by these brave men and women. Lest we forget.
Earlier today, I wrote about my inherent disadvantage when compiling a list of this nature. Below are my ten favourite Canadian albums of all-time, but you won't find Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Rush or The Guess Who. You also won't find The Band, Leonard Cohen or Gordon Lightfoot. I kept this list to actual albums I enjoyed and banned all greatest hits collections.
I'm listing these here in no particular order. You may commence judging my ten favourite Canadian albums..... now. If you're interested, I also recently listed the top 100 Canadian songs of all-time, and that list has lots of Neil, Joni, Leonard and Gordon.
The Tragically Hip - Fully Completely
Favourite Tracks:
"At the Hundredth Meridian"
"Wheat Kings"
"Courage (for Hugh MacLennan)"
Sloan - Smeared
Favourite Tracks:
"Underwhelmed"
"Take It In"
"500 Up"
Barenaked Ladies - Gordon
Favourite Tracks:
"Brian Wilson"
"If I Had $1000000"
"Be My Yoko Ono"
The Pursuit of Happiness - Love Junk
Favourite Tracks:
"I'm an Adult Now"
"She's So Young"
"Hard to Laugh"
Hayden - Everything I Long For
Favourite Tracks:
"Bad As They Seem"
"In September"
"Tragedy"
The Lowest of the Low - Shakespeare My Butt
Favourite Tracks:
"Henry Needs a New Pair of Shoes"
"Eternal Fatalist"
"Bleed a Little While Tonight"
Maestro Fresh-Wes - Symphony in Effect
Favourite Tracks:
"Let Your Backbone Slide"
"Drop the Needle"
"Tear it Up"
Rusty - Fluke
Favourite Tracks:
"Groovy Dead"
"Wake Me"
"Misogyny"
The Tragically Hip - Up to Here
Favourite Tracks:
"Blow at High Dough"
"New Orleans Is Sinking"
"38 Years Old"
Arcade Fire - Funeral
Favourite Tracks:
"Wake Up"
"Rebellion (Lies)"
"Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)"
It's happening. At this moment $1 USD will buy you $1.0012 CAD.
This hasn't happened since November 1976 when I was in diapers.
AFP has released an article with a title that immediate caught my attention. "Canada's last igloo to be flattened amid Arctic boom" it read, so I read it. I've now read it twice, but my feeble brain is awfully confused.
The gyst of the article is that our far north is suddenly developing, and a good example is the fact our last igloo is being demolished to make room for offices. I'm a city guy, and I don't know much about igloos, but I don't think "our last igloo" is an igloo at all. Here's a quote from the article.
The eatery at the main "Four Corners" intersection of Iqaluit, just 200 kilometers (120 miles) south of the Arctic Circle, is the only extant example of modern igloo architecture, inspired by the igloo shape and popularized in the 1950s and 1960s, in the North.
It was actually built in 1980 by two schoolteachers with the help of local townsfolk out of normal building materials. The couple was fascinated by the "igloo shape," said Suzie Michael, a former student who pitched in, hammering nails and painting the exterior.
Sure, it's shaped like an igloo, but it's not actually made out of snow and ice. It's made out of "normal building materials". The Wikipedia entry on igloo calls it "a shelter constructed from blocks of snow, generally in the form of a dome". Mimicking the igloo shape does not an igloo make!
I'm sure the Kamotiq Inn restaurant will be missed by locals, but it's not "Canada's last igloo", despite what the AFP would have you believe.
Speaking of positive reviews for The Simpsons Movie, the Globe and Mail had a nice little collection of Cancon Simpsons moments in an article they called D'oh Canada. I like it so much, I'm reproducing it here in its entirety.
D'oh Canada! by David George-Cosh
The members of America's favourite nuclear family have shared a long love affair with their northern neighbours. Everything from the National Film Board of Canada, which gets a credit in the fake film Poke of Zorro (E-I-E-I-Annoyed Grunt, Season 11) to Gordie Howe, as the unsuspecting object of Ms. Krabappel's affections (Bart the Lover, Season 3), have been lampooned by the show's writers, including Calgary's Rob and Joel Cohen and Exeter, Ont.'s Tim Long (the guy you can blame for most of the gags in the Toronto-centric episode, aired in February, 2002).
Simpsons creator Matt Groening even joked that Homer holds dual citizenship (Groening's father, whom Homer was based upon, was born here). Some classic Canadian victims:
The CFL
When Flanders Failed, Season 3
Homer lies on the couch, watching "exciting 15th-round action at the Canadian Football League draft." Monotone announcers can barely contain their excitement on how many rouges the Saskatchewan Roughriders scored last year.
Lisa the Greek, Season 3
Lisa helps Homer bet on football games, and in researching the sport's origins at the Springfield Library, comes across an "oddball Canadian rules" card.
Our hopes and dreams
Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington, Season 3
When Lisa goes to the U.S. capital to compete in a national essay contest, fellow contestant Trong Van Din mentions in his eventual winning essay ("USA A-OK!") that his immigrant family's choice of a new homeland was easy: "Where else but in America, or possibly Canada, could our family find such opportunity?"
Our geography
The PTA Disbands, Season 6
When the teachers at Springfield Elementary go on strike and Marge fills in as a substitute, she bemoans to Homer how it took her class 40 minutes to find Canada on a map. His reply: "Marge, anyone can miss Canada, all tucked away down there."
And in Girly Edition (Season 9), newscaster Bart reports a feel-good piece about Joe Banks, an 82-year-old man who's gone to the same pond every day for 17 years to feed the birds, only to have them suddenly vanish. To where? As Bart says, "Some say the ducks went to Canada. Others say, Toronto."
The way we talk
You Only Move Twice, Season 8
Bart and Lisa attend a new school after Homer moves to Cypress Creek to start a new job for megalomaniac Hank Scorpio. After Bart gets shipped off into a remedial class, he meets a Canadian kid, Gordy, who congenially introduces himself: "I moved here from Canada, and they think I'm slow, eh?"
In Bart's Friend Falls in Love (Season 3), Milhouse's romance with Samantha Stanky threatens to break apart his friendship with Bart, until her father gets wind of it and ships her off to a French-Canadian nunnery: "They're very nice," she says, "except they never let me 'oot.' "
Hogtown
The Bart Wants What It Wants, Season 13
Actor Rainer Wolfcastle and his daughter Greta go to Toronto for a movie shoot, and a love-struck Bart follows them. The rest of the Simpson clan comes along, with initial apprehension by Homer ("Why should we leave America to visit America Junior?"). As soon as they arrive, Marge falls in love with the city ("It's so clean and bland. I'm home!"). Homer takes advantage of the then-poor exchange rate with a security guard ("American currency! What time would you like your breakfast, sir?"). Bart takes in a very special episode of Curling for Loonies, then lands a spot on the Olympic basketball team - as a centre, no less.
Health care
Midnight Rx, Season 16
To bring affordable prescription drugs to Springfield, Homer and friends drive up to Winnipeg and smuggle back cheap pills. (Ned meets his Canadian doppelganger, who offers him a marijuana joint: "It's legal here!").
And in Homer's Triple Bypass (Season 4), Homer reassures Marge that his surgery will go all right since "America's health-care system is second only to Japan, Canada, Sweden, Great Britain, well, all of Europe, but you can thank your lucky stars we don't live in Paraguay!"
It's been quite the journey. We kicked off our quest to assemble the greatest Canadian songs in the history of the world back on May 15 and here we are, a month and a half later.
It's unlikely everyone will agree with all 100 choices, many great songs were left on the cutting room floor. This wasn't easy, but I tried to remain objective and take all suggestions to heart. As always, I'd love to read your comments, so don't be shy. Without further ado, here are the top 100 Canadian songs listed in order.
And happy Canada Day, eh?
One of my YouTube favourites is the closing footage from Live 8 in Barrie back in the summer of 2005. Neil Young closed and Gord, Gordon, Bruce, Steven, Ed, Greg, Jim and other Canadian musicians joined him for Rockin' In The Free World.
As amazing as that was, it got better. Steven Page started to sing O Canada and everyone joined in. It's totally chilling and patriotic and I love it. If this doesn't warm you up for tomorrow, nothing will.
Humble Howard says "Bon Cop Bad Cop" is the best Canadian movie he's ever seen. He openly admits that he hasn't seem a lot of Canadian films, but who amongst us has? I can only think of a handful of Canadian movies that I've truly loved.
The first couple of great Canadian flicks that pop into my head are "The Barbarian Invasions" and "The Sweet Hereafter". Then there's "Exotica", "Jesus of Montreal" and "C.R.A.Z.Y." After five whole minutes of deliberation, here are my ten favourite Canadian films of all time.
It all started with an email from Jim.
Canada Day is coming up fast. I have never heard of a radio station collecting votes for the best Canadian songs of all time. And of course most of them would be restricted by their own formats (e.g. The Edge doesn't play BTO or Neil Young; Q107 can't play Billy Talent or Sam Roberts). So I got to thinking that your blog might be a good place to collect people's votes for the top 100 Canadian songs of all time.
I put together my own top ten list here, if this inspires others to make their own.
- New Orleans is Sinking - the Hip
- Heart of Gold - Neil Young
- Nothing to Lose - Billy Talent
- American Woman - The Guess Who
- Takin' Care of Business - BTO
- Nautical Disaster - the Hip
- Hasn't Hit me Yet - Blue Rodeo
- Old Man - Neil Young
- 4 am - Our Lady Peace
- Tom Sawyer- Rush
Jim
Jim, I now know why God placed me on this earth. I'm supposed to put together the definitive list of the best 100 Canadian tunes. I once wrote about my Ten Canadian Tracks, but this is different. This is the top 100 Canadian tunes of all-time.
Here's how we'll do this. Every couple of days I'll post ten great Canadian tracks in no particular order. Your job is to leave songs you think belong on the list in the comments of these entries, starting with this one. By July 1, I'll have a nice list of 100 to unveil.
It's nice to have a purpose in life.
Dwight Wilson passed away today. He was 106 years old and he was a veteran of the Great War. That leaves us with one World War 1 veteran, John Babcock.
The First World War ended in 1918. That was 89 years ago. That means Dwight Wilson was 17 when the war ended. John Babcock alone now carries the torch and shoulders a nation's appreciation by his lonesome.
Thanks to Bob and Doug McKenzie, we Canadians have always been associated with the expression "eh?". Truth be told, I never say "eh" unless I'm intentionally saying it to fulfil the expectations of the stereotype. We're supposed to say it, so I'll say it for effect. I never say it as a natural part of speech.
A study by University of Toronto sociolinguist Sali Tagliamonte suggests "eh" is leaving Canadian language.
Tagliamonte and her team interviewed 165 native-born, English-speaking Torontonians of all ages to find out how local – and perhaps, by extension, Canadian – English is changing.
The interviews yielded a grand total of 2,272,392 word uses, of which the most common was "I," spoken 114,100 times, followed by "and" at 90,861. The word "like" ranked fifth, at 67,183.
"Eh," however, was used a scant 519 times, accounting for a piddly .02 per cent of the total.
Younger Canadians simply don't say "eh", and I'm guessing that's because they haven't seen Bob and Doug McKenzie and they don't realize they're supposed to. I know Bob and Doug, but do teenagers and those in their early 20s know them? Without Bob and Doug leading the way, it's no wonder we're losing our "eh".
As a result of this study, I'm going to sprinkle more "eh's" into conversations. I'm bringing the Canadian Eh back, eh?
In the past, I've written twice about Vimy Ridge. Today, on the 90th anniversary of this victory, I'd like to re-post both entries.
On December 14, 2002, I wrote the following.
If Vimy Ridge was an American success story, Hollywood would be churning out big budget epics on the subject on a regular basis. Vimy Ridge happens to be draped in red and white, and as a result, it's never received the celluloid documentation it so richly deserves. As Canadians, we're almost embarrassed of our successes. Why is that? Americans spin every event into a patriotic landmark of their history while we push the spotlight away from these proud accomplishments. The exception to this is hockey, but hockey is the exception to just about everything North of the 49th parallel.
I just read an article in the Saturday Star that claims our schools are now teaching that the War of 1812 resulted in a draw. Canadian youth are being taught that the United States of America had no choice but to attack, and although we held them off, we certainly were not victorious. The War of 1812 is full of excellent examples of Canadian pride, from Laura Secord to Tecumseh. Why can't we take a page out of the book of Americana and celebrate moments when Canada and Canadians shine brightest? Why aren't I hearing that great Canadian actors are currently filming a movie directed by Norman Jewison or Atom Egoyan based on that day in April 1917 when we as Canadians worked together and captured Vimy Ridge? The story of Vimy Ridge is begging to become a film in the vein of Saving Private Ryan. C'mon Canada. Celebrate the red and white. Make a movie about Vimy Ridge.
On November 11, 2004, I wrote this.
Canadian forces played a very significant role in one of the key massive offensives launched by the Allies in WWI. On Easter Monday, April 9, 1917, the Canadian Corps, four divisions strong and fighting together for the first time, attacked the German army posted on the gently rising slope of land that dominated the Douai plains in the Arras sector of northern France. It was known as Vimy Ridge.
This victory was the seedbed of Canadian identity. We were asked to capture Vimy Ridge, and we did. We did it by working together, Canadian heart can never be over estimated. It was this moment that solidified a very young country.
Visit the Veterans Affairs Canada page on the capture of Vimy Ridge and view photos and video footage. Lest we forget.
Today, I'd just like to say thanks.
Yesterday I wrote about songs that reference Canada. I promised I'd share my ten favourite musical references to my home and native land. Here are my top ten with apologies to Stompin' Tom Connors.
"Bobcaygeon" by The Tragically Hip - I'm starting this list with Bobcaygeon because it's a village of 2500 people, nestled along the Trent-Severn Waterway in the Kawarthas area of east-central Ontario, Canada. Throw in a shout out to Toronto that always gets the loudest cheer during local Hip shows and it can't be left off this list. Did I mention it's also a spectacular song?
"The Spirit of Radio" by Rush - There are two CFNYs... the "Spirit of Radio" CFNY which sort of died in the late 80s and the "Modern Rock" CFNY that my generation knows. This song is about that first CFNY.
"Further Again" by Staggered Crossing - I've always liked this song. It's cut from the same cloth as "Little Bones" and opens with the great lyric "Heading out on the 401, don't it make you nervous". The 401, baby!
"Runnin' Back To Saskatoon" by The Guess Who - This song had to make this list because this tune is home grown. It's all about Saskatchewan and some town where nothing much ever happens.
"The Old Apartment" by Barenaked Ladies - This song broke around the time Taryn and I were moving into our first shitty apartment. I dig the tune and the local setting. They bought an old house on the Danforth for goodness sake.
"Prairie Town" by Randy Bachman and Neil Young - Bachman and Young are jamming about prairie life with that great refrain "Portage and Main fifty below". It doesn't get much more Canadian than this.
"Wheat Kings" by The Tragically Hip - The Hip get a second mention on this list because "Wheat Kings" is so damn pretty. It's one of my all-time favourite Hip songs and that's saying something. It's about David Milgaard and starts with a loon call and even mentions the CBC. It still gives me chills.
"Helpless" by Neil Young - If you put a gun to my head and made me pick one Neil Young song, this might be it. Again, it's stunningly beautiful and opens with "There is a town in north Ontario". Helpless, helpless, helpless.
"Canadian Railroad Trilogy" by Gordon Lightfoot - On the Ask MetaFilter page that sparked this discussion I went on the record by saying "two songs are so drenched in Canadiana your playlist won't be complete without them." This is one...
"Northwest Passage" by Stan Rogers - This is the other essential song that has to conclude this list of songs that reference Canadian places. It's a definite sing-along that opens with "Ah, for just one time I would take the Northwest Passage". If you haven't heard this song and would like to, leave a comment below (include your email address, it won't appear on the site) and I'll email it to you. It's the least I can do for my country.
"Canadian Idiot" is the third song off of Straight Outta Lynwood, Weird Al Yankovic's latest parody album. It is, of course, to the tune of Green Day's "American Idiot" and chock full of the typical Canadian stereotypes, eh.
There's no official video, but search for Canadian Idiot on YouTube and you'll find many fan made videos for the tune. Here's one example.
Here are the lyrics.
Don't wanna be a Canadian Idiot
Don't wanna be some beer-swillin' hockey nut
And do I look like some frost-bitten hose head?
I never learned my alphabet from A to ZedThey all live on donuts and moose meat
And they all leave the house without packin' heat
Never even bring their guns to the mall
And you know what else is too funny?
Their stupid monopoly money
Can't take 'em seriously at allWell, maple syrup and snow's what they export
They treat curling just like it's a real sport
They think their silly accent is so cute
Can't understand a thing they're talking a-bootSure, they got their national health care
Cheaper meds for prime rates and clean air
Then again, well they got Celine Dion
Eat their weight in Kraft macaroni
And dream of driving a Zamboni
All over SaskatchewanDon't wanna be a Canadian idiot
Won't figure out the temperature in Celsius
See the map, they're hoverin' right over us
Tell you the truth, it makes me kinda nervousAlways hear the same kind of story
Break your nose and they'll just say "Sorry"
Tell me what kind of freaks are that polite
It's gotta be they're all up to something
So, quick, before they see it coming
Time for a preemptive strike
Actually, it's dead on. Is it still a stereotype if it's true?
There's some fierce competition for the Lou Marsh Award this year. Usually there is one or maybe two potential winners, but this year there are four.
Justin Morneau is the American League MVP, Joe Thornton in the NHL MVP and Steve Nash is the NBA MVP. In any other year, you could pick one of those as your clear winner. This year, none of them will win.
Speed skater Cindy Klassen came home from the Turin Olympics with an unprecedented five medals. I'm predicting she'll win the Lou Marsh Award. How do you ignore five Olympic medals?
I like today's editorial cartoon by Patrick Corrigan that appeared in the Toronto Star.
When I had to write my final essay for Michael Bliss' Canadian History course at U of T, choosing a topic was easy. There isn't a figure more intriguing in all of Canadian history than Louis Riel.
To steal a line from Wikipedia, "he led two resistance movements against the Canadian government that sought to preserve Métis rights and culture as their homelands in the Northwest Territories came progressively under the Canadian sphere of influence." 121 years ago this week, Louis Riel was hanged for high treason.
I'm telling you, this guy was fascinating. To many he was a hero, to others he was a traitor, and to some he was just plain nuts.
A poem he wrote for his jailer, Robert Gordon, three weeks before his death in Regina, has been donated to the University of Saskatchewan. Here it is:
The snow,
Which renders the ground all white,
From heaven, comes here below:
Its pine frozen drops invite us all
To white -- keep our thoughts and our acts,
So that when our bodies do fall,
Our merits, before God, be facts.
How many who, with good desires,
Have died and lost their souls to fires?
Good desires kept unpractic'd
Stand, before God, unnotic'd.
O Robert, let us be fond
Of virtue! Virtues abound
In every sort of good,
Let virtue be our soul's food.
As I mentioned earlier in the week, so many brave Canadians have sacrificed everything to preserve our freedoms. If you stop and think about what we asked (and ask) these young soldiers to do, it blows your mind. Back in 2003 I took a closer look at the participation and casualties. So many lost their child, brother, husband or friend. So many lost their lives.
My favourite Canadian military accomplishment took place on Easter Monday, April 9, 1917. A couple of years ago, I revisited Vimy Ridge in some detail. It was one of the key massive offensives launched by the Allies in WWI and our forces played a very significant role. When we captured Vimy Ridge, it was the moment that solidified a very young country. Here's a picture from the battle and the Canadian National Vimy Memorial.
Many Canadians paid the ultimate price in war. It's our job to never forget.
Let's talk design for a moment, if that's okay. Did you know there's a Canadian Design Resource? Neither did I until I learned about it earlier today. It's a neat collection of Canadian designs and definitely worth a visit.
Here are a few of my favourites.
They're threatening to introduce an open resource section where you and I can submit samples of Canadian design. That would be neat-o.
The weekend was such a blur, I'm only getting to Saturday's paper now. In honour of Canada Day, the Star listed ten essential Canadian songs. I did something similar last September, listing what I thought were ten essential Canadian tracks.
Here's the Toronto Star's list:
When it comes to Canadian music, you can't go wrong with the holy trinity of Neil Young, Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchell. It's a shame Young didn't make the Star's list, I don't know how he could have been completely excluded. As for Gordon Lightfoot and the Guess Who, you'll never catch me saying a bad word about either.
Did the Star's panel stop listening to music in 1985?
On March 29, 1867, Queen Victoria signed the British North America Act. This beauty came into effect on July 1 of that year, creating "one dominion under the name of Canada". That was 139 years ago today.
Initially there was just Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. The Red River Rebellion led to the creation of Manitoba in 1870, British Columbia joined a year later and Prince Edward Island joined in 1873. Alberta and Saskatchewan were formed in 1905 and in 1949 Newfoundland joined Confederation as Canada's tenth province. Ten provinces from ocean to ocean and each unique yet unified under a single flag. No other country on this planet is as diverse. 23.2% of Canadians consider French their mother language, and 85% of this francophone population lives in one province. There's also a great cultural difference from province to province with English, French, Irish, Scottish and Aboriginal cultures comprising the fabric of this nation.
From British Columbia to Newfoundland, we're so damn different but there's a definite bond. We're Canadian and we're proud of it. I've written about it before, but it's worth mentioning again. We've fought valiantly for just causes in the world, we're proudly progressive, the envy of others and just plain cool. There was Vimy Ridge, Terry Fox and The Maple Music Revolution. There's been 139 brilliant years from sea to sea and I'd bet the next 139 will be even better.
Sing it loud, sing it proud. O Canada!
To protest our seal murdering policies, Morrissey is taking a stand by refusing to take his tour to Canada. He's also asking all his fans to boycott Canadian goods. In his statement, he compares the act to the Nazi's construction of gas chambers and pins us alongside China as "the cruelest and most self-serving nation".
I'm not about to defend the clubbing of seals, I too am uncomfortable with the practice, but I am also uncomfortable with Morrissey's statment. On a global scale, Canada is, for the most part, a culturally diverse and peaceful nation, with equal rights for all. There's this less-than-ideal seal issue on the East coast that's being permitted because it provides jobs for local communities that desperately need them. Now, a rich rock star is refusing to play Canada and urging a boycott of all things Canadian. The Nazi and China comparisons are just over the top. If Morrissey will only play countries that are completely without questionable practices, it will be a very, very short tour.
Is the United States without sin? Is Turkey a utopian state? Do they not wear leather in England?
I've never liked Morrissey anyway, and his refusal to play a Toronto date on his tour doesn't effect me in the least, but his dramatic statement deserved a reply. We're not a nation without flaws, and whether this seal cull is economically and environmentally justified is debatable, but putting us alongside China as twin human/animal rights abusers in this big, bad world is a little more than I can stomach this morning.
I don't owe you anything.
Check out The Prejudice Map. It displays what, according to Google, people in the world are known for.
The map tells you Canadians are known for cultural diversity, humility and kindness, liking their beer and being tolerant. Throw in an obsession with hockey and they've pretty much nailed us.
Norfolk Island is an island in the Pacific Ocean between Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. Take a peek at their official flag.
Does it remind you of anything?
I'm so damn proud of the new music I hear coming from this country. This week I've been heavily spinning the tracks from The New Pornographers' Twin Cinema, Metric's Live It Out and Broken Social Scene's Broken Social Scene. All three albums are fantastic. They're a joy to listen to and they're Canadian.
It's a great time for CanCon. My favourite disc all year has been 2004's Funeral from Arcade Fire. Throw in personal favourites from Feist, Hot Hot Heat and Stars and we're really rockin'. No less than seven Canadian tracks will be appearing on SLS14, due to launch this week.
The Maple Music Revolution continues...
When Americans travel in Europe, do they really stitch a Canadian flag into their back pack and pose as Canucks? I've often heard about this and yesterday on "The Simpsons" Lisa did just that before their trip to Italy. Is this practice merely an urban legend or does it actually happen?
A little Googling proves this is very common advice given to Americans who are worried they'll be mistreated because they're American. Many give this advice and speak of people they know who did this with much success, but there are few first hand reports from people who have done this. Now that the sewing of a Canadian flag on one's back pack has been immortalized by the Simpsons, I want proof that people actually do it and I want to know if it actually makes a difference.
During the Dubya years, you'd think this would be commonplace.
Canada is the second largest country in the world after Russia. We've got all this space but only 30 million or so people. There's a lot of room to spare.
Have you ever wondered what a map of the world would look like if all countries were sized by population? Here's such a map. We get pretty small in a hurry and countries like China and India swell to massive sizes. From this vantage point, Canada is but a miniscule speck of dust in a mighty dustbowl of a planet.
Just a speck, but a speck to be proud of.
Few veterans of the First and Second World War are around to share stories about the horrors of war and remind us why so many fought for freedoms we now take for granted. We must never forget these brave souls and we have an obligation to share with our children this message.
Many Canadians paid the ultimate price in war...
South Africa War (1899-1902) - Approximately 7,000 Canadians served; 267 of them gave their lives.
First World War (1914-1918) - Approximately 650,000 Canadians served, including members of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, Canadians and Newfoundlanders who served with British forces (Newfoundland was a colony of Great Britain until 1949) and merchant mariners. Of this number, nearly 69,000 gave their lives.
Second World War (1939-1945) - More than one million Canadians and Newfoundlanders served in Canada's armed forces, in Allied forces or in the merchant navy; over 47,000 of them gave their lives.
Korean War (1950-1953) - 26,791 Canadians served in the Canadian Army Special Force; 516 of them gave their lives.
Peacekeeping - Nearly 125,000 Canadians have served in peacekeeping missions over the past 53 years; as of October 2000, 113 Canadians had given their lives in this service.
On Saturday, BBC Radio2 is is airing part two of their documentary "The Maple Music Revolution". Here's their description of the feature: "A major two-part series where Bob Harris looks beneath the surface to discover the reasons for the emergence of a unique, creative and dynamic government-funded Canadian music scene." "From Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and Leonard Cohen to Sarah McLachlan, the Dears and Arcade Fire, Canada has had a massive impact on the way the world listens to music," says Harris.
A happening scene finally gets some international cred. The vast majority of what I'm listening to these days seems to derive from The Great White North. There's Feist, Metric, Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene, Death From Above 1979, The Hip, Sam Roberts, Sarah Harmer, Billy Talent, Hot Hot Heat, Our Lady Peace, Sloan, Custom, Hayden, Sarah McLachlan, K-OS, Stars, and old school leaders like Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, Rush, The Guess Who, Joni Mitchell and The Band.
Check out all 180 artists I've tagged as Canadian on my Last.fm page. We've got a revolution goin' on in our own backyard.
I believe in the DART. The Disaster Assistance Response Team is something Canada can contribute to countries devastated by disaster, such as the Boxing Day Tsunami or the recent earthquake in Pakistan. I wanted to throw the damn DART back in December and we discussed it quite a bit.
The team consists of a group of engineers, a medical party, logistics people and a security detail. Its water-purification units are capable of producing 50,000 litres of clean, drinkable water a day even from heavily polluted sources. The medical team can handle up to 200 out-patients a day. The engineers can help open roads, clear debris and repair infrastructure. We should all be proud of the DART.
I've been reading a great deal this week about the DART's deployment to Islamabad. There's one piece of the puzzle that always makes me cringe. We have this team and equipment, but we have no means of getting everything to Pakistan. Unless the disaster is in Eastern Ontario, we literally have to hitch a ride.
This time we chartered a six-engine Antonov AN-225 from Ukraine. The cost of renting this massive air taxi is millions of dollars. I'm not suggesting the positive effect the DART will have on victims of this disaster isn't worth the coin, I just wish the DART was completely self sufficient and Canada didn't have to charter planes from foreign countries in order to provide the service.
Neil Young's "Rockin' In The Free World" is our other national anthem. It's both musically and lyrically worthy of this honour, and two events over the past few months have cemented its status as the song that unites.
On July 2nd of this year, Canada's Live 8 concert took place in Barrie, Ontario. Neil Young closed the show with three fantastic songs, ending with "Rockin' In The Free World". Joining him for this song were the other performers from the Barenaked Ladies to Blue Rodeo and The Tragically Hip. Here's a photo of Neil Young and Gord Downie singing this tune.
On September 19th of this year, Pearl Jam sang Neil Young's "Rockin' In The Free World" during their second and final encore of that night in Toronto, Ontario. Joining him on stage was none other than Bono of U2, creating a moment for the ages. Here's a photo of Eddie Vedder and Bono singing this tune.
It's an epic song of protest and thought provocation and it's ours. O Canada, keep on rockin' in the free world!
I love Reuters articles like this.
A Canadian search-and-rescue team reached a flooded New Orleans suburb to help save trapped residents five days before the U.S. military, a Louisiana state senator said on Wednesday.
The Canadians beat both the Army and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. disaster response department, to St. Bernard Parish east of New Orleans, where flood waters are still 8 feet deep in places, Sen. Walter Boasso said.
"Fabulous, fabulous guys," Boasso said. "They started rolling with us and got in boats to save people."
"We've got Canadian flags flying everywhere."
Feel the pride.
Admittedly, I tend to gravitate towards a Canadian artist simply because they are Canadian. I seek out Canadian artists, give their material additional spins if I don't instantly like it and promote good Canadian artists more heavily than artists from other nations.
Now that's I've fully disclosed the above, I feel comfortable sharing the fact my five favourite discs these days are all by Canadian artists. I didn't consciously pursue this, it just sort of happened. Perhaps my subconscious made it so, but I didn't actually realize it until moments ago. The five discs I'm totally digging these days are:
Canuck rock is as strong as ever.
The passing of Peter Jennings got me thinking about The Canadian Conspiracy. The Canadian Conspiracy was a mockumentary from the mid 80s I caught on CityTV a couple of times. In a nutshell, we Canadians are infiltrating the United States of America, assuming control from within.
The main players were...
Sadly, Jennings is the third player to pass away, following Lorne Greene and John Candy. I still miss John Candy.
She's 138 years young and we love her. Happy Birthday Canada!
Read the address by Prime Minister Paul Martin on Bill C-38, the Civil Marriage Act. If you're too lazy to read, play the video while you surf the web. Sometimes I'm unsure about Martin's ability to lead, but on this issue he's stepped up to the plate and hit one out. The following two sentences sum it up nicely.
The people of Canada have worked hard to build a country that opens its doors to include all, regardless of their differences; a country that respects all, regardless of their differences; a country that demands equality for all, regardless of their differences.
If we do not step forward, then we step back. If we do not protect a right, then we deny it. Mr. Speaker, together as a nation, together as Canadians: Let us step forward.
A colleague of mine, aware of my views with regards to this subject, attempted to "enlighten" me this morning. I won't divulge too many details, but the gist of her point was that homosexuality was a violation of God's law and therefore recognizing the rights of a homosexual was a horrid sin. For a little while I tried to reason with her explaining that a literal interpretation of the bible had no place in our law books and that this was question of equal rights and freedoms, but she simply pitied me and condemned me to hell. This colleague of mine is why Bill C-38 absolutely must pass. Hatred cannot be condoned by our laws.
Let us step forward.
Earlier today, Justice Minister Irwin Cotler introduced the Liberal government's same-sex marriage bill in the House of Commons. As well as extending the legal capacity to marry for civil purposes to same-sex couples, the package of legislation amends eight other federal acts to extend a variety of marital rights to gay couples, including income tax measures, business and investment benefits and the right to divorce.
A number of church groups will scream and shout that this is a violation of God's law and should be voted down. Hateful conservative groups will rise like sludge in our sewers to campaign against this bill. They'll quote verses in the Bible, call homosexuality unnatural and suggest same-sex marriage will lead our society straight into the depths of hell.
At the end of the day, this is still Canada. Because this is Canada, this bill will pass. The Conservative Party will largely vote against it, but the majority of Liberals as well as just about all those from the Bloc Québécois and New Democrat parties will do the right thing. In Canada, all citizens are equal under the law, regardless of skin colour, religion, culture or sexual preference. In Canada, the church and state are indeed seperate and our social conscience will remain clear.
I will be a proud Canadian when this bill passes. It's long overdue.
I never realized that how we purchase milk was viewed so peculiarly by those outside of Canada. We've always purchased milk in three bags totalling 4 litres. When one bag is finished it gets recycled and we drop another bag in the pitcher. Here are the steps involved for those unaware of what I'm talking about.
I suppose bagged milk would sound strange to someone who had only ever seen milk sold in cartons or jugs. After three decades of bagging it, I can't imagine buying milk in any other format.
I love articles like this one from the San Francisco Chronicle.
It's a great read with a great headline that immediately caught my attention. Canada Goes To Hell: Legal pot? Legal gay marriage? Universal health care? What's next, free porn and candy?
I won't ruin it for you. Set aside a few minutes of your busy day to give it a read.
Reason number 32 why I live in the most enlightened nation in the world...
The Supreme Court of Canada says today that the federal government can change the definition of marriage, giving gays and lesbians the legal right to marry. The court rejected the argument that the traditional definition of marriage is rooted in history, saying times have changed.
Now these opinions from our Supreme Court are non-binding so this bill will now go to Parliament for a vote by MPs. I'm optimistic this bill will pass and Canada will join Belgium and the Netherlands in making gay marriage legal nationwide.
The proposed change to the definition of marriage is having it read "lawful union of two persons to the exclusion of all others" rather than the "lawful union of one man and one woman." It makes perfect sense to me. It's time we stop excluding people based on race, religion or sexual preference.
Are you an American who wants to travel Europe without being harassed about your country's politics? Go Canadian.
For $24.95, a New Mexico T-shirt company is selling a "Go Canadian" package. This package includes a Canadian flag T-shirt, a Canadian flag lapel pin and a Canadian patch for luggage or a backpack. There's also a quick reference guide on answering questions about Canada entitled "How to Speak Canadian, Eh?".
Not fair! It's taken me thirty years to master the art of speaking Canadian and now all our secrets are being sold for $24.95. This is our country, eh? Full of hosers and one helluva beauty.
Canadian forces played a very significant role in one of the key massive offensives launched by the Allies in WWI. On Easter Monday, April 9, 1917, the Canadian Corps, four divisions strong and fighting together for the first time, attacked the German army posted on the gently rising slope of land that dominated the Douai plains in the Arras sector of northern France. It was known as Vimy Ridge.
This victory was the seedbed of Canadian identity. We were asked to capture Vimy Ridge, and we did. We did it by working together, Canadian heart can never be over estimated. It was this moment that solidified a very young country.
Visit the Veterans Affairs Canada page on the capture of Vimy Ridge and view photos and video footage. Lest we forget.
It's not looking very good for John Kerry, is it? It's too bad this election was left in the hands of American citizens. Had Canadians been permitted to elect the President of the United States of America, Kerry would have won in a landslide. A recent poll showed 61% of Canadians would cast their vote for John Kerry while only 16% would vote for Dubya.
Although it won't be official until things are sorted out in Ohio, it's unlikely those 20 electoral college votes will go blue to push the Democrats over the required 270 votes. Unlikely, but not impossible. There are many provisional votes yet to be counted. There's still hope, but I'm not quite as optimistic today as I was yesterday.
Preparing myself for four more years of Dubya, I find solace in the fact that we Canadians did the right thing. When polls were suggesting Dubya-like Stephen Harper could win our recent federal election, we went out and re-elected the Liberal party and protected our values. Watching the results come in last night was a stern reminder that Canadians and Americans are very different. Our ideologies, beliefs, values and mores have evolved differently from different histories and influences throughout the years. I was very proud of my fellow countrymen on The S-Factor will never cease to amaze me.
B.C Privacy Commissioner David Loukidelis says the USA Patriot Act violates provincial privacy laws, because it can order American companies to hand over information on British Columbians in secret. He recommends that Ottawa and the provinces pass legislation that will "prohibit personal information from being stored or sent outside Canada."
O Canada! This is one of many reasons why I love this country. It's one thing for Dubya to promote the Patriot Act as a means to restrict the rights and freedoms of those in his jurisdiction, but when it encroaches upon the rights and freedoms of those in the Great White North, there's a serious problem. The Dominion of Canada remains an independent democratic state. Keep yer damn Patriot Act outta our face!
Happy Birthday, Canada, you're 137 years young today.
I just read an interesting article by Matthew Mernagh. Below is an excerpt.
Only in Canada would burlesque dancers from Romania be granted work visas to take it off here. A few hundred no less! Apparently there is a stripper shortage, which means the government is issuing burlesque permits to those who can prove that they are qualified dancers. Most of the girls come from such sexy countries as Romania, Poland, Ukraine, earn a tidy sum and then pack it up when the visa expires. God bless Canada!
It's good to know there's a shortage of dancers here, because this possibly means that Gen X has continued to build and develop a knowledge based economy that has created this vacuum. Granted, the beginning of the knowledge base economy hasn't been the best for some Canadians, which has fueled a new Quiet Revolution that began with Canadians freely talking, accepting and permitting (to some extent) social faux pas that are making Republicans cringe. Gay marriage, recreational/medicinal marijuana, war resisters, no this ain't Haight Ashbury it's C-A-N-A-D-A!
The U.S. Constitution?! Bah! That ratty old thing is falling to pieces. Let's talk Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Still in its infancy this document has been the lightening rod to punching a social conscious into a government that avoided gay marriage, marijuana and the newly arrived war resisters. None of the aforementioned issues came about by mass protest, these battles were fought in the courtroom, not debated in the House of Commons.
With a large schism between the two countries from our objection to War for Oil, War on Drugs and War on Human Rights, Canadians should push to further distance ourselves from U.S.A. A testy minority government is the perfect time to debate and pass social policy laws that everyone can live with. American influence on Canadian policies has taken a hit by so many gaffs. Such as forgetting to thank us for taking in the bulk of the re-directed flights during 9/11, Condoleezza Rice claiming that U.S. does more trade with Mexico and the Drug Czar threatening to some how shut down the largest undisputed border in the world.
Canada must continue to be a guiding light, safe haven and peace-nic so that our wayward friend can find its way home.
Vive le Canada!
One year ago today I wrote an entry about Canada bashing I entitled "O Canada". Since it's election season and many have lost site of what this nation is all about, I'm pressing rewind and reprinting what I wrote on June 21, 2003 below. I still believe every word.
Canada bashing has become a popular sport of late. With no defense to speak of and an unwillingness to follow our giant neighbours to the south on their way into Iraq, we've been labeled as traitors and worse.
As I see it, we were right. Sure our Prime Minister comes across as an arrogant buffoon at times, but he wanted to see "da proof" that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and he wasn't buying what Powell was selling. "Da proof" wasn't there. It turns out Chretien was right. If Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, rest assured they'd have been discovered by now. Canada's conscious is clear.
Furthermore, the wheels are in motion to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana. The US doesn't like it, but we don't care. Smoking a little weed won't get you a criminal record and this is a good, sensible thing. Canada progresses and leaves America in it's smoke trails.
Finally, Chretien said last week that he wouldn't challenge the ruling from Ontario's Supreme Court that same-sex marriages were legal. Here, here. Homosexuality is not a crime. It's time a gay person is granted the same rights as a straight person. Canada becomes the third nation in the world to allow same-sex marriages and I've never been so proud.
2003 is almost half over and in my opinion it's been a landmark year for Canadian independence and pride. In a previous blog entry on Victoria Day, I mentioned it's time we stop acting like Britain's bitch. Well, from what this Canadian sees, we're no longer going to be America's bitch either.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee. With what, we're not sure, but if I want to marry a dude and smoke a fatty to celebrate, it's all good.
Today we pay tribute to the 150,000 Allied troops who took part in the biggest military invasion in history, the D-Day invasion of Normandy.
The story of the Canadians is particularly touching. At the time of the war, Canada was a nation of only 11 million people with more than a million of its citizens in uniform. While the United States had the most D-Day casualties, Canadian forces suffered the highest percentage of losses. Roaring off of Juno Beach, Canadians made the deepest Allied penetration June 6, 1944.
We can never forget that efforts such as this is why we have such freedoms and opportunities in Canada today. I am so thankful it's impossible to accurately convey my gratitude.
When it comes to executing E-government initiatives, we're #1!. For the fourth straight year, Canada topped the annual list issued this week by the management consultant and IT outsourcer Accenture of most mature international E-government offering.
Canada does something that U.S. federal, state, and local officials can easily emulate. Most notably: ask citizens what E-services they want. Unlike many countries, Canada's E-government action plan is built on a foundation of facts based on known information from its customer base. How does the government know what its citizens want? It asks them. Canada regularly surveys citizens and businesses about their attitudes and needs--more so than any other country. The federal, nine provincial and territorial, and five municipal governments--through the Institute for Citizen-Centered Services--recently sponsored a study querying 9,000 Canadians about E-government, using online surveys, usability interviews, focus groups, and one-on-one interviews. "The idea is to reach out to customers and to proactively see what they want," says Steve Rohleder, Accenture's group chief executive for government.
Canada also actively markets its E-government services. It advertises on TV and radio, ad in airline magazines and newspapers to get citizens to use its portal, canada.gc.ca.
Top of the World, Ma!
Every so often I delve into the vault to see what's there. Perhaps it's an autograph, photo or T-ball crest. Today, a friend of mine let me read a publication from his vault. This publication is called "The Salute: The Canadian Militia Journal" and this issue is dated November 1938.
Reading the articles in this publication is fascinating. Remember, we're talking 1938...just prior to the start of World War II. I scanned a page so you can read for yourself. "There are many in Canada talking and criticizing the actions of Mr. Chamberlain and his Munich agreement when they have, by Canada's lack of action during the crisis, not earned that right".
The advertisements from this almost 70 year old magazine are also rather entertaining. I couldn't resist sharing this old Molson ad and this one for scotch which suggests we should fight if for no other reason than to ensure we always have access to good booze. How Canadian of us.
I'm a hoser, eh! SCTV gave us Bob and Doug McKenzie and The Great White North. Hosers were liberated once and for all. I've never felt so free thanks to these trail blazers.
As a true hoser, I never leave home without my hoser ID tucked away safely in my wallet. You never know when you're going to have to prove you're a real hoser.
If you're a real hoser but haven't yet been certified as such, apply for your ID card here.
Canada's birth rate has been declining steadily for years now. Statistics Canada says the fertility rate is now less than 1.5 children per woman aged 15 to 49. That number was about 4 in 1960.
There are many theories as to why we're having less children now than ever, but the most obvious theory is continuously overlooked. When I reveal this reason, you'll find it most obvious, but you won't read about it in the Statistics Canada reports or in the mainstream media. We're producing less children because of the television remote control.
Back in the day, people had to get up out of their seat to manually change the channel on the television itself. If they wanted to lower the volume, change the channel or even turn the tv off or on, they couldn't to this without a visit to the boob tube. Believe it or not, this is 100% true. There was no remote control. As a result, people had children to accomplish this task for them. If you wanted the channel changed, you could order little Billy or Sally to do it while you sat comfortably in your chair. People had more than one child to better the odds of one of them being around to do this. Children were a parent's remote control.
Today, with a converter readily available, children are become obsolete. As a result, we're producing less and less of them. Statistics Canada are really missing the boat on this one. I think it's rather obvious.
What would we do without Statistics Canada? They just completed a study into what is stressing Canadians. 10,151 people participated in this study for six years and the results are mind blowing.
The common stressors are:
Six years and how many dollars to learn that time pressure is the most common cause of stress amongst Canadians. I would have told Statistics Canada that in 30 seconds for $5 even. Hell, I'd have done it for a loonie.
I never have enough time to do everything I need to do. There's work, a home and car to maintain, a toddler to raise and several hours of sports and "The Simpsons" on the television. It ain't easy finding time, but somehow I manage.
On December 23rd, agriculture officials announced the latest mad cow diagnosis in Washington State, marking the first time the disease has been found in the United States. This shocking development was followed four days later by the announcement the infected Holstein was born in Canada. Blame Canada for America's mad cow scare.
Back on August 14th, many of us were hit by the worst black out in North American history. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and New York Governor George Pataki were quick to claim the blackout originated here in Ontario. The facts would later prove a failure to contain problems with three transmission lines in northern Ohio was the likely trigger. Still, the initial reaction was to blame Canada for America's worst black out ever.
Even after 9/11, erroneous reports fueled popular belief among Americans that several of the terrorists entered their country from Canada. The portrayal of Canada as a sort of refuge for terrorist cells was commonplace in the American media. As printed in the Washington Times back in January 2003, "Over the last two weeks, front page reports have trumpeted the claim of "Five Terrorists Heading to the US From Canada," and several self-appointed experts and analysts have stated or implied that Canada is the "Achilles heel" of US homeland security. Yet last Tuesday, the FBI announced that the account of the five entering the United States was fabricated and withdrew the photos of the five from its website." The worst terrorist action in American history and some felt it fitting to blame Canada.
It seems that many of America's recent crises, from the extreme with 9/11 to the annoying blackout and the economically devastating disaster that is bovine spongiform encephalopathy, are initially blamed on Canada. It's as if our geographic locale directly above Uncle Sam makes us a natural target for such reflex actions. They always blame Canada first.
It seems that everythings gone wrong,
Since Canada came along.
Blame Canada,
Blame Canada.
The Supreme Court of Canada ruled today that Parliament has the constitutional right to criminalize marijuana possession. Of course, decriminalizing small amounts of pot is well within the rights of Parliament as well.
Prime Minister Paul Martin says he will reintroduce a bill proposed by Jean Chretien that would wipe out criminal penalties for those caught with small amounts of marijuana. The proposed bill will make possession of less than 15 grams of pot a minor offence punishable by fines of $100 to $400.
I don't indulge in the habit of marijuana smoking, but I believe we should decriminalize it. They estimate about 100,000 Canadians use the drug daily, but I suspect the true number is "high"er. It's a victimless act and typically the worst result is a case of bronchitis, unless the user is pregnant or schizophrenic. Somebody carrying around a criminal record because they got caught with a joint is wrong. As Mr. Justice Ian Binnie said today, "It is open to Parliament to decriminalize or otherwise modify any aspect of the marijuana laws that it no longer considers to be good public policy." Mr. Martin, the ball is in your court.
It's about time. For years I've wondered why there was no John A. Macdonald action figure, and now there is. It's the dream of every child to have a John A. Macdonald action figure of their very own, isn't it?
Canadian Legends is offering this figure to help us start learning about our Canadian Legends. "Every Action Figure comes with its own 20 Page Bilingual Book telling that figure's story in full colour!".
I can't wait for the release of the wacky William Lyon Mackenzie King action figure and the animated John Diefenbaker figure. Collect them all!
Lets do something crazy. Lets do something radical. Lets be bold. Lets redesign our Canadian money.
We've all seen those same faces dozens of times. Quite frankly, I'm getting bored of it. The five dollar bill features Wilfred Laurier, the ten dollar bill features John A. MacDonald, the twenty dollar bill features Queen Elizabeth II, the fifty features William Lyon Mackenzie King and the one hundred dollar bill (which I almost never see) features Robert Borden. I propose the following new faces in place of these tired standards.
$5 - Leslie Neilson
$10 - The Group of Seven (yes, all of them)
$20 - Margaret Atwood
$50 - Gord Downie (50 Mission Cap, get it?)
$100 - Wayne Gretzky (#99 + Great 1 = 100)
Write your federal MP and support this endeavour. Lets do this thang.
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