Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Happy 142nd Birthday Canada!


It is Canada Day today! (that's a mouthful, eh? (get it, "eh?"... though a stereotype we actually do say "eh" a lot. We actually love to punctuate a swear word with "eh" it makes them much more fun!)) I've always thought it was a little sad that we dont go as crazy about out National Birthday as those in the US....as though we arent as proud to be Canadian as Americans are to be...well... American.


But then as a people we are not particularly prone to excitement.... about much of anything besides Hockey, that is. It' true. When playoff season is upon us the towns and cities virtually shut down- men go around unshaven with "playoff beards", everyone drives around with the local hockey team's logos plastered to their cars or flying flags from car windows and if our team wins people pile into their trucks and drive around town honking and screaming from windows.

Oh sure, we have a Canada Day parade, a few fireworks and people get together for BBQs and to drink beer.... but most just enjoy getting the day off work or school and having a viable reason to drink more beer than on your typical Wednesday. However....beware mistaking a lack of hoopla as a lack of Canadian patriotism!....as Billy Bob Thorton found out after incurring the wrath of Canadian pride when he called us "mash potatoes without the gravy." In fact Bill Bob's band is no longer welcome in Canada.


You can call us "nice" (though secretly we hate that) or even believe we all live in igloos and hunt beaver.... We understand that not much is known about who we are or how we live! So here are some interesting facts about Canada....

A Canadian invented Basketball.


And hockey of course!

Curling and Lacrosse too! (you're like so impressed right?)

Also...


The first electric light bulb (There was one before Thomas Edison!), standard time, Insulin, five-pin bowling, Velcro, the electric cooking range, telephone and the zipper! Oh and Superman.

(Alexander Graham Bell was a Canadian citizen and was buried in Canada...but did work in the US and was born in Scotland.)



Winne the Poo was Canadian.


The US buys more oil from Canada than from Saudi Arabia.

Canadian's use one and two dollar coins rather than dollar bills. We call the 1$ coin a Loonie (because of the Loon bird pictured on it not because we're crazy!) and the 2$ coin a Toonie...'cause it came out after the Loonie and so it just made sense...)



Famous Canadian Stars:


William Shatner (the original Captain Kirk) and Jame Doohan (Scotty)
Mike Myers (Austin Powers)
Michael J. Fox
Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gossling (stars of The Notebook.... they were actually born in the same town and in the same hospital!)
Jim Carey
Ryan Reynolds
John Candy
Pamala Anderson
Dan Ackroid
Kiefer Sutherland
Keanu Reeves
Mathew Perry
Shania Twain
Leslie Neilson
Celine Dion
Michael Buble
Steve Nash (NBA NVP)
and many many more...

Canada is the worlds second largest co

untry (in terms of land mass) at 9,984,670 it is second only to Russia. However, it is home to only 33 million people (approx the population of California).




I am a PROUD CANADIAN!!!!!

6 comments:

  1. Cool stats - I was born in the same city as McAdams and Gosling - can't remember if it was the same hospital or not... that must make me almost famous. Hhahaha - NOT! lol

    Hope you have a great day today!

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  2. Happy Canada Day. You guys are great neighbors.

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  3. Actually I've noticed a lot more of my American friends say "eh" than my fellow Canadians.... hmmm

    Hope you had a great Canada Day Chelsi!

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  4. Happy Canada Day!
    I love hockey!! We follow and have season tickets to a local WHL junior hockey team in our area. It is so much fun!
    Thanks for the Canadian History!!

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  5. You should try Canada Day in downtown Ottawa, if you haven't. I'd say that rivals any 4th of July celebration!

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