Canada: A lot to love

My name is Hilary and I am proud to be Canadian. I love Canadian autumns, eating poutine and Nanaimo bars, picking apples, reading Douglas Coupland, watching lightning strike the CN Tower, shopping in Kensington Market, hiking the Bruce Trail, Terry Fox, George Stroumboulopoulos, Rick Mercer, the CBC, the CNE ...the list goes on. 

And, oh yeah, I love Canadian music: Arcade Fire, Bedouin Soundclash, Born Ruffians, Broken Social Scene, City and Colour, Crystal Castles, Great Lake Swimmers, Japandroids, Joel Plaskett, Olenka and the Autumn Lovers, Stars, Still Life Still, Sunset Rubdown, Thunderheist, The Tragically Hip, The Wilderness of Manitoba, Wolf Parade, The Wooden Sky...again, the list is endless. 

But what do YOU love about Canada? What really tickles your Timbits? What gets you out of your igloo in the morning? What puts the "eh" in your day?  

I asked my friends and family to share what they love most about Canada and their response was overwhelming. Here's what they said: 

 Terry Fox Monument 

Thunder Bay, Ontario (June 2008)

1. The people: Dan Aykroyd, David Suzuki, Douglas Coupland, George Stroumboulopoulos, Jian Ghomeshi, Jim Carrey, John Candy, Joni Mitchell, Margaret Atwood, Mike Myers, Neil Young, Peter Mansbridge, Rick Mercer, Stuart McLean, Terry Fox, Wayne Gretzky

In their own words:

• "The laid-back, easy-going folks."  
• "We are polite. We are friendly. We are humble. We are self-deprecating. We are unobtrusive. We are modest. We say 'sorry.' And then we apologize when people tell us to stop saying sorry all the time."

Labour Day weekend 

Grand Bend, Ontario (September 2007)

2. The great outdoors: The Arctic, beaches, bears, beavers, the Bruce Trail, camping, canoeing, fishing, forests, fruit picking, hiking, hockey, lake swimming, moose, the northern lights, open spaces, the Rockies, skating, skiing, the Sleeping Giant, snow shoveling, snowshoeing, the wilderness

In their own words:

• "Being able to have four distinct seasons."
• "The feeling of wide open space and wilderness. When you drive around Europe you come across a town every 10 or 15 minutes. I love that you can drive, or even better, paddle, for hours or days without any sign of human habitation in Canada."
• "Open space. Canada is a huge country with a small population. We have room to breathe. And so many small, isolated places to discover."
• "The ability to ski and bike in the same day [in B.C.]."
• "I love the fact that the actual number of lakes in Canada is unknown, but is probably over two million."

 Fresh pears and fresh corn

Grandparents' farm in Ontario (August 2007)

4. The food: Apples, asparagus, BeaverTails, beer, blueberries, butter tarts, corn, huckleberries, ketchup chips, maple syrup, Montreal smoked meat, Nanaimo bars, poutine, Saskatoon berries, Swiss Chalet, Tim Hortons

In their own words:

• "Timbits. And lots of 'em."
• "Outdoor barbecues."
• "Fresh corn on the cob in the summer."

 Snow day

London, Ontario (December 2006)

5. The arts & entertainment:  

• TV Shows: Anne of Green Gables, Degrassi, The Hour, Kids in the Hall, My Secret Identity, Ready or Not, Rick Mercer Report, SCTV, Trailer Park Boys
• Films: Bon Cop, Bad Cop, The Corporation, C.R.A.Z.Y., FUBAR, It's All Gone Pete Tong, J'ai tué ma mère, Men with Brooms, One Week

 Shannon Falls

Squamish, British Columbia (November 2009)

6. Miscellaneous: the Canadian flag, diversity, multiculturalism, saying "eh", Toronto neigbhourhoods, Toonies

In their own words:

• "The word 'toque' and the fact that all Canadians use it, and no other country seems to."
• "Canadian women."
• "Ottawa on Canada Day."

Keep the list going and leave a comment below!

Happy Canada Day!