Both to Canadian Boo-Men/Women and to all the rest of you, I want to wish everyone here a Happy Canada Day to you. We are 138 years old today.
I was trying to think of something good to say to sum up what it is about our country that I love. What I found however, is a piece from one of our Canadian Progressive Bloggers that seems to speak for me and probably a lot of us. A Little Bit Left wrote this piece, and I quote from it:
Canada is in a class of its own. A massive land mass with a relatively miniscule population. A population that, for the most part believes in the the idiom, “Live and let live.” To compare Canada to the likes of the U.S. or any other country is comparing apples to oranges. We are unique. We are unlike just about any other country in terms of land mass and population density. We are not America Lite. We are our own people with our own values and ideals. We have our own customs (Poutine, coffee and donuts). Please, be proud of what Canada is. Do not relegate it to a third rate, or even second rate country. Love what you have, because before you know it, it could be gone and only then will you appreciate all of the luxuries that we are afforded as citizens of this wonderful country.
Happy Canada Day, everyone. Please, celebrate it like you mean it. You are truly privileged to be in a country as great as this. Regardles of political leans. Sure, it’s not perfect but nothing in life is. I can only hope that you all have the same pride as I have when I say that I am Canadian.
A shot of the Canada Day festivities at the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa.
A picture of Canadian soldiers serving in Afghanistan, alongside their American compatriots. I hope all of you folks south have a Great July 4th.
Thank you tribe34. I’ve never loved this place as much as I do this year.. it’s a damn fine time to be a Canadian.
Happy Canada Day everyone! ..maybe this would be a good time to do a roll-call. My mental list of fellow Canucks is Egarwaen, Catnip, sybil, olivia.. um.. MaggieEh… well, things do tend to fall off of my mental lists pretty quickly.
Who are I forgetting?
Happy Birthday Canada!!! Thanks for being…you!
Cheers!!
Yea, and don’t forget that we US types think the oak leak is flown pointing down (this way up, eh!). Seriously, have a good holiday and be safe!
🙂
I just can’t stop laughing and chuckling at myself for my own stupidity and the irony that I was trying to point out in my post – I mean, slamming the Marines for flying the flag upside down then calling it oak instead of maple in the same sentence…I must be an idiot (hey, I’m from South Dakota, you Canucks, what do you expect!!!!).
Anyway, I have to recognise the humor in my posts because it’s really something Michael Myers could have a field day with if you Boo Canucks don’t get to it first!
Ok, in my trench with my hands holding my helmet on….as GWB said, “bring it on!”
Any Canadians who would normally give you a hard time are too busy laughing our asses off watching the coverage from Ottawa…. I swear I just saw some long-haired post-Metallica dude wail on bagpipes.. it was hard-core… and immediately following a bagpipe metal act, Her Excellency The Right Honourable Govenor General Adrienne Clarkson…
Hey, you can never accuse us of taking ourselves too seriously…
on the CBC radio with a 50 song countdown of Canadian Songs.
Imagine, he loved my mother’s favourite Song:
“I’ll Never Smile Again, Until I Smile At You”
for distractions!
maple man! maple leaf… 😉
Jesus! See how ignorant we US Americans are!
OK, Maple, damn good and well that I don’t play hockey!!!!!!!
There was a great newspaper headline from that incident:
“The Young, The Proud, The Dyslexic”
Have a great one, eh? I spent a lot of time in TO growing up, as my mother was from Scarborough, and we visited often. Have been going back for many years.
Great city, great people, great country.
ugh. to quote the infamous mr. dangerfield… I get no respect… serves me right I’m sure… 🙂
happy canada day all!
(btw – great quote, although I may just have to post my own canuckle day diary soon since I’m not one to let others speak for me… lol 😉
Spiderleaf! How I could I forget you??? My first encounter with you was the ‘I don’t get no freakin’ respect around here’ diary. Someone suggested a spiderleaf treasure hunt, and I dutifully dumped 4’s on as many of your comments as I could find… 😉
merci beaucoup zander! I appreciate that you have seen the errors of your omission 😉
as for the treasure hunt… that would have been my arch-nemisis/ compatriot (depending on the day) Anamolous! I truly appreciate that you decided to take part… it was a absolutely worthwhile endeavour to be sure and one you can be proud to tell your grandkids that you were a part of… 🙂
Me!!
L0ki is Canadian too… (Guelph, Ontario)….
Home of Sleeman… I’m jealous…
Yup, gotta be the pot capital of Ontario too…
all us hippies… 🙂
!!!!!!!!!!!hApPy CaNaDa DaY !!!!!!!!!!
I’m in BC. It’s true what they say…. neener, neener, neener.
Guelph, eh? That’s where my mother-in-law’s family is from — next June, we’re having a big family reunion of sorts thereabouts — hubby and are are going to be looking around for relocation possibilities….we’ve been talking about moving to Cananda on and off for about two years…can we come look you up?
Happy Canada Day all!!
Congratulations, Canadians! One of the small things I love about
Detroit is living North of Canada (or North of a little bit of Canada). Canada is beautiful, and I look to your example in multiculturalism as a better solution to our country’s “melting pot” approach to dealing with different cultures.
I also love the wilderness, knock-out gardens, gorgeous Rockies, great hockey (but Red Wings forever!), dim sum on Sunday afternoons, Niagara, Gaspe, the Maritimes, Algonquin N.P., Manitoulin, Point Pele. . . a great nation.
Some call it a gravel pit.
We have everything, from desert to mountains to temperate rain forests.
Today, I want to thank former Prime Minister Jean Chretien for keeping Canada out of Iraq. Thank you sir.
Wise man!
And my husband likes the fishing on the Canadian side of Lake Saint Clair, along with some really cool islands to explore. I can walk to the end of my street and look across the lake and see Canada off in the distance. We take it for granted being so close to another country. But when we have out-of-state guests, going over to Canada is one of the first things they want to do. Happy Canada Day to our neighbors!!!
From south of the(current)border:
Here’s to the future Canadian-Blue State Axis.
BC joins up with Washington and Oregon.
Hoping to get up to Vancouver Island to look for property this summer. Motivation is a draft-age daughter and a lot of friends with draft-age kids. I want there to be someplace for them to go, if it comes to that. I know, I know, extradition agreed upon, etc. However, I’m thinking that Bush has so thoroughly pissed off you Canadians that you probably won’t be knocking yourselves out looking for draft refugees to send back down here. It’s got to be a better place for them to be than here – if it comes to that.
And if it doesn’t – what a wonderful place for those of us thinking about this to visit during our hotter-than-hell Texas summers. The more I learn about Canada, the more anxious I am to get up there and check y’all out.
Never been there – lived in WA for a little while, but never quite made it across the border. Thoughts? Advice? Things I shouldn’t miss while visiting?
And Happy Canada Day! I envy your pride in your country right now.
Well there are hundreds of US soldiers here now, and we’re still trying to figure it all out… CTV article.
Jeremy Hinzman, the most public and vocal soldier seeking refugee status here had his claim denied in March. He has filed a Federal Court challenge, and is still here. As far as I know, not a single one has been turned over to the US…. but, nothing is guaranteed yet.
I’m in BC, but have only been to the island a couple of times, I really don’t know my way around over there – but I think sybil lives in that area, she’ll probably show up here sometimes today and find your post.
Yes, I was hoping she’d come by . . .
Janet
Just got in from a wonderful drive on the peninsula with some strawberries from the farm. We didn’t watch the parade but my son has a flag on his car.
When you come to southern Vancouver Island, Victoria to be specific, visit my daughter’s art school:
http://www.vancouverislandschoolart.com
She is planning on moving to a real school building,
kept in good repair. Maybe by the time, you visit
she will be in the new building.
Email me closer to your visit.
I will email, when I have An Actual Plan.
I live on Vancouver island. I am not sure how helpful I can be – it all depends on what you are looking for.
If you are used to big cities, by all means check out Vancouver in addition to the island (Vancouver the city is on the mainland, as I am sure you know). Otherwise Victoria is a nice city of 100,000 or so, more if you count the whole Saanich peninsula. The housing market is red hot though, so not too much latitude or options for buyers as property is getting snatched at some crazy rate right now. This is what I hear.
You could also go up the highway to look at other little towns up the east coast of the island; there are lots of little places, maybe with a bit more rain than Victoria though. Or else you could also go to visit Tofino and other places on the west coast – if you like surfing this is the place to go – between Ucluelet and Tofino is the so-called Long beach – facing open ocean and a favourite of surfers.
Lots of great views, mountains, lakes, parks to explore.
All I know about Vancouver Island I’ve learned from the internets – that’s why I’m coming up there. The internets do have their limitations for this kind of thing. I was actually kind of interested in the Gold River area. Away from the coasts so I think cheaper. And right by a huge park.
My main concern is how far it is from Victoria, Vancouver, the ferries. Damn that’s a big island! And not exactly freeway driving to get there. But it sure looks beautiful from the pictures.
Hey, no problem 🙂
Gold River area.. Well, the thing with judging distances/times on the island is that there are very few roads in certain areas, or only one way to get to a particular area.
This is the case with Gold River. To get to it from Victoria, you take the east coast highway (I think it’s no.19) all the way north to Campbell River. This should take 4 hours, maybe a bit more. Then you turn west/south onto highway 28 (and I am guessing it is one lane in each direction), and you have to go between the two long lakes (there must a bridge but I have never driven on highway 28) and continue on through Strathcona park, for Gold River. This would add at least 2 hours more to the 4, so optimistically, you are about 6 hours away from Victoria and the main ferries to Vancouver.
However there are ferries to Vancouver from Nanaimo, about 2 hours north from Victoria, so if you take that you are some 4 hours away from the ferries. The ferry trip itself takes time though – 1.5 hours from Victoria to Vancouver, and I think 2 hours from Nanaimo to Vancouver.
If you would I can email you with more details if you have other questions? (I see you email at the end of each comment)
email me. It’s great to have someone local to talk to about a place you’ve never been to and are thinking about going to.
The drive up to Gold River sounds like about what I thought from pondering maps. But I think that’s OK. though I’ll see how it is when I get up there.
still pretty small though. Real estate is so hot, there are no listings. But there are other places on the island.
If stopping in Vancouver (it is a high rise jungle) be sure to visit Van Dusen gardens, cheaper, better designed with an excellent sculpture garden, than the much marketed Butchard gardens near Victoria.
I think that’s a bit misleading – and I know it is advertised that way – Victoria the city is about 100,000 (80,000 according to a few years ago). The rest of the number is made up by including the whole of the Saanich peninsula, Colwood, Langford, etc.etc.
From the City of Victoria website:
“Greater Victoria and its outlying areas now have a population of 300,000”
From the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce:
“About 330,000 people make their home in the Greater Victoria area.”
Maybe the population of Victoria just seems larger because it has 3.65 million visitors each year.
Year
2004
Tourism revenue
$1.118 bil
Number of visitors staying overnight.
3.65 mil
Capital Region District statistics
Greater Victoria, 2004, population = 349,648
The 375,000 figure is the one we hear quoted from the media.
Right. “Greater Victoria [and outlying areas]” is 300,000+. As I said, this includes the Saanich peninsula, Colwood, Metchosin, Langford, and other communities that are not really what one would consider when thinking of Victoria the city.
That’s what I was trying to say but instead I said
“It depends on what you mean by ‘Victoria.'” 🙂
Bravo Canada! Happy Canada Day to all of you too. I invite anyone who has never visited our country to do so at least once in your lifetime so that you can see why we love this country so much.
I’m proud to be a Canadian, but it isn’t a chest thumping pride. It’s a quiet, appreciative thankfulness for having been born in a country that embraces so many ideals that I hold dear. We’re far from perfect and will never be so, but we strive for equality, inclusiveness and justice. I think we’ve done quite well so far, considering what a young country we are.
As I watch the festivities in Ottawa on TV this morning, I’m happy to be dancing along with the multicultural music and to know that this is a day that is not about patriotic speeches or propagandizing. It’s about celebrating people – all of the people who are content in calling themselves Canadians – and that’s what living in a free and civil democracy ought to be about.
So multicultural that I didn’t understand a word of the song these people are watching…

He was pretty hot though….
lol – they were good! 🙂
Waving hello from Ottawa! Happy Canada Day everyone. I know others have said it, but I think this Canada Day celebration is especially meaningful. This past week we’ve had a great example of why I love this country. Like catnip above said, we’re not chest thumpers but we deeply love our country. I’ve never wanted to live anywhere else.
The flags are flying everywhere here in Ottawa – hanging off buildings, on people’s houses, on cars (lots of those), maple leaf streamers off balconies etc. They really seem to be everywhere this year and it’s so nice to see.
Have a great celebration fellow Canucks, and wishing the same for my American friends this coming Monday July 4th.
Well, at least they’re not oak leaf flags!
<snark at myself!>
Don’t worry about it J.D. You gave quite a few of us a good chuckle. I have to admit I was imagining what the flag would look like with an oak leaf on it while I was ‘celebrating’ last night! ;o)
That’s what I love about Canadians, everyone of you that I meet are all soooo mello and good natured! I just hope you remember that when we invade 😉 …and you thought Iran was next!
We’ll follow the Czech strategy..
We could quickly become a nation of 30 million French speaking people living on 30 million streets named Rue George Cockburn or Rue Robert Ross.
I’m definately confused, so it wouldn’t be so hard to resist us. Good natured Canadians meeting us in the streets with flowers but changing road signs would absolutely be confusing…huh? What the f**k? Is what we Amis would say.
What is with the singing head???? Is anyone else just hysterical right now????
<tears streaming down my face>
How bizarre is that? They must be appealing to the stoners in the audience.
Isn’t it nice to have a leader who speaks so well that you’re not cringing and waiting for the next stupid thing to come out of his mouth a la Bush?
I was thinking the same thing – when he walked on stage, he was cheered, he was booed – but the moment he mentioned hockey, all was forgiven.
Yes, global hockey supremacy is not a laughing matter! 🙂
old veterans, head-banging bagpipers, the totally over the top chanteuse – and then dignitaries wandering around a totally open, unrestricted crowd with the only military dudes in view holding cameras not guns…
GOD – I just LOVE our country!!!! That was hilarious…
I’m getting teary eyed about Tommy Douglas… <shit>
Does anyone have that quote from the 60’s… The Americans are up to their old dirty tricks again, trying to prop up crooked regimes.. or something like that?
When my scandinavian ancestors were coming across the pond, some of us settled in Michigan, where my grandparents settled, and some of us settled in Thunder Bay. With the way things are going in the U.S. now (I’m currently in Minnesota) I kindof wish I had decended from the Thunder Bay side of the family!