Friday, January 13, 2017

Canada Eh!

For the past several months, my blogs have introduced you
to Canada's 10 Provinces and 3 Territories.
In researching these, for me it has been an education...although I've visited Canada's domain except for Newfoundland/Labrador and its 3 Territories. When on an Alaskan cruise, stopping in Skagway, we boarded the narrow-gauge White Pass railway (built at the time of the Gold Rush for miners), and 'trained' as far as Carcross in Yukon (a very brief visit there). I close off this series with fanfare about our great country!

Official Symbols of Canada
The Maple Leaf is the characteristic leaf of the Maple Tree...
and is the most widely and world-recognized national symbol.
Over the past century, the following symbols
have been formally adopted by the Government of Canada:
the Beaver and its historical significance...the Coat of Arms...the Maple Leaf Tartan...the Maple Tree...the National Anthem...the National Flag...the Natural Horse...the National Sports...the Natural Colours. Canada's Motto From Sea to Sea came from the Latin translation of Psalm 72:8 in the Bible

O Canada...our National Anthem
The lyrics were originally in French; an English version was created in 1906.
O Canada became our National Anthem in 1980.

When teaching for several years, I introduced my students to the 2nd verse which is so descriptive of our country's beauty and heritage...often we sang both these verses in our 'morning exercises'.
O Canada! Where pines and maples grow.
Great prairies spread and lordly rivers flow.
How dear to us, thy broad domain,
From East to Western Sea.
Thou land of hope and for all who toil
Thou true North, strong and free!
(plus the 3-line chorus beginning)
God keep our land glorious and free!

Top Reasons to Live in Newfoundland/Labrador
If Quebec separates, you will float out to sea.
If you do something stupid, you have a built-in excuse.
The workday is about two hours long.
It is socially acceptable to wear hip-waders to your wedding.

Top Reasons to Live in Prince Edward Island
You can walk across the province in half an hour.
You can drive across the province in two minutes.
Everyone has been an extra on “Road to Avonlea”.
This is where all those tiny red potatoes come from.
Even though more people live on Vancouver Island,
you still got the big, new bridge!

Top Reasons to Live in Nova Scotia
Everyone can play the fiddle. The ones who can't, think they can.
You are the only reason Anne Murray makes money.
You can pretend to have Scottish heritage as an excuse to get drunk & wear a kilt.

Top Reasons to Live in New Brunswick
One way or another, the government gets 98% of your income.
You're poor, but not as poor as the Newfies!
No one ever blames anything on New Brunswick.
Everybody has a grandfather who runs a lighthouse.

Top Reasons to Live in Quebec
Racism is socially acceptable
Other provinces basically bribe you to stay in Canada.
You can blame all your problems on the “Anglo A*#!%!
You can take bets with your friends on which English neighbour will move out next.

Top Reasons to Live in Ontario
You live in the center of the universe.
Your $1,000,000 Toronto home is actually a dump.
You and you alone decide who will win the federal election.
The only province with hard-core American-style crime.

Top Reasons to Live in Manitoba
Hundreds of huge, horribly frigid lakes.
Nothing compares to a wicked Winnipeg winter.
You can be an Easterner or a Westerner depending on your mood.
You wake up one morning to find that you suddenly have a beachfront property.

Top Reasons to Live in Saskatchewan
You never run out of wheat.
Your province is really easy to draw.
People will assume you live on a farm.
You can watch the dog run away from home for hours.

Top Reasons to Live in Alberta
Ottawa who?
Big rock between you and B.C.
You can exploit almost any natural resource you can think of.
You live in the only province that could actually afford to be its own country.
The Americans below you are all in anti-government militia groups.

Top Reasons to Live in British Columbia
Weed.
You can throw a rock and hit 3 Starbucks locations.
There's always some sort of deforestation protest going on.
Your $1,000,000 Vancouver home is just 5 hours from downtown.
Vancouver: 1.5 million people and two bridges. You do the math.

Reasons to Live in Yukon, Northwest Territories or Nunavut
You'd need to learn one of many Inuit languages.
With their wealth of rivers, lakes and forests, it'd be easy to get lost.
Canada's government city is miles and miles and miles away.
You'd love the very long cold winters!

Compiled by Merle Baird-Kerr...September 25, 2016
Comments appreciated: inezkate@gmail.com or mbairdkerr@cogeco.ca

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