Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Piquen' your interest

Eh Canada!

I’m a proud Canadian, although it’s only fair to say that my pride is not unconditional – there are times that I’m less proud of my Hoser heritage.

This happens whenever the issue of our military readiness crops up. It happens when we throw a national hissy fit because our figure skaters got gypped by crooked French judges.

I feel less than proud whenever I watch an overly-patriotic, American-bashing beer commercial.

For the most part I’m embarrassed by our politics and politicians, and when Prime Minister Jean Chretien steps out on the world stage and speaks for our nation, I want to stick my head in a hole and scream.

Then something incredible happens that restores my faith in this country, like the gold medal performances by our men’s and women’s Olympic hockey teams. It’s a shallow example, maybe, but that event drew us closer together under the flag than any other event in recent history. People set aside petty regional, cultural, political and social differences to celebrate the one thing in this country it seems we can all agree upon.

Canada Day 2002 celebrates the peaceful birth of this nation 135 years ago. While it lacks the blood and sacrifice, the "Live Free Or Die" ideals of the American Independence Day, it nicely sums up our polite, reserved, and generally laid back national character. It’s all about coolers full of refreshing, sometimes alcoholic, beverages, barbecues piled with burgers and dogs, radios blaring Canadian music, trips to the lake / cottage / park / town square.

Flags get waved, the anthem is sung, toasts are made, and around 2 a.m. we have loud discussions on what’s best for Canada.

The pride is definitely there, but it soon fades as we head to work the next day in dark glasses, our pockets stuffed with aspirin.

Pride in our national identity should be a 24 hours a day, seven days a week kind of thing, not a T-shirt and beer cooler we dust off every now and then.

But like I said, pride isn’t unconditional.

That’s why I’ve put together a list of three reasons to be proud to be Canadian – little reminders to help you get through Chretien’s next public appearance.

1. Canadians are smart.

According to a National Science Literacy survey, two-thirds of Canadians weren’t able to name even one Canadian inventor. That’s a shame when you consider that Canadian inventors have contributed thousands of ideas and products to the world.

The electron microscope is Canadian, So is basketball, hockey, lacrosse, chocolate bars, the garbage bag, gingerale, IMAX, the Java computer programming language, the jolly jumper, Laser sailboards, light bulbs, gas masks, newsprint, pablum, pacemakers, paint rollers, panoramic cameras, phonographs and gramophones, 3D puzzles, rollerskates, screw propellers, ski bindings, snowblowers, snowmobiles, snowplows, standard time, Superman, the telephone, Trivial Pursuit, washing machines, walkie-talkies, wireless radios, and the zipper.

Canadian doctors performed the first heart valve operation, Canadians produced the first acrylics, created airline de-icers. We invented computerized Braille, margarine, biodegradable plastics, the electric wheelchair, the electric cooking range, the foghorn, photo mapping equipment, goalie masks, hydrofoil boats, instant potatoes and seedless watermelons. We discovered liposomes, created a universal footwear standard, and engineered all kinds of mapping and navigation equipment.

The list goes on and on. I doubt a day goes by when any of us don’t use a Canadian invention.

2. Canadians are talented

Canadians are impact players in the entertainment industry, creating music, movies and literature that is enjoyed around the world. International musicians include Nelly Furtado, Celine Dion, Prozzack, Our Lady Peace, Sloan, k.d. Lang, Rush, Neil Young, Sarah McLachlan, The Guess Who, Glen Gould, Joni Mitchell, The Barenaked Ladies, The Tragically Hip, Robbie Robertson, April Wine, Alanis Morissette, Paul Anka, Shania Twain, Stompin’ Tom Conners, Bruce Cockburn, Gordon Lightfoot, Bryan Adams, Sum41, and Leonard Cohen.

Actors and comedians include Donald and Kiefer Sutherland, Norm MacDonald, William Shatner, James Doohan (Scottie from Star Trek), Brendan Fraser, Keanu Reeves, John Candy, the Kids in the Hall, Bob and Doug McKenzie, Hayden Christensen, Tom Green, Matthew Perry, Martin Short, Dan Aykroyd, Mike Myers, Jim Carrey, and Michael J. Fox.

Actresses and comedians include Natasha Henstridge, Neve Campbell, Pamela Anderson, Jennifer Tilly and Carrie-Anne Moss.

Writers include the Margaret Atwood, Farley Mowat, Michael Ondaatje, the late Timothy Findley, Robertson Davies, Douglas Coupland, Pierre Berton, Stephen Leacock, Marshall McLuhan, W.O. Mitchell, Lucy Maude Montgomery, Mordecai Richler and of course Robert Service – who hasn’t heard The Cremation of Sam McGee?

Other names you might want to throw around include Jeopardy host Alex Trebek, Spawn creator and comic book guru Todd McFarlene, ABC News anchor Peter Jennings, NBC News Correspondent Keith Morrison, Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels, and directors Norman Jewison, James Cameron, Atom Egoyan, Ivan Reitman, and David Cronenberg.

3. Canadians are sporty

James Naismith of Almonte, Ontario, is credited with inventing basketball while teaching at the YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts. Windsor, Nova Scotia, is widely recognized as the birthplace of organized hockey. Lacrosse has been played here for thousands of years by First Nations, and recently has evolved into a professional sport.

While we have always had an overwhelming presence in hockey, Canadians are starting to turn up in other professional sports as well. You probably already know Steve Nash is an outstanding point guard for the Dallas Mavericks, but did you know that four-time Los Angeles Lakers champion Rick Fox says "eh?" How about standout Todd MacCulloch on the New Jersey Nets? Or Jamaal Magliore on the Charlotte Hornets?

There are only a handful of players in the NFL, but some names you might recognize include running back Tim Biakabutuka on the Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts receiver Jerome Pathon, St. Louis Rams guard Tom Nutten, and Denver defensive end Harald Hasselbach.

There are currently 12 Canadians in Major League Baseball, including Larry Walker, Matt Stairs, Rob Ducey, Paul Quantrill, Rheal Cormier, Aaron Myette, Ryan Dempster, Corey Koskie, Jeff Zimmerman, Danny Klassen, Chris Reitsma, and Eric Gagne.

Canadians are also represented in every sport from golf to auto racing, and they all do us proud.