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Best: we can express our opinions.
Worst: someone asking for our opinion (couldn't resist
Most of all - I love Canada because - it's home.
I remember in one episode of Married With Children, Al Bundy said
“There have been only a few really good scams in the history of mankind. Lock Ness Monster, Canada.”
There is some truth in what he said. Canada is an unlikely collection of provinces, territories, which really have no reason to be together. But now that they are together, they have formed a common identity, a common narrative. And it works, Canada is one of the best (if not the best) countries in the world. And I write it as someone who has traveled over a wide patch of the world and has lived in USA and Britain (a few years each).
Good: one of the highest standard of living in the world, multiculturalism, tolerance, respect for minority right, wide open spaces, plenty of nature.
Bad: I really cannot think of any.
If I believed in countries and stuff I'd say my Canadian identity is that I was born here. My education has been a Canadian one. No other country is like Canada. Right down to the variety of people shown in the demographics, Canada is distinct. We are generally a peaceful people for one thing. That alone distinguishes us from other countries like England, China, Japan, USA, Russia, Israel, Viet Nam, etc. We are a relatively northern people. That narrows the field down even more. We are fairly technologically advanced - the field narrows further. We are slightly on the liberal side of center. We are good samaritans and help people in need. And so on. We are what we are, which is a combination of all the factors I have mentioned and more. We are a specific type of mutt. No other people have that combination of factors. Perhaps we are mediocre, perhaps not. Do we excel in some things? I think so. We've produced some pretty fine poets, scientists, medicine people, etc. and we still have people becoming prominent.
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Superficial? Hardly. Superficial would be branding us as a mixed bag of colors with nothing to distinguish one of our cultures from another. Only someone that cannot think would not be able to say what we are.
Canada has a "common identity?" Quick please...tell me what it is! I thought that was one of our biggest weaknesses.
That is easy, countryboy. We are not Americans, we pride ourselves for not being Americans.
That is easy, countryboy. We are not Americans, we pride ourselves for not being Americans.
Generally I love the weather in Canada from May through September with
the long days and hot summers (usually) and Prairie Thunderstorms like
few places on the planet.
Canadian Winters I like less & less every year.
Maybe where you live, Ron. Here in Southern Ontario, weather is quite acceptable ten months of the year. January and February are the two months of snow, when we get plenty of it. We may get an odd snow storm in December and march, but that is about it.
So far we haven’t had any snow, and none is forecast for the next week.
What I love the most is that we are a highly diplomatic, peacekeeping country.
What I like the least is our lack of ability to define an even slightly cohesive identity.
What I love the most is that we are a highly diplomatic, peacekeeping country.
What I like the least is our lack of ability to define an even slightly cohesive identity.
What I love the most is that we are a highly diplomatic, peacekeeping country.
What I like the least is our lack of ability to define an even slightly cohesive identity.
We are all antis.
...And here I thought I was the only one who thought we might have an identity problem!
We are all antis.
So you call humidity that would rot your socks off in the middle of summer "quite acceptable?" Must be a different part of southern Ontario that I used to live in.(Mississauga/Oakville)
But most houses here have air conditioning, countryboy. Cars have air conditioning as well. So if somebody does not like humidity, he doesn't have to be subject to it.
Maybe where you live, Ron. Here in Southern Ontario, weather is quite acceptable ten months of the year. January and February are the two months of snow, when we get plenty of it. We may get an odd snow storm in December and march, but that is about it.
So far we haven’t had any snow, and none is forecast for the next week.
But most houses here have air conditioning, countryboy. Cars have air conditioning as well. So if somebody does not like humidity, he doesn't have to be subject to it.
But that is how we Canadians like it, Karrie. In USA their model is the melting pot, they want everybody to blend into one cultural identity, into one American identity.
Our model is not the melting pot, but the mosaic. We encourage immigrants to keep their individual culture, their individual identity, rather than blend everything into one national identity.
As long as they don’t like America, we are OK with them (just kidding).
Don't kid yourself, SirJP...Ontario has lots of ugly weather, just like most other parts of Canada. Even tornadoes down in "tornado alley" around London. The humidity in Windsor is rather legendary too. And up on the 401 on the way to Montreal (Ontario side), I've seen some pretty nasty whiteouts and snowstorms. Oops, getting away from your "southern" Ontario area there.
Are any of those A/C systems computer-controlled? Oh, oh...could be a problem.