For the fourth year in a row, in honour of Canada Day we give you 10 facts and opinions about Canada. Previous editions are to be found here and here. And if that’s not enough: here. Any complaints as to the humourous quality of this post should be addressed to Conrad Black, Some Jail, USA.
- Real Canadians look back at the recent Vancouver Stanley Cup hockey riots with revulsion, but rioting about hockey is, in fact, a great Canadian tradition. One St. Patrick’s Day in the mid-1950s Montrealers went absolutely apeshit after a star player on Les Canadiens was suspended for the season, thus jeopardising their team’s chances at La Coupe Stanley. Pelting the NHL president with food after he had the gall to attend the next Montreal home game, fans later spilled out onto the streets smashing windows, clashing with police and looting stores.
- Montreal was the site of five of Canada’s eight biggest hockey riots since the above-mentioned Rocket Richard Riot.
- Maurice “Rocket” Richard’s little brother Henri was also a huge Canadiens star. They called him the Pocket Rocket, or in Quebec: Rocquette Pocquette.
- I was in Montreal this time last year and had a great time, but I wouldn’t call it a riot. The riots were a few days before in Toronto at the G8 summit. That was sump’n’ broodle. A billion dollars for security and the place still ends up a shambles? They made it all up for us though by building this fake lake so we wouldn’t have to swat flies at a real one:
- Two hours east of Montreal in the Eastern Townships of Quebec there is a 110-year-old building that straddles the Canada – US border. You enter the library on the US side, but take out books on the Canadian.
- I don’t know which currency you’d pay your fines in, but the Canadian dollar is now worth more than the American.
- I would say nya-nya-nya-nya-NYA-nya about right now, but that would be most un-Canadian.
8. One Birkenstock is in Canada, the other in the United States. See if you can tell which is where.
9. In a national anthem survey, 79% of Americans know the first line of Star-Spangled Banner but only 37% of Canadians know the first line of O Canada, which is pretty pathetic considering the first line of O Canada is O Canada. – attributed to Jay Leno.
10. By the time you read this, we’ll be in Canada. Unless you see it the moment it’s published, in which case we’re somewhere over Greenland. Or maybe Iceland. Have a great summer.
The banner photograph shows the town of Britannia Beach, BC, Canada, where I grew up. It's home. But I don't live there anymore.
Bon Voyage!
I hope you have a great vacation.
The best part of the hockey riot was “the kiss” photo. Enjoy your Canada Day, Ian.
Love that photo of your daughter. (I did not know #5… very interesting)
That photo needs no update. She still has that hair, but it’s a darker red.
I loved the library link – it was a fun read, learning all about its history and current activities.
I posted a Canada Day quiz on my Weather Underground page. I got them with this one: Why was “Winnipeg Goldeye” never released as one of the James Bond films?
Now, Ian! Some of us who read here are actually Americans and we love you and stuff. Nevertheless, I had to snicker at # 7.
“Two Birkenstocks walk into a library…” There must be a joke there, somewhere. Happy Travels!
I want a fake lake. Actually, I would just settle for the Adirondack chair.
Conrad Black is out of prison, but in Toronto. So sorta in prison.
By the way, did I tell you I moved to Yellowknife? There is NARWHAL on the food guide here. NARWHAL!
You left the left coast? You moved to YELLOWKNIFE? OK, is it love or money?
It ain’t love.
Will let you know how I feel about this place after the winter sets in. A LOT of people only make it as far as November and are like, “That’s it, I’m done.” Who knows?
The streets run with gold up here and there’s no glass ceiling, simply because they are desperate for bodies.
I hear the further north you get, the more gold you have to earn just to survive. Fifty bucks for a couple litres of orange juice – can that be true?
Glad your family enjoyed the west coast. I’m not sure I agree about Canadian tradition of hockey riots. As you can see, we were in southern Germany, last June and thoroughly enjoyed it.