The All-Canadian Thread

[nerd4hire]

You know in the time I've been here at Buffy Boards I've seen almost every language and nationality claim a thread or a forum for themselves, but we Canadians with our inferiority complex, just don't seem to think anyone would be interested in a Canadian one.

I want to put that to the test. Anyone wanna talk Canadian stuff?

Stanley Cup - To quote another great Canadian GO FLAMES GO

Politics - A federal election coming up. Talk about trying to pick between the better of 2 evils.

East vs West - Why are you people out East always so mean to us Westerners? 🙂

Space - What might be both the best and the worst science fiction station in the world, serving Canadians fantasy entertainment.

Canadian Entertainment - Hollywood North, Avril Lavigne, Nickelback, Trailer Park Boys, Jim Carrey, James Cameron and so on forever.

Canadian Culture - Canadian beer (because it's better), Canadian lingo (Why not eh? Does any Canadian actually say Eh?), Canadian Cuisine (because it might actually exist).

So whatta ya say? Any other proud Canadians out there?

 

[Beer_Nut]

I say GO FLAMES GO!!!
It's nice to see other canucks on here, nothing against anywhere else tho. Just check my nick name and you can tell that I'm Canadian, hooraah for beer! Comically enough that is also the name of my hockey team, The Junior Beer Nuts.

I'm from Toronto so everyone else hates me, but I've got nothing against Westerners and I tend to vote along those lines too.
I don't really know if we wanna get into politics, but if y'all want to I'm up for it, but that's a discussion I won't start or I'll make enemies right off the bat (lol).

Hopefully we can keep this thread going since I'm always go for showing Canadian pride.

 

[blake]

My father is a canadian National,
I however have been born and bred in Detroit, We used to go to Montreal quite a bit to see my grand parents, but since i've moved out of the house, I haven't been there, besides I was never any good with French

 

[Mr. Pointy]

Stanley Cup - To quote another great Canadian GO FLAMES GO

So is this a dwarfish ice hockey thing?😉 Which team are the Flames?

Canadian entertainment - don't forget Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, William Shatner as well, I'm sure I've seen them all described as Canucks...

Canadian culture - love that Labatts and Molson beer.

Canadian language - love the way most of you guys say "out" or "doubt" - is that a hangover from being bi-lingual do you think?

 

[killerdwarf]

So is this a dwarfish ice hockey thing?😉 Which team are the Flames?

The Calgary Flames are the team that as of last night, are one win away from hoisting hockey's Holy Grail...(lights, choir) the Stanley Cup. Lead by Jarome Iginla (useless and pointless fact: he's black, in defiance of Gunn's assertion in Angel that hockey is a "white game"), they've beaten the three top teams in their own division, having been the 6th seed in the West, to advance to the final. They are now playing the top team in the East, Tampa Bay. If Calgary wins, they will be the only team ever to beat the top 4 teams in hockey (hell, maybe in any sport) to win a championship! They used to be in Atlanta, until 1979/80, when they moved to Calgary. I happened to be in Calgary at the time, and got hooked by Flames fever. They won the Cup in 1989, and have missed the playoffs for the last 7 yrs...that was then, this is now!!

GO FLAMES GO!!!​

N4H: Glad you've come over to the light side! Sorry 'bout your Canucks, though...love this thread, and I love the West!

Beer Nut: Welcome! I am indeed from the Great White North, London, ON to be exact (The City Fun Forgot).

Jenny: I know you'll find this thread! Sorry 'bout your Sens, darlin'...

I'm up for politics, music, whatever! Right now there's a big flap here in London about the Shriners moving their hospital from Montreal to London. The Shriners voted unanimously to do it, and now in typical bigger city fashion, the ivory-tower types at McGill in Montreal are slagging London, saying that we won't be able to attract top researchers because we're not "cosmopolitan enough". Yeah, London is a mostly boring provincial city that thinks it's a small town, but one thing we do well is medicine...Dr. Peter Fowler is a world renown orthopedic surgeon, fixing the knees of many elite athletes, including Steve Yzerman, Bobby Orr, Vince Carter, and lots more that no one is supposed to know about...the late Dr. Charles Drake was a neurosurgery pioneer, developing the "Drake Clip" to "fix" previously inoperable, potentially fatal brain aneurisms...all his students are still here, training docs from everywhere to do the proceedure. Hell, Della Reese (Touched by an Angel) does a fundraiser for his foundation every year here...he saved her life in 1979! Anyway, Montreal is now making noises about this move being "anti-French"...typical, but not unexpected. We could go into the separatist thing too, if you want...or not!

 

[Beer_Nut]

Personally I love the Flames, but I'm happy when anyone other than the usual teams. Truthfully I would have been really happy if any of the last four won (excluding Philadelphia, I can't stand Bobby Clark). But Calgary is definitely my team of choice right now cause my beloved Leafs are out. I'vew got nothing against American teams winning the cup, but I really like to see a Canadian team win, it's been a while.

I definitely have to go with Mr. Pointy and commend wonderful beer (check my new sig ( I know it sucks but it contains beer...lol... and I made it all by myself...lol).

 

[killerdwarf]

Canadian culture - love that Labatts and Molson beer.

Hey, we're more than just Labatt's and Molson...we got Brick, Algonquin, Sleemans...

Canadian language - love the way most of you guys say "out" or "doubt" - is that a hangover from being bi-lingual do you think?

I had a good reply to this, but my computer blew it up (infernal machine!). Short version: We are a distinct dialect that covers from the Quebec border west, and north of the US...saw a tv show last week on this...our dialect is very resistant to US pressures to pronounce such words as "caught" as "cat" instead of "cot", as we do now, and "pop" as "pap" instead of "pawp", like we do. Ok, my geek is showing here, but I really love this linguistic stuff! They said we had a small but distinct upward lilt to our tone, while the US has a downward inflection, and different emphasis points in sentences. The "out and about" you mention is called "raising the o" and it has its origins in England circa 1790. What? Well I think it's cool... 😛

 

[nerd4hire]

I've been a Vancouver Canucks fan ever since I can remember, nevertheless after I watched the Vancouver vs Calgary series a weird thing happened. I became a Calgary fan.

The flames play old-style Canadian, grit and character hockey. I love that. I was so angry at Brian Burke for bringing that "Swedish ice-dancing" team to Vancouver. (nothing against Swedes personally. I just don't like their style of hockey). I'm glad Burke is gone, but I don't like what replaced him (a wanna-be Burke).

Regarding beer; There are better beers in Canada now than the name-brand ones. I don't know about other cities, but in mine they have these local mini-breweries. I'd put their beers against any beer anywhere.

 

[killerdwarf]

The flames play old-style Canadian, grit and character hockey. I love that.

Yup, they bang with the best of them, but man, can those boys skate! And doesn't Jarome look like a young Mark Messier...power, finesse, with a nasty streak, and leadership that can't be denied!! And the ability to take complete control of the game at will...what a player!

Regarding beer; There are better beers in Canada now than the name-brand ones. I don't know about other cities, but in mine they have these local mini-breweries. I'd put their beers against any beer anywhere.

Hey, they're making a great thing even greater!! Hats off to all the microbreweries!!!

 

[Jenny]

Hey, we're more than just Labatt's and Molson...we got Brick, Algonquin, Sleemans...

Don't forget Keith's, Moosehead, Chilkoot, sigh could go on and on. Cheers for beers!!!! 🙂

Canadian politics...well let's see big ole mess Mr. Martin made up here in Ottawa (I work for the Federal gov't so I can say that! Oh and I have to address him as Mr. Martin all the time).

Enforced bilingualism = BAD!

Healthcare premium = BAD!

MORE Income tax = BAD!!!

Of course that's an Ontario thing.

How about this:

Ottawa vs. Toronto, why all the hatred?

Exquisite Canadian Cuisine, Beavertails, Poutine, Pate Chinois and Tortierre (the French Canadians will appreciate those!)

 

[nerd4hire]

I used to run into a lot of Bannock up north.

I knew this native lady who was all the time telling her son, she was going to give him a bannock-slap.

Beaver-talils are kind of like bannock, aren't they?

 

[Jenny]

I used to run into a lot of Bannock up north.

I knew this native lady who was all the time telling her son, she was going to give him a bannock-slap.

Beaver-talils are kind of like bannock, aren't they?

You're thinking of the bread right? Well they're not exactly similar:

So ... exactly what is a BeaverTail® ?

Well ... it's a wickedly delicious, fresh, hot, pastry treat "” shaped like the water slapping end of ... a Beaver ! ! !

Based on an ancient North American Voyageur recipe, these wildly delicious pastry treats were first introduced to Ottawa, Canada in 1978 by the Hooker family when they established the first permanent BeaverTails® store in Ottawa's historical Byward Market where it still thrives as a landmark today.

Now, over two decades later, BeaverTails® pastries have become a special part of 'leisure' experiences internationally. Thanks to the endearing quality of our products and to the dedication of our franchisees around the world, BeaverTails® are currently gobbled up at over 130 fun recreational and tourist sites worldwide "“ from Whistler Mountain Resort in the northwest "“ to Walt Disney World in the southeast of North America "“ and in Costa Rica, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia and Scotland !

They come in ALL kinds of flavours such as:

Classic Cinnamon & Sugar
Killaloe Sunrise (Cinnamon & Sugar w/ freshly squeezed lemon juice)
Chocolate Hazelnut
Maple
Apple Cinnamon
Raspberry Jam / Blueberry Jam
Strawberries & Cream
Garlic Butter & Cheese
Cream Cheese and Chives
Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese
Pizza 'Tails®
Sausage 'Tail®
Hot Dog 'Tail®
Eggy Bakey

They are a MUST have! My favourite is the Garlic Butter and Cheese, or the very first kind, Cinammon and Sugar!!!

 

[Beer_Nut]

Ottawa vs. Toronto, why all the hatred?

A good question, it really comes down to hockey (again 😀 ). Personally I've got nothing against Ottawa and I'm a Toronto fan, having lived here my entire life.

In terms of beer, one that hasn't been mentioned is Creemore. If you haven't tried it, plz do. You won't regret it. And I'm in complete agreement with all of your political points Jenny, I'm sick of all the friggin' taxes and the enforced billingualism. I'm cuisine clueless tho, so I can't comment on those posts.

Awww... forget this I'm gonna have a beer...lol.

 

[Jenny]

A good question, it really comes down to hockey (again 😀 ). Personally I've got nothing against Ottawa and I'm a Toronto fan, having lived here my entire life.

I'm thinking you might be right! But we seem to let it carry over into non-hockey areas you know? The Ottawa-Toronto series even had my best friend and I making snide (yet still joking, sort-of) comments to each other! LOL

In terms of beer, one that hasn't been mentioned is Creemore. If you haven't tried it, plz do. You won't regret it.

Aaah yes SHAME ON ME for forgetting that one!!!! 🙂 🙂

And I'm in complete agreement with all of your political points Jenny, I'm sick of all the friggin' taxes and the enforced billingualism.

Fellow Ontarian feels my pain! Such a mess we are in now. Can't wait for my paychecks to start decreasing. I'm so excited! I am already taxed in the very high 40% right now. I pray I never get a raise otherwise I shall jump into the next bracket and make less money per pay. 😀

 

[Beer_Nut]

I have a buddy who's an Ottawa fan and we were ribbing him pretty hard about it during the playoffs. You're right about it transitioning into areas other than hockey. It may have something to do with Ottawa being the location for centralized government, but I don't know tho.

In terms of taxes I'm gonna be in trouble when I start working again (just recently got laid off). I'm trying to become a cop (the application is in process), if I get it I'm gonna be taxed through the roof too ::light:: . I guess I'll just see what happens, eh? 😎

I already know how I'm voting, the same way I always do. I tend to lean to the right (conservative) on the political spectrum. Especially when it comes to economics and crime. But I shy towards the left on social issues (read: abortion, same-sex marriage etc...). There needs to be a major overhaul in all levels of Canadian government in order to be accountable to the people of Canada.

There's my rant for now.

 

[xtrustno1x]

Well...I'm about as far away from Canada and it's style as you can get....::coughtexascough:: But...I love you guys! You're just so...damn cool. Canadian politics, I know little of. Health care...is it free up there? I read that somewhere, I think. Hockey...I've tried my damndest to get into it. Almost there...but I have yet to pick out a team to follow. Any suggestions? Dallas sucks. Entertainment...love it. Recently saw Men with Brooms (although it's a few years old...American's don't get much exposure to Candian stuff unless you have satellite). Not sure how it was received up there, but I enjoyed it. All the best musicians, actors, comedians, movies, etc come from there. I envy you guys...

 

[nerd4hire]

Well...I'm about as far away from Canada and it's style as you can get....::coughtexascough:: But...I love you guys! You're just so...damn cool.

Maybe Texans have an affinity with Canada, because both Texas and Canada are big places 😉

Canadian politics, I know little of. Health care...is it free up there? I read that somewhere, I think.

Yes and no. You have to pay a monthly fee for government health benefits. If you don't have the money though, you can jump through the right hoops and get benefits for free.

Hockey...I've tried my damndest to get into it. Almost there...but I have yet to pick out a team to follow. Any suggestions? Dallas sucks.

I'm recommending the Calgary flames right now. If you get the Stanley cup finals down there you should be able to watch the Flames play what might be the final game of the series tonight.

The trick to enjoying hockey is knowing what to scream at your television set. Here's a guide-line.

1. When a player from your team gets close to a player from the opposing team you shout "HIT EM!!!". In Canadian-style hockey you play the man, not the puck.

2. Once a player from your team carries the puck close enough to the opposing team's net that you can see it, you start shouting "SHOOT THE PUCK!!!". Canadian-style doesn't have a lot of patience with fancy, showboat, behind-the-back passes and such. If a player from your team does it, and it works, you are impressed, but if it doesn't, or if a player from the other team is showing off and it results in a goal, you are not impressed.

3. If your team loses, it's always the referee's fault. If a lot of penalties were called, the referees overcalled the game, and they have a personal predjudice against your team. If there weren't too many penalties called, your team lost because the referees were letting the other team get away with murder.

Entertainment...love it. Recently saw Men with Brooms (although it's a few years old...American's don't get much exposure to Candian stuff unless you have satellite). Not sure how it was received up there, but I enjoyed it. All the best musicians, actors, comedians, movies, etc come from there. I envy you guys...

I haven't seen Men With Brooms. I'll have to watch out for it. Have you ever seen the John Candy comedy Canadian Bacon? It cracks me up no matter how many times I see it. The Bob and Doug Makenzie themed comedy Strange Brew is good for an All-Canadian chuckle too.

If you ever get a chance to see the Canadian cable television comedy series Trailer Park Boys, try to check it out. You probably won't like it the first time you try it, because you'll never have seen anything like it, but stick with it, it's worth the trouble.

Speaking of Canadian Celebrities, there's a good list of them here:


Famous Canadians

 

[xtrustno1x]

I've been dying to see Canadian Bacon! I've seen bits and pieces here and there, but never had the time to sit down and watch the whole show. I think I'll take your Calgary suggestion and run with it. I think my problem with hockey was just not having a team. Hard to get into things when you're indifferent. I remember a few years ago I had started to lean towards the Devils...but for no apparent reason. Must have been the name...lol. I'm in Alabama right now, and there's a big lack of any kind of hockey news or games. I'm going to look for some replays on ESPN later. The Makenzie guys...I think I've heard of them before. And thanks for the site!

 

[Beer_Nut]

xtrustno1x you are welcome in Canada anytime. Please don't lean any further toward the Devils or I may have to take the welcome back. The reason that I don't like the Devils is they play a style of hockey called the trap. Most people I know don't even consider it hockey, it really slows down the game and makes it exceedingly boring.

I can't believe Calgary lost last night, that sux. But they'll take it in game 7. GO FLAMES GO!!!

I'm with ya nerd4hire, anyone who hasn't seen Strange Brew must watch it. It is a real Canadian classic.

 

[nerd4hire]

I have a theory concerning "the trap".

It was created in reaction to the temporary popularity of European style hockey in the NHL.

Bettman and his basketball boys wanted to create what they thought was a more entertaining kind of hockey, so they created and enforced rules designed to adopt the European style of more skating, and stick work.

The problem was, this might work in an amateur setting, but when you start to play the game against people that actually know the game, there going to figure a way around it. Thus the trap.

The trap worked for years, as long as people insisted on pitting European style against it. Once people like Sutter turned up playing old-style Canadian hockey, the power of the trap disintegrated.

In Canadian style you dump and hit, dump and move. The trap can't organize itself in that environment of organized chaos. That's why the trap never worked in the old days, and that's why it didn't work this year; the year of the resurgence of old-style Canadian hockey.