Canadian Girl Says Sorry

I've been told Canadians say Sorry way too much and we are just too happy and too polite. Well, we have a whole lot to be happy about. We live in a beautiful country and we are very fortunate to have the freedom we do. But come to think of it there are a bunch of things that set Canadians apart. So I just want to say Sorry, but most Canadian stereotypes are true and it's these very stereotypes that have shaped into the person I am today.

First of all the Beaver.

Yes, the Beaver is our national symbol and their pelts were once a lucrative trade in the 1600s. I've had several encounters with this little chap. Our buck-toothed hero always slaps his tale on the water when we get too close to his den while fishing at our cottage. Besides being proud of our Beaver and featuring him on our nickel, Canadians also love Beavertails. Beavertails are gooey pastries that resembles, what else but a beaver's tail. Covered in sugar and icing and cinnamon, it's just just plain addictive.

We say 'Eh' a lot.
I would have to agree with this one. I say it all of the time when what I really mean is 'I know, right?' or 'Ya, I totally agree!' or 'Isn't that correct?'  I think every country has their own version of 'Eh' and in Canada, where we like to simplfy things, it's a whole lot easier to condense four or five words into 'Eh'.

We have no Phones in the great white north.

Really? That's pretty funny but the sad fact is this actually hits home with me. When I was a kid we lived on a farm that lay right on a boundary line between two phone companies. This meant the difference between having a Phone number that connected to everyone else for free and having a long distance number. Of course our house lay just north of the boundary so we had to pay a fee to call just about everyone. With four kids to feed and Scots blood running through her veins, Mom was a bit miserly. She politely asked that we be given the same kind of Phone number as all of our neighbours. The Phone company wouldn't budge but after many battles, Mom won. Kind of. We got our free Phone line. In the middle of our field. Yes - the middle of a pasture field. Only in Canada you say? Probably. Dad built a Phone booth just south of the boundary line. So if my friends wanted to call they had to schedule a time. Then I'd sit in the booth, wait for the Phone to ring and hope they didn't forget about me. They usually did. I was kind of jealous of my little brother. He seemed to be pretty popular and was always heading out to the Phone booth. Then I found his magazines. So forever more we were known as 'the Denbys with the Phone booth in the field' and we were scarred for life. Even now, random people will say, 'Ha, ha, ha, you guys used to have that Phone booth in the field. Ha ha ha. Is it still there?' As a matter of fact it is, ha ha ha and Sorry, but what's so funny about that?

Our mode of transportation is via polar bear, dog sled, snowshoes and Moose.

I guess it depends what part of Canada you live in but I've never ridden a polar bear or sat in a dog sled. I have snowshoed with my dad though and it's very cool, quietly slooshing through the wintery woods, looking for animal tracks and listening to blue jays and white-throated sparrows. And I haven't ridden a Moose but I almost ran one down with my car. As I headed home from a week at our cottage in northern Ontario, my car loaded to the rafters with kids, suitcases and cottage souvenirs like birch bark andsticks with Beaver tooth marks, I crested a hill and had to jam on the brakes. I'm not sure who was more surprised, me or the Moose. But I definitely got up close and personal and it was an amazing sight. I stared at him. He stared at me. The kids were silent. Then this majestic beast turned and galloped off into the trees.

Hockey is a way of life.
True. True. And True. I think you are kind of shunned in Canada if you don't love Hockey. I grew up playing pond Hockey with my brother, whom I ruled by the way. My boys used to skate circles around me on our backyard rink. We played Hockey in the street and just like on 'Wayne's World', Game On could be heard in our neighbourhood every day. I play ball Hockey in the house with my twins now and have scarred walls to prove it. The Toronto Maple Leafs are our national heros and we never miss a game. I've been to a few live games and there's nothing quite like the atmosphere of Leafs fans at the Air Canada Centre. I am a lousy player on skates but give me a pair of running shoes, a stick and a ball and I might even score a hat trick. Yes, Hockey is as essential as breathing to many Canadians.

All Canadians drink Beer.
Canada produces fantastic Beer so it is only natural to consume something this fantastic. I personally don't drink beer but we also drink liquor and wine and they are pretty fantastic too. It's cold up here in Canada. We only have two weeks of summer so we have to stay warm somehow and a frothing glass of Beer or an ice cold rum and coke definitely warms the belly. So that one is true as well.

We put Maple Syrup on everything.
We are surrounded by Maple trees in Canada and everything tastes better with maple syrup on it so why not? Back on the farm I helped my dad collect sap in the spring then couldn't wait to boil it down and taste that sticky sweetness. There is nothing like Canadian Maple Syrup. Except maybe poutine. Ya, poutine is pretty delicious. And back bacon. Mmmm. Back bacon with Maple Syrup.

Everyone wears Toques in Canada.
It is a matter of self-preservation. Body heat is lost through the top of our heads and with an average temperature of -70, forgetting to wear a Toque is like forgetting your long underwear. With so many beautiful colours and styles, we still manage to look great.

Well, there are far too many stereotypes to mention but one thing is certain, I am not Sorry to be Canadian. I am thankful and proud. Like any country we have our quirks and peculiar habits. With a population of thirty-five million people, we don't all know each other. The likelihood of knowing Dave Smith is pretty slim. Actually, though, I do know Dave Smith. Small world. No, we don't all know each other, but we do stand united.

As a writer, I feel the need to incorporate kindness into my favourite characters. But I also don't forget to weave the feistiness of a true Canadian into all of my stories. And so, as a proud Canadian, I leave you with this:

If you would like to see more of my writing, my novel, A Thistle in the Mist, is free today and tomorrow, March 8th and March 9th. Sorry, but Canadians are shameless opportunists too :)  http://www.amazon.com/A-Thistle-Mist-ebook/dp/B00B2XML88 Thanks for reading!