Queuing For Beaver Tails In The Snow

Welcome to my new series, the “Canadian List of Ten”! Ten weeks, ten posts, ten lists and one hundred new Canadian things for you, from food to language, from city to weather.

Wow, ten articles, already? To end this Canadian List of Ten series, I’d like to tackle ten myths people may have about Canada. And yes, I have personally heard each one of them, believe it or not! A new series will start soon — I hope you enjoyed that one!

1. Canada has snow all year round: when you say you live in Canada, most people reply things like “oh, it must be cold”, or “how do you deal with all that snow?”. Sure, winters are notoriously harsh. But most of the population lives nearby the border with the USA so it’s not exactly the Great White North. Actually, a lot of U.S states experience similar winter weather conditions. There usually isn’t much snow before late October/ November and our summers are long and hot (in Ottawa, it’s not rare to have over 30C in the summer!).
2. Canadians have a strong accent: eh? Sure, some Canadians do say “eh” a lot and there are some Canadianisms. But to most people, Canadian and American accents sound alike and the difference, if any, is subtle. There are some regional accents though… much like in the U.S.A.
3. Everybody speaks English in Canada (or everybody speaks French in Québec): Canada has two official language, French and English. The majority of the population does speak English but there are sizable French minorities throughout the country. Québec, of course, of predominantly French speaking but it also has a sizable population who speak English as a first language. In addition, many Canadians speak a non-official language at home, such as Chinese, Punjabi, Spanish or Italian.
4. Hockey is the national sport: although it is almost a national pastime, originally the national sport was Lacrosse. It’s only in 1994 that hockey became the national winter sport, and Lacrosse became the national summer sport.
5. Canada has a socialized health care system: this is one of my favorite as well, and I still don’t really understand why being “socialist” is bad, but anyway… It is true that our system is very different from the U.S. Health is a provincial matters (and also a federal one) and permanent residents and citizens alike are covered by their provincial health plan. This is not “free” because it is financed through taxes but we do not pay for essential basic care. The system is not perfect (there is a health care practitioner’s shortage and sometimes long waiting lists) but health coverage is not affected by loss or change of jobs and there are no lifetime limits or exclusions for pre-existing conditions.
6. Canada is a monarchy: well, not exactly, Canada is a constitutional monarchy. Canada does acknowledge the Queen, (who is represented by the Governor General) but we have our own constitution and the Queen is a figurehead. Canada makes its own laws and it is in no way dependent on Britain for laws or governing the country.
7. There are two cities in Canada, Vancouver and Toronto: when I’m traveling and I say I live in Canada, I heard that several time. “Oh, which city do you live in? Toronto or Vancouver?”. I know that Canada has a relatively small population compared to the U.S, but we do have more than two cities! Ottawa, the capital, Montreal, Halifax, Winnipeg, Calgary, Saskatoon, Regina, Edmonton, St John… just to name a few.
8. Canada is just like the U.S: true, there is less difference between Canada and the U.S.A than, let’s say, between China and Russia. Canada and the U.S share a very long border, some medias and love to fight each other in various sports events. Yet these are two different countries, two different political systems, cultures etc. People are different — not better, not worse, just different. And it’s more fun this way, isn’t it?
9. Canada is expensive: I’ve heard that a lot in Europe and I’m not sure why people have this idea. Europeans often assume North America in general is very expensive, yet, I personally find life generally cheaper than in the old continent. To me, food, clothes, accommodation are quite affordable here and I’m shocked when I go to France because prices rose so much in the last ten years.
10. Canadians live in the wild: I personally love this stereotype of Canadians canoeing to work and fighting moose and bison bare-handed. Sure, I have seen people skating to work (on the Rideau Canada) and even skiing (during the huge snow storms we had in 2007-08. But let’s face it, most densely populated part of the country is the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor and you are quite unlikely to find polar bears around there. Sorry, eh!

Related articles:

1. The Two Immigration Myths (1/10)
2. Rediscovering Canada – Things To See and Do If You Live in Canada
3. Only in Canada…;

The West Block of the Parliament

Welcome to my new series, the “Canadian List of Ten”! Ten weeks, ten posts, ten lists and one hundred new Canadian things for you, from food to language, from city to weather.

Canadian politics takes some time to get used, especially for Europeans. The three levels of government are new to us (there are no provinces nor states in Europe) and national politics matters are somewhat eclipsed by local news, more relevant to communities in this huge country.

1. Canada is a parliamentary democracy. Parliament has three parts: the Sovereign (Queen or King), the Senate and the House of Commons. Provincial legislatures comprise the Lieutenant Governor and the elected Assembly.
2. There are three levels of government: federal (national level), provincial (provincial level) and municipal (city level). The federal government is responsible for Defence, Foreign policy and foreign relations, the postal service, Criminal law, Immigration and Citizenship. The provinces are territories are responsible for Education and Municipal institutions. They also share responsibilities with the federal government for matters such as health and transportation. The municipal government deals with police and fire protection, water and sewer services, recreation and local public transportation.
3. Canada has four main political parties at the federal level: the Conservative Party of Canada, the Liberal Party of Canada, the New Democratic Party and the Bloc Québécois. There are another 15 parties or so of lesser importance recognized by Election Canada. For instance, the Communist Party of Canada, the Marijuana Party of Canada and the Work Less Party.
4. The federal government has three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. The executive branch, represented by the Governor General, is the decision-making branch. The legislative branch is made up of the Governor General, the House of Commons, and the Senate and it creates laws. The judicial branch administers justice.
5. Canada holds elections for several levels of government: nationally, provincially and territorially, and municipally. To vote, you must be a Canadian citizen aged 18 and older and be on the voters’ list. Elections Canada, which ensures that Canadians can exercise their democratic rights to vote and be a candidate, is an independent, non-partisan agency that reports directly to Parliament.
6. Elections campaigns in Canada are definitely shorter than in France. The the minimum length of a campaign is 36 days and the longest campaign lasted 74 days (back in 1926!).
7. Canadians do not vote directly for a Prime Minister. They vote for their local Member of Parliament (MP), who sits in the House of Commons. These MPs are members of a federal political party, and generally the leader of the party with the most seats in the House of Commons becomes the Prime Minister.
8. Historically, the Prime Minister could ask the Governor General to call an election at any time, although one had to be called no later than five years after the last election. In 2007 the Parliament passed an act fixing federal election dates every four years, unless the government loses the confidence of the House of Commons. We recently had an epidemic of elections, with national elections held in 2004, 2006 and 2008. We avoided an election in 2009 though.
9. Taking holidays when you are in politics is easy: for instance, Prime Minister Stephen Harper just shut down the Parliament until March. The Conservative Party holds the record for shutting down Parliament: 148 days over just four years in office.
10. Canada has had a number of political scandals. In 2004, the sponsorship scandal involved the misuse and misdirection of funds disbursed through the Liberal government’s 1990s sponsorship program. In 2008 there was the Julie Couillard scandal: Conservative Foreign Minister Maxime Bernier resigned after leaving sensitive NATO documents in the home of Julie Couillard, an ex-girlfriend with links to the Hells Angels biker gang!

Related articles:

1. … And The Government Fell
2. The Hill And Its Inhabitants (10/10)
3. Spring is Campaign Signs Season

A Canadian Tim Hortons On Rideau

Welcome to my new series, the “Canadian List of Ten”! Ten weeks, ten posts, ten lists and one hundred new Canadian things for you, from food to language, from city to weather.

Let’s not do like Stephen Harper and Governor General Michaelle Jean visiting Nunavut: raw seal heart is not for everyone. But I know there are some Canadian specialties you are dying to try!

Like the country, Canadian food is very diverse. Each province has its own specialty and many dishes were brought in Canada by immigrants (which explains why Winnipeggers are fond of Ukrainian pirogi, why people in Ottawa seem to survive on Pho Soup etc.). Yet, some foods are really worth tasting and enjoying in canada.

1. Donuts: these North American pastries are popular in Canada, and guess where you can buy them? You are right, Tim Hortons! I mentioned the ubiquitous Coffee chain so many times on this blog that I think they should pay me. Preferably not in coffee, thanks.
   
2. Maple Syrup: it’s super sweet and it can be used as a sweetener in yogurt or cake mixes, or as a spread on bread and toasts. Maple syrup is quite inexpensive in Canada and you can buy some pretty much anywhere.
3. Poutine: this will be the only time in your life when you will feel your arteries clog as you eat. Yep, poutine is not for the wannabe skinny! True Canadians insist on it being topped with real cheese curds, whatever that means. I admit it, I’m not a poutine person…
4. Montreal smoked meat: even if you are not in Montreal, I’m pretty sure you can find a diner which specialized in smoked meat sandwiches. It is usually served with coleslaw, potato fries and a pickle.
5. Montreal-style bagels: with a thick spread of cream cheese, it’s almost as good as French baguette and blue cheese. Seriously.
6. Salmon: not surprisingly for a country bordered by the Pacific and the Atlantic, seafood is excellent in Canada.
7. Nanaimo Bars: a treat consisting of a wafer crumb-based layer, topped by a layer of light vanilla or custard flavored butter icing, which is covered in chocolate made from melted chocolate squares.
8. Butter tarts: it consists of butter, sugar, and eggs in a pastry shell. It’s sugar heaven!
9. Pâté Chinois (shepherd’s pie): this dish, popular in Québec, is made from layered ground beef (sometimes mixed with sautéed diced onions) on the bottom layer, canned corn (either whole-kernel, creamed, or a mix) for the middle layer, and mashed potatoes on top. One explanation for the name (“Chinese pie”) is that it was introduced to French Canadian railway workers by Chinese cooks during the building of the North American railroads in the late 19th century.
10. Ice wine: this is a dessert wine produced from grapes that have been frozen while still on the vine. Isn’t it Canada the perfect place to produce it? The wine is very sweet with high acidity. In the Eastern part of Canada, wineries are found in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.

Related articles:

1. 10 Things To Experience In Canada
2. 5 Things to Do When You Land in Canada (That No One Told You About)
3. 5 Things My Mum Observed in Canada

Ontario Trailer

Welcome to my new series, the “Canadian List of Ten”! Ten weeks, ten posts, ten lists and one hundred new Canadian things for you, from food to language, from city to weather.

Canada, the best country on earth? Well, I’d hate to brag… but the truth is, there is plenty to experience here and it’s a great country to live in. The stereotype of a frozen land North of the USA doesn’t do Canada justice.

I know, this list is somewhat biased. I live in Ontario and I have only visited three provinces so far, so I didn’t include any cool Western Canadian experiences — and I’m sure you have a ton of cool stuffs to do. Help me here!

No matter whether you are a newcomer or a lifelong Canadian citizen, here are ten things to experience in Canada.

1. Going to a hockey game: hockey is Canada’s favorite sport and it’s best seen live. Even if you are not into it, it’s a really fun experience. First, the game is very fast-paced so you won’t get bored. Your sadistic side will certainly enjoy the fights. On top of that, unlike in some sports, people are passionate but they are not hooligans and the atmosphere is quite friendly. So buy tickets and head to your local arena!
2. A strong blizzard: seriously, this is something to experience. Not everyday, preferably not on a work day though. But being trapped inside the house, sipping hot chocolate and watching a thick blanket of snow piling up outside is quite enjoyable.
3. Walking in the snow in sandals: recently, someone asked me if we still had snow in May. I paused and thought about it: “do you mean snow fall, or snow on the ground?”. Indeed, snow fall is May isn’t that common (no big blizzards anyway) but chances are there will be some snow on the ground. It sometimes takes months for all of it to melt, especially in suburban areas. So when the weather suddenly gets hot, it’s common to hang out outside wearing summer clothes… and to walk in the snow in sandals!
4. Canada Day on Parliament Hill: I got it, everybody thinks Ottawa is boring and Montreal and Toronto are soooo much better. Yet, on July 1st, there is no better place to be than in Ottawa. Parliament Hill is super crowded and everybody celebrates Canada’s birthday in the streets until late at night.
5. Driving outside the city: Canada is a huge country. Most immigrants settle in the big cities, like Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Vancouver. But all you need to do to experience how huge Canada is, is to drive outside the city. Chances are it will already take you a while to reach the furthest suburb… and a bit further, you may see farms, open fields and endless roads which seems to go nowhere. Welcome to the second largest country in the world!
6. Indian Summer: Canada is famous for its harsh and long winters but much less for its beautiful sunny fall season. In September and October, the weather is still usually pretty hot and the light is amazing. Leaves turn red, yellow and orange and the scenery is truly incredible.
7. Climbing to the top of the CN Tower: if you go to Toronto, don’t miss it. Well, you can’t really miss it, anyway: standing 555 meters, it is the tallest free-standing structure in the Americas. Don’t forget to stand on the glass floor and to look down… if you can!
8. Visiting Niagara Falls: both the American and the Canadian falls are well worth a visit. The sound of water going over and landing at the bottom, the misty wind when standing close, the shades of blue in the water, the night lights… it’s very cool.
9. Outdoors festivals in the summer: concerts, festivals, parties… there is always something to do in the summer, and it will most likely take place outdoor. After the cold winter, it’s Canadians’ way to enjoy much warmer weather and a snow-free time.
   
10. Truly enjoying the outdoors in the winter: immigrants’ number one mistake is to avoid going out during the winter. Sure, temperatures are scary cold… yet, the weather is generally pretty dry and with the proper layers of clothes, it’s perfectly fine to hang out outside and enjoy the snow and the ice. Canadians celebrate winter by skating, skiing, building giant snowmen… and if you do get too cold, you can always warm up with a drink and some maple toffe (warning, it’s addictive!).
    

Related articles:

1. 10 Myths About Canada
2. How To Survive Your First Year In Canada (8/10)
3. How To Visit Canada (3/10)

Totem in the Byward Market

Welcome to my new series, the “Canadian List of Ten”! Ten weeks, ten posts, ten lists and one hundred new Canadian things for you, from food to language, from city to weather.

Believe it or not, the stereotypical Canadian is not a lumberjack, doesn’t live in an igloo somewhere up North, and doesn’t always watch hockey.

Okay, the last part may be true. Hockey Night in Canada is probably the most popular TV program here.

Canadians are interesting people, mainly because the population is extremely diverse, which is not surprising considering that Canada welcomes around 250,000 newcomers every year.

All the statistic are from the World Factbook and Statistics Canada.

1. Canada was first inhabited by various groups of Aboriginal people. They comprise the First Nations, the Inuits and the Métis, a culture of mixed blood originated in the mid-17th century when First Nation and native Inuit married European settlers. Aboriginal cultures, languages, art, and music are very much alive in today’s Canada.
2. As of July 2009, the population of Canada is 33,739,859. With over 278 millions people, the U.S.A has 8.8 times greater population.
3. About 3/4 of Canada’s population live within 150 kilometres (93 mi) of the United States border. 3/4 live in urban areas concentrated in the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor (Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa), the BC Lower Mainland (Vancouver and surroundings), and the Calgary–Edmonton Corridor in Alberta.
4. In the 2006 Census, Canada had six metropolitan areas with more than 1 million people: Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver, Ottawa — Gatineau and, for the first time, Calgary and Edmonton. Together, this “millionaire’s club” had a total of 14.1 million residents, or 45% of Canada’s population.
5. According to the 2006 census, 67.1% of Canadians speak English at home and 21.5% speak French at home. About 20% of Canadians are allophones, which means they have a language other than English or French as their first language. The five most widely-spoken non-official languages are Chinese, Punjabi, Spanish, Italian and Dutch.
6. Like in many other developed countries, Canada’s population is aging. The median age is 39.5 years old. Nunavut has the younger population with a median age of 23.1 while Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador and New Brunswick have the highest median age of 41.5 years old.
7. According to the 2001 census by Statistics Canada, Canada has 34 ethnic groups with at least one hundred thousand members each, of which 10 have over 1,000,000 people and numerous others represented in smaller amounts. 16.2% of the population belonged to visible minorities: South Asian (4.0% of the population), Chinese (3.9%), Black (2.5%), and Filipino (1.1%).
8. According to a 2005 forecast by Statistics Canada, the proportion of visible minorities in Canada could rise as high as 23% by 2017. A survey released in 2007 reveals that almost one in five Canadians (19.8%) is foreign born.
9. As of May 2009, Canadian household debt was $1.3 trillion. US household debt has reached $14 trillion in 2009. Way too much for both countries, if you want my opinion.
10. Over the past 20 years, Canada recorded much lower rates of violent crime than the United States did. However, rates for property offenses have generally been higher in Canada. The homicide rate is three times higher in the U.S.A. (source)

Related articles:

1. 10 Myths About Canada
2. Stuffs Canadians Like (Part 1)
3. Stuffs Canadians Don’t Like (Part 1)

Hockey Game

Welcome to my new series, the “Canadian List of Ten”! Ten weeks, ten posts, ten lists and one hundred new Canadian things for you, from food to language, from city to weather.

There is more to Canada than ice hockey, eh!

Indeed, Canadians participate in a variety of sports, professionally or as amateur. They compete in various championships and international games and Canada is a good contender in many fields.

Have you ever heard of curling? Did you know that cricket was popular here? Can you name Canada’s official summer sport?

No?

Looks like you need this 10 Canadian sports list!

1. Curling: this is a sport I had never heard of before I came to Canada. To me, curling is like playing darts horizontally on ice…! Basically, curling is a sport in which teams take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones down the ice towards a target. This sport is most popular in the prairies.
2. Baseball: although more strongly associated with the United States, baseball is also popular in Canada. The only Major League Baseball team are currently The Toronto Blue Jays, since the Montreal Expos moved to Washington.
3. Lacrosse: this is a true original Canadian sport, since First Nations started playing it some 500 years ago. Today, it is a widespread sport among autochtones and Canadians of all backgrounds, and it has been recognized as Canada’s official summer sport.
4. Football: not soccer (one of Canada’s weak points!), but US style football. Canada has eight football teams: the B.C. Lions, Calgary Stampeders, Edmonton Eskimos, Saskatchewan Roughriders, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Toronto Argonauts, Hamilton Tiger Cats, and Montreal Alouettes.
5. Basketball: it is a popular sport in Canada, especially in Nova Scotia and Southern Ontario. Currently, the only professional team is the Toronto Raptors.
6. Cricket: although not as big as in India or Pakistan, cricket was the most popular sport in Canada until the early 20th century. It is still played today by a number of fans. The match between the USA and Canada the oldest international fixture in cricket, having first been played in 1844.
7. Auto Racing: who hasn’t heard of Gilles Villeneuve, the famous Grand Prix Driver? It was a huge deal when the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal has been dropped from the Formula One calendar in 2008, but it is scheduled to return in 2010. Indeed, the Canadian Grand Prix was the most watched Formula One GP in the world in 2005.
8. Running: although it is not really a professional sport in Canada, running is something that a lot of Canadians enjoy doing. It is a popular activity and it’s not rare to spot courageous soul jogging in a blizzard (I even took a picture once!). Marathons, semi-marathons and various races are also often organized to fund raise for various charities and participation is surprisingly large.
9. Field Hockey: what do you do in the summer? You play field hockey, a fun substitute to ice hockey, very popular in many countries including Canada.
   
10. Ice Hockey: Canada’s official pastime is best watched live, among other fans who will cheer during each fight. Many stereotypes are associated with hockey, starting with the toothless bloodshot-eyed players cliché. But in fact, the sport is surprisingly graceful. It is also fast-paced and quite fascinating, not only for the game itself but for the skating skills of the players.

Related articles:

1. Hockey (2/10)
2. Stuffs Canadians Like (Part 2)
3. Sports Nation (3/10)

Bilingual Stop Sign in Ottawa

Welcome to my new series, the “Canadian List of Ten”! Ten weeks, ten posts, ten lists and one hundred new Canadian things for you, from food to language, from city to weather.

Contrary to popular belief, Canadians don’t speak Canadian. Most speak English, or French, or even both.

Overall, Canadian English is quite straightforward. There are local accents (for example in New Brunswick) but overall, the English Canadians speak is very close to American English. In writing, Canadian English does use some UK English spelling (which I can never seem to remember, like “color” vs. “colour”) and you may hear some UK English expressions that are not popular in the USA.

But Canadian English also has words or expressions not found, or not widely used, in other variants of English. Do you know these ten?

1. Toonie/ loonie: The “toonie” is the Canadian two dollars coin (the one with a polar bear on it). The “loonie” is the gold-colored one dollars coin which bears images of a common loon, a well-known Canadian bird. And like in the USA, the ten cents coin is called “a dime”.
2. Pop: in Canada, soft drinks are often referred to as “pop”.
3. Double-double: when having your coffee fix at Tim Hortons, you may hear people asking for a “double-double”. It means they want their coffee served with two cream and two sugars (maybe to make it drinkable… let’s face it, Tim Hortons coffee is only extremely hot brown-colored water after all!).
4. Dépanneur: this one puzzled me for a long time. A “dépanneur” in France is a repairman or a mecanic. “Dépanner” someone means to “help someone”. So when I heard “we need to go to the dépanneur”, I automatically assume it was some kind of breakdown mechanic. But in Québec, a “dépanneur” is actually a convenience store! Anglophones in Québec and in some parts of Ontario use the word “dépanneur” as well.
5. Hydro: in Canada, an “hydro bill” doesn’t refer to water but to electricity. This is probably because most of the power is supplied through hydroelectricity.
6. Newfie jokes: French make fun of Belgians, Canadians make fun of Newfoundlanders. “What do you call a Newfie sitting in a tree wearing a suit? A branch manager”.
7. The states, down south, our southern neighbors: obviously, the U.S.A. Hate them, love them, we can’t ignore Uncle Sam. The U.S.A are Canada’s largest trading partner and a lot of American culture is exported in Canada. Plus, we like to visit them, especially when the Canadian dollar is high.
   
8. Interac: this is usually a synonym to “debit card”. Interac is the network through which are done financial transactions. For example, if you buy something in a store, you may pay with cash, a credit card or “interac” (your debit card, with fund directly withdrawn from your checking account).
9. Anglophone/ francophone: A person with English as the first language is called an Anglophone. The corresponding term for a French speaker is Francophone. These expressions are mostly used in Québec and some parts of Ontario where people could be either French or English speakers.
10. Eh: imitating Canadians is easy — just start saying “eh” after each word! In fact, Canadian don’t use it that much. “Eh” shows continued interested: “it’s cold eh, I drove this morning“. It can also be used to turn a sentence into a question: “fucking cold, eh?“. Or even to show agreement: “I know, eh.”

Related articles:

1. A Canadian Mindset (8/10)
2. Do You Speak Canadian…Eh?
3. Two Solitudes And One Loneliness

Terry Fox Statue In Front of the Parliament (Ottawa)

Welcome to my new series, the “Canadian List of Ten”! Ten weeks, ten posts, ten lists and one hundred new Canadian things for you, from food to language, from city to weather.

There are great Canadians in all fields: sports, science, arts, social sciences… Thousands of Canadians from all backgrounds and all origins helped improve this world, one way or another, through the centuries.

Today, I invite you to get to know ten of them. Like all lists, this one is subjective — I had to make a choice among all the great Canadians out there. But I’m waiting to hear from you: who should be added to the list?

So, in no particular order, here is the list of 10 great Canadians.I’m sure you know at least a few, and I know you will be impressed by some of their achievements.

1. Terry Fox: he was a Canadian humanitarian, athlete, and cancer treatment activist. He became famous for the Marathon of Hope, a cross-Canada run to raise money for cancer research, which Fox ran at the age of 21 years old with one prosthetic leg. He started his run in the Maritimes, through Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario. He was forced to stop because of his health and died one year later. Canada celebrated his young hero and the marathon of hope is still ran every year to raise money for cancer research.
2. Norman Bethune: he was a Canadian physician and medical innovator. Bethune is best known for his service in war time medical units with the Chinese Communists during the Second Sino-Japanese War. He is still viewed as a hero in China. He died in China right before the the beginning of WWII.
3. Pierre Trudeau: he was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968, to June 4, 1979, and from March 3, 1980, to June 30, 1984. He is still a controversial figure today and always arise passionate reactions, both very positive or extremely negative. He is famous for establishing the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, promoting Canada’s multiculturalist policy and implementing the official bilingualism politics.
4. Margaret Atwood: she is a Canadian author, poet, critic, feminist and social campaigner. She is most famous for her novels, but also for her poetry. She is also involve in politics and spoke against the Conservative government.
5. Louise Arbour: she is the former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, a former justice of the Supreme Court of Canada and a former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. She indicted then President Slobodan Milošević for war crimes, among other state leaders.
6. David Suzuki: he is a Japanese Canadian science broadcaster and environmental activist. Since the mid-1970s, Suzuki has been known for his TV and radio series and books about nature and the environment. He has been a long time activist to reverse global climate change and patiently educate people throughout the world.
   
7. Alexander Graham Bell: he was an eminent scientist, inventor, engineer and innovator who is credited with inventing the first practical telephone. Although he was born in Scotland, he moved to Canada as a young man. His interests were very varied and he is also credited as the inventor of the metal detector.
8. Kenojuak Ashevak: this Inuit artist is regarded as one of the most notable pioneers of modern Inuit art. She designed several drawings for Canadian stamps and coins. She is most famous for her drawings, prints and sculptures and she is one of the ambassadors of Inuit art around the world.
9. Frederick Banting: he was a Canadian medical scientist, doctor and Nobel laureate noted as one of the co-discoverers of insulin. In the 1920, the Parliament of Canada granted him a life annuity to work on his research. His discovery is estimated to have saved over 16 million lives, worldwide.
10. Julie Payette: she is a Canadian engineer and a Canadian Space Agency astronaut. She went to space twice and she is now Chief Astronaut of CSA.

Related articles:

1. 10 Facts About Canadians
2. Stuffs Canadians Don’t Like (Part 1)
3. Stuffs Canadians Like (Part 2)

Harveys on Baseline and Merivale (Ottawa)

Welcome to my new series, the “Canadian List of Ten”! Ten weeks, ten posts, ten lists and one hundred new Canadian things for you, from food to language, from city to weather.

I must admit it, I’m not a fast food person. I can’t even remember the last time I visited one — I’m still too French to eat a greasy burger and fries. That said, when I first came to Canada, I did tasted most of Canadian’s fast foods and diner-style restaurants. There were only McDonalds’ and Quick (the French fast food) where I grew up and I was quite amazed by the number of franchises, Canadian or American, in Canada.

But it was only a few months-long phase and I now tend to go to ethnic restaurants or local places. I like a burger once in a while but I’m picky: I want a nice grilled burger, with real fresh meat.

So here a list of the top Canadian restaurants, fast food and coffee places. You must know at least a few…!

1. The Works: this restaurant only exists in Ottawa where it has 5 locations but I couldn’t resist adding it to the list. It specializes in “gournet burger” and has a long menu of very funny and weird combination. You can have a peanut butter burger, some come with fried eggs, blue cheese or bananas. Each burger has a name (for example, “Don Cherry”, “Crappy Tire”, “Hold The Phone”, “Johnny Be Goat”).
2. Extreme Pita: the company was founded by two Canadian brothers, in 1997, in Waterloo, Ontario. They sell a variety of pita wraps with stuffed with North American ingredients as well as more ethnic ones, such as hummus.
3. Joey’s Only: the largest seafood restaurant chain in Canada started in… Alberta. The menu features a variety of seafood dish.
4. La Belle Province: this is a well-known fast-food eatery in the province of Quebec. The first location was opened in the 1970s in Montréal… by a Greek immigrant. The menu features the usually greasy spoon items, some with a local twist, such as poutine, burgers, smoked meat sandwiches and bagels.
5. Mr. Sub: this sandwich shop originally from Toronto is the third largest submarine restaurant chain in Canada. It sells submarines, footlong sandwiches stuffed with fresh ingredient and made to order.
6. A&W: the Canadian fast food restaurant chain has nothing to do with the American A&W anymore. It is famous for selling Root Beer, a carbonated soft-drink popular in North American (and yes, alcohol free).
7. Swiss Chalet: it is a chain of Canadian family restaurants originally founded in 1954 in Toronto, Ontario. It is best known for rotisserie chicken and smoked barbecue ribs served with sides such as fries, gravy sauce, beans etc.
8. St-Hubert: this casual dining restaurant franchise is the 16th largest restaurant chain operating in Canada. Most of its locations are in Québec (including a busy one at Montréal airport). It specializes in rotisserie chicken.
9. Harvey’s: this fast food is the second-largest Canadian-established restaurant chain behind Tim Hortons, and is the fourth-largest burger chain in Canada. It serves hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries, onion rings etc. Burgers are grilled in front of the customers, who then get to pick among 11 different toppings and condiments. It is also famous for its “Free Original Hamburger Day” held every year: any body can come in and claim a free burger. Huge queue ahead!
10. Tim Hortons: the Canadian fast food restaurant, known for its donuts and coffee, is a huge business in Canada. It has 2,939 outlets in Canada (more than McDonalds has!) and accounts for 22.6% of all fast food industry revenues in Canada. Yep, that much. Canadian are addicted to their “Timmies”, even though I still don’t get why. The restaurant are are packed, not exactly nice and comfy (drive through is the way to go) and the coffee isn’t great. But this is Tim Horton’s, a part of Canada!

Related articles:

1. Foodie Review: Dick’s Drive-in & Dairy Dip
2. Things I Love/ Hate About Canadian Food
3. The Land Of Plenty

Concert Atmosphere

Welcome to my new series, the “Canadian List of Ten”! Ten weeks, ten posts, ten lists and one hundred new Canadian things for you, from food to language, from city to weather.

Today, we will start with music, something I really enjoy (and you may have noticed it given the number of concerts we went to!). Yes, singer Céline Dion is not the only Canadian in the industry. Sure, some Canadian-born artists moved to the U.S.A and became famous there. But Canada still have some great artists and bands.

Of course, this list is somehow biased: I’m more into rock music and I’m sure I’m forgetting many greats bands and artists — this is just a sample of what Canadians bring to music! The list doesn’t follow any particular order.

1. Bryan Adams: Bryan Adams was born in Kingston, Ontario and he is one of the most famous Canadian rock-singer. He is most famous for his singles “Summer of 69″, “When You’re Gone”, “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You”. I bought the On A Day Like Today Album in 2000 in China and brought it back with me in France. My friends and I loved the cheesy love songs lyrics back then and we even saw him live!
2. Neil Young: he was born in Toronto, Ontario and grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba. His style is between folk-esque accoustic rock and hard rock. His most famous songs include “Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)”, “Sugar Mountain”, “Southern Man” and “The Needle and the Damage Done”.
3. Crash Test Dummies: The Crash Test Dummies are a Canadian folk rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are best known for their song “Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm” and the hilarious “Superman’s Song”, the complaint of the superhero.
   
4. The Guess Who: this is another 1970s rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba. While you may have never heard of them, I’m sure you are familiar with the song “American Woman”, which was covered later by Lenny Kravitz.
5. Alanis Morissette: Alanis is from Ottawa, Ontario and is a pop rock singer and songwriter. She became famous with her album “Jagged Little Pill internationally” in 1995, with singles like “Hand in My Pocket”, “Ironic” and “You Learn”.
   
6. Rush: Rush is a heavy metal band from Toronto, Ontario. They made a come back in the mid 1990s and “One Little Victory” was the hit single.
   
7. The Barenaked Ladies: this is an alternative rock band from Toronto, Ontario. One of their famous song is the funny “If I Had $1000000″ hit.
8. Nickelback: I’m going be honest, I don’t know why I’m listing this band that I can’t stand. Oh yeah, right, so that I can say bad things about it…! Nickelback is a band from Alberta and probably one of the the most commercially successful Canadian groups recently. To me, each song of this band sounds the same, and apparently I’m not the only one since the Rolling Stone magazine stated that the album was “is so depressing, you’re almost glad Kurt’s [Cobain, Nirvana’s lead singer who killed himself in 1994] not around to hear it”.
9. Billy Talent: this is a punk rock band from Mississauga, Ontario. The band was formed in the 1990s but gained mainstream success only fairly recently. The band is famous for its songs “Fallen Leaves” and “Rusted from the Rain”.
10. The Tragically Hip: the Hips are probably the most popular Canadian band in Canada and their concerts are invariably sold out. The band from Kingston is great live and lead singer Gordon Downie is famous for his rants and monologues in between songs. They usually sing about life in Canada and general Canadiana, such as in “Blow at High Dough”, “Courage (for Hugh MacLennan)”, “Fifty Mission Cap” and “The Lonely End of the Rink”.

Related articles:

1. Five Great Songs About Canada
2. 5 Concert Photography Tips (III)
3. Stuffs Canadians Like (Part 2)