# Canada - what makes Canada great **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 11, 2009, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-what-makes-canada-great/517181 "2009-11-11T14:39:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-what-makes-canada-great/517181/161 "2009-11-16T22:43:43Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > Cold front in Etobicoke? That’s just the snow making equipment in use on the garbage pile. The garbage pile’s in _Mississauga_. Sheesh. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-what-makes-canada-great/517181/162 "2009-11-17T00:13:06Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > The garbage pile’s in _Mississauga_. Sheesh. Well, Wikipedia says it’s [Centennial Park](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centennial_Park_(Toronto)) in Etobicoke: > [@](#): > > Centennial Park is a large regional park located in westend Toronto, in the former city of Etobicoke. It is maintained by the City of Toronto Parks and Recreation. > > The park has a variety of features including > > \ > > – Centennial Hill (formerly Mount Garbage and Mount Trashmore), a hill that was the site of as a municipal dump and the south end is used as a transfer station. Of course, Mississauga could always grow its own garbage pile if it wants to. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-what-makes-canada-great/517181/163 "2009-11-17T00:29:34Z")
Sunspace, I take it that you are neither a skier nor a garbologist. Don’t worry, we still love ya for what you are. [Parks, Gardens & Beaches – City of Toronto](http://www.toronto.ca/parks/parks_gardens/centennialdetail.htm) ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-what-makes-canada-great/517181/164 "2009-11-17T00:35:36Z")
What I hate most about Canadians is that they are very regionalistic/divisive: West vs East, English vs French, Natives vs Canada, urban vs rural, the provinces vs all the other provinces, everyone vs Toronto. It seems that everyone, everywhere likes to gripe about something Newfoundlanders - Generally they dislike how the economic history of the Island turned out. There’s a strong “Newfoundland first” streak due to this Labrador - Feel they are ignored by Newfies Nova Scotia - is generally calm, but cape Breton feels like Labrador New Brunswick - The Acadians fear they are on the wrong side of losing linguistic culture war with the Anglophones Quebec - Volumes of books are written on the cultural/political hangups of the Quebeckers. Lately it seems that they don’t even understand each other, old paradigms such as rich/English/Protestant Quebecker vs poor/French/Catholic Quebecker are being replaced by English Quebecker vs French Quebecker vs Black Quebecker vs Native Quebecker vs Arab/Muslim Quebecker. Red-necked/blue-blooded rural Quebecois have had enough of it all and are voting Conservative to show it. Jacob Levy said it best with this[ > [@](#): > > rural voters, religious voters, working-class voters, cultural-majority voters eventually get sick of pro-trade, pro-immigration, pro-accommodation of multiculturalism policies pursued by urban and professional and political elites. ]([http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/article686132.ece](http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/article686132.ece)) Ontario - Feels that they are top dog (they’re 40% of Canada); but they secretly hates that the other provinces can use the federal government to boss them around. Manitoba/Saskatchewan - slight hurt feelings that they are being over shadowed by the rise of Alberta. Alberta - Hates that the Conservatives haven’t got a majority yet, that they have to send massive amounts of money to the other provinces, that they are not as politically influential as they would like to be… British Colombia - Not really annoyed at all. Just happy to get to host the freaking winter games (Vancouver 2010!). ETA… PEI/The North - so off the radar that they are always forgotten by the rest of Canada… ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-what-makes-canada-great/517181/165 "2009-11-17T00:51:28Z")
Nice dsummary, **orcenio**. Except for BC: “Not really annoyed at all” is accurate, but that’s because they’ve mellowed out, _ifyaknowwhatimean_. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-what-makes-canada-great/517181/166 "2009-11-17T02:31:21Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > Really? Of all of those I use the Weather Channel most frequently (not being a sports fan or much of a TV watcher), and it covers the whole country. > > Of course, we may be getting the whole-country version, and for some obscure reason they broadcast the Toronto-only version to you. 😉 > > [The Weather Network: Weather forecasts, maps, news and videos](http://www.theweathernetwork.com/?ref=topnav_weather_homepage) Sorry, I meant to say national media, not federal media. I can see what the weather is doing in southern Ontario any time of the day or night on the Weather Channel - they do regularly intersperse local weather in with the Toronto weather, I’ll give you that. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-what-makes-canada-great/517181/167 "2009-11-17T02:44:44Z")
I drove down to Toronto last August. I didn’t check the weather. [I should have.](http://www.blogto.com/city/2009/08/massive_storm_hits_toronto_tornados_reported_across_gta/) ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-what-makes-canada-great/517181/168 "2009-11-17T03:17:01Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > Sunspace, I take it that you are neither a skier nor a garbologist. Don’t worry, we still love ya for what you are. [Parks & Recreation – City of Toronto](http://www.toronto.ca/parks/parks_gardens/centennialdetail.htm) Ah, but the one in Mississauga is _bigger_. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-what-makes-canada-great/517181/169 "2009-11-17T03:37:29Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > … they do regularly intersperse local weather in with the Toronto weather, I’ll give you that. 😃 “… And for you 905ers in Mississauga, that’s what you can expect over the next couple of days. Alberta, expect snow. Turning to Pickering, Ajax, Oshawa, and Bowmanville, we’re looking at some cold temps, so do the kids up well for school. BC, it’s gonna be mild. Expect snowflurries across the GTA tonight, but nothing serious; MTO crews are on alert and ready to go. Saskatchewan, high winds and snow. York Region including Markham and Stouffville, heavier accumulations, so give yourselves some extra time in the morning. Nova Scotia, watch that wind chill. TTC expects no weather delays, but GO Transit may have problems on the Meadowvale line. Quebec, snow. Don’t forget, the Spadina exit from the Gardiner is closed for construction, so with this weather coming, you probably want to find an alternate route now. Newfoundland, snow…” Naw, that’s an exaggeration. 😃 Another great thing about Canada: we may disagree with each other, but we can often have a good laugh doing it. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-what-makes-canada-great/517181/170 "2009-11-17T04:32:50Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Ah, but the one in Mississauga is _bigger_. 🙂 Well there is a ski hill on 1 Mississauga Drive that is bigger that the garbage hill in Etobicoke. Of course it is not in Mississauga, and is not made of garbage, but if you happen to be in the [middle of nowhere](http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-ca:IE-SearchBox&rlz=1I7TSHC_en&q=manitouwadge+ontario&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=Manitouwadge,+ON&gl=ca&ei=ziYCS5iJMs6sngfg5ul2&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CAgQ8gEwAA), any ski hill will do. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-what-makes-canada-great/517181/171 "2009-11-17T06:17:59Z")
Anne Murray makes Canada great. > [@](#): > > “Beneath it’s snowy mantle cold and clean > The unborn grass lies waiting for its coat to turn to green. > The snowbird sings the song he always sings, …” ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-what-makes-canada-great/517181/172 "2009-11-18T03:19:31Z")
Grate. Anne Murray makes Canada _grate_. 😃 \<-Gnash, even. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2009, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-what-makes-canada-great/517181/173 "2009-11-19T17:58:58Z")
> [@Larry\_Mudd](#): > > Grate. Anne Murray makes Canada _grate_. 😃 \<-Gnash, even. John Lennon said her version of “You Won’t See Me,” was the best remake of a Beatles song he ever heard. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canada-what-makes-canada-great/517181.md?page=8)