# So just what is the 'meaning' of Canada? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 2, 2017, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-just-what-is-the-meaning-of-canada/790340 "2017-07-02T10:49:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [July 3, 2017, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-just-what-is-the-meaning-of-canada/790340/41 "2017-07-03T15:07:07Z")
> [@northern piper](#): > > i’m sorry you feel that way. 🙂 Iswydt 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Turble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-just-what-is-the-meaning-of-canada/790340/42 "2017-07-03T15:42:29Z")
Canada is actually an acronym. Years ago three guys were sitting around drinking beer and one of them said “We should think up a name for our country, one with three letters like the USA. Let’s each pick a letter.” So they did: “C, eh?” "N, eh? “D, eh?” ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-just-what-is-the-meaning-of-canada/790340/43 "2017-07-03T15:43:48Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > This short news video illustrates both the best and the When you learn of the Canadian horrors of residential schools, missing and murdered indigenous women, disproportionate poverty, disproportionate health, disproportionate education, and cultural assimilation, it is all true. Every tragic piece of it. Perhaps significantly, we don’t have a sizable chunk of our population calling these “the good old days” and wanting to recapture them. ---
**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:** [July 3, 2017, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-just-what-is-the-meaning-of-canada/790340/44 "2017-07-03T17:28:48Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > **So just what is the ‘meaning’ of Canada?** 42 ---
**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:** [July 3, 2017, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-just-what-is-the-meaning-of-canada/790340/45 "2017-07-03T20:28:54Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > 42 So does that mean that Canada is “Life, the Universe, and Everything”? ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-just-what-is-the-meaning-of-canada/790340/46 "2017-07-03T21:00:54Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > True, Canadian mass-produced shitty beer is still arguably better than American mass-produced shitty beer, but craft and microbreweries have set us free. Hallelujah! Thank you. My tiny local microbrewery has better beer than anything mass produced in Canada. ---
**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:** [July 3, 2017, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-just-what-is-the-meaning-of-canada/790340/47 "2017-07-03T21:03:51Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > So does that mean that Canada is “Life, the Universe, and Everything”? We’re part of it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-just-what-is-the-meaning-of-canada/790340/48 "2017-07-03T21:14:26Z")
Most of Canada is just the part of the United States that isn’t (or is the other way around?). That causes some “uncanny valley” effects for American visitors like me. Most people and places seem almost like the United States but things are just enough off kilter to be unnerving. Canada is that odd land where most people huddle up close to the (mostly unguarded) U.S. border and pretend that they are completely different country by pointing to things like beavers, maple syrup and hockey while ignoring the fact that the U.S. has plenty of all of those too. It is all good though. You couldn’t ask for a better next door neighbor but the U.S. gets the raw end of the deal. We get to spend trillions on North American regional defense while Canada can just sit back and blow money on stupid things like health care for its own citizens. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-just-what-is-the-meaning-of-canada/790340/49 "2017-07-03T21:19:04Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Perhaps significantly, we don’t have a sizable chunk of our population calling these “the good old days” and wanting to recapture them. [Canadians’ attitudes hardening on aboriginal issues: new poll](https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/canadians-attitudes-hardening-on-aboriginal-issues-new-poll/article7408516/?ref=https://www.theglobeandmail.com&service=mobile) > [@](#): > > The survey found that almost two-thirds of respondents think native Canadians get too much support from taxpayers. Furthermore, 81 per cent believe reserves should not get any more money until external auditors review their finances. > > Conversely, only 27 per cent of Canadians believe that federal money spent on reserves is managed well by native leaders and communities. As well, 60 per cent think that most of native peoples’ problems are brought upon by themselves. Of course, that was way back four years ago. Nowadays we’re totally not like Americans. Thanks Trump! ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-just-what-is-the-meaning-of-canada/790340/50 "2017-07-07T18:24:57Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > I’m sorry you feel that way. 🙂 One day Canada will take over the world, and then you’ll ALL be sorry! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-just-what-is-the-meaning-of-canada/790340/51 "2017-07-07T20:36:16Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > It is all good though. You couldn’t ask for a better next door neighbor but the U.S. gets the raw end of the deal. We get to spend trillions on North American regional defense while Canada can just sit back and blow money on stupid things like health care for its own citizens. Psst. The reason you don’t have health care is because too many Americans like you think it is stupid to care for the well-being of their citizens or their fellow man (ironically many of them are ‘Christians’, I guess they skipped that part of the Bible). I would personally be just fine with the US cutting defense spending. I wouldn’t lose a second of sleep thinking that North America would be in peril. And that’s the other reason you can’t have nice things, as a people you’re very fearful. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-just-what-is-the-meaning-of-canada/790340/52 "2017-07-07T21:01:44Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > So Mexico’s America’s necktie? > > If they’re lucky… You’ve got the nicest North America This sailor ever saw. I’d like to feel your warm Brazil, And touch your Panama… ---
**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:** [July 7, 2017, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-just-what-is-the-meaning-of-canada/790340/53 "2017-07-07T21:16:26Z")
> [@Bookkeeper](#): > > One day Canada will take over the world, and then you’ll ALL be sorry! 😃 😃 ---
**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:** [July 7, 2017, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-just-what-is-the-meaning-of-canada/790340/54 "2017-07-07T21:28:48Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > You couldn’t ask for a better next door neighbor but the U.S. gets the raw end of the deal. We get to spend trillions on North American regional defense while Canada can just sit back and blow money on stupid things like health care for its own citizens. Canadians live longer than Americans: 79.3 years = Canadian life expectancy (2001) 77.0 years = American life expectancy (2001) Canadians enjoy better health longer than Americans: 69.9 years = Canadian healthy life expectancy (2001) 67.4 = American healthy life expectancy (2001) Canadian individuals and insurers do not pay as much as American individuals and insurers: 28 = Canadian private expenditure on health as % of total expenditure on health (2000) 55.7 = American private expenditure on health as % of total expenditure on health (2000) Canadian taxpayers do not pay as much for health care as the American taxpayers: $1826 = Canadian per capita government expenditure on health in international dollars (2000) $1992 = American per capita government expenditure on health in international dollars (2000) Less of Canada’s GDP is spent on health than the USA’s: 9.1 = Canadian total expenditure on health as % of GDP (2000) 13 = American total expenditure on health as % of GDP (2000) World Health Organization stats: [http://www.who.int/whr/2002/annex/en/](http://www.who.int/whr/2002/annex/en/) So you’re ignoring the obvious and defending the indefensible when you blame your health care woes on your perceived need to start needless wars. ---
**Author:** ![PoppaSan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/poppasan/32/189_2.png) [@PoppaSan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoppaSan)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-just-what-is-the-meaning-of-canada/790340/55 "2017-07-07T22:29:40Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > Canadians live longer than Americans: > 79.3 years = Canadian life expectancy (2001) > 77.0 years = American life expectancy (2001) > > Canadians enjoy better health longer than Americans: > 69.9 years = Canadian healthy life expectancy (2001) > 67.4 = American healthy life expectancy (2001) > > Canadian individuals and insurers do not pay as much as American individuals and insurers: > 28 = Canadian private expenditure on health as % of total expenditure on health (2000) > 55.7 = American private expenditure on health as % of total expenditure on health (2000) > > Canadian taxpayers do not pay as much for health care as the American taxpayers: > $1826 = Canadian per capita government expenditure on health in international dollars (2000) > $1992 = American per capita government expenditure on health in international dollars (2000) > > Less of Canada’s GDP is spent on health than the USA’s: > 9.1 = Canadian total expenditure on health as % of GDP (2000) > 13 = American total expenditure on health as % of GDP (2000) > > World Health Organization stats: [http://www.who.int/whr/2002/annex/en/](http://www.who.int/whr/2002/annex/en/) > So you’re ignoring the obvious and defending the indefensible when you blame your health care woes on your perceived need to start needless wars. And sending $100million in [foreign aid to Canada](https://explorer.usaid.gov/aid-dashboard.html) from 2011-2015. Quick glance showed most of it to be environmental. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2017, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-just-what-is-the-meaning-of-canada/790340/56 "2017-07-07T22:46:17Z")
> [@PoppaSan](#): > > And sending $100million in [foreign aid to Canada](https://explorer.usaid.gov/aid-dashboard.html) from 2011-2015. Quick glance showed most of it to be environmental. nm ---
**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:** [July 7, 2017, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-just-what-is-the-meaning-of-canada/790340/57 "2017-07-07T23:26:09Z")
Yup. You fucked up big time with that BP rig spill. The biggest marine spill ever – in your exclusive economic zone. Part of the remediation included enhancing migrating bird habitat in Canada, 'cause, ya know, your spill really fucked up your migratory bird habitat so you wanted more birds flying down from Canada to fill the gap caused by your negligence. That’s what most of your “foreign aid” to Canada went toward. Only a wee bit of your “foreign aid” went elsewhere such as your kicking in some cash into Canada’s feed-the-hungry mission in Afghanistan, and your including Candians in some anti-terrorism training. By those standards, when there’s bi-national police training in Canada (and yes, there is), we’re giving foreign aid to the USA. Dig through the USAID website, have a look at the projects and the amounts, and get back to us on what you find. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2017, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-just-what-is-the-meaning-of-canada/790340/58 "2017-07-08T00:50:59Z")
> [@FloatyGimpy](#): > > …We aren’t interested in being a super power (except hockey in which we mostly fail!)… What? We’re the most dominant country in the world for hockey. [Men’s Team:](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_men's_national_ice_hockey_team) > [@](#): > > Canada is the leading national ice hockey team in international play, winners of the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union, four of five Canada Cups dating back to 1976, nine Olympic gold medals (the most in the world), including three of the last four: Salt Lake City 2002, Vancouver 2010, and Sochi 2014. They are 26-time IIHF World Champions and winner of the 2004 and 2016 World Cup of Hockey. [Women’s Team:](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_women's_national_ice_hockey_team) > [@](#): > > Canada has been a dominant figure in international competition, having won the majority of major ice hockey tournaments. Canada is rivaled by the United States, the only other winner of a major tournament. [Junior Men:](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_men's_national_junior_ice_hockey_team) > [@](#): > > The Canadian junior team is one of the most successful in the world, having medalled in 29 of 39 events held since 1977, winning a record 16 gold medals. Its success can be traced back to the formation of the Program of Excellence in 1982 by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association, which created the first true national junior team. Since that time, Canada has won 16 of 34 World Junior championships – including five in a row on two occasions, 1993–1997 and 2005–2009 – and medalled in all but seven tournaments. [Spengler Cup Winners:](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spengler_Cup) > [@](#): > > 1984, 1986, 1987, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2012, 2015, 2016 That’s what you think failure looks like? :rolleyes: Sorry, but I couldn’t let that ridiculous comment go unaddressed. ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2017, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-just-what-is-the-meaning-of-canada/790340/59 "2017-07-08T00:52:16Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Sorry, but I couldn’t let that ridiculous comment go unaddressed. I love that you closed this with “Sorry”. And you weren’t thinking about it, you just what comes natural. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![PoppaSan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/poppasan/32/189_2.png) [@PoppaSan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoppaSan)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2017, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-just-what-is-the-meaning-of-canada/790340/60 "2017-07-08T02:34:18Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > Yup. You fucked up big time with that BP rig spill. The biggest marine spill ever – in your exclusive economic zone. Part of the remediation included enhancing migrating bird habitat in Canada, 'cause, ya know, your spill really fucked up your migratory bird habitat so you wanted more birds flying down from Canada to fill the gap caused by your negligence. That’s what most of your “foreign aid” to Canada went toward. Only a wee bit of your “foreign aid” went elsewhere such as your kicking in some cash into Canada’s feed-the-hungry mission in Afghanistan, and your including Candians in some anti-terrorism training. By those standards, when there’s bi-national police training in Canada (and yes, there is), we’re giving foreign aid to the USA. Dig through the USAID website, have a look at the projects and the amounts, and get back to us on what you find. So, the spill was in 1989. That’s the one you refer to? The USAid site goes back to 2001. That year and the following, US aid to Canada was in the tens of thousands, for narcotics programs. What happened in 2003 to up it to tens of millions for every year since then? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-just-what-is-the-meaning-of-canada/790340.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-just-what-is-the-meaning-of-canada/790340.md?page=4)