Alright, fellow canucks, while trying to define the “Canadian experience” to a Yankee friend, I realised there’s not a heck of a lot I can think of that would count. I’m looking for things that all Canadian should, nay, MUST experience if they want to keep their citizenship. Here’s what I came up with, and yes it will be skewed to a younger age, and possibly Left Coast.
If:
If you have attended a Tragically Hip concert, AND listened to the live version of “New Orleans if Sinking”. Yes, that one. Killer whale tank, uh! Obviously, bonus points for attending a Hip concert where that version was performed.
If you remember where you were when Pierre Trudeau died.
If you have watched at least two episodes of Telefrancais (Bonjour, Allo, Salut!)
If you can explain why, exactly, most Canadians hate Canadian-born Brett Hull.
If you can impersonate Jean Chretien without really even trying.
If you, as a young boy, wanted to be Wayne Gretzky. If you, as a young girl, wanted to be Wayne Gretzky (zero points if you wanted to *marry *Wayne Gretzky. Weirdo.)
If you have read “The Hockey Sweater”/“Le chandail de hockey” by Roch Carrier.
If you can name at least 8 Robert Munsch books without looking them up.
If you had a crush on nerd-god David Suzuki.
If you have sampled both poutine and Timbits. Bonus points if you managed to bring either to a formal family holiday dinner and no one even blinked an eye.
If you know the names of both Don Cherry’s late wife and Don Cherry’s dog.
If, when asked to name characters on Sesame Street, you list Basil the Bear, Louis, and Dodi the pilot.
If you cried when Ernie Coombs died.
If you know exactly what I’m referring to when I say “Look up, look waaaaay up”.
If you can hum the Fred Penner theme song, and name either one animal seen in the opening credits OR the super-awesome-secret way he got into Fred Penner land.
You’ve ever purchased a half-sack and gone to the peelers.
If so, you must be Canadian!
Now, I’d consider these the need-to-knows for 20-25 year old Canadians. You might be able to go about three years on either side of that, I don’t know exactly. Older Canucks, please share your lists. Francophone canucks can either make a list or simply post a diatribe-style rant about why all these things are anglo-centric. Whateva floats your boat.
I guess I’ve been gone for too long. I only score 50%. My excuses are I fall outside of your age range at 33 and have lived in the States for 10 years.
Heh, the only Quebec-doper I could think of was matt_mcl, and I was hoping he’d have a sense of humour about it. Je suis désolé, francophones! But if you’re really offended, I’ll completely understand if you need to start a riot here in, uh… covers location Toronto. Yup. And I like your list, but I’ll admit ignorance on #18. And laughing like a geek at #19.
LionelHutz405, the CBC is big on re-runs. I’ve got a 12-year-old cousin who watched it. My mum tells me that when my sister and I were little, we’d move around the furniture in our dollhouse and do the whole “A little chair for a little one of you, a big chair for two to curl up in, and for someone who likes to rock, a rocking chair right in the middle!”.
I am 24 and I only answer yes to five of them (Plus I get a bonus point. Timbits are a staple. Hell my cousins’ show up Christmas morning with double double’s firmly in hand)
But I can raise a level on the Fred Penner one.
I was working at a theatre that Fred came through on a tour a few years ago. I was working the stage, so basically I tell him when to go onstage and make sure everything is fine in the backstage area. Well my favorite song ever growing up was “The Cat Came Back” and it was part of my job during the concert to turn on the fan which inflated a giant cat behind the band. I then had to crawl army style behind the cat, firmly grab its ass and make it dance to the chorus.
I was in heaven
Two stops later on the tour, that cat was stolen.
And no it never came back.
So I guess the long and the short of it is, I was one of the last people to grab Fred Penner’s cat’s ass.
[ul]
[li]If you have ever attended a Festival du Voyageur and eaten either tourtiere or maple sugar taffy[/li][li]You have a Domo touque with a blue pom-pom in your past (preferably in your closet)[/li][li]You have played either “first blood” spongee or shinny[/li][li]You remember Tim’s from before it was cool to go to Tim’s[/li][li]You partied hard at a bush party in a farmer’s field when growing up[/li][li] You have “loonie and twonie” jar somewhere in your house[/li][/ul]
** Bonus points if you actually went to a French Immersion or Francophone school and said both the Lord’s Prayer and O Canada in both languages
*** Extra bonus points if you ever wore a scarf as a fake “ceinture fleche” (how the heck do I do accents eh?) to school for the in school “Festival”
If you have attended a Tragically Hip concert, AND listened to the live version of “New Orleans if Sinking”. Yes, that one. Killer whale tank, uh! Obviously, bonus points for attending a Hip concert where that version was performed.
Never been to a Hip Concert, but I’ve listened to the live version, if that counts…
If you remember where you were when Pierre Trudeau died.
Vaguely. I remember his walk in the snow more.
If you have watched at least two episodes of Telefrancais (Bonjour, Allo, Salut!)
Nope.
If you can explain why, exactly, most Canadians hate Canadian-born Brett Hull.
Oooh. That bastard. Yup, I’m with you there.
If you can impersonate Jean Chretien without really even trying.
That’s a given.
If you, as a young boy, wanted to be Wayne Gretzky. If you, as a young girl, wanted to be Wayne Gretzky (zero points if you wanted to *marry *Wayne Gretzky. Weirdo.)
Hm. Not sure if I wanted to be Gretzky. Wanted to play with Gretzky.
If you have read “The Hockey Sweater”/“Le chandail de hockey” by Roch Carrier.
Read it. Seen the CFB short.
If you can name at least 8 Robert Munsch books without looking them up.
Haven’t tried, but I can get at least 4 or 5.
If you had a crush on nerd-god David Suzuki.
David Suzuki is a god among men.
If you have sampled both poutine and Timbits. Bonus points if you managed to bring either to a formal family holiday dinner and no one even blinked an eye.
Sampled both at the same time.
If you know the names of both Don Cherry’s late wife and Don Cherry’s dog.
I am not a Don Cherry fan at all. He’s loud, brash, arrogant and annoying. I don’t care to know anything more about him than I need to know.
If, when asked to name characters on Sesame Street, you list Basil the Bear, Louis, and Dodi the pilot.
Hm. Dating yourself there. These guys all showed up after I stopped watching.
If you cried when Ernie Coombs died.
Yup.
If you know exactly what I’m referring to when I say “Look up, look waaaaay up”.
Rusty an’ Jerome!
If you can hum the Fred Penner theme song, and name either one animal seen in the opening credits OR the super-awesome-secret way he got into Fred Penner land.
Nope.
You’ve ever purchased a half-sack and gone to the peelers.
Not that I’m aware of.
I’m 33 btw.
You can sing both the French and the English version of “O Canada.”
The first thing out of your mouth when an American mentions the “Dream Team” is “Summit Series!”
You consider the Littlest Hobo the epitome of canine.
For Ontarians: “I had 5 years of high school and I never failed a class, dammit!”
Every Hallowe’en picture of you from age 3 to 12 includes a snowsuit underneath the costume.
This is slang my friends and I stole from our parents, so it may not be very common anymore, though we’re trying to bring it back. A half-sack is a six pack of beer, and the peelers are the ladies and gentlemen who “peel” off their clothes - strippers.
For 21) I’d sub “Every Hallowe’en costume has you with an umbrella or one of those clear plastic things hoods to shield the rain”.
Gotcha. Strippers for me are indeed peelers, but I wasn’t too up on the “half-sack.” I was thinking that it might be something like a mickey, but I didn’t want to commit myself to admitting to that one.
We’ll add regional-specific items of clothing to the Hallowe’en costume.
Never cared for PET. May I suggest another Canadian event : If you remember where you were when Paul Henderson scored THE goal (I was in class, 10[sup]th[/sup] grade and listening to the game on radio).
