Oh Canada!

Last year for Canada's 147 Birthday I had a great time compiling a list of 47 reasons why I am proud to be Canadian.  It's time to celebrate again as Canada turns 148 years young with my list of 48 reasons why I am proud to be Canadian.

1. Canada is the world's most educated country...over half the country's residents have post-secondary degrees or diplomas.
2. Like boating, swimming or fishing?  Canada has three million lakes (more than the rest of the world's lakes combined).
3. Canada has the world's longest coastline, bordered by three different oceans (Arctic, Atlantic and Pacific).
4. Fancy yourself a tree hugger? Canada has 10 percent of the world's total forest coverage, 31 percent of Canada is made up of forests.
5. Neil Young
6. Quebec City is the only walled city in all of North America.
7. The highest tides in the world happen in the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick
8. The Trans-Canada Highway is the longest highway in the world spanning over 7604 kilometres (4725 miles).
9. Nanaimo Bars
10. Apparently Canadians can deduct dog food and tax software from their income taxes (please call Canada Revenue Agency to confirm before you blame me for any audits!)
11. Baseball may be considered the official American sport, but the baseball glove was invented in Canada in 1883.
12. Also invented the Jolly Jumper.
13. Sarah Polley...From Road to Avonlea to award winning director, she's awesome.
    
    
    
    Chris got to meet his crush (Sarah Polley) at an REM concert while we were all sitting on the lawn at Molson Ampitheatre (a truly Canadian experience). 
14. We like big stuff: The world's largest Totem Pole was raised in Victoria BC in 1994 and stands 54.94 metres tall (180.2 feet).
15. We like to read, eh?  Our literacy rate is over 99%.
16. We invented Trivial Pursuit.
17. Anyone who spends a lot of time with me knows that from time to time I like to talk about how amazing Beavers are.  You'll often hear me talk about their awesome double eyelids (called a nictitating mebrane) that allow them to see underwater.  Canada’s beaver is also the second largest rodent in the world, weighing up to 60 pounds.
18. You know that big department store at the end of the Eaton Centre, called the Bay after The Hudson’s Bay Company which is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world.
19. David Suzuki - Nature Expert (okay he may have been a really random childhood crush of mine).
20. We give areas cool names.  The Northwest Territories is sometimes referred to as "The Land of the Midnight Sun" because the sun barely sets around the summer solstice.   Newfoundland is sometimes called "The Rock."
21. Competing with Loch Ness, Canada has its own lake creature, Ogopogo, who lives in Lake Okanagan, BC.
22. 2.4 million Caribou (Reindeer) live in Canada, that's almost as many people who live in the City of Toronto.
23. It's not just Tim Hortons, Canada has more donut shops per capita than anywhere else in the world.
24. Canadians are sometimes called "Canucks".  The first time this term was officially recorded was in 1835.
25. Sharon, Lois and Bram were an awesome group of Children Television Entertainers who sang alongside a giant Elephant (sadly Lois passed away earlier this year).
26. We invented the prosthetic hand in 1971.
27. We are a nation of other cultures...One in five Canadians were born outside of Canada.
28. Porky's, starring Sex in the City's own Kim Cattrall was the most successful Canadian film ever made.
    
    
    Me and Kim Cattrall.
    
    
29. Chris Hadfield...Guitar playing astronaut...AMAZING!
30. Rumour has it the $100 bills are minted to smell like Maple Syrup (I know you're going to try to smell one now!).
31. The Kids in the Hall.
32. While last week was a huge step in the US, Canada was the fourth country in the world to legalize same sex marriage nationally, ten years ago in July 2005. (I know I mentioned this last year, but it's worth mentioning twice).
33. Inventors of five pin bowling.
34. I don't know if this is a good thing...But Canada has a polar bear prison for bears that break into people's homes to steal food.
35. In 2012 Canada produced a quarter with a glow in the dark dinosaur on it.
36. Canadian's are polite.  We even have an apology act. (it was put into practice in 2009).
37. Buzzfeed tells me that the University of Victoria offers a class called "Science of Batman".  Don't believe me, click here for a link to the course description.
38. We produce hot "Ryans" - Ryan Gosling and Ryan Reynolds are both Canadian.
39. Our writers, like Margaret Atwood are also activists.
40. Drake - Even though I'm not a huge fan, he's a wonderful advocate and truly patriotic Canadian and promotes the City ofToronto frequently.
41. Eugene Levy - I highly encourage anyone to revisit the American Pie series or check out his new (Canadian) show Schitt's Creek.
42. Tommy Chong (of Cheech and Chong) is Canadian and was born in Edmonton.
43. We invented Insulin as a diabetes treatment.
44. Think Superman is an American Hero?  Think again, he was first drawn by Canadian born artist Joe Schuster in 1922.
45. We invented the Goalie Mask used in hockey (circa 1959).
46. Inventors of the Wonderbra (Louise Poirier).
47. The Bloody Caesar was invented in Calgary in 1969.
48. Mr. Dressup.

To view my list from last year click here