Canadian Content
This is by no means an all-inclusive list - just a few of my favourite Canadian things...
Canadiana:
- An American's Guide to Canada - Written by an American living permanently in Canada (and loving it), this is THE site to send your American friends to when they ask if you drive to work in a dog sled or a snowmobile. Chock full of amazing facts (Canada's 'up there'), Canadianisms ('I'll have a Bloody Caesar and a plate of poutine'), and even photos of 'really big things' along the Trans-Canada Highway (I like the Giant Pinto Bean). Great fun!
- How Are Canadians Different from Americans? - An article discussing a survey of Canadian and American attitudes towards politics, religion and other issues.
- Canada411 - Find anyone in Canada
- Canada - What the CIA thinks of us (ie. 'mostly harmless').
- Canada from C2C - A neat site with lots of Canadian links
- City of Toronto Home Page - My home town, which just got a whole lot bigger since all the sub-cities in Metro got amalgamated into one. Now affectionately known as 'The MegaCity', Toronto is now the fifth-largest city in North America! Yay!
- Milton - The town where I actually live. Population 33,000, 30 min. west of Toronto, proud home of astronaut Chris Hadfield and that guy in 'JAG', and really close to Neve Campbell's home town. This site (from the Chamber of Commerce) is much better than the new Town of Milton site, but you can check that out too.
- Toronto Weather Forecast - No matter how bad it gets here, we can take comfort in the knowledge that it's always worse in Buffalo.
- AVRO Arrow Sites:
Canada's own 'Tucker' of the aeronautics industry, the Arrow was the most advanced fighter / interceptor aircraft in the world when it was developed in the 1950's. So what did our government do? They decided it was too expensive, cancelled the program, and destroyed every last airplane, blueprint and model. And the engineers all moved south and built rockets to the moon for the Americans. Sigh...
Film and Media:
- CityTV - You don't usually think of television stations as being innovative or ground-breaking, but this one is and has been since it's inception in the 70's (ever seen 'Videodrome'? The station was based on City). From unique programming such as 'MediaTelevision' and 'The Originals', to a truly multicultural mix of newscasters (who wander around and perch on the corners of desks as they read the news), to the original 'Speakers Corner', Toronto's CityTV is the cutting edge of local broadcasting, and rapidly going national (and international).
- Moses Znaimer - Founder and impressario of CityTV, MuchMusic and 'Bravo!'. Marshall McLuhan with attitude. Owns one of the world's largest collections of antique television sets. Rumour has it that his house in the posh-posh Bridle Path district has the word 'MOSES' in four foot-high illuminated letters on the front lawn.
I LOVE this guy!
- CBC Television - Love it or hate it, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is an intrinsic part of Canadian culture. I happen to love it as long as it's doing what it does best and not trying to pretend it's an American network (it also has one of the most elegantly-designed sites on the Web). Some of my favourite shows:
- This Hour Has 22 Minutes - Kind of like a half-hour, Canadian version of SNL News - only funny. If you're an American (it's aired on DirectTV), you'll either be terribly insulted or not get it at all. If you're Canadian, this is required viewing.
- North of 60 - Life in a northern town. Kind of like Northern Exposure, only with real snow, real lives, and more Natives than white folks. Possibly the best show on television, any time, anywhere.
- Man Alive - A documentary series about the human spirit and how it is expressed in both religious and secular contexts. I don't know how else to describe it, but it sure ain't the 700 Club. An utterly unique television show, well worth watching.
- Toronto International Film Festival - Either the second or third best film festival in the world, depending on who you ask.
- The New Red Green Show - We all know these guys - Bob and Doug for the '90s.
- 102.1 the EDGE - Toronto's ONLY alternative...
Great Canadians:
- Alexander Graham Bell - The Americans and the Scots will try to claim him, but Canada was his real home and where he did some of his most inspired work.
- Frederick Banting - Co-discoverer of insulin, one of Canada's most important contributions to the world.
- John Naismith - Inventor of the game of basketball - another great Canadian contribution (ok, so it's not as great as insulin, but we toot our horn where we can).
- Mr Joseph-Armand Bombardier - Inventor of the snowmobile. Now, who would have guessed that a Canadian invented the snowmobile?
- Marshall McLuhan - One of the great thinkers and observers of our modern age, often sadly reduced to misunderstood slogans like 'The Medium is the Message'.
- David Cronenberg - Not just for horror fans any more, Cronenberg has proven himself as one of the world's most talented and original filmmakers.
- Canadian Celebrities Site - Yes, a whole site devoted to famous Canadians! There sure are a lot of them - here are just a few...
- Peter Jennings
- Morley Safer
- Jaques and Gilles Villeneuve
- Wayne Gretsky
- Michael Ondaatje (author of 'The English Patient')
- Norman Jewison
- Ivan Reitman
- James Cameron
- Atom Egoyan
- Jack Warner (Warner Brothers)
- Louis B. Mayer (MGM)
- Joe Shuster (creator of 'Superman')
- Donald & Kiefer Sutherland
- Christopher & Amanda Plummer
- Meg & Jennifer Tilley
- Neve Campbell
- Michael J. Fox
- Leslie Nielsen
- Alex Trebek
- Graham Greene
- Mary Pickford
- Lorne Michaels
- William Shatner
- James Doohan
- Most of the cast of 'The X-Files'
- Most really, really funny people (Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Dave Thomas, Andrea Martin, Dave Foley, Scott Thompson, Mike Meyers, Phil Hartman, Matt Frewer, Jim Carrey, etc., etc.)
- Honourary Canadian: Michael Moore
- American Refugee in Canada: Michael Moriarity
(just so you know, anyone who was either born in Canada or has lived here for any significant period of time is considered a Canadian)
(I Love) Canadian Music:
- Ashley MacIsaac - I could listen to this guy's fiddling all day - utterly awesome!
- The Tea Party
- One of my favorite bands - kinda like 'Jim Morrison goes to Isanbul'. Helluva live show, too.
- The Tragically Hip Home Page - The Hip rules!
- The Official Loreena McKennitt Home Page - Stunningly beautiful voice, marvelously Pagan lyrics (and no, she isn't, but who cares)
- Sara McLachlan - Another stunning Canadian songstress
- Alanis Morissette - Love her or hate her, she's one of Canada's best known musical exports. For a different view, try The Anti-Alanis Page.
- Moxy Früvous - Moxy Früvous is a mostly á cappella quartet who does some of the most devastating satire you've ever heard.
- Barenaked Ladies - They rose to fame after the Mayor of Toronto wouldn't let them play the city-sponsored New Year's Eve bash because she found their name offensive. And the rest is history...