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10 Things to Love About Canada on Canada Day

Amber on July 2, 2012 4 Comments

Yesterday was Canada Day, which has given me reason to think about the country I call home. I have lived my whole life in Canada, like my parents and grandparents before me. My roots in this place run deep, and my husband’s run even deeper. While we both have European heritage, at this point we identify ourselves and our children as simply Canadian. This is our country, and we’re proud of that. Why wouldn’t we be? After all, we can claim The Log Driver’s Waltz as part of our cultural heritage.

I didn’t choose this country. Unlike my friends who immigrated here, I am Canadian by an accident of birth. All the same, it’s an accident I’m happy about. Today, I’m thinking of all the reasons I’m proud to be Canadian.

10 Things to Love About Canada

1. We share the world’s longest international border with our American neighbours. It’s undefended, in the military sense, and in many places the two countries are separated by nothing more than a narrow ditch or a dip in the trees.

2. We have the northernmost permanent settlement in the world – Alert, Nunavut. I have not visited. Nor have many other people, I’d imagine, as its official population is reported to be five. But those are five hardy souls!

3. Many of us learn about Canada’s history through the all-too-Canadian Heritage Minutes. This is how we came to discover that Winnie the Pooh was based on a Canadian bear whose full name was Winnipeg, and who served as a troop mascot during WWI.

4. Poutine. Since I’m from Western Canada I didn’t sample this dish until I was a young adult, but to know it is to love it. Fries + gravy + cheese curds = pure deliciousness.

5. While we’re talking about Canadian cuisine, we can also take credit for the Nanaimo bar. It’s named, of course, after Nanaimo, a town on Vancouver Island. It’s my favourite dessert square, hands-down.

6. Our television is almost legendarily terrible, but we love it that way. Shows like The Littlest Hobo, The Beachcombers, Today’s Special and Degrassi Junior High remind me fondly of my youth.

7. Speaking of Degrassi Junior High, old episodes of the show figured prominently in sex ed classes when I was in high school. We got to learn about teen pregnancy by watching Spike. True story.

8. I think I list this every year, but our universal health care system is definitely near the top of the list when it comes to things to love about Canada. I never have to think twice about taking my sick kids to the doctor, ever.

9. At 151,600 miles, our coastline is the longest in the world. We’re number one!

10. The Canadian people are awesome. Clearly. I’m one of them!

Happy belated Canada Day, everyone! Now tell me – what do you love about the country you call home?

Filed Under: Random Awesomeness Tagged With: Canada, Seasons

What Makes Canada Awesome

Amber on July 1, 2011 10 Comments

Let me start by wishing you all a very happy Canada Day! Today this great country of mine (or ours, if you happen to be Canadian as well) is 144 years old. Because on July 1, 1867 the British North America Act came into effect, uniting Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and the Province of Canada into a single nation.

A national holiday is a chance to gush effusively about your country. So I started thinking of the things that fill me with national pride. Some are unique, some not so much. But this isn’t about winning a contest, or comparing myself to the other person. It’s about loving the place that I call home just as it is, warts and all. So on Canada’s birthday, I present:

Things that Make Canada Awesome

Photo credit: Yume Photo on Flickr

We’re really freaking big. We cover 9,984,670 km² or 3,854,085 sq mi, in fact.
Our national anthem rocks.
We believe in democracy.
I don’t have to worry what it will cost when my kids need to see a doctor.
Mr. Dressup rocks (and, FYI, he started life as an American).
We welcome people from all over the world, and they enrich our country immeasurably.
Our money is colourful. This makes it easy to see, at a glance, what denominations I have in my wallet.
Our national animal is the beaver. Just think of the jokes that can be made! Which leads me to …
Some of the funniest people in the world are Canadian. Sadly, I am not one of them.
We have had a gender neutral definition of marriage for six years now, meaning that same-sex marriage is legal across the whole country. I am happy to report that my heterosexual marriage has not noticeably suffered.
Cereal box French. Allow me to display mine: Gratuit! En prime! Nutritifs essentiels!
One day, if all goes to plan, this gorgeous couple will be our King and Queen:

Photo credit: The British Monarchy on Flickr

So today, I celebrate my country. Long may it live. And wherever you happen to be, let me ask what makes your country awesome. Let’s share the love around!

Filed Under: Random Awesomeness Tagged With: Canada, Navel Gazing, Politics, Seasons

Crafting Your Country

Amber on April 28, 2011 13 Comments

It’s Thursday and I’m Crafting my Life! Right now I’m hard at work, getting ready for the second run of the Crafting my Life course. The start date is coming up fast, so if you want to live with greater intention and purpose, sign up now. I’d love to have you along for the journey!

I talk a lot about taking steps to change my own life. Today I’d like to talk about using your voice to create broader change within a country. Here in Canada a federal election is taking place this coming Monday, May 2. The campaign signs that are ~~blighting~~ dotting the landscape remind me every time I step out of my house. The government has fallen (it sounds pretty exciting when you put it that way, huh?), and now we’re taking to the polls.

I am not going to tell you who to vote for. If you want to know more about where the major parties stand on family, parenting and women’s issues, visit Annie over at PhD in Parenting. She’s done an excellent job of compiling an overview. If you want to know more about your local candidates, check out your local paper, or search out your candidates online. If you look, you’ll find more info than you could ever want to know about the smiling-faced people who hope we’ll vote for them.

As for me, I honestly don’t care who you vote for. I have voted for every major party except the Bloc (since I don’t live in Quebec) at least once, and I remain pretty neutral. I can think of more reasons not to vote for any particular party than I can think of reasons to vote for them, and I doubt I’m the only person who feels this way. Looking at the historical voter turnout in Canada, the last few elections show a general downward trend. The last election had the lowest turnout ever, at 58.8% of registered voters. I suspect that the voter apathy is due, at least in some part, to not finding any candidate compelling enough to vote for, and being generally turned off by the tenor of the discussion.

But feeling underwhelmed by the options is not a good enough excuse not to vote. Unless you go into labour on Monday (like one of my friends did on voting day in 2008), you can drag yourself to the polling station. And when you’re there, forget strategy and who you think will win. Vote for the person or party that you think will best represent you. Because I think that if we all did that, we would see some actual political change.

Consider these two snazzy pie charts, showing the percentage of registered voters who chose each party in the last two elections:

As you can see, the “None of the above” party carried the last two elections by a wide margin. This number represents the percentage of people who didn’t vote. If they all showed up and voted, they could sweep an unknown party to power. They could, for instance, give the Communist Party or the Pirate Party or the Marijuana Party the biggest majority in Canadian history. If the Natural Law Party was still around, they could put those 7000 yogic fliers to work:

We know that the last couple of elections had low voter turnouts, and resulted in minority governments. But let’s pick a couple of examples with far higher voter turnouts and strong majorities. In 1984 the Conservatives won the most seats in Canadian parliamentary history. Here’s what the results from that election looked like:

The Conservatives managed to beat “None of the above” that year, but none of the other parties did. And with 37.7% of registered voters casting their ballot for the Conservatives, they still come second to “None of the above” in 2008 with 41.2%.

I didn’t crunch the numbers for every election, but I could find only one example where the ruling party won more than 41.2% of votes from registered voters. It was in 1958, when John Diefenbaker‘s Conservatives won the largest majority in Canadian history, with 42.6% of votes from registered voters.

As you can see, if those 41.2% of registered voters actually voted, they could totally change the election’s outcome. But voting “None of the above” won’t change a thing, because no matter how they dominate on voting day, they never get a single seat in parliament, and they never pass a piece of legislation. And, what’s more, I sometimes think certain politicians like it when we give “None of the above” our vote. It lets them continue doing whatever it is they’re doing without fear that we’ll call them on it. If we all showed up to vote instead, they’ll feel far more compelled to address the issues that matter to us. And we’re more likely to have a country that we can actually stand to live in.

So, please, take 20 minutes out of your day on Monday and vote. It’s fun, fast and free. And maybe together, we can make our leaders take notice. I think it’s our best shot.

How do you decide who to vote for? What issues are important to you in this election? And what do you think we can do to get people engaged in the political process? I’d love to hear!

Filed Under: Crafting my Life Tagged With: Canada, Crafting my Life, Politics

I Love my Socialized Medicine

Amber on November 9, 2010 29 Comments

I live in Canada. Canada has socialized medicine. This is something that I take for granted, because I have always lived here. I have never paid a dime to visit the doctor or the hospital. Which doesn’t mean the experience is always rosy, and that every medical professional I’ve ever encountered was made of sunshine and rainbows. But it does mean that when I make decisions about health care for myself or my children, cost is not a factor that enters into the discussion.

When I decided to have my kids, money was a factor. Babies are expensive, we all know that. They don’t have to be as expensive as some experts say, but you do need to feed them and clothe them. And you need to ensure that they are adequately cared for if you work, or take the financial hit if you decide to leave work. But I didn’t have to consider how I would pay for the birth that I wanted. Or any birth at all.

Recently, I read posts from two American friends that gave me pause. Lauren, who lives in Seattle, weighed her health insurance options as a self-employed person hoping to have a second child. And Gina, pregnant with her third child, discovered that in spite of her research up front, she is likely going to have to pay thousands of dollars to cover her midwife. Even though I love numbers, and love to make financial spreadsheets of my own, their stories left me reeling. I have no idea what I would do in their shoes.

I am not American, so I don’t get a vote on the US health care system. But of course, I have my opinions. I don’t think that anyone should have to choose the kind of care they receive based on finances. I realize that I am a bleeding-heart Canadian liberal, but I honestly believe that health care is a basic human right. I live in a very wealthy country. It would strike me as a great poverty if we did not offer the best start we could to babies, by ensuring their mothers had access to adequate care during pregnancy and birth.

I chose midwifery care for both of my pregnancies, and I chose to give birth in the hospital both times. This was completely covered by our health care system, in the same way it would have been if I’d opted to give birth at home with midwives, or in the hospital with a family doctor or an obstetrician. My choice of care provider was my own, because my finances did not dictate it. When I had to have surgery following my first birth, and I spent 4 days in the hospital recovering, there was no question that we would do it. I needed the care, and it was covered.

I realize that I pay for medical care, both through the tax system and through medical premiums (which are about $60 per month for our family). But I have never seen a bill. And no cost is ever attached to medical care. In the moment, I don’t think about money when I decide whether or not to seek medical care. I am paying for it only indirectly, and I am paying for it whether I take my injured child to the emergency room or not.

I don’t know what the answer is for my American friends. As I said earlier, I am not American, and I don’t get a vote. I realize that there may be significant upsides to the US system that I’m failing to recognize. But as it stands, I am extremely grateful that I live where I do, and have access to public health care. With all its flaws, I wouldn’t trade it.

Have finances ever played a role in your decision to seek health care? If so, do you think that’s reasonable or unreasonable? And if they haven’t, what do you think when you hear about people having to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars to have a baby? I’d like to hear your thoughts.

Filed Under: Random Awesomeness Tagged With: Canada, Childbirth, Politics, Pregnancy

The Tale of the Canadian Tire Money

Amber on September 17, 2010 32 Comments

I am Canadian, eh. And as a Canadian, I occasionally find myself shopping at Canadian Tire. It’s my birthright. Although, sadly, not a birthright that I am tremendously eager to claim. If you’ve ever shopped at Canadian Tire yourself, you might know what I’m hinting at.

Regardless of my lukewarm feelings about Canadian Tire, I found myself there one Friday morning not too long ago. I was in search of canning supplies, and they had a big sign out front advising all passersby that, “We have everything you need for canning.” Or something to that effect – it’s not an exact quote. But it captures the sentiment. And so I ventured inside, my two squirmy children in tow, in search of new snap lids and some extra jars.

Of course, Canadian Tire being what it is, they did not in fact have everything that I needed for canning. I’m sure they did at one time. In theory. But at this point they had no wide mouth jar lids. And while I’m no expert, it seems to me that having the correct sized lid for your jar is kind of a Big Deal. I bought the extra jars, and a new jar gripper, and left.

Kid 1 – she’s just lucky she’s cute

If you aren’t Canadian you’re probably not familiar with the Canadian Tire Money phenomenon. It’s simple. When you buy something at Canadian Tire, you get these coupons that look like real money. They’re printed on high quality paper and all that jazz. They’re given in a variety of denominations, but typically you’re getting 5, 10, or 25 cents at a shot. You can use this Canadian Tire Money at any Canadian Tire store.

On this day, I received a crisp new 10 cent note. I gave it to 2-year-old Jacob, because (1) there is no way I will remember to bring my Canadian Tire Money with me the next time I darken the door of a Canadian Tire 7 months from now and (2) it’s 10 cents. It’s not exactly big coin, you know? I chose Jacob because his big sister Hannah was carting around a Very Precious Toy, that she would not put down. Of course, this did not stop her from becoming Highly Indignant. “Mom! Mom-mom-mom-mom-mom! Jacob’s NOT SHARING THE MONEY! I want the money! Mom! Mom-mom-mom-mom-mom!”

I listened to this chorus non-stop as we made our way to a place I will call the Big Grocery Store. I still had jar lids to buy. You can imagine how excited I was to be visiting a second store with two small children. You can imagine how much more fun the whining about the Canadian Tire Money was making the experience.

Kid 2 – also lucky, also cute

I tried to explain to Hannah that this was not real money. That no store would accept it, and that even if that store did it would not be enough to buy anything. But she was having none of it. None. She knew that her brother had money in his hot little hand, and that was all that she needed to know.

Because it was one of those days, the Big Grocery Store did not have wide mouth jar lids, either. Hannah kept up the chorus of, “But Mom! Jacob’s NOT SHARING THE MONEY! Mom! Mom-mom-mom-mom-mom!” And for variety, she threw in a few, “But I love this store! This store is the best! I want to look for stickers! And dance in the aisles! Me and Jacob don’t want to leave this store!” But as my friend was headed my way with 45lbs of pears, I had no choice but to drag the children out of that store in search of another store.

We finally headed to what I will call the Small Grocery Store. It is the store where we normally shop, and, one would think, the store least likely to have a fully-stocked canning section. But I was wrong. In fact, of the three stores, it was the only one that had everything I actually needed. I believe I wept for joy when I had the lids in my hot little hands. And in my glee, I agreed that the children could have cookies from the bakery. Now that I knew we would be heading home, I was willing to allow them to consume sugar.

Birthday cupcakes are even better the next day

Sometimes they get along. Really.

Once Jacob had a cookie, he no longer had need of his Canadian Tire Money. He handed it over to Hannah. And do you know what she did as soon as she had that money? She held it out and said, “Mom, can you keep this?” I said, “But I thought you really wanted it. You have been asking about it nonstop for a long time.” She replied, “I know. But I just didn’t want Jacob to have it. And now I have a cookie and my Very Precious Toy and I don’t have enough hands for it.”

If you heard a primal scream coming from the Small Grocery Store at approximately 11:13am that Friday morning, that was me. I can’t believe that I listened to a non-stop stream of whining about 10 (!) cents (!) of Canadian Tire money for so long, and then nobody even wanted it. Gah!

Tell me your tales of Canadian Tire Money woe. Or sibling rivalry gone bad. I need some commiseration.

Filed Under: Kids and Parenting, Random Awesomeness Tagged With: Canada, Kids, Parenting

They all call it Canada

Amber on June 30, 2010 19 Comments

Tomorrow is Canada Day. I have a great post planned, as part of my Crafting my Life series, with a definite Canadian flavour. It will be awesome. But today I wanted to take a little time aside from that to celebrate this land that I call home. So today I offer you some of the things that I think are awesome about being Canadian:

Photo credit: Ian Muttoo on Flickr

Year-long paid maternity leave. While our system is not perfect, on the whole it’s really pretty good, and quite competitive, internationally speaking. I am so grateful that I was able to access it.
Roch Voisine. He is made of awesome. Need I say more? No, I need not.
Dill pickle potato chips. And ketchup potato chips. These are classic flavours people!
The letter zed. You know, it, it comes right after X and Y. And when you sing the alphabet that way, or read American children’s books that way, the rhymes don’t work. But we like it.
The Log Driver’s Waltz. To know it is to love it.

French on our packaging. Reading cereal boxes as a child is how I learned such useful words and phrases as gratuit and moins de sel. I might not be bilingual, but I can speak cereal box French with the best of them.
Canada is freaking huge, eh. There may not be many of us, and we might not be a superpower, but we’ve got space, and that’s something.
Canada Day cake. I finally had some. In fact, I had 3 pieces. It was as good as I hoped.
Curling. It’s not our national sport, but we’re pretty good at it. And it is the most oddly engrossing sport I have ever watched. Although, sadly, the Norwegians did manage to one-up us in the curling pants department.
Me. I am a pretty awesome Canadian, if I do say so myself.

So, tell me, what do you think is awesome about Canada? And also, happy Canada Day!

PS – As you may know, I have started including a link-up with my monthly reviews. The reviews are an informal listing of a few things I learned in the past month. My June review will go live at 6am Pacific on Friday, July 2. If you want to play along, write a post on or before July 2, come here, and link up. I have a feeling this is going to be fun!

Filed Under: Random Awesomeness Tagged With: Canada, Seasons

Catching the Spirit

Amber on February 12, 2010 11 Comments

On Thursday morning at a little after 7am the Olympic Torch entered my city, a few blocks from my house. I decided to get the kids out of bed super-early (we usually wake up at 8am or so) to commemorate the once-in-a-lifetime occasion. What’s a little sleep deprivation in exchange for photos that will last forever? Nothing, I say! Plus, this early wake-up call is extremely minor compared to the countless times they’ve woken me up at I-just-want-to-cry o’clock, so I say that they have nothing to complain about.

In the end, Jacob didn’t wake up with me so I left him at home with Jon. Of course, he woke up right after Hannah and I left. Kids love to sleep only when you don’t really want them to.

In spite of the early hour, and the fact that it was rainy and still dark out, people were out in full force in our neighbourhood. Some had driven there, as evidenced by the total lack of parking on the side streets. We all found spots lining the road and waited, chatting with people we’d never met. It made me well up to think that so many people were willing to haul themselves out of the comfort of their warm beds to stand on the cold, dark and wet roadside for a glimpse of the Olympic Torch. It must mean something, if so many of us did that.

Hannah and I waiting for the torch

The back end of the Coca Cola party truck, which seemed just a little too boisterous for 7:12am

The police clear the way – if you squint you can see all the people lining the street

The one extremely poor shot I got of the Torch bearer from the back

In the afternoon the Torch had moved on but our community threw a celebration. We had to check it out and see our favourite children’s performers ever, Bobs and LoLo. Here are some photos from the festivities.

Hannah made her own torch

The kids and I with a runner and an unlit Torch

Bobs and Lolo moving their hands

Hannah trying to drink from the downspout

Tonight the Olympic Winter Games kick off at BC Place. I remember the excitement when Vancouver won the bid, and I can’t believe it’s actually here. I hope that all of the locals get a chance to do some celebrating, and that the rest of you enjoy the show. I might be keeping it real in a suburban enclave, but Vancouver will always be my city, and I am proud that the world will be watching us. Happy Olympics!

Filed Under: Random Awesomeness Tagged With: Beautiful BC, Canada, Olympics