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[whereshegoes]

Canada is well known for things like Niagara Falls, maple syrup and hockey. But there are several things that are also signature Canadian items. What are some things can originate or can only be found in Canada?

[Incrediblelife]

Apparently Canada is also known for salmon and maple everything!

[whereshegoes]

Apparently Canada is also known for salmon and maple everything!

Maple syrup, maple muffins, maple ham, maple syrup pie, maple donuts, maple fudge, maple wine, maple baked beans, maple sugar candy, maple salmon, maple butter, maple tea and coffee, maple pudding, maple liquor, maple BBQ sauce, maple carmella....

[siscri]

Without giving anyone a big head, I have to admit that Canadians are generally my favourite people I meet when traveling. I mentioned it a few times in my travelogue...I've yet to meet a Canadian I didn't like immensely. Swedish and Danish are also generally great.

There's also plenty of Canadian girls I've met who I'd like to see maple-ised.

[But enough with the maple leaf all over your backpacks...we get it...you're not American.]

[kris]

when i was younger i used to relate to canada through a tv show called 'due south' ..so all i know is you have mounties - "they always get their man"
and further North you have Iglos, Polar bears and seal hunting!

[Incrediblelife]

Yeah, well the igloos and polar bears are MUCH further north! We don't live in igloos here, and seals don't get in the way of our dog sleds on our way to work...

It's amazing how many people think we ALL live in igloos and that dog sleds really are what we all drive. I've actually had people be surprised that we drive cars here.

And no, I don't know Bob in Toronto either.... (all you Canadians out there will get that! hee hee)

[uncle_davros]

WHat I have always found strange is the people who are from the country French Canadia. Can someone tell me where it is. I meet all these people who are French Canadian, but I have never seen the country on the map

[Incrediblelife]

hmm.. how do you even begin to describe it? Most of the French in Canada are from the province of Quebec... it is still part of Canada. However, many of them would like to see Quebec as being separate from the rest of Canada. I wish I could say more about it, but I admit that I really don't follow politics so I don't know the details well enough to share them.

Canada is a bilingual country, which means that all packaging and such has both English and French -which is where many actually learn their French And of course our airlines have to say everything in both languages, as some of you may have noticed while in Canada. If you go to Quebec though, in some places it will be tough to actually find English speakers.

Carm - anything to add?

[uncle_davros]

There are many dialects of Spanish in Spain, plus there is another language called Basque. The Basque people are similar to the French Canadians. I meet them, ask them where they come from, and they say Basque. I ask where in Europe that is, and basically, they say a place, that happens to be in Spain. I ask if this is in Spain, and they say yes !!! It is just me being pedantic. I know one day I will upset the wrong person, but such is life. Until that day, I will always ask, where is French Canadia !!!

[whereshegoes]

Only a true Canuck would let you use toque, mukluk and pemmican in a game of scrabble.

Use it in a sentence you say? Ha! I will use all THREE!

"When he saw that the hockey game would go into overtime, Joe stepped into his mukluks and pulled on his toque on his way to the shed to grab another batch of pemmican to munch on."

BTW, "canuck" is defined in Websters as: A Canadian, especially a French Canadian.

I thought that was funny. How to measure ones' "canuckness"? Let me count the ways...

[whereshegoes]

hmm.. how do you even begin to describe it? Most of the French in Canada are from the province of Quebec... it is still part of Canada. However, many of them would like to see Quebec as being separate from the rest of Canada. I wish I could say more about it, but I admit that I really don't follow politics so I don't know the details well enough to share them.

Since you asked: The 1995 Quebec referendum put to public vote the political roles of Quebec and Canada, whether Quebec should secede from Canada and become an independent state.

The referendum took place in Quebec on October 30, 1995, and the motion to pursue Quebec's independence was defeated by an extremely small margin, 50.58% "No" to 49.42% "Yes".

Quebec Referendum Info

Quebec speaks mostly French (québécois) but understand English though, like Parisians, many are reluctant so as to force you to practice speaking their language. You will find that the number of Western Canadians that speak French is MUCH lower than those in the East. Quebecers are a very proud and culture driven making a trip to Montreal quite an experience. I would highly recommend it as they are just one more reason Canada has so many distinct flavors.

[uncle_davros]

So, at the end of the day, what you are saying is that be it English or French speaker, you are all Canadians.

I have always wanted to meet a Canadian who said, "Hi, I'm English Canadian"

[whereshegoes]

Well, where else would you find a Carmelized maple-ite? We are a rare breed

[uncle_davros]

A couple of weekends ago, we went to see some WW1 graveyards in the Somme and Flanders Fields of Belgium. All the countries that were represented had great sites, and as I walked through the Canadian ones, I saw people with English type names, and I also saw some French style ones, but they were all buried under the one flag, which is the Canadian flag. The did not go to war to fight for French Canada or English Canada, they went for Canada, to help out the Commonwealth.

[Guest_MizLiz_*]

A couple of weekends ago, we went to see some WW1 graveyards in the Somme and Flanders Fields of Belgium. All the countries that were represented had great sites, and as I walked through the Canadian ones, I saw people with English type names, and I also saw some French style ones, but they were all buried under the one flag, which is the Canadian flag. The did not go to war to fight for French Canada or English Canada, they went for Canada, to help out the Commonwealth.

French Canada and English Canada are both part of Canada, but the French want to be distinguished as a distinct society here. So far the government has not given this to them, preferring that we all consider ourselves as Canadians.

That is why when you meet people from Quebec, they will tell you they are French Canadians, but most of the rest of us are simply Canadian. I would never even think of introducing myself as an English Canadian.

[uncle_davros]

Personally, I think that when an English Canadian meets a French Canadian on the road, they should say that they are an English Canadian just to mess with their heads

[Guest_MizLiz_*]

That is kinda mean, ya know. Only the French Canadians want to be known as FRENCH Canadians and their accents wouldn't fool anyone by saying they are English Canadians.

[uncle_davros]

Well, I tell the people from Canada who can't speak English very well, because oviously they didn't go to school, that I am an Australian Australia

[Jim]

So why can't we say we are JUST CANADIAN . period.

SpookyJ

[uncle_davros]

Because Jim, there are a group who refuse to say that they are Canadain. They have to say that they are French Canadian, even though there is no country called French Canadia. So until that day, I am an Australian Australian. Period