Canada Day on the Mall
Today, July 1, it is time to celebrate a nation’s founding. No, I am not drunk on cheep booze and off by three days, I am talking Canada Day – the day Canadians try to make folks believe they aren’t just an extension of North Dakota or France of the North.
And what better way to celebrate Canadian Independence Day that on the Mall at the Folklife Festival. The Smithsonian’s annual celebration of all things distant and exotic has an expose on the very striking.. Alberta?
Yes, that Alberta, the one in Canada. The one the Smithsonian gushes over with this riveting prose:
Alberta’s true wealth is its people–a diverse, hard-working, innovative population whose “can do” spirit has transformed a frontier territory into a prosperous province with a vibrant cultural landscape. Celebrating its centennial in 2005, Alberta is the first Canadian province to be featured at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.
Yeah, and let us hope it’s the last.
So what have you got against Alberta? And Canada for that matter? It was the Canadians who caught terrorists in its own country. Canadians who gave home and shelter to the folks who diverted from US air space during the days of 9/11 attacks. Canadians who gave you Capt. Kirk, Shania Twain, Pamela Anderson, battery-operated wheelchair, map of the brain, snowmobiles, jetskis, basketball (and you thought this was an “American” game!)…AND GSM is available in Canada.
What we Canucks don’t have is…BUSH! Need I say more?
Dear Canada,
We are done with Shania Twain, you may have her back, now. Thanks.
Tom
Ok, so you don’t like country. Other rockin’ Canadians include Nickelback, Nelly Furado, Skinny Puppy, BareNaked Ladies, Avril Lavigne, Our Lady Peace and of course, the grandfather of Canadian rock is Neil Young! Woohoo!
I’m sorry – I love Canada but Nickelback and Avril Lavigne do not “rock” in any sense of the word. Celine Dion may also cancel out any positive points awarded for, say, Alanis Morissette (in the Jagged Little Pill days).
Canada has given us some good funny men though…Jim Carrey and Mike Meyers come to mind.
Yes, please come get Nickelback and Avril and for the love of God, Neil Young.
That said, a good chunk of my cousins are Canadian, and I’ve got nothing but love for our Northern Neighbors.