Canajun, eh?

The BBC article is pretty much just cheap cliches, and some progressive nonsense. Probably written by a progressive who has met and spoke with 50 Canadians (all whom are progressive), and naturally assumed the other 29,999,950 Canucks are exactly the same.

Any attempt to define 30 million individuals with a single brush is asinine.

People in Canada are very diverse, but not in the progressive definition of diverse. The author would be shocked to find out how many Canadians are very pro-American.

Taxes. Lots and lots of taxes.

BBC or CBC,there isn't much difference.

Canada's decision last year to walk out of the Kyoto Protocol caused concern around the world.

not to mention the birthplace of Greenpeace.
(then don't mention it.)

Quite simply,
Canada was not supposed to act like this.

-

Millions of us love Canada,
We admire your independence from Al Gore ass kissers....

Britain has an appallingly scant knowledge of Canada, Canadians, and all things associated therewith. A television show isn't going to change that.

I once tried to read one of John Ralston Saul's books. It would be a good substitute for intravenous conscious sedation.

So Canadians are more interested in jobs then healthcare and the enviornment. dah!

Last time I checked people without jobs have no healthcare and a sh**y enviornment. What a stupid statement.

England should be bloody well pleased we are strengthening ties so they have some place to escape to when the moderate muslims take over.

It has nothing to do with being better or worse Canada is the only Western Democracy that functioning like we did post 2008. The pluse we have is Harper and the rest of the world has nut cases. Wait for it!

Canada is trying to move forward where the rest of the world is still trying to figure out who is picking up the check for dinner.

Sometimes you can learn some really interesting facts about your own country by reading an outsider's take on it. For example, how many of us were aware that twee, GTA-drenched CBC personality Jian Ghomeshi is a "national hero"?

As for the question of what it means to be Canadian, here's a few things off the top of my head: a Canadian is someone who watches Sex In The City and Wheel of fortune, thinks Tim Robbins and Sean Penn are, like, super-intelligent and cool, considers Barack Obama to be a great man and a great president, and believes the canard that Canadians are "friendlier" than Americans.

Hey, just trying to stir the pot...

So superficial and just plain stupid, it's actually an insult. Was I seeing thing or did they really put in a photo of poutine?

Wow! one statistic in this anodyne melange of fluff and cliches hit me and that was that French-English bilingualism had gone up 4 percentage points in only -- only -- 40 years.

And after untold millions and millions of dollars spent too.

That's progress. Only another 8 centuries to go to 100%.

Actually Saul's first book, "The Birds of Prey" (1977), is a brilliant thriller about the anti-Gaullist OAS terrorists. It's a pity he did not stick with thrillers.
http://www.amazon.ca/Birds-Prey-John-Ralston-Saul/dp/0679308903

'The dedication that John Ralston Saul chose to attach to The Birds of Prey is an early indication that this is not going to be a typically Canadian novel: "to Charles de Gaulle, from a disciple, Sans peur et Sans regret.'

Sure lost that devotion.

Mark
Ottawa

The depth of understanding in that article reminds me of the British Mum who writes a letter to her oldest son living in Vancouver telling him to keep an eye on his younger brother living in St John. Writes the eldest son to his British Mum, "You keep an eye on him, you're closer".

Most leftist journalists put emphasis on Quebec and First Nations cultures, as though all the rest of us are interlopers. Squatters.

Throwing in poutine and Attawapiskat is like skimming a book and saying that you'd read it.

Canada = poutine??!
What an idiot.

I went to school overthere, Had problems when the Newfs talked of flying home in 3 or 4 hours and I talked of the 8 hour cicumpolar trip.They just couldn't get it.
but then you are never more than 70 miles from the sea in Britain and seemingly only several inches above it.

I suppose richler and saul are as entitled as any to their opinion of Canadians, but I'd say they're about as isolated and unaware as anyone.

Natch, John Ralston Saul's opinions have been trotted out. Ouch. He says, "What makes it possible to live together is agreement on things like ethics and public policy. Not agreement on accents and religion."

Oh yeah? How puerile. Since when have Canadians agreed on "ethics" (abortion, anyone? gay agenda?) or "public policy" (the Alberta oil sands, anti-bullying in the schools, abortion, etc.)?

Ralston Saul must know the author of this article; she's talking to the wrong people, actually, if she really wants to know what it means to be a Canadian. Ralston Saul's an "official intellectual" -- it helps that he's married to former GG Adrienne Clarkson, media/CBC doyenne -- which somewhat disqualifies him, IMO, from pretending to know what makes Canadians tick as he and Ms. Clarkson view Canada from a somewhat rarefied perch.

One Journalist (now retired) when always asked the question. What is the difference between Americans & Canadians. Always answered thus.

Canadians are just Americans who have had the crap beat out of them by Government since its inception.
As for Quebec. There just cold Climate Cajuns. Fact is the American Cajuns, are the relatives of the ones who where deported from Arcadia. Now known as New Brunswick.

"but if you want to be a cabinet minister or a supreme court judge, you have to be bilingual," says Mr Ralston Saul."

Yes; that explains some of the incompetence. Picking from 17% of the gene pool.

Canada, the little brother to the U.S. Dependent on them for protection and to partially pay for their socialist health care through free market research and development.

Hard to imagine the cost of socialist research and development.

""but if you want to be a cabinet minister or a supreme court judge, you have to be bilingual," says Mr Ralston Saul."

Yes; that explains some of the incompetence. Picking from 17% of the gene pool."

-I don't think either statement is true. Not all cabinet ministers are bilingual, and I believe the regulation for supreme court judges was only a proposal...no?

In fact most federal cabinet ministers, Liberal or Conservative, have not been and are not now bilingual--and most current anglophone ministers who try French are anything like fluent (watch the Commons' Question Period).

Nor are Supreme Court Justices bilingual, nor will they be, contrary to what the opposition parties have been demanding of late.

What lazy "reporting" not to examine the accuracy what the Saul said.

Mark
Ottawa

John Ralston Saul and Noah Richler the 2 spokesmen representing 30 million Canadians. Ya, that otta give ya an accurate assessment of what it means to be Canadian.

Next time maybe interview someone who has gotten dirt under their finger nails. And I mean from work not from failure to wash.

And who better to know the minds of average Canadians than leftist academics.

Trudeau's Bi-lingualism goal?

Where is the multi-culturalism adnauseum?

JRS on BBC = WTF

Cheers;

I regularly watch BBC TV news and kept hearing the ad that they are doing this series but they never mentioned at what time it will show.

RE "Ford Prefect"'s comment about a sh***y environment: nonsense, unless you are living in drug addled downtown Toronto. Most Canadian cities (not to mention the countryside) are very handsome. That's reality not fantasy.

Re: What does it mean to be Canadian? If you have to ask you will never understand.

All I can say about the BBC doing a series on us is, "you snotty Limeys, useless relics of a failed country, SOD OFF!."

So it's confirmed that what Saul said about cabinet ministers and supreme court justices is simply not true...what a pretentious a$$hole that man is...if he really did know what is going on in this country, he'd have known it wasn't true....if he wasn't a lazy poseur, he'd have looked it up...

I think all of you above have covered what is wrong with this article and the series.

What a bunch of leftist drivel, but then, as wallyj said, BBC is the British version of CBC.

Saul and Richler represent only the entrenched rent seeking leftist elite running the country and not the people that are actually producing the wealth of the country.

I see the Indian reserve with 1,000 people and a $30 million budget that blames the government for its own mismanagement gets mention. Most of the Indians around here have jobs and most of them do reasonably well. No reserve.

Today, 17.4% of Canadians are able to conduct a conversation in both languages, a marked increase on the 13.5% reported in 1971.

I wouldcall that pretty insignificant after 40 years of government enforcement - and I am a francophile.

Forcing people out of jobs through government progroms haas done nothing.

What do I care what some Eurocrats think of my nation?

Are Canadians more polite? I've seen behaviour from fellow countrymen that is crass, tactless, boorish and uncultured.

Am I happy to have the government micro-manage my healthcare, education and opinions? Why would I be?

People, especially Canadians, want to shove this country into a definable peg-hole.

I wouldn't use the usual words.

"GTA-drenched CBC personality Jian Ghomeshi is a "national hero"? "

It may not mean anything, but all Canadian national heros have been CBC personalities...

Most trusted Canadian is ????

What UN war hero is a Senator ???

Just saying folks !!!!!!

Rhalson Sual is a French (he is France's boy) citizen and a Communist/Quebec Blocista. Hardly a person to ask about being Canadian.

Western Canadians consider independence, hard work, cowboy boots (old ones), hellish winters feeding cows in a blizzard, Gold/Silver/Zinc/Diamond Rushes, Liberano/Dipper/Blocista lies and and theft, a crocus in spring, big skies, awe inspiring Mountains, big trucks, Big, beautiful black oil (Prairie tea!), Beef Steak and mashed potatoes and beef gravy, rodeos, shooting gophers, country music..; Canadian traits.

Most Canadians are Scottish, Irish, German or North Eastern European or Chineese. Not much love for the Queen - just tolerance.

We have finally chosen a Prime Minister who speaks for us. Why didn't the fools ask our Spokesman, PMSH.

Incidentally that gravy requirement is an Eastern Canadian thing. The most redundant question for a waiter in a Newfoundland restaurant:
"Do you want gravy with that?"

Posted by: Revnant Dream at May 20, 2012 5:49 PM

Hmmmm. Learn something every day.

I didn't know people from a province in Greece (Arcadia) became American Cajuns.

"Today, 17.4% of Canadians are able to conduct a conversation in both languages, a marked increase on the 13.5% reported in 1971."

Robert of Ottawa at May 20, 2012 7:27 PM...you beat me to it. Somehow, that doesn't sound like a marked increase to me.

Anyway, I'm curious what they mean about being able to conduct a conversation. Who keeps track of the bilingual chatter? Did we simply increase the public service by about 4%?

How and why would bilingualism be portrayed as something useful, or even desired... utter rubbish... 17.3 % and 1.3 trillion dollars wasted is an example of success? Bullshit! John Raulstin Saul is a historical revisionist, at best, not to mention dreadfully boring! Richler? Seriously!? The Gomeshi interview with Thorton went south because Thorton was on tour with his band and specifically instructed Gomeshi that he didn't want to discuss his movie career, only music, the first question the "heroic" Gomeshi asked was about Thortons movie career... end of interview. What an absolute distortion of reality. http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/stop-the-official-languages-policy-in-canada.html

set you free

Now you know despite a spelling mistake. Which from me people will tell you is no unusual thing.

The Acadians (French: Acadiens) are the descendants of the original French settlers and often Métis, of parts of Acadia (French: Acadie) in the northeastern region of North America comprising what is now the Canadian Maritime Provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island, Gaspé, in Quebec, and to the Kennebec River in southern Maine.

The history of the Acadians was significantly influenced by the six colonial wars that took place in Acadia during the 17th and 18th century (see the four French and Indian Wars, Father Rale's War and Father Le Loutre's War). Eventually, the last of the colonial wars—the French and Indian War -- resulted in the British Expulsion of the Acadians from the region. After the war, many Acadians came out of hiding or returned to Acadia from the British Colonies. Others remained in France and some migrated from there to Louisiana, where they became known as Cajuns. The nineteenth century saw the beginning of the Acadian Renaissance and the publication of Evangeline, which helped galvanize Acadian identity. In the last century Acadians has been marked by achievements in the areas of equal language and cultural rights as a minority group in the Maritime provinces of Canada.

From Wikipedia on John Ralston Saul: "After helping to set up the national oil company Petro-Canada in 1976, as Assistant to its first Chair, Maurice F. Strong, he published his first novel ... In 2009 he was elected president of PEN International, only the second North American to hold the position since its creation in 1921, the other being Arthur Miller."

As you can see, Mr. Ralston Saul doesn't create wealth, he just uses it up. His career path in Canada has been utterly predictable, starting with his being an assistant to parasitic and opportunistic Maurice Strong. It appears that Mr. Ralston Saul has learned his lessons well.

Who the hell is Jian Ghomeshi?

That first novel is still good.

Mark
Ottawa

What does it mean to be Canadian?

Having your identity established by drips like Saul, I guess.

Funny, it's only the bedwetters in our literary and broadcasting crowd who have this angst. The rest of us know who we are and don't worry too much about it.

Today, 17.4% of Canadians are able to conduct a conversation in both languages, a marked increase on the 13.5% reported in 1971.

I wouldcall that pretty insignificant after 40 years of government enforcement - and I am a francophile.

Forcing people out of jobs through government progroms haas done nothing.
Posted by: Robert of Ottawa at May 20, 2012 7:27 PM

Robert, that 3.9 percent increase is probably entirely attributable to the expansion of our bloated federal civil service. Your language training tax-dollars at work.

Revnant Dream

Oh behave!

Longfellow's Evangeline is 18th century US propaganda....the Acadian Expulsion was a colonial operation not authorized by the Brits. Most descendants of the Acadians don't buy that line....

When the War of 1812 was thrown (ya throw a war like ya throw a party) the acadians in the Maritimes were the most enthusiastic and active privatiers....perhaps settling old scores....

I am what I would term a traditional Canadian, an american monarchist.....

More Candians participated in the War of Northern Aggression, on both sides, than fought in the War of 1812. In both Great misunderstandings (WW1 & WW2) US citizens mustered into the Canadian Forces prior to their nations entry. More Canadians mustered into the US forces than US draftdodgers fled to Canada.

Me, my retired paygrade is O4...

Somehow I have never regarded the US as foreign...funny that...I have associates in Sidney OZ who behave towards Queenslanders like some Canadians regard "Americans".

Funny thing about yanks is if you refer "to the Queen"...they never ask "which queen"....I recall with mirth the US bi-centenial was a non-event until the Queen showed up and ended when her US tour ended....

I figger to understand Canadians you have to understand Americans(USA)....which invariably non americans (USA & Canada) do not.

Yeah...."cold climate Cajuns" is a good definition of the Quebecois....the French(France) would certainly agree....

The article was silly.

A Canadian is someone who embraces winter, believes natural resources (trees, seals, oilsands, potash,...) are our blessing to be used in an environmentally respectful way to create jobs and wealth for ourselves, thinks hockey is a great sport, and loves this country.

God bless this great land!

1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-T3coiH-ss

2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWDXE9Pbjic

Cheers

"cold climate Cajuns" is a good definition of the Quebecois

Two different animals.

I get the feeling that Acadians and Cajuns are still the same pleasant people 250 years later. All I ever hear from les Quebecois is bitching and complaining and bitching and ..........

sasquatch

Hey you have to have a little fun once in a while (O:}