What does it mean to be Canadian?

[Lanny_MacDonald]

I have been asked to speak to a graduating class of university students about what it is to be Canadian. I am very proud of my heritage and have an opinion (shocking isn't it) on what it is to be Canadian, but I thought I would like to hear what some other people think it is to be Canadian. Please keep the jokes to a minimum and try and help me augment a presentation on what are Canadian ideals, attitudes and culture (yes, we have a very fine culture, one to be proud of). I would like to hear from you folks what you think differentiates Canadians from Americans and what makes Canada the country it is.

[Cheese]

• Candians are more tolerant and respectful.
• Canadians are "Peace Loving"
• Multicultural
• Space....lots of space to camp, travel, with trees, rocks and FRESH water.
• Nobody notices us.
• Freedom of choice.

[Reaper]

Canadians tend to have an expanded social conscience when it comes to their view of the world. Good examples of this are universal health care and Canada's participation in UN peacekeeping. Another good example is reflected in our news media as a broad spectrum of stories tend to be covered regardless of the nation of the event. This differs greatly from the typical American newscast where news tends to focus only on things that involve the United States.

[Lanny_MacDonald]

Expanding on this question, here are some of the issues I am to address:

What does Canada stand for?

What do Canadians stand for?

What are the similarities/differences between the USA and Canada (culture, politics, etc.)?

What are the similarities/differences between Canadians and Americans?

How do Canadians view the USA and Americans?

[habernac]

we're strong, independent, tolerant. We're still known world wide as some of the most tenacious and well trained fighters (military) on the planet (although our equipment leaves something to be desired).

[Frank the Tank]

I think one main difference between Americans and Canadians is the way in which we display our patriotism. Americans are all "rah rah rah, shove the red white and blue down your throat", whereas Canadians are as equally patriotic, just not as boistrous. I'd hazard to guess that most Canadians are actually more patriotic than most Americans.

[Bleeding Red]

Canadians:
- pioneering spirit
- more socially concious
- more worldly

Americans:
- Entrepanurial Spirit
- more personally responsable
- more insular


I think a big difference is that Americans see themselves at the top - as the biggest boy in the room whose system (though with admitted flaws) has basically won the day (be it democracy, judicary, liberalism, capitalism). As such they feel they should be the leaders and others should step in line. A fierce sense of National pride.

Canadians do have a sense of national pride, just not as developed or as much of a focal point as in the US. Canadians know they are not the biggest boys in the room and are generally more willing to work things out.

[FireFly]

Originally Posted by Lanny_MacDonald

Expanding on this question, here are some of the issues I am to address:

What does Canada stand for?

What do Canadians stand for?

What are the similarities/differences between the USA and Canada (culture, politics, etc.)?

What are the similarities/differences between Canadians and Americans?

How do Canadians view the USA and Americans?

Excellent book by Michael Adams called Fire and Ice attempts to answer these questions with survey data. Basically while Canada and Canadians are becoming more postmodern, Americans are retrenching. Anyways, the book is excellent even if you have to question the accuracy of it's finding. (While you question them, you can still acknowledge they are probably fairly accurate anyways.)

[troutman]

Brave:

The Canadian soldiers that stormed the beaches in Normandy

Terry Fox

Funny:

Candy, Ackroyd, Myers, Hartman, Carey, SCTV, Kids in the Hall, Lorne Michaels, Short, Levy, Leslie Neilsen, Moranis, Andrea Martin, O'Hara

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

I think it's kind of interesting that his question was what it is to be Canadian and what it is that differentiates us from Americans.

Maybe that is a small bit of insecurity that we have as a country that whenever someone asks what it is to be Canadian we instantly think the answer has less to do with our place in the world on an international stage than it does with what makes us differnet from Americans.

If we're so concerned with what makes us Canadians maybe we should stop trying to define in in terms of how we aren't American.

It's the same as with anything. Should the Flames try to define their identity by saying "We don't play run and gun like the Oilers and Canucks" or should we stick with out own style "We play solid defence, good forchecking, and limit our own mistakes while forcing and capitalizing on our opponenets mistakes".

Saying who we aren't doesn't define who we are.
Anyway that's my $0.02

[Bobblehead]

I like Bleeding Red's description.

From the ouside it seems that Canada has an inferiority complex, but I do not believe it. It is more that we believe we are very good, but want to be the best; and if we are not the best best then why not and how are the best doing it. Canada seems to do a lot of soul searching.

In my mind, that is one of the reasons for anti-american sentiment in Canada. The US screams they are the best, and Canada can't help but look and know it is not true; then take a "the emperor has no clothes" point of view. But the fact is Trudeau had it right when he said Canada is in bed with an elephant, and we can't help but feel every tremor.

[White Doors]

Originally Posted by Frank the Tank

I think one main difference between Americans and Canadians is the way in which we display our patriotism. Americans are all "rah rah rah, shove the red white and blue down your throat", whereas Canadians are as equally patriotic, just not as boistrous. I'd hazard to guess that most Canadians are actually more patriotic than most Americans.

I think 10-15 years ago, that would be accurate, but I'm not so sure anymore. You see flag waving and over the top patriotism in Canada now moreso than any time I can remember. It even goes so far as to blind us to our faults sometimes - like the Americans.

I don't think you can mention Canada without mentioning our climate and how we love to complain about it and our bilingualism.

[White Doors]

Originally Posted by Bring_Back_Shantz

I think it's kind of interesting that his question was what it is to be Canadian and what it is that differentiates us from Americans.

Maybe that is a small bit of insecurity that we have as a country that whenever someone asks what it is to be Canadian we instantly think the answer has less to do with our place in the world on an international stage than it does with what makes us differnet from Americans.

If we're so concerned with what makes us Canadians maybe we should stop trying to define in in terms of how we aren't American.

It's the same as with anything. Should the Flames try to define their identity by saying "We don't play run and gun like the Oilers and Canucks" or should we stick with out own style "We play solid defence, good forchecking, and limit our own mistakes while forcing and capitalizing on our opponenets mistakes".

Saying who we aren't doesn't define who we are.
Anyway that's my $0.02

WOW!! excellenr post and exactly how I feel. I think in essence, Canada is still a bit of an 'immature' country in regards to how we define it. A lot of that, I think, has to do with the perpetual liberal leadership of this country. We have ben whining from the sidelines about who we aren't for 20 years now. I think we are starting to discover our real self image now. I think the Canadian consciouness is maturing. We'll see.

[White Doors]

Canada's international importance in geo politics is again rising dramatically. With the end of the cold war, our strategic location suddenly didn't matter as much anymore. With the emergence of India and China along with their 2 billion inhabitants is again making the world take notice of Candada, this time for our riches of natural resources that these emrerging econimic giants will need for decades to come.

We no longer have to pine for attention, they see how important we are and they will seek to have positive relaitons with us.

[Clarkey]

You're making a speech to a graduating university class, are you some kind of big wig?

[Frank the Tank]

Originally Posted by White Doors

I think 10-15 years ago, that would be accurate, but I'm not so sure anymore. You see flag waving and over the top patriotism in Canada now moreso than any time I can remember. It even goes so far as to blind us to our faults sometimes - like the Americans.

I don't think you can mention Canada without mentioning our climate and how we love to complain about it and our bilingualism.

I don't see Canadian flags hanging from every street lamp in small towns as I drive through, nor on every other house. Its far more prominent in the States.

[Cube Inmate]

You start with the way we were born:

America was born by way of revolution...Canada by evolution. With that single difference, America immediately defined itself as a country, whereas Canada has been struggling to do so for almost 140 years. In my mind, the struggle to define what we are is, in fact, the definition of what we are.

[Hakan]

Canada the world's only self defined 'middle power.'

In all honesty we are a client state of the U.S. Much like what the Ukraine is to Russia The entire world knows that which is why our international influence has dwindled to where it is now.

In terms of domestic culture, I guess we're somewhat different. We appear to be more tolerant of other cultures although it's disputable. We don't have a virulently evangelical culture in some areas, although we are still as religious as the U.S. We tend to trust government more but in the wake of the Bush administration that can be disputed. The ratio of consumed foreign culture exports -which almost entirely American in source- versus consumed domestic cultural products is the highest in the western world. Economically, we aren't as free market oriented as the United States but we are probably next in line in the Western world. We are more urban than the U.S. by a couple percentage points. We have very similar consumption habits. The list goes on...

Finding differences as opposed to similarities is actually the hard part. Doesn't exactly make you think we're all that different and explains why Canadian culture is perpetually defined by what it isn't.

edit: Oh this is just analyzing english Canadian culture. Quebecois culture is clearly it's own definite culture, and in my opinion, the only example of a uniquely Canadian culture.

[White Doors]

Originally Posted by Frank the Tank

I don't see Canadian flags hanging from every street lamp in small towns as I drive through, nor on every other house. Its far more prominent in the States.

You watch the Olympics? I've seen Canadian flags put on cars.. weird.

[MRCboicgy]

Canada has the entrepreneurial spirit moreso than americans I think--but maybe that's just because that's what i hear in since I'm getting my degree in Entrepreneurship & Intl business.