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Review: Canada
Jun. 4th, 2017 10:59 pmLiz Sonneborn wrote the Canada volume of the Enchantment of the World series I love (2012).
Terry Fox
The first chapter made me cry; it was about Terry Fox. The name was familiar to me, but I didn't know why. He found out he had blood cancer his freshman year in college; by then it was so bad that most of his right leg had to be amputated.
Afterwards, "Fox could not shake memories of the cancer ward of his hospital. He was upset by the suffering of fellow cancer patients and inspired by their courage. Fox was also angry. He felt that Canada was not providing enough funds to medical research for finding a cure for cancer." So he decided to run across Canada (3426 miles as the crow flies) at the pace of one marathon (26 miles) a day to raise money for cancer research. He did not have one of those cool giant hook artificial legs. "He would make two hops on his left leg and then swing his artificial leg forward. The stump of his right leg was bruised and battered by each step Fox made."
He became a celebrity, was cheered on by crowds, and got to meet other celebrities. But after 3,339 miles in 143 days, a pain in his chest stopped him, and he learned that it was more cancer and that it would kill him. Now there is a statue of him and, more importantly, "The annual Terry Fox Run is now held in sixty countries each September" raising money for cancer research. (These runs are much shorter than his, generally 5 - 15 kilometers). According to Wikipedia, Fox even got to find out about these runs when the person who organized them called him at the hospital to ask permission.
Geography
I've always wished I could remember where things are in Canada better. There are 10 provinces and 3 territories. Most cities, farming, and industry are in the Great Lakes area. In most Canadian cities, homes and shops are in the same parts of town, so biking and walking are much more common.
Toronto is the largest city and is the capital of Manitoba, right across Lake Ontario from New York state. Half of its population is immigrants. Montreal, Quebec is the second-largest city and the center of French-speaking culture. It's on an island where the St. Lawrence and Ottawa rivers meet, near the borders of New York and Vermont. Calgary, Alberta, on the western edge of the interior planes, north of Montana, started as a fort, then a railroad station, then oil territory, and now holds "the annual Calgary Stampede, a rodeo and celebration of western life." Ottawa is the nation's capital and is located on the Ottawa river, kind of between Montreal and Toronto. It's a high-tech center, has many museums, and "the world's largest ice rink" in the winter when the Rideau Canal freezes.
The most temperate area is west of the Rockies along the Pacific coast; it sounds similar to the weather in Washington and Oregon. Almost half the country is still covered in forests. Canada also has a lot of wetlands and therefore a lot of birds such as Canada geese, mallard ducks, great blue herons, bald eagles, and the Atlantic puffin. The province Newfoundland and Labrador is also the name of two dog breeds.
History
Hunters crossed the Bering land bridge from Asia around 12,000 years ago. In Canada, their descendants are called the First Nations people rather than Native Americans.
There are Viking ruins in Newfoundland.
John Cabot (really Giovanni Caboto from Italy, backed by the English King) "discovered" Canada in 1492, thinking it was Asia. In 1534, Jacques Cartier claimed the St. Lawrence area for France and named it Kanata, "a word native Huron and Iroquois people used to mean 'village.'" Just one of many misinterpretations, I'm sure. Samuel de Champlain established the first permanent French settlement in 1608 at the site of what is now Quebec City, previously the Iroquois village of Stadacona. In the 1600s, more French settlers came to what is now Nova Scotia and New Brunswick (far northeastern Canada), aka Acadia. In 1670, "English king Charles II granted to the Hudson's Bay Company the right to trade on all lands drained by the waters of Hudson Bay."
French and British fought each other. Many Acadians were forced to evacuate and what to what is now Louisiana and are now called Cajuns. The British won the French and Indian war, but required upsettingly larger taxes on their colonies. "To encourage the loyalty of the French Canadians, the British government passed the Quebec Act of 1774," promising that the British would not interfere with their way of life in several important ways (such as legal system and religion).
During the US war of independence British loyalists fled to Canada. On July 1, 1867 (now celebrated as Canada day), Canada became independent, though still part of the Commonwealth of Nations.
The discovery of gold in the Klondike (in what is now the Yukon territory in NW Canada) in 1896 led to a gold rush. The railroads brought settlers and the natives were forced into reservations called reserves. To keep Quebec from separating, Canada began funding more French speaking schools, appointed more French Canadians to important posts, and made French an official language. They still regularly vote on whether to secede, so far always "no," but the vote was very close (50.5 for staying, 49.5 against) in 1995. Canadian policies of toleration for all citizens also helped native peoples and more recent immigrants.
Government
Canada's government is similar to ours, but the federal government focuses on "national defense, trade, international relations, and native affairs" whereas the provincial governments focus on education, health care, law enforcement, and road building. Territories have less local power than provinces. Then municipal governments focus on "garbage collection, public transit, and animal control."
Economy
The economy was originally based on hunting and fishing. Then also trade in beaver furs. Then also timber, farms, and ranches. Then also manufacturing, mining, banking, and high-tech.
In Sudbury, in northern Ontario, a local fireman built a massive sculpture of a Canadian nickel to celebrate the city's 100th anniversary and its history as a center for mining nickel. Now the park around it has expanded to include more attractions.
Energy
Canadians use mostly coal, oil, gas, hydroelectric power.
Currency
There are no $1 bills, but there are $1 coins, featuring the image of a common loon and referred to as loonies, and $2 coins, referred to as toonies.
Language
"Even though Canada is bilingual, most of its people are not. ... No individual Canadian is required to learn a second language, although about 15 percent of Canadians are fluent in both French and English," especially in Ontario (Acadians) and Quebec.
First language - 59% English, 21.5% French, 19.5% other. About 60 languages are still spoken by native peoples. Inuits arrived after the First Nations peoples. There's a picture of an Innuit mom on a snowmobile with a fancy parka designed with room to carry a baby on her back with a hood that can cover them both. The third most common language is Chinese.
Immigration
Canada prefers the term "cultural mosaic" to "melting pot" because they want it to be easy for immigrants to keep their old ways and not have to adopt the culture of the majority. I like that!
Religion
Most Canadians are Catholic (from the French). The United Church of Canada was formed by Canadians of several Protestant faiths including Presbyterians, Methodists, and Congregationalists. They also have the Anglican Church of Canada, formerly known as the Church of England in Canada.
Some people came to Canada fleeing religious persecution such as the Doukhobors from Russia who broke from the Russian Orthodox church because they believe that God is within each human being, not just in church. Some of their decendents still observe their old traditions including communal settlements and the Russian language. Church and state are not so separate as in the US--there are religious and French-speaking schools, and Sikhs are allowed to carry kirpan's (ceremonial swords) even though weapons are banned in schools.
Culture
Canadian singers include Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Alanis Morissette, Shania Twain, k.d. lang, Justin Bieber, and Celine Dion (the last originally singing in French). And they are into jazz.
"Most of the films shown ... are made in Hollywood" but the government's National Film Board "produces and distributes a wide variety of Canadian-made movies." Jim Carrey, Mike Myers, and directors David Chronenberg, Atom Egoyan, and Denys Arcand ("The Barbarian Invasions") are from Canada and Canada hosts the famous Tornonto International Film Festival. And "since the early 1970s, the Canadian government has required that a certain percentage of television programs must be from Canada."
Of course they are into sports, mostly hockey and lacrosse (adapted from a game played by several First Nations groups before the arrival of Europeans), but also just about every other sport.
Food
Even I have heard of poutine (fries with gravy and cheese curds). They also like malt vinegar on their fries. They also specialize in smoked brisket, Canadian bacon, and all things maple syrup. And Tim Hortons is a fast-food (donut) chain so big that it's in the US, too. Related vocabulary : timbit = donut hole, double-double = coffee with two servings of cream and sugar.
Terry Fox
The first chapter made me cry; it was about Terry Fox. The name was familiar to me, but I didn't know why. He found out he had blood cancer his freshman year in college; by then it was so bad that most of his right leg had to be amputated.
Afterwards, "Fox could not shake memories of the cancer ward of his hospital. He was upset by the suffering of fellow cancer patients and inspired by their courage. Fox was also angry. He felt that Canada was not providing enough funds to medical research for finding a cure for cancer." So he decided to run across Canada (3426 miles as the crow flies) at the pace of one marathon (26 miles) a day to raise money for cancer research. He did not have one of those cool giant hook artificial legs. "He would make two hops on his left leg and then swing his artificial leg forward. The stump of his right leg was bruised and battered by each step Fox made."
He became a celebrity, was cheered on by crowds, and got to meet other celebrities. But after 3,339 miles in 143 days, a pain in his chest stopped him, and he learned that it was more cancer and that it would kill him. Now there is a statue of him and, more importantly, "The annual Terry Fox Run is now held in sixty countries each September" raising money for cancer research. (These runs are much shorter than his, generally 5 - 15 kilometers). According to Wikipedia, Fox even got to find out about these runs when the person who organized them called him at the hospital to ask permission.
Geography
I've always wished I could remember where things are in Canada better. There are 10 provinces and 3 territories. Most cities, farming, and industry are in the Great Lakes area. In most Canadian cities, homes and shops are in the same parts of town, so biking and walking are much more common.
Toronto is the largest city and is the capital of Manitoba, right across Lake Ontario from New York state. Half of its population is immigrants. Montreal, Quebec is the second-largest city and the center of French-speaking culture. It's on an island where the St. Lawrence and Ottawa rivers meet, near the borders of New York and Vermont. Calgary, Alberta, on the western edge of the interior planes, north of Montana, started as a fort, then a railroad station, then oil territory, and now holds "the annual Calgary Stampede, a rodeo and celebration of western life." Ottawa is the nation's capital and is located on the Ottawa river, kind of between Montreal and Toronto. It's a high-tech center, has many museums, and "the world's largest ice rink" in the winter when the Rideau Canal freezes.
The most temperate area is west of the Rockies along the Pacific coast; it sounds similar to the weather in Washington and Oregon. Almost half the country is still covered in forests. Canada also has a lot of wetlands and therefore a lot of birds such as Canada geese, mallard ducks, great blue herons, bald eagles, and the Atlantic puffin. The province Newfoundland and Labrador is also the name of two dog breeds.
History
Hunters crossed the Bering land bridge from Asia around 12,000 years ago. In Canada, their descendants are called the First Nations people rather than Native Americans.
There are Viking ruins in Newfoundland.
John Cabot (really Giovanni Caboto from Italy, backed by the English King) "discovered" Canada in 1492, thinking it was Asia. In 1534, Jacques Cartier claimed the St. Lawrence area for France and named it Kanata, "a word native Huron and Iroquois people used to mean 'village.'" Just one of many misinterpretations, I'm sure. Samuel de Champlain established the first permanent French settlement in 1608 at the site of what is now Quebec City, previously the Iroquois village of Stadacona. In the 1600s, more French settlers came to what is now Nova Scotia and New Brunswick (far northeastern Canada), aka Acadia. In 1670, "English king Charles II granted to the Hudson's Bay Company the right to trade on all lands drained by the waters of Hudson Bay."
French and British fought each other. Many Acadians were forced to evacuate and what to what is now Louisiana and are now called Cajuns. The British won the French and Indian war, but required upsettingly larger taxes on their colonies. "To encourage the loyalty of the French Canadians, the British government passed the Quebec Act of 1774," promising that the British would not interfere with their way of life in several important ways (such as legal system and religion).
During the US war of independence British loyalists fled to Canada. On July 1, 1867 (now celebrated as Canada day), Canada became independent, though still part of the Commonwealth of Nations.
The discovery of gold in the Klondike (in what is now the Yukon territory in NW Canada) in 1896 led to a gold rush. The railroads brought settlers and the natives were forced into reservations called reserves. To keep Quebec from separating, Canada began funding more French speaking schools, appointed more French Canadians to important posts, and made French an official language. They still regularly vote on whether to secede, so far always "no," but the vote was very close (50.5 for staying, 49.5 against) in 1995. Canadian policies of toleration for all citizens also helped native peoples and more recent immigrants.
Government
Canada's government is similar to ours, but the federal government focuses on "national defense, trade, international relations, and native affairs" whereas the provincial governments focus on education, health care, law enforcement, and road building. Territories have less local power than provinces. Then municipal governments focus on "garbage collection, public transit, and animal control."
Economy
The economy was originally based on hunting and fishing. Then also trade in beaver furs. Then also timber, farms, and ranches. Then also manufacturing, mining, banking, and high-tech.
In Sudbury, in northern Ontario, a local fireman built a massive sculpture of a Canadian nickel to celebrate the city's 100th anniversary and its history as a center for mining nickel. Now the park around it has expanded to include more attractions.
Energy
Canadians use mostly coal, oil, gas, hydroelectric power.
Currency
There are no $1 bills, but there are $1 coins, featuring the image of a common loon and referred to as loonies, and $2 coins, referred to as toonies.
Language
"Even though Canada is bilingual, most of its people are not. ... No individual Canadian is required to learn a second language, although about 15 percent of Canadians are fluent in both French and English," especially in Ontario (Acadians) and Quebec.
First language - 59% English, 21.5% French, 19.5% other. About 60 languages are still spoken by native peoples. Inuits arrived after the First Nations peoples. There's a picture of an Innuit mom on a snowmobile with a fancy parka designed with room to carry a baby on her back with a hood that can cover them both. The third most common language is Chinese.
Immigration
Canada prefers the term "cultural mosaic" to "melting pot" because they want it to be easy for immigrants to keep their old ways and not have to adopt the culture of the majority. I like that!
Religion
Most Canadians are Catholic (from the French). The United Church of Canada was formed by Canadians of several Protestant faiths including Presbyterians, Methodists, and Congregationalists. They also have the Anglican Church of Canada, formerly known as the Church of England in Canada.
Some people came to Canada fleeing religious persecution such as the Doukhobors from Russia who broke from the Russian Orthodox church because they believe that God is within each human being, not just in church. Some of their decendents still observe their old traditions including communal settlements and the Russian language. Church and state are not so separate as in the US--there are religious and French-speaking schools, and Sikhs are allowed to carry kirpan's (ceremonial swords) even though weapons are banned in schools.
Culture
Canadian singers include Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Alanis Morissette, Shania Twain, k.d. lang, Justin Bieber, and Celine Dion (the last originally singing in French). And they are into jazz.
"Most of the films shown ... are made in Hollywood" but the government's National Film Board "produces and distributes a wide variety of Canadian-made movies." Jim Carrey, Mike Myers, and directors David Chronenberg, Atom Egoyan, and Denys Arcand ("The Barbarian Invasions") are from Canada and Canada hosts the famous Tornonto International Film Festival. And "since the early 1970s, the Canadian government has required that a certain percentage of television programs must be from Canada."
Of course they are into sports, mostly hockey and lacrosse (adapted from a game played by several First Nations groups before the arrival of Europeans), but also just about every other sport.
Food
Even I have heard of poutine (fries with gravy and cheese curds). They also like malt vinegar on their fries. They also specialize in smoked brisket, Canadian bacon, and all things maple syrup. And Tim Hortons is a fast-food (donut) chain so big that it's in the US, too. Related vocabulary : timbit = donut hole, double-double = coffee with two servings of cream and sugar.