Watch the video above: CNN says Canadians are great at apologizing, among other things. Cindy Pom reports.
TORONTO – Canada is tops at a lot of things according to a recent CNN article. Among them, apologizing and making velvety chocolate. Don’t forget our thousands of fresh lakes and cottage country. Then, we profit by dressing up our cities to stand in for American ones in movies.
While that’s all probably correct, there are a few things that most of us might think should be on the list.
Hockey.
While Canada may not win every single tournament, the team is always a favourite, and currently holds Olympic gold in both men and women’s hockey, just two of the 18 Olympic medals we’ve won in the sport.
Hockey was born on a pond just outside Windsor, N.S. and a plethora of all-time greats are Canadian, including, arguably the best player ever, “The Great One” Wayne Gretzky.
We’re tough. And to see that, you needn’t look farther than the ice. How tough are we? Toronto Maple Leafs legend Bobby Baun broke his ankle after blocking a shot in game six of the 1964 Stanley Cup Finals against the Detroit Red Wings. Though he was carried off the ice on a stretcher, he refused to go to the hospital, came back for the overtime period and scored the game-winning goal.
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But Canada isn’t just made up of tough hockey players; former Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson was a founder of the United Nations’ Peacekeeping division. He first suggested the idea of a peacekeeping force in 1957 to ensure the ceasefire in the Suez Canal Crisis was honoured. Pearson was awarded the 1957 Nobel Peace Prize.
On a different note; maple syrup. That sugary liquid that’s poured on pancakes, waffles and French toast around the world is a Canadian staple. In 2004, Canada produced close to 80 per cent of the world’s maple syrup, according to a survey done by the American National Agricultural Statistics Service. Most of that maple syrup was produced in Quebec.
Poutine. The French-Canadian delicacy is comprised of French fries, gravy and cheese curds (not any other type of cheese). The dish is so good that CNN pondered “Canada’s national dish: 740 calories – and worth every bite?” (The author of this article says it is, indeed, worth every bite.).
After Canucks fill up with maple syrup and poutine, many are thankful for our universal health care. Pioneered by Saskatchewan premier Tommy Douglas in 1962 (grandfather to 24 star Kiefer Sutherland), it was introduced nationwide by then-Prime Minister Pearson.
The Canadarm (or the Shuttle Remote Manipulator System (SRMS)) is perhaps Canada’s most significant contribution to space research. It debuted in 1981. The Canadarm helped astronauts work outside the space station and served as a camerapod allowing NASA to take photos deep into space.
But Canada has also made another contribution to the space program; perhaps the coolest astronaut in recent memory, Chris Hadfield. Now retired, he was the first Canadian to walk in space and the first Canadian to command the International Space Station (ISS).
The Ontario-native became a household name after recording several songs while aboard ISS including a cover of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity.”
He also leveraged the power of social media (he has over 1 million followers on Twitter) by frequently tweeting photographs of the earth from space.
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