Top Ten Canadian Icons
Today marks the 150th anniversary of Canada's Confederation. This is a list of the people, places, and things that make Canadians from sea to sea proud. God keep our land, glorious and free. O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
The one and only maple leaf
His portrait graces our ten-dollar bill (although I believe he's being squeezed out next year, unfortunately). Without Sir John A. and the other "Fathers of Confederation," Canada as we know it would not exist.
Walk by any outdoor rink from December through February and you will see a game of pickup going on. Grab a stick and hop the boards! Or, wstch the Toronto Maple Leafs take on the Montreal Canadiens in a duel for the ages.
It defines the skyline of Toronto (one of the world's greatest cities, by the way). At night, when decorated with coloured lights, it's even more impressive.
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semiaquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, the North American beaver and Eurasian beaver. Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges. The logo of the Canadian Pacific Railway. The coat of arms of the University of Toronto. The face of Canada's five-cent piece. All are adorned with the likeness of our national animal.
Stompin' Tom was an unabashed patriot who, more than any other Canadian singer, expressed the love and pride that so many of us for this country.
The Canada goose is a large wild goose species with a black head and neck, white cheeks, white under its chin, and a brown body. Native to arctic and temperate regions of North America, its migration occasionally reaches northern Europe. These birds are sort of like Canadians in that foreigners think they're awesome. We, however, have a love-hate relationship with them. On one hand, they're noisy and messy. On the other, they're beautiful. A flock of geese passing overhead is an awe-inspiring sight.
Tim Hortons Inc. is a Canadian-based multinational fast food restaurant known for its coffee and donuts. It's true. Everybody knows the menu inside out and has a preferred order.
Whether or not they watch hockey, all Canadians are familiar with Don Cherry and his gaudy suits.
The Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow might be the world's most famous unfinished military project. It was intended to become the Royal Canadian Air Force's primay interceptor. The project was cancelled, however, and all six completed aircraft were scrapped. Some say the aircraft was too advanced for its time. Some say a Soviet spy had infiltrated the project. Others say it was simply too expensive. Whatever the reason for its cancellation, the Arrow has taken on legendary status among Canadians.
Avril Ramona Lavigne is a Canadian–French singer-songwriter and actress. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more than $2 million.
Céline Marie Claudette Dion is a Canadian singer and businesswoman. She is best known for her song "My Heart Will Go On", which is the main theme of the 1997 film Titanic, which was the first film to gross $1 billion at the box office.
Aubrey Drake Graham, known professionally as Drake, is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor, born on October 24, 1986 in Toronto, Canada. He started his career on Canadian reality show "Degrassi: The Next Generation".
Lacrosse is a contact team sport played between two teams using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick.
Gordon "Gordie" Howe OC (March 31, 1928 – June 10, 2016) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. From 1946 to 1980, he played twenty-six seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL).
Poutine is a Canadian dish, originating in the province of Quebec in the late 1950s, made with French fries and cheese curds topped with light brown gravy. Poutine is the most popular dish in Quebec. It's also found across Canada and in some places in the northern United States. Poutine has many variations as many toppings can be added - ham, chicken, sausage, bacon, and everything else somebody may... read more