Maple Taffy and Cheese

Maple taffy on snow instantly reminds me of school trips to the sugar bush, sweet sticky maple goodness wrapped on a stick was our reward for braving the cold days learning about maple syrup production. 

photo credit 

Since my childhood I had always thought that it could not get any better than maple taffy by itself. Those thoughts changed one night at a party in Toronto, it was there that I was offered Canadian cheese wrapped in maple taffy. The sound of it intrigued my curiosity and the salty sweet taste life changing and it left me wanting more. 

Use the recipe below to make your own maple taffy and pick your favourite cheese and serve it up to yourself or at a party. You will not regret it.

photo from foodnetwork.ca

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Alliston Potato Festival

Every year on the second weekend of August things start to change in my hometown, an amusement park pops up in my old grade school yard, the streets start to get busier, the store fronts begin to take on a festive appearance as they compete for the best potato display. The town of Alliston is a buzz for it's annual Potato Festival. 

If you are wondering why Alliston chose to host a festival of potatoes. It is because at the time of the Potato Festival's conception (1972-73), Alliston was the biggest and the best potato growing area of Ontario and most likely even Canada. 

Friday night Victoria street shuts down for the annual parade, not many know this but it is one of the biggest parades around and by far my personal favourite part of the weekend, but as a child I can remember the rides and games were always a top priority. Besides the midway and the parade there are many other things to keep one busy, such as sidewalk sales, live music and beer tent, a car show, street buskers and much more. 

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A & W Canada

Known for it's Root Beer in a frosted mug, A & W Food Services Canada Inc. is a chain of fast-food restaurants. Its origins come from the U.S. back to when Roy W. Allen opened a walk-up root beer stand in Lodi, California, in 1919. Allen's employee Frank Wright partnered with him and founded the first A&W restaurant in Sacramento, California, in 1923. The company name was taken respectively from the initials of their last names — Allen and Wright. 

A&W Hamilton, Ontario

Yes, I do know that what I just explained was American history. This is where it comes back around. 

A&W Canada was part of the U.S. based A&W Restaurants chain, but was sold to Unilever in 1972, and then bought by its management in 1995.  A&W Canada gave the peace out to the U.S. Chain and no longer has any corporate connection to A&W operations outside of Canada. 

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The Prairies

Primarily located in southern Saskatchewan but sprinkled into lower Alberta and Manitoba are the Canadian Prairies. The Canadian Prairies are the northernmost section of the Great Plains of North America. Once a thriving wild grassland the Canadian Prairies have since been converted into almost exclusive farmland. The growth patterns of certain plants are predictable here and yield excellent crops. Some notable crops are wheat, canola, flax, oats and barley.

Spectacular view of a farmers field in the prairies.

Photo credit: http://www.freeimages.com/photographer/swillems-56408

When you mention the prairies to a Canadian they most certainly think of the flat golden wheat fields contrasted to a rich blue sky that you can see for miles and miles. However the land is more diverse and includes, plains, valleys, hills and more. There is plenty to do and see including camping with Parks Canada, learning how to farm and visiting local landmarks. A famous Canadian television series Corner Gas, was also filmed and set in the prairies. We love Canada's diverse landscape and the prairies do not always get the attention they deserve. If you find yourself out there, a wheat field sunset will knock your socks off!

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Killbear Provincial Park

Killbear Provincial Park is immortalized in many Group of Seven paintings and a visit to the park feels like you are stepping into the canvas. Rocky shores jutting into Georgian Bay; clear, weedless water; weatherworn trees gripping for purchase on the rocks; and an array of earthy colours that change throughout the year define the area.

By Robert Swier from Osaka, Japan - Wind Tree Clouds, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7737263

It is a protected gem in the middle of Ontario’s burgeoning cottage country, one that many seek out to embrace the feeling of wild experienced by our ancestors.

It is also considered an exceptional boating destination with plenty of hidden bays in which to anchor for a day of swimming.  


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Canadian Winter Festivals

We Canadians have learned to embrace what others typically hide away from. The frigid cold of winter is one of those things we cannot escape (until we are 65+ and become snowbirds) so we make the best of it by having a big party! All across Canada, cities, towns and communities host winter festivals as a way to celebrate their heritage and of course, beat away the winter blues. While there are many festivals that exist, some notable ones are:

Carnaval de Quebec, Quebec City QC

Carnaval de Quebec is the largest winter festival in the world. The festivals features parade’s both day and night led by the King of the Winter Festival, Bonhomme. There are also ice sculptures, dog races, select streets are closed down and filled with family activities, restaurant and bar patios open are for service and much, much more. I had the pleasure of visiting last winter and had a blast! Although I never go to meet Bonhomme, I did manage to find a sculpture of him and that will do until next time.

Me and a sculpture of Bonhomme, The King of the Winter Festival.

Winterlude, Ottawa ON

At this festival you better show up with ice skates because the Rideau Canal is frozen and offers up 8km of ice to freely skate on. There is plenty of food to be eaten (prix-fixe plans across 55 restaurants) and an annual bed race in support of Kiwanis Club of Ottawa community initiatives. There is plenty of family fun at Snowflake Kingdom and an ice sculpture competition.

Winterlude Ice Sculpture.
Photo Credit: By Andrew Plumb from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada - Winterlude/Bal de neige, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48520039

Toonik Tyme, Iqaluit NU

Celebrating the arrival of spring, this festival showcases the traditions and heritage of the Inuit people. The goal here is to celebrate and preserve the Inuit culture as well as showcase it to non-Inuit tourists. Here you can witness igloo building competitions, ski-doo races, learn about sled dog teams and their importance in the north, try your hand at Skijoring (I tried with my Siberian Husky here in Ontario and failed miserably), watch Inuit games and much more offered by the community.

World Ski and Snowboard Festival, Whistler BC

Thrill seekers and party goers this a festival for you. Skiing, snowboarding, music and art all in one jam packed festival in April. Here you can take in a wide variety of ski and snowboard competitions, enjoy the slopes of Whistler-Blackcomb yourself, enjoy a variety of free and paid concerts, take in a comedy show or check out many galleries and art shows.

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Cirque du Soleil

The word circus was once synonymous with kitsch and frivolity. While it was always about spectacle, the word for many conjures up visions of caged animals, questionable workers and greedy schemes to give people little entertainment for maximum profit.

Photo by TBWABusted 

Cirque du Soleil has glamourized the concept of circus while bringing it back to glory in terms of grand spectacle; bringing people jaw-dropping talent combined with intense art.

Founded in 1984 by two street performers, the “Circus of the Sun” has gone on to perform in front of over 90 million people in over 270 countries.

Shows combine sublime choreography, powerful music and artful sets with often death-defying acrobatics, incredibly trained animals and other art forms including dance, puppetry and song, all while maintaining the feel of being “under the big top.”   


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Toques

We Canadian’s have weird words for normal things. Some examples include: a 3 seater sofa being called a chesterfield, the great folk in Saskatchewan call hooded sweatshirts bunnyhugs and a 24 count case of beer is called a two four.
                       

A collection of my girlfriend's gray toques 

One article of clothing that that helps us stay warm in the frigid Canadian winters also has a unique name. Of course I am talking about the toque! A toque is simply a knitted hat meant to be worn in the winter to keep your head warm. Across the globe these are called, beanies, knits, tophues and bobble hats.

While a toque can be any knitted hat, I personally only associate those with a pom-pom on the top of them to be a true toque. But that’s just me. Or is it? What do you consider a toque? Let us know in the comments below.

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Canada's Wonderland

Located in Vaughan, Ontario (about 20 mins north of downtown Toronto on a good traffic day) is Canada's largest theme park, Canada's Wonderland. The park has over 65 rides, 16 of those being high thrill, pure adrenaline roller coasters. Interestingly enough, Canada's Wonderland is ranked second in the world by number of roller coasters, beneath Six Flags Magic Mountain and tied with Cedar Point; go Canada!

Flight Deck at Canada's Wonderland.
Photo Credit: This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. 

For the majority of my childhood/teen years the park was owned and operated by Paramount...yes, the movie company. The rides were named after movies, like Top Gun, Italian Job, Tomb Raider and the kid's zone, Hanna Barbera Land with tons of references to the cartoon characters of that world. When Cedar Fair took over as the owner/operator many of the ride names changed due to legal rights, but us old timers still call Flight Deck, Top Gun, Backlot Stunt Coaster, Italian Job and the Drop Tower, Drop Zone. Very similar to how we treat the Rogers Centre, we still call it Skydome!

Canada's Wonderland also offers an escape to the hot days of summer with it's Splash Works water amusement center. Here you can relax on a lazy river, induldge in more thrills on water slides, catch a wave in the wave pool or simply soak up some sun in the lounge areas.

Lazy River
Photo Credit: By Svetlana Grechkina - Flickr: Canada's Wonderland, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19905905

One of the unique and probably coolest things the park offers is the Halloween Haunt (formerly known as Fearfest). On weekends in October the park opens at 7:00pm and is transformed to scare its guests with live shows, horror mazes, scare zones and of course big thrills on the rides in the dark of night. It's actually quite entertaining, especially if you have friends that scare easy.

Quick Tip: If you go, invest in the Fast Pass Plus ticket. You can basically skip the lines on pretty much all the rides. I was able to ride Drop Zone and Leviathan twice within 10 minutes while others waited up to an hour to ride Leviathan once.

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The Canadian Patch

Used under creative commons. Creator: meddygarnet

A POST BY MIKE CIUFFINI

Around the world Canadians are thought to be polite, happy-go-lucky and generous. When people hear you are from Canada, they seem to treat you the same way we would treat them.

For Canadian travellers backpacking through Europe, Asia or Australia, there is a simple way to tell the world they are Canadian before someone even asks: the proverbial Canadian flag patch embroidered onto their packs.

A simple concept that demonstrates national pride, but more importantly, also symbolizes that you may be one of those polite Canadians looking for generosity in return. It’s something people around the world have come to expect from Canadians.

The origin of the popularity of the Canadian patch seems to go back to the 70’s when the Vietnam War turned many against our neighbours to the south. Wanting to ensure we weren’t compared to our dangerous neighbours, backpacking baby boomers started wearing the Maple Leaf on their luggage and it caught on.

Even though there have been cases of Americans wearing the Canadian flags themselves, maybe we should drop the idea of sporting a flag altogether.  I mean, isn’t the point of travelling is to learn new influences and experience life and culture? It’s not like you’re gonna start singing O Canada and take a swig from a bottle of maple syrup.

So start a conversation with a local, break the ice by telling them you are Canadian and you consider yourself lucky to be from one of the best countries on earth.

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Wayne Gretzky

Wayne Gretzky scores his first NHL goal, a weak dribbler between the legs of Vancouver Canucks goaltender Glen Hanlon, in a 4-4 tie at Pacific Coliseum. Photo from Vancouver Courier

Wayne Douglas Gretzky  born January 26, 1961  played twenty seasons in the National Hockey League for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "The Great One", he has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters, players, and the league itself. He is the leading scorer in NHL history, with more goals and assists than any other player, and is the only NHL player to total over 200 points in one season – a feat he accomplished four times. In addition, he tallied over 100 points in 16 professional seasons, 14 of them consecutive. At the time of his retirement in 1999, he held 61 NHL records.

Born and raised in Brantford, Ontario, Canada, Gretzky honed his skills at a backyard rink and regularly played minor hockey at a level far above his peers. Despite his unimpressive stature, strength and speed, Gretzky's intelligence and reading of the game were unrivaled. He was adept at dodging checks from opposing players, and consistently anticipated where the puck was going to be and executed the right move at the right time. Gretzky became known for setting up behind his opponent's net, an area that was nicknamed "Gretzky's office".

In 1978, Gretzky signed with the Indianapolis Racers of the World Hockey Association, where he briefly played before being traded to the Edmonton Oilers. When the WHA folded, the Oilers joined the NHL, where he established many scoring records and led his team to four Stanley Cup championships. His trade to the Los Angeles Kings on August 9, 1988, had an immediate impact on the team's performance, eventually leading them to the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals, and he is credited with popularizing hockey in California. Gretzky played briefly for the St. Louis Blues before finishing his career with the New York Rangers.

After his retirement in 1999, Gretzky was immediately inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, making him the most recent player to have the waiting period waived. The NHL retired his jersey number 99 league-wide, making him the only player to receive this honour. 

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Canadian Soccer

A POST BY MIKE CIUFFINI

A more distinctive Canadian identity for soccer is beginning to take shape. The success of Canadian teams in North America’s top professional league, Major League Soccer (MLS), the rise of our women's national team into fourth place in FIFA rankings and having the men’s national team being competitive for bigger tournaments have allowed the world to take notice.

In a country as multicultural as Canada is, the identity of the world’s most beautiful game tends to be very insular to an individual’s country of origin. When the World Cup comes around every four years, neighbourhoods across the country are divided and support and pride is defined by the flags attached to car windows and hung from porches and garage doors.

But that love of the game has turned into opportunity for Canadian city markets in the MLS. Professional football clubs exist in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal all with world-class stadiums and support from die-hard fans.

The Toronto Football Club (TFC) won the Eastern Conference and played in the MLS Cup Final in 2016 and is currently sitting first place in the league this year.

They play out of BMO Field in Toronto, which FIFA considers Canada’s National Stadium. It’s located on the Exhibition grounds and is quick walk from many bars and restaurants in the town known as Liberty Village. A quick walk in the tunnel under the train tracks brings you down the laneway leading up to the impressive building.

To experience a game there is enthralling. Soccer fans create a unique atmosphere that begin in the streets, chanting, playing drums, waving flags and releasing coloured smoke into the sky. It’s a religion more than a sport.

The TFC and the Montreal Impact have established a rivalry over the past few years. They played in the conference finals last year that went the distance and had fans on both sides on the edge of their seats. In the end, the TFC prevailed, setting the stage for heated matches this season already.

Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto compete every year for the Canadian Championship, which allows the club to compete in the North American Champions League for professional soccer clubs. Now in it’s tenth year, Toronto defeated Montreal to add to that intense rivalry.

The Canadian Women’s National Team has had incredible success. They won Olympic bronze in London in 2012 against France and in 2016 against host Brazil. They have qualified for the Women’s World Cup every year since 1995 and came in fourth place in 2003.

The state of the world’s most beautiful game is growing in Canada. So let’s wear our red scarves and scream O Canada at the beginning of each match, loud and proud! 

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All Dressed Chips

In 2015 the USA became the First country besides Canada to offer up the delicious taste blend that is, All Dressed. Combining the flavours of the 4 pillars of Canadian potato chips world, Barbarcue,  Sour Cream and Onion, Ketchup, and Salt and Vinegar, All Dressed has been a Canadian favourite chip flavour for decades.


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Paint Roller

The Paint Roller, invented by Norman Breakey.

Could you imagine having to paint an entire room, or house with only a brush!? That’d be a nightmare of a task to complete. We can thank Canada yet again for making our lives a little easier, specifically Norman Breakey. Breakey is credited with inventing the paint roller; a device used to paint walls quicker and with smoother coats than a brush. Unfortunately Breakey didn’t patent his invention and imitations from larger companies flooded the market and squeezed him out. While he was never able to reap the financial rewards of his invention, anyone who has ever painted since 1940 can thank him for making their lives much easier.

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5 Pin Bowling

If you’ve ever bowled in Canada you are probably used to seeing a few of the lanes only having 5 pins and using smaller balls with no finger holes. That’s because 5 pin bowling is unique to Canada. The game was created in 1909 by Thomas F. Ryan after many of his customers complained that 10 pin bowling was too strenuous. Since then most bowling alleys in Canada have dedicated 5 pin lanes.

http://www.freeimages.com/photographer/CWMGary-51046

In traditional 10 pin bowling, each pin is worth a single point and knocking all of them over yields 10 points but with 5 pin bowling, each pin has a different value (the furthest two are worth 2 points, the middle two are worth 3 points and the center pin is worth 5 points) and knocking them all over yields 15 points. Another difference is in 10 pin you have only two chances to knock down all the pins whereas with 5 pin you have three chances.

Truthfully though, as an adult, 5 pin isn’t much fun. It is definitely geared for the younger crowd who would have trouble with 10 pin and the elderly who still want to be active on the lanes. I have fond memories growing up and having birthday parties on the 5 pin lanes, and somewhere out there is embarrassing videos of said parties, so the game will always have a special place in my heart. 


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Our Canadian Flag

freeimages.com/photographer/iamiam-52606

Our flag is beautiful, and it reflects the bright, cheery, whimsical, outdoor-loving people it represents. 

In flag-speak, the flag features a red field with a white square at its centre in the ratio of 1:2:1, in the middle of which is featured a stylized, red, 11-pointed maple leaf charged in the centre.

In lay speak, it’s the maple leaf, l'Unifolié (French for "the one-leafed"), used for the first time on a country's national flag and, best put by the Honourable Maurice Bourget, Speaker of the Senate when the flag was unveiled, a "symbol of the nation's unity, for it, beyond any doubt, represents all the citizens of Canada without distinction of race, language, belief or opinion."

The flag of Canada was officially adopted on February 15, 1965. It replaced a traditional flag that screamed of colonialism and staunch British conservatism, bearing the Union Jack and the shield of the royal arms of Canada. 

Canadians love their flag for its lack of pomp. It is something positive, something that can be proudly and happily tattooed on a shoulder or sewn onto a backpack. It declines the militaristic and severe attributes of other flags in exchange for something bright, proud, natural and simple. It is, truly, an accurate depiction of our nation’s character.   


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Roll up the Rim to Win

Held annually in February, Roll up the Rim to Win is Tim Hortons (another one of our favourite Canadian things) biggest marketing campaign nationwide. The premise is simple; buy an eligible size of coffee, hot chocolate, tea, etc and when you’re done drinking it, roll up the paper rim to reveal if you’ve won a prize or not.

Image provided by: Calgary Reviews

The concept was introduced to Tim Hortons in 1985 when Lily Cup (their paper cup supplier) approached them with a new design that allowed messages to be printed under the rim of their cups. Tim Hortons jumped at the chance to boost spring time sales and launched the contest in 1986. Initially the prizes were just in store goods, but since have increased to new cars, televisions, gift cards and of course staying true to their roots, coffee and baked goods.

Roll up the Rim to Win is not without its drama though. There was a heated legal battle between two families over who the rightful winner of a Toyata Rav 4 was. Long story short; 10 year old girl finds cup in trash and asks 12 year old girl to roll the rim for her. Toyota Rav 4 is the prize, families fight for who the winner is and a lawyer comes out of nowhere and says DNA test for who actually drank the beverage. The prize was eventually awarded to the family of the girl who found the cup. Another issue popped up in 2015 when Tim Hortons added pin codes to winning cups. Winners were disappointed after tearing off the prize tab and being denied the prize because they were missing the pin code. Advice: if you roll up a winner, just keep the whole cup.

Canada 150 Roll up the Rim to Win cup from Tim Hortons with a donut prize!

Tim Hortons is running a special edition of Roll Up The Rim for Canada’s 150^th birthday this year. So be sure to head out to your local Tim’s and grab a cup of Joe to enjoy while reading more of our 150 favourite Canadian things. 

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Language

Canadian 1: "Put on your runners, grab your double-double and go pick me up a mickey and a two-four ya keener. Store's only three klicks away."

Canadian 2: "Give'r bud don't get yourself in a kerfuffle I'll meet ya by the Muskoka chairs. "

Canadian 1: "I'll owe ya two twonies and a loonie but I'll get ya Timmies or a pop next time."

Canadian 2: "Beauty."

It is a beautiful, poetic language, is it not?

Canada has two official languages to go with a number of aboriginal languages that pre-date them. Today, English is predominant while French is still largely spoken in Quebec. Many say Canadian French is completely distinct from that spoken in France, and, quite frankly, the English is pretty unique too. Particularly when you find yourself talking to a Maritimer or someone from the prairies, bunch of beauties they are.

Canada's mosaic also means that anywhere in Canada you may hear any number of languages. That said, it only takes a few trips to the hockey rink to have newcomers working in an "eh" or a "bar-downski" into their everyday vernacular.

And just FYI, no one says "hoser" in Canada. That was just an elaborate joke we played on Americans to make them sound silly. Boom.

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Halifax Citadel Hill

POST BY MIKE CIUFFINI

Halifax Citadel Hill watches over the city’s downtown core and is an official National Historic Site.  It is a reminder of Halifax’s history and military fortification.

The colonial fortress, eventually named Fort George, has been around longer than Canada itself. First built in 1749, over one hundred years before confederation, the site was identified as strategically important and fortified for various conflicts over the years. The current star-shaped fortress was completed in 1856 by the British Army and fortified by the Canadian Army during the First and Second World Wars.

Today, the site is maintained by Parks Canada and visitors can take self-guided and guided tours, Ghost Tours, visit the Army Museum and even experience being a solider for a day. This unique experience allows someone to experience the life of a mid-19^th century solider, get fitted for an authentic uniform (include the bonnet!), runs drills and even fire a rifle (must be over 16 years-old).

Halifax is a wonderful east coast city and Citadel Hill is a must-see when visiting. Every local is used to hearing the Royal Artillery fire the Noon Gun at 12:00 p.m. 

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David Suzuki

Picture from Mary Winspear

David Suzuki is one of Canada's best-known environmental activists. Now age 81, he is an endearing figure to generations of Canadians, due in part to his role on television programs such as The Nature of Things and Suzuki on Science.

Born in Vancouver, BC, Suzuki and his family were victims of Canadian government internment during the Second World War. The government sold his family’s business and they were forced to move east of the Rocky Mountains after the war.

Suzuki went on to earn his PhD in Zoology and began a successful broadcasting career in 1970.

In recent years Suzuki has been an outspoken climate change activist, noted for his criticism of governments for not doing more. He is Canada’s answer to Neil deGrasse Tyson (or perhaps, more accurately, Bill Nye) and is respected both in Canada and abroad for his important and impassioned views.

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