Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Canada In just a few words?

In a few words, would you describe Canada as you know it?
Not the short term politics, but geography, history, heritage, and anything else on those lines.

Canucks preferred, but this an open forum.

wabigoon;
Good afternoon/evening to you sir - if you are in Ontario then it's time change weekend for you as well as us out west I think?

Anyway as you know about me, I don't answer often and when I do I don't answer "in a few words"....

As I enter the year that I'll turn 55, it strikes me that the Canada I live in now - central BC, still fairly rural but increasingly less so, quite prosperous regionally speaking - has a better idea of who we are then 30 years ago.

It was a bit of a joke that we didn't have a distinct Canadian identity for much of my life and I believe that's declining somewhat.

That said, we're still a big, big place and there's comparatively few of us - so I wouldn't/couldn't begin to answer this for anyone living anywhere else here.

So I'd say that while we still are governed by a strong centrally located Federal government, we feel increasingly regional - at least out here on the western edge we do.

That said, we feel more pride in our armed forces now than 30 years ago and I see this as a good thing for a number of reasons - not the least of which it tends to transcend and somewhat cancel out regional sentiment.

Politically I'm in a "conservative" section of a "liberal leaning" province and we must remember that even our conservatives might be viewed as centerist by folks south of the medicine line. As you know about me, being in a conservative area suits me most times.

We moved here 33 years ago, so we don't have personal family history here and truly the history of the area we're in is comparatively new/recent unless one has First Nations/Native roots here - which I don't. Where we are now was for the FN folks a rich fishing grounds and as such much fought over, so there was no group that could claim permanent settlement here until they traded for firearms in the early 1700's - interesting twist of history there I've always thought.

Geographically we live in a valley surrounded by low mountains, so they're very accessible for a variety of uses both industrial and recreational.

Anyway wabigoon, have I in any way, shape or form answered your query?

I've got to slide out now as it's sign up night for the Hunter Safety course I've headed up at our local gun club for the last 29 years. Since I'm still above ground they expect me to carry on, so that I shall do as I still can!

All the best to you all wabigoon. Safe travels between your two homes, whichever place this finds you.

Dwayne

I'll try and avoid the politics as my B/P is bad enough as it is.

In my almost 56 years I have seen most of Canada, having travelled to and/or lived in almost every Province and Territory as a child and for 26 years as a soldier.
I have been from coast to coast to coast to coast and beyond in the North having been to CFS Alert, spittin distance to the N Pole.

Canada is a great country with a National Identity and a Culture of its own regardless what our fearless leader says.
Most folks are open, giving and fun loving. We enjoy an active outdoor lifestyle whether it be hunting, fishing, camping or just berry picking. Canoeing is a favourite activity of almost all Canadians.

As a People and a Nation we are ready to help others around the world, we have an excellent, well trained Armed Forces who are ready to leave home and hearth in a heart beat to help. Don't piss us off as we can also kick ass with the best.

While we do have our issues, most of them are political and I'm not going there tonight.

It is a great place to live and visit.
Sorry I couldn't say it in just a few words either.

If I may as a Michigander I have had a few trips to your great land! Of all the people I have meet there all have been great to me and my fellow travelers. Two stick out in my mind. We had spent a week staying in a outpost cabin. When we got back to a SUV it would not start . With luck two guys came in to camp. Without any hesitation they jumped in and tryed to help! After we failed to get it going they towed our SUV and trailer about 60 miles to the nearest town. The biggest problem we had with them was letting us pay them! Would not take any money from us and where mad that we payed for their gas! So I think a lot of the people I have meet there!

If you think Ontarians are helpful you need to go and meet the Newfies to learn how they treat folks who come "from away".

JIm

"Very high quality of life" is what I think of when I think of Canada.

"Very high taxes" is another facet of CDN life.

I disdain the socialist slant we are here. We have lost a lot of the old values that made the country what it was. We open our borders to those who would change us.

We used to be a country full of people who would ask: "What can I do for you?"

Today the "What will you do for me?" crowd is growing larger.

What's even more worrisome is the "I demand you do this for me!" parasites are becoming very noticeable.

My family moved to Canada (northern BC) from Wyoming, via Idaho, in 1957. At that time, there was a noticeable difference when you crossed the border; a difference which was magnified as you went further north. Today, North American society is much more similar. This is undoubtedly due to communication media.
It sometimes seems as if the two countries are diverging somewhat more in recent years so that the societies are superficially similar but with some real cultural differences. The US seems to be becoming more and more isolationist while it seems as if Canada often struggles to differentiate itself from the US. By the way, it often seems that Canada is desperate to shed itself of any British heritage as well (I LIKED the Red Ensign). In fact, I sometimes feel it has been the void created by the discarding of British heritage which aided the absorption of US culture.
I am an American and a Canadian and as such, occasionally suffer from a bit of identity confusion and often consider myself to be just a Westerner. So it is that I mourn the loss of the west as it was as population increases and urban sprawl takes over.
All in all, society has changed so much in both countries over the last sixty years that it is difficult to grasp. At some point in the future, history will show which country dealt with the changes best.
I have always felt considerable pride in my adopted country and today, I am well content to anticipate living out my days on the northern side of the border. GD

Many- if not the majority - of Canadians will answer the question of Canadian Identity as being "Not American"

Americans tend to be much more serious than Canucks. Canucks joke about everything. Everything is fair game. Canucks can party.

Richard,

Good enough for my family to move half way around the world to finally settle in rural Canada.

'Cub,

Taxes are mild here compared to Australia !

Not to mention the "cost of living" !

No surprise. No one watches CBC but demand 80 channels from down south.
Its creeping into our Canuck tongue more everyday, even news anchors are dropping G's, and saying 'huh' instead of 'eh'.