Scandalous
I guess I should be proud of the fact that Canada has such amazing natural and man-made splendor. However, it is an inherent Canadian birthright to complain about everything; from the weather to the local hockey team to the state of Canada's "dominance" on the world scene.
More to the point, the Seven Wonders of Canada were announced the other day. Ironically, the Sleeping Giant (which garnered the most votes) didn't make the list. A victim of the bell curve, I suspect.
Here is the list (with my objections/commendations...I've bolded the ones I've been to):
The Canoe - I like this choice. The Canoe is quintessentially Canadian and gave birth to the burgeoning fur trade 400+ years ago. Canadians are also famous, according to the book How to be Canadian, for being able to have sex in canoes in a multitude of ways.
Niagara Falls - the natural choice. But, and I could be wrong, isn't the falls termed "Niagara" actually in the US, with Horseshoe Falls being in Canada? Help?
Pier 21, Halifax - Okay, okay. I can deal with this one. The site is largely responsible for facilitating the multiculturalism we see in Canada today.
The Rockies - As much as I love the Rockies, how can we claim them as solely Canadian? Last time I checked the atlas, they extended into the States, and then go as far south as Tiera del Fuego (named the Andes down there).
The Igloo - No contest on this one. It's simply brilliant. I've lost count of the number of times I've had to explain what an igloo is to people.
Old Quebec City - Never been there, so I can't comment much. Given the number of wars fought over it (namely the one between Montcalm and Wolfe) and the historical significance as a gateway to the Great Lakes, I'd say it deserves to be on there.
Prairie Skies - Naturally, I question whether or not this should be on the list and look what happens. I'm sorry, but can we really claim the sky as Canadian? Isn't that more of an American thing to do?
I have to go with Samantha on this one and beg the question: where is the Bay of Fundy? It's got the highest tides in the world and the most ridiculous fog one could imagine. And what about the northern lights? Not awe-inspiring enough for ya?
All that said, it's a solid list, but one that should have an asterisk attached...*see other 45 wonders for true Canadian experience.
posted by kent @ 2:47 a.m.
6
comments
6 Comments:
I was really surprised by the choice of Prairie Skies. They do not belong to us alone. I assume that our neighbour to the south has the very same thing.
It seems that the entire group of waterfalls are called Niagara Falls. The biggest, Horseshoe Falls, is in Canada, and the smaller Amerian and Bridal Falls are in the US.
I must admit that I am impressed by the spirit of Thunder Bayans. It would have been a wonderful experience to be part of something that creates such excitement in a town.
There are "More Wonders" to be viewed at http://www.cbc.ca/sevenwonders/more_wonders.html
It appears that I should do more traveling in our own country. There is so much to see!! Trouble is that driving to the east coast takes a week, and that's without any stops for site-seeing along the way.
It's worth it though. I think a road trip is one of the best ways to see the country. I drove from Guelph, Ontario to Vancouver and even though we didn't have a lot of time to stop, it was still amazing to see how much the landscape changes. It really gives you a better appreciation for the vastness of the country.
And I would also recommend going camping along the East coast. Our family did this for two weeks when we were young and that's where my treasured memory of the Bay of Fundy comes from. The clam bake from clams we dug up on the beach, the delicious seafood, and watching fireworks and an airband concert at one of the private campgrounds are what I remember as well.
Are the Rockies as spectacular south of Canada though? I don't really know.
And are the prairie skies as amazing in the States? I doubt they would be able to see the Northern Lights from their skies.
As for Niagara Falls, we do have the best view, so isn't that what counts?
At Niagara Falls we have the biggest falls and the best view. How did we manage to keep our hands on that! Hooray for us!
Do they have the Northern Lights in Scandinavia and Russia?
Once again T Bay gets the shaft. A natural wonder in the Sleeping Giant that no one wants to recoqnize from an area of Canada that very few know anything about. Its seems that all the picks made are cliche.
I know. I actually watched the show and the Bay of Fundy and the Northern lights were both in there but didn't make it to the top 7. I think it's tought to claim the sky and the rockies as our own but I do love them so not sure. I just wonder why John Candy wasn't in there?
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