It’s Canada’s Birthday today!! Canada officially became a country in 1867. I love seeing us have some National enthusiasm and pride. Normally Canadians are a little circumspect with our National Pride, unlike our ebullient neighbors to the South. Sometimes I wish we’d waive our flag more vigorously like the Americans. We’re a great Country with some smart and talented people. We’ve made some incredible contributions to this planet. Here’s a list of just a few of the things that are ALL CANADIAN.
- The Walkie-Talkie
- Javascript computer language
- The telephone
- The pager
- The Canadarm for NASA
- Snowmobiles
- Snowblowers
- The electric wheelchair
- The prosthetic hand
- SONAR
- Basketball
- Hockey
- Lacrosse
- IMAX
- Trivial Pursuit
- Insulin
- Bone marrow compatibility test
- Alkaline batteries
- The Wonder bra
- garbage bags
- Plexiglass
- Paint rollers
- Macintosh apples
- Smarties (those little chocolate morsels of colorful wonderfulness!)
- Nanaimo Bars (I live in Nanaimo, BC and we invented them here, for those who are so deprived as to not have tried one, layer a crust of chocolate, graham and coconut with firm sweet custardy layer topped with chocolate. Good GOD they’re good!)
- Poutine (a French Canadian invention of crispy fries slathered in white cheese curd and topped with hot gravy to melt the cheese, Oh Yummo!!)
- Butter tarts
- Built the first cardiac intensive care unit
- The electron microscope
- The pacemaker
- Roller skates
- Instant potatoes
Yup, we’re a smart and inventive people but we just don’t toot our own horn. So, it’s nice to see us Canadians waiving our flags and hailing that WE ARE CANADIAN. I’m proud to be from such a wonderfully friendly country. All over the world other countries welcome us with open arms. That’s so flattering to hear what other countries think of our citizens.
So, on that note, I say HAPPY BIRTHDAY CANADA!! It’s my country is 145 years old today! Here’s my maple leaf to show my abundant pride in being Canadian through and through.
I hope everyone has a Happy Canada Day and also in a few days Happy Independence Day to our American friends!I’ll be back soon with a new Featured Artist for you all to meet and get to know. Talk soon, I gotta go wave a flag, paint my face red and white and go make a drunken fool of myself. (Yup, that’s me, drunken Canadian fool… ;o) you guys do know me, right??)
Magpie
Happy Canada Day! I enjoyed your Canadian facts… I feel like I don't know enough about one of our nearest neighbors. Now I know a bit more 🙂
Craftymoose Crafts
Happy Canada Day! Enjoyed reading the fun facts. Yes, Canada has much to be proud of!
Neesie
Belated Happy Canada Day!
I hope you had a great enjoyable day ;D
By the look of your list…you're a clever bunch and we have a lot to be thankful for.
Your maple leaf is just perfect.
I didn't make the APR last week…the gardening theme just sent me into a panic! I adore all things to do with gardens but couldn't pick one. I nearly entered a photograph but thought I would be cheating…so hopefully I'll get organised for this coming week.
I love Canada and hope maybe to spend Christmas there. No firm plans yet, just mulling over the logistics with my family.
Have a wonderful week 😀
Cottage Remnant
Love the Post!
Hope you had a great Canada Day my fellow Canadian….
Here's to
Tim Hortons,
the Kitchen Stove,
Basket ball,
Baseball glove and hockey mask….and hats off to the guy who invented the Jolly Jumper,
Lawn sprinkler and of course the television system,
telephone
and the electric car heater….Lets not forget Canada Dry Ginger Ale…
I guess it's o.k. to toot our own horn at least once a year…LOL
TOOT TOOT!!!
Blessings,
Cindy♥
Ellen Jarvis
Happy birthday, O Canada. Though I hate to break it to you but the Smarties I know and love aren't chocolate, alas! But Jenn… Nanaimo bars??!! Are you telling me that you have hidden from me the second best reason to head to British Columbia???? Seriously, I will trade you some Swedish Fish or whatever other decadent treat your little heart desires for a Nanaimo bar!
Oh, and I LOVE your maple leaf. Gorgeous!
Much love from the southern part of your continent…
Ellen
TwinkleToes2day
Hope you had a fantastic day yesterday and the celebrations continue today for those that were working yesterday 😀
Love your maple leaf with it's very subtle colouring :0)
pasqueflower
Hope you had a wonderful Canada Day.
Diane ~
Happy (belated) Canadian Birthday dear Jenn!! I had no idea so many fantastic inventions came from Canada!! WOW! i always learn something from you Jenn!! 😀 and love your maple leaf!!!!!!
XOXO 🙂
Tracey Fletcher KIng
Is it bad that I was most impressed with roller skates???? not that I'm not impressed with the rest, but roller skates were my most prized possession growing up… Poutine sounds kind of gross…. but we all have gross things… vegemite is certainly an acquired taste…hope you had a great Canada day and thanks for sharing the list…xx
Serena Lewis
Belated Happy Canada Day wishes from me to you, Jenn! WOW! That's some impressive list except for the last one…instant potatoes. I have to say that being I'm half-Irish…real, fresh potatoes is the only way to go. 😉
Your maple leaf is beautiful and quite delicate!
Btw, we Aussies love Canadians! xx
Terrie Purkey
Quite an inventive bunch, you Canadians! Who knew? And a Nanaimo bar? I'll have to try one when I'm there on vacation – yet another thing to look forward to.
Thanks for sharing and informing….I'll work on something patriotic for this week.
Alice
your maple leaf is wonderful 🙂
what you don't know about me – yes, i am an American citizen, born in Georgia. BUT when i was in 1st grade we moved to newfoundland where we lived the next 18 years. i had dual-citizenship. so, i really feel like my home is canada :). and i am working on a canadian piece of art for this week's APR 🙂
VonnyK
You had me at roller skates. My mum said I was born with wheels on my feet. I did dance, figure and roller hockey, just lived to skate and now it seems Tracey and I have something else in common, we both skated!! Liking the sound of the Nanaimo bars, not sure about the Poutine though. The maple leaf is beautiful.
Hope you had a great Canada Day.
Von
minnemie
Well I am impressed! Both with you maple leaf and the list of Canadian accomplishments. We had smarties in South Africa too – I wonder if they are the same thing? If they are:thank you Canada!:-) What do butter tarts taste like…do tell!
Gloria
A wonderful watercolor maple leaf! I never knew about all those "Canadian" things! I love those sweet maple candies in a shape of a leaf. Are they from Canada or just anywhere that has maple syrup? You can send down a box of Nanaimo Bars anytime!