What's a Canadian?

[Bassblaster]

Some of the political comments on the site have brought this question to mind. Since anyone here that Isn't Native is an immigrant, or has an immigrant back ground, I'd like to know what everyone thinks a Canadian is.

Let the Debate begin!!

 

[porcupine]

The "Natives" are also immigrants. They've just been here for a longer period.

 

[Bassblaster]

You're right! Sorry, my archeological history escaped me for a second there. Still, What's a Canadian?

 

[River Hunter]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRI-A3vakVg

 

[Charlie]

quote:Originally posted by River6ix

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRI-A3vakVg

Well done!

 

[Justfish]

Canadians IMO are not kids conned into drinking a certain kind of beer.
Canadians are my maternal grandparents who arrived in Saskatchewan in 1900 with a Cow and calf in tow. Their families had spent some years in Argentina and Patagonia, originally from Wales, but there were tensions between Welsh setters and the Spanish ruling class. Nasty stuff and my grandparents pulled up stakes and went to the new country of Canada.

They toughed it out on the prairie with some help from the natives and raised 10 kids, several of which joined the military in 1939-40, one of which was my mother. I remember her arguing with my grandmother who was berating her for not teaching us kids the Welsh language and her saying "we are Canadians Mom".
These are true Canadians.

Canadians are my paternal great grandparents who came to Nanaimo from Wales to mine coal in 1880. Lived under the thumb of the ******* robber baron Dunsmuir but scratched out a life and raised their kids to fight in both the first and second wars as volunteers.
The families went on to be miners, loggers, tin bashers, My Aunt in Victoria was married to the man who founded Shaw Sheet metal.
These are true Canadians.

My wife's family can be traced back to Quebec in the 1760's. Some are Metis and some were Natives who got off their asses, off the reserve and made a good life. Many served their country in time of war also.
These are true Canadians.

It all comes down to an independent spirit and a work ethic and one does not even need a history to qualify, just the right attitude and some gratitude. My ancestors had no history when they got here other than that off oppression but they did it right.

I have spent my life being truly grateful for this and being CANADIAN!

A liar will assume you are lying

 

[scott craven]

Canada is a melting pot of multiple ethnic & religious backgrounds.
Anyone that is fortunate enough to call this country home, and abides
by the laws of the land is a Canadian.
They will also have to pay taxes ! []

 

[wolf]

And drink LUCKY!!!!!!!

Wolf

 

[River Hunter]

LOL...I jus threw that out there cause for no reason other than kicks n giggles. Besides I really don't like Canadian lager. I like Lucky myself. I'm an...earlier to this land than others Canadian.

 

[Mi Chica]

I am a Canadian.
One of my ancestors (Scottish)was the first man to bring a wheeled vehicle (ox-cart, lol) into what is now Quebec. My ancestors were pioneers moving west. They included ranchers, horse thieves, first female legislator in Alberta, a gunfighter (imprisoned as that was frowned on in Canada)etc. They served in our country's military in two world wars and Korea.
However, what makes me</u> a Canadian is I love the country I live in, and I am a Canadian first, with religion and ethnic background a very distant second. Because I appreciate the advantages (despite venal politicians)this country offers I also appreciate and respect anyone who holds similar values whatever their background. Oh yeah, hockey is</u> our game

Too much water, too little time

 

[cedarman]

In my opinion if you watch this and it does not give you goose bumps or create a smile on your face or some emotion, then you are not Candian

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrCA0HK-yO0

 

[finaddict]

quote:Originally posted by cedarman

In my opinion if you watch this and it does not give you goose bumps or create a smile on your face or some emotion, then you are not Candian

What's a CANdian???[8D]

 

[cedarman]

A Candian is someone who does not use spell check but really should....

Sort of when I posted about 8 nice craps instead of 8 nice crabs... lol

[:I]

 

[wildwest]

I remember that..it was priceles!

 

[Gordo]

What is a Canadian?

A quick Google search defines Canadian as:

"One who pays too much tax, freezes his/her @$$ off for 7 months a year, and who never does anything about being screwed by various politicians except say 'Please' and 'Thank you'...

"Canadians also have the habit of calling Canadians With A Slightly Darker Tan 'First Nations' rather than 'Indian' even though the later is the legal term used in the Indian Act...

"Canadians are proud of their vast geographical spaces and the resources contained within. In fact, they are so proud of this that, in the spirit of the Potlatch they will give the remnants of these resources back to any that they feel a collective guilt complex towards..."

That, my friends, is a Canadian!

 

[Bassblaster]

AMEN to that Gordo

I'd also ad that we are willing to change a hundred years of history and heritage in order to meet the needs of new cultures being added to the melting pot. (ie, the official headwear of the RCMP as an example)

In our desire to not be seen as racists or political persecutors we have given up the real definition of what it is to be a Canadian. Suffice to say if you asked someone else what a Canadian is they would probably respond that we are the most tolerant, politically corect, and accepting people on the planet.

Regardless of the fact that we all carry a different variation of what it is to be a Canadian, I think we can all agree that we are very fortunate to live in the most beautiful and greatest country in the world an to have access to its splenders and the freedoms that it offers as a society.

No offence to our American nieghbours to the south.

See, politcal correctness at it's best

 

[tubber]

I'm sitting on the beach outside the family cabin on Okanagan Lake. The weather's been crappy, I wanted to catch some kokanee but only caught a skinny 16" rainbow. Tomorrow I have to clean the whole damn place for the next cousin or aunt to move in. Then I have to race home pack my gear and drive all the way to Ucluelet over the beetle-killed mountains, through Vancouver traffic and God knows how many bad driver's from wherever will cut me off. Then I have to pay the ridiculous ferry fees and put up with the shenanagins of the distracting road side signs in Port Alberni plus that highway blows. It'll probably be windy; I'll puke 100 times and we might not even catch a halibut or a tyee. Being Canadian sucks. Do I need to add emoticons?

 

[Bassblaster]

Dude,

Quit your bitching.

Life sucks in general for most of us and bad things happen to good people.

Death, divorce, taxes, and a bullsh#t government that couldn't find its butt when it sits on it's hands doesn't make this a bad place to live.

You could be in a tent in some refugee camp because your neighbour wants to kill your kind of people for something that one of your ancestors did a thousand years ago. You could be living someplace that food won't grow because it's some godforsaken desert and you have to rely on the UN to feed you. You could be somewhere that has no doctors or medical system and you have to sit by and watch your kid die because he/she caught the flu.You could be working in a manufacturing plant for Walmart or Nike in some third world rathole with no benefits, healthcare, and making two dollars US a week. Should I go on?

It sounds to me like you have a house in the Okanagan, a truck, a boat, a job that pays you enough to have all of those things PLUS go on a Holiday to do some thing that you love to do, ie: go fishing.

I suggest you thank God for the food on your table, the roof over your head, having work in this economy, you family's health, and your ancestors for getting out of whatever depressed, war torn country they moved here from.

If you can't find the appreciation and greatfulness for living in this country with all it has to offer you, don't deserve to have what you've got. Some of us have it a lot worse than you.

Extinction is Forever

 

[River Hunter]

I don't think he was serious.

 

[tubber]

Thanks R6. Sorry to be so cryptic and sarcastic Bb. We had a great trip; good friends, lots of laughs and fish, beautiful drive, ferries were a breeze, smiling people everywhere. I've been to 47 different countries, and wouldn't live anywhere else for long. I have a great life and was just trying to point out how easy it is see the glass as half empty.