Canada celebrates its 150th birthday on July 1, 2017. The sesquicentennial. Bonus points if you can pronounce it correctly. No, it is NOT pronounced Sasquatch-Centennial!
Why wait until July 1st when we're ready to party now?
You'll be reading more posts about Canada this year than ever before, here on Infomaniac. zzzzzz. Did someone just doze off? Attention, Bitches!
First of all, here's what we here at Infomaniac want to know...
Have you been to Canada and if so, where did you go and how did you like it?
what a coincidence. my birthday is also july 1 and i will also be turning 150. i'm celebrating already.
ReplyDeleteNORMA: It is customary for the Queen to send cards to those celebrating their 100th and 105th birthday and every year thereafter.
DeleteI can see the inscription now… “from one Queen to another.”
if she's still alive, the poor dear, it'll probably be a pissing contest as to who has the prettier corgis!
Deletei was in canada once. it was 1969/70. there was a family wedding in utica, ny. we then headed for montreal. we were probably there for 2 days. i recall visiting the vestiges of expo '67. also recall having bought a tv guide that was in french & thinking it was the funniest thing i'd ever seen. mostly i was in a bad mood because my father was there.
NORMA: We all know YOU have the prettiest corgis.
DeleteIn 1969/70, Celine Dion would have been a toddler so at least you were spared the countless TV Guide covers of that particular Canadian.
oops. i do have the brain of someone 150 years old. peenee reminded me, i was in vancouver too. twice actually. one time was for a few lovely days, the other was to take a cruise.
DeleteNORMA: The operative word being “cruise.”
DeleteThis is very exciting! The Mistress' Canadian posts are always a treat. And Canada Day is also my Infomaniac anniversary day!
ReplyDeleteHave visited the following and would do so again (well, maybe not Windsor so much):
BC: Vancouver (favorite!), Victoria.
MB: Winnipeg.
ON: Toronto, London, Niagara Falls, Windsor, Goderich, Tobermory, Sault Ste Marie.
It was on our 1986 license plates and most couldn't pronounce it.
I remember when it was called Dominion Day. Extra points for that?
Did I win yet?
LX: Bonus points (but no prize) for knowing that “Dominion Day” is the former name of “Canada Day.” Since 1983, July 1st has been officially known as Canada Day. In 1996, one Member of Parliament introduced a private member’s bill to try to change it back!
DeleteThe Mistress is interested in how you found yourself in some of our nation’s lesser known destinations: Goderich, London, Tobermory, and Sault Ste. Marie (or as it’s known up here, “The Soo.”)
London & Goderich: visiting girlfriend's brother (draft dodger who remained in Canada) and his in-laws.
DeleteTobermory: Camping in Bruce Peninsula National Park. Beautiful place. Very cold lake water!
Sault Ste Marie: Side trip when visiting Mackinac Island and Mackinaw City. Michigan's Sault Ste Marie is also called "The Soo."
LX: Draft dodgers … there’s a term I haven’t heard in a long time.
DeleteGoderich is a pretty town, known for its beautiful sunsets. However, in 2011, a devastating tornado ripped through Goderich, laying waste to much of the downtown. I was there last summer and noted how well they’ve managed to rebuild.
Bitches, when LX says that Bruce Peninsula National Park is beautiful, he’s not kidding. Take a look at the Grotto.
Nice prospect.
Delete"Hewers of the Forests, Fishers of the Lakes. This book presents the history of Tobermory"
Isn't Tobermory the place Knudsen comes from ?
And : They have shipwrecks there.
MAGO: The Mistress was in Tobermory last summer and there were no Knudsen sightings, probably because Knudsen is from Killamory.
DeleteVancouver in 1996 and could have stayed forever. Had a magical holiday! And again in 2013.I still love your city.If I could choose? On one of the islands, please.
ReplyDeleteDINAHMOW: The Mistress moved back east.
DeleteAn island? The Mistress recommends Salt Spring Island.
Never been, but I have family in "Tronno", and my mother and sister have visited. They seemed to find it "pleasant"... Jx
ReplyDeleteJON: “Pleasant” is such a British way of describing a trip abroad. Teehee.
DeleteToronto was a wonderful place to live, at one time, but has become overrun with condos, skyscrapers and greed, like so many cities. Not so “pleasant” anymore.
No, I have not been to Canada *sigh*
ReplyDeleteMAGO: Apparently, Germans love the British Columbia wilderness.
DeleteAnd I have to agree.
Some blokes I know paddled down the Yukon in one of these tiny boats (canoe- ?). I think one of them even made a book from it, but may be wrong.
DeleteMAGO: The definition of a Canadian is someone who can make love in a canoe.
DeleteNo, the only place that i have been to Overseas is of all places is China! back in 98 before the handover of Hong Kong.
ReplyDeleteOh the other place OS would be Tasmania but that probably really doesn't count given that it's still part of OZ...
The Empress has always wanted to do a train trip through Canada. Perhaps if we win the lotto one day it might happen...
What do you mean we have to buy a Lotto ticket first?...
PRINNY: Tourists and Canadians alike love the experience of travelling from one side of the country to the other by train.
DeleteFor another impressive train journey, try the “Rocky Mountaineer”: a privately-owned luxury train company with routes between the west coast and the Canadian Rockies.
See one person’s experience, including photos here.
PS. Your PM looks fabulous draped in that flag....
ReplyDeletePRINNY: The guy wrapped in a flag? That’s Canadian actor, Shawn Ashmore.
DeleteMmmmmm.... Shawn Ashmore!
DeleteAnd his identical twin brother, Aaron!
MR. DeVICE: Yes, TWINS!
DeleteI love Canada. I wish I could move there but the husbear won't go for it. It started with a trip to the Falls - both sides - years ago with my Mom and my niece and nephew. This was before all the crass commercialism and highrise hotels and casinos. I was shocked when I visited again to see all the changes. Then, there were multiple visits to Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Quebec, île d'Orléans, train trips and stops in between. The exchange rate is most favorable for the moment, so maybe another trip will be in our future.
ReplyDeleteCARLNEPA: Welcome to Infomaniac! I’ve seen you ‘round at Cookie’s place.
DeleteCanada’s larger cities have, unfortunately, become like so many big cities throughout North America, over-developed and they’ve lost their character.
Best to get off the beaten track. Canada has many smaller towns and villages that are quite charming. The Mistress suggests making a travel plan to visit by car so that you can drive from town to town. After all, although they may be charming they may not necessarily offer enough to do for more than a day.
For somewhere to spend more than a day, I suggest Prince Edward County. (Not to be confused with Prince Edward Island on the east coast.) It’s on Lake Ontario, between Toronto & Ottawa.
Here you can spend a few summer days touring the many wineries, visiting the lovely, sandy beaches, driving along in the quaint countryside; exploring the Art Trail and the Wine Trail; dining in good restaurants and cafes (it’s the gastronomic capital of Ontario); and perusing the boutiques, antique shops and art galleries. You won’t be disappointed.
Another suggestion: Taking a boat tour of the scenic “1,000 Islands” (pronounced “Thousand Islands); “an archipelago of 1,864 islands that straddles the Canada–US border in the Saint Lawrence River as it emerges from the northeast corner of Lake Ontario.”
There's so much to see here but sometimes, smaller is better.
I haven't but I SOOOO wanna visit Vancouver and its' surrounds.
ReplyDelete**places expectant kisses on Mistress feet as is proper**
DAMIEN: Vancouver is a beautiful city, no doubt about it. Or at least the "back drop" is beautiful, i.e. the mountains and oceans.
DeleteBut you must avoid it by all costs in any month that isn’t July, August or September. Too much rain. I am not joking.
OK. Other cities for consideration?
DeleteDAMIEN: It depends what you’re looking for.
DeleteKeep in mind that with the exception of Toronto & Montreal, Canadian cities aren’t really particularly large.
If you’re visiting Vancouver, then making a day trip (or longer) to the smaller city of Victoria (on Vancouver Island) is a must. You’ll enjoy the long ferry ride over too.
On the east coast, try Halifax with its vibrant arts scene, waterfront, and biggest Pride parade east of Montreal. Actually, take a week or more and drive the entire coast of beautiful Nova Scotia. Been there, done that. Recommended by The Mistress as a fabulous vacation plan.
The Mistress recommends Montreal and Quebec City. I’ve always had a great time in Montreal. I love visiting that city; there’s a lot to see and do and it has a different feel from any other city in Canada. Quebec City is smaller but charming, beautiful, and, being a fortified city, it has a European feel.
I've been visiting Montréal for more than 50 years now... no wait... I LIVE THERE!
ReplyDeleteDUH!
HUGGY JON: Lucky you! I’d live there too if it weren’t for the high taxes.
DeleteAs soon as I get my passport renewed, I would LOVE to visit Canada! (I've never been, but the MITM has visited a few cities.) xoxo
ReplyDeleteSAVANNAH: Come in the summer when the temperature soars to match Georgia’s.. and even higher!
DeleteYou’ll feel right at home.
I've never been but my parents have sang its praises, they had a week in Toronto followed by a week in New York in the early 80s, whilst I had a fortnight stay in a static caravan with Nanna and Grandad in dreary old Scarborough but I'm not bitter. In 2000 they went on a cruise from Southampton (I got the job of looking after the dog) it took them to Newfoundland, Halifax and Sydney I'm not sure if that was in the right order, they brought back some nice boiled sweets though, made from maple syrup in the shape of maple leaves and a big slab of fudge also made from maple syrup of which I could have rammed down the dog's throat when I discovered a dried up turd lurking behind my telly unit a week later.
ReplyDeleteMITZI: Canada has a dreary old Scarborough too. It’s part of the Greater Toronto Area, in the eastern section.
DeleteScarborough’s dreariness earned it the nickname, “Scarberia” as in Siberia.
Dreary as it may be, it turned out a few famous faces: Mike Myers grew up in Scarborough and went to the same high school as Eric McCormack (of Will & Grace fame) and Elton John’s husband, David Furnish.
I'd gladly swop your dreary Scarborough for ours. Famous UK Scarborians include Joanne Froggatt, Penelope Wilton, Ben Kinsley and poet Edith Shitwell she's wonderfully eccentric with a huge conk.
DeleteMITZI: I’d like to read Dame Edith’s “English Eccentrics” if I can find a copy. And I’d like to read a biography of her as well.
DeleteYou can consider yourself a dodged bullet dear. I have been to Canada many a time. Niagara Falls, Montreal several times, Toronto several times, Quebec four times, Ottawa five times. Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. I even spent one whole summer traveling your fine land. I could see moving there, and found everybody very friendly. Montreal and Quebec were my favorite places.
ReplyDeleteMISTRESS MADDIE: So it’s true what they say about you… you’re a gal who really gets around!
DeleteCanada is on my to do list. The closest I've been near the northern border is Seattle, Boise, and the shores of Lake Michigan. I could see the border, but circumstances kept me from crossing over. Until I make the trip up north, I shall eat Canadian maple syrup, Canadian bacon, and drink Canada Dry to celebrate Canada.
ReplyDeleteEROS: Canada Dry ginger ale had its roots in Canada but is now owned by the Texas-based Dr Pepper Snapple Group.
DeleteSo it should be easy for you to get your hands on!
I don't drink soda very much, but when I do, I drink Canada Dry Ginger Ale!
DeleteI lived in Seattle for a while and visited Vancouver (loved) and Victoria (a tiny bit too precious) several times and when we would be in Glacier Park, we would drive up to Waterton Park (gorgeous) to partake of the fabulous tea there.
ReplyDeletePEENEE: Victoria is a bit on the “twee” side but the scenery is beautiful and it makes a nice day trip from Vancouver. It’s really a very nice spot to wander around, especially if you’re escorting elderly relatives, for example, but many have commented that “it’s more English than England.”
DeleteIt sounds like you made the most of your time in Canada’s west.
Lucky you to have lived in Seattle. I used to visit that city often.
I've never been but, like Savvy, when I get my passport renewed (if you think I'm going to attempt a North-Atlantic crossing on Broom, you have another thing coming!) I'll be on my way.
ReplyDeleteThe Parent's had a holiday in Canada last century and also found it pleasant (Thanks, Jon!). They brought back maple syrup sweets, a wooden moose-head wine bottle stopper, and a Native American Indian-style enamel orca keyring (which I lost just before Christmas, sadly).
MR. DeVICE: I’ll have a rummage ‘round and see if I can’t come up with another Native American Indian-style enamel orca key ring.
DeleteIf not, would you settle for a Mountie on a key ring?
I have relatives in Canada, on both sides of my family.... sadly we are out of touch.... unless you are my Auntie??????
ReplyDeleteSx
MISS SCARLET: If liking Aidan Turner in a towel is a genetic thing, then yes.
Delete