As they say in South Park, “blame Canada…”
…for being great. Well, they don’t really say that last bit but it’s true.
Forget Australia, New Zealand and the States, Canada’s where it’s really at these days and, seeing as July 1st is Canada Day, let’s celebrate with some crackin’ Canadian facts.
*WARNING* We will not be talking about Justin Bieber.
Commonly known as Canada’s birthday, Canada Day is a Canadian national holiday that celebrates the anniversary of the July 1, 1867 enactment of the British North American Act which united three colonies into a single country called Canada within the British Empire.
And we didn’t even get it a card.
In a recent survey conducted by Molson Canadian lager, it turns out that the second-largest country in the world is now the most popular potential destination for Irish men and women aged 18-35 who may be considering moving abroad.
Did you know that 44% of Irish women rank Ryan Gosling as the hottest Canadian man? Well you do now, so get down to Penneys, buy yourself one of those hoodies he always wears and start practising your stare off in to the middle distance. It’ll be a sure fire winner the next time you’re in Coppers.
31% of men opted for Rachel McAdams as their favourite Canadian lady in reply, but 100% of this particular JOE would have to personally opt for Celine Dion as the greatest ever female export. What a lady.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMnRGVVWeE4
The survey also revealed that 77% of Irish people have a friend living in Canada, while 15% claim to have snogged a Canadian. It doesn’t specify if that 15% have all snogged the same Canadian, however, but we’re going to go ahead and assume that anyway.
Playing tonsil hockey isn’t the only connection between our two great nations though, and there is a school of thought that believes that ice hockey originated from hurling. Well, that’s what 33% of people surveyed thought anyway.
There are also approximately 70 cities and towns in Canada with Irish names. High levels of emigration from Ireland in the 19th and 20th centuries resulted in countless towns and regions being named or renamed after places in Ireland. Examples include:
Antrim, Nova Scotia
Cashel, Ontario
Dublin, Ontario
Dundalk, Ontario
Enniskillen, Ontario
Mullingar, Saskatchewan
Kildare, Prince Edward Island
As far as we know though, there’s no Muff (Donegal), Bastardstown (Wexford) or Nobber (Meath).
Now just sit back and enjoy the theme tune to one of our favourite ever Canadian Mountie television drama comedies set in Chicago. In fact, it’s the only Canadian Mountie television drama comedy set in Chicago that we know of so it’ll have to do.
It is, of course, Due South:
