In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved,
Like many of you, I was glued to the television and radio while the story unfolded in Ottawa yesterday. I watched CBC News Network and listened to CBC Radio One, and found the coverage anchored by Peter Mansbridge and Anna Maria Tremonti to be outstanding. There was a wonderful and
I loved the old Heritage Minute vignettes that aired on TV during commercial breaks. Historica Canada and Christopher Hemsworth Creative have designed a series of 13 limited edition Heritage Minutes posters with iconic quotes from each Minute. You can buy these as a set here.
When Dalton Pompey hit an RBI groundout to first yesterday, he became the 19th Canadian Blue Jay. Here's the updated list: Dave McKayPaul HodgsonRob DuceyDenis BoucherVince HorsmanRob ButlerPaul SpoljaricPaul QuantrillRich ButlerSteve SinclairSimon PondCorey KoskieMatt StairsScott RichmondShawn HillAdam LoewenMark TeahenBrett LawrieDalton PompeyDalton Pompey is from Mississauga. He had made four appearances
I've been watching tennis grand slam events forever. As a young man, you'd have thought I was German the way I cheered on Boris Becker and Steffi Graf. After all, Canadians were never a threat. Here's something I wrote in July of 2009 about Canada's male singles tennis failure. We
Today we pay tribute to the 150,000 Allied troops who took part in the biggest military invasion in history, the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France. The story of the Canadians is particularly touching. At the time of the war, Canada was a nation of only 11 million people with
Canadian forces played a very significant role in one of the key massive offensives launched by the Allies in WWI. On April 9, 1917, the Canadian Corps, four divisions strong and fighting together for the first time, attacked the German army posted on the gently rising slope of land that
The NCAA men’s tournament tips off tomorrow, and there are plenty of Canadians taking part, many with key roles. It's not just Andrew Wiggins, it's also Tyler Ennis, Melvin Ejim, Kevin Pangos and my son's friend's cousin, Nik Stauskas. Here's who you should cheer for over the next two
On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, Canadians pause and remember the thousands of men and women who sacrificed their lives fighting for freedom and democracy during the First World War, the Second World War, the Korean War, the Afghanistan conflict and during peacekeeping missions.
Whenever I'm away, immersed in another culture, I always come home and look at things a little differently. I must say, we live in a pretty great country. [via Reddit]
Happy Birthday, Canada! You're 146 years young today. Over the past 10.5 years I've written quite a bit about you. All of those posts can be found at http://www.torontomike.com/o_canada/, but here are a few of my favourites, in the order I wrote them. Vimy
Without a doubt, I'm rooting for Gonzaga to win this year's NCAA's March Madness tournament. If you're fellow Canadian, you should be too, for two good reasons: Kelly Olynyk and Kevin Pangos. Olynyk, a seven-foot forward from Kamloops and Pangos, a point guard from Holland Landing, Ontario, have led Gonzaga
Every year Ottawa receives 20,000 tulip bulbs from the Netherlands Royal Family and the Dutch Bulb Growers, a thank you for sheltering the Royal Family and for Canada's help with liberation of the Netherlands during WWII. Here's a little more: In 1943 Princess Margriet Francisca, the younger sister of
I almost never use cash. Just about everything I buy, from a McDonald's coffee to my groceries, goes on my President's Choice MasterCard. I'm trying to remember the last time I bought something with cash and I'm drawing a blank. For this reason, I won't even notice the penny has
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), 24/7 Wall St. has compiled a list of the 10 most educated countries in the world. Canada tops the list. Here's their top 10: CanadaIsraelJapanUnited StatesNew ZealandSouth KoreaUnited KingdomFinlandAustraliaIrelandIn 2010, 51% of our Canadian population had completed a tertiary education, which takes
Courtesy of Macleans.ca, here are 12 Canadian words, phrases or slang that most Americans wouldn’t understand. 1. Two-four (24 beers) 2. Loonie (and, of course, toonie) 3. Toque 4. Klick (kilometre) 5. Toboggan 6. Peameal or back bacon 7. Washroom 8. Serviette 9. Chinook (the wind, not the
On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, Canadians are asked to pause and remember the thousands of men and women who sacrificed their lives fighting for freedom and democracy during the First World War, the Second World War, the Korean War, the Afghanistan conflict and
A year ago, we got sexy new $100 bills made out of a single sheet of plastic polymer. I don't know about you, but I don't come across many $100 bills. I do, however, see the odd $20 bill making its way into my wallet, so I'm paying more attention
Canada remains a digital ghetto. It's always been this way and it's only gotten worse. The latest evidence comes from Gmail where they now allow you to send text messages to cell phones via their handy Google Chat client, which is also built into Gmail. Unfortunately, not all carriers support
I recently came across Don Komarechka's natural Canada flag picture on Reddit. I quite like it. It inspired another photographer over there, known only to me as Cuervo2099 on Reddit. I like this one, too. I like this new trend. Who's next?
In the 1990s, we learnt a great deal about Canadian history from the A Part Of Our Heritage vignettes that played on television during commercial breaks. Where else was I going to learn to ask aloud "burnt toast, Dr. Penfield?" Here are a couple of my other favourites.... First, there's
In Toronto, we're getting Simcoe Day off on Monday, but it's not Simcoe Day everywhere in Ontario. Civic Holiday may also be known by one of a number of local appellations such as Mountie Day in North York, Colonel By Day in Ottawa, George Hamilton Day in Hamilton, Joseph Brant
Happy Birthday, Canada, you're 145 years young today. Here area few entries I've written about you over the past 9.5 years. Vimy RidgeO Canada! (2003 Version)A Distinct IdentityBlame CanadaReason Number 32Our Other AnthemThe Maple Music RevolutionMy Ten Favourite Song References to A Canadian PlaceBest Canadian MoviesTop 100 Canadian
Thain Wendell MacDowell was a Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross for his efforts in the Battle of Vimy Ridge. Thain Wendell MacDowell was only 26 years old and a captain in the 38th (Ottawa) Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War when he was awarded the Victoria
It's roll up the rim time, Canada. Brace yourself.
