Skating on the Rideau Canal in Ottawa.

Canadian identity refers to the set of characteristics and symbols that many Canadians regard as expressing their unique place and role in the world. Download high resolution version (1500x900, 579 KB)skating on the Rideau canal in Ottawa near Dows lake This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Download high resolution version (1500x900, 579 KB)skating on the Rideau canal in Ottawa near Dows lake This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ...

Primary influences on the "Canadian identity" are the existence of many well-established First Nations and the arrival, beginning in the 16th century, of French and British settlers. The relations between French Canadians, English-speaking Canadians, and First Nations have played a major role in Canadian history. Other immigrants from European and Asian nationalities have helped shape the Canadian identity since Canadian Confederation. First Nations is a Canadian term of ethnicity which refers to the aboriginal peoples located in what is now Canada, and their descendants who are neither Inuit nor Métis. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Look up Anglophone in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Canada is a nation of 31 million inhabitants occupying almost all of the northern half of the North American continent. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Asia (disambiguation). ... We dont have an article called Canadian-confederation Start this article Search for Canadian-confederation in. ...

Canada has a diverse makeup of nationalities and cultures (see Canadian culture). Canada is also a bilingual and multicultural nation. It has been said that Canadian culture rests solely in the effort to distinguish itself from its southern neighbour, the United States. ... Bilingual (English/French) stop sign on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. ... The term multiculturalism generally refers to a state of both cultural and ethnic diversity within the demographics of a particular social space. ...

A major external influence on Canada has been its location next to its powerful neighbour, the United States. Canadians struggle with how to promote their image as Canadians and separate themselves from Americans.

For example, in 2000, Molson Brewing Company created an advertisement for its beer brand; Canadian (view commercial). The commercial depicts an 'average Joe' giving a rant about the finer points of being Canadian. Some critics suggested that this ad was revealing in that Joe's definition of a Canadian was more about what he is not, which is a stereotypical American, rather than what he is. The advertisement, and its subsequent criticisms, illustrate the common symptom of Canadian expression of identity. For the ghost town in Washington, see Molson, Washington. ...

In January 2007, Stephen Harper, the Prime Minister of Canada, created a new sub-ministerial cabinet portfolio with the title "Canadian Identity" for the first time in Canadian history, naming Jason Kenney to the position of Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity. The move prompted speculation that Harper wants Canada to move in the direction of Australia, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom in the area of national identity policy. Stephen Joseph Harper (born April 30, 1959) is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. ... Regions Political culture Foreign relations Other countries Atlas  Politics Portal      The Prime Minister of Canada (French: Premier ministre du Canada), is the Minister of the Crown who is head of the Government of Canada. ... Jason Kenney (born May 30, 1968 in Oakville, Ontario) is a Canadian politician. ... In several countries, Secretary of State is a senior government position. ... The term multiculturalism generally refers to a state of both cultural and ethnic diversity within the demographics of a particular social space. ... For publications of this name, see also Nation (disambiguation) A nation is a community of people who live together in an area (or, more broadly, of their descendants who may now be dispersed); and who regard themselves, or are regarded by others, as sharing some common identity, to which certain...

Basic models

In defining Canadian identity, six key distinctive characteristics have been emphasized. First, special emphasis is placed upon the bicultural nature of Canada and the important ways in which English-French relations since the 1760s have shaped the Canadian experience. Second, it is stressed that Canadians had shared quite a different historical experience than had Americans, and this radically different historical tradition shaped every aspect of contemporary Canadian life. Third, many Canadians, especially during the past fifty years, have proudly contrasted the continuing strength and viability of democratic socialism in Canada with the fact that it remains an inconsequential, peripheral failure in the United States. A fourth theme is that British parliamentary democracy and the British legal system, and the conservatism associated with the Loyalists and the pre-1960 French Canadians, have given Canada its ongoing collective obsession with "peace, order and good government." Fifth is the social structure of multiple ethnic groups that kept their identities and produced a "mosaic" rather than a "melting pot." Sixth, the influence of geophysical factors (vast area, coldness, northness; St Lawrence spine) together with the proximity of the United States have produced in the collective Canadian psyche what Northrop Frye has called the "garrison mind" or "siege mentality" and what novelist Margaret Atwood has argued is the Canadian preoccupation with "Survival." For Herschel Hardin, because of the remarkable hold of the "siege mentality" and the concern with survival, Canada in its essentials is "a public enterprise country." The "fundamental mode of Canadian life" has always been, according to Hardin, "the un-American mechanism of redistribution as opposed to the mystic American mechanism of market rule." Most Canadians, in other words, whether on the right or left in politics, expect their governments to be actively involved in the economic and social life of the nation. ^[1] Herman Northrop Frye, CC, MA, D.Litt. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Margaret Eleanor Atwood, OC (born November 18, 1939) is a Canadian writer. ... Herschel Hardin (born 1936) is a British Columbia-based writer, playwright, commentator and political activist and consultant best known for having contested the leadership of the New Democratic Party of Canada in 1995. ...

Historical developments

Canada's large geographic size and relatively open immigration policy have led to an extremely diverse society, including a large set of First Nations and immigrants from the United States, Europe, Asia and the Caribbean, as well as free blacks who came from the U.S. before 1860. Unlike the United States, there is not a large Mexican, Cuban or Central American element, although this historically small population has grown significantly in recent years, in part due to the illegal immigration crackdown in the US. An immigration policy is any policy of a state that affects the transit of persons across its borders, but especially those that intend to work and to remain in the country. ... First Nations is a Canadian term of ethnicity which refers to the aboriginal peoples located in what is now Canada, and their descendants who are neither Inuit nor Métis. ... // Illegal immigration to the United States refers to the act of foreign nationals voluntarily resettling in the United States in violation of U.S. immigration and nationality law. ...

Canada experienced periods under direct French then British rule, and has fought two wars with the United States, the American Revolution and the War of 1812. Several other immigrant groups have settled in sufficient densities to create somewhat insular communities. John Trumbulls Declaration of Independence, showing the five-man committee in charge of drafting the Declaration in 1776 as it presents its work to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia The American Revolution refers to the period during the last half of the 18th century in which the Thirteen... This article is about the U.S.–U.K. war. ...

In the early 20th century Canada had a policy of assisting immigrants from Europe, including city people from Britain. Offers of free land attracted farmers from Central and Eastern Europe to the prairies.[1] [2].

20th century

The main crisis regarding Canadian identity came in World War I. Canadians of British heritage strongly supported the war effort, while those of French heritage, especially in Quebec, were far less supportive. A series of political upheavals ensued, especially the Conscription Crisis of 1917. Simultaneously, the role of immigrants as loyal Canadians was contested, with large numbers of men of German or Ukrainian heritage temporarily stripped of voting rights or incarcerated in camps. The war helped define separate political identities for the two groups, and permanently alienated Quebec and the Conservative party. A similar crisis, though much less intense, erupted in World War II. During this period, World War I helped to establish a separate Canadian identity, especially through the military experiences of the Battle of Vimy Ridge and the Battle of Passchendaele and the intense homefront debates on patriotism. “The Great War ” redirects here. ... The Conscription Crisis of 1917 was a political and military crisis in Canada during World War I. // At the outbreak of war in 1914, over 30,000 volunteers joined the army, far more than expected. ... The Conscription Crisis of 1944 was a political and military crisis in Canada during World War II. It was similar to the Conscription Crisis of 1917, but was not as politically damaging. ... Combatants Canada United Kingdom  German Empire Commanders Julian Byng Arthur Currie Ludwig von Falkenhausen Strength 200,000 Unknown Casualties 3,598 dead, 7,004 wounded[1][2] 20,000 dead or wounded, 4,000 captured The Battle of Vimy Ridge was one of the opening battles in a larger British... For the village, see Passendale. ...

In the 1920s, the Dominion of Canada achieved greater independence from Britain, notably in the Statute of Westminster. It remained part to the larger Commonwealth but played an independent role in the League of Nations. As Canada became increasingly independent and sovereign, its primary foreign relationship and point of reference gradually moved to the United States, the superpower with whom it shared a long border and major economic, social and cultural relationships. This article is about the Statute of Westminster relating to the British Empire and its dominions. ... The Commonwealth of Nations as of 2007 Headquarters Marlborough House, London, UK Official languages English Membership 53 sovereign states Leaders  -  Queen Elizabeth II  -  Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma Appointed 24 November 2007 Establishment  -  Balfour Declaration 18 November 1926   -  Statute of Westminster 11 December 1931   -  London Declaration 28 April 1949  Area  -  Total... The League of Nations was an international organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference in 1919–1920. ... “Sovereign” redirects here. ...

Still, Canadians have struggled to decide what it is exactly that makes them Canadian. Canada is a contitutional monarchy in personal union with the United Kingdom (and fourteen other Commonwealth nations), however, overt associations with British nationalism wound down after the end of the Second World War, after which Canada established its own citizenship laws (1947), and later revoked British subject status. Throuhgout the 1960s and 1970s, a number of symbols of the Crown were either removed completely (such as the Royal Mail, which became Canada Post) or modified to be more uniquely Canadian (such as the Royal Arms of Canada). Paralleling this, the monarchy has developed in Canada into a more distinctly Canadian institution. Still, polls show that Canadians have mixed, and sometimes contradictory opinions on the Crown and it's link to the UK.^[2] Canada is a constitutional monarchy and a Commonwealth Realm with Queen Elizabeth II as its reigning monarch and head of state. ... It has been suggested that Dynastic union be merged into this article or section. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Coat of Arms of Canada (since 1994) The Coat of Arms of Canada, formally known as The Arms of Her Majesty in Right of Canada, is the official coat of arms of the Canadian monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. These arms are used by the Queen in her official capacity...

Americans and Canadians: Differences and Similarities

Often Canadians are confused for Americans by many foreigners and Americans alike. As American journalist Richard Starnes once famously remarked, "Canadians are generally indistinguishable from the Americans, and the surest way of telling the two apart is to make the observation to a Canadian."

Though today much popular culture available in Canada, such as TV, movies, music, news, and literature, is both American and Canadian in origin, many Canadians believe a unique distinct Canadian culture exists, even in an era of deep economic and cultural ties between the two nations. In defence against the perceived American influence on television, however, Canadian broadcasters must conform to government-mandated "Canadian content" rules, which are allowed under NAFTA due to their cultural, rather than economic, protection purpose. From a Canadian perspective, grouping a Canadian with an American, is often viewed as a grave insult. Unlike many Americans, Canadians often view Canada as strikingly different from the United States: in terms of politics, values are perceived to lean towards multiculturalism rather than assimilation, "good government" rather than rugged individualism and a higher tolerance for social and "quality of life" considerations over pure free-market capitalism. Differences in life-style, culture and history are also pointed out. For instance, other than the population of transplanted African-Americans who escaped America from the underground railway in Nova Scotia, Canada does not have a long history with African-Americans. Popular culture (or pop culture) is the widespread cultural elements in any given society that are perpetuated through that societys vernacular language or lingua franca. ... TV redirects here. ... For other uses see film (disambiguation) Film refers to the celluliod media on which movies are printed Film — also called movies, the cinema, the silver screen, moving pictures, photoplays, picture shows, flicks, or motion pictures, — is a field that encompasses motion pictures as an art form or as... For other uses, see Music (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see News (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Literature (disambiguation). ... Canadian content (abbreviated cancon or can-con) refers to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission requirements that radio and television broadcasters (including cable/satellite specialty channels) must air a certain percentage of content that was at least partly written, produced, presented, or otherwise contributed to by persons from Canada. ... Nafta or NAFTA may refer to: an acronym for the North American Free Trade Agreement an acronym for the New Zealand Australia Free Trade Agreement the town/Tokyo of Nafta, Tunisia This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ...

A minority of Canadians acknowledge that Canada and the United States share a somewhat common culture, even if it is best known as 'American culture'. This acknowledgment stems from the fact that Anglophone Canada and the U.S. developed on a similar timeline, based on similar (although not identical) immigration patterns, with a common language, with extensive media cross-over, and that there are few reasons for fundamental differences between the Anglophone Canadian and American cultures. For example, many American cultural hallmarks and distinctions such as American film and American television could actually be more accurately described as 'collaborations' between the two countries or 'representative of Western culture' since many of these 'culturally-representative' projects often involve significant Canadian contributions. Hundreds of so-called 'American' films, cartoons, musicians, videogames, music videos and commercials are actually created in both parts of Canada and the USA with significant Canadian casts, Canadian production houses and hundreds of Canadian technical workers. A great example is the popular rock song, "American Woman" by The Guess Who, which some Americans and even Canadians assume is an American song by an American rock band, but is actually an anti-American song written by a band of Canadian musicians. There are plenty of other popular examples of rock songs which are often assumed to be American, which are actually Canadian, like the widely-heralded classic rock songs, "Magic Carpet Ride" and "Born to Be Wild" by Steppenwolf. Other examples of so-called American icons with strong Canadian participation include American Apparel, a clothing store with deep Canadian roots, the late night TV show, Saturday Night Live, and MAC Cosmetics. The list of Canadian comedians who have become popular in the USA include Dan Aykroyd, Tom Green, Mike Myers, Norm Macdonald, Jim Carrey, Eugene Levy, Rick Moranis, John Candy, Howie Mandel, Martin Short and Leslie Nielsen. In many aspects, there are few pairings of countries in the world that are as similar in culture as the U.S. and Anglophone Canada. American Woman is the title track of Canadian band The Guess Whos 1970 album, American Woman. ... The Guess Who is a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba, that was one of the first to establish a major successful following in their own country while still residing there. ... Magic Carpet Ride is a rock song written by John Kay and Rushton Moreve from the band Steppenwolf. ... Born to Be Wild is a rock song written by Mars Bonfire. ... Steppenwolf is a rock band that helped establish heavy metal music in the late 1960s along with bands like Blue Cheer and Iron Butterfly. ... American Apparels main factory and headquarters in Los Angeles American Apparel, LLC is a vertically integrated clothing company based in downtown Los Angeles, California. ... This article is about the American television series. ... Make-up Art Cosmetics, better known to most as M•A•C, is a brand of cosmetics sold internationally, that originally became famous through word-of-mouth endorsements by professional makeup artists, models and celebrities. ... Daniel Edward Aykroyd CM (born July 1, 1952) is an Academy Award-nominated and Emmy Award-winning Canadian/American comedian, actor, screenwriter, and musician. ... For other persons named Tom Green, see Tom Green (disambiguation). ... This article is about the actor. ... Norman Gene Macdonald (born October 17, 1963) is a Canadian actor and comedian. ... James Eugene Carrey (born January 17, 1962) is a two-time Golden Globe Award-winning Canadian-American A-list film actor and comedian. ... Eugene Levy (born 17 December 1946) is a Canadian Emmy and Grammy Award-winning actor, television director, producer and writer. ... Frederick Alan Rick Moranis (born April 18, 1953) is a Canadian actor, comedian and musician best known for his comedy work on SCTV and appeared in several Hollywood films including Ghostbusters, Little Shop of Horrors, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Spaceballs, and My Blue Heaven. ... John Franklin Candy (October 31, 1950 – March 4, 1994) was a Canadian comedian and actor. ... Howie Michael Mandel II (born November 29, 1955) is a Canadian comedian and actor, primarily for his roles on sitcoms and television. ... Martin Hayter Short, CM (born March 26, 1950) is a Canadian/American comedian, actor, writer, and producer. ... Leslie William Nielsen OC (born February 11, 1926) is a Canadian born American comedian and actor. ...

Modern times

As for the role of history in national identity, the books of Pierre Berton and television series like Canada: A People's History have done much to spark the popular interest of Canadians in their history. Pierre Francis Berton, CC, O.Ont, BA, D.Litt (July 12, 1920 – November 30, 2004) was a noted Canadian author of non-fiction, especially Canadiana and Canadian history, and was a well-known television personality and journalist. ...

Much of the debate over the contemporary "Canadian identity" is argued in political terms, and defines Canada as a country defined by its government policies, which are thought to reflect deeper cultural values. To the political philosopher Charles Blattberg, Canada should be conceived as a civic or political community, a community of citizens, one that contains many other kinds of communities within it. These include not only communities of ethnic, regional, religious, civic (the provincial and municipal governments) and civil associational sorts, but also national communities. For Blattberg argues that Canada is a multi-national country, one that contains at least three nations within it: Francophone Canadians, the Aboriginal nations, and English Canada. Charles Blattberg Charles Blattberg (born 1967 in Toronto, Canada) is a professor of political philosophy at the Université de Montréal. ...

In keeping with this, it is often asserted that Canadian government policies such as publicly-funded health care, higher taxation to distribute wealth, outlawing capital punishment, strong efforts to eliminate poverty, an emphasis on multiculturalism, imposing strict gun control, and most recently legalizing same-sex marriage make their country politically and culturally different from the United States. Publicly-funded health care is a health care system that is financed entirely or in majority part by citizens tax payments instead of through private payments made to insurance companies or directly to health care providers (health insurance premiums, copayments or deductibles)[citation needed]. // Publicly-funded health care systems are... Capital punishment, or the death penalty, is the execution of a convicted criminal by the state as punishment for crimes known as capital crimes or capital offences. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Gun politics. ... One of four newly wedded same-sex couples in a public wedding at Taiwan Pride 2006. ...

Migration to Canada

Canada is often viewed by many as the "alternative" to America for many immigrants seeking a different kind of Western lifestyle. Canada was the home for 'American' British Loyalists during the uproar of the American Revolution, making much of Canada distinctly more British, culturally; Canada also has the French-speaking province of Quebec; Canada was also the escape-route for slaves from America via the Underground Railroad (The 'North Star' as heralded by Martin Luther King Jr.) and Canada was the refuge for American Vietnam draft-dodgers during the turbulent 1960s. Canada is also the birthplace of Greenpeace. In addition, given these and other events or distinctions, Canada is often perceived as more left-wing than their Southern counterparts with government initiatives that tends to be more closely modeled after European or Scandanavian countries. In addition, others are attracted to Canada's cities which are perceived to be safe and tend to rank high, on international surveys, involving quality of life. The name United Empire Loyalists is given to those American Loyalists who resettled in British North America and other British Colonies as an act of fealty to King George III after the British defeat in the American Revolutionary War. ... This article is about a 19th-century slave escape route. ... Martin Luther King, Jr. ... Canada did not fight in the Vietnam War, and diplomatically it was officially non-belligerent. Nevertheless, the war had considerable effects on Canada, while Canada and Canadians affected the war, in return. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969. ...

In response to a declining birth rate, Canada has increased the per capita immigration rate to one of the highest in the world. And despite a series of almost exclusively negative immigration-related economic statistics over the past 10 years, the economic impact of immigration to Canada is nevertheless discussed as being positive by most of the Canadian media and almost all Canadian politicians. This contrasts sharply to the ongoing debates in the U.S. regarding the benefits of immigration. Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head. ... Immigration to Canada is the process by which people migrate to Canada and become nationals of the country. ... The economic impact of immigration to Canada is a much-debated topic in Canada. ...

Relationship with the United States

Within Canadian politics, there is a diverse range of reaction to the United States amongst individual members of the various political parties. In the early 20th century, the Conservatives portrayed themselves as loyal to the Empire and hostile to threatened American takeovers. They decisively won the 1911 election on these grounds. In World War II, however, Liberal William Lyon Mackenzie King built close ties with the US, working smoothly with President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1957-1963 the Conservative John Diefenbaker took defiantly anti-American positions, especially regarding defence issues. In the late 1960s the Vietnam issue opened a difference of opinion between the two neighbours, and Pierre Trudeau tried to take political advantage in moving the Liberals to a more anti-American position in foreign affairs. The Canadian parliament after the 1911 election The Canadian federal election of 1911 was held to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons. ... Not to be confused with William Lyon Mackenzie, Mackenzie Kings grandfather. ... FDR redirects here. ... John George Diefenbaker, CH, PC, QC, BA, MA, LL.B, LL.D, DCL, FRSC, FRSA, D.Litt, DSL, (18 September 1895 – 16 August 1979) was the 13th Prime Minister of Canada (1957 – 1963). ... “Trudeau” redirects here. ...

Generally speaking, however, in recent years parties of the political left, such as the Liberal Party of Canada and the New Democratic Party, have tended to advocate a more distant relationship with the United States, particularly when conservatives hold office in Washington, D.C..^[3] In the past, the Canadian left has largely opposed economic deals such as free trade and Canada's participation in US-led military operations such as the Gulf War. Look up left in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Liberal Party of Canada (French: ), colloquially known as the Grits (originally Clear Grits), is a Canadian federal political party. ... This article is about the Canadian political party. ... American conservatism is a constellation of political ideologies within the United States under the blanket heading of conservative. ... The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was a trade agreement reached by Canada and the United States in October of 1987. ... For other uses, see Iraq war (disambiguation). ...

The term "Americanization" is likewise frequently used by members of the Canadian political left to designate policies they dislike. For example, private, or two-tier healthcare is often described as simply "American-style" healthcare in political debates. Much of these criticisms ostensibly arise from the belief that the United States, and the United States government is fundamentally more conservative than Canada, and as a result "Americanize" becomes synonymous with "right-wing reform". Some believe, however, that the frequent use of the word "Americanization" in Canadian political discourse has little to do with American politics or 'quality of life' issues itself but is rather used as a potent "scare tactic" to frighten constituents who found part of their identity as Canadians on not being Americans. Liberalism has been a strong force in Canadian politics since the late 18th Century. ... Two-tier health care is a form of national health care system that is used in most developed countries. ... Tactical politics deals with politics from a strategic perspective. ...

In recent years the Canadian right, mostly led by the Conservative Party of Canada and right-wing think-tanks such as the Fraser Institute, by contrast have generally tended to be more in favour of a closer relationship with the United States, supporting US initiatives such as the 2003 Invasion of Iraq and the rejection of the Kyoto Protocol. Some conservative Canadians often argue that closer ties to the United States are both an inescapable reality and favourable economically. Because they may already oppose policies such as socialized healthcare or Canada's gun laws, the term "Americanization" is not as frequently used as a term of condemnation by those on the political right. (See Annexationist movements of Canada for efforts to join the two countries, and Canadian and American politics compared for efforts to compare the two). To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Conservative Party of Canada (French: Parti conservateur du Canada), colloquially known as the Tories, is a conservative political party in Canada, formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in December 2003. ... The Fraser Institute is a libertarian think tank based in Canada. ... This article is about the 2003 invasion of Iraq. ... Kyoto Protocol Opened for signature December 11, 1997 in Kyoto, Japan Entered into force February 16, 2005. ... At various times, annexationist movements in Canada have campaigned in favour of the annexation of parts or all of Canada by the United States. ... Though whats up there are many similarities between the politics of Canada and the politics of the United States, there are also important differences. ...

Recent economic issues such as lingering trade disputes on softwood lumber and cattle, especially in areas of Canada harmed significantly by the closure of mills and inability of farmers (especially within Alberta) to sell their cattle likewise continue to be a source of political tension between the countries. Categories: Stub | Wood ... For other uses, see Alberta (disambiguation). ...

Books such as Fire and Ice: The United States, Canada and the Myth of Converging Values, by Michael Adams, head of the Environics polling company argues this point using polling research performed by his company as evidence. Critics of the idea of a fundamentally "liberal Canada" such as David Frum argue that the Canadian drive towards a more noticeably leftist political stance is largely due to the increasing role that Québec plays in the Canadian government (three of the last five elected Prime Ministers have been Quebecers, four if one includes Ontarian born Paul Martin). Québec historically was the most conservative, religious and traditional part of Canada. Since the Quiet Revolution of the 1960s, however, it has become the most secular and social democratic region of Canada. However, it is noteworthy that many Western provinces (particularly Saskatchewan and British Columbia) also have reputations as supporting leftist and social democratic policies. For example Saskatchewan is one of the few provinces (all in the West) to reelect social democratic governments and is the cradle of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation and its successor the New Democratic Party. Much of the energy of the Canadian feminist movement occurred in Manitoba, lead by Nellie McClung. Michael Adams is a Canadian writer and researcher. ... David J. Frum (born 1960) is a former economic speechwriter for President George W. Bush, and the author of the first insider book about the Bush presidency. ... During the 1960s, a terrorist group known as the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ) launched a decade of bombings, robberies and attacks on government offices. ... This article is about the use of the term. ... The Quiet Revolution (French: Révolution tranquille) was the 1960s period of rapid change in Quebec, Canada. ... Social democracy is a political ideology emerging in the late 19th and early 20th centuries from supporters of Marxism who believed that the transition to a socialist society could be achieved through democratic evolutionary rather than revolutionary means. ... This article is about the Canadian province. ... Motto: Splendor sine occasu (Latin: Splendour without diminishment) Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Official languages English (de facto) Government Lieutenant-Governor Steven Point Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament House seats 36 Senate seats 6 Confederation July 20, 1871 (6th province) Area  Ranked 5th Total 944... The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) was a Canadian political party founded in 1932 in Calgary, Alberta, by a number of socialist, farm, co-operative and labour groups, and the League for Social Reconstruction. ... This article is about the Canadian political party. ... Motto: Gloriosus et Liber (Latin: Glorious and free) Capital Winnipeg Largest city Winnipeg Official languages English French (de facto) Government Lieutenant-Governor John Harvard Premier Gary Doer (NDP) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament House seats 14 Senate seats 6 Confederation July 15, 1870 (5th) Area  Ranked 8th Total 647,797... Nellie McClung from The National Archives of Canada Nellie McClung, (October 20, 1873 - September 1, 1951) was a Canadian feminist, politician, and social activist. ...

By contrast, the Conservative government of province of Alberta has frequently quarrelled with federal administrations perceived to be dominated by "eastern liberal elites." ^[4] Part of this is due to what Albertans feel were federal intrusions on provincial jurisdictions such as the National Energy Program and other attempts to 'interfere' with Albertan oil resources. Alternative meaning: Elite (computer game) In sociology as in general usage, the elite (the elect; sometimes the French form élite is used) refers to a relatively small dominant group within a larger society, which enjoys privileged status and, almost invariantly, exploits individuals of lower social status. ... The National Energy Program (NEP) was an energy policy of the Government of Canada. ...

In a poll that asked what institutions made Canada feel most proud about their country, number one was health care, number two was the CBC, and number three was peacekeeping. In a CBC contest to name "The Greatest Canadian", the three highest ranking in descending order were the social democratic politician and father of medicare Tommy Douglas, the legendary cancer activist Terry Fox, and the Liberal prime minister Pierre Trudeau, which suggested that their voters valued left-of-centre political leanings and community involvement. A physician visiting the sick in a hospital. ... Radio-Canada redirects here. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ... Officially launched on April 5, 2004, The Greatest Canadian was a television program series by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) to determine who is considered to be the greatest Canadian of all time, at least among those who watched and participated in the program. ... Social democracy is a political ideology emerging in the late 19th and early 20th centuries from supporters of Marxism who believed that the transition to a socialist society could be achieved through democratic evolutionary rather than revolutionary means. ... Several individuals may be recognized as father of the Canadian system of universal public medicare: Tommy Douglas pioneered public health insurance as Premier of Saskatchewan from 1944 to 1961 and federal leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada from 1961 to 1971. ... Thomas Clement Douglas, PC, CC, SOM, MA, LL.D (hc) (October 20, 1904 – February 24, 1986) was a Scottish-born Baptist minister who became a prominent Canadian social democratic politician. ... For the baseball player, see Terry Fox (baseball). ... The Liberal Party of Canada (French: ), colloquially known as the Grits (originally Clear Grits), is a Canadian federal political party. ... Regions Political culture Foreign relations Other countries Atlas  Politics Portal      The Prime Minister of Canada (French: Premier ministre du Canada), is the Minister of the Crown who is head of the Government of Canada. ... “Trudeau” redirects here. ... Left wing redirects here. ...

Outsider perceptions

A very common expression of Canadian identity is to rail against the stereotypes they believe Americans hold of Canadian citizens. This ranges from Voltaire's purported assessment of Canada as a few acres of snow (which is, in fact, taken out of its proper context) to the myth of American tourists travelling to Toronto in July with skis tied to the roof of their car. For other uses, see Stereotype (disambiguation). ... A few acres of snow (in the original French, Quelques arpents de neige) is a quotation from Voltaire popularly understood to be a sneering evaluation of New Frances — and, by extension, Canadas — lack of mercantile value and strategic importance to France. ...

Canadian media personalities sometimes also play with this phenomenon for comedic purposes. During his years with This Hour Has 22 Minutes, comic Rick Mercer produced a popular recurring segment, Talking to Americans, in which he would pose as a journalist in an American city and ask passers-by for their opinions on a fabricated Canadian news story. Some of the "stories" for which he solicited comment included the legalization of staplers, the coronation of King Svend, the border dispute between Quebec and Chechnya, the campaign against the Toronto Polar Bear Hunt, and the reconstruction of the historic "Peter Mann's Bridge". During the 2000 election in the United States, Mercer successfully staged a Talking to Americans segment in which presidential candidate George W. Bush gratefully accepted news of his endorsement by Canadian Prime Minister "Jean Poutine". This Hour Has 22 Minutes is a weekly Canadian television comedy that airs on CBC Television. ... Richard Vincent Rick Mercer (born October 17, 1969 in St. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Svend Robinson Svend Johannes Robinson (born March 4, 1952) is a Canadian politician and prominent activist for gay rights. ... The Chechen Republic (IPA: ; Russian: , Chechenskaya Respublika; Chechen: , Noxçiyn Respublika), or, informally, Chechnya (; Russian: ; Chechen: , Noxçiyçö), sometimes referred to as Ichkeria, Chechnia, Chechenia or Noxçiyn, is a federal subject of Russia. ... Peter Mansbridge Peter Mansbridge (born July 6, 1948) is a Canadian journalist and anchor of The National, CBC Televisions flagship nightly newscast. ... The United States presidential election of 2000 was a contest between the Democratic candidate Al Gore versus the Republican candidate of George W. Bush. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the forty-third and current President of the United States of America, originally inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... Original flavour poutine from La Banquise with thin gravy and cheese curds Poutine (Quebec French pronunciation ) is a dish consisting of French fries topped with fresh cheese curds and covered with hot gravy (usually brown gravy) and sometimes other additional ingredients. ...

Quebec and Canada

While the distinct language and customs of Quebec are accepted and embraced by Canadians who enjoy Canada's multiculturalism, Quebec's repeated attempts at political separation from Canada have made the province appear distant and foreign to many residents of other provinces, especially in the West. Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... The term multiculturalism generally refers to a state of both cultural and ethnic diversity within the demographics of a particular social space. ...

Even many federalist Québécois who readily identify as Canadian regard Québécois as constituting a distinct nation within the Canadian federation. This comes of the pervasive reality of the culture of Quebec which is made of six million francophones trying to maintain an independent culture against the majority culture of 27 million Anglo-Canadians (and 300 million more English-speaking Americans just south of it). The culture of Quebec is a Western culture that is rooted in the history and society of the French-speaking majority. ...

Most of Canada's recent prime ministers have been from Quebec, and thus have tried to improve relations with the province with a number of tactics, notably official bilingualism which required the provision of a number of services in both official languages and, among other things, required that all commercial packaging in Canada is printed in French and English. Again, while this bilingualism is a notable feature to outsiders, the plan has been less than warmly embraced by many English Canadians some of whom resent the extra administrative costs and the requirement of many key federal public servants to be fluently bilingual.^[5] Despite the widespread introduction of French-language classes throughout Canada, very few anglophones are truly bilingual outside of Quebec. Regions Political culture Foreign relations Other countries Atlas  Politics Portal      The Prime Minister of Canada (French: Premier ministre du Canada), is the Minister of the Crown who is head of the Government of Canada. ... Bilingualism in Canada refers to laws and policies of the federal government — and some other levels of government — mandating that certain services and communications be available to the public in both English and French. ...

Things are complicated by sharp differences in the perception of the nature of bilingualism and bilingual individuals, whether one lives and works in English or in French, in Quebec or in the other provinces.

At the core one must remember that, like Canadians in other provinces, the Québécois hold the health care system to be nearly sacred (even if there are some quibbles as to how much of it is a provincial versus federal responsibility) and its existence to be non-negotiable. Like other Canadians too, they are very much attached to the CBC, albeit its French-language counterpart, Société Radio-Canada. Finally, like other Canadians they support Canada's efforts in the international community from peacekeeping to foreign aid and co-operative programs.

Multiculturalism

Multiculturalism and the state of inter-ethnic relations in Canada is relaxed and tolerant, allowing ethnic or linguistic particularism to exist unquestioned. In metropolitan areas such as Toronto and Vancouver, there is often a strong sense that multiculturalism is a normal and respectable expression of being Canadian. Canada is also considered a mosaic because of the multi-culturalism. Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... For other uses, see Vancouver (disambiguation). ...

Critics of Canada's multiculturalism, however, argue that the country's "timid" attitude towards the assimilation of immigrants has actually weakened, not strengthened Canada's national identity through factionalism. The indulgent attitude taken towards cultural differences is perhaps a side effect of the vexed histories of French-English and Aboriginal-settler relations, which have created a need for a civic national identity, as opposed to one based on some homogenous cultural ideal.

Supporters of Canadian multiculturalism will also argue cultural appreciation of ethnic and religious diversity promotes a greater willingness to tolerate political differences.

Distinctly Canadian

A Winnipeg street after a snowstorm.

• Canadians often like to see themselves as brave warriors who have to endure each winter a never ending struggle against massive amounts of snow and ice and extremely cold temperatures. They proudly proclaim that Ottawa is the coldest capital in the Americas, and has the second coldest winter weather of any capital in the world after Ulaanbaatar.

• The search for the Canadian identity often yields some whimsical results. To outsiders, this soul-searching (or, less charitably, navel-gazing) seems tedious or absurd, inspiring the Monty Python sketch Whither Canada?

• In the 1970s, CBC Radio's This Country in the Morning held a competition whose goal was to compose the conclusion to the phrase: "As Canadian as ..." The winning entry read: "... possible, under the circumstances." [3]

• Robertson Davies, one of Canada's best known novelists, once commented about his homeland: "Some countries you love. Some countries you hate. Canada is a country you worry about."

• Pierre Berton, a Canadian journalist and novelist, once alluded to Canada's voyageur roots with this famous saying: "A Canadian is someone who knows how to make love in a canoe without tipping it."

• British novelist Douglas Adams said each country was like a particular type of person, and "Canada is like an intelligent 35 year old woman". America, on the other hand, is a "belligerent adolescent boy" and Australia is "Jack Nicholson".

• American journalist Richard Starnes once famously remarked, "Canadians are generally indistinguishable from the Americans, and the surest way of telling the two apart is to make the observation to a Canadian."

• A half-joking definition of a Canadian, offered by The Economist in 1993: "an American with healthcare and no guns", in reference to the countries' contrasting levels of public medical care and gun ownership.

• The well known actor Mike Myers once commented about his native country: "Canada is the essence of not being. Not English, not American, it is the mathematic of not being. And a subtle flavour - we're more like celery as a flavour."

• Canadians are often said to be extremely polite.

Winnipeg street after two snowstorms, 2005-01-02 File links The following pages link to this file: Canadian identity Categories: GFDL images ... Winnipeg street after two snowstorms, 2005-01-02 File links The following pages link to this file: Canadian identity Categories: GFDL images ... This article is about the capital city of Canada. ... September 2004 Ulan Bator, or Ulaanbaatar (Улаанбаатар, [Ulaɣan Baɣatar]) in Mongolian, is the capital of Mongolia. ... Monty Python, or The Pythons,[2][3] is the collective name of the creators of Monty Pythons Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. ... Year 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... CBC Radio One is the English language news and information radio network of the publicly-owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. ... This Country in the Morning was a Canadian radio program, which aired on CBC Radio from 1971 to 1977. ... William Robertson Davies, CC, FRSC, FRSL (born August 28, 1913, at Thamesville, Ontario, and died December 2, 1995 at Orangeville, Ontario) was a Canadian novelist, playwright, critic, journalist, and professor. ... A novel is an extended work of written, narrative, prose fiction, usually in story form; the writer of a novel is a novelist. ... Voyageur is French for the word voyager or traveller. Voyageur or Voyageurs can also refer to: Voyageurs, licensed coureur des bois fur traders in 17th and 18th century North America Voyageurs National Park, a US National Park in Minnesota Voyageurs (camp), a French language immersion program run through the Concordia... Douglas Noël Adams (11 March 1952 – 11 May 2001) was an English author, comic radio dramatist, and musician. ... For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American... John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937), known as Jack Nicholson, is a three time Academy Award-winning American actor internationally renowned for his often dark-themed portrayals of neurotic characters. ... The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd and edited in London. ... Health care or healthcare is one of the worlds largest and fastest growing professions. ...

Bibliography

• Michael Adams. Fire and Ice (2004)
• Anderson, Alan B. Ethnicity in Canada: Theoretical Perspectives. (1981)
• Association for Canadian Studies, ed. Canadian identity: Region, country, nation : selected proceedings of the 24th Annual Conference of the Association for Canadian Studies, held at Memorial ... June 6-8, 1997 (1998)
• Sylvia B. Bashevkin, True Patriot Love: The Politics of Canadian Nationalism (1991),
• Carl Berger, The Sense of Power: Studies in the Ideas of Canadian Imperialism, 1867-1914 (1970).
• Charles Blattberg (2003) Shall We Dance? A Patriotic Politics for Canada. McGill-Queen's University Press. ISBN 0-7735-2596-3.
• John Bartlet Brebner, North Atlantic Triangle: The Interplay of Canada, the United States, and Great Britain, (1945)
• Breton, Raymond. "The production and allocation of symbolic resources: an analysis of the linguistic and ethnocultural fields in Canada." Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology 1984 21:123-44.
• Andrew Cohen. While Canada Slept: How We Lost Our Place in the World (2004), on foreign affairs
• Cook, Ramsay. The Maple Leaf Forever (1977), essays by historian
• Leslie Dawn. National Visions, National Blindness: Canadian Art and Identities in the 1920s (2007)
• Will Ferguson. Why I Hate Canadians (2007), satire
• Fleras, Angie and Jean Leonard Elliot. Multiculturalism in Canada: The Challenge of Diversity 1992 .
• Stephanie R. Golob. "North America beyond NAFTA? Sovereignty, Identity and Security in Canada-U.S. Relations." Canadian-American Public Policy. 2002. pp 1+. online version
• Mel Hurtig. The Vanishing Country: Is It Too Late to Save Canada? (2003), left-wing perspective
• Mahmood Iqbal, "The Migration of High-Skilled Workers from Canada to the United States:Empirical Evidence and Economic Reasons" (Conference Board of Canada, 2000) [www.ccis-ucsd.org/PUBLICATIONS/wrkg20.PDF online version]
• Sabine Jackson. Robertson Davies And the Quest for a Canadian National Identity (2006)
• Kieran Keohane. Symptoms of Canada: An Essay on the Canadian Identity (1997)
• Andrew E. Kim. "The Absence of Pan-Canadian Civil Religion: Plurality, Duality, and Conflict in Symbols of Canadian Culture." Sociology of Religion. 54#3. 1993. pp 257+ online version
• Seymour Martin Lipset, Noah Meltz, Rafael Gomez, and Ivan Katchanovski. The Paradox of American Unionism: Why Americans Like Unions More Than Canadians Do, but Join Much Less (2004)
• Seymour Martin Lipset, Continental Divide: The Values and Institutions of the United States and Canada (1990)
• J.I. Little. Borderland Religion: The Emergence of an English-Canadian Identity, 1792-1852 (2004)
• Matheson, John Ross. Canada's Flag: A Search for a Country. 1980 .
• Robin Mathews. Canadian Identity: Major Forces Shaping the Life of a People (1988)
• Peter Moogk; La Nouvelle France: The Making of French Canada: a Cultural History (2000)
• Linda Morra. "'Like Rain Drops Rolling Down New Paint': Chinese Immigrants and the Problem of National Identity in the Work of Emily Carr." American Review of Canadian Studies. Volume: 34. Issue: 3. 2004. pp 415+. online version
• W. I. Morton. The Canadian Identity (1968)
• Francisco Panizza. Populism and the Mirror of Democracy(2005)
• Philip Resnick. The European Roots of Canadian Identity (2005)
• Peter Russell (ed.), Nationalism in Canada (1966)
• Joe Sawchuk. The Metis of Manitoba: Reformulation of an ethnic identity (1978)
• Mildred A Schwartz. Public opinion and Canadian identity (1967)
• Allan Smith. Canada - An American Nation?: Essays on Continentalism, Identity, and the Canadian Frame of Mind (1994)
• David M. Thomas, ed. Canada and the United States: Differences that Count (1990) Second Edition
• William Watson, Globalization and the Meaning of Canadian Life (1998)
• Matthias Zimmer and Angelika E. Sauer. A Chorus of Different Voices: German-Canadian Identities(1998)
• Aleksandra Ziolkowska. Dreams and reality: Polish Canadian identities (1984)

Charles Blattberg Charles Blattberg (born 1967 in Toronto, Canada) is a professor of political philosophy at the Université de Montréal. ...

References

• Douglas Coupland (2002) Souvenir of Canada. Douglas & McIntyre. ISBN 1-55054-917-0.
• [4]
• Morton, William Lewis. The Canadian Identity 2nd ed. 1972
• "Current State, Future Directions: Canada - U.S. Relations" by Pamela Wallin (Canada’s Consul General to New York); April 28, 2003
• Pierre Berton, Why we act like Canadians: A personal exploration of our national character

1. ^ The typology is based on George A. Rawlyk, Politics, Religion, and the Canadian Experience: A Preliminary Probe," in Mark A. Noll, ed. Religion and American Politics: From the Colonial Period to the 1980s. 1990. pp 259-60
2. ^ J Higley and R.E. Case, "Australia: The Politics of Becoming a Republic" Journal of Democracy, (2000)
3. ^ Cohen (2004)
4. ^ Panizza 2005
5. ^ Sandford F. Borins. The Language of the Skies: The Bilingual Air Traffic Control Conflict in Canada (1983) p. 244

Douglas Coupland (born December 30, 1961) is a major Canadian fiction writer as well as a playwright and visual artist. ...

See also

• Canadian nationalism
• Music of Canada
• History of Canada
• Canadian English
• Canadian French
• Quebec Nationalism
• First Nations
• Sports in Canada
• Hockey
• Lacrosse
• Hoser
• Canadian beer
• Cultural cringe

The Flag of Canada Canadian nationalism is a loose term which has been applied to ideologies of several different types which highlight and promote specifically Canadian interests over those of other countries, notably the United States. ... The history of music of Canada has mirrored the history and evolution of the country. ... Canada is a country of 32 million inhabitants that occupies the northern portion of the North American continent, and is the worlds second largest country in area. ... Canadian English (CanE) is the variety of North American English used in Canada. ... Canadian French is an umbrella term for the dialects or varieties of French found in Canada [1] and areas of French Canadian settlement in the United States. ... Quebec nationalism is the subject of many international studies together with the contemporary nationalism of Scotland, Catalonia and other non-sovereign regions of the world. ... First Nations is a Canadian term of ethnicity which refers to the aboriginal peoples located in what is now Canada, and their descendants who are neither Inuit nor Métis. ... A wide variety of sports are practiced in Canada. ... Hockey is any of a family of sports in which two teams compete by trying to maneuver a ball, or a hard, round disc called a puck, into the opponents net or goal, using a hockey stick. ... For other uses, see Lacrosse (disambiguation). ... Bob & Doug McKenzie, iconic sympathetic hosers from SCTV and Strange Brew. ... Major brewers like Molson produce brands of beer which are now part of the Canadian identity, such as Molson Dry. ... Cultural cringe, in cultural studies and social anthropology, is an internalized inferiority complex which causes people in a country to dismiss their own culture as inferior to the cultures of other countries. ...

External links

• a website for Canadian identity discussion
• a government website with extensive information on Canadian culture
• Canadian government link to information on Canadian identity
• Canadian Studies: A Guide to the Sources