What Does It Mean to Be Canadian? 🇨🇦🍁

canada canadian elbows up election liberal mark carney sovereignty Mar 23, 2025

Defining what it means to be Canadian is a challenge: it’s vast, ever-evolving, and sometimes hard to put into words. But if there’s one thing that stands out—it’s our diversity.

We are the second-largest country in the world by landmass but rank 38th in population. We have sprawling cities and untouched wilderness, the Great Lakes and the Canadian Shield, the Thousand Islands (yes, that’s where the salad dressing name comes from), and ten provinces plus three territories.

Our first official language is English; our second is French. And yet, when asked to define ourselves, many of us start with, “Well, we’re NOT American.” We wear our maple leaf proudly on our luggage when we travel, making sure everyone knows where we’re from.

The Traits That Make Us, Us

We’re known for being one of the happiest countries in the world, though we recently slipped from #5 to #18 (some say due to our complicated relationship with our southern neighbor).

We say sorry way too much. It’s instinctual. We also throw in eh? at the end of sentences like punctuation.

We use the metric system, though American influence means some of us still measure height in feet and temperature in Fahrenheit when we feel like it.

We consume a massive amount of American TV and film—ironically, much of it is filmed right here using Canadian talent. And while Hollywood insists we all say “aboot” and “hoooose,” in reality, that’s mostly an East Coast thing—and we love them for it.

We are multicultural, embracing cultures from all over the world. At our core, Canada is about tolerance, respect, and a strong sense of community.

What About Our Food?

Do we have a national dish? Hard to say. But if we did, poutine would be a strong contender. If you’re not Canadian, you might not even know what that is—fries, cheese curds, and gravy. A simple masterpiece.

And of course, maple syrup. We supply 80% of the world’s maple syrup. You’re welcome.

The Beaver and the Birth of a Nation

Our national animal? The beaver. Not just because it’s cute but because, in the 1600s, beaver pelts were one of the most valuable trade commodities. That little guy helped build the economy that shaped our nation.

What Has Canada Given the World?

A lot, actually:

Sports: Hockey, Basketball, Lacrosse, 5-Pin Bowling

Inventions: The electric light bulb, IMAX, the telephone, JavaScript, alkaline batteries, the snowblower (of course), walkie-talkies, the WonderBra, the paint roller, insulin

Talent: Keanu Reeves, Jim Carrey, Mike Myers, Ryan Reynolds, Celine Dion, Alanis Morissette, Michael J. Fox, Sandra Oh, Matthew Perry, Will Arnett, Arlene Dickinson, and The Tragically Hip

What Do We Stand For?

We have universal healthcare, social assistance, and civil liberties. We are the True North Strong and Free.

We are polite and civil to each other.

We take pride in our country and all it represents:

The Rocky Mountains

The prairies

The maritimes

The CN Railroad

Canada Day

Inuit culture

Multi-colored “Monopoly” money

Ketchup chips

The Mounties

The CN Tower

Parliament

Nanaimo bars

Hard maple candies

Beer

Toques

Anne of Green Gables

Being Canadian isn’t one thing—it’s everything. It’s history, diversity, culture, and kindness. And above all, it’s a commitment to keeping our country strong, sovereign, and free. This is why we support Mark Carney, in keeping Canada a Sovereign and Free Nation!

Get ready to vote Canada!

#ElbowsUp

#ProudlyCanadian

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