Ask a Canuck

[gsdx]

Is poutine good?

Ohhhhhhhh, yes.

At least the real stuff is. I don't know about the stuff they pass off as poutine these days.

 

[DarkHelios]

Yes. Our 'football' has been around for a very long time and your 'football' has been around a lot longer. Until the 1820s, we used to play your football until one of the players (probably in an effort to score a much-needed goal) picked up the ball and headed for the goal. The other team took off in pursuit to bring him down before he reached it.

This morphed into rugby, but different Ivy League colleges in the United States played by different rules: one with rugby rules and the other with rules more resembling our football. The rules were refined until the game of American football was born. If Canada wanted to play in the leagues, we had to follow along. So, that left 2 completely different football games, so the old game fell victim to the name change and became 'soccer'.

(I had to Google this.)[/QUOTE

On top of that, rules for the CFL are sufficiently different from the NFL (3 downs instead of 4, different field size etc...) that going from one to another takes a fair bit of adjustment.

Is poutine good?

It's better than it sounds. I could take it or leave it, but I know a lot of people who love it. Some people get up in arms if you use anything other than cheese curds.

 

[Mitchymo]

Do you ever get earthquakes in Canada?

 

[gsdx]

Do you ever get earthquakes in Canada?

Oh, yes, and tornadoes and hurricanes as well. Where I live, the Canadian Shield is just north of me. It is one of the most stable areas on earth, yet we still get occasional quakes. They're rarely ever anything more than a jiggling that you might not even feel. They're more common in the west along the coast and they're much more intense. I'm almost 64 years old and I've never felt one.

But we get them.

Tornadoes and hurricanes are much more common, and I've been through both.

 

[Mitchymo]

What city would you say is the 'dodgiest'. If you were to advise a tourist not to go there.

 

[bankside]

What city would you say is the 'dodgiest'. If you were to advise a tourist not to go there.

I don't think anywhere is dodgy enough to avoid an entire city. However some places just cater to tourists more than others and make a more likely destination. I'd recommend Vancouver and Montreal - Vancouver for its incredible beauty and great climate, Montreal for architecture, history, culture, shopping...

 

[JohnnyAnger]

What are considered the best universities in Canada? I have to say its a blind spot in my knowledge of colleges.

I did meet some students from McGill in Amsterdam, who all seemed very smart and they made it sound like it was a big deal.

 

[Kabluey]

Ohhhhhhhh, yes.

At least the real stuff is. I don't know about the stuff they pass off as poutine these days.

As a tourist, I'd vouch for poutine. Stuff needs to be exported as a national treasure

 

[Mitchymo]

Can you recommend a canadian stand-up comic, maybe who i could watch on youtube. Do you have any good comedy programmes?

 

[bankside]

What are considered the best universities in Canada? I have to say its a blind spot in my knowledge of colleges.

I did meet some students from McGill in Amsterdam, who all seemed very smart and they made it sound like it was a big deal.

In Canada, a college usually offers a 3-year diploma program. A degree (Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science) would be offered at a four-year university program.

Good ones would be

• McGill (excellent education, maybe not resting on its laurels but definitely gaining some prestige from past glories, famous alumnae, historic bla bla bla)
• U of T(oronto)
• UBC (Vancouver, British Columbia)
• Laval (Québec City)
• U of A(lberta), Edmonton
• UWO (university of Western Ontario, in London, located in what any map clearly shows to be the southeast part of the province, so maybe don't trust their geography department)

 

[gsdx]

I did meet some students from McGill in Amsterdam, who all seemed very smart and they made it sound like it was a big deal.

McGill is probably the biggie. It's been around since 1821, 46 years before Canada became a Dominion. Ask a Canadian to name a Canadian university and the majority will undoubtedly say McGill.

There are many great universities and colleges, including Trent University right here in Peterborough. Fleming College, also right here in Peterborough, is named after Scotsman Sir Sandford Fleming. For a time, in fact, Fleming lived in a house just around the corner from where I live.

 

[Mitchymo]

Do you have many bees/wasps there?

 

[gsdx]

Do you have many bees/wasps there?

Lots of both where I live. But I'm in the southern-most part of Canada, but I'm guessing the rest of the country has its share.

 

[bankside]

Do you have many bees/wasps there?

Yes. I'm about a thousand km north of gsdx and we have them here too in the west. Bees are usually no problem, it's the wasps. They're more of a hassle in the river valley or city parks (think picnic mayhem.) (well maybe not mayhem, but a distinct nuisance). People typically control them on their own property when they notice a nest.

 

[gsdx]

^ I'm sure they can be found even above the Circle in the summertime. There are flowers, so there must at least be bees to pollinate them.

 

[Mitchymo]

I've still not been recommended a canadian stand-up comic. I want to hear some canadian humour.

 

[JohnnyAnger]

What's the coldest any of you have experienced in Canada (I mean you personally, I am sure somewhere in the north has been ludicrously cold)?

 

[JohnnyAnger]

I've still not been recommended a canadian stand-up comic. I want to hear some canadian humour.

I can think of four UK based one: Katherine Ryan, Craig Campbell and Phil Nichol (he may not be based here actually, but performs a lot at least) and Tony Law (really good).

 

[gsdx]

I've still not been recommended a canadian stand-up comic. I want to hear some canadian humour.

Sorry, I missed this. Red Green is very popular on television, but he does stand-up as well:

Our biggest and most well-known is probably Rick Mercer. Here he is explaining how parliament works:

And here's Rick 'Talking to Americans'. (Watch for an appearance by Mike Huckabee. This is the guy who supports Kim Davis.)

 

[Mitchymo]

Sorry, I missed this. Red Green is very popular on television, but he does stand-up as well:



Our biggest and most well-known is probably Rick Mercer. Here he is explaining how parliament works:



And here's Rick 'Talking to Americans'. (Watch for an appearance by Mike Huckabee. This is the guy who supports Kim Davis.)

I liked the videos This leads me to another question, do you have a love hate relationship with the USA like UK does with France?