Happy Canada Day!

Hello everyone and a very happy Canada Day to all my fellow Canadians!  

As I mentioned last year, the Canadian population among the card making/scrapbooking/blogging community is relatively low in comparison with other countries.  However, those of us out here are very proud of the amazing country that we live in!  From coast to coast Canada offers up beauty, culture, a sense of community, and of course much, much more.  Good times can be had in which ever province you may be located in.

Now last year I busted five popular myths about Canada:

• Myth #1:  It is Always Cold in Canada
• Myth #2:  Toronto is the Capital of Canada
• Myth #3 - All Canadians Speak French
• Myth #4 - Mounties in Red Uniforms Atop Horses Police our Country 
• Myth #5 - All Canadians Say "Eh."

You can find those myths busted HERE.  This year I'm going to tackle five more for those of you in other parts of the world that may not know too much about us...

Myth #6: Canadians Do Not Have Paved Roads

Oh brother.  This one is ridiculous.  I can ensure you that the Northern part of North America does indeed have paved roads.  We walk, ride bikes, drive cars, and use public transit to get around, just like most countries do.  Of course there are some rural areas were there are unpaved roads.  I would think this would hold true for the rural areas of most countries.  However, you can be rest assured that in most areas, the roads are covered by asphalt.

Myth #7: Canada is So Safe, We Don't Lock our Doors

In the documentary, Bowling for Columbine, Michael Moore suggested that Canadians are so unafraid of crime that we don't lock our doors.  Now while I am sure that there are some people out there who still don't bother, I can guarantee you that most of us keep our doors locked.  Yes, Canada is a relatively safe country.  Our violent crime rates (i.e., homicide, aggravated assault, robbery, etc.), are quite a bit lower than our American neighbours to the south.  However, when it comes to some crime categories such as car or property theft (according to Stats Canada), the numbers are actually higher than the U.S.  

The bigger the city, the bigger the chance of crime so if you happen to be up here visiting, always be sure to keep your wallet and keys in a safe place, keep your eyes open and of course lock your doors.  We certainly do.

 

Myth #8: You Will See Moose, Beavers and other Wildlife in Canada

Well, technically, yes.  We do have moose, beavers and other forms of wildlife.  However, if you are visiting one of our bigger cities or towns, you are likely to be disappointed.  In the more populated areas, I'm afraid your wildlife experience will most likely be limited to squirrels, birds, and possibly the odd raccoon as well. 

The animals that generally symbolize Canada, such as beavers, whales, deer, moose, and bear for example, are out there but you generally have to be in more rural areas or in the northern regions like where I live for example (except for the whales of course, then you'd have to be on one of our coasts).  Deer and moose are a serious night hazard on our roads outside of the city.  My husband and I came way too close to losing our lives to a noose that had parked itself in the middle of the road one dark night many years ago.  If we had hit it, I don't know how we'd have survived.  The thing towered over our vehicle.  I was also unfortunate to be in a car accident as a teenager when a deer came running out of nowhere and my mother hit it head on.  We were very lucky to receive no serious injuries.  Sadly the deer was not so lucky.  Bear are also often seen in the region I live in.  Some have been so bold as to come within the city borders.  Thankfully I've never had a close up experience with one.  I hope to God I never do.

 

Myth #9: Canadians Don't Own Guns

Well, actually there are quite a few Canadians who do.  And of course, just like in other countries, there is a segment of the population who own guns illegally.  However, as a whole, the right to bear arms in Canada isn't a big deal. Even so, under the Canada's Firearms Act of 1995, we do now have that right, and according to stats, at least 7 million of us do. Firearms owned by Canadians are mostly used for sporting and recreational purposes.  There are very few licenses issued to people who want to carry a gun for personal protection.

 

Myth #10: Canada is the 51st State

Now this one, is the one that gets our dander up.  Sure we are influenced by American culture, I'm sure there are many countries that are.  However, that influence is generally limited to things such as movies, fashion trends, television shows, etc.  We in Canada have different official languages, our own currency, and of course a completely different political system.  Additionally, we are more of a mosaic rather than a melting pot.  While for the most part, we are pretty peaceable group of people, denying we have our own unique national identity or worse, suggesting we are merely an extension of the United States, is certainly one way to get us riled up.

References:
Author Unknown. (2013). Canadian History/Myths. Available: https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Canadian_History/Myths. Last accessed 1st July 2015.
Blog of Lists. (2013). 5 Canadian myths that just won’t die. Available: http://www.macleans.ca/society/life/5-canadian-myths-that-just-wont-die/. Last accessed 1st July 2015.
Foxman, Stuart. (2011). 5 Myths About Canadians. Available: McLean, Jane. (N.D.). Top 10 Myths & Misconceptions about Canada. Available: http://gocanada.about.com/od/canadatravelplanner/tp/Top-10-Myths-About-Canada.htm. Last accessed 1st July 2015.. Last accessed 1st July 2015.
McLean, Jane. (N.D.). Top 10 Myths & Misconceptions about Canada. Available: http://gocanada.about.com/od/canadatravelplanner/tp/Top-10-Myths-About-Canada.htm. Last accessed 1st July 2015.
Zhu, On. (2010). 10 Myths About Canada 22. Available: http://correresmidestino.com/10-myths-about-canada/. Last accessed 1st July 2015.

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So there you go!  It is possible that you've just learned a bit more about this beautiful country that I am lucky to call home.  Now it is time to give out a freebie to honour Canada Day...

This digital paper is one that will become part of the Oh Canada kit that I am working on.  It is 3600 x 3600 pixels, in jpg format and published at 300 dpi. I've used resources from Pixel Scrapper and Pixabay.  Full credits in the file.  To grab it, click the download button to be taken to a download location.  In the zip folder you will find a copy of the paper, its preview sheet, the full credit information and my terms of use which are standard to all my folders.

Oh and don't worry, I wouldn't forget the celebration coming up this weekend in honour of my southern neighbours; so, be sure to come back on Saturday for an Independence Day freebie.

Stay tuned as I'll soon be posting about the special Christmas in July give-a-way that I'm doing in conjunction with Kris from Imagine That! Digis by Kris.  If I don't get it posted tonight, I hopefully will manage to get it out no later than Friday.

 Until then,