Tag: Canada

Happy Misunderstanding Remembrance Day Week

trevor
poppies remembrance day

Halloween is tragically over and Christmas is mercifully still a ways away. We’re now entering a roughly week-long season that I like to call “Misunderstanding Remembrance Day Week.” It begins as November begins and peters out a few days before November 11th, when the internet and mainstream media loses momentum and interest. It’s a week of chaos and pettiness on social media, of op-eds in newspapers, of blog posts (oh look, here’s one now), of call-in shows and image macros and think-pieces and hot takes and the politicization of an…

Canada: Get Better or Get Over Yourself.

trevor

I’m seeing a fair bit of smugness and crowing from we Canadians following the UK’s same-sex marriage laws coming into effect. It’s unearned, and you need to stop. Yes, we’ve had this kind of legislation for a decade, but we’ve been stagnant on social justice for this government’s last two terms. We’re being outpaced by every other western power on social development and we have nothing to be smug about on this front. Even America, who we tend to look at as our backwards big brother, is making waves where…

Dear Roots: An Open Letter From Someone Who Knows Something About What You’re Selling

trevor

Dear Roots Canada, In spite of popular opinion, I don’t usually spend much time gawking at myself in the mirror. Just after a workout, or if I have a genuinely horrible hair day. But I had to stop and look at myself for a while today. Specifically, at my shirt. I know that logo well. I’ve grown up with it. Omer is Mom’s uncle, and I grew up learning to paddle in a cedar and canvas canoe he restored for Mom and Dad. Using and refinishing paddles based on his.…

Thaw

trevor
Thaw

One of the cool things about living in a house is being able to do all this stuff. It’s pretty empowering. Even when I need to call Dad for advice. Paddle your own canoe, folks. Trevor PS: With the rise of crazy high-res displays (thanks, Apple), I’m going to start posting these images full-size. Thanks to the responsive design I’m using, I hope you get the version of this image that’s best for your device. Enjoy!

Sunday Reading 06/01/2013

trevor

Sunday Reading is a weekly collection of awesome stuff from all over the internet that showcases utterly enthusiastic people being utterly enthusiastic about the things they love. The Montreal Expo Canadian Flag: Zaricour Flag Collection I’m sure most people are passingly familiar with the flag popularized during Canada’s centennial celebrations, but this is not only a great little showcase but also provides some background on the design. It’s an indespensible piece of our history. Read More Company of Fools’ Twelfth Night Celebration: The Visitorium As much as I want to get…

On Success in Canada

trevor

This is one of the best descriptions of how I see Canadians, beyond things I’ve said or written: From The Canadian Settler’s Guide, 7th Edition, by Catherine Parr Strickland Traill (1857). You can get this book free via Google Books; I’m reading it right now on my Nexus 7. Where do we stand, politically, compared to this assessment of the character of those who built this country? I feel like we’ve become so partisan lately that we’ve lost the temperate l industriousness that Traill describes. Paddle your own canoe, folks.…