Canada Day

       I am a proud Canadian. I am proud to be born and raised here.  This is where all of my friends are.   This is where I call Home.  Today, I celebrate Canada Day with pride.

               

       I’m proud that that we created the world’s greatest sport, hockey. There is nothing better than grabbing a puck, a hockey stick, and some skates, and heading down to the rink to play hockey. It does not matter if someone is not with you, you can play alone. One of the best things to do is heading down to a game and showing your true spirit. Letting yourself out and wildly screaming is amazing, especially when a goal is scored. My favourite teams are the Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadians, and the Vancouver Canucks.

       One of our most important products is the maple syrup. You might be wondering, what is so important about maple syrup?  Well, our symbol is the maple leaf, and maple syrup is made from concentrating the sap of the maple tree. Maple syrup is as Canadian as the Canadian Flag.

      There is not a single person I have met who does not love beaver tails.  That flat dough deep fried to a golden perfection and then sprinkled with icing sugar or pasted with jam, chocolate, whipping cream or all of the above.  On a cold winter day after a hard session of skating on the Rideau Canal, or in the spring after a nice walk around the tulip garden during the Tulip Festival, a nice warm beaver tail fresh from the fryer is the best way to crown the day.  Heck, who am I kidding?  A beaver tail topped with “Killaloe Sunrise with lemon sprinkled on top, or one that is dripping maple syrup and whipped cream, is a treat any day, anytime especially on Canada Day.  Here’s an idea: Beavertails must become a tradition on Canada Day.

        Now if you feel that’s you’ll never be able to break a world record, here’s a record that us Canadians have all broken:  Our's is the world’s second largest country (yes it is a record by itself to be second, because the 1^st is not the 2^nd and cannot be 2^nd, therefore being 2^nd is a record on its own.  If you can’t get this bit of trivia, get someone smarter to explain it to you :p ).  Isn’t it just a great feeling to know that you live in the second largest country in the world?  I love the colours red and white, and I proud to wear them.

       If you live in the National Capital Region like me, you must have enjoyed Winterlude.  In February every year, hundreds of the best ice sculpture artists from around the world gather to dazzle the Capital with a display of sparkle and lights.  You put on your skates, and head to the Rideau Canal in the afternoon.   You skate and skate on the longest outdoor skating rink in the world until you feel that your toes are freezing and your nose is about to fall off.  Then you head back for a hot chocolate and a warm beaver tail.  By then, it is dark.  You take off your skate, put on your boots and head to the park to enjoy the ice sculptures.  What a feeling!  What a sight!  Winterlude is another display of our beautiful North Strong and Free!

        One of my favourite spots on a nice summer day in the whole wide world is Canada’s Wonderland. I absolutely LOVE the rollercoasters there. My top three are: 3. Flight Deck 2. Behemoth 1. Leviathan. I have been on Flight Deck 7 times, the Behemoth 14 times, but I have not been on the Leviathan yet. I cannot wait to go on it and I will not be happy with my dad if we do not go this summer. My cousins, who went to Toronto for the long weekend, are probably on the Leviathan right now.  It has the following magnificent specifications: It has a whooping near vertical drop of 306 feet.  It goes to 148 km/h while in quasi free fall. Being the roller coaster fan that I am, you can understand why I am so excited to go on this roller coaster.   By the way, you can find some of the world’s best funnel cakes in Canada’s Wonderland, which you can top with chocolate and strawberry syrup, vanilla ice cream, and icing sugar.  Quiz: What is the difference between a funnel cake and a beaver tail?  Answer:  A beaver tail can be wrapped into a sandwich :).

         I am so proud to be Canadian.  This is where I was born, and this is where I was raised.  We have one of the best health care systems in the world, where a sick person is not deprived of medical care just because he is poor.  I was born in a Canadian hospital.  I drank from the water of the Ottawa River (after it was treated of course), and I breathed the fresh air of the Gatineau Hills.  Canada is my home, and the home of my family and friends.  Those friends have stuck by my side, as I have theirs. There are other places in the world I would like to visit, but Canada is where I call home. 

Let’s say it all together now: 

O Canada!

Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.