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Originally posted as part of my Canadian culture newsletter/ ezine.
Hockey Night in Canada music played by an orchestra.
This has been called Canada's second national anthem. Due to legal issues it is no longer played by the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) at hockey games. But, it is missed, a lot!
Canadian People
Foster Hewitt was born into a sports family. His father and two of his uncles were sports journalists. At the age of 13 he started working for a newspaper called Toronto News, and by 20 became its sports editor.
On March 22, 1923, Hewitt called his first hockey game (with Radio station CFCA started in 1922), an intermediate hockey playoff game between a team from Kitchener and one from Toronto.
But it was at that game that his famous phrase "he shoots, he scores!" was born.
At his peak, Foster Hewitt was probably the most recognized voice in Canada. His audiences numbered six million one third of the population of Canada at the time and he received 90,000 fan letters each year.
Hewitt is reputed to have never missed a game, calling over 5,000 sporting events in his career. Foster Hewitt received many accolades over his life. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1965, named to the Order of Canada in 1972 and was also a member of the Canada Sports Hall of Fame.
Foster Hewitt died April 21, 1985 at 83 years of age. In 1989, he was inducted into the CAB Broadcast Hall of Fame.
Sources:
Amazon.ca - Foster Hewitt: His Own Story (1967)
Uncovering the Lost Town of Shulie, Nova Scotia: Nothing Left but Memories-
YouTube video - Must Visit Places in Nova Scotia (Canada's most beautiful place?) - Aly Smalls
Epic Nova Scotia Roadtrip | Peggy's Cove, Lunenburg, Bay of Fundy + Luckett Vineyards - Alina Mcleod
Why is it such a battle to buy "Made in Canada" or "Product of Canada" goods?
Facebook link - Where's it Packaged?
YouTube link - There's only one winner in a trade war...
Omegadoc - Desktop publishing software (free to use). - Made in Canada.
Dictionary of Canadian Biography
History of Canadian Broadcasting
The Alliance of Canadian Land Trusts
Government of Canada - Campaigns and Promotions
Canadian Network of Community Land Trusts
GoodReads - Calling All Canadians
GoodReads - Canadian Content
This is the first newsletter posted from my own site. There are still some bumps to fix but I've got it working enough to keep my Friday schedule.
Trains used to go east, west, north, south and all over Canada. I feel sad when I see places the train tracks have been pulled up. Wouldn't it be so much better to bring back railways to Canada, not just for passenger trips but all that shipping they used to do too. How is it not better than keeping all those transport trucks on the road? (Considering fuel, traffic, accidents, wear and tear and assorted other issues). Trains seem like a much better option.
I love train travel across Canada. My brother and I did it as children, just the two of us from Western Canada back to Toronto and even then we caught the bus from Union Station out to our home in Port Union. It was a great trip.
Even before that long trip, I visited my Grandparents, taking the VIA Rail from downtown Toronto out to Woodstock, Ontario. I enjoyed seeing old movies about train travel, especially the rail cars for passengers. My brother and I explored as many of the cars as we could during our trip. We saw one with bunkbed sort of accommodations, but they looked messy and plain. Pretty sure they were no longer in use so it was strange they were still included on the train. I would guess some of the staff used them if they had a long shift for the cross Canada journey.
Your inspiration this week is to remember or (even better) travel on a train, somewhere in Canada to somewhere else in Canada. You don't have to spend a lot or go far. There are local groups who are keeping the shorter lines open with scheduled trips, usually on weekends. See what you can find.
Ron Brown writes many Canadian history book, including more about Canadian trains and stations in Canada.
Merna Forster is from Victoria, BC. She ran a (successful) national campaign to have women depicted on Canadian money. She received the Meritorious Service Medal from the Governor General in 2018. Also, the History Award for Popular Media (the Pierre Berton Award) in 2016. She is part of the Unsolved Canadian Mysteries History Project. The list of her awards and achievements is longer, read more.
Merna runs the site - A Guide to Women in Canadian History
If you want to read more about Canadian women, Merna has written two books:
Thunder Cape, Port Arthur, Ontario. The Sleeping Giant. https://www.ebay.com/itm/388151399956
Thunder Cape, Port Arthur/ Fort William, Ontario.
Did you know the Canadian Tuxedo was started in Vancouver?
Bing Crosby had been in BC for a fishing trip. Afterwards, he wanted to check into the Hotel Vancouver. But denim was not something people would wear to a fancy place like the Hotel Vancouver in 1951. A fancy hotel does need to mind its reputation and keep up standards for their clientele. A bellhop recognized Bing Crosby and all was resolved.
Levi Strauss & Company decided to create a fancy suit, tuxedo, made with denim as a bit of a joke. Levi's called it the Canadian Tuxedo and presented it to Bing Crosby. Bing wore it once, at the event, but chose not to keep it. Maybe it was too fancy for his laid back style. The jacket was sold again in 2024.
I still hear people refer to someone dressed in denim as wearing a Canadian Tuxedo.
If you want something fancier than the standard denim and denim look - Amazon.ca has a denim suit.
Please help me support my fondness for groceries and the occasional new print book.
Transport Action Canada, Canadian citizen transportation advocacy group, founded in 1977.
Gordon Lightfoot - Canadian Railroad Trilogy
This was originally, my first Canadian Culture newsletter/ ezine.
If You Have Nothing Good to Say Just Post Some ASCII Art
Substack says “Readers love clarity”. Sorry readers, you may not find much of that here. I tend to overthink but I work better when I stop thinking so much and just start - even if it is not recommended by Substack or almost anyone else. Starting is the biggest battle, for me. Like that quote about showing up.
“Half the battle is just showing up” Stephen Hawking
Long ago I wrote for a site called BackWash - The Internet by Personality. You can find it with the Wayback Machine/ Internet Archives, otherwise it is gone. Not even the Wayback Machine saved it all. Sadly. My plan is to write about Canada by Personality, mine. I only have mine to work with.
I am Canadian. I’ve tested myself by living elsewhere. I came back. A lot like “The Cat Came Back” a Canadian classic. Other places have grander views, different politics, more history... I love Canada. I live in Ontario. The West Coast is beautiful with mountains and orcas. The East Coast has red dirt and the endless seeming ocean. But, Ontario has less water damage. That’s something.
As an actual topic, because people might think there should be one. What does make something Canadian (or other location of your choice)? Is it enough that it is made by a Canadian, in Canada? Or does it need government inspection, social media seal of approval, a DNA test…?
Being born in Canada and living in Canada, most of my life, will just have to do. Besides, no one else is here to save you from my idea of what is Canadian.
Secondly, culture is a pretty wide area. I will try to stick to topics in the realm of Canadiana.
Following this is the ASCII art, as noted earlier. I make my own ASCII art, just MS Notepad, my fingers and my brain. Nothing especially Canadian today but made by a Canadian while in Canada.
One last thing… A Canadian Link or Two
Fireside Canada - A podcast about Canadian legends, lies & lore.
You may not have heard about International Beaver Day on April 7th. Add it to your calendar for next year. I will try to watch for other relevant dates/ events. Even if I don’t find and post them before they happen.
I have heard about the lakes. I didn't know about the coastlines, but it makes sense along with being the second largest country with the most lakes in the world. I think I have read we have the most fresh water too, or fresh water lakes. As water becomes more important as a natural resource, Canada has a lot going for it. I hope we keep our water clean, unpolluted.
In movies about dire futures I never see Canada as a destination for people to escape/ run to. Of course, most of the apocalypse/ dire future movies and TV shows are based in the US and working with the theory that the US saves the world. The reality is likely to be very different.
Canada’s Endless Coasts
Canada has—by far—the longest coastline of any country in the world. Canada is a massive country by overall area in general, coming in second only to Russia in terms of square mileage (or square kilometers, as it were, in the Canadian measurement system). So it makes sense that Canada has a ton of coastline. And because Canada is made up of so many islands, both large and small, in its far northern territories, that amount of coastline rises nearly exponentially while counting all those shores.
The actual numbers are staggering. Canada has 151,000 miles (243,042 kilometers) of coastline. And the next closest countries on the list aren’t even in Canada’s league! That’d be Indonesia (33,554 miles or 54,000 kilometers of coastline), Russia (nearly 23,612 miles or 38,000 kilometers), the United States (just under 12,430 miles or 20,000 kilometers), and China (almost 9,325 miles or 15,000 kilometers). Canada wins!
Canada wins in another way, too: the most lakes in the world. As if saltwater and access to oceans and seas weren’t enough for the Canadians, they also have more freshwater within their nation’s boundaries than any other country on Earth.
In total, Canada has 879,800 lakes all throughout its land. Not only is that the most lakes on earth, it’s actually more lakes than all other countries in the world COMBINED! When you account for the entire globe, Canada holds more than 60% of the world’s 1.4 million lakes. Russia is second on the lake list—if you’re curious—but they are nowhere close to Canada.
ListVerse - Ten Strange but True Geography Facts