Sorry aboot the title, I just love making fun of Canadian stereotypes. Honestly the stereotypes about Canada are the best…I mean, who wouldn’t want to live in a country that the rest of the world believes rides their moose to school and lives in igloos? If you think I have a pet polar bear or beaver I’m fine with that, it’s kinda really funny to me. Us Canadians know that these stereotypes aren’t real, which is all that matters. Honestly I’m just lucky to live in such an amazing country, even if the rest of the world is quite misinformed about what we are.

This year marks Canada’s 150th anniversary and Historica Canada is doing a contest for this. People across the country are being encouraged to enter video submissions answering the question what is your Canada? Of course my class is taking this as an opportunity to put our video making skills to good use in hopes of winning a prize or two. So I’ve been challenged with thinking about, what does Canada mean to me?

I mean, part of me feels like Canada is just another country, but then again, if I feel that way why am I so proud to tell people where I’m from? I have so many answers to this question and I don’t know where to start, but this is what I began with:

What is Canada?
•Tim Hortons ice caps and donuts
•Free Healthcare
•Maple Syrup
•Poutine
And I then asked the same question in a group chat with people across the World and these are the type of responses I got:
•Snow
•”Aboot”
•Poutine
•”Sore-y”
•Hockey
I also created a list of a few other stereotypes I’ve heard of:
•Pet Moose
•Igloos
•Polar bears

After forming those lists I used some of the ideas to create this little script: Does this look like snow and ice to you? Do you see people riding their pet moose around? What about igloos? My Canada isn’t what the rest of the world may expect to see. Poutine is my favourite food, and my favourite fast food chain is Tim Hortons, but I don’t like hockey and for sure don’t say aboot. My Canada is the friendly people who fill the borders, and the things we have that I don’t even realize the rest of the world is missing out on, like our strange chip flavours. My Canada is my experience and my home.

I then got a few clips that I feel matched the audio, and created my movie. This movie reflects how I feel about Canada, because, while it may seem weird, I find it so much fun living somewhere with such hilarious stereotypes. It’s funny how easy it is for me trick people into believing I have a pet moose that I ride to school, and they don’t question it if I pronounce “about” weird.

https://youtu.be/MIXx965jdN0

Creating this video has helped me realize how much this country means to me, and how lucky I am to live here. I am, and always will be a Canadian at heart, despite being American as well.