samedi 6 février 2016

33 Things Americans Should Know About Canada. Seriously

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1. Our president is called a Prime Minister.

2. Baltimore, Maryland has more murders in a week than the entire nation of Canada does all year.

3. You don't have to be born in Canada to be Prime Minister.

4. Canadians do not find, "Say 'eh' for me," to be particularly funny.

5. Canada has rednecks, too.

6. We're a lot bigger than you, in land mass, but our population is considerably less. The populations of Los Angeles and New York City would be around 30 million people. The entire nation of Canada has around 32 million people. Due to the fact that most of our country is in the northern latitudes, we huddle close to the border, for warmth.

7. In the War of 1812, we kicked your butts. The reason why your Whitehouse is white is because we set fire to it and it was whitewashed to hide the damage (for propaganda purposes). Some Americans will say that THEY won the war. However, to win, a party must reach their objective. Your objective was to take over British North America (what Canada was called then), our goal was to stop you. You don't have any more northern territory along the Canada/US border than you did before 1812. So who won? (Alaska doesn't count, you BOUGHT that state from Russia.)

8. A form of baseball was played just outside of Toronto, Ontario three weeks before Alexander Doubleday played the 'first' game of baseball in your country.

9. We do not find the term "Canuck" derogatory, like Americans find "Yank" derogatory. It apparently originated during World War One. Your soldiers were call "doughboys" ours were called "Johnny Canucks". I think the British coined the term, but I'm not sure.

10. We are not "just like Americans", we have our own national identity, we just haven't figured out what it is, yet. Someone once said that, "Canadians are unarmed Americans with health care." That pretty much sums it up, I guess. We are internationally (but unofficially) known as the "World's Most Polite Nation."

11. Our national animal is the beaver. Sure it's just a rodent, but they're not even CLOSE to being extinct. You can still get money for beaver pelts. It is NOT our main unit of exchange, we have money, just like you.

12. We do not find the fact that American wear Canadian flag pins (so they can get better treatment in Europe) very amusing. So stop it.

13. We have Thanksgiving in October, so we don't look like copycats (it IS an American originated holiday, after all). However, we celebrate Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Passover and other holidays at the same time you do.

14. We were formed, as a nation, in 1867.

15. November the 11th is called Remembrance Day, up here. It is a day when all Canadians honour our war dead and the veterans who are still amongst us. Its significance is that on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month the Armistice was signed, ending World War One.

16. Not every Canadian speaks French. In fact, Canada is the only country where speaking French is not cool.

17. We spell words differently. Honour, valour, defence, neighbour, colour, centre and other words are from the British way of spelling. We also pronounce the last letter of the alphabet "zed", not "zee".

18. The Queen of England is not our national leader. She's' just a figure head and somebody to put on our money with the birds. (Some Royalists in Canada will have something different to say about his, but they're a minority.)

19. Our states are called Provinces. We even have three Territories.

20. We DO NOT have snow all year round. We DO NOT live in igloos. We DO NOT ride around on dog sleds.

We DO NOT have to check the back yard for polar bears, before we let our kids go out to play.

21. Many Canadians have never played hockey in their lives. There are many who do not like hockey.

22. Besides, our national sport is not hockey, its lacrosse. It's one of the few sports that originated on the North American continent, it was played by the Aboriginals.

23. We didn't invent hockey, we just made it better.

24. Even if an "American" team wins the Stanley Cup (the "World Series" of hockey) it doesn't matter to us, because all your best players are Canadian.

25. On the other hand, if a "Canadian" team wins the World Series we ignore the fact that all our baseball players are American.

26. Stop asking if we know somebody in Canada when you find out we're Canadian. We DON'T know everybody in Canada.

27. We have no right to keep and bear arms. So leave your guns home if you're visiting, otherwise they'll be confiscated at the border. We have very strict gun laws, and fully automatic weapons are pretty much illegal. It almost takes an Act of God to get a licence to own a pistol. (This may be a contributing factor as to why we only have about 600 homicides a year, nation-wide.)

28. The border between Canada and the US holds the title of the "World's Longest Undefended Border".

29. Our side of Niagara Falls is nicer looking than your side. In fact, even when Americans use images of the Falls in advertising and movies, they film the Canadian side. It's called Horse Shoe Falls, by the way.

30. We own the North Pole, and therefore Santa Claus is Canadian. The internationally recognized mailing address for jolly old St. Nick is:

Santa Claus

North Pole

Canada

H0H 0H0

31. We call eskimos "Inuit", because that's what they call themselves.

32. That movie you thought was filmed in New York, or Seattle, or Chicago, or Los Angeles -- may have just been filmed in Vancouver, Montreal or Toronto.

So there you have it. Now you just might know more about Canada than most Canadians do!

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8 GREAT LUXURY CARS FOR $100,000

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Some cars are so ordinary, you might as well be driving a toaster.

Canadian parking lots are the epitome of boring. We like sensible, cost-effective rides like the Honda Civic, the best-selling car in Canada for 17 years and counting. Regular contenders in the top sales lists are Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Elantra and the Dodge Caravan. Yawn.

Cars can — arguably should — be more than appliances. Why not make sure you enjoy your time behind the wheel, or at least ease the drudgery of your daily commute?

If you want to use some of your disposable income to splash out on a luxury car, here are a few that will elevate your pulse. They’ll cost more to maintain than the average runabout and most take premium gas, but if you’re shopping in the $100,000 range, what’s $100 for an oil change? -- Danielle Boudreau

1. Porsche 911 Carrera

No list of flashy luxury cars is complete without a Porsche — and none of that four-door sedan blasphemy either. A 911 Carrera starts at $102,200 with a manual transmission, but keep an eye on the extra features, that price can climb fast. Its top speed is 295 km/h, so it’s practical for city driving

too (we tease because we’re jealous).

2. Jaguar F-Type S AWD

All-wheel drive adds almost $20,000 to the base price of this British sports car, but it will help keep this cat on the road all winter. Aluminum body construction cleverly keeps the weight down, but theroar of the optional V8 engine turned the heads of experienced auto journalists when this car was launched in 2013. This model starts at $96,500.

Notable extras? Red leather trim ($4,000); Carbon Ceramic Brake Package

3. BMW X5 M

Forget the “soccer mom” cliché, if you’re hauling kids and gear now, you’re probably heading to the rink. The BMW X5 M will dull the pain of listening to Justin Bieber or whatever the kids are hooked on while you’re chauffeuring the next Sidney Crosby to practice.

This SUV, starting at $105,900 for the elite “M” model, holds five people and will hit 100 km/h in 4.2 seconds on large 21-inch wheels. Impressive for such a big vehicle

4. Mercedes-Benz E-Class Wagon

SUVs may have almost killed the minivan, but wagons, largely forgotten in favour of crossovers, make a lot of sense. With a lower centre of gravity they drive like a car, yet offer more cargo space than a sedan. With prices starting at $77,000, this German wagon is loaded with safety features such as active blind spot assist and active lane keeping assist. Aside from the wagon, Mercedes builds its E-Class in a range

5. Audi R8

Audi has a beautiful large sedan, the A8, which starts at $85,300. But if you can stretch your budget past the $100K mark, it’s the R8 that will have the neighbours drooling. The coupé model, at $136,100, is a stunner. As expected at this price point it’s loaded with luxury features such as premium leather, and its 4.2-litre V8 is at the rear, visible under a glass hood. Surprisingly, the fuel economy is about equal to the previous BMW

6. Lexus LX 570

Toyota makes more than the eco-friendly compact cars and the hybrid Prius, which gives the company its “green halo,” but its luxury marquee, Lexus, has high-powered, fast and rich-looking models too. The 2016 LX, starting at $104,300, will seat eight people. Technology features include voice-activated navigation, heads-up display and a 19-speaker audio system.

The 5.7-litre V8 engine has an average fuel economy of 15.9 litres/100

7. Land Rover Range Rover HSE Diesel

With a 3.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine, this SUV has superior torque for more powerful towing, and better fuel efficiency than the gas-powered base model in the company’s lineup. Starting at $108,490, it’s a bargain compared to the top-of-the-line Autobiography model, which clocks in at $151,990.

With the short wheel base, it has a wading depth of 900 mm (35.4 inches) and 3,500 kg gross towing capacity.

8. Tesla Model S

With a base price of $93,300 (rebates are available in some provinces), saving money on gas isn’t cheap with this electric car, created by Elon Musk in 2003. If it’s available in your area, you can travel long distance for free on Tesla’s Supercharger network.

The sedan has a range of 385 km on a charge and a top speed of 225 km/h. The car can carry up to seven passengers with optional $3,600 rear-facing seats for children.

5 of the cheapest places in Canada to buy a home

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5 of the cheapest places in Canada to buy a home

Would you describe yourself as house-poor? Are you scraping together money for a down payment on a home the size of your parents’ tool shed? There’s a solution to all this house-price madness: move to

Moncton.

The New Brunswick city is the cheapest one in Canada to buy property, with the average price in June being $157,124, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association. That makes Vancouver’s average price of $772,569 and Toronto’s of $542,174 look even more absurd.

Across the country, the actual (not seasonally adjusted) national average price for homes sold in May was $388,910, an increase of 3.7 per cent from the same month last year.

Here’s a look at five of the cheapest cities to buy a house in Canada. Start packing.

1. Moncton, N.B.Built on the site of an Acadian settlement known as Le Coude (The Bend) on the Petitcodiac River, this city of 69,000 is a major sports tourism hub that also has short commutes and beautiful nearby beaches. Moncton was named one of the best places to live and work in Canada by Chatelaine, andReaders Digest recently called it the most polite city in Canada.

2. Windsor-Essex, Ont.
Average house price: $174,396. Here you’ll find quaint waterfront villages, lush farmlands, fragrant vineyards, an outdoor sculpture garden, the largest concentration of greenhouses in North America, and the Colosseum at Caesars Windsor, the biggest venue of its kind in the Caesars chain.

As the southernmost point in all of Canada, Windsor-Essex — which is at the same latitude as northern California and some of Europe’s finest wine regions — is one of the most agriculturally productive areas in the entire country.

3. Saint John, N.B.Average house price: $182,129. Situated on the Bay of Fundy, the home of Moosehead beer was Canada’s first city, incorporated in 1785. With a population of about 70,000, the city has preserved many of its heritage buildings in its uptown core, giving it a unique and charming feel. A couple of years back, St. John’s citizens were described as the happiest in the country by the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research.

Information technology, advanced manufacturing, energy, healthcare and tourism sectors form the bulk of Saint John’s economic base.

4. Thunder Bay, Ont.
Average house price: $199,642. Located on the north shore of Lake Superior — the world’s largest freshwater lake -- Thunder Bay is the sunniest city in Eastern Canada. With a population of about 109,000, the “forest capital” of Canada is increasingly becoming a hub for knowledge-based industries, primarily in the fields of molecular medicine and genomics.

It’s ranked as the sixth most-culturally diverse community of its size in North America, with Finnish, Italian, Scottish, Ukrainian, Polish, French, Aboriginal, Chinese and Croatian being some of the most common ethnic backgrounds

5. Lethbridge, Alta.Average house price: 239,097
Small-town charm and warm Chinook winds characterize this sunny Southern Alberta spot, which has a population of about 90,000. It’s home to two post-secondary institutions. Intersected by the Oldman River, the city has one of the largest systems of urban parks in North America. Besides agriculture, the city’s economy is based in health, education, retail, hospitality sectors.

19 Totally Canadian Things That No Other Country Will Ever Have

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We hate to tell you this, but you've been underestimating Canada all your life.

You've never thought to book a trip there, because you've fallen for more "culturally rich" places like Europe and more "exotic" places like South America.

Well you know what? We maple-leaf-lovers like it that way, because then we get Canada's exclusive sites, snacks and slang all to ourselves. Here are just a few of them.

1. A seven-month Whistler ski season.

Runs at Whistler Blackcomb are typically open from November through May. That'sone of the lengthiest ski seasons on the continent.

2. A giant nickel.

When authorities vetoed Ted Szilva's idea to increase the size of Canadian nickels, he fired back by building this 30-foot chunk of change with a faux dinosaur in front...and you thought kitschy roadside attractions were only in America.

3. Crispy Crunch.

It's made by Cadbury, and it's just one of many exclusive sweets our "friends" up North have decided to keep as their own dark, chocolatey secret. The peanut-y, wafer-y center is enough to make you book a flight.

4. Lake Louise.

You can ski. You can do yoga. You can ski and do yoga at virtually the same exact time. Or you can row upon uncrowded waters in the summer sun.

5. The North American Swedish Fish factory.

Did you know our favorite gill-bearing gummies are actually made in Ontario?

6. Three of the most liveable cities in the world.

Calgary, Toronto and Vancouver all made the 2013 list of Most Liveable Cities in the World for their low crime rates, awesome culture, and stellar education. So if you visit Canada and decide to stay awhile (and you will decide to stay awhile), you're in good hands.

7. The original Tim Hortons.

No trip to Canada would be complete without a breakfast biscuit from this classy convenience chain, which started out serving only humble coffee and donuts of the highest quality. Take that, 7-Eleven.

8. Elk.

They're everywhere, and they're awesome.

9. A real-deal walled city.

Quebec City is the only fortified city north of Mexico whose walls still exist. Plus it's on the water.

10. Half the world's polar bears.

More than 50% of our planet's furry white guys hail from Canada, and you can meet them when you drive in a tundra buggy, canoe the river, or stay in a lodge on their migration route.

11. Their very own Hershey's chocolate.

In 2013, Hershey's debuted a milkier, creamier version of their classic chocolate barjust for Canadians, who apparently prefer simpler ingredients and a less "gritty, cheesy" taste than Americans. Stock up while you're there.

12. The top summer vacation spot in the world.

Muskoka Cottage Country is the best-- National Geographic said so. Lakes and waterfalls weave through 17 historic villages, where canucks gather to hear the nightly wolf chorus.

13. Hockey skills.

The Canadian men have taken gold at three of the last four Olympics, and the women have dominated the last four Winter Games in a row. There was a picture of kids playing hockey on these people's $5 bill, for crying out loud! Take a hockey lesson from the greats while you're in town.

14. Public health care.

We're not even gonna try to open this can of worms.

15. A photogenic Parliament.

No, this isn't a castle. It's Parliament Hill, the aesthetically pleasing place on the banks of the Ottawa River where you can watch Senate and the House of Commons hard at work, making Canada into the best place ever.

16. The most adorable slang phrases you ever did hear.

Need to run to the biffy (aka toilet)? Don't forget your two-four (24-pack of beer).

17. A maple syrup monopoly.

That's right: we have over 8,000 businesses in Canada to thank for producing 80% of the Earth's syrup. Tour a real syrup farm to understand the magnitude of this nation's contribution to your pancakes.

18. An 18th-century fortress with geocaching.

At the Fortress of Louisbourg, you can hunt for modern-day treasure chests via GPS on the grounds of a settlement that helped Canada secure freedom from France.