Tootfinder

Good Morning #Canada
Today is a Public Service Announcement for all our non-Canadian Mastodonians. I know you're sad that you aren't Canadian but please don't hate us because we're awesome. This video will teach you a little bit about Canada and by practicing some of these phrases you can feel like one of us. Watch with caution as you might develop a love for mullets, maple syrup, and beavers. You've been warned.
#CanadaIsAwesome #Culture
https://youtu.be/evvzG0Xz69Q

Good Morning #Canada
The month of December will typical put a dent in your paycheck, or January if you're using your credit cards, so it's tough to save any money. Canadians rank 21st worldwide with regards to how much of our salary we put into a savings account. According to World Population Review, we put away approximately 7% of our paycheck for a #RainyDay, far behind South Korea at 35%. I'm retired and therefore not a saver at this point, but even during my most successful earnings period I can't imagine I would have been able to put away a third of my salary.
I suspect the savings percentage is driven by a small group of high wage earners as individual Canadian debt has increased. According to Equifax, total consumer debt in Canada reached $2.56 trillion at the end of 2024, a 4.6 per cent increase over 2023.
#CanadaIsAwesome
https://www.equifax.ca/business/blog/all-news/-/story/stable-versus-struggling-canada-s-financial-divide-widens/

Good Morning #Canada
Are you still looking for that perfect Christmas gift? Years ago I found myself shopping for my wife's Christmas present on December 23rd. Never again. For those of you still shopping it's inevitable that you're going to be standing in front of the Gift Card rack and mentally convincing yourself that the recipient will love a full gas tank or a Timmies coffee and donut. Canadians will buy close to $12 billion in Gift Cards in 2025, with a lot of that in the next 5 days. Recent changes to legislation have made it illegal to charge processing or activation fees on cards purchased with cash and there is no expiry date. That last point is important because companies are betting that a certain percentage of cards are never redeemed and it's estimated that approximately 40% of all cards are never used. I personally like getting a gift card as it allows me to choose something I want, and I always thank the gifter once I've used it.
#CanadaIsAwesome #GiftCards
YES, I love giving and receiving Gift Cards
NO, I'm not happy when I have to buy or get a Gift Card

Good Morning #Canada
There have been many dark days in Canada, from natural disasters to personal tragedies. And there are also emotional dark days like when Doug Ford was elected Premier.... twice.
The most mysterious darkest day in Canadian history occurred on November 7, 1819, when the sun refused to rise over New Brunswick. And it wasn't even a Monday. Although 1st person accounts described it as an unusually dreary day, later newspaper accounts were slightly more sensational. Reporters documented that a "black veil" or intense, unnatural darkness descended upon New Brunswick. The sky remained so dark that residents were forced to light candles in the middle of the day. Apparently the phenomenon caused widespread alarm with many believing it was the apocalypse or a divine awful visitation. According to newspaper reports there was mild hysteria, outright madness, and praying and searching for cover. Just like the day after Ford was elected.
#CanadaIsAwesome #Meteorology
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/201-years-since-new-brunswick-s-darkest-day-1.5791283

Good Morning #Canada
It's a balmy -22°C here in beautiful Belle Ewart Ontario. Apparently, with the wind chill, it would feel like -26°C if I were to stupidly wander outside. Now before you start reporting colder temperatures in your area - it ain't a competition people - let's remember our country's coldest day in history.
Canada's coldest recorded temperature was a staggering -63°C in Snag, Yukon on February 3, 1947. The temperature was so extreme it broke thermometers and made Snag famous for the record for North America's coldest spot, caused by stalled Siberian air. Other extremely cold locations included Fort Vermilion, AB (-60.6°C) and Old Crow, YT (-59.4°C). Nobody was tonguing steel poles that day.
#CanadaIsAwesome #Weather
https://www.readersdigest.ca/travel/canada/coldest-day-in-canadian-history/

#22 on our countdown is the 893 km La Grande River, which drains a modest watershed of 97,600 km2 in Quebec and flows westward into James Bay. In French, La Grande Rivière, and its original Cree name, Chisasibi, both mean "great river") and it is the second-longest river in the province. The river has been extensively developed as a source of hydroelectric power by Hydro-Québec, starting in 1974 a total of 8 hydroelectric dams have been built on the waterway. As a result of the development projects, the Cree people of the region lost parts of their traditional hunting and trapping territories. Organic mercury levels increased in the fish, which forms an important part of their diet, as the organic material is trapped by the rising waters in the new reservoirs.
#CanadaIsAwesome #CanadaRivers
https://chisasibi.ca/about-chisasibi/

Good Morning #Canada
December 15th, 1964, the Canadian House of Commons votes 163 to 78 to approve the red Maple Leaf flag. The vote put an end to years of conflict over the Liberals proposing a new flag, and gave Canada a new symbol for its upcoming 100th birthday celebration. In 1960, Lester B. Pearson, then Leader of the Opposition, declared that he was determined to solve what he called “the flag problem.” To Pearson, this issue was critical to defining Canada as a unified, independent country. As the newly elected Prime Minister in 1963, Pearson promised to resolve the question of a new national flag in time for Canada’s centennial celebrations in 1967. Traditionalists fought for their beloved Union Jack while a younger generation wanted a new modern design to represent Canada. Thousands of designs, some truly ugly, were considered and rejected, including Pearson's preferred flag. I think we did OK in the end.
#CanadaIsAwesome #History
https://youtu.be/qTMdH9-kmDk?si=9G9ykcp7wpxihKQR

Good Morning #Canada
Everyone knows that Canada's 243,000 km of coastline are the longest in the world. At a pace of about 20 km each day, the stroll would take 33 years. Inside of that long shoreline, did you know that Canada is divided into seven physiographic regions? We're not talking mind altering drugs but instead reference the distinct geological formation that defines the landscape. The Canadian Shield, with the oldest exposed rocks on the planet, dominates the centre of the country with stable immovable bedrock. Kinda like Toronto being the centre of the universe. Each physiographic region gives that area of our country unique features and scenery that provides us with a seemingly inexhaustible opportunity to explore. I should be writing travel brochures...
#CanadaIsAwesome #Geography
https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/physiographic-regions

Good Morning #Canada
Can Canada's new trade deal with China for #ElectricVehicles jumpstart a shrinking market? Will 49K Chinese #EVs force current Canadian auto suppliers to provide more competitive offerings?
Canada was an anomaly in worldwide EV sales as our electric vehicle sales declined while every other major nation saw substantial increases. Even the U.S. had a modest increase in battery electric vehicles despite Trump's attempts to kill them. Canada EV sales dropped by almost 50% due to canceled government rebates, slow expansion of a charging network, increased pricing, and auto manufacturers cutting back production in favour of hybrids and gas engines. And North American manufacturers invested substantial lobbying dollars to roll back zero emission mandates.
While Canadian manufacturers cry foul, auto dealers are cautiously optimistic. They see cheaper vehicles as a good alternative to what's available today.
#CanadaIsAwesome #ZeroEmission
https://cleanenergycanada.org/canada-broke-its-electric-vehicle-market-in-2025-and-it-did-so-alone/

Good Morning #Canada
If you are a vintage Canadian, you will remember a 1973 commercial comparing the health of a 30-year-old Canadian to a 60-year-old Swede or taking a #BodyBreak with Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod. The nonprofit organization #ParticipACTION has either motivated you to start an exercise program or caused you to feel guilty about being a couch potato. From 1971 to 2001, ParticipACTION operated independently, with government support, and focused on improving the health of Canadians through physical activity. It disappeared for a few years but was relaunched in 2007 as a nonprofit with guaranteed support from the federal government (funding and administrative).
Every year, they release the ParticipACTION Report Card, and for 2025, the data shows a failing grade in most categories. I acknowledge my contribution, or lack thereof. Despite the well documented positive impact of exercise, we are falling short.
#CanadaIsAwesome #GetActive
https://www.participaction.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/2025_ParticipACTION_Report_Card_Summary.pdf

Good Morning #Canada
#HappyBirthday to Jean Drapeau, Mayor of Montreal 1954-57 and 1960-86. Born on this day in 1916, in Montreal, he passed away in 1999. His legacy includes delivering Canada's Centennial birthday party #Expo67 and the 1976 #SummerOlympics to the city. But his most famous quote haunted him for years...
“The Games could no more run a deficit than a man could have a baby."
#CanadaIsAwesome #CanadianLegends
https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/50-years-of-aislin-pregnant-pause-for-mayor-jean-drapeau

Good Morning #Canada
#HappyBirthday to Loreena McKennitt, born OTD in 1957 in Morden Manitoba. In her small town she sang in a choir and studied classical piano and voice. In 1975, she moved to Winnipeg to study veterinary science, but before graduating, she discovered a passion for Celtic music and soon found herself performing in Winnipeg clubs. McKennitt pursued a decades-long quest of discovery into the music and nomadic history of the Celts. Relocating to Stratford, Ontario in 1981, she appeared as an actress, singer, and composer for the Stratford Festival. After learning to play the troubadour harp, in 1985 she embarked on a solo and self-managed music career. She founded her Quinlan Road label and financed her Irish-based debut recording, “Elemental,” by busking in Toronto. After some early success she negotiated a distribution deal with Warner Brothers and became more widely known.
#CanadaIsAwesome #CanadianArtist
https://youtu.be/qxTpvA-pUG0

Good Morning #Canada
I finished my breakfast this morning only to discover that it's National Maple Syrup Day. A missed opportunity but at least I can share some important facts about Canada's sweet and sticky sauce.
- Indigenous People taught early Canadians how to harvest maple sap and boil it down into a sugary liquid.
- A maple tree can yield sap for up to 100 years, but the trees must be roughly 45 years old before it’s first tapped for syrup making.
- It takes roughly 40 gallons (150 litres) of tree sap to produce 1 gallon (3.8 litres) of syrup.
- Quebec produces 72% of the world’s maple syrup. In 2021, that equaled 133M lbs from Quebec.
- The big bottle of Costco Maple Syrup is from Quebec.
- Maple Syrup only has 1 ingredient. Sap.
- Maple Syrup has an indefinite shelf life but should be frozen if storing for more than 2 years.
And regarding the great Maple Syrup heist, this is still the best report on that famous crime.
#CanadaIsAwesome #MmmmSyrup #MapleSyrup
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/12/maple-syrup-heist?srsltid=AfmBOoq7fMx3GguT20T9cNrpZgrtVue4leiYZpZibZT_7S9WHWDfI0Ln

Good Morning #Canada
Here in beautiful Belle Ewart the temp is -22°C, feeling like -31°C with the wind. But it's a dry cold....
Out west they are struggling with double digit temperatures on the plus side. Edmonton's winter festival organizers are making snow, protecting ice blocks and praying for plunging temps to save their skating rink. The unseasonable weather has impacted events throughput Alberta. The Banff and Lake Louise ice carving festival, Art of Ice, had to take down sculptures because they weren't safe. They were similarly impacted last year. The World’s Longest Hockey Game (WLHG) got underway last Thursday and players are dealing with slushy conditions while golf driving ranges are packed with eager duffers.
I'd gladly make the sacrifice and swap weather conditions with our fellow Canucks out west. It would be a burden that I'd gladly carry.
#CanadaIsAwesome #Weather
https://youtu.be/W59Pi5S-Vic

Good Morning #Canada
December 8th, 1869, Timothy Eaton opened a small dry-goods and haberdashery business at 178 Yonge Street in the city of Toronto. From that humble start grew a national retail chain that eventually would bring Christmas Window Displays that attracted crowds for 100 years, and the tradition continues today. The heyday for the window displays was the 1940s to 1980s when Eatons and Simpsons competed for children's noses pressed up against their windows. But every store, large or small, had their own creative display in December. In the 1990s retail chains started to falter and disappear and some displays, like those from Woodwards and Ogilvys, were preserved by museums. I remember our annual visit to Eatons and Simpsons on Yonge Street in the early 60s, when Mom and Dad would load up the car with 7 kids and we'd tour the Christmas displays.
#CanadaIsAwesome #HappyHolidays
https://www.tvo.org/article/walking-in-a-window-wonderland-a-brief-history-of-torontos-department-store-christmas-displays

Good Morning #Canada
Yesterday we had a Yellow snowfall warning and today it's a Yellow freezing rain warning. It seems like the winter of 2025 - 2026 is going to prompt more conversation than usual about the weather. Therefore I'm providing this Wiki article as a public service. You can meteorologicaly mesmerize your family, friends, and coworkers with these wild bits of trivia on Canadian extreme weather. And even if you don't awkwardly wedge some of this into your conversations, the crazy numbers appeal to the weather nerds in all of us.
#CanadaIsAwesome #Weather
Weather extremes in Canada - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weather_extremes_in_Canada

Good Morning #Canada
B.C. is full of hipsters, Alberta is oil obsessed, Ontario has a superiority complex, PEI prays to potatoes, and all Newfies drink Screech at breakfast. Every Province and Territory is known for their unique habits, culture, and views of the world. And we all hold expectations and misconceptions of our neighbours across internal borders. Hey, it's a long winter and we need some gossip to get us to the end of it.
The attached video provides a detailed rundown of stereotypes for each Province and Territory, and some of the content is accurate, like Toronto being the centre of the universe. It's a bit long but you can select a chapter to check out your Province, or one that you dislike. My favourite is Albertans pouring oil on their cereal.
#CanadaIsAwesome #Stereotypes
https://youtu.be/tFEar1K_Y6w

Good Morning #Canada
Most of us are celebrating a long weekend because of #FamilyDay, except Quebec and Newfoundland Labrador. Those two provinces will answer the phones while the rest of Canada is off gallivanting across the country. Family Day was first introduced by Don Getty, Premier of Alberta in 1990. Critics pointed out that he launched the new holiday to distract voters from the fact his son was in trouble with the law, accused of selling cocaine to an undercover narc in an Edmonton motel room. Whatever... we now get a break between January 1st and the May 24 long weekend.
It's a good day to look back on the past 30 years of marriage and family trends. Common-law unions are up while traditional marriages are down. Divorces, particularly among younger couples, has decreased, and we have more single parents today. There is no available data on the impact of Family Day on teenage sons selling illegal drugs.
#CanadaIsAwesome #Parents
https://vanierinstitute.ca/resource/then-and-now-a-30-year-look-at-family-structures-in-canada/

Good Morning #Canada
Like most Canadians I suspect our grocery bill this week will be over budget as we prepare for a family #Christmas dinner and a week of holiday goodies. But help is on the way in January with the implementation of the Grocery Code of Conduct. Colour me skeptical but I'm not sure this is going to solve the issue of high grocery bills. I understand the attempt to eliminate unnecessary costs in the supply food chain. As a former manager in logistics, the fines and charges for missed delivery windows, fulfillment shortages or even the wrong pallets used, are real. But any reduction in supply chain costs will likely be absorbed as profit, not passed on to consumers. A far more effective solution would be an Excess Profits Tax where companies are charged a penalty tax when they earn profit that is unreasonable or above expectations, such as during COVID or a period of inflation.
#CanadaIsAwesome #Profiteering
https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/article/what-canadians-need-to-know-about-the-grocery-code-of-conduct/

Good Morning #Canada
Overnight news of Trump attacking another country in a blatant attempt to seize their resources should be a wakeup call for Canada. Does anyone here think a strike on Ottawa to remove the current government couldn't happen? Could the U.S. find a stooge willing to become the interim leader? How much oil, aluminum, uranium, hydropower or other resources would be looted before Trump strokes out from too many big macs. Yesterday I would have laughed at this scenario but today it starts to be less of a fantasy.
I glossed over this article when it was first published back in November but now I'm leaning towards support of developing a volunteer force in Canada. Perhaps a 2-year voluntary military service for our youth to provide employment and training. I don't want a volunteer military force to ever be used and hopefully it becomes a deterrent. But unfortunately a serious discussion is needed.
#CanadaIsAwesome #ElbowsUp
https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/article/the-military-plans-for-a-volunteer-force-to-defend-canada/

Good Morning #Canada
On this day in 2012 Leonard Cohen releases "Old Ideas", an album that becomes No.1 in 10 countries. It easy to forget just how big an impact Cohen made in music from the late 60s through to this album. Many fans were introduced to his music via his song "Hallelujah". Cohen first released it on his 1984 album Various Positions, though it gained massive popularity through covers by artists like Jeff Buckley and K.D. Lang. He had an incredible journey, starting as a poet, enjoying stardom in the 70s, retiring to a monastery in the 90s, and having to tour later in life to rebuild his fortune after suffering embezzlement by his agent.
#CanadaIsAwesome #CanadianLegends
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Cohen

Good Morning #Canada
It's National Throw Out Your Leftovers Day, the fake holiday brought to you by greedy grocery conglomerates. I live on lunches that are 90% leftovers from our dinners so I know throwing out perfectly good food is a waste. But you need to be safe so here's some information about how to store food so that it doesn't kill you later that week. Most of it is common sense - like not storing leftovers on your stove top for 5 days before you decide to eat it. I won't do that again...
#CanadaIsAwesome #SmellTest
https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/leftovers-food-safety-faq-1.7412668

Good Morning #Canada
Sunday mornings should include some relaxation, a good cup of coffee, and a tale of one man forging a legacy of independence. Today we present to you the story of American businessman Russell Arundel who, in 1949, claimed sovereignty over approximately 4 acres of Outer Bald Tusket Island, off the southern tip of Nova Scotia. After purchasing the island for $750, Arundel announced the principality of Outer Baldonia with its own charter, a flag, currency, passports, and an organized military that consisted of 69 fishermen (all Admirals). Citizens of the principality who caught a Bluefin tuna and paid a $50 fee were accorded the rank of prince. Government officials included Prince of Princes Russell Arundel, Chancellor Elson Boudreau, and Ambassador Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary Ron Wallace. The Canadian government mostly ignored the farce but an official Russian communication declared Outer Baldonia a fascist state.
#CanadaIsAwesome #History
https://backyardhistory.ca/f/the-nova-scotian-island-that-declared-independence

Good Morning #Canada
Supreme Court Justice Sheilah Martin announced her retirement effective May 30th, opening up a vacancy on bench. It's a good time to review the process on how a Canadian #SupremeCourt Justice is chosen, and why we mostly avoid controversy and politicalization of the process. Mostly...
Supreme Court judges are shortlisted by an independent advisory board process, emphasizing candidates who are highly skilled, functionally bilingual, a judge of 10 years on their regional court system, and specific regional representation (3 from Quebec, 3 from Ontario, 2 from West and North, 1 from Atlantic). The PM then recommends 1 of the candidates to the Governor-in-Council for formal appointment.
The new process and legislation was introduced by PM Martin in 2004 and PM Harper attempted to ignore it (surprise). PM Trudeau strengthened the process in 2016 but also tried to alter it for Quebec. But mostly little controversy.
#CanadaIsAwesome #CanPoli
https://www.canadianlawyermag.com/news/general/scc-justice-sheilah-martin-to-retire-opening-up-vacancy-for-new-western-or-northern-canada-appointee/393573

Good Morning #Canada
I hope you're waking up to a scrumptious smell from the kitchen because it's National Bacon Day. While you're waiting for it to finish cooking, here are some facts to salivate over:
- Canadian Bacon, aka Back Bacon or Peameal Bacon, is a Canadian invention. It's also healthier than regular bacon, with far less saturated fats
- 42% of Canadians prefer their bacon crispy while 49% enjoy it limp. I assume 9% eat it raw?
- Winnipeg, home of the Bacon Centre of Excellence, is the Bacon Capital of Canada
- Canadians consume over 50M kilos of bacon annually. I ate my 1.25 kilos this year.
- Canadian Bacon, the movie, was a box office flop, only earning $178K on a production budget of $11M
- The average weight of a pig prior to processing is 111.2 kilos
- Canadian producers exported 18.6M kilos of cured bacon and 202K kilos of back bacon
- There are over 14M hogs in Canada
- 82% of Canadians add bacon on their burgers
- Kevin Bacon is not Canadian
#CanadaIsAwesome #MMMBacon

Good Morning #Canada
Last week I registered with Ontario's Healthcare Connect program to help us get a family doctor in the Barrie area. Our previous family doctor retired in November and we were still covered by the clinic but it's in Brampton, more than 90 minutes away. So I'm now relying on Dougie to keep his promise to find a family doctor for all Ontarians by June 2026. I mean he's done so well with housing, environmental goals, Eglinton Crosstown....
Did you know that 83% of Canadians now report they have regular access to a family doctor which means an approximate 500K improvement in the past two years. That still leaves about 6M of us without a family physician. Family physician shortages are the highest in the territories (>55%), Quebec (21.5%) and British Columbia (17.7%), and the provinces of Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British Columbia have the fewest family physicians per 100 000 persons in the population.
#CanadaIsAwesome #HealthCare
https://www.cihi.ca/en/taking-the-pulse-measuring-shared-priorities-for-canadian-health-care-2025/primary-health-care-2025/most-canadians-have-a-regular-health-care-provider

Good Morning #Canada
Apparently the earth moved last night but I didn't feel a thing. An earthquake, a magnitude 3.7 to 4.1 depending on different reports, was reported in my neighbourhood near Orilla Ontario last night. The epicenter was across Lake Simcoe, approximately 35km away from my home and 5km deep. Maybe the lake reduced the impact and we do have a pretty good mattress.
There are 4,000 ish earthquakes measured in Canada annually but most are minor. Perhaps 40 might be large enough or not remote, and people will feel the ground shaking. That's about 1 every 8 days. Most of our earthquakes occur along the West Coast, the High Arctic, and lower frequency along the eastern seaboard. Earthquakes are monitored by the National Seismograph Network with approximately 100 seismographs distributed across Canada.
I know you're wondering about the 10 largest earthquakes ever felt in Canada. I got you covered...
#CanadaIsAwesome #Seismology
https://www.earthquakescanada.nrcan.gc.ca/pprs-pprp/pubs/GF-GI/GEOFACT_largest-earthquakes_e.pdf

Good Morning #Canada
Today is a twofer of #CanadaRivers as we countdown the longest rivers in Canada.
#23 is the Red River which flows for 890 km, originating at the confluence of the Bois de Sioux and Otter Tail rivers between the U.S. states of Minnesota and North Dakota, flowing northward through the Red River Valley and continuing into Manitoba. It empties into Lake Winnipeg, whose waters join the Nelson River and ultimately flow into Hudson Bay. The river only falls 70 metres over it's length, so there are no hydroelectric opportunities, but because it drains a large watershed of 287,500 km2 it experiences significant spring volumes. This has led to calamitous (love that word) floods plaguing southern Manitoba for centuries. Flood canals and ice cutting (physical removal of large blocks every spring) have mitigated the risks but not eliminated them.
#CanadaIsAwesome #Hydrology
https://www.gov.mb.ca/mti/wms/floodcontrol/redriverbasin/historic.html

Good Morning #Canada
You don't have to like numbers to appreciate Statistics Canada, aka StatsCan. Jean Talon could be considered Canada's first official statistician when he arrived in North America in 1665 on a mission for King Louis XIV to conduct Canada's first census in 1666. In 1918, the Statistics Act created the Dominion Bureau of Statistics, a national statistics office that ultimately would become Statistics Canada. Besides conducting the Census of Population and the Census of Agriculture every five years, StatCan has more than 450 active surveys on virtually all aspects of life in Canada. Results are published twice a month and can be accessed via The Daily web page.
One of my favourite web pages is Canada's Population Clock (real-time model). It's fascinating to watch, and our population increased by 11 while I typed this post.
#CanadaIsAwesome #StatsCan
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/71-607-x/71-607-x2018005-eng.htm

Good Morning #Canada
A lot of Canadians make fun of the public transit systems in their cities. Putting aside the fact that Toronto (actually the Ontario Government) took 16 years to build a few kilometers of light rail transit, Canadian cities rank in the top 10 of systems based on ridership metrics. We, North America, lag behind Europe and some Asian cities, but in general we have a lot to be proud of.
Now if only the government gave public transit the same funding that we threw at highways, that would be amazing. Or to really attack #Affordable commuting, make public transit systems free.
#CanadaIsAwesome #PublicTransit
https://youtu.be/17upoRCn01s

Good Morning #Canada
No nonsense news or fun facts this morning. I'm taking a few days off due to a busy schedule and a compressed family gathering. My oldest daughter has scheduled radiation treatments this morning and early on Boxing Day, so we're having a Christmas Eve dinner and exchanging gifts early tomorrow. I might post if something snark-worthy pops up but otherwise look for the next Good Morning post on the 26th.
I hope all Canadians have a safe and happy holidays.
#CanadaIsAwesome #MerryChristmas

Good Morning #Canada
In 1882, Lieutenant-Governor Dewdney acquired land adjacent to the route of the future CPR line at a site known as Pile-of-Bones. He then announced that this featureless site, distinguished only by collections of bison bones, would be the new capital of the North West Territories in western Canada. Thus, Regina was born out of a national scandal and conflict of interest. It became the provincial capital when Saskatchewan officially joined Canada in 1905. The North West Mounted Police were headquartered in Regina, starting in 1885, and the city remains as a training centre for the RCMP. Regina survived a cyclone in 1916 and a great depression riot in 1935. Recently, they recovered from a marketing faux pas when they canceled their tourism slogan, "Regina: The City That Rhymes With Fun."
#CanadaIsAwesome #CanadianCapitals
https://youtu.be/L8eHaVi1yfE?si=Oc2NsqG6tnB4Zqnn

Good Morning #Canada
The pets have conspired to get me out of bed early, so I'm coffeed up and listening to our #Christmas playlist. I thought I'd share 12 Christmas tunes written and/or sung by Canadians. The ranking is subjective and unserious, so please no arguments as I'm trying to stay off the naughty list. Have I missed anything or anyone awesome? Reply with your favourites and I might add them to my playlist.
12 - Let It Snow - Dianna Krall
11 - Christmas Eve - Spirit of the West
10 - O Holy Night - Céline Dion
9 - Silent Night - Rita MacNeil
8 - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - Michael Bublé
7 - Wintersong - Sarah McLachlan
6 - Old Toy Trains - Susan Aglukark
5 - Good King Wenceslas – Loreena McKennitt
4 - Song for a Winter's Night - Gordon Lightfoot
3 - Huron Carol - Sarah McLachlan
2 - River - Blue Rodeo
1 - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings - Barenaked Ladies & Sarah McLachlan
#CanadaIsAwesome #ChristmasMusic

Good Morning #Canada
Good news... we've hit the low point of dark winter days and things will be much brighter going forward. I am referring to the Winter Solstice, which officially begins around 10am in these parts. This will be the longest night and shortest day of the winter and daylight will begin increasing tomorrow. So put away the snow shovels and slather on the tanning butter.
#CanadaIsAwesome #CelestialDays
https://www.insidehalton.com/news/ontario-canada-winter-solstice-2025/article_5adc2a0c-9ac6-50fd-9ef4-ca851ee6d6ce.html

Good Morning #Canada
If you are tuning in for Canadian trivia and bad puns.... prepare to be disappointed. I'm once again hijacking my morning post to ask all Canadian Mastodonians for input.
Question for all MastoCanucks - how would you convince a politician or government dept/agency to join Mastodon? What are the key points that should be made to motivate our government accounts to make a move?
There will be lots of repetitive answers but feel free to expand on those. Also chime in on what questions or resources government accounts might need to successfully launch a Mastodon account (overcoming resistance). If you volunteer to help contact government individuals, what resources do you need to help support your efforts (enabling scale and shared purpose)?
Respond to this post and please boost for reach into all corners of Canada. Follow #MastoCanadaGOV for future updates. Remember, there are no bad ideas, just bad puns by yours truly.
cc: @…
#CanadaIsAwesome #ElbowsUp #MastodonCanada

Good Morning #Canada
Yesterday @… posted an article from CTV that reported on the political risks faced by Canada in 2026. I hope Canadians read it and share it because IMO it's important.
The article is based on a report by the Eurasia Group, a consultancy that advises companies and countries about potential risks. They tie together known facts to form opinion on potential risks that could require deft navigation in the year ahead. Canada definitely faces more tariffs and trade challenges, we should expect U.S. interference in an Alberta referendum, it's likely we may have to come to the defence of Greenland, and if we resist too strongly we become a target.
The CTVNews article is attached via Snowy's post, and I'll link the original Eurasia Group summaries in the next post. It's not surprising yet incredible that so much global turmoil has resulted from arguably the worst person to be elected by a flawed American democracy.
#CanadaIsAwesome #RiskManagement #CanPoli
https://social.vivaldi.net/@SnowyCA/115871023586628322

Good Morning #Canada
#HappyBirthday to Donald Scott Smith, Canadian rock bassist for Loverboy, born OTD in 1955 in Winnipeg Manitoba. Unfortunately tragedy struck on November 30, 2000, when Smith was sailing his 36-foot boat Sea Major near the Golden Gate Bridge. A 25-to-35-foot wave swept him overboard and his body was never recovered.
A short post this morning as the wife and I are taking the #GOTrain into Toronto to attend the auto show. Apparently McLaren has some new vehicles that might interest me.
#CanadaIsAwesome #Weekend #TGIF
https://youtu.be/dsgBpsNPQ50

Good Morning #Canada
Today we reach the end of the #CanadianCapitals series and I've left the Keystone Province for last. Manitoba, with IMO the best Premier and worst flag, has Winnipeg as its capital. The city lies at the junction of the Assiniboine River and the Red River, an historic focal point for canoe routes travelled by Aboriginal peoples for thousands of years. The fur trade brought forts, both British and French, and conflict amongst trappers and indigenous people. In 1869, the Hudson's Bay Company formally surrendered its charter rights over the western half of Canada, prompting Louis Riel to attempt a rebellion and become an independent territory before the Canadian government got organized. That ended badly for Louis and in 1870 Manitoba became a province with Winnipeg as its capital. A fun fact: The Royal Winnipeg Ballet is Canada’s oldest dance company and also the longest continuously operating ballet company in North America.
#CanadaIsAwesome #History
https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/winnipeg

Good Morning #Canada
We move onto #24 in our countdown of #CanadaRivers with the Koksoak River. At 874 km it is the largest river in the Nunavik region of northern Quebec. The name Koksoak is believed to originate from Moravian missionaries who evangelized among the Inuit of the area at the beginning of British rule and incorrectly spelled the Inuktitut word Kuujjuaq, meaning "great river." It drains a watershed of 133,400 km/2 and because of its volume, 2,800 square metres per second, its waters have been diverted as part of the massive James Bay hydroelectric project. That project drowned 7,000 square miles of Cree hunting land causing decades of conflict between Indigenous peoples and the Quebec government, with major issues resolved by a treaty signed in 2002.
Two rivers into our countdown and I'm sensing a trend: big river -> hydroelectric development -> trampling of Indigenous rights -> treaty to resolve injustices.
#CanadaIsAwesome #Geography
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koksoak_River

Good Morning #Canada
2026 has been designated as the International Year of the Woman Farmer by the United Nations, in an effort to increase and improve food security across the planet. Once again we call upon the fairer sex to save humanity.
Women led farms are on the rise in Canada. From the 2021 #StatsCan report, there were 80,000 female farm operators, representing 30% of total farm operators, up from 25% in 1991. In general female participation is increasing while men are decreasing. Farming is an industry where women operators can achieve wage parity with male counterparts because compensation is based on market conditions, but currently most women led farms are smaller with less annual revenues.
A helpful #AI tells me a female farmer could could be called a farmerette, a farmeress, or farmHER. So helpful...
Two articles are linked - a feel good news piece from the CBC, and more solid demographic info from FCC-FAC.ca.
#CanadaIsAwesome #Agriculture
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/women-career-agriculture-1.7443846
https://www.fcc-fac.ca/en/knowledge/women-in-canadian-agriculture

Good Morning #Canada
It's time for our first post in the #CanadaRivers series with #25 in our countdown. The Churchill River, in Atlantic Canada, flows for 856 km from Lake Melville into the Atlantic Ocean. It drains a watershed that covers 79,800 km/2 and has an average volume of 1,580 square metres per second.
The power development at Churchill Falls has backed up the river and created the enormous Smallwood Reservoir. Farther upstream, a hydroelectric plant at the outfall from Menihek Lakes provides power for the former iron-mining town of Schefferville, Québec. With a heavy flow and large drop from the Labrador Plateau, the river has probably the greatest hydroelectric potential of any in North America. The Churchill Falls Generating Station deserves it's own post as it is a massive 5,428 MW underground hydro power plant.
Don't get used to calling it the Churchill River as there are recent campaigns to return to its traditional native name.
#CanadaIsAwesome #Geography
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/churchill-river-innu-name-change-mishta-shipu-1.6444142

Good Morning #Canada
Last weekend our granddaughter visited to help decorate our tree and we watched Elf, a movie about #Christmas spirit, because we were feeling Christmassy. I think the majority of Canadians believe in the spirit of this season. We're a little bit more polite and kinder, if that's even possible, and underneath the snark, the passive aggressiveness, the ##ElbowsUp, is a pack of big cuddly beavers. You don't have to take my word for it because places like Quebec City, Banff, and Vancouver regularly end up on lists for best places to sit on Santa's knee. He lives in Canada so not a surprise. Did you know that in 2018, Canada was ranked as #1 most Christmassy country in the world. They can't put it on the internet if it isn't true.
#CanadaIsAwesome #MerryChristmas
https://dailyhive.com/mapped/canada-ranked-1-most-christmassy-country-in-the-world

Good Morning #Canada
I was in My local hardware store yesterday and saw that they had pallets of salt piled high. Just as spring is on the brink of pushing another winter from our memory, the salt mines have apparently turned the corner on earlier supply chain issues. Upon returning home my curiosity, and a lack of having anything important to do in #Retirement, prompted me to look at sources of road salt. I kinda knew it was mined in Ontario, because of Windsor Salt in (checks notes) Windsor. But I was surprised that Canada was a salt powerhouse in terms of production, and that the largest salt mine in the world is in Goderich, Ontario. More accurately, over 540 metres below the prettiest town in Ontario and extending 3.7km under Lake Huron.
#CanadaIsAwesome #NeedsSalt #Geology
https://youtu.be/Xt7GzKiAqBs

Good Morning #Canada
We are almost at the end of our #CanadianCapitals series and today's post is about the sunniest city in Canada. Yellowknife and its surrounding water bodies were named after a local Dene tribe, who were known as the "Copper Indians" or "Yellowknife Indians", because they traded tools made from copper deposits near the Arctic Coast. Yellowknife is a relatively new capital becoming the seat of Government for the Northwest Territories in 1967. The settlement was founded in 1934 with the discovery of gold and became a centre of economic activity in the NWT. As gold production began to decrease, Yellowknife shifted from being a mining town to a centre of government services in the 1980s but a new mining boom started with the discovery of diamonds north of the city in 1991. Established on the shore of the world's 9th largest lake, Yellowknife is a popular tourist destination for watching the Northern Lights.
#CanadaIsAwesome #History #Geography
https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/yellowknife-nwt

Good Morning #Canada
Instead of the usual useless trivia and bad jokes, today I'm using my daily post to highlight an interesting interaction that I kinda inserted myself into late yesterday. It started as a discussion between @… and @…, who were talking about how to motivate politicians to join Mastodon. After I butted in, I also dragged @… into the conversation (sorry Chad). I'm going to summarize yesterday's thread, starting in part 2 below, but I've provided a link to the original if you wish to view it. I also encourage the original participants to fill in gaps, correct any errors (all mine), or add new material.
Ideas from the community at large are welcome. I'm including the #MastodonCanada tag to bring in others who have been providing tips specific to our geography.
#CanadaIsAwesome #Mastodon
https://mastodon.online/@ZebKing/115855189413785017

Good Morning #Canada
There are several important Archeology sites in Canada that contribute to our knowledge of how the Americas evolved and the early inhabitants. One site, the Bluefish Caves located in the Yukon, was the source of decades of acrimonious debate because it directly challenged mainstream scientific thinking. Jacques Cinq-Mars, curator of the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec, discovered bones of extinct horses and wooly mammoths bearing marks from human butchering and toolmaking. Radiocarbon test results dated the oldest finds to around 24,000 years ago. This directly challenged established science that humans first reached the Americas some 13,000 years ago, when Asian hunters crossed a now submerged landmass known as Beringia, which joined Siberia to Alaska during the last ice age. What followed was 40 years of dismissal and derision.
This excellent award winning article by Heather Pringle covers this story.
#CanadaIsAwesome #Archeology
https://hakaimagazine.com/features/vilified-vindicated-story-jacques-cinq-mars/#:~:text=In three hollows known as,24,000 years before the present.

Good Morning #Canada
The oldest winter festival opened its ice gates to the public yesterday and runs to February 15th. The Quebec Winter Carnival was first held in 1894 but became an annual event starting in 1955. It's not the largest in the world but it's in the top 2, and record crowds are expected since most Canadians aren't interested in being interrogated at our southern border.
#Bonhomme is the generic term for a figure ( bonhomme de sucre , "sugar baby"; bonhomme de neige , "snowman"). The beloved character who represents the Quebec Winter Carnival lives a pampered life. He has the keys to the city, from the mayor in 1955, and has a new ice castle built for him every year. He also retires someplace cozy after the event and returns refreshed and ready for next year, unlike European festival snowmen who are burned at the close of activities to bring forth spring. Bonhomme has a better manager obviously.
#CanadaIsAwesome #WinterWonderland
https://www.quebec-cite.com/en/what-to-do-quebec-city/events/quebec-winter-carnival

Good Morning #Canada
A bit late this morning as we went out for a big family breakfast. I think I'll chip away at my #CanadianCapitals series by sharing some tidbits about one of our older cities. Halifax, because of its large natural harbour, served as an important military base for British ships in North America. Founded in 1749 and incorporated as a city in 1842, it is known for a number of 1sts. Halifax had the 1st public school in Canada as well as the first law school and art college. Canada’s 1st newspaper, the Halifax Gazette, was established in 1752, and the city had the first all electric city lighting grid in North America. The harbour was also the site for the world's largest man-made explosion in #WWI when a munitions transport collided with another ship. Awesome place to visit but try not to jump when they fire the traditional noon cannon.
#CanadaIsAwesome
https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/halifax

Good Morning #Canada
It's a brisk -23°C this morning but the infallible #Weather app is telling me that we will be -5°C or warmer over the next few weeks. Break out the shorts, Spring has arrived.
In preparation for the big thaw, I think we need a semi-regular series on the top 25 rivers in Canada. Why top 25? Hey, it's my account, my nonsensical rules. We'll count down to #1 in terms of length because size matters.
Today an honourable mention, the St. Lawrence River, commonly referred to as the St. Lawrence Seaway. Although one of the most recognizable rivers in eastern Canada, and one that drains the largest watershed on the planet, it doesn't make it into the top 50 longest rivers in the country.
#CanadaIsAwesome #Geography #CanadaRivers
https://youtu.be/IjKoi1_ZCQk

Good Morning #Canada
Just a few years after we were married my wife and I rented the upper half of a duplex near High Park. The East-West road we lived on was considerably higher than the one south of us and we could see Lake Ontario through gaps in the houses across the street. I learned this week that a few years ago I could have had beachfront access out my front door.
Glacial Lake Iroquois was a prehistoric proglacial lake that existed at the end of the last ice age approximately 13,000 years ago. It was essentially an enlargement of the present Lake Ontario that formed because the St. Lawrence River downstream from the lake was blocked by the ice sheet near the present Thousand Islands. The level of the lake was approximately 30 m above the present level of Lake Ontario. Being born 13,000 years too late probably saved me from paying a lakefront premium on my rent.
#CanadaIsAwesome #History #Geology
https://youtu.be/v5ApDf97RZI

Good Morning #Canada
Happy National Trivia Day for all nerds walking around with mostly useless facts in your head. Today is your day to shine.
I never said that there would be homework but today... there's homework. Test your knowledge of obscure Canadian trivia by taking this quiz. You can set the difficulty and length in case you're brave or timid. Full disclosure: I chose the "Surprise Me" option and got 20% correct. Using the Google thingy is not allowed. You're on the honour system, and if you're Canadian, I didn't need to say that.
#CanadaIsAwesome #Trivia #Quiz
Canada Quiz | The Canadian Encyclopedia
https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/quiz/canada-quiz

Good Morning #Canada
Congratulations to me on hitting 1000 Good Morning posts. Actually I have no idea how many posts I've published and I even asked Google Gemini and it didn't have a clue. Stupid #AI. My guesstimate would be 1,100 , based on when I started the habit. Last summer I thought about celebrating #1000 and calculated September 30th would be relatively close... and then forgot about the idea.
Most mornings I wake without any content I plan to post. So it's a relaxing web surf with coffee to find something interesting or humorous. I keep this commitment because I enjoy learning about Canada's heroes, history, geography, trivia, and quirks.
I don't remember enough about my posts, and too lazy to go back and review, to list any favourites. Some of the weekly series are fun, I enjoy the #BigStuffInSmallTowns features, and anything involving #Beavers is patriotic and an opportunity to drag you all down to my level.
And Yes, today's post is kinda a filler....
#CanadaIsAwesome #Anniversary

Good Morning #Canada
Yesterday my wife and I had to pay for a small renovation which necessitated some budget shuffling. Needless to say we didn't make the list of the Richest Canadians. The McLeans and Canadian Business 2025 ranking saw lots of new names, which is surprising because $4.8B only earns you a spot at #40. Tech, primarily AI and data centre related, and cryptocurrency pushed some fortunes upwards, while the usual group of staid family wealth looked on with disdain. The saying "the rich gets richer" holds true as the combined net worth of the 10 wealthiest people on the list is $310 billion, a nearly 20% increase over 2024. It's difficult to read the individual summaries and not be disappointed at the level of wealth disparity with the bottom 50% of Canadians. IMO Governments avoid higher taxes on the wealthy because they believe Capitalism drives the economy, not the people who work for capitalists.
#CanadaIsAwesome #Capitalism #TaxTheRich
The Rich List - Macleans.ca
https://macleans.ca/longforms/the-rich-list/

Good Morning #Canada
February 3rd, 1916, a fire breaks out in Canada’s Parliament buildings resulting in a total loss of the structure with only the library saved. In the midst of #WWI, German sabotage was suspected but a later investigation found that a burning cigar in some furniture was more likely. Our current Parliament building replaced the ruins and have served faithfully ever since. But approximately a year ago the rehabilitation of Canada’s Centre Block on Parliament Hill started. Expected to cost $4.5B to $5B, it is a multi-year project targeted for completion by 2031. Crumbling mortar, outdated electrical and HVAC, and weak supporting structure are all on the to-do list, as well as modernizing the building.
I started watching this 2-part CPAC video last night (2 hours in total) and it's full of history and architecture details. Spoiler: there are no tips for your bathroom reno.
#CanadaIsAwesome #History
https://youtu.be/Y14ObQPGdho

Good Morning #Canada
Have you put up your #ChristmasTree yet? #StatsCan (2021 census data) reports there are 1,364 Christmas tree farms. Ontario (418) had the most farms, followed by British Columbia (276) and Quebec (257). Nova Scotia’s 213 farms were more than the combined total of the Prairie and Maritime provinces (199). Canadian Christmas tree producers earned nearly $163.5M in 2021, and exported over 2.4 million fresh Christmas trees that same year. most of which (97.2%) ended up in the United States. Final destinations for most of them were Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Michigan, North Carolina and Virginia. Trump's tariffs hit artificial trees with a 30% price hike which means it could be an excellent year for real Canadian trees in the U.S. market. Most of the remaining exports in 2021 were to warmer climates in the Western Hemisphere, including Panama, Curaçao, Bermuda, Aruba, St. Maarten (Dutch part) and Barbados.
#CanadaIsAwesome #HoHoHo
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/xmas-tree-trends-2025-9.6993539

Good Morning #Canada
At some point in the next 2 days I have to visit #ServiceCanada and renew my passport. Did you know that 70% of Canadians own a passport which puts us in the upper middle worldwide when compared to other countries. "Ownership" is technically incorrect as all Canadian passports legally remain the property of the Crown and must be returned upon request. According to the Henley Global Passport Index, Canada is among the top countries in Passport Power, ranked 8th on the global mobility spectrum. Trust in the nation issuing the document and in its citizens helps place a country in the rankings. I wonder why recently the USA dropped out of the top 10 for the 1st time? Canada is a member of the Five Nations Passport Group, an international forum for cooperation and sharing of best practices between the passport issuing authorities of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and the USA.
#CanadaIsAwesome #Travel
https://www.henleyglobal.com/passport-index/ranking

Good #Morning #Canada
You may not like #PeePee but you gotta respect his ability to promote a divided Canada. Today, the Duke of Divisiveness will ask the house to vote on whether they support the Liberal's MOU with the province of Alberta. He knows that there is environmental grumbling amongst the Liberals in Parliament and he thinks this is an opportunity to weaken Carney's leadership image. A vote could cause friction within the Liberal ranks and at the very least put individuals on record so their vote can be used against them in the future. It should be an interesting day.
Recently Angus Reid released survey results showing 50% of Canadians would support a new pipeline. What about you? There is a straight forward question below - Yes or No - but please add any opinions, comments or caveats to support your choice.
Do you support a new pipeline from Alberta to the coast of British Columbia? Please boost for additional reach.
#CanadaIsAwesome #CanPoli #PipelineMOU #Pipeline
No, I do not support a new pipeline
Yes, I support a new pipeline

Good Morning #Canada
I've been thinking that it's time for another "Something" Week, perhaps related to wildlife well known by Canadians. I have already posted dedicated week-long content for the first two critters on the attached list of iconic Canadian animals. Since it's winter, something large and white might be appropriate. 🐻‍❄
The #WWF list is a good reminder of just how fragile some of these species are. Only 72 or 73 Southern Resident Orcas are estimated to remain and are critically endangered. The Monarch Butterfly is also at risk because it's long distance migratory lifestyle is impacted by environmental changes over a wide area.
#CanadaIsAwesome #Wildlife
Canada’s 10 most iconic animals - WWF.CA
https://wwf.ca/stories/canadas-10-most-iconic-animals/#:~:text=The caribou is one of,per cent for many herds.

Good Morning #Canada
Today your reading sensibilities are collateral damage from my YouTube meandering. You're welcome.
Did you know that #Vexillology refers to the study of flags? I learned that today. Well today we can all be amateur vexillologists as we critique the design of our Canadian and Provincial flags, aided by a cartoon character who sounds smarter than me. Today I also learned that two of the worst flags in this group, for Ontario and Manitoba, are relatively new designs that can't be blamed on distant historical vexillographers. Yes, I am overusing my new word.
Here is a decent grading of flags from the Provinces and Territories.
#CanadaIsAwesome #FlagWaving
https://youtu.be/G6wYSpLtwRI?si=zNEXotG7u82n2XtX

Good Morning #Canada
Today we all finally come to our senses and bow down to the knowledge of prognosticating rodents. Yes, it's #GroundHogDay2026. Beyond the obvious impact of totally rearranging your next 6 weeks based on the prediction of some small mammal, or lobster, there is the economic impact. Wharton, Ontario, a town of 1,900 seemingly sensible Canadians will generate enough tourism dollars to keep Willie in the lifestyle to which he is accustomed.
Some rodent in Pennsylvania has already predicted 6 more weeks of winter, but let's face facts, the U.S. is not really trustworthy these days. Lucy the Lobster in Nova Scotia and Fred La Marmotte in Quebec are both reporting an early spring. The link below provides an update from others across Canada.
Why don't we have a prognosticating beaver?
#CanadaIsAwesome #Weather
https://www.theweathernetwork.com/en/news/weather/forecasts/groundhog-day-2026

Good Morning #Canada
#HappyBirthday to Nelly Kim Furtado born December 2, 1978 in Victoria British Columbia. Furtado is one of Canada's most successful recording artists having sold over 45 million records, including 35 million in album sales worldwide. She has been praised for her musical versatility and experimentation with genres. She has, at various times in her career, stepped back to deal with burnout and depression and then relaunched herself wih a new musical style. She has won countless awards and has a Star on Canada’s Walk of Fame. It has been an incredible journey from Victoria where she spent summers in her teenage years working as a chambermaid with her mother, brother and sister.
#CanadaIsAwesome #CanadianArtist
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelly_Furtado

Good Morning #Canada
Most of us - who are not CEOs, or CFOs, or CTOs, or C-somethings - know that #AI makes the user experience shittier and we'd prefer it wasn't installed on our phone, tablets, applications or toasters. But when it gets installed on children's toys, that becomes a whole new level of evil perpetrated on us by the tech bros. Numerous media outlets reported in the past month about the dangers of letting your kids access AI via a cute and cuddly toy, most focused on a teddy bear that used Chat GPT to explain fetishes and role playing to unsuspecting children. I don't think Santa's Elves were involved in the quality control process. Stick with something low tech, like Play-Doh or LEGO.
#CanadaIsAwesome ##BeSafeOutThere
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/ai-toys-for-kids-safety-9.7001764

Good Morning #Canada
I'm up early, cooking breakfast and got an 80s playlist on in the kitchen. What was happening in Canada in 1983...
- The metric system of weights and measures is officially adopted by the federal government
- Saskatchewan MLA Colin Thatcher resigns as Minister of Energy and Mines and a week later murders his wife, Joann
- Population of Canada hits 25M in November
- Steve Podborski wins Gold at the World Cup of Skiing
- Pierre Trudeau is PM
- Pay television begins operating in Canada
- Bill 101, protecting the French language in Quebec is ruled unconstitutional
- Brian Mulroney replaces Joe Clark as leader of Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
- Gas costs 47 cents/litre
- BC Place in Vancouver opens
- Air Canada flight 143 makes an emergency landing in Gimli, Manitoba
- Jeanne Sauvé is appointed Canada's first female Governor General
- Average house price is $74,500, 5-yr mortgage rate was 13.5%
#CanadaIsAwesome #History #CanadaFlashback
https://youtu.be/IPznPZLNQhI

Good Morning #Canada
#HappyBirthday to the Honourable Cairine Reay Mackay Wilson who the first woman to be appointed to the Senate in Canada. Her appointment in 1930 marked the end of an era during which women in Canada were denied civil rights. Born in Montréal on February 4, 1885, into a wealthy Scottish-Canadian family, Cairine Reay Mackay married Norman F. Wilson, the Liberal Member of Parliament for Russell, Ontario, in 1909. In 1919, the Wilson family moved to Ottawa, where Mrs. Wilson soon became heavily involved in politics. Her privileged background did not stop her from publicly denouncing appeasement of Hitler, defying her own government to bring in #WWII Jewish refugees, or a lifetime commitment to child poverty and refugees. And she had time to fight for women's rights to be in government by founding the National Federation of Liberal Women of Canada in 1928 and the Twentieth Century Liberal Association in 1930.
#CanadaIsAwesome #CanadianHeroes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairine_Wilson

Good Morning #Canada
Today's post about #CanadianCapitals is a town that has the most tennis courts per capita in Canada. I got that factoid from from the internet so we know it's true. As one of the 4 original provinces to join Confederation, New Brunswick joined the Dominion of Canada on July 1, 1867. Fredericton, previously known as Fort Nashwaak, Pointe-Sainte-Anne, and Frederick's Town, became the provincial capital. Although it was a small community at the time, It was an easy decision because the town had served as the capital of Acadia under the French, and as the seat of government for the colony of New Brunswick under British rule. The New Brunswick Legislature building was originally opened in 1788, but was destroyed by fire in 1880 and replaced in 1882. Fredericton is known for its spacious downtown with wide streets, thanks to the original street plan laid out in a detailed map in 1785.
#CanadaIsAwesome #History
https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/fredericton

Good Morning #Canada
This has been quite the roller-coaster year for my wife and I. If there was one thing that I would be thankful for it would be our much maligned #Healthcare system. Through early testing, in April 2025, both our daughters were diagnosed with a genetic defect that significantly increases risk of cancer. Breast cancer was found in our oldest daughter and her treatment included surgery, chemo, and radiation. The prognosis for a longer life is now excellent. The youngest is facing potential preventative surgery to reduce her risk. After diagnosis the medical response was immediate and both daughters have numerous stories about caring individuals that have provided treatment, counseling, and empathy.
One man had a huge impact on Canada’s status as an important centre for genetics research - Dr. Lou Siminovitch. Here is his story about how he helped establish 4 different research organizations in Toronto.
#CanadaIsAwesome #CanadianHeroes
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/dr-lou-siminovitch-the-force-behind-early-genetics-research-in-canada-dies-at-age-100-1.5981522

Good Morning #Canada
#HappyBirthday to Lucille Teasdale-Corti (January 30, 1929 – August 1, 1996). She was a Canadian physician and pediatric surgeon, who worked in Uganda from 1961 until her death in 1996. She met her husband, Dr. Piero Corti, during her internship and together they founded a university hospital in the north of Uganda - St. Mary's. For 35 years they battled disease and war to bring medical aid to an impoverished nation. She contracted HIV while operating on patients in the mid-1980s and despite being given a short time to live, she continued to work for 11 more years, eventually dying of AIDS-related complications in 1996.
The attached article from 2011 is written from her daughters perspective. Dr. Dominique Corti has continued to build on her parents legacy and today St. Mary's is an important teaching hospital that has churned out a generation’s worth of homegrown Ugandan doctors and nurses.
#CanadaIsAwesome #CanadianHeroes
https://globalnews.ca/news/137248/teasdales-daughter-carries-on-legacy-for-canadian-doctors-african-adventure/

Good Morning #Canada
The #FIFA World Cup Final Draw is today, hosted by renowned soccer experts Heidi Klum and Kevin Hart. The Village People will be performing live so I expect we'll see some Orango Mango Tango from the U.S. president in addition to a comedic break when the FIFA Peace Prize is awarded. Canadians will be watching because #Soccer is the most popular organized sport for ages 5 to 17 in Canada. Soccer and swimming have both surpassed Hockey in youth participation for many reasons but equipment and facilities cost is a major factor and it's estimated that there are over 1M children in soccer leagues across the country. Approximately 74% of Canadians consider themselves avid sorts fans and hockey remains #1 in views with 58% following. NFL came in next at 37%, followed by MLB 34%, CFL 32%, and NBA 29%. Formula One at 24% was sixth overall, followed by Tennis 20%, with PGA Tour and Major League Soccer tied for eighth.
#CanadaIsAwesome #SportsNews
https://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/article/study-soccer-most-popular-sport-among-canadian-kids-post-pandemic/

#Snowmageddon has forced me to enjoy more coffee, relax in my sunroom, and binge on some YouTube content. This got injected into my feed, and because I was born in 1956, it's absolutely accurate. OK... it's bullshit since every generation has endured tough times. I mean, my parents grew up in the depression and survived #WWII. But if you were born in this time period - 1950 to 1969 - use this as proof of your emotional and physical superiority. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need a nap.
#CanadaIsAwesome #Toughness
https://youtu.be/cJFWGg-LQhY?si=JWLsqaGffl-qkPat

Good Morning #Canada
#HappyBirthday to Paul Shaffer, born OTD in 1949 in Toronto, and raised in Fort William (now part of Thunder Bay), Ontario. Shaffer is a Canadian musician, actor, and comedian who served as David Letterman's musical director, bandleader, and sidekick on Late Night with David Letterman (1982–1993) and Late Show with David Letterman (1993–2015). His father was a jazz aficionado while his mother loved show tunes. When Shaffer was 12, his parents took him on a trip to Las Vegas where they took in Nat King Cole and other shows; this was an experience Shaffer described later as "life changing" and led to his decision to become a performer. He was the musical director for the Toronto production of Godspell, a band member on SNL from 1975 to 1980, and the musical director for The Blues Brothers. Shaffer was inducted into the Order of Canada in 2007.
#CanadaIsAwesome #CanadianMusician
https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/paul-shaffer

Good Morning #Canada
I'm relaxing in front of a fireplace with some freshly brewed coffee and watching the Weather Network map animation loop endlessly showing the forecasted snow that will hit us in the next 24 hours. It's hypnotic and distracts you from thinking about the 25-30cm expected accumulation. If you love snow, Canada is the place to be. In fact, almost two-thirds (65%) of Canada's land mass has annual snow cover for more than six months of the year. I read that on the internet, so it's true. I'll be one of the 24% of Canadians who own a #SnowBlower throwing the white stuff everywhere, including back into my face. About half of Canadian households on the east coast own a Snow Blower versus 7% in British Columbia. Apparently, 51% of residents in Barrie use snow clearing machines, which is a statistic I should have paid attention to when we decided to move into this area.
#CanadaIsAwesome #Snowmageddon
https://www.statcan.gc.ca/o1/en/plus/2626-blowing-snow

Good Morning #Canada
I'm sitting my sunroom sipping coffee and contemplating the year that's past, and thinking about #NewYearsResolutions. I've never previously indulged in making promises to myself that I forget about in a few months, but I might make one for 2026. According to Narrative Research, 48% of Canadians made resolutions in 2025, with most setting goals related to health or finances. More than 71% are confident they’ll reach their 2025 goals. Quebec residents are more likely to have made a resolution for 2025, and resolutions are more likely for Canadians age 34 or younger, with the likelihood decreasing with age.
What about you? Please select an option from the survey below, and please boost for additional data collection. I've included a tune to set the mood.
#CanadaIsAwesome #Poll
Do you make New Years Resolutions?
Yes, and I always complete them.
Yes, but I don't remember any.
Maybe, but it's confidential and between me and my bathroom scale.
No, I prefer to enjoy life, one day at a time.
I only make resolutions for other people.

Good Morning #Canada
#HappyBirthday to Arthur Kent, born December 27, 1953 in MedicineHat, Alberta. Now well known as an experienced and trusted Canadian television journalist and author, he rose to international prominence during the 1991 Persian Gulf War during which he acquired the nickname "The Scud Stud". He is the brother of Canada's former Minister of the Environment Peter Kent. I have an impression from this 2018 interview with Kent that there's some dissatisfaction with the state of the news media, an industry much criticized in the 7 years since. There are some interesting insights from a journalist that has experienced and reported on significant events in recent history.
#CanadaIsAwesome #NewsMedia
https://calgaryjournal.ca/2018/12/01/arthur-kent-once-you-ve-really-been-bitten-by-the-international-news-bug-it-s-terminal/

Good Morning #Canada
As a belated public service announcement, here is some fairly bland reporting on snow removal tools. If you live in Toronto, where 50 cm of the white just fell, all shovels and snow blowers will be sold out in every store by 8:42 am. Pro tip - salt doesn't work on 2 feet of snow. Here in Belle Ewart, where we received 20ish cm from #MotherNature, I will be using 2 regular shovels, one with an ergonomic sexy curve, and my handy single stage battery blower. The electric blower struggles with the chunky heavy stuff the evil plow operator dumps at the end of my driveway but so far it hasn't been defeated. Remember to lift with your legs, which I've never seen anyone do.
#CanadaIsAwesome #Snowstorm
https://youtu.be/6Svjwzy9Yu4

Good Morning #Canada
Happy #BoxingDay to all Canadians, and good luck to the estimated 8.6M Canucks who will wade into this significant sales day looking for bargains. December 26th was traditionally a day when the nobility gave gifts and leftovers to their servants and staff. The practice was famously put to song when the Duke of Bohemia, patron saint of the Czech Republic, and inspiration for the Christmas carol "Good King Wenceslas," was known for feeding the poor after Christmas. His charitable nature didn't prevent his murder by his brother. Today it's known as a major shopping day, although less important than 10 years ago. Check out the attached article for a really boring look at recent retail Boxing Day trends. Summary: Boxing Day is more like a Week and shoppers are less impulsive and more focused on specific purchases that they delayed.
#CanadaIsAwesome #EverythingMustGo
https://retail-insider.com/retail-insider/2025/12/boxing-day-still-matters-for-canadian-retail-new-data-shows/

Good Morning #Canada
And #HappyNewYear. I have a suggestion for a #NewYearsResolution2026 that I hope you can participate in. At the very least, please boost the crap out of the idea, steal it and use it as your own or promote the hashtag at every opportunity.
During a random conversation with @crispius a few days ago, we sparked an idea on how to get people off of toxic tech bro social media and onto #Mastodon. What if all Mastodonians agree to convert at least one person into a Mastodon user in 2026. This could include supporting them to make them an active and loyal user. Help them find accounts to follow, finding their personal community, building relationships with followers, etc. It's a grassroots strategy for getting people to move to this platform.
We could use the hashtag #BringAFriendToMastodon to share ideas, strategies, or success. Perhaps ask your admin for help spreading the idea (shout out to @…). Maybe @… can assist in promoting this as well.
#CanadaIsAwesome

Good Morning #Canada
Have you ever dreamed of having a pet #Moose ? Probably weekly if you're a Canadian. But apparently, it's been done, and there are records of Moose being used for farming or racing, or just cuddling up with you on the couch. This CBC article documents one of the best-known examples, but be warned, there are some dark twists to the story.
#CanadaIsAwesome #MooseOfMastadon
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/canadian-stereotype-domesticated-moose-1.5369308

Good Morning #Canada
#HappyBirthday to Benjamin Mink, born January 22, 1951, in Detroit, Michigan. He became a Canadian after he moved with his parents to Toronto at age 11. He is likely one of Canada’s least known musical talents despite his long career as a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. His industry connections are extensive as he has produced and/or performed with K.D Lang, Barenaked Ladies, Anne Murray, Dan Hill, Mendelson Joe, Prairie Oyster, Raffi, Jane Siberry, Ian and Sylvia Tyson, Valdy, Bruce Cockburn, Murray McLauchlan, Mick Jagger, Susan Aglukark, Methodman, Alison Krauss, Feist, Daniel Lanois, Sarah McLachlan, Roy Orbison, Elton John, and Heart.
Despite releasing only one album under his own name, Mink has multiple Juno, Genie, Gemini, and Grammy Awards.
#CanadaIsAwesome #CanadianMusic
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Mink

Good Morning #Canada
#HappyBirthday to Bat Masterson, the famous American gunslinger who was born near Henryville Quebec in 1853. He's our segue to another #CanadianCapitals post, naturally about Quebec City. Explorer Samuel de Champlain founded the French settlement in 1608 and adopted the Algonquin name, which means "where the river narrows." Quebec City is one of the oldest European settlements in North America. The ramparts surrounding Old Quebec (Vieux-Québec) are the only fortified city walls remaining in the Americas north of Mexico. Those walls were put to good use as Québec spent the next 170 years fighting off invaders, mostly by the British but also by Americans. The city was established as the capital of Canada under British rule in 1792 and was named the provincial capital in 1867 when Canada East became Quebec.
#CanadaIsAwesome #History
https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/quebec-city

Good Morning #Canada
I'm heading out for an early appointment in Barrie and checking the weather to see if I'll have any challenges during my 25 minute travel time. I'll have to navigate through some snow - duh... it's Barrie - but poorly salted roads is also an issue. Ontario is facing a shortage of road salt due to an early onset of winter, higher than normal ice days early in the season and some supply chain issues with suppliers. Currently municipalities are trying to stretch their dwindling supply and mixing in more sand. That additional use of sand will result in higher cleaning costs in the spring but right now it's their only option. Suppliers believe that they'll solve the shortage problem in the next month but for now, get used to a bit more snow on your roads.
#CanadaIsAwesome #WinterDriving #SlipnSlide
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/road-salt-shortage-ontario-cities-ration-supply-9.7041857

Good Morning #Canada
On January 20th, 1953, American TV shows were broadcast into Canada from Buffalo New York, via a CBC communication link. But did you know that TV broadcasting had existed in Canada for 2 decades before Public Television in the U.S. started asking for your money? The attached article provides a rambling but pretty exhaustive overview of how the TV industry evolved in Canada, both regionally and nationally. It's long, probably a 2-coffee read, but full of interesting trivia and name-dropping of some Canadian legends.
#CanadaIsAwesome #History #Television
https://broadcastermagazine.com/features/the-roots-of-canadian-television/

Good Morning #Canada
Tod Maffin, former #CBC Broadcaster, is now referred to as an expert on Canadian culture and Identity, and a viral content creator. If you have followed Tod over the past few years you have seen a progression from explaining Canadians to our southern neighbours to becoming politely militant in the face of an increasingly hostile U.S. government. His latest contribution deserves the Order of Canada and a superhero cape. He launched a social media campaign to attract American #Healthcare workers to his community and from there the Healthcare Infusion Organization was born. There are now 20 chapters across Canada focused on recruiting and supporting doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals in local communities facing staff shortages. He has done more to improve Canadian Healthcare than any level of government in this country.
Follow him at @…
#CanadaIsAwesome #CanadianHeroes
https://youtube.com/shorts/K6HOJyoHrpo

Good Morning #Canada
Prior to #Retirement, my last decade in business was spent in #ReverseLogistics managing major retail and manufacturer clients. Reverse logistics is the process of managing customer returns with the objective of recapturing value or ensure proper disposal. It covers activities like processing, restocking where possible, repairs, recycling, refurbishing, and resale. This company in Mississauga is relatively small in comparison to a Costco or Walmart reverse logistics warehouse but it provides a glimpse at a little known industry that deals with $880B USD in annual returns worldwide. The industry is about to enter its busiest period as consumers will return over 10% of Christmas purchases, close to 30% for clothing. In the 1st 3 months of 2026 some remarketing B2B auction sites (representing Costco, Walmart, Home Depot, Target, etc) will be liquidating 100 tractor trailer loads per day, including stuff you're about to unwrap in a few days.
#CanadaIsAwesome
https://www.orilliamatters.com/ontario-news/inside-the-warehouse-poised-to-process-your-unwanted-gifts-this-holiday-11646891

Good Morning #Canada
My daily post is being hijacked once again, but this should be the last time.
The #MastoCanadaGOV initiative now has it's own account for communication and you can follow the team at @…. They have some updates scheduled over the next few days on progress towards convincing our government and politicians to build a presence in the Fediverse. It's small contribution towards #DigitalSovereignty by getting our government contacts off of U.S. controlled social media platforms.
My account can now return to meeting your expectation of Canadian trivia and bad puns... and the occasional beaver joke.
#CanadaIsAwesome #MastodonCanada
https://thecanadian.social/@ElbowsUpforDigitalSovereignty

Good Morning #Canada
Checking my fake holiday calendar, and I see it's Go For A Ride Day. I guess that could include cars, trains, skateboards, horses, and your favourite human, but let's focus on bicycles. Some people say Canada is too big to have a cycling culture and that's why there's only 1 bike for every 4 Canadians. But those are the people who have never heard of cities... or are named Doug Ford. Only 6% of Canadians are active commuters, meaning walking or biking, but it's more prevalent in Victoria (18.7%) and Halifax (12.3%). About one-third (34%) of neighbourhoods across Canada have no cycling infrastructure but some municipalities have invested in high-comfort bike lanes (dedicated & protected pathways), including Montréal (360 km), Vancouver (246 km), Edmonton (226 km) and Québec City (190 km).
Here's some #StatsCan data on commuting by bike.
#CanadaIsAwesome #Biking #GetOutside
https://www.statcan.gc.ca/o1/en/plus/6203-bike-work-day-cycling-through-data

Good Morning #Canada
My morning routine includes #CBCRadio with my coffee and this morning they had an interesting segment on Canadian youth returning to church. According #StatsCan 2022 data, 22% of Canadians ages 15-24 attended religious services at least once a month. That's a significant increase compared to ages 25 to 64. Angus Reid found that positive views of religion by #GenZ adults grew from 35 to 40% between 2023 to 2025, while views from every other generation significantly decreased.
This led me to read several news articles from late last year that reported on these studies, one of which is linked below. It appears the trend became noticeable during and after COVID lockdowns. The words of multiple interviewees tells me that young people's were looking for community and human interaction with something grounded with a sense of morality. That's positive even if you don't believe in her holiness above.
#CanadaIsAwesome #Hallelujah
https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/article/return-to-faith-church-attendance-increasing-for-first-time-in-decades/

Good Morning #Canada
Happy #Festivus everyone. I'm looking forward to the airing of grievances and performing feats of strength later today. But we also have to celebrate National Christmas Movie Marathon Day on December 23rd. Our pickings are slim if you want to limit yourself to Canadian classics of this holiday season. Sure, virtually every #Hallmak movie is filmed in Canada, apparently with variations of a single plot, but they don't count. Here's a list of 5 Canadian films provided by CBC to get you started and you can provide a community service by suggesting other titles for your fellow Canucks. For example, Uncle Buck feels like a Christmas movie solely because of John Candy. When your list is ready, you can wrap yourself in a Hudson's Bay blanket, munch on some Nanaimo Bars, and binge watch your favourites.
#CanadaIsAwesome #ChristmasMovie
https://www.cbc.ca/arts/have-yourself-a-canadiana-christmas-with-these-5-movies-1.3909749

Good Morning #Canada
Did you know that Interac, the Big Brother organization that knows if you're naughty or nice based on your shopping habits, tracks the busiest shopping day of the year? According to their data, Canadians are apparently getting smarter. A decade ago, December 23rd was traditionally the busiest day of the year for retailers based on how many debit and credit cards they swiped. About 5 years ago it began to shift to earlier in the month and in 2025 December 19th was forecasted to be the pinnacle of purchasing. Maybe we ran out of money 4 days earlier.
How prepared are you for #Christmas? Not including food prep, how organized are you for choosing gifts and getting them wrapped and ready? Please take part in our highly scientific survey below and please boost for a larger data sample.
#CanadaIsAwesome #ReadyOrNot
#POLL - My Christmas gifts are selected, wrapped, and ready for Santa to take credit by this date:
Always before December 1st (Liar)
By December 15th at least
December 20th at the latest
Can't think right now... busy wrapping...

Good Morning #Canada
In 1896, gold was discovered on a tributary of the Klondike River, leading to tens of thousands of people (mostly Americans) racing north in the #KlondikeGoldRush. Canada feared that the United States would take control of the area (they purchased Alaska in 1867), so the Canadian government sent in the North-West Mounted Police to establish control of the region. The Klondike Gold Rush established the frontier town of Whitehorse, named for the rapids lying south of the settlement. On 13 June 1898, the Yukon Territory Act created Yukon as a separate Canadian territory and placed its capital at Dawson City. During #WWII Whitehorse became an important base of operations for the U.S. military as they built the Alaska Highway. Whitehorse was incorporated as a city in 1950, and in 1953, it became the capital of Yukon when the government was moved from Dawson City.
#CanadaIsAwesome #CanadianCapitals
https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/whitehorse

Good Morning #Canada
My youngest daughter is visiting this weekend, and while cooking our family breakfast, we had a long conversation about #AI and #LLM applications. She works for a nonprofit - Rainbow Railroad - and is in charge of all their data applications and funding processes. Her manager is suggesting that they need to start exploring AI/LLM, perhaps to automate email responses to donors. Her response, backed by the fundraising team, is "no effing way will a machine talk to any donor." Losing the personal touch can kill an organization that relies on the emotional empathy and kindness of the public.
That led to a new discussion - are there examples of #AI being used for good. #AskEllyn, the nonprofit chatbot that supports breast cancer patients, was the only one we could name, unfortunately, because both my daughters have relied on it over the past few months.
Tell me about other positive examples of AI - bonus points if they're Canadian.
#CanadaIsAwesome #
https://www.ctvnews.ca/kitchener/article/kitchener-ont-ai-chatbot-for-breast-cancer-patients-becomes-focus-of-national-clinical-research-study/