I think the coverage of George H.W. Bush’s recent funeral tweaked my interest in some of the things that make Canada unique. Once again, former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney was chosen to give a eulogy for a U.S. President (he spoke at the funerals for both Ronald and Nancy Reagan as well). And what a eulogy it was – personal, humorous at times and eloquent throughout.

The Globe and Mail described Mulroney as “emerging as something of the eulogist-in-chief for American commanders-in-chief.” That speaks very highly for Mr. Mulroney but also very highly for Canada. It’s clear that there was (perhaps still is?) a high level of respect for our country and the role we play in the world.

Aside from having a former Prime Minister who was clearly adept at fostering close international friendships, what else makes us unique? I think it starts with the country itself:

• We have about 20% of the world’s fresh water
• Almost one-third of the country is covered in trees – and we have 10% of the world’s forests
• We have the world’s longest coastline
• Along with the U.S., we share the longest demilitarized border in the world

We may not have the population size to match many other countries, but certainly have the physical size.

The quirky side

We also have character. Maybe that’s what the U.S. political elite love about us. Consider these:

• We love comfort: We eat more mac ‘n cheese than any other country in the world (I have no idea who measures this stuff)
• We’re sweet: One Canadian province (Quebec) makes more than 77% of the world’s maple syrup
• We’re inventive: Hawaiian pizza was invented by an Ontario man, not by the Hawaiians
• We’re procrastinators: We didn’t get our own flag until our country was nearly 100 years old
• We’re talkers: The famous Canadian interjection “eh”is listed in the Canadian Oxford Dictionary as a valid word. Who knew?

You’ll find these and a few other interesting facts in this 30 weird facts article and in the Reader’s Digest.

Thanks for reading!
Ian Hull