May 27th, 2021.
Culture
ENGLISH SPEAKING COUNTRIES#9:
CANADA
by Ana Colacino, Natalia Del Bianco
Hello, guys, the chosen country for our “Bits of culture” this time is Canada! One of the most culturally and ethnically diverse countries, which is also famous for its polite and friendly people.
​
Shall we talk a little about Canada’s history and culture now? Like the rest of América, Canada also got through a colonization process. Before the French colonizers arrived, the Inuit folks lived there hunting and fishing. Also, as expected, the new immigrants and the natives had a lot of conflicts, and all got worse when England came along in the dispute. In the end, England won the seven years war and Canada was turned into an England colony, but French immigrants could keep their culture and language. Many years later, Canada finally gets free from England by an independence declaration, but they still rely on the British government to make some decisions, once they are too politically dependent. Only after 1982 did they get totally independent from the British Government.
​
This country, like many others, has its past marked by a brutal colonialism process that tried to erase native culture, but happily, Canada was able to keep the Inuit culture, and nowadays it is known as one of the countries that are most linked with its ancestor culture. Also, because of the big flow of immigrants that arrived in the country, Canada has a big mix of cultures and is the country with the biggest immigrant population in the world. The Canadian population is in its majority catholic, but Canada has no restrictions about any religion. The official languages are English and French, but there are also some native languages that still alive among the Canadian population.
​
Canada relies a lot on the tourism industry since the weather and geography make activities, such as agriculture, harder. Known by its crazy temperatures, the winter in Canada can reach near to -50º, and summer reaches nearly 35º; besides this, temperatures can vary a lot just in one day. There is a curious event in the winter on the prairies region known as “Chinook”, even though it happens in the winter, the chinook is a hot wind, that can increase the temperature very drastically, nearly 16º. This and other interesting events, as well as the natural attractions in Canada, make the country an interesting spot to tourists. These ones come from everywhere to appreciate the parks and attractions spread across the territory, such as the 38 national parks, the 836 historical spots, and much more.
​
There are many places worth visiting in Canada. One of them is Niagara Falls, the city is part of a province of Ontario and, in it, there is one of the points of the border with the United States, known to be the most beautiful border in the world. Niagara Falls are formed by 3 waterfalls: Bridal Veil Falls, American Falls, and Horseshoe. Together, these form the most massive fall in North America, spouting about 168,000 m³ of water per minute. In addition to the falls, the region is composed of wineries for wine tasting and a lot of natural beauty
.
Another interesting place to visit is Saskatchewan, which is part of the north area of Canada and is quite privileged, as it presents the best places to see the Aurora Borealis, and the best time of the year to check out this magnificent show is between the months of March and April, or between September and October. These are the times when the north region of the Earth is best positioned in relation to solar winds. In addition, the region has one of the highest points in the country, Cypress Hill, which attracts several tourists because of the natural diversity of the place. The destination is also known for the practice of camping. Also, Canada is one of the most popular destinations for students, to make specializations or graduation courses.
Entertainment “Made in” Canada:
​
Today’s suggestions will please all tastes because Canada has several worldwide known and awarded artists; for sure, you already know some of them.
​
For the music lovers, we have a young singer that has been very successful, Shawn Mendes. In 2019, his song "Señorita", with the participation of Camila Cabello, became very popular here in Brazil.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pkh8UtuejGw
​
The Weeknd, which is one of the phenomena currently, has three songs in the top 50 - global on Spotify, including the recent remix of “Save Your Tears” with the special participation of Ariana Grande. Last Sunday the Billboard Music Awards 2021 took place, and, in it, The Weeknd won 10 of 16 nominations, including "Top Artist".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIIDh-qI9oI
​
The next suggestion was considered the 17th best guitarist in the world by Rolling Stone. See now one of Neil Young's most famous songs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2MtEsrcTTs
​
This country is very rich when it comes to music; check some more names of Canadian singers and bands to search later: Drake, Alessia Cara, Magic!, Simple Plan, Justin Bieber, Celine Dion, Nickelback, Avril Lavigne…
Our movie indication is Red Riding Hood, an adaptation of the classic story of Little Red Riding Hood, where the protagonist plans to escape with her beloved, but the plan is interrupted when her older sister is murdered by a terrible werewolf that surrounds and terrifies the small village.
​
In the literature, we suggest The Handmaid's Tale by Canadian author Margaret Atwood. This is one of her most important and famous books. In it, the author tells a story that takes place in a very near future, and has as its scenario a republic where there are no more newspapers, magazines, books, or films. The universities have been extinguished. There are no lawyers anymore, because no one has the right to defend. Citizens considered criminals are shot and hung dead in the Wall, in a public square, to set an example as their bodies rot in plain sight. To deserve this fate, you do not have to do much – just, for example, sing any song that contains words prohibited by the regime, such as "freedom". In this theocratic and totalitarian state, women are the preferred victims, nullified by unprecedented oppression. The name of this republic is Gilead, but it was once The United States of America.