or perhaps canadians really would prefer this man

Today's post will be dedicated to all things Canadian, and of course it begins with a hockey icon. Last year, my first time back in Canada during hockey season for more than a few weeks since 1997, there was no NHL. Did I miss it? Not really. CBC thoughtfully accomodated it's Saturday evening audience with something called Movie Night in Canada, with movies introduced by hockey commentators broadcasting from amateur rinks across the country. Don Cherry, however, was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps he was preparing his Prime Ministerial campaign.


I was trying to explain to a fellow teacher today how Montreal clears the most snow every year of any city in the world. He mentioned Helsinki and Moscow, but I'm hoping this photo will help illustrate my point. Apparently 50cm of snow just dropped out of the sky overnight. I believe it because it happened to me back in 1995. I didn't mind so much because I'd spent the previous evening with a Canadian actress of some renown and was snuggled up with her in her friends' guest bedroom for most of the night. We drove back to Toronto the next morning after I had dug out my near-antique recently-purchased BMW. Such adventures are hard to come by now I'm a single dad.

This last photo, also stolen from a Quebecoise' blog, is undeniably Canadian. In addition to the great bagels and Maudite from the depanneur, two of my favourite things about Montreal are the smoked meat (it's beef) and this wonder of wonders poutine. My most memorable poutine moment was several years ago when I was visiting my friend from SEED Mike and his girlfriend Leah. Mike was practicing with his band when I arrived, not Godspeed You Black Emperor but one of the other ones, maybe Molasses. Leah suggested we go for some food while waiting for him. Now Mike and Leah are vegetarians but I'm not so I was glad when Leah suggested the first Montreal diner I had ever visited, back in 1990 with another actress girlfriend. I had made a pledge to myself to enjoy some poutine and some smoked meat while in Montreal this time, so you can imagine my delight when I discovered that the daily special was smoked meat ON poutine. If I ever die of a heart attack I hope I will have enjoyed that very delicacy sometime within the previous twenty-four hours.

If you're wondering what the cheesy-looking bits between the gravy and french fries are, you'd be right. They are indeed cheese curds, as far as I know packaged only for sale in Quebec and of course Ottawa.