Two shows on Canada's national public radio station, the CBC, are hosting a poll to decide the Seven Wonders of the nation. The criteria:

* Essential 'Canadian-ness' - historically significant, character filled, valued
* Originality/uniqueness of the pitch and place
* Spectacular physical site or amazing human creation
* Ability to inspire
* Range within the final seven - diversity of location, type of wonder

Nominations have closed and a shortlist has been decided: http://www.cbc.ca/sevenwo...nees.html. They're all spectacular!

Those of you who've been blessed to experience Canada, what are your opinions? My exposure is limited yet to Ontario, the coasts and things I've read over the years about the prairies and the north, but so far I'm most moved by...

1. The Northern Lights
2. Old Quebec
3. CN Tower
4. The Bay of Fundy
5. The Igloo
6. The Transcanada Highway (This, I admit, is a much-needed catch-all. A scenic bit of all the provinces are included here)
7. Niagara Falls

...I wanted to nominate Joni Mitchell and the national healthcare system (both of which arguably meet the criteria), but I missed the deadline.
[Edited 5/17/07 19:59pm]

1. Fascination with the Queen
2. Marijuana
3. Maple Syrup
4. those french fries with the gravy
5. Mounties
6. flannel hats with ear flaps


and of course


7. Celine Dion

...Although mounties and poutine ("those french fries with the gravy") are the joint!!

8. Me. It's not official yet, but once I can get the permanent resident papers, I'll be the 8th wonder

Only the Quebecois like Celine. And everyone knows they're all nuts anyway.

ArielB said:

How long have you been here?

jerseykrs said:

Um, let me redo your list for you.

1. Stupid Queen (which none of us acutally really care about...but whatever)
2. Pot
3. Maple syrup
4. Poutine
5. RCMP
6. flannel hats...blah blah blah

and

7. JustErin

oh snap, I almost forgot.....

Wreck Beach is nominated? That's awesome!
It's actually my favourite beach in the world since it's so beautiful and secluded but never in a million years did I think it would be nominated to be a "wonder" since it's packed with druggies, hippies and perverts.

Out of the other nominees I would vote for Drumheller which is a really interesting town buried in a badlands-type landscape and most definitely Dawson City! Probably the most magical and historically intact town I've ever been to.

pot, poutine and Neil Young.

Lammastide said:

6 months

3 of them right here.....

http://www.youtube.com/wa...9zniI13Nbs
[Edited 5/17/07 13:41pm]

Lammastide said:

Um Niagara falls? maybe to look at... the falls themselves for the most part are on the american side..
arnt they??

Lammastide said:

Then you'd like my views:

jerseykrs said:

meggy said:

No. There's a Canadian "side" and an American "side" of the Falls.

Ace said:

And to Celine Dion.

She's a tsunami of talent that's bigger than any national boundaries.


And, from what I hear, it's illegal try to go over her in a wooden barrel.

Ace said:

And even if more of the water's in the US (which I don't know), Canada has the best view.

Not crazy about the city, though.

Ann Murray.

Illustrator said:

Lammastide said:

1. Toronto nightlife.
2. Clean major cities with low crime rates.
3. Our healthcare.
4. Norm MacDonald.
5. Federal government - bad as the current one is - not nearly as bad as U.S.
6. Queen Street.


And, you got it:

7. Prince's leftover underwear.

Ace said:

Good list, but I would switch Toronto's nightlife to Montreal's nightlife.

ArielB said:

Cool. I've been here 9. How long do you have to be here to apply for citizenship?

meggy said:

There are two falls, one in either country. Canada has the bigger and better of the two.

Ace said:

Dude!!! You gotta invite me over!

I saw something on TV about having to lift drugged up polar bears by helicopter to get them out of the city. That was pretty wonder-ful.

Lammastide said:

Ummm Meggy and I live here. We know that there's two sides but most of the actual falling water is on the American side. Even the Horseshoe Falls are mostly US. The "aren't they?" was retorical.
It may be a shared wonder but the Canadians have done a horrid job of commercializing it. And those new kiosks are just ugly.
The cities of Niagara Falls are not impressive on either side of the falls.

shellyevon said:

First, I've made a mistake: As you've been polite enough not to point out, there are three falls. And while the U.S. claims the two smaller ones, the Bridal Veil and American falls, Canada holds all but a small part of the largest, the Horseshoe Falls, over which 90% of the water in the Niagara River falls (compared to 10% over the others). Horseshoe Falls is not only wider than the other two combined, dumping more water and producing more hydroelectric power, but it also has a longer, more dynamic drop. It's so spectacular that it was once revered as the abode of the thunder god by some regional first nations! This all adds up to the association of "the falls" -- all over the world -- with Canada!

As commercialization goes, if by "horrid" you mean tacky to go along with ugly, I wholeheartedly agree. Canadian Niagara Falls is neon-lit tourist hell. But no one can say the commercialization has been unsuccessful. It could be better, no doubt, but the Canadian side has been one of the world's most renowned honeymoon destinations for almost two centuries with something like 50,000 couples/year honeymooning there -- hardly Paris, but not at all bad for such an otherwise sleepy, little burg.

Now the American side is another (sad) story. It might be called a mere rundown suburb of neon-lit tourist hell.
[Edited 5/18/07 12:41pm]

I was going to suggest Bill Shatner.

Lammastide said:

What??? no way.. Canada might have a better veiw but no way do they have bigger and better falls..

whats the names of the falls you're talking about?