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May 14, 2004 10:17 AM   Subscribe

Who's the Greatest Canadian? Time is running out and the voting kiosks will be closed by Sunday. Short notice, I know, but how else can we snatch the Greatest Canadian title from the clutches of The Attention Starved Nobody, The High Collared Puck Head, or The Attention Starved Hipster Pundit? In our nation where a vote for anyone but the Liberals is a vote thrown away, on whom are you throwing your vote away and who do you think is going to be crowned the Alpha Canuck?
posted by Old Man Wilson (28 comments total)
 
Tim Horton. At least as far as name recognition south of the 49th parallel.
posted by tommasz at 11:06 AM on May 14, 2004


All I know is that the ads for this series are incredibly annoying. Neil Young? Shania Twain? Anyone voting for either of those two for the title of "Greatest Canadian" should be taken out and shot.

We all know it's going to either Sir John A. MacDonald, Pierre Elliot Trudeau or Mr. Dressup. Why bother with all this voting anyway.
posted by filmgoerjuan at 11:23 AM on May 14, 2004


filmgoerjuan: of the three, I'd say Trudeau is the most likely but I have to admit that I would not be at all surprised to see Gretzky win it, unfortunately.
posted by synecdoche at 11:35 AM on May 14, 2004


Wolverine! Yes! Best suggestion, XQUZYPHYR! Also, as a Canadian I am ashamed for not having thought of him earlier...
posted by Monster_Zero at 11:36 AM on May 14, 2004


my personal choices - trudeau, bethune, or dr. elizabeth bagshaw. out of still living canadians, can't say that anyone impresses me on that sort of scale.
posted by t r a c y at 11:40 AM on May 14, 2004


I've opted for Terry Fox. He did something great, it provided a lasting legacy, and it was non-political in nature.
posted by jacquilynne at 11:44 AM on May 14, 2004


William Shatner. Why are we even discussing this?
posted by Ty Webb at 12:03 PM on May 14, 2004


Paul Anka and Gordon Lightfoot but no Lee, Lifeson or Peart?
posted by turbodog at 12:05 PM on May 14, 2004


The bearded eunuch (can eunuchs even have beards? Moot point, becuase that eunuch does) from the Canadian Tire commercials. That dude can fix anything. Or maybe it should be co-greatest Canadians and award the honour to his TV wife too. Somewhere in the praries theres an Legion missing it's biggest customer of Bailey's and Ginger. I love her two pack a day of Export A green death and half bottle of whickey voice.
posted by Keith Talent at 12:11 PM on May 14, 2004


The bearded eunuch (can eunuchs even have beards? Moot point, becuase that eunuch does) from the Canadian Tire commercials. That dude can fix anything. Or maybe it should be co-greatest Canadians and award the honour to his TV wife too. Somewhere in the praries theres an Legion missing it's biggest customer of Bailey's and Ginger. I love her two pack a day of Export A green death and half bottle of whiskey voice.
posted by Keith Talent at 12:11 PM on May 14, 2004


Seen the commercials, but have been trying not to give this too much thought. Eh whatever... Norman Bethune.
posted by bobo123 at 12:15 PM on May 14, 2004


Romeo Dallaire.

I'd vote for Trudeau as the greatest at spending the cash of future generations. It's very easy to be the most popular guy at the party when you show up with a truckload of beer. Unfortunately, Canadians don't seem to connect the great party with the subsequent truckload of bills...
posted by websavvy at 12:46 PM on May 14, 2004


About Mr. Talent's post: it looks like its in Canadianese. I think I can translate to American...

Bearded Eunuch Canadian Tire Guy: I don't know what makes him a Eunuch. I personally like to think he gets a lot, what with his sly suburban mannerisms and a enviable set of power tools. Anyway, for the Americans: he's just a mouth piece for a major retailer who shills, along with his wife, household maintenance appliances.

Co-Greatest Canadian
: 2nd Place.

Canadian Prairies: They're like a Kansas with more trees and houses, but fewer hills.

The Legion: Euphemism for the local bar operated by the war veterans of the major wars we have fought: WW1, WW2, etc. There is usually one in every small town.

Bailey's and Ginger: I don't know this one. Bailey's is coffee liqueur. Perhaps a mixture of Bailey's and Ginger Ale? I think I'd pass on that one. A caesar, on the other hand...

Export A: Cheap cigarettes. Come in green packages.
posted by sleslie at 12:49 PM on May 14, 2004


Sarah Harmer. Not open to debate.
posted by rafter at 1:21 PM on May 14, 2004


Alexander Graham Bell -- who made all of this Internet stuff possible in a round-about-sort-of-way by inventing the telephone.

But wait ... was the telephone an American or Canadian invention. (Not the best links, but you get the idea).
posted by mrmcsurly at 1:49 PM on May 14, 2004


Thanks sleslie. I'm smarter than at least half the Trailer Park Boys.
posted by Keith Talent at 1:56 PM on May 14, 2004


"Mr. Dressup"

Oh man, I don't even know where to begin.
posted by mr.marx at 2:07 PM on May 14, 2004


What about Peter Gzowski? He was so good.

I'll vote for Mr. Dressup, though.
posted by five fresh fish at 2:31 PM on May 14, 2004


In our nation where a vote for anyone but the Liberals is a vote thrown away...

WTF? Explain, please.

IMO, a vote for anyone but the libs is a vote for a balanced house. The last thing we need is a majority liberal government.
posted by five fresh fish at 2:34 PM on May 14, 2004


I'll second Shatner.
posted by John Kenneth Fisher at 2:55 PM on May 14, 2004


Richler
posted by sleslie at 3:09 PM on May 14, 2004


fff: It was only my way of poking fun at the attitude of those disillusioned citizens who decide not to vote, because "who cares, the Liberals are going to win anyway, so lets just spend our voting money on some Oland's..." However, what with our parliamentary party discipline, a vote for "a balanced house" means little. Even better, though, a vote for anyone but the Liberals gives them an idea of who to steal their ideas from on the next go round!

But, I do agree with you on Peter Gzowski's "Greatest Canadian-ness". Trudeau only dreamed of the "Canadian Identity" building that he supervised on a daily basis...
posted by Old Man Wilson at 4:24 PM on May 14, 2004


Agnes MacPhail. Not only did she win a seat in Parliament at a time when women weren't even allowed to vote, but she raised many important issues (i.e. the horrible conditions of the prisons) and worked towards things like universal health care and pensions and unemployment insurance years before we actually got them.
posted by orange swan at 7:34 PM on May 14, 2004


Maybe Tommy Douglas, then, who's muchly responsible for getting Medicare up and going.
posted by five fresh fish at 7:38 PM on May 14, 2004


Bernard Shakey.
posted by groundhog at 7:45 PM on May 14, 2004


Me.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 8:27 PM on May 14, 2004


I was thinking Louis LaFontaine or Etienne Brule. But Dalliare and Richler! Most excellent.
posted by philfromhavelock at 9:58 PM on May 14, 2004




I like Ike.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 2:03 PM on May 15, 2004


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