Last fall, the Canadian Space Agency asked students to design a simple science experiment that could be performed in space, using items already available aboard the International Space Station. Today,
Commander Chris Hadfield conducted the winner for its designers: two tenth grade students, Kendra Lemke and Meredith Faulkner, in a live feed to their school in Fall River, Nova Scotia. And now, we finally have an answer to the age-old question,
What Happens When You Wring Out A Washcloth In Space? [more inside]
posted by zarq
on Apr 18, 2013 -
63 comments
This iconic photo of the first Aboriginal woman to enlist in the Canadian Women’s Army Corps was used as a recruitment tool, and "appeared all over the British Empire [in 1942] to show the power of the colonies fighting for King and country." Its original caption in the Canadian War Museum read,
"Unidentified Indian princess getting blessing from her chief and father to go fight in the war." Its current caption in The Library and Archives of Canada reads:
"Mary Greyeyes being blessed by her native Chief prior to leaving for service in the CWAC, 1942." But as it turns out, the two people in the photo had never met before that day. They weren't from the same tribe or even related and Private Mary Greyeyes was not an "Indian Princess."
70 years after the photo was taken, her daughter-in-law Melanie made sure the official record was corrected. Via [more inside]
posted by zarq
on Jan 22, 2013 -
13 comments
A girl upon the shore did ask a favour of the sea;
"Return my blue eyed sailor boy safely back to me.
Forgive me if I ask too much, I will not ask for more,
but I shall weep until he sleeps safe upon the shore."
For nearly 20 years, Newfoundland group
Great Big Sea have been creating acoustic Celtic folk-rock covers and interpretations of
traditional Newfoundland and Labrador sea
shanties,
folk,
fishing and party songs, which draw from the island's rich 500-year-old multicultural (Irish, English, Scottish and French) heritage.
[more inside]
posted by zarq
on Aug 23, 2012 -
49 comments
What does it mean to be Canadian? It isn't about an ethnicity, a religion, a language, or a shared heritage or history. From
CBC's Ideas comes the two-part radio documentary,
Being Canadian. "From east to west, public intellectuals and private citizens (both new and old Canadians), tell film-maker Sun-Kyung (Sunny) Yi about the concerns, the questions, and the challenges of living together in a multicultural and diverse society." It is also the story of how and why a Korean family became Canadian, first in the law, and then in their hearts.
posted by Hildegarde
on Dec 29, 2010 -
120 comments
Canada was another country before it was
born. In the fire of the battle of
Vimy Ridge, people who were born in Canada, or who came to Canada, came together,
as Canadians, in one of the defining battles of the the First World War.
This is the 93rd anniversary of the greatest unifying event in Canadian history.
posted by Dipsomaniac
on Apr 9, 2010 -
32 comments
The Most Serene Republic, quite possibly the most underrated of all the acts on the
Arts & Crafts label, create music in a similar vein to fellow Canadian indie rockers
Arcade Fire,
Stars, and
Broken Social Scene. Experience their explosive, big-band, polyphonic, experimental flair by listening to their 3 releases in full:
Underwater Cinematographer (2005),
Phages EP (2006), and
Population (2007). A few video music videos as well:
The Men Who Live Upstairs,
Oh God,
Content Always Was My Favourite
posted by Christ, what an asshole
on Sep 30, 2008 -
21 comments
Dear Condi, -- Lloyd Axworthy was Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs for five years (1995-2000). Now that he's no longer in government, he doesn't need to be so diplomatic.
posted by winston
on Mar 3, 2005 -
80 comments
Cool! Toronto's Deep Lake Water Cooling System was launched today. The system cuts electricity consumption in commercial buildings by 75 per cent by drawing near-freezing water through pipes extending five kilometres out into Lake Ontario. According to the
city, the system will save enough power to service more than 100 Toronto office towers or 4,200 homes per year, and it will eliminate 40,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide.
Here's a public television segment explaining the process. Seems like it makes a nice complement to the lakeshore
windmill.
posted by stonerose
on Aug 17, 2004 -
48 comments
A Canadian Chinese Celebrity - (LA Times - reg required) Use
this to get login.
"The lanky Ottawa native, a virtual unknown in Canada, is most renowned for his Chinese TV appearances as the quick-witted foreigner who does amusing skits and the first Westerner to perform the ancient Chinese art of xiangsheng, or comedic dialogue."
posted by blahblah
on Jun 21, 2004 -
14 comments
Are You, Deep Down, Secretly, Between-You-And-Me, Proud Of Your Country? Even if you're not
Canadian? Because
a lot of people in the world, no matter how badly run their country might be, seem to be just that. Isn't it weird, though - and, well, stupid - to be proud of something that just happened to happen to us and that we've done nothing to deserve, whether for good or for bad? A more telling question that occurs is: what nationality would you
choose to be, if you couldn't be the one you are? Here's
the menu.
posted by MiguelCardoso
on Nov 11, 2003 -
105 comments
The Group of Seven. Arguably Canada's most important artists, the Group of Seven "
popularized the concept of an art founded on the Canadian landscape, gave many Canadians a sense of national identity and enabled them to discover the beauty of their own country." Peruse an
art gallery and marvel at the beauty they portrayed.
(Mangled quote from the Tom Thomson Memorial Art Gallery)
Equally important was
Emily Carr. While her style was similar to that of the Group of Seven, her interest in First Nations became her trademark. Some of her
paintings.
posted by ashbury
on Jun 30, 2003 -
9 comments
This isn't about agriculture. Today, twelve prairie farmers have surrendered themselves to RCMP, rather than pay a fine for their illegal activities. Their mutual crime was choosing to export their
wheat crop independently, rather than through the
Canadian Wheat Board. Are state-run agricultural monopolies appropriate, especially when their authority is exerted unevenly throughout the country? Do you think the action taken by these farmers is justified?
posted by vesper
on Oct 31, 2002 -
17 comments
Win a Trip to Bellegarde, Saskatchewan! No joke. And thousands of people will enter this contest. They're ingenious, these prairie farmers.
PRIZE INCLUDES:
Round-trip airfare for two to Regina from a major Canadian airport.
Three nights' hotel accommodation in Regina.
Limousine ride to Bellegarde.
An official tour of the hamlet by the president of the Bellegarde Rural Development Council.
$250 spending money.
All you have to do? Predict when a rusted out old car will crash through the ice and cause a local, and very minor, environmental catastrophe.
posted by Salmonberry
on Apr 9, 2002 -
21 comments
Degrassi's Back! For the Canadian's out there, I'm sure I don't have to remind you about those classic CanCon series'
The Kids of Degrassi Street, Degrassi Junior High, and
Degrassi High. (Any Canadian between 15-35 grew up on at least one of these) Well starting October 14th, we can all grow up again with a new gang of kids on Degrassi: The Next Generation! Who will be the next Joey Jeremiah?
posted by paultron
on Oct 6, 2001 -
22 comments
We're getting some new cable channels in Canada, and one of them is
PrideVision,
the world's first gay, lesbian, and bisexual television network. Even ten years ago, would anyone have thought we'd someday see
programmes like Closeted Hollywood,
Dyke TV, Queer as Folk, and
Metrosexuality on North American television? And as a category 1 service, Canadian cable companies are required to make PrideVision available as part of their digital service.
posted by tranquileye
on Aug 31, 2001 -
14 comments
