Canada’s ‘brand’ is the best in the world

[JOF585]

:coffeecanuck: Holy crap you must be unhappy here. So sad

No. I'm just tired of Canada being so overrated. Tired of all this misinformation and propaganda. Canada the best in the world this, Canada the best in the world that. If something is made to be the best of anything, there is automatically not a lot of room for improvement. It is not that special here.

Every country in the world has something unique to offer. Not one is better than the other. But I think that people in other countries when asked about Canada they have this view of friendliness, peacefulness and open spaces. Considering what is happening all around us, wars, etc... Canada is viewed as a pretty darn good country. To Japanese tourists the open spaces are out of this world. Actually to most tourists the vastness of Canada is impressive. To some European tourists they may not care about architecture but friendliness may be appreciated. It all depends what you are looking for. Some tourists want to see polar bears, stay in an ice hotel, visit a sugar house and eat " tire ", take pictures of the maple trees during the fall season, eat lobster, salmon and maple syrup, play broomball perhaps ......all things unique to Canada.

I know you will say the US has salmon, lobster and maple trees. It's just an add on to something else a tourist might do.

[Captain Awesome]

No. I'm just tired of Canada being so overrated. Tired of all this misinformation and propaganda. Canada the best in the world this, Canada the best in the world that. It is not that special here.

You know, when I was going through some countries when traveling, I'd tell people how awesome their city or country is. They'd shrug their shoulders and say "- What's so special about it?". At the same time, when I lived in Vancouver, and people from US came on business and I'd have to show them the city - they couldn't shut up about the stunning beauty of that city - and I'd grumble "Whatever, it's just Vancouver".

It's one thing to be living here, and one thing to be visiting.

In my mind, I usually compare Canada to New Zealand - but a whole lot bigger. Yes, not much history, but holy crap, what a paradise if you're an outdoorsy person or love nature. Canadian cuisine? No such thing, but there's no such thing as "New Zealand" cuisine either. Blend of tastes, my friend.

Anyways, you wanna be sour about how sucky Canada is - go ahead and feel sucky and sighs how Europe is so much better. But believe me as an outsider to Canada - this country is freaking amazing. And you live here.

[NAB]

At the same time, when I lived in Vancouver, and people from US came on business and I'd have to show them the city - they couldn't shut up about the stunning beauty of that city....

Yup, I've done the same. But I was always very selective about where I took them, and when ;-)

Nab

[steven lloyd]

Anyways, you wanna be sour about how sucky Canada is - go ahead and feel sucky and sighs how Europe is so much better. But believe me as an outsider to Canada - this country is freaking amazing. And you live here.

After returning from four months of backpacking through Southeast Asia (Thailand and Indonesia) I was astounded to appreciate what we had here. The sidewalks weren’t broken-up, the grass on the sides of the main roads was maintained and green and you didn’t smell rotten meat and animals dying on the streets downtown. With the work I do now I’ve been fortunate enough to see some of the more remote areas of this province and it is freaking amazing – even for someone who has lived here in Canada for more than fifty years. Don’t get me wrong. I love travelling and even have plans to travel to Europe (Italy and Greece) but I certainly do know how lucky I am to be Canadian.

..., when I lived in Vancouver, and people from US came on business and I'd have to show them the city - they couldn't shut up about the stunning beauty of that city - and I'd grumble "Whatever, it's just Vancouver".

Lived there for five years, and obviously has it’s ugly sides (like any city), but it is rated as one of the ten most beautiful cities in the world. I get to go there for work in a couple of weeks and I’m looking forward to it – staying on the harbour, after meetings take a walk through Gastown, who knows where I’ll eat (too many world class restaurants to choose from). We may not be perfect but it would be stupid to choose to be blind.

[JOF585]

At the same time, when I lived in Vancouver, and people from US came on business and I'd have to show them the city - they couldn't shut up about the stunning beauty of that city....

Yup, I've done the same. But I was always very selective about where I took them, and when ;-)

Nab

Davie St. on a Saturday night !!

[Captain Awesome]

Davie St. on a Saturday night !!

Davie St. is actually pretty cool. You do have to have a bit of an open mine, I remember my visitors from Tennessee were a bit weirded out, but hey...that`s Tennessee for you, lol.

[JOF585]

Davie St. on a Saturday night !!

Davie St. is actually pretty cool. You do have to have a bit of an open mine, I remember my visitors from Tennessee were a bit weirded out, but hey...that`s Tennessee for you, lol.

I know ... I was just teasing. I love Vancouver for it's diversity.

[grammafreddy]

Davie St. on a Saturday night !!

Davie St. is actually pretty cool. You do have to have a bit of an open mine, I remember my visitors from Tennessee were a bit weirded out, but hey...that`s Tennessee for you, lol.

LOL - I took my visitors from Scotland (over 70 years old) to the All-Indian Rodeo at Alkali Lake. Proper straight-laced British couple. They loved it - drunken natives, foul language, sweating cowboys and all. He videoed as much as he could and they were having a blast! Best time I'd had in years - especially when one old fella in a beat-up stained and smelly cowboy hat leaned over and up-chucked on the proper guy's shoes. Even THAT went on the video and he laughed it off. What a day. I bet that lasted them the rest of their lives back in Bonny Scotland and was the highlight of their trip here.

[The Green Barbarian]

Food is a lot cheaper (and better), too.

I don't know where you eat, but you do realize that Canada has more to offer than Swiss Chalet and Tim hortons.

That reminds me of a time I was eating some seafood in Thailand with some other travellers from Europe. While they were impressed I was less so. But then, unlike them I have eaten King Crab caught fresh from the cold clean water off BC’s northern coast, and Salmon from our cold clean rivers. The Crest Hotel in Prince Rupert. I highly recommend it.

had the fisherman's spaghetti at the Crest this summer - it was delicious!!!

[steven lloyd]

LOL - I took my visitors from Scotland (over 70 years old) to the All-Indian Rodeo at Alkali Lake. Proper straight-laced British couple. They loved it - drunken natives, foul language, sweating cowboys and all. He videoed as much as he could and they were having a blast! Best time I'd had in years - especially when one old fella in a beat-up stained and smelly cowboy hat leaned over and up-chucked on the proper guy's shoes. Even THAT went on the video and he laughed it off. What a day. I bet that lasted them the rest of their lives back in Bonny Scotland and was the highlight of their trip here.

Excellent. You know that story made the rounds at the Pubs back home.

[grammafreddy]

LOL - I took my visitors from Scotland (over 70 years old) to the All-Indian Rodeo at Alkali Lake. Proper straight-laced British couple. They loved it - drunken natives, foul language, sweating cowboys and all. He videoed as much as he could and they were having a blast! Best time I'd had in years - especially when one old fella in a beat-up stained and smelly cowboy hat leaned over and up-chucked on the proper guy's shoes. Even THAT went on the video and he laughed it off. What a day. I bet that lasted them the rest of their lives back in Bonny Scotland and was the highlight of their trip here.

Excellent. You know that story made the rounds at the Pubs back home.

Seriously? Where is "back home"?

The incident was totally funny (in a sick kinda way). The Native fellow was sitting on the bleachers telling my Scottish relative (thru marriage) all about being a cowboy, riding the bulls and the broncs, all his broken bones - when all of a sudden he just leaned over and unloaded onto the relative's shoes. It was all caught on video and we watched it later back home in Willy's Puddle and I figured he'd edit that part out. But he said, no, that was the best part of the video and of the whole day - it was REAL! His wife, however, was not so amused.

[steven lloyd]

Excellent. You know that story made the rounds at the Pubs back home.

Seriously? Where is "back home"?

Vistors ? From Scotland ?

[grammafreddy]

Oh. Sorry - I misunderstood (I think). I thought you were saying you had already heard about this from perhaps your family "back home" and I was asking where in Scotland you were from. They were from Motherwell.

[Trunk-Monkey]

Steven we may disagree on certain things but I can honestly say I think we can agree on this...those are some beautiful pics!
P.S I purposely kept them in the "quote" becasuse they need to be seen again!
TM

[steven lloyd]

Thanks. Here’s a couple more ...