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Oh! Canadiana 🍁
60
items Here are some of the things that symbolize Canada to me – from fauna to flora to food, drink, and design!
Note: This list may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission (at no extra charge to you) if you make a purchase using these links.
Note: This list may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission (at no extra charge to you) if you make a purchase using these links.
Sections
5
The Fauna
The Food, Recipes, and Cookbooks
The Flora & The Scapes
The Merch
The Sports
The Fauna
A look at some of Canada's most iconic furred, scaled, and feathered wildlife, and perhaps a few species you may not know.
Snowy white during fall and winter and earthy tones in spring and summer, the Arctic fox is a master of blending into its northern environment.
Arctic Fox
A striking social seabird (made even popular by Happy Feet 2). One has to go to the shores of Eastern Canada (specifically, the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador), to get glimpses of this charismatic creature and skilled aerialist.
Atlantic Puffin
Canada Geese are actually very cosmopolitan waterfowl (it's hard to believe that these black-and-white honkers were actually close to extinction in the early 20th century). They can be found in many parts of the world (except, of course, the Antarcti...
Canada Goose
These mischievous corvids really know how to turn on the charm (and those big black eyes) when it comes to soliciting food (I was almost put under their hold several summers ago!) They are tough little birds with a superb memory of thousands of cache...
Canada Jay (aka Whiskeyjack, Grey Jay)
These cute (but pushy) little panhandlers will start going through picnickers' pockets if given half a chance (I'm speaking from quasi-firsthand experience!) We discovered these light-fingered proclivities years ago, when visiting EC Manning Provinci...
Columbian Ground Squirrel
Seeing an Eastern Wolf (a Threatened species) on the West Coast is impossible – the closest thing I have seen is a coyote (and I have seen the latter taking a brisk walk down the local golf course a few summers ago, completely ignoring the stares of ...
Eastern Wolf
Imagine having a red head when you're grown up, and a blue tail and black stripes when you're a juvenile. That describes the Five-Lined Skink. It seems odd to me that the striking coloration happens to the young, who you'd think would want to draw as...
Five-Lined Skink
If you happen to be in southeastern Alberta or southwestern Saskatchewan in the spring time, you have got to check out the flamboyant dance-offs between the males. Ladies are the judges (as they usually are, in the bird kingdom).
Greater Sage-Grouse
The larger cousin of the more diminutive Downy Woodpecker, I have only ever seen the Hairy Woodpecker a few times (even with the tantalizing suet and seed feeders in my backyard).
Hairy Woodpecker
The rare, white-coated variant of the black bear is found only in the Great Bear Rainforest along BC's central and northern coasts. One day, I have to see the official provincial mammal in the flesh and fur!
Kermode Bear ("Spirit Bear")
I encountered this largest member of the deer family (who tips the scales at 2,000 lbs) in the wild when leaving the tourist village of Banff several decades ago. A massive bull (with a magnificent 6-foot spread of antlers) was munching on a homeowne...
Moose
I never understood just how big the beaver was until a large adult male (who looked like he weighed between 60-75 lbs) came sauntering behind me as I was just about to start walking the West Dyke Trail in Richmond, BC, many years ago. In broad daylig...
North American Beaver
How's that for hardy and versatile? The only lemming species in the world to change its coat with the seasons (becoming pure white in the winter), the chunky Northern Collared lemming is a subnivean dweller who tunnels and burrows under snow and abov...
Northern Collared Lemming
Topping the scales at 240 lbs (for the gents) and 130 lbs (for the ladies), Peary Caribou are the smallest of the North American caribou, and they make their homes in the high arctic of Canada. They are great runners and swimmers, but their dropping ...
Peary Сaribou
An amazing long-distance swimmer endowed with slightly webbed front paws, a dense fur coat, blubber, and a streamlined body shape. Despite all these amazing adaptations, the shrinking ice floes have made it harder for these predators of the north to ...
Polar Bear
These adorable yellow-billed finches with patches of red on their foreheads show up in small to medium-sized flocks during Canadian winters. They are quite friendly and approachable, although I have never had the privilege of getting closeups of them...
Redpolls (Common/Hoary/Lesser)
This mountain-dwelling gamebird changes its plumage to suit the seasons, and breeds in the northernmost tundras of the world. In the wintertime, it sheds its speckled brown plumage for a stunning, snow-white one!
Rock Ptarmigan
Although an infrequent visitor to my yard, this large black-headed crested jay has been known to pop up in the backyard, in search of peanuts and suet (usually in the summertime).
Steller's Jay
As its name suggests, this large and critically endangered ground squirrel is only found on the alpine meadows of Vancouver Island, BC. Dedicated recovery efforts have helped numbers rebound from as few as the low 20s in the 2000s to several hundred ...
Vancouver Island Marmot
Canada's largest land mammals and North America's largest land animals, Wood Bison--a vulnerable species--are masters at surviving the cold. Something about those thick shaggy fur coats helps. ;)
Wood Bison
It is a personal treat to find a snake in the grass – and I have gotten a bird's eye view of a 2-foot long red-sided garter snake in the backyard several summers ago. Alas, my subject was gone by the time I had grabbed my camera and headed out to cap...
Western Red-Sided Garter Snake
The Food, Recipes, and Cookbooks
Some of the nom-noms of the True North.
Back bacon is much leaner and tenderer than its non-Canadian counterpart. If there could be a healthier bacon, this is it!
Back Bacon
Made with bakeapples (aka cloudberries – what a poetic name, isn't it?) – bakeapple pie is a treasured Newfoundland/Labrador classic dish.
Bakeapple Pie
I'd be remiss if I left Canadian Lobster off the food list (Canada is the largest producer of lobsters in the world).
Canadian Lobster
Those with a sweet tooth – rejoice! and discover a luscious list of recipes for tasty treats, crafted by a family of talented Alberta, BC bakers, with stunning photographs and homey anecdotes!
Crave (Carolyne McIntyre Jackson & Jodi Willoughby - Hardcover)
Sample the diverse tastes of Canada's smallest province, with curated recipes from top chefs complemented by stunning photography.
Flavours of Prince Edward Island (Jeff McCourt, Allan Williams, Austin Clement - Paperback)
Let's put aside the shape of these large clams which look like elephant trunks (and their equally whimsical name, which is pronounced “gooey-duck”). They're actually quite delicious!
Geoduck
Created in Vancouver, Canada, in the early 2000s, the Japadog is a yummy fusion of East and West.
Japadog
I have been to PEI, and I have had tasty Malpeque oysters, but my enjoyment of them was not in Canada's smallest province ... but on the West Coast! :)
Malpeque Oysters
Who knew that tapping trees could be so much fun (or lucrative? – supplying 113.4 million kilograms or 75% of the world's total, Canada is the world's largest producer). Maple Roch amber colored maple syrup is produced with New Brunswick sugar maple ...
Maple Syrup
Awaken your tastebuds with more than 100 tantalizing recipes from the Great White North!
More Than Poutine: Favourite Foods from My Home and Native Land (Marie Porter)
Nanaimo isn't just known for its annual bathtub races (now that's repurposing before going green even was a thing). Nanaimo bars are a sweet, three-layered treat that is like nothing else to my palate!
Nanaimo Bars
Hailing from Quebec around the 1950s, poutine isn't just french fries smothered with cheese curds and gravy (there's a certain je ne sais crois about this comfort food that's crisply on the outside and soft on the inside, and can't just be boiled dow...
Poutine
The words “smoked” and “salmon” go together naturally – especially if you live on the West Coast!
Smoked Sockeye Salmon
I love fusion foods, and sushi pizza combines the best of two of my favorite cuisines: Japanese and Italian. Gluten-free versions are great for celiacs and the gluten-sensitive. Invented in Toronto, Ontario in the 1990s.
Sushi Pizza
The Flora & The Scapes
Flowers, trees, and landscapes that make the True North so iconically beautiful and rugged at the same time – at any time of the year!
Bearded irises are one of my favorite flowers of the summer. They bloom in great numbers, making for a stunning sea of purple on a summer day!
Blue Flag Iris
These native North American wildflowers are perennials that have long been used to promote sleep and reduce inflammation and pain – and they are great at attracting pollinators, too!
Blue Vervain
(verbena hastata - seeds)
Wildflowers so named for their ability to sprout up in disturbed and burned out areas.
Fireweed
(chamaenerion angustifolium - seeds)
I get to enjoy the sight of these native BC trees (aka western dogwood or mountain dogwood) in full flower in late spring – in their cream, white, and pink hues!
Pacific Dogwood Trees
(cornus nuttallii)
These striking red and white striped tulips were renamed from Happy Generation to Canadian Celebration to celebrate Canada's 150th anniversary in 2017.
Tulips 'Canadian Celebration'
While there are 22 species of lilies native to North America, the Western Red Lily (aka the wood lily) is Saskatchewan's only native lily and a protected species. The WRL is the only native North American lily to point upwards – all other native lili...
Western Red Lily
The Merch
Creative designs that cleverly incorporate the symbols and colors of the True North, strong and free!
Upscale and high-performance apparel for living in the Great White North! (I should know – I have a very well-made Canada Goose jacket that has stood the test of time for more than 20 years!)
Canada Goose
(Luxury & Performance Outerwear)
The fusion of mountain, sky, and turquoise waters on this lumbar pillow whisks me away to Jasper National Park.
ITW Maligne Lake, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada Lumbar Pillow
One of the most beautiful places to visit on the Canadian East Coast (even if the history surrounding this landmark is a bit sad). The first place we visited after touching down here, many years ago, and yes, it was a picture perfect summer afternoon...
ITW Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia Lumbar Pillow
An awesome way to look at one of Western Canada's most beautiful provinces!
IYHTVD Watercolor Alberta Canada Illustrated Map Art Postcard
The moose is so iconically Canadian that a brand of Canadian beer was named after it. Moosehead Breweries is the only 100% Canadian-owned independent brewery, and was founded in 1867, coincidentally, the same year as Canada.
Moosehead Breweries (Beer)
Toast the second largest country in the world (by land mass) with this mug, which cleverly depicts the Canadian flag with red and crispy autumn leaves on a snowy background.
NWW Autumn Maple Leaf Canadian Flag Mug
Cheer and savor the iconic skyline of downtown Toronto, Canada's most populous city and North America's 4th most populous city, with this mug.
NWA Toronto Canada Skyline Coffee Mug
With its long maritime history, vibrant European (English/French/Scottish) roots, friendly people, and breathtaking vistas of sky, sea, and land, one of the things I wish I could have done is spent a week more during my sojourn to Cape Breton Island ...
SMP Cape Breton Island Canada Postcard
A BC/West Coast specialty, Haida art is world-renowned for its distinctive style, and can be found on display at the Vancouver International Airport.
P&P Native American Red Black Kaigani Thunderbird Ceramic Tile
A customizable watercolor-style memento of the Vancouver, BC skyline.
TSO Personalized Vancouver, Canada Ceramic Ornament
Take a bit of Banff National Park with you! This stunning drawstring backpack depicts Lake Louise in all its autumn glory. I have been here in the late spring, and the stunning backdrop of majestic mountains and turquoise lakes makes it easy to see w...
VS Stunning Lake Louise in the Autumn Alberta Drawstring Backpack
Show your love for the maple leaf with this heart-shaped custom-cut vinyl sticker – available in sizes from 2"x2" all the way up to 14"x14"!
VS Canadian Maple Leaves in a Heart-Shaped Sticker
The resilient Canadian spirit is embodied in this shirt, which features the Canadian Moose, superimposed over the iconic background of the Canadian flag.
VS Team Canada Canadian Moose Born to Survive T-Shirt
The Sports
There's a sport for every season up here in the Great White North.
A made-in-Canada game that has become one of North America's most popular spectator and team sports. Now that's a slam dunk achievement!
Basketball
Invented in Ontario as a way to pass the time in the winters.
Crokinole
You rock, curlers! Taking its cue from shuffleboard, curling is nonetheless a very Canadian sport. What better way to combine sweeping and billiards?
Curling
You can't get any more Canadian than ice hockey. This fast-paced team sport on ice delivers 90 minutes of heart-stopping action.
Ice Hockey
This game is hard to play – and I've only had one all-too-short opportunity to learn about lacrosse in high school.
Lacrosse
Yes, I have a pair of rarely worn snowshoes. Mostly because we don't get enough snow in the non-mountainous parts of Metro Vancouver for me to get use out of them!
Snowshoeing