Canada Day in London

Happy Canada Day everybody! Photo credit: Ian Muttoo

Canadians! Yeah, all you ex-pat Canucks (and friends)… remember epic Molson commercial from a few years back?
Best beer commercial ever composed, that is. Enough to bring a tear to the eye and pull the heart strings toward the True North Strong and Free, isn’t it?

From my chats and travels about London town, it seems to be fairly common for expats to exhibit an above-average level of national pride when away from home. If you’re a Canadian and made it down to Covent Garden’s Maple Leaf pub for the gold medal men’s Olympic hockey game this February, you’d know what this feels like. It was chaos – some uncharacteristic and unabashed national pride, all concentrated in one tiny booze hub. It was grand.

Well, compatriots – and friends – have I got news for you;  there’s more where that came from!

If you’re lucky enough to be away from our Home and Native Land for our Great Dominion’s 143rd birthday, fear not.  There is set to be an igloo-load of fun activities going on in London for Canada Day.

Trot yourself – preferably by dogsled or canoe – down to Trafalgar Square ’round about 10:30am.  We’ll be singing Oh Canada, drinking some Tim Horton’s – yes, that’s right TIM HORTON’S COFFEE, and chillin’ with a bunch of Mounties.  Sleeman’s beer. Bison Burgers. Iced capps and Okanagan wine.  Naturally, a large amount of poutine will round out this quintessential national fare.

The puck will be dropped at 1030 by the Canadian High Commissioner himself, kickstarting a day-long street hockey tournament. Bring your spirit and your red-and-whites.

Want more info? Check here.  Suffice it to say, though, that in the evening, such Canadian super stars as Sarah Harmer, Hawksley Workman and Jully Black will be taking the stage for a show that is set to put everyone south of the 49th parallel to shame.

Hope to see you there.

In the mean time, get warmed up with this: