starcatcher.ca

CBC is running a series to decide who is The Greatest Canadian. They’re featuring biographies on such famous people as Terry Fox, Sir John A. MacDonald, and Wayne Gretzky. Tonight’s show was about Don Cherry. I’ve long been a fan of Don Cherry’s (except that his restaurants are overrated), hotly anticipating Coach’s Corner every Saturday night (and especially during playoffs, when he’d be on twice or three times should there be overtime) to see what he’d have to say. I even almost met him once in Dorval Airport in Montreal back in 1996 I think it was (his wife Rose was with him at the time, and she passed away in ‘97), but I didn’t have the courage to go up to him when I saw him, and by the time I’d worked it up he was gone.

But that’s not the point. What’s this poll trying to do? Pick one Canadian and say that he/she is the “greatest” based on their achievements? But what makes Banting’s achievements in medicine any less important than Pearson’s achievements in government? How can you compare Trudeau’s political legacy to David Suzuki’s enlightening essays on the ecological state of our planet? That’s just it: you can’t. These Canadian heroes all deserve to be celebrated for their achievements, but there shouldn’t have to be some “competition” to determine who is the “greatest”. That’s like saying, “Which is the greatest colour?”, or “Which is the greatest piece of art?”

Sure, the Top Ten seem somewhat representative of our diverse culture and portray the spirit of what it means to be Canadian, but there are three interesting things to note here:

• There are NO WOMEN in the top ten.
• Of the top three women, two are entertainers (Shania & Celine).
• Avril Lavigne’s on the list.

WTF? Do THEY embody Canada? I sure as hell hope not. Nothing says “Canada” like “Commercial Sellout”!

Should the list have been any different? Sure! Here’s how:

• Fewer sports icons: I know Canada is hockey-mad, but that doesn’t mean that everything hockey-related is gold. What makes Gretzky a great Canadian? Sure, he was a great play-maker and stick-handler, but do you remember August of 1988? I do, that’s when he high-tailed it to the land of the green! And Donovan Bailey? What’s he done lately? He had his moment in the spotlight. One moment. And then he had that embarrassing race against Michael Johnson of the US, where he won (because Johnson pulled up lame) and made an ass out of himself. At least he has more dignity than that other Johnson fellow, who ran a race against a horse a few years back.
• More ethnic representation: Canada has a very culturally diverse background. However, the list is pretty biased toward men of British descent! Where are the French? Where are the Native?
• No actors: It’s not so much that they shouldn’t be on the list, but if the highest ranking actor on the list is Mike Myers, we have to take a step back and wonder if we really have our priorities straight. Of course, Avril’s on there, so we know something’s wrong.

By and large, though, the list does have a lot of notable names. Neil Young, Ernie Coombs, and Tim Horton. Jean Vanier, Rene Levesque, and Jean Chretien. Emily Carr, Roberta Bondar. And of course, Bret Hart.

Bret Hart? Of course he was a true Canadian, even as a heel, he was over as a face in Canada, especially during the Canada vs. US patriotic wars of 1996 where they had a RAW card in Halifax. Don’t forget that he refused to drop the strap to Shawn Michaels at Survivor Series in 1997 in Montreal, but he lost the match anyway in what became known as the Montreal ScrewJob, a scene that figured heavily in the film “Wrestling with Shadows”.

Or maybe he was just a stubborn old fool. Who knows? The bottom line is that we should be proud of our Canadian heritage. As a nation, we are in the midst of greatness. On the other hand, we didn’t really need a TV show to tell us that we have greatness among us as Canadians. And we DEFINITELY didn’t need taxpayer’s dollars funding it. It could have been used on more important things, like increased funcing to Universities. Damn, tuition is expensive.