Canada 150 Archives - Womens Post

News July 1, 2017

Things Women’s Post loves about Canada

The staff at Women’s Post are patriots! We love our nation, full of its weird currency, giant rubber ducks, and, or course, our insanely sweet double doubles.

While this country, at a young age of 150, still has a lot of growing and learning to do, it remains one

Here are some of the things Women’s Post loves about Canada:

Gender equal cabinet: With that mic-dropping reason being “because it’s 2016”, Canada’s Prime Minister announced that he would be creating a cabinet comprising of equal parts men and women. This was a first in Canada and led to a number of provinces following suit. Way to go Canada!

Tim Hortons: As writers, we practically live on coffee. While we may not all be double-double fans in this office, we are a fan of this Canadian brand and we shall eat our dutchie donuts with pride!

Pride month: There is nothing Canadians like better than to celebrate love and acceptance — and what better way to do that than to celebrate Pride for a whole month! Not only that, but almost all of our politicians (at least on the left), actually walk in the parade.

Inclusion of transgendered people in law: As of June, the Canadian Human Rights Act, as well as the Criminal Code, will be amended to include the words “gender identity and gender expression on a list of prohibited grounds of discrimination. This new law, Bill c-16, also protects transgender Canadians from hate propaganda and makes them an identifiable group under law!

Alcohol: Whether it’s craft beer or some wine from a local vineyard, Canadians love to drink! We also love to drink our own alcohol — no fancy European stuff for us! We love our Canadian whiskey and home grown brews. This business is booming, which means in every liquor store there are dozens of choices to try out. Which will you pick?

Landscapes: The beautiful mountains, lakes, and forests of Canada are truly unique. These majestic landscapes provide character and natural beauty to communities across the country. Nothing is more peaceful than a hike through one of these Canadian treasures — don’t forget to bring your plaid shirt and coffee thermos.

Anne of Green Gables: Women’s Post is talking about our beloved Anne (with an ‘e’), from literary character to it’s newest CBC reprisal. It’s one of Canada’s biggest cultural claim to fame, with musicals, plays, and television playoffs being broadcast. Did you know the gables aren’t actually green? Turns out, Canadians don’t really care — we just love this incredibly inspiring, creative, and scrappy female heroine.

Justin Trudeau’s socks: We all know this is a PR stunt, but here at Women’s Post, we don’t really care. There is something satisfying about a politician geeking out with brightly-coloured themed footwear. The most recent spotting of these funky socks was during pride, when Trudeau sported not just rainbow socks, but they also sported the greeting “Eid Mubarak” to mark the end of Ramadan. Because, why not?

Beavertails: This weird invention of friend dough and cinnamon sugar (in its purest form) is unique to Canada — more because of the name than anything else. Sure, skating on the canal in Ottawa is quite the Canadian thing to do, but doing so while holding/balancing beavertail in one hand is another all together.

These are just a few of Women’s Post’s loves about this wonderful country. What do you love about Canada? Let us know in the comments below!

Fashion June 30, 2017

What are you wearing this Canada Day?

Tomorrow’s the big bash — Canada is turning 150 years old and the entire nation is getting ready to party until the wee hours of the morn’.

Unless you are preparing for a family camping trip or a girls weekend out, planning Canada Day events can turn into a last-minute affair. The event is considered a holiday, but in typical Canadian fashion, most people are too modest to make a big to-do out of it.

The unfortunate part is that by now, most of the “Canada 150 gear” is sold out or overly priced. That doesn’t mean you can’t get decked out in traditional Canadian fashion this July 1, it just may take a little bit of creativity. Women’s Post is here to help! Here are some ideas for a kick-ass Canada Day outfit:

Colours: Really, if you own anything red, you are fine. Pair a red t-shirt with a pair of white shorts and it will look like you planned for this holiday months ago! Add a red bandana or hat, or even some luscious red lipstick for extra effect. White shirts work as well, but try to find some sort of red accessory to balance it out. Why not try to get some face paint at the dollar store so you can pain on our favourite maple emblem on your cheek?

Plaid: It’s supposed to be rainy and cloudy all weekend (sigh) so why not just wear the traditional Canadian plaid shirt? It has the added benefit of being warm, but also contains our nation’s colours

Dollar store: Time to be a bit creative. Even the dollar store may be out of their traditional t-shirts and temporary tattoos, but they almost always have beaded necklaces, boas, tutus, and other weird things you can slap together to make an outfit. The key is to go overboard. If you are going with the mashed up outfit full of different textures and goofy headbands, then you might as well go all out!

Non-traditional: If you are like me and red just doesn’t match your skin tone, try a different approach. Canada Day is a great opportunity to celebrate Canadian things — sports teams, bands, and even our individual cities (‘Toronto vs. everybody’). Wear that Justin Trudeau unicorn shirt you bought on e-bay that one time! That blue jays cap is good for more than just keeping the sun out of your eyes at the game. Maybe you have a “drizzy drake” tee you can grab?

Just remember to stay away from indigenous or cultural garb that isn’t your own please! Those are the only things out of bounds this Canada Day.

Want to make a statement? Buy a cheap white t-shirt and write something on the back with a marker or with paint. With all those cameras, this is the perfect time to express concern over an issue that is important to you. Whether it’s the environment, election reform, or disdain for a particular bill being discussed in the house right now — use this opportunity to get your point across. Just avoid offensive language, as no camera will focus on your shirt if it contains profanity.

And of course, you can always use this statement to share messages of love!! Not everything has to be about activism.

What will you be wearing this Canada Day? Let us know in the comments below!

Entertainment June 23, 2017

Celebrate Canada 150 with these weird things ‘Made in Canada’

Next weekend is Canada’s 150th birthday!!

Sure, you can celebrate by having friends over for a barbecue, or hitting Parliament Hill to watch the fireworks. But, why not go the extra mile by enjoying some of these totally weird things only a Canadian could invent:

Retractable beer carton handle: It used to be difficult to lug a 12-pack over to a friend’s house, that is until Steve Pasjack invented a retractable handle! The invention was dubbed the “Scarborough Suitcase” and is still used by Steam Whistle Brewery.

Caesars: This deliciously red drink made of vodka, tomato juice, clam juice, and Worcestershire sauce sounds disgusting, but it’s actually full of wonderful summer goodness. It was invented in Calgary and is usually served with a salt-rimmed cup, lime, and a stick of celery.

Milk bags: Seriously, the next time you meet someone who isn’t from Canada (or even Ontario), mention milk bags. It will totally freak them out. In most other countries, you get milk in a bottle or a box — that’s it!

Butter tarts: You are welcome world! Within a beautiful pastry shell is a gooey, maple-sugary center, topped with pecans, raisins, or other fun flavours. These delectable treats have a special place in the hearts of all Canadians, so much so that Ontario even has a festival dedicated to the dessert.

Nanaimo bars: Continuing on the sweets trend — did you know Nanaimo bars were named after the city in British Columbia? There is literally nothing like this beautiful melding of chocolate, butter icing, and coconut/wafer. Just don’t eat too many or the sugar rush may cause nausea.

Poutine: Ok, this one is obvious, but it had to be included in this list. Many countries have tried to replicate this great French invention, but any real poutine lover knows there is only one place to get it — Quebec!

Walkie Talkie: This wonderfully fun piece of technology was invented during the Second World War by a Canadian inventor named Donald Hings. It was originally called a “packset” and designed for bush air pilots to help them communicate in remote areas of the country.

Egg carton: A journalist from British Columbia named Joseph Coyle after he became frustrated that all his eggs were breaking in transport. It was patented in both the U.S. and Canada in 1918-19.

Basketball: This is another favourite claim of Canadians, so much so that it is one of the more popular heritage moments advertised on television. The game was invented by a physical education teacher who was working in the U.S. at the time. Dr. James Naismith was challenged to create a game that could be played indoors during the winter — and with the two-week deadline, basketball was what he came up with!

Wonderbra: Invented by a Canadian corset company, the Wonderbra was first released in 1939. The company expanded their brand, creating the first strapless bra in the 1940s and Canada’s first push-up bra in the 1960s. Canadian women really were ahead of their time.

Peanut Butter: A Montrealer was the first person to invent our favourite spreadable snack. It was originally created as a centre for candy, but luckily Mr. Marcellus Gilmore Edson patented the process of milling roasted peanuts, making him the official inventor of this delicious product.

Trivial Pursuit: To all those who love trivia night — be thankful that photo editor Chris Haney and sports journalist Scott Abbott got bored of playing Scrabble. It only took a few hours to come up with the concept, but it took a few years for them to hammer out all the details and find business partners willing to invest in this wonderful game. So brush up on your trivia knowledge Canada, as this is the perfect game to play come July 1st.

Did we miss anything? List your favourite Canadian inventions in the comments below!