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CBC
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Degrassi, MuchMusic and the North American house hippo: Artist draws 100 symbols of Canadiana
From the classic symbols like the beaver and a Tim Horton's cup, to more niche Canadian references like bagged milk and the North American house hippo, Calgary-based artist Lynne Rennie is piecing together a "cultural mosaic" of Canadian-ness — one drawing at a time. "I am very interested in how symbols create a shared sense of identity, not just for products or hockey teams, but also for countries as well," she said. Her artwork series called Drawn to Canada explores what a national Canadian brand looks like, with drawings completed within an hour and shared to social media every day for 100 days. And the timing of her project is no coincidence. "With the current geopolitical climate, I was frankly thrilled that I could see our entire country lean into Canadianisms, being proud of being Canadian because we were threatened," Rennie said, referring to U.S. President Donald Trump's 51st state comments. Anne MacLennan, an associate professor at York University in the department of communication and media studies, describes this uptick in Canadian pride as "defensive nationalism" — a desire to assert that Canadians really are "Canadian," and definitely not American. "When we get a serious pushback like this, this is when there's a rise in Canadian identity. This is when [Canadians] push back when they're told they're the same as Americans. That's when people say, 'No, no, no, Canadians are like this,'" MacLennan said. Rennie also credits Canadian actor Mike Myers's "elbows up" gesture on Saturday Night Live back in March as a "catalyst" for this wave of pro-Canadian nostalgia and sentiment, proving just how powerful a symbol can be. "All of a sudden, people knew exactly what he was talking about," she said of Myers's hockey reference. "When you're backed into the corner, you come out swinging. You don't start the fight, but you defend yourself when you're threatened." WATCH | The symbolic gesture that stirred up Canadian pride: #TheMoment 'Elbows Up' became a rally cry against Trump 4 months ago Duration 1:23 In response to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs, Canadian actor Mike Myers may have started a movement by pointing to his elbow and mouthing the words 'elbows up' during appearances on Saturday Night Live. The phrase has caught on and has become a rallying cry in the trade war. Degrassi makes its mark Another symbol in Rennie's collection of Canadiana: Degrassi, the much-beloved television franchise which followed children and, later, teens navigating their lives in Toronto. Linda Schuyler, the original show's co-creator and executive producer said she was delighted to see Degrassi make the list, as people have often told her, "Degrassi is like Tim Horton's. It's one of those just quintessentially Canadian things." Schuyler said Canadian values like embracing diversity were "hard-baked" into the Degrassi franchise, and it's one of the things she's most proud of. "There's such an unease about what is going on in the United States right now. And the manner in which this whole diversity and inclusion and equity is being dealt with. It is the antithesis of what we as Canadians believe. "Our big mantra on the show was to help reassure young people that they are not alone. It didn't matter what your cultural background is, what your skin colour is … it was an inclusive world that we were building," she said. The unapologetically Canadian franchise gained fans internationally, with Schuyler receiving fan mail from all over the world. In a storyline from Degrassi Junior High, when the character Spike became pregnant, Schuyler recalls people sending the show stuffed toys and baby blankets — a moment that helped her see how the show really resonated with people. Meet The Kids of Degrassi Street 40 years ago Duration 1:54 CBC visits the garages and back alleys of east-end Toronto in 1985 to see how the show operates. MuchMusic, much impact For George Stroumboulopoulos, MuchMusic's inclusion in Rennie's project is a no-brainer. The broadcaster and former VJ on the music channel said, "MuchMusic is a crucial part of Canadian storytelling and Canadian identity, and has been for decades." First airing in 1984, the channel was called "Canada's answer to MTV." Featuring charming VJ hosts with an obvious passion for music, Much reached the entire country from its studio space at 299 Queen St. W. in Toronto. "It was about making the best stuff for music fans and it was keeping kids company across the country who weren't connected otherwise," he said. "I was up in Nunavut, and I would meet kids who had never left Baffin Island and they had a connection to the rest of the country in a way that felt genuine." MuchMusic was also a launching pad for many artists. Musicians like Alanis Morissette and Barenaked Ladies came through its halls before becoming household names. Stroumboulopoulos described it as "lightning in a bottle." With no Teleprompters or studios, the team shot their shows from their workspace and prioritized their relationship with the audience. "It was just a weird kind of punk rock experience and you can't help but be authentic when you're doing that," he said. "I would come in in the morning, start working on that show for the day. Suddenly I'd hear a drum set being tuned up and it would be the guys in the Foo Fighters would be in there getting rehearsing.… You have to walk by them to get to the bathroom, like it was just madness all the time. "There had never been anything like that and there hasn't been anything since like that," he said. "A lot of the things that are touchstones for Canada, people come up with fairly consistent ideas about what makes Canada 'Canadian.' And, one of the things is our media," said MacLennan. Mr. Dressup, Casey, and Finnegan, Gord Downie and The Tragically Hip, and Cirque de Soleil are some of the other media references included in Rennie's project. The complexity of exploring a national identity While MacLennan said there are some symbols that speak to the country's national identity, she made it clear that it can't necessarily be all-encompassing, as Canada is vastly diverse, containing numerous visions of Canadian identities. "There's always different points in Canada: regional politics, regional identities, different concerns across ... It's a large country. There's all kinds of things that have to be integrated. So there's a push and pull in Canadian identity," she said. For Rennie, the Canadian symbols she's drawn are a way to express Canadian-ness in relation to American-ness. Primarily, she said she wanted to differentiate the country's identity from the "melting pot" of the U.S. "We are a cultural mosaic. We are allowed to express where we're from," she said. While Rennie originally planned to do just 100 days of drawings, she said Drawn to Canada has been so satisfying, for both her creative side and her identity as a "fierce Canadian," that she'll keep the series going beyond those hundred days.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
We asked 7 celebrities what being Canadian means to them — here's what they said
Oh, Canada! Between keeping our elbows up, trying to make ends meet during a trade war and navigating a federal election, it's been a difficult year for many — and we're only halfway through 2025. But amidst the growing political tensions and the talk of annexation, there's been an undeniable resurgence of Canadian pride; the collective love for our country and our autonomy has bridged the gap between political parties. Although there's no denying that Canada still has its issues, the country also deserves celebrating. As part of our My Canada series, we spoke to Canadian celebrities, public figures, athletes and more about what it means to be Canadian for a special edition of Unapologetically. Scroll down to see what celebrities, athletes and changemakers say being Canadian means to them. Hometown: Toronto, Ont. Best known for: Host of Breakfast Television "Canada is my birthplace. It's my family, my friends, my career. It's my heart," the daytime television host told Yahoo Canada. "It's a whole bunch of people coming together in this beautiful cultural mosaic, learning together, growing together." Pugliese is quick to note that "there's been hurt" and "pain" for many Canadians. "But there's also healing," she said. "And there's beauty!" Pugliese is a first-generation Canadian who was raised to be proud of her Italian heritage. "To be Canadian is really about my roots. It's the family tree, it's, it's our roots," she said. "And then all of these beautiful trees come together in this beautiful Canadian forest, and here we are, hopefully flourishing together." Hometown: Regina, Sask. Best known for: Professional snowboarder, three-time Olympic medalist and 24-time Winter X Game medalist "I love being able to travel around the world and say I'm Canadian," McMorris said in an interview with Yahoo Canada. "It's the best thing ever. We are such a great nation..." Although he can "vividly remember" having Canadian pride as a kid, "everything really changed" after he won his first Olympic medal in 2024. That's when the athlete could fully appreciate the immense privilege of representing his country. "Those are really special things, and a huge honour," he said. "I'm proud to be a Canadian and proud to be setting an example for younger Canadians. It's a cool role to play." McMorris said his success was partly fuelled by his "determination" to prove to people that the flatlands of Saskatchewan can produce one of the world's most talented snowboarders. "Being from the Prairies has made me who I am and it's made me have a ton of grit... .," he said'. "And that has given me a lot of extra motivation to make it happen. I am super proud of where I come from and the people who hail from Saskatchewan. I feel like most people there, just the way we grow up, makes you humble and I'm thankful to come from a place like that." Hometown: Richmond Hill, Ont. Best known for: Cityline and Breakfast Television "Every time we're in a situation where there's some kind of national threat, we all remember that we're so proud," Moore recently told Yahoo Canada. The former Cityline host said while other countries may have a "base level of humanity," there's something intrinsically special about Canadians "At our core, people actually care about each other here," she said. "I see examples of it every day." Moore said acts of kindness might not always make headlines, but if you really pay attention you'll see that they're everywhere you look. "I see people helping the elderly take their groceries to the car. I see cars stopping to let people go across. I see people asking, 'Are you OK?' on the street to strangers….," she said. "There's a level of politeness there that's an unspoken rule and I respect that about Canadians." Hometown: Caledon, Ont. Best known for:The Social on CTV "Right now — to me — being Canadian means being able to speak your mind," Grelo said, adding that although it sounds "so simple" one only has to look at the political unrest in the United States to see that not everyone is afforded the same freedom of expression. "Not everybody likes what everybody is saying [in Canada], but I can appreciate the fact that we're all allowed to say what we want to say," she continued, while noting that her feelings don't extend to hate speech.""It it feels like something so simple, but you can see how quickly that right can be easily removed…." Grelo said the recent federal election was proof that while we may be a "divided country" there are some principles that Canadians agree on. "I think we still value what people will say Canada was built on: diversity in nationalities and diversity in thought," she said. "We're still allowed to have diversity of thought to a much greater degree... [compared to] the U.S. where there's actual consequences for that.' Hometown: Brantford, Ont. Best known for: Sports Illustrated Swimsuit's 2025 cover star 'Being Canadian means so much to me. I didn't realize how proud I am to be Canadian until I moved away over a decade ago," said Chan, who now resides in New York City. "I'm very proud that being Canadian has instilled in me the impulse to act in a way that considers others. I've realized living abroad that it's not something that everybody in the world does... I am the way that I am because I'm Canadian. ' Hometown: St. Catharines, Ont. Best known for: Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Flyweight fighter - ranked 6th in the world Jasudavicius recently told Yahoo Canada that she became more aware of her Canadian pride when she started fighting internationally. "I am very proud to be able to represent Canada on the international stage," she said. Given her strength in the octagon, it's hard to believe that Jasudavicius had never tried her hand at mixed martial arts (MMA) or any kind of training until 2015. In the span of a few short years, she's risen through the ranks to boast an impressive professional record of 14 wins to three loss — all of which were by decision. "I hope to inspire other Canadian females to challenge themselves," Jasudavicius said. "To make a goal that initially seems out of reach, work hard everyday towards that goal, and watch it get accomplished.' Hometown: Toronto, Ont. Best known for: Playing guitar for The Beaches "I think our country really came together this year, and it makes us feel prouder than ever to be Canadian," Earl recently told Yahoo Canada. Earl and her bandmates are no strangers to braving the elements for a show. The Juno award-winning group makes the best of it, even in the country's coldest temperatures. "The first time we ever played Quebec City it was negative 30 outside and we all went for a walk before the set," she said. "We thought it would be fun to get the maple syrup on a stick snack that they make in the snow.'
