Canadian Salad
A No-Nonsense Podcast On Culture And Immigration
Canadian Salad
Thankful, Eh? The Complicated Comeback of Canadian Pride
Canadian pride is rising again — but not without tension. In this Thanksgiving-inspired episode, Andrea and Hostion unpack what Canadians are really thankful for in 2025.
From free healthcare and cultural diversity to colonial accountability and privilege, they explore how gratitude and pride intertwine — and why the most meaningful kind of patriotism is rooted in care, not comparison.
With new data showing a 31-point surge in national pride (thanks, Trump), the duo digs into what this says about who we are and what kind of country we’re still becoming. Because being Canadian might mean being proud — but also being unsettled enough to demand better.
🎧 Listen in for a conversation that’s honest, funny, and hopeful — like Canada itself.
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I like salad. Do you like salad? Welcome to Canadian Salad, a fun, factual, and friendly podcast about culture and integration in Canada.
SPEAKER_00:I'm one of your hosts, I'm Ho Chen Ho from China, currently living in unceded territory of Muskram's Wan Mention Nations.
SPEAKER_02:And I'm Andrea McCoy, an immigrant from the United States, broadcasting you from the unceded traditional territory of the Wakungan people, the song using final First Nations. And you're listening to Canadian Challenge. Thank you. And thank you so much for joining us. Listening if this is your first time. Oh my goodness, we are so thankful that you're here. If you're listening to us again, oh my goodness, thankful that you're here. We, yeah, it doesn't change. I'm equally as thankful.
SPEAKER_00:Listening to us, we're Yeah, we are not thankful.
SPEAKER_02:But you should be listening to us because today we just sell we just observed, or at least nationally, there was a a day of recognition, Thanksgiving. And we know that it has a bit of unrest with this day. But we thought we would talk about Canadian pride and thankfulness and what are Canadians thankful for? Because I feel just to go with the flow, I'd say that according to statistics, Canadian pride is up. But I think we would probably say that pride is complicated when it comes to Canada and thankfulness.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. I think general pride is a very complicated thing.
SPEAKER_02:It is. And national pride. And yeah, but we'll get into a little bit. But Ocean, just in the spirit of giving thanks, what are you thankful for? And thinking about what you're thankful for, does thankfulness for these things make you proud? Or what do they evoke in you?
SPEAKER_00:I mean, I think for a lot of things, if you ask me what I'm thankful for, the first thing that comes up to me is I'm thankful for my friends. I'm thankful for this healthy body that I am currently inhabited in. I'm thankful for you know the privilege I had received as a man. Yeah, more just that's the three top things I'm thankful for now. And I am in many ways, I am proud of the first two things.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:The last thing I don't know about. Because privilege is my privilege, yeah. I did not do anything about it. So I don't think that's something that I'm like, I have pride in being proud of uh being thankful for it. I'm thankful that it the convenience that you know he has brought me, which you know that I'm continue going to be thankful for them, but I don't know about being proud of it because it's I me having this privilege means many people do not have this privilege, right? This hierarchy in it. But yeah, but I'm definitely thankful for the first two things that I'm thankful for because friends I do work hard to you know maintain and nurture and my body as well.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, for sure. Oh my goodness. I mean, I'm thankful to be just free health care. Coming from the States, I'm also thankful for safety in schools. I think sometimes that thankfulness comes in comparison to lived experiences or past or even looking at what's happening in the news, you know. I would definitely say I'm thankful that I am with a partner who uh sees me as an equal and he doesn't see the hierarchy between us. He doesn't see himself as more important, or I'm very, very thankful and privileged in that way to be with a man that like sees that. And definitely I if I am also privileged as as a white woman for sure. And I think I would say I'm proud that I can use that privilege and spaces for making things more equitable and just. I'm you know, and so yeah, I think it's interesting because in creating this episode, sometimes what we're thankful for, you know, we we are proud of, right? And I've heard this all the time, and this is what kind of sparked this conversation in light of Thanksgiving was I've heard so many people, Canadian-born people, say, I'm just thankful I'm not an America, or I'm thankful I'm not American. Or the only things Canadians are proud of is that they're not American. And it's been that only goes so far. Like you can be thankful for something that you're not, but then what are you thankful for on that flip side? You know? That's a good thing. And so that's where I was kind of like, I wonder what this what do the stats say and what are people saying as for regarding thankfulness and pride in Canada. So that's kind of our episode because I feel like thankfulness and pride can sometimes go together, but I also think there's other things that can be in relationship with those things. So we'll kind of unpack that.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, let's unpack it.
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. So we're gonna look at a few things. This is kind of the section where Canada looks at itself in the mirror. So in 2024, there I would say that Canada in 2024, with just a lot of the rhetoric, and this is pre-US election, right? So let's just set the stage. Pre-Trump, yeah. Pre-Trump, pre-election, that kind of a thing. And it was from, you know, we're the true North strong and free to true North, decent enough and fine, you know, kind of we're okay. There was an article that came out from the Angus Reed Institute, and it was entitled it was titled from free. Yeah, it was titled from eh to meh, you know, just this kind of eh, we're Canadian to meh, I don't, we're Canadian. So it was a survey on basically Canadians' pride and attachment to their country. And what they found was that actually pride has declined over the last decade. And I think a lot of that has to do with misinformation and just with, you know, other aspects of you know equality. And hey, this is wrong, you should be accountable for truth and reconciliation. So people kick against that.
SPEAKER_00:Right?
SPEAKER_02:That too, yeah. So in 2017, about 45% of Canadians said they're very proud to be Canadian. And then in 2023, that dropped closer to 30%. Ooh. Yes. Since 1985, when they first started gathering data like this and asking if Canadians were thankful or proud, actually. In 1985, it was 78%. People were just like, this is our identity, this is who we are. And that makes sense because that was just outside of when Canada was kind of making itself its own place. They had a declaration saying that we are a sovereign country, kind of a thing. But then in 2024, we went from 78% to 34%. Younger Canadians, those under the age 35, were the least likely to feel, quote, very proud. And then, of course, if we kind of fast forward to 2025, Alberta, a lot of people are like, no, we're not Canadian, we're Albertans, and we want to separate, you know, kind of a thing. So plot twist. Yeah, plot twist bullies can make us proud. And actually, more thankful, bullies, meaning Mr. Trump. So in June 2025, there was another poll that went out, and this is from Ipsos. I think I'm saying that right. Ipsos, or it might be French, like Ipsos or my apologies. I only speak, I only speak English. Yeah. But this poll actually found that 40% of Canadians say that they're more likely to feel proud now than even five years ago, which is a 31 point jump since mid-2024.
SPEAKER_00:31 point, wow.
SPEAKER_02:30 point, yeah, 31% jump, which is huge. Nearly as many as 44% say they're more likely to speak positively about Canada to non-Canadians. And this is just within a short span of a year. Symbolic engagement is up to 36% more likely to display the flag, and 32% more likely to attend Canada Day events. Now, if you think about even like around it was the trucker convoy, do you remember that? Yeah. Yeah. And the Canadian flag all of a sudden, and even like the the resid, you know, un the uncovering of mass graves, you know, the Canadian flag was definitely it was very, very symbol of a symbol of, you know, a very dark clinical past, which for many it still is. And I think that is something we hold in tension with this pride. But because of the threats of tariffs and from the United States, that flipped a lot of people back over to this thankfulness and pride.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, the pride for sure. I mean, I could definitely see that. I could definitely see that. I think through the years of declining kind of national pride, I mean, I don't have any other, I don't have data, obviously, but I think probably most countries will have the similar trend, honestly, maybe except China or something, because you know, that's different, the dictatorship there. But I think in most democratic countries, I would argue that probably most country, democratic countries had this trend of declining national pride. Because I think as people are more educated, as people, as more immigrants, you know, as your living environment getting more diverse, information getting more free-flow, people learn the truth of power and authority and capitalism. People will slowly realize every country is run under you know capitalism. There's always corruption, power, erosion in in you know, in government, in any level of government. And people will slowly realize this country that they used to be so proud of is most of the time is nothing more than just a game of the rich and the powerful.
SPEAKER_02:Right, right, yeah. And I think that's where democracy sometimes allows us that critical thinking piece, you know, and in some ways to have that ability to actually recognize the truth about a situation and have call to action or call to accountability. I think that you're right. And I do see it kind of ebbs and flows. And it's interesting what makes people proud and thankful as opposed to what makes them not proud and thankful. Yeah. It's interesting too because this, and we'll include all these links to our these surveys in our show notes, but two-thirds of those who responded to this Ipsus survey, 67% of Canadians said that they need to focus on national pride right now because of these threats, right? While, and then and I love this, one third, 33% believe we should focus on Canada's colonial past instead. Oh, which, you know, which I think in some ways you need both in order to respond to what's happening now, I believe. Six and ten, fifty-seven seven percent said that they're proud of what Canada has accomplished, while 42%, this is a large, this is almost half, remain concerned about the country's foundations. They remain concerned about, hey, we were not established well at all. And what we did at the very beginning was awful and cruel and terrible. And can we agree? Can we start recognizing the truth there and reconciling that so that we can go forward? It's just these different mindsets of, you know, I these polar opposite ideas. It's oh, you threaten us, then you know, we're gonna be proud and we're Canadian. And I've even heard immigrants, you know, equity-deserving communities saying that they're proud to be Canadian. I've heard some people within Indigenous communities say that they're proud to be Canadian under these threats, you know, but I don't think it's just a solo, that's just it. You know, that's you know, I'm proud and we have a lot of work to do. And I think that's what we're gonna get into a little bit more.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, I'll came where they're getting you to that topic because I think being proud. I mean, I I guess we just alert to that in the beginning, too. Like being pro being prideful with certain things doesn't mean that they are somehow just perfect.
SPEAKER_01:Right. Exactly. Yes, yes.
SPEAKER_00:We can be pro because being we can be proud of the work that we are doing. We can be proud of the situation that we have that that that help us through from zero to 30. Maybe it's not 100 yet, yeah. But we are 30 now, and we're happy for the 30 that we have done.
SPEAKER_02:Exactly. Because you I think you have to, in some ways, this is sounds terrible, count your blessings, but you almost just take into account what you what has been done, and you keep reimagining and keep working towards what can still be, right?
SPEAKER_00:So but I feel like that's the essence for me of being grateful, of gratefulness, yeah, it is happy for what you have, even though you only have 30, it's not a hundred, but it's still you know, being happy with that 30, as you said, helps you to keep moving to get that 70.
SPEAKER_02:Yes, what would 70% feel like? What would a hundred percent feel like a hundred percent feel like exactly? So the big question is then what are Canadians thankful for? Because, like I said, you know, we know that we've heard them, I'm thankful I'm not in America, or I'm thankful I'm not American, you know, it's okay. So they're out of Eco's politics, they did a national survey of thankfulness, symbols, values, things that they were thankful for. And so the number one category was nature and wilderness. Um, most Canadians were thankful for that. We can walk in the woods without worrying about bears until we remember there are bears, kind of a thing, right? This the second one was health care. Many Canadians are thankful, you know. Obviously, we complain about wait times, but we're also deeply grateful we won't go bankrupt on a broken arm. You know what I mean? Like this idea that this is such a gift that we can have here in this country, you know, and I alluded to that too. Number three was ranked the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, knowing that, you know, and this is these they surveyed Canadians from all over, you know, people who are first generation, second generation, you know, these are people who have been here, maybe new, newly Canadians, but also people who have been here a long time. And there is a lot to be said about the Charter of Rights and Freedoms that that do guarantee a lot of those things. Number four was peace and safety, including the military. Just knowing that, you know, we can apologize a lot, but we barely have to run from fear or brute force or, you know, I think the military, Canada's military, just coming from the states, it's just it's so in the background. You know, at least in in in America, and I don't know about China, but like in America, it was just like front and center, you know. How dare you insult, you know, someone from the armed forces, you know, that you're a patriot if you serve your country. It was just that nationalistic pride in military. And I mean, America's military is the largest military on the face of the planet, so it's so much front and center. But when I moved to Canada, it was very much like, oh, there's a naval base near where I live. I didn't even know.
SPEAKER_00:Well, America though, even though they sold put so much emphasis on not the mini turret, but they treat their veterans probably the worst, one of the worst things in nowhere.
SPEAKER_02:For sure.
SPEAKER_00:It's so bad.
SPEAKER_02:It is very bad. I would say that there are Canadian veterans who have a hard time finding a place to live as well after they serve. Because it's because of a all of those complex things, you know, PTSD and you know, we won't get into that. But yeah, it's definitely not in Canada, you know, we do feel we do have that peace and that sense of safety for the most part. Yeah. Um for the most part. The last the last ranking was cultural diversity. So it did make the top 68% said, I know. And that was such an identity piece and source of pride for Canada for probably 20, 20 years, 25 years, but because of misinformation, because of, you know, uh all of that has begun to change. So it's interesting that 83% of those surveyed of Canadians feel comfortable expressing their cultural identity while also feeling a part of Canadian society. So this kind of fluidity, right? You know, and we've I've heard people say I'm Japanese Canadian, I'm Irish Canadian, I'm Scottish Canadian. There is some Chinese Canadian. Chinese Canadian, yeah. People still identify with their roots in Canada, which is really beautiful. Multi-generational impact. So second generation Canadians, 46%, showed the highest rates of cross-cultural relationships emerging as these crucial bridges and connectors between cultural communities. So there are second generation Canadians who are here saying, hey, if I bridge these connections with other people from other cultural backgrounds, you know, I find a lot of pride in that. And that's something that I feel is Canadian. That is something that I am thankful for. Interestingly enough, content consumption for culturally diverse content or even education, 86% of Gen Z actively engage with international content, which is signaling this new era of global connectivity and cross-cultural appreciation. So we have younger generations who are kind of, you know, in some ways, like we are more interconnected because of social media, because of our apps, all this stuff. And this is why when youth under the age of 35 say they're not very proud of Canada, I think it's because they're much more aware of the impact Canadian policy and governance has had on different cultures living here, but also abroad.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I think that's very valid. And also, I think younger generations, like first, I absolutely agree with this media, helps them to connect with more diverse informations, but also I think the environment in general, as we alert to like Canada is being more and more diverse, like we're way more immigrant than like 20 years ago. So I assume younger generation also is living with way more diverse like communities, right? Their classmates, you know, the I don't know, the grocery store that they go to, the cashier, the everyone that they interact with, nothing way more diverse. I think that will also help, that also helps this younger generation to be aware of what is outside of this kind of standard white Western culture. So then that will also make them more accept like acceptable to different ideas. Yeah. They will seek even more different, like more diverse opinions and information.
SPEAKER_02:Absolutely. And that's our hope. That's the next generation, right? That's what that and that's why, yeah, that's why it's important to remember where we've come from and what we have now. I agree. As and working towards what we can build, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. I think and I think in many ways it's also like we I always a believer of exposure is the key for in some sense for like equality, for for diversity. Like it's without exposure. If you imagine if you always live in a small town where everyone is white, everyone speaks the same language. Quite a few people like that. I know I'm just saying, I think it's difficult for those people who live in those environments to seek out other things other than what white Western culture is, right? Yeah. Because that's the environment determines what they prefer, what they can accept and not accept. So having diverse environments is very important for people to appreciate what diversity actually can bring.
SPEAKER_02:You're absolutely right. Hearing story or learning about cultures or just having a relationship with someone not from your same background goes, it's it's huge. What I found really very encouraging from this IPSOS research, too, was that Canadian pride is on the rise, like with Canadian pride on the rise, 36% responders say that they're more likely to learn about Indigenous history now than five years ago. So there's been an increase in people saying, hey, I'm proud. And part of that pride of Canada is learning about Indigenous history. It's learning about cultures that have existed here before even Canada became Canada, accepting and acknowledging and respecting the cultures that were here before us, because that is a part of being Canadian. I mean, coming from the states where we never talked about truth or reconciliation. We never learned why there were reserves. You know, it is there's no education, there's barely any land acknowledgements. And yeah, Canada has a long way to go, but there is a sense of to be Canadian, to be proud, is to also have knowledge and action of reconciliation and knowing and accountability. And so that's why to kind of segue, we're grateful to be Canadian, but we're not smug about it, which I feel like, again, I know coming from the states, I feel like we are. We're Americans are so smug, you know, it's just, oh, I'm American, you know. And we're just like, I don't know, it's just it's more of an in-your-face. So I think that even though there's been this uptick in national pride, I don't think it means that we're ignoring core components either, because there's still the 40-7% that still believe that we need to focus on our foundation and what we went wrong and what we can do better in order to do better. You know, all the whole Ipsus poll reflected the tension that, you know, 57% said that they're proud of Canada's accomplishments, while 42% are still concerned about these core foundational issues of the genocide of Indigenous people, the ways in which we treated Chinese Canadians early on and the Japanese internment camps. Like there are some core things that Canadian. The rise in hate.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, like we're really Canadians, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, exactly. So I feel like if if we're gonna be thankful, I think it's the it is that tension of I'm thankful for what I have, and I'm thankful that I can continue to work towards creating a better, kinder Canada and acknowledge reconciliation and human rights because part of our modern Canadian pride really is reconciling these really dark, terrible, shameful parts of our past, and reckon and reckoning with colonialism and reckoning with systemic inquirity in inequity and promises that haven't been fulfilled.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. I mean absolutely, and I think talking about you know the pride part of it, a thankful part of it, like truth and reconciliation is only we said it's a holiday. I think two years ago, three years ago.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah. It's not it's very new.
SPEAKER_00:So that's like a new development, yeah, it's very new, but then that's one tiny little step you know towards you know truth and reconciliation, or at least I can't that accountability that people are taking, or sorry, the action that we're taking to for that direction, right? I know many people might even think that this sometimes is very symbolic, but I feel like this kind of simple matter. It sends us a message and also this kind of holiday, I have to say it does create you know, at least a day, one day a year. People will talk about what we can do.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:But even in the organization that I serve aboard on V VJ Finfook Jam, even our classes, we talk about okay, and this day, it's anything we can do. I think it creates like whipple effect. So I think we it does. I think that's the prize sometimes as a Canadian that we hold is like we recognize that the things that's wrong with us, and then we are trying many ways, no matter how small, or we're always trying to do something about it.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:And it's that's what I like to believe.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I think so. I was at a conference about equity and inclusion, and someone came out on the stage and said that there's 20% of the population that is going to reject equity. They don't want nothing to do with, you know, creating safe spaces for people. They don't care about multiculturalism, they don't care about anyone but themselves. And then there's the 20% that absolutely care are working really hard to, you know, it's the extreme opposite, right? And then there's there's the 60% in between. There's a lot of people who aren't don't, they're not really in either camp, but they're not really sure because maybe they haven't been exposed to relationships, maybe they haven't taken time to really sit with the history of this nation, they haven't had conversations that really ask them what is the system that we are trying to reform or trying to change. And so I feel like in in so many ways, like we still have a lot of work to do, but I think predominantly a lot of people really want to do well, just don't know how to or where to go. And so sometimes they fall to the 20% that are hateful. They're not doing what's going on, not doing, and then they look at us who are advocating and saying, no, not this, and they're like, Maybe that's I don't know what to do with that. And so they just stand in between. I think we have a lot of opportunity to be grateful and critical because I think gratitude doesn't mean ignoring inequities, it just means that you know you are actually just more aware, and it looks a bit a little less like cheering and more like caring. You know, yeah. Oh, I like that right? Like you can cheer, you can cheer as much as you want, but what if we cared more? What if we actually took that pride and said, you know, I'm gonna, I'm gonna advocate more because I I am proud that I can do this and I recognize that you know my cheering can be just redirected into caring and cheering for the caring of people.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I think that is a great way to put it. I think if we see gratefulness as a way of caring rather than just cheering, I think you can you know it can help flip all our narrative if we say we're proud or thankful of something. Let's say, okay, at the beginning, remember I said I'm proud of the relationship I have. If I think I change that narrative to see me being grateful of the friendship, to see as see as like me being care, like grateful of the care of this friendship that I put into it. It gives me this idea that I need to keep doing it. Yeah. I need to even move make this friendship even better, this relationship around me even better, yeah. And see the faults in them or see the cracks in them. And then what can I do now to make sure that I keep being grateful of this relationship that I have that I nurtured?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:I think that should be yeah, thank you. I think that's a great way to put it. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Because it is, it's flipping that, but it's also, you know, you can say I'm grateful for this land that I live on, but I'm also aware of whose land it actually is. You know, like you can have both of those spaces that exist. And I think just to end, well, close to end, yeah, giving thanks without a parade. So it's, you know, it's just interesting. It's a lot of people have said, like, when Canada feels threatened, people circle in closer, right? We come back to this like elbows up and you know, true north, strong and free, you know. And it's what does that freedom look like? And what is the true north and what are we strong about? You know, I think that in these statistics, I think this rebound, there can be a sense of pride, but also a sense of recentering. And maybe that's what we need this in light of this holiday or you know, this observance of Thanksgiving is just kind of a recentering of that care, a reframing of what our yay Canada, or yay, I'm thankful that I'm not American. It's I'm thankful that I can have the ability to care for other people, other Canadians. I think it's I think pride and you know, pride born of opposition, I'm proud because I'm not, you know, American, is really weak because it's not rooted in anything. I agree. It's not rooted in what could be, whether that's rooted in land acknowledgement, rooted in justice, rooted in relationship, or rooted in memory. I think all of these things are really important to root ourselves so that when we are thankful for something, we recognize the fullness of that gratitude and the fullness of how to move forward in caring for each other or for this nation we call Canada.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, yeah. Yeah, it's cute. Yeah, that is, I feel like that can be, you know, I think if everyone thinks of, you know, that's the kind of nationalism that I can get behind about how we can be thankful of a country of being, you know, being Canadian and recognizing, you know, the things that have been doing great and the things that we still lack of action. I think that is a nationalism that I think we should all get behind. Rather than, again, as you said, rather than just being like up in opposition, so I'm proud that I'm not good these states, right? Yeah, I'm proud that I'm proud that oh, we don't have guns and the children are not getting killed in schools, right? I think that kind of opposition is like very not sustainable in many ways. Because like they no, no offense. Like, for example, like no guns is just like the baseline, you know, being that yeah, it's like I'm thankful I have air.
SPEAKER_02:Like it is the basic, like it's just so essential.
SPEAKER_00:I know. So I think being thankful for that kind of thing is just so not, it doesn't mean anything. Like you have to dream bigger than that. We have to have bigger things to hope for in the future to be thankful for.
SPEAKER_02:Yes, you know, exactly.
SPEAKER_00:Safety should be a guarantee, like that. It's not something to be somehow in oppositions of think being thankful for.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, exactly. And being proud that you can create safe spaces. Like I'm in Canada and I'm proud that I can create safe gun laws, you know. I'm proud that I'm in Canada, I can create safe schools or psychological safety for people from diverse backgrounds in the workplace, you know, or I'm, you know, those kinds of things. So yeah, it you're absolutely right. And I think just to kind of conclude, I think at the beginning, you know, it's kind of like in 2024, that pride and that thankfulness to be Canadian was definitely on the down. And now that we're in the Face of a threat, I feel like maybe this is an opportunity for us to just to redefine what that pride and what that thankfulness looks like. You know, I think we can wave a flag, but I think if we are willing to also, you know, my analogy isn't gonna work, it's gonna sound dumb. Anyway, I think being Canadian means being proud, but it also means being unsettled and not completely satisfied. And I think that's okay. I think it means questioning and caring and even demanding better. I think we can be thankful for what is, like we said, and for what might be, even if we're not fully there. So yeah, that's my conclusion. Do you have a conclusion?
SPEAKER_00:I think being a Canadian, for me at least, in many ways, is being open to our possibilities, right? We are immigrant country. We are because our open arm and some open border, even though we're not that open in many ways. But like opening to many possibilities gave us that kind of beauty to create more, to create like to imagine a future with abundance, yeah. Like because of the diversity that we have here. And I think this kind of abundance that's something that personally I'm very grateful for, but also second, is it should give us this idea that you know nothing is set in stone, right? This abundance means it keeps happening, keeps changing. Yeah, it's pressure and it keeps changing. So when we think we're thankful for something, we should always think it in the terms that it's never gonna be set, it's never gonna be right now. This is what we see is not permanent, it's not that we should be all just satisfied for. We should thankful for that it's already here, but we should never be satisfied of it. We should always think what we can do better, what can push for it further. How can we make this abundance keep going, keep growing for you know, a future that you know that hopefully never ends? Yeah, it's just being better and being more beautiful.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I love that. I love that because there's always room to make things better with if you're an artist or even just a project that you're working on, if you were building a house, you know, I I don't know that anyone steps back and they're like, Oh, that wall, that was just enough, you know. I just put up one wall. You know, there there's just always more. Very well said. So yeah, thank you for sharing that, Hoshan. I'm very I'm thankful for you.
SPEAKER_00:I'm thankful for you too. I'm thankful for this podcast, and I'm thankful for who's listening right now as well. I'm thankful for you. Because of you, we keep doing this.
SPEAKER_02:Yes, it's true, and having these conversations. So drop us a note if you want to let us know what you're thankful for and maybe your idea of Canadian thankfulness and pride. What does that look like for you? Is it unsettling? Is it waving a flag? Or is it with you know, the past and trying and really asking what we can do better for the future? You can do that. Hello at Canadiansala.ca, or you can just drop us a DM on our social media platforms Blue Sky, Instagram, and TikTok. So we'd love to hear from you.
SPEAKER_00:Um, you can just tell us how thankful you are to us in our us, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Exactly. We are amazing. If you are thankful for this episode, please leave a review and subscribe. Honestly, we love your feedback and we love exciting.
SPEAKER_00:And a five-star review.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, five, not two, not like this two-star person who said we were non-Canadian.
SPEAKER_00:There's only one person. Canadian, it was only one person. I know the we should give the we should give this, you know, send this person a message and then give post our passports.
SPEAKER_02:I know, yeah, exactly. See, look at my mug. We're gonna end this episode with a Canadian style of pop quiz. Get ready, folks. Make sure your seat belts are buckled because these questions might just totally flip you and you for a ride. Hoshan, would you like to go first?
SPEAKER_00:Yes, I can of this episode by Thanksgiving. So, of course, I found many people with Thanksgiving. It's not complete without a turkey.
SPEAKER_02:Indeed. Indeed.
SPEAKER_00:Yes. But my question, so my question is about turkey. So in Canada, do you know where most of the turkeys are from? Which province?
SPEAKER_02:Which province?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, which province produces most of the turkeys that Canadians eat.
SPEAKER_02:Oh my gosh. Saskatchewan province, sorry. Province.
SPEAKER_00:Manitoba, final answer?
SPEAKER_02:Yes.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, sorry, the question, the answer is Ontario.
SPEAKER_02:Ontario, they have the most uh turkeys there.
SPEAKER_00:Turkey. 40.3%. Oh, wow. But that's the data from 2022, is a Canadian statistics.
SPEAKER_02:Canada stats. Yeah. The Stat Canada.
SPEAKER_00:Based on 2022, they have a census for agriculture. Based on the census, yeah. Ontario produced most of the turkey eats, which is 40.3%.
SPEAKER_02:Okay. Wow. Thanks, Ontario. I never make turkeys. I always do like a chicken.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, it's smaller. It's more than a good thing. It's much smaller. Yeah. I mean your house only has three people, yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:And two cats now. So maybe who knows? Do they eat turkey? We'll find out. We'll find out. All right. So my question to you is, Hoshan, what traditional Thanksgiving food items have origins in indigenous cuisine?
SPEAKER_00:Oh.
SPEAKER_02:If you think about the common ones like turkey, you think potatoes. Turkey.
SPEAKER_00:Pumpkin pie.
SPEAKER_02:That's indigenous cuisine. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Yes, I will assume so, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Okay. I don't know about pumpkin pie, but I can tell you that the turkey, corn, mashed potatoes, tubers, squash, those were all the foods that we commonly eat in our indigenous because they were eating these way before, right? You follow the food, the seasonal foods around this time, the harvest were these kinds of vegetables and even the meats. So if you're gonna eat turkey this Thanksgiving, be thinking of indigenous people because they were the ones who were eating this way before we just marked a holiday and did it.
SPEAKER_00:It makes sense though, because turkey is also native to North South America, to the Americas. I think it's potato as well, and so is pumpkin, that's why I guess pumpkin. Yeah, because it's a native here. Yeah, that's exactly think of turkey is native to here, so obviously. Yeah, yes.
SPEAKER_02:So we've just we've just kind of appropriated it, which isn't okay. So don't ignore indigenous traditions and contributions this Thanksgiving, although it was yesterday. But just be mindful of those leftovers, the leftovers. If you have a leftover turkey sandwich, just be thinking, huh? Yeah, this was not Canadian. This was very the original people's food. Yeah. Anyway, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you, Hoshan. Love you. And yes, join us in the video. Thank you for preparing the episode. It was really fun. It's really fun to dig. And I'm glad that we can look at and have roots to our thankfulness and not just in what isn't, but in what is and what can be. Yes. What can be. I love that part. Absolutely, absolutely, girl. All right. Have a wonderful week, and we'll see you.
SPEAKER_00:See you next Tuesday.
SPEAKER_02:Okay. Bye.
SPEAKER_00:Bye.
SPEAKER_01:Canadian salad is written and produced in British Columbia, Canada by Ho Shin Ho and Andrea McCoy. The music is by Never of It Young from Pixabay.
SPEAKER_00:This has been the good Janklin production.
