winter olympic withdrawal giveaway

I am deep in winter olympic withdrawal. I fear I have already lost my head.

 Unless you want me to end up like this snowman train wreck please play along.

The game is to leave a comment telling me your favorite Canadian place, author, musician, person, animal, athlete, actor, actress, scientist ..... 
You have until Friday, March 5th at midnight to enter and the prize will be the much sought after hockey playing mascot of the winter games, Quatchi.

"Quatchi is a young sasquatch who comes from the mysterious forests of Canada. Quatchi is shy, but loves to explore new places and meet new friends.

Although Quatchi loves all winter sports, he’s especially fond of hockey. He dreams of becoming a world-famous goalie. Because of his large size, he can be a little clumsy. But no one can question his passion. He knows that if he works hard and always does his best, he might one day achieve his dream. Quatchi is always encouraging his friends to join him on journeys across Canada. He is also often recruiting others to play hockey – or at least to take shots at him!

The sasquatch is a popular figure in local native legends of the Pacific West Coast. The sasquatch reminds us of the mystery and wonder that exist in the natural world, igniting our imagination about the possibility of undiscovered creatures in the great Canadian wilderness."  ( taken from the official sit of the Vancouver winter olympics)

Comments

[Alexis]

My favorite Canadian actor is Keanu Reeves because, even though I am a 41 year old mother of three, part of me will always be 15!

[Ginger]

Hands down, my favorite Canadian is Leonard Cohen. I love questions I don't even have to think about!
Although I am American, I have to admit I was rooting for Canada last night.

[melissa]

i'm a fan of many canadians- but i really like margaret atwood and mary margaret o'hara.
and i just found out that christopher plummer is canadian- i like him too!

go canada!

[emma]

My favorite Place is Vancouver...a beautiful city that hopefully I will live in some day!

[Jo]

Has to be Michael J Foxx-such bravery in the face of such a devastating disease

[logos63]

...well, I'd like to talk about music this night, fantastic music with two of my favourites Canadian artists: Gil Evans, certainly of the most important and prestigious musician of the 20th Century, and Diana Krall, beautiful and talented jazz pianist and singer...

how lucky you are, Margie, to live in a fantastic place like that!

Hugs from Italy,
Antonella

[Heather S]

My favorite is Vancouver! I la la LOVE that city!

[erin]

I cannot say that I liked the outcome of the hockey game. GO WINGS ;) BUT I loooove love love actors from your place in the world.
Mike Myers, Jim Carrey, Seth Rogan, Hayden Christensen, & Ryan Reynolds. We are having curling withdrawls lol!!

[annri]

My favorite Canadian place is the old hotel we stayed in for two nights of our honeymoon 21 years ago in Montreal. Biscuits & tea for room service!

[Jonnie H]

My favorite Canadian musician , well technically group of musicians, is The Tragically Hip. They play great music and many of their songs have Canadian references.

[Mathyld / encore petite]

Eaaaasy !
My favourite Canadian (I won't talk about my family) is the fabulously talented film director Guy Maddin.
Who I admired, then befriended.

I still remember the very first image of his I saw.
It was from his short film "Odilon Redon" ... The French artist you blogged about a few days ago ...
There you go ! The ring is closed !
Oh ! And Sunday was his Birthday. Isn't he the perfect Canadian ?

Actually, I think HE should win the mascot !
If I win, I'll hand it to him :)

x x x
___mathyld___

[christine]

favorite canadian? my grandma. hands down. born and raised in windsor ontario! making me 1/4 canadian!

[bethel of bethania]

Down Under we had Michael Buble' as the spokesman for the games & he loves hockey...
I think he is hot... sadly I'm old enough to be his mother... ha ha

[Robin Lynn]

My favorite place in Canada is Toronto-one of the most welcoming and diverse cities in the world.I only wish could live there!

[Lovely World]

I really like Bruce Cockburn. I have listened to his music for years and even once got to see him in a live acoustic show in Northern Vermont.

That mascot is something else, isn't he?!!

[Margaret]

Oh that's easy! My favorite Canadian actor -- Michael J. Fox! He was so great at the closing ceremonies! Favorite Canadian singer -- Neil Young. Or K. D. Lang.

[Carrie D]

Canada has the black-tailed prairie dog and for that i shall remain ever jealous. Ive been in love with prairie dogs for as long as i can remember and my heart was broken when they got rid of their enclosure at my hometown zoo. I do miss those little fella's.

[Natalie VV]

Cute that Quatchi.
My favorite Canadians, and places...
Catherine O'Hara.
Autumn on the shore of Lake Huron.
The playgrounds in the Calgary Airport.
My dad. He is not my father, but he loves me the way I have always hoped a father might love me.
I don't need to win, but I enjoyed this opportunity to reflect on the good neighbors we have. Thank you.

[Tina]

My fav. Canadian place is Toronto. This is the city I call home and I wouldn't have it any other way. =)

[Hallie]

David Suzuki is a hero for the environment!

I miss the winter games as well, especially the bobsled, ski jumping, nordic races, and figure skating. Wow, Canada, thanks for putting it all together so brilliantly!

[Alice]

Oh my gosh, I want a Quatchi so bad!

I haven't been to Canada in a long time but I loved Victoria Island. My favorite Canadian thing now is Degrassi... a guilty pleasure. :)

[Antonia]

My favourite place would be Bracebridge, Ontario. Muskoka. I Loved growing up there. It is beautiful. Probably one of the most memorable places of my childhood. Swimming in the lakes, cliff jumping, hiking, cross country skiing...I could go on and on! Oh and favourite artist, she is up and coming and was also my roommate in college, Meaghan Smith. You've got to check her out!

[Term paper]

It’s great to see good information being shared and also to see fresh, creative ideas that have never been done before.

[Tiffanie]

The Butchart Gardens in Victoria is my favorite place in Canada.

[Clare]

Favorite canadian musician is, hands down, k.d. lang. Did you hear her sing at the opening ceremony?! aah... That was magical.

I miss the olympics so badly right now T_T Didn't get to get on the zipline, or recycle a bottle for the glow in the dark collectible... And no longer is that Canadian pride in the streets... All long gone now. Vancouver will never have something like this again (at least, perhaps not in my lifetime..)

[Kokopelli]

I think my favorite Canadian is for now Alexandre Bilodeau, who won the first gold medal for Canada in these winter games. Thanks for such wonderful games! They were worth the nights without sleep to watch them here in Europe.

[Katherine]

Hello,

I visited Vancouver over a year ago and fell in love. I adore Canada and have been routing for you throughout the olympics!

I am planning to do a years work in Canada next year and also perhaps to stay forever.

As for music it will be Feist,
Hockey is my fav sport (closely followed by snow boarding) and I shall have to be honest and say I just want Quatchi. I mean who wouldn't!

Good luck to everyone and well done Canada for being 3rd in the medals.

Love kat

[Kate]

L.M. Montgomery...I've longed for red hair ever since reading her "Anne of Green Gables" series as a child (though I've yet to be brave enough to actually dye my hair red!)

[Snap]

I adore author Louise Penny. She writes more than *just* a mystery. She tells a story about the characters and the place of Three Pines. It's a place I wish really existed! Can I also put in a plug for Quatchi?!!!!!

[Jessica J.]

I LOVE Canada and have often pondered moving there.
I love Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Coco Rocha, the band Arcade Fire, The Band, The Be Good Tanyas, Cowboy Junkies and authors Margaret Atwood and Lucy Maude Montgomery.
I also love the actors/actresses Dan Akyroyd, Coleen Dewhurst, Jim Carrey, and Catherine O'Hara.

[Jennifer]

So much to love and be proud of that it is hard to pick one in any category but...
artist: Lawren Harris
author: Michael Ondaatje
place: Bon Echo provincial park
musician: Daniel Lanois for Acadie album
athlete: Terry Fox
polician: Pierre Trudeau
activist: June Callwood
animal: Snowy owl

it's important to celebrate what's good in the world. Thanks for the reminder.

[michele (maryland)]

I do love Canada, especially southern Ontario where my 3 sons live. I now live on the eastern shore of Maryland. We received Olympic sweatshirts from our oldest son for Christmas and we wore them proudly during the Olympics. Miss Canada and all its beauty.

[Amy]

I used to live near the border of Canada and loved visiting. Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, Muskoka and of course Niagara Falls!

[~Heather]

I have to say David Suzuki! Saw a wonderful PBS episode with him years ago and I was hooked. Saw him speak at Amherst College a couple years ago and I talked to his college roommate. He has such a marvelous presence!
Also, I love Stanley Park & Chinatown in Van., we used to take our summer vacation to Vancouver each year when I was a kid.

[Flora Pinkham]

My favorite place and vacation memory of Canada is camping in Algonquin Provincial Park as a child. The black flies were ferocious and I think there was a bear in our campsite, but it made for great memories!

[www.google.com/accounts/o8/id?id=AItOawn_wQ8DSe02Gw2CW9Vp66YSDwTmymetXJo]

Difficult question.As a place I would tell the whole of Canada which is my dream country due to its nature and if I could ever work as a teacher abroad I would choose Canada. As for people lots of famous Canadians are popular in Greece but I think Leonard Cohen comes first in mind.But when I say Canada the first thing that comes to my mind is Resurrection Fern Blog with Margie Oomen and Angela(would rather not say the surname)a friend I made through a sea glass site!Ariadne from Greece!

[Ana Belén]

My favorite Place is Vancouver....it's a genial city!
Nice giveaway!
Spain

[MªCarmen]

My favorite place is The Butchart Gardens in Victoria. I love it

[Amanda]

First of all I want to tell Alexis in the first comment that I have a serious week spot for Keanu Reeves. I mean serious. My fiance always gives me a really hard time about it and wants to know how I can like such a bad actor but let me say, he can be well cast.

Okay, moving on - Neil Young is the bomb. BUT let us not forget Rick Moranis. That man single-handily made the late 80's/early 90's. Where would we be without his Spaceballs, Ghostbusters and Honey I Shrunk the Kids? No where good I say.

[Rachel Lamb]

So much to choose from! I am proud to say that I've visited every province (but only one territory) and each has its own innate beauty. Georgian Bay is probably one of my absolute favourite places. Tied with Longbeach I think. k.d. lang was so amazing at the opening ceremonies; I have never heard Hallelujah done so well!

[Amanda]

opps, I mean WEAK [spot for Keanu]. I shouldn't write comments while at work and trying to talk to people about work at the same time!

[Jessie Hansen]

My favorite Canadian is Lar DeSouza, though I don't think I spelled it write. He is the artist behind Least I Could Do and Looking For Group, 2 of the 6 web comics I regularly visit. He is great. I lurv him. He does a live show every Friday night where you can just watch him draw and listen to him talk, hilarity!

[MzTallulah]

May I vote for the TV series Regenesis? Only the first two series were broadcast here, and I'm still waiting to find out what happened next... There's many many other Canadian people and things I like or am curious about though, beginning with the city of Toronto which is where my grandmother was born and lived as a child.

[jessie]

wow! i scrolled through and saw so many amazing artists (leonard cohen, arcade fire, etc...) and a pixies reference! ut i was thinking of a different kind od artist: Marian Bantjes. i love her work and i think you would too, it seems like your aesthetic.

[Victoria]

My favorite Canadian singer is Alanis Morissette, she is great! ^^

[oregoncoastgirl]

My step-dad is my favorite Canadian! :) But my favorite place in Canada would be the Hotel Strathcona in Vicotria, where my husband & I stayed on our honeymoon. There were two (TWO!) bottle openers in the bathroom, and FITTED SHEETS. There's a few stories behind all of the above, obviously, and thinking about them has made me smile.

[Cynthia Baxter]

The only place in Canada that I've actually been is Vancouver, but that was totally satisfactory. I love the native art, the trees, the attitude of the people, the fact that for a certain amount of city non-nature development, there must be a green space---I loved Vancouver. Canada rocks!

[bailey]

My favorite Canadian would have to be Tommy Chong. Forget marijuana and all he's done there for a minute, and you have a hilarious and truly wonderful person who has made the world laugh for years. Who can't admire that?

:)

[Jen G]

I was lucky enough to be at the Olympics for a week with my daughter and the energy on the streets was amazing! But I'm even luckier to live just west of the rocky mountains in British Columbia, on the side of a mountain, so far from anywhere that we don't even have cell service. So my home is one of my favorite places. Other favorite places of mine; the cabin on the west coast of Vancouver island where my daughter was born, and the lake just north of me where we go swimming in the summer. You can float on your back and look up at the glacier. Heaven! And Nancie Greene is my fav athlete. She has inspired so many girls here to rip it up on the ski hill, and she's local!

[Deidre]

Favorite author, who also happens to be Canadian? Carol Shields. Cute doll! Give it to someone else though, I have so much stuff!