My collage was a compilation of the main things that I think represent Canada, and the things I see online or in the media about the way the world sees Canada. For the celebrities, I tried to keep it varied so I added Justin Bieber, which is one of Canada’s most famous singers, Jim Carrey, which is one of Canada’s most famous actors, and Drake, which is definitely the most famous Canadian rapper. For food and drink items that represent Canada (every country needs some of these), I chose poutine, Tim Hortons, beer, maple syrup and bacon. These are what I believe to be the most common items or stereotypes of Canadian food and drink, which is why I chose these images to put on the collage.
I also put some miscellaneous items on there such as the igloo, indigenous tent, the word Eh! and the biggest one in my opinion, peace. For some reason, a lot of people think we all live in igloos so I put that under stereotypes of Canada. For the tent, I chose that because Canada’s roots (even the name) is in the Indigenous people and their traditions. I chose the word eh, because it is a huge stereotype but it is also correct for most people I know even if they don’t know they say it. The peace sign means a lot for Canada, as we were involved in the forming of the United Nations peacekeeping and also involved in the creation of NATO to maintain world peace. We are active peacekeepers, and even let in people from war torn countries to let them seek refuge and have another chance at life. This is both known by the world, and represented in each individual who is proud of Canada, the country they live in.
There are some big similarities between what people think or see in us, and what we think or see in ourselves. The world has an opinion that we are all respectful, well-mannered people and I believe that is true after travelling to many places around the world. I have seen firsthand the difference between the kindness in our culture, and the mannerisms of the other cultures around the world. The world also stereotypes us for always needing Tim Hortons, which I’ve also found to be true. We are also widely known for being one of the lowest crime rate, peaceful countries on the planet and so the stats are right there to back up the fact that we are known for keeping it cool.
My collage represents me because these quotes and images were what my mind instantly went to while I was making this collage. It shows what I think of when I think of Canada, without hesitation. I think that the voice of every other Canadian is missing though, as these are just my opinions and views and are to be taken with a grain of salt compared to the ~35 million other people with their own lives, experiences and views. Everyone can have a different view, but I think that many people would agree with at least a few of the things on my collage.
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