Forget troubles in the oil patch, our volatile economy and the oncoming snows of winter. Here are six reasons to be happy you’re Canadian, from The Globe and Mail.
champagne flutes with golden bubbles make cheers on wedding flowers backgrounddonfiore/istockphoto.com
We’re a safer place to store data
Canada is seen as having tougher privacy protection than the United States. Add questionable U.S. government activities and a growing distrust of how Facebook and Google are using information, and Canadian companies that sell cloud services have a new-found competitive advantage over their southern counterparts.
Most of us are pretty happy
Sixty-seven per cent of Canadians report being “very happy,” and 68 per cent are very satisfied with their lives, according to a recent survey conducted for The Globe and Mail. The area we are least satisfied with? Our sex lives.
We’re a big-time blockchain hub
Looking for a new career? You’ve probably heard of the blockchain, a kind of technology that’s hard to explain but has a promising future. It made cryptocurrencies like bitcoin possible, but it can also be used for securing all kinds of data across networks of computers. Anyway, Canada has become one of the three biggest hubs for blockchain technology in the world. And now one of the flashy tycoons running the show wants to turn Toronto into the Silicon Valley of the blockchain age.
We’re known for our kindness, too
Our refugee sponsorship program – where private groups of people raise money to help newcomers settle here – has been studied by more than a dozen nations around the globe. And with the U.S. border closed to people fleeing Syria, Americans are turning to Canadians to put their donations to work.
Our bubbly is decent
Who says French Champagne is the best? Canadian vintages can stand proudly alongside them. The Globe’s Beppi Crosariol offers 10 Canadian bubblies that can rival the best from Europe. Among them are vintages from British Columbia, Ontario and even Nova Scotia.
We know how to stay stylish and warm
Need a new winter coat? You’re living in the right country. Canada has earned an international reputation for making the world’s best outerwear. These six Canadian brands have a knack for creating parkas, puffers and tailored jackets that will keep you warm and stylish.