In keeping with my current theme of "destinations" this round, I decided to show you a few things that are very "Canadian." Obviously, I'm one of "them," having been born and bred here in Canada and never living in any other country. Without further ado, we have:Chapters - the Canadian big box book store created when Coles and SmithBooks, two of Canada's largest book chains merged in 1994. I buy most of my books online but never fail to drop in occassionally to see what else they're carrying at the time. Most Chapters have a Starbucks Coffee in the store and you will always see lots of people enjoying a cup while reading a book or using the Internet.
Chevron Canada - is one of the world's leading energy companies. Besides being your local gas station, its goal is also to develop, produce, and market crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids. It also refines, markets, and distributes fuels and other energy products. I don't know what I'd do without my local Chevron Canada mechanic!
Cobs Bread - a successful company in Australia and New Zealand for over 30 years, Cobs spread into Canada in 2003 and has become well known for its delicious creations. My sister retired from the insurance industry last year and then joined Cobs' main office in Vancouver to handle their payroll. For more info on the company, click here. Naturally, I was thrilled when my village opened a franchise!
Cobs Bread - a successful company in Australia and New Zealand for over 30 years, Cobs spread into Canada in 2003 and has become well known for its delicious creations. My sister retired from the insurance industry last year and then joined Cobs' main office in Vancouver to handle their payroll. For more info on the company, click here. Naturally, I was thrilled when my village opened a franchise! 
Cineplex Odeon Cinemas - is the largest motion picture distributor in Canada, operating 130 theatres, 1,347 screens, and serving over 70 million guests annually. It's also the largest exhibitor of IMAX, digital, and 3D projection technology in the country. 
Coffee - aka Tim Hortons. Click to read the story about how this chain was founded in 1964 in Hamilton, Ontario, and how it has expanded into the rest of the country. Its drawing card is its coffee, but it also is famous for its donuts, bagels, cakes, pies, etc. D2 and her BF are frequent customers at our local "Timmy's," as it's known, and received a Christmas gift from me of a giant can of coffee plus a gift certificate - best Christmas present EVER, according to them. 
Canadian Beer - Molson, to be specific! Although I'm not a beer drinker, having overdone it at university many years ago (and that's a story for another time), Molson Canadian is the most popular beer in the country. It's brewed with Canadian water and the highest-quality hops and barley. They say it's "the true taste of Canada."
So there you have it...some of the quintessential Canadian companies and products that make my country special. Come on up for a visit - fill up with Chevron gas, drop by a Cobs Breads for their special creations, take in a movie at a Cineplex Odeon, and afterwards stop off for a Tim Hortons' coffee or a Molson Canadian beer. You'll have the time of your life!
ABC Wednesday is the brainchild of Denise Nesbitt and is now in its 8th round with her ever-changing team of helpers (Cheryl, Donna, Gattina, Helen, Joyce, Natalie, Roger, Sylvia, Troy and moi.) Click here for more info on ABCWednesday. By the way, all the photos are mine except the last two - they're courtesy of Yahoo.
As a born and bred BC'er, I've seen lots of the province throughout my lifetime, but certainly far from all. Also, I've lived most of my life in the burbs of Vancouver. When I was about six years old, we travelled to the eastern border of the province to the Kootenay region. One night, a bear entered the campsite and woke the campers by rattling around in the garbage cans. My Dad, brave soul, told us all to stay put, no matter what, and we waited as he shooed the bear away by chasing it with a big stick. We watched, transfixed, as the shadow of the bear and my Dad raced past our tent!
Another summer, we had our summer vacation in the Okanagan region where it gets extremely hot! Instead of tenting that year, we stayed at a motel in the center of Penticton, but it was so hot that none of us could sleep. One night, my Dad had had enough of the heat and went out at midnight and bought A & W root beer and vanilla ice cream for us to make floats!
As a university student, I travelled the old PGE Railway up and down from Vancouver to Prince George, where my parents had moved, about four times a year to stay with them during Christmas and summer breaks. My Mom had bought a small wooden ornament of the famous "Welcome to Prince George" sign and always kept it on top of one of her kitchen cupboards, where later on, D1 used to comment on how Mr. PG would watch over her. She now has that ornament as a memory of her Grandma and now it watches over her little boy. 
I don't go to Vancouver Island very often as the ferries can be quite expensive, but I have been to Victoria (our capital city) a few times and have also been to the west coast of the Island and up the east coast as far as Campbell River. Fishing is a major industry along the coast of BC and, on the Island, there are lots of fishing lodges, some very luxurious. You can also watch the cruise ships pass on their way to Alaska.
I also had the privilege of spending a year in the wilderness area of BC in the small town of Bella Coola, where I taught school. My house happened to be right in the path of the bears' route through the woods and my puppy was always very cautious when she was outside. We saw lots of bears that year and learned very quickly where to take a walk and when! One day, D2 and I decided to explore an area along the river, but we both got really nervous about coming upon a bear, so gave up our silly idea very quickly! We determined it would be much better to just watch them forage around the dump where we took our garbage every week. 
In summary, there are bounteous things to see and do in the province of British Columbia and it's a beautiful place to live. We have a desert, cowboy country, mountains, lakes, an ocean, and temperatures that range beyond the minuses to over 100F throughout the year. It's famous for its natural beauty, the outdoor lifestyle, and even movie making. So be sure to come and visit, as we say on our cars' license plates, Beautiful British Columbia!
Come and join the team at ABC Wednesday, the brainchild of Mrs. Nesbitt, during this our 8th round! Click 
