Читать книгу Let It Snow. Keeping Canada's Winter Sports Alive онлайн

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Duncan tapped into a distinctly Canadian myth that we are somehow uniquely strong and capable of living with, and even prospering in, long winters, as opposed to the easier ability of people in warmer climates to address their challenges. The holiday would help ease the Canadian difficulty in surviving long, harsh winters.

“People need days off in the winter to fight the blues, and what better holiday could there be than one that would celebrate our national game?” Duncan explained.

This is not a new concept. Winter has been a major influence on the comments and actions of prominent Canadian statesmen and politicians. In 1866, Nova Scotia statesman Joseph Howe cheekily viewed Canada as not being able to fully loosen its shackles.

“[We] may be pardoned if we prefer London under the Dominion of John Bull to Ottawa under the domination of Jack Frost,” he remarked.

Prominent politicians, like popular Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, also noted Canada’s relationship with its unique weather patterns. “Canada is a country whose main exports are hockey players and cold fronts. Our main imports are baseball players and acid rain,” he said.