CTVNEWS

Survey offers snapshot of what defines Canada

CTV.ca News Staff Published Monday, June 30, 2008 2:03PM EDT

Text:

A new survey offers a snapshot of what Canadians think defines their country, from the beaver to the Bluenose.

The survey by The Dominion Institute and Citizen and Immigration Canada was released on Monday, just ahead of Canada Day, in the form of a list of the top 101 things Canadians named.

Here are the top five:

Maple leaf
Hockey
Canadian Flag
Beaver
Canadarm

Though the list is broad in its content, ranging from Tim Hortons, ranking at number 58 on the list, to snow at number 61, it also showed a surprising amount of commonality among Canadians' priorities.

"The findings show citizens in Canada define their country largely in similar ways, regardless of where they're from," Marc Chalifoux, of The Dominion Institute, told CTV's Canada AM.

"Different regions will put different local elements in perspective and we'll include them in the list, but at the top of the list people define themselves in similar ways -- the beaver, hockey, the Canadian flag, Canada Day. These are key elements for Canadians to understand their country."

Perhaps more surprising than what was on the list, was what was missing, Chalifoux said.

Elements of aboriginal culture, for example, were completely absent from the top 101. And there was also a void in the area of arts and culture. Author Margaret Atwood, painter Tom Thomson and singer/songwriter Neil Young were all missing from the list.

But Celine Dion made the list, coming in at number 27 -- sandwiched between the Calgary Stampede at 26 and the Canadian National Railway at 28th on the list.

"She ranked ahead of John A. Macdonald which is a kind of surprising finding in itself," Chalifoux said.

"At The Dominion Institute we're very engaged in telling Canadians about their history, particularly young Canadians. So to find Celine Dion ahead of John A. Macdonald was a bit surprising, but we're happy to see a lot of historical elements make the list."

Confederation, for example, came in at 20th on the list. Vimy Ridge came in at number 30 and the repatriation of the constitution came in at 24.

Canadians can go to the website 101things.ca to vote on a list that is constantly in flux as votes are registered. That list had the following as its top five as of Monday afternoon: