9 over-the-top warnings from Americans about Canada’s health care

By Blog of Lists - Thursday, October 25, 2012 at 12:12 PM - 0 Comments

Commentator Glenn Beck arrives at the 45th Country Music Association Awards in Nashville, Tennessee on Nov. 9, 2011. (Harrison McClary/Reuters)

American pundits, publications and politicians have been kind enough to warn us that our socialized health care system is the filthiest, most evil and dangerous system on the planet.

1. “Dear Canadian: You make socialized medicine sound ideal. But whenever private enterprise is replaced by a government institution, incentive is thwarted and the quality of services usually deteriorates.” – Dear Abby, April 25, 1977

2. “To receive major health care in two weeks would be only a dream for most Canadians.” — Susan Riggs,
Knight-Ridder, June 22, 1994

3. “People come here from every country . . . including Canadians fleeing from the substandard quality, cruel rationing and long waiting lists of their ‘free’ socialized medicine.” – Paul Craig Roberts, Scripps Howard News Service, June 23, 1994

4. “Did the fact that Canada has a socialist, government-run health care system — similar to the kind that President Obama wants to ram down the throats of Americans—kill acclaimed actress Natasha Richardson?” — Matthew Vadum, The American Spectator, March 21, 2009

5. “Canada’s disastrous health care system survives because of . . . the widespread fear that any reform might constitute ‘Americanization.’ ” — Jonah Goldberg, National Review, Nov. 25, 2002

6. “For cardiac bypass surgery, patients in Ontario are told they may have to wait six months for a surgery that Americans can often get right away.” – Sen. Mitch McConnell, June 8, 2009

7. “Canada needs to reform its health care system and let the private sector take over some of what the government has absorbed.” – Sarah Palin, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, November 25, 2009

8. “In Canada,they have a lottery. They have a lottery system. Who gets to go see a doctor this month in Canada?” – Glenn Beck, The Glenn Beck Program, July 15, 2009

9. “Is government-run health care in Canada taking away parents’ rights?” — Steve Doocy, Fox & Friends, February 23, 2011

Have you ever wondered which cities have the most bars, smokers, absentee workers and people searching for love? What about how Canada compares to the world in terms of the size of its military, the size of our houses and the number of cars we own? The answers to all those questions, and many more, can be found in the first ever Maclean’s Book of Lists.

Buy your copy of the Maclean’s Book of Lists at the newsstand or order online now.

5 Canadian marriage meltdowns resulting in big settlements

By Blog of Lists - Thursday, September 13, 2012 at 5:08 AM - 0 Comments

Getty Images

1. Gordon Lightfoot and Brita Ingegerd Olaisson: In 1973, when Lightfoot and Olaisson called it quits after 10 years of marriage, she was awarded what was once considered the largest divorce settlement in Canadian history—$4,500 a month, which, in today’s dollars, works out to close to $290,000 a year. Lightfoot’s torrid affair with backup singer Cathy Smith, who was the inspiration behind Lightfoot’s most successful commercial hit, Sundown, contrib- uted to the breakup.

2. Jack Kent Cooke and Barbara Jean Carnegie: Born in Hamilton in 1912, the former owner of the Wash- ington Redskins, L.A. Lakers and the L.A. Kings was married five times to four different women. Up first was Barbara Jean Carnegie, a marriage that lasted for 46 years. In 1979, Judge Joseph Wapner (yes, that Judge Wapner, who later oversaw cases on The People’s Court) awarded Carnegie US$49 million. At the time the divorce settlement landed a Guinness record as the largest in history.

3. James Cameron and Linda Hamilton: Cameron has had enough divorces to fill his own list. He’s been married five times, four ending in divorce. However, it was his fourth marriage, to Terminator actress Linda Hamilton, that ended up hitting his pocket- book hardest. In 1999, after the couple had been together for eight years (18 months of that time married), Hamilton filed for divorce when she discovered Cameron’s affair with his present wife, Suzi Amis, an actress in his blockbuster Titanic. Cameron earned roughly US$100 million from that movie, with half that amount going to Hamilton for the settlement, believed to be the largest celebrity divorce payout.

4. Chuck Fipke and Marlene Fipke: After prospecting for diamonds for eight years in the Northwest Territories, Fipke discovered one of the largest diamond concentrations in the world at Lac de Gras. His stake in the Ekati diamond mine was worth hundreds of millions of dollars. But proving that diamonds aren’t forever, his marriage to Marlene fell apart. She’d travelled at his side around the world on his expeditions, served as his accountant and sometimes dried core samples in their kitchen. In a settlement reached in 2000, Marlene received 21 per cent of Dia Met, then valued at $123 million. Fipke took it in stride, saying the settlement was the “best money I ever spent.”

5. David Thomson and Laurie Ludwick: Thomson, 3rd baron Thomson of Fleet and head of the family that controls Canada’s largest fortune (estimated net worth of $21 billion) had a rocky relationship with Ludwick, a Toronto communications professional, after their marriage in 2000. When she became pregnant in 2005, Thomson left her; he served her with divorce papers three hours after she arrived home from the hospital with their newborn son. Under the terms of the divorce settlement, set out in a prenuptial agreement, Thomson was to pay Ludwick $5.4 million. She contested the settlement, but the pair quietly settled out of court.

Have you ever wondered which cities have the most bars, smokers, absentee workers and people searching for love? What about how Canada compares to the world in terms of the size of its military, the size of our houses and the number of cars we own? The answers to all those questions, and many more, can be found in the first ever Maclean’s Book of Lists.

Buy your copy of the Maclean’s Book of Lists at the newsstand or order online now.

10 Canadian roadside attractions that claim to be the world’s biggest

By Blog of Lists - Thursday, August 30, 2012 at 3:30 PM - 0 Comments

Jonathan Hayward/CP Photo

From dinosaurs to ducks, these are just a few of the many small towns and cities in Canada that erected really big, really odd monuments to attract tourists.

1. World’s largest dinosaur, T. Rex: Drumheller, Alta.

2. World’s largest lobster: Shediac, N.B.

3. World’s largest moose, “Mac”: Moose Jaw, Sask.

4. The Big Nickel: Sudbury, Ont.

5. World’s largest mallard duck: Andrew, Alta.

6. World’s largest perogy: Glendon, Alta.

7. World’s largest Adirondack chair: Varney, Ont.

8. The Big Apple: Colborne, Ont.

9. World’s largest Easter egg: Vegreville, Alta.

10. World’s largest fiddle: Sydney, N.S.

Have you ever wondered which cities have the most bars, smokers, absentee workers and people searching for love? What about how Canada compares to the world in terms of the size of its military, the size of our houses and the number of cars we own? The answers to all those questions, and many more, can be found in the first ever Maclean’s Book of Lists.

Buy your copy of the Maclean’s Book of Lists at the newsstand or order online now.

9 over-the-top warnings from Americans about Canadian health care

By Blog of Lists - Thursday, August 30, 2012 at 1:24 PM - 0 Comments

Nathan Denette/CP Images

American pundits, publications and politicians have been kind enough to warn us that our socialized health care system is the filthiest, most evil and dangerous system on the planet.

1. “Dear Canadian: You make socialized medicine sound ideal. But whenever private enterprise is replaced by a government institution, incentive is thwarted and the quality of services usually deteriorates.”
—Dear Abby, April 25, 1977

2. “To receive major health care in two weeks would be only a dream for most Canadians.” —Susan Riggs,
Knight-Ridder, June 22, 1994

3. “People come here from every country . . . including Canadians fleeing from the substandard quality, cruel rationing and long waiting lists of their ‘free’ socialized medicine.”
—Paul Craig Roberts, Scripps Howard News Service, June 23, 1994

4. “Did the fact that Canada has a socialist, government-run health care system—similar to the kind that President Obama wants to ram down the throats of Americans—kill acclaimed actress Natasha Richardson?”
—Matthew Vadum, The American Spectator, March 21, 2009

5. “Canada’s disastrous health care system survives because of . . . the widespread fear that any reform might constitute ‘Americanization.’ ”
—Jonah Goldberg, National Review, Nov. 25, 2002

6. “For cardiac bypass surgery, patients in Ontario are told they may have to wait six months for a surgery that Americans can often get right away.”
—Sen. Mitch McConnell, June 8, 2009

7. “Canada needs to reform its health care system and let the private sector take over some of what the government has absorbed.”
—Sarah Palin, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, November 25, 2009

8. “In Canada,they have a lottery. They have a lottery system. Who gets to go see a doctor this month in Canada?”
—Glenn Beck, The Glenn Beck Program, July 15, 2009

9. “Is government-run health care in Canada taking away parents’ rights?”
—Steve Doocy,
Fox & Friends, February 23, 2011

Have you ever wondered which cities have the most bars, smokers, absentee workers and people searching for love? What about how Canada compares to the world in terms of the size of its military, the size of our houses and the number of cars we own? The answers to all those questions, and many more, can be found in the first ever Maclean’s Book of Lists.

Buy your copy of the Maclean’s Book of Lists at the newsstand or order online now.

7 Canadians who’ve had a big influence on America

By Blog of Lists - Thursday, August 30, 2012 at 10:51 AM - 0 Comments

John Kenneth Galbraith (Steve Hooper/CP Photo)

1. Gordon Sinclair: The CBC commentator’s recorded speech “The Americans” sold 300,000 copies on the day it was released in the U.S. in 1973, making Nixon-era Americans feel good about themselves again.

2. David Frum: He helped create the “axis of evil” speech for George W. Bush, and now spends his time advocating for moderate conservatism in the States.

3. Charles Krauthammer: So beloved within the conservative movement that National Review reprints his Fox News interviews every morning, calling it “Krauthammer’s Take.”

4. David Brooks: He was born in Toronto but considers himself American, a perfect setup for his New York Times columns.

5. Marshall McLuhan: Was rewarded for his media philosophy with the ultimate sign of cultural respect, a cameo in a Woody Allen film.

6. Ian McAvity: His Toronto-based newsletter “Deliberations on World Markets” was quoted extensively in U.S. financial columns for years.

7. John Kenneth Galbraith: His book The Affluent Society became one of the most influential books in America in the ’50s, telling people that the country was becoming economically unequal. Good thing that’s not a problem today.

Sources: Barkerville Cariboo Sentinel; Gold Country Communities Society; Glenbow Museum; Vancouver Sun; Vancouver Province; Whitehorse Daily Star

Have you ever wondered which cities have the most bars, smokers, absentee workers and people searching for love? What about how Canada compares to the world in terms of the size of its military, the size of our houses and the number of cars we own? The answers to all those questions, and many more, can be found in the first ever Maclean’s Book of Lists.

Buy your copy of the Maclean’s Book of Lists at the newsstand or order online now.

8 Canadian political sex scandals—and one maybe

By Blog of Lists - Wednesday, August 29, 2012 at 2:05 PM - 0 Comments

Bill Croke/CP Images

Canadian political scandals tend to be rather chaste affairs compared to their American or European counterparts, usually involving railways, “robocalls” and tainted tuna. Still, our politicians have had their share of dirty laundry aired in public over the years.

Here are the most salacious misdeeds by Canadian elected officials:

1. 1933: John Edward Brownlee. Alberta’s fifth premier was forced to resign after he was sued for seduction by Vivian MacMillan, an 18-year-old daughter of one of Brownlee’s political allies. There was much speculation that Brownlee had been the victim of a political set-up after he noticed he had been followed on a country drive by one of the girl’s teenaged suitors and a prominent Edmonton lawyer and Liberal party supporter. The case eventually went all the way to the Supreme Court, which sided with MacMillan.

2. 1966: The Munsinger Affair. Gerda Munsinger was a German prostitute and alleged KGB spy who seduced several cabinet ministers in the Diefenbaker govern- ment of the late 1950s. Among them was the associate minister of national defence, Pierre Sevigny, who signed Munsinger’s application for Canadian citizenship. The scandal was a well-kept secret among Ottawa politicians until 1966, when Liberal justice minister Lucien Cardin, fending off an opposition attack in the House of Commons on his handling of security breaches, asked: “What about Munsinger?” By then she had been deported, but reporters tracked her down in Munich, where she openly admitted to her numerous political affairs.

3. 1977: Margaret Trudeau and the Rolling Stones. Margaret Trudeau spent her sixth wedding anniversary without her prime minister husband, instead partying with the Rolling Stones at a Toronto nightclub and later in Mick Jagger’s limousine. The rendezvous sparked rumours that she was having an affair with the band’s front man. She later disappeared to New York. The scandal signalled the end of the couple’s tumultuous marriage, but Margaret Trudeau denied having affairs with any members of the Rolling Stones, later telling a conference on mental health, “I should have slept with every single one of them.”

4. 1978: Francis Fox. The 38-year-old solicitor general was the youngest member of Trudeau’s cabinet and a rising star when he was forced to publicly admit that he had secretly arranged for a former mistress to have an abortion, and had forged her husband’s signature on hospital records granting her permission for the procedure. The relationship didn’t last and neither did Fox’s marriage. His political career, however, survived. Fox resigned as solicitor general, but went on to be re-elected and reappointed to cabinet. He was made a senator in 2005, and stepped down last year.

5. 1983: Graham Harle. Alberta’s solicitor general, Graham Harle, was discovered by police parked outside a seedy Edmonton motel with a prostitute in his government car. The 51-year-old Harle claimed he was conducting an investigation into the province’s prostitution industry and had concluded that the sex trade didn’t “appear to be a problem right at the moment.” He stepped down from cabinet after the public refused to accept the story of his undercover operation.

6. 1986: Bob McClelland. B.C. industry minister and one-time Social Credit leadership contender Bob McClelland admitted he had paid $130 to Top Hat Escort in 1985 to have a prostitute sent to his hotel after having “a fair amount to drink.” His dalliance was uncovered after a police investigation into the escort agency uncovered his credit card details. McClelland resigned in August 1986 after testifying at a trial into Top Hat’s activities.

7. 1993: The Wilson-Tyabji Affair. B.C. Liberal leader Gordon Wilson was fresh off a surprise victory that catapulted his party into official Opposition status when he appointed 27-year-old Judy Tyabji as his house leader. It didn’t take long for rumours to start that the two, both married, shared more than just political leanings, though both Wilson and Tyabji vehemently denied any affair. Wilson resigned as party leader the next year just as Tyabji was dumped as house leader by the party. They both later came clean about the affair, left their spouses, got married and quit the Liberals to form the short-lived Progressive Democratic Alliance.

8. 2008: Maxime Bernier. Maxime Bernier, the star of Stephen Harper’s Quebec caucus, was forced to resign as foreign affairs minister after admitting he had left classified government documents at the home of his then-girlfriend, Julie Couillard, a woman who had previously dated two Hell’s Angels associates. Shortly after they broke up, Couillard gave a tell-all television interview about the relationship, which she followed up with a book.

9. Potential Scandal: John Diefenbaker. In 2010, 42-year-old Toronto legal consultant George Dryden launched a lawsuit against his parents alleging he was the illegitimate love child of former Conservative prime minister John Diefen- baker and that his mother, Mary Lou Dryden, a well-known Conservative socialite, had forged his birth certificate because of “political sensitivities” of the day. He has since gone on a quest to prove his lineage, although DNA tests on samples from personal items provided by the Diefenbaker Canada Centre in Saskatoon came up inconclusive.

Sources: Barkerville Cariboo Sentinel; Gold Country Communities Society; Glenbow Museum; Vancouver Sun; Vancouver Province; Whitehorse Daily Star

Have you ever wondered which cities have the most bars, smokers, absentee workers and people searching for love? What about how Canada compares to the world in terms of the size of its military, the size of our houses and the number of cars we own? The answers to all those questions, and many more, can be found in the first ever Maclean’s Book of Lists.

Buy your copy of the Maclean’s Book of Lists at the newsstand or order online now.

7 of the most dangerous outlaws from Canada’s Wild West

By Blog of Lists - Tuesday, August 28, 2012 at 4:54 PM - 0 Comments

Exhuming the remains of the Mad Trapper (CP Photo/HO)

The Canadian West of the 19th and early 20th centuries was as teeming with villains as its American counterpart. Indeed, many outlaws north of the 49th parallel were fugitive Yanks.

1. Boone Helm: A Kentucky-born marauder lured out west by the California Gold Rush, then forced into British Columbia in the early 1860s after a string of murders from Oregon to Utah, Helm was said to enjoy eating those he killed. He was arrested in Victoria in October 1862 for being of bad character and spent a month on a chain gang repairing streets. The next year he was arrested at Fort Yale on the Fraser River and sent back to Montana where he was hanged in 1864, after complaining that the executioner was taking too long in carrying out his sentence.

2. Brothers Allan, Charles and Archie McLean: The McLean Gang terrorized Kamloops, B.C., in the late 1870s, stealing everything from horses and liquor to ammunition. When the law came after them, the McLeans shot their way through, eventually killing two men, including a police constable. Eventually caught and convicted—the jury took 20 minutes to reach a verdict—they were hanged together in New Westminster in 1881.

3. James Gaddy and Moise Racette: After meeting in a Saskatchewan saloon in the 1880s, they decided to partner together in the horse-thieving business. To seal the deal they got their photograph taken; it would later become their wanted poster. When the Mounties went after the duo, a shootout ensued and a North West Mounted Police constable was killed. Gaddy and Racette were later convicted of murder and sent to the gallows in Regina in 1888.

4. Ernest Cashel: He was from the American Midwest but turned up in Alberta in 1902, a young man noted for his charm. Arrested in Calgary for forgery, he managed to escape, making his way to Lacombe and stealing a horse. Later, a rancher he worked for disappeared, and Cashel, caught after a two-month manhunt, was found wearing the rancher’s clothes. After the man’s body was discovered with a bullet hole in his chest, Cashel was convicted of murder. He escaped after his brother slipped him guns but was soon caught again and hanged in 1904.

5. Bill Miner: Originally from Kentucky and known as the Gentleman Bandit, Miner was reportedly the first holdup artist to use the phrase “hands up.” He committed one of Canada’s first train robberies in 1904 near Mission, B.C., at the age of 60, then struck a second train outside Kamloops in 1905. When the law closed in on him, Miner tried to shoot his way free but was caught and jailed. He later escaped the penitentiary in New Westminster, fleeing back to the U.S., where stories of his end are varied.

6. Harry Wagner: Named the Flying Dutchman after the famed ghost ship, he was a member of the ruthless Cassidy Gang in Wyoming before travelling northwest in a small ship, darting through the inlets of British Columbia. In March 1913, while robbing a store at Union Bay, Wagner was happened upon by police. One officer died in the gunfight that ensued, and Wagner escaped, only to be captured later and brought to trial in Nanaimo, B.C. He was hanged on Aug. 28, 1913.

7. Albert Johnson: Better known as the Mad Trapper of Rat River, he triggered a massive manhunt and captured the public’s imagination during the Great Depression after shooting a Mountie in the Yukon. He remained on the run for 48 days, travelling almost 300 km across the frigid Far North, before dying in a shootout in February 1932. His true identity has never been established.

Sources: Barkerville Cariboo Sentinel; Gold Country Communities Society; Glenbow Museum; Vancouver Sun; Vancouver Province; Whitehorse Daily Star

Have you ever wondered which cities have the most bars, smokers, absentee workers and people searching for love? What about how Canada compares to the world in terms of the size of its military, the size of our houses and the number of cars we own? The answers to all those questions, and many more, can be found in the first ever Maclean’s Book of Lists.

Buy your copy of the Maclean’s Book of Lists at the newsstand or order online now.

Justin Trudeau on 10 of his favourite swims

By Blog of Lists - Monday, August 27, 2012 at 5:18 PM - 0 Comments

“Over the course of my life and travels, I have rarely resisted the urge, upon visiting a beautiful place, to strip down to my skivvies and jump in the water (regardless of how cold or inappropriate it may be). Here, then, is a non-exhaustive list of some of my favourite dips from across the country, from west to east.”

10. Swimming with the icebergs in Alsek Lake, Tatshenshini River, Yukon

9. Falling off my surfboard at North Chesterman Beach, Tofino, B.C.

8. Jumping a fence and poaching a random hot tub with friends and beverages in Whistler, B.C.

7. Soaking in the natural hot springs along the Nahanni River, N.W.T.

6. Flipping off the top deck of a houseboat on Lake of the Woods, Ont., to impress my dad

5. Racing out of the sauna at The Outpost and into Maskinonge Lake, Temagami, Ont.

4. Half-drowning my way through the Washing Machine, clinging to my kayak, Rivière Rouge, Que.

3. Leaping 60 feet off the bridge of an icebreaker into the fjord off Pangnirtung, Baffin Island, Nunavut

2. Paddling down the Margaree River in an inner tube with my one-year-old son Xavier in my lap, Cape Breton, N.S.

1. Diving into icy waters off the rocky beach at Cape Broyle, Nfld., with my brother, after a campfire meal of lobsters, steak and Jockey Club, on the snowy May weekend of my bachelor party

Have you ever wondered which cities have the most bars, smokers, absentee workers and people searching for love? What about how Canada compares to the world in terms of the size of its military, the size of our houses and the number of cars we own? The answers to all those questions, and many more, can be found in the first ever Maclean’s Book of Lists.

Buy your copy of the Maclean’s Book of Lists at the newsstand or order online now.

Weirdly named Canadian wines and wineries

By Blog of Lists - Friday, August 24, 2012 at 11:23 AM - 0 Comments

Pier Paolo Cito/CP Photo

10 wineries with oddly dispiriting names

1. Dirty Laundry Vineyard: Summerland, B.C.

2. Black Sheep Winery: Osoyoos, B.C.

3. Laughing Stock Vineyards: Penticton, B.C.

4. Megalomaniac Wines: Vineland, Ont.

5. Mistaken Identity Vineyards: Saltspring Island, B.C.

6. Nagging Doubt: Okanagan, B.C.

7. Organized Crime Winery: Beamsville, Ont.

8. Foreign Affair Winery: Vineland Station, Ont.

9. Therapy Vineyards: Naramata, B.C.

10. Zero Balance Vineyard: Naramata, B.C.

10 wineries named after animals

1. Hunting Hawk Vineyards: Armstrong, B.C.

2. Long Dog Winery: Milford, Ont.

3. Black Widow Winery: Naramata, B.C.

4. Blue Heron Fruit Winery: Pitt Meadows, B.C.

5. Antelope Ridge Winery: Oliver, B.C.

6. Black Bear Farms: Kingsville, Ont.

7. Coyote’s Run Estate Winery: St. David’s, Ont.

8. Elephant Island Orchard Wines: Naramata, B.C.

9. Soaring Eagle Winery: Penticton, B.C.

10. Turtle Mountain Winery: Vernon, B.C.

Source: WinesofCanada.com

Have you ever wondered which cities have the most bars, smokers, absentee workers and people searching for love? What about how Canada compares to the world in terms of the size of its military, the size of our houses and the number of cars we own? The answers to all those questions, and many more, can be found in the first ever Maclean’s Book of Lists.

Buy your copy of the Maclean’s Book of Lists at the newsstand or order online now.

6 of Canada’s richest celebrities

By Blog of Lists - Thursday, August 23, 2012 at 3:17 PM - 0 Comments

For these superstars, fame has also meant incredible fortunes.

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Have you ever wondered which cities have the most bars, smokers, absentee workers and people searching for love? What about how Canada compares to the world in terms of the size of its military, the size of our houses and the number of cars we own? The answers to all those questions, and many more, can be found in the first ever Maclean’s Book of Lists.

Buy your copy of the Maclean’s Book of Lists at the newsstand or order online now.

5 Canadian automotive failures

By Blog of Lists - Tuesday, August 21, 2012 at 10:17 AM - 0 Comments

Bricklin SV1 (mstcweb/Flickr)

1. Le Roy: Designed by Nelson and Milton Good, the Le Roy was built in 1903 in Berlin, Ont., now Kitchener. No more than 20 were built before the company went bankrupt. Why? The purchase price of a new Le Roy in 1903 was $650, while the average annual income in Canada was only $275. The brake pedal on the Le Roy was also the same pedal that put the vehicle into reverse, which caused confusion among drivers.

2. Frontenac: In 1931, with the U.S.-based automaker Durant Motors near collapse, a group of investors acquired the company’s Canadian operations in Toronto and established Dominion Motors. Dominion released the Frontenac, a six-cylinder car, but it didn’t sell well. The next year Dominion rolled out a restyled Frontenac. But as the Depression deepened, Dominion shut down and the Frontenac’s brief run was over.

3. Manic GT: The Manic GT was the brainchild of Montreal native Jacques About. Despite keen demand—there was a two-month waiting list for new buyers—the factory based in Granby, Que., produced only 160 cars. The problem, a dependence on parts from Renault, proved to be the company’s downfall. The supply of parts could not meet the demand and the Granby factory closed in May 1971.

4. Bricklin: American millionaire Malcolm Bricklin’s idea was to develop a “high-performance safety car” in Saint John, N.B. He hired Herb Grasse, who created the original Batmobile. The car was designed without an ashtray because Bricklin believed it was unsafe to drive and smoke. That, combined with design and engineering flaws, lead to the collapse of the company in 1976.

5. Ballard fuel-cell car: There was never a single car from Ballard Power. Rather the company teamed with Ford and Daimler to develop experimental models using its hydrogen fuel-cell technology. In 2000 investors were convinced fuel cells would replace the internal combustion engine, and Ballard stock soared to $180. But steep costs, technological challenges and a lack of refuelling stations brought Ballard’s aspirations back to Earth (along with the stock price; today the shares are worth about $1.) In 2007, Ballard abandoned the hydrogen vehicle market.

Sources: Canada Science and Technology Museum; news reports

Have you ever wondered which cities have the most bars, smokers, absentee workers and people searching for love? What about how Canada compares to the world in terms of the size of its military, the size of our houses and the number of cars we own? The nswers to all those questions, and many more, can be found in the first ever Maclean’s Book of Lists.

Buy your copy of the Maclean’s Book of Lists at the newsstand or order online now.

5 high-profile Montreal mob murders

By Blog of Lists - Thursday, August 16, 2012 at 11:37 AM - 0 Comments

Nicola Rizzuto (Graham Hughes/CP Images)

Montreal has witnessed numerous Mob hits as the city’s crime families have battled for control over the decades.
Here are five that stand out:

1. Paolo Violi, 38: Since the 1950s, Montreal’s Cotroni family was the foremost Mafia clan in Canada, controlling swaths of territory across Ontario and Quebec. Until the ’70s, that is, when the Sicilian faction of the clan, headed by Nicolo Rizzuto, usurped them in a violent war for Canadian Mafia dominance. The conflict culminated in the 1978 murder of Paolo Violi, who led the Cotroni faction. He was shot dead during a card game in a Montreal café that January.

2. Nicolo Rizzuto Jr., 40: Nick Jr., the eldest child of Vito “Teflon Don” Rizzuto and grandson of the Rizzuto clan patriarch, was gunned down in a residential street in Montreal’s Notre-Dame-de-Grâce neighbourhood in December 2009. The brazen hit in broad daylight was perceived as an unprecedented challenge to Rizzuto rule in Montreal. Recent police investigations in Canada and the U.S. had weakened the family by landing several key members—including Nicolo Sr. and his son Vito—behind bars.

3. Agostino Cuntrera, 66: In June 2010, Agostino Cuntrera, a powerful Rizzuto associate implicated in the 1978 murder of Paolo Violi, was shot to death with his bodyguard outside his wholesale food warehouse in the St-Léonard area of Montreal. Just one month earlier, Vito Rizzuto’s brother-in-law went missing. Cuntrera’s assassination was taken as evidence of a concerted effort to supplant the Rizzuto clan in Montreal’s criminal underworld.

4. Nicolo Rizzuto, 86: Sitting at the kitchen table of his Montreal mansion, Nicolo Rizzuto was shot and killed with his wife and daughter nearby by a sniper who sent a bullet through a double-paned door in November 2010. He was the key figure in his family’s rise to Mafia power.

5. Salvatore Montagna, 40: The Montreal native became a powerful figure in the New York Mafia after a string of arrests in the mid-2000s. After the U.S. government forced him back to Canada in 2009, he is thought to have played a role in the killings of Rizzuto clan members. In November 2011, Montagna’s body was pulled from a frigid river north of Montreal. A man alleged to be a close associate of Vito Rizzuto was charged with murder.

Have you ever wondered which cities have the most bars, smokers, absentee workers and people searching for love? What about how Canada compares to the world in terms of the size of its military, the size of our houses and the number of cars we own? The nswers to all those questions, and many more, can be found in the first ever Maclean’s Book of Lists.

Buy your copy of the Maclean’s Book of Lists at the newsstand or order online now.

7 surprising facts about poutine

By Blog of Lists - Wednesday, August 15, 2012 at 2:25 PM - 0 Comments

Darren Calabrese/CP Images

To the uninitiated, it looks like nothing more than a steaming pile of fries, gravy and half-melted cheese curds. But in Canada, the signature dish of Quebec is a point of culinary pride. (And sometimes intrigue. What better alias to figure in a political scandal than Pierre Poutine of “robocall” fame?) More than half a century after it first appeared in rural Quebec, restaurants across the country are providing new spins on the iconic dish, throwing maple syrup, pulled pork and even lobster into the mix.

Here are seven facts about poutine you probably didn’t know:

1. It is widely accepted that poutine was invented in 1957 when a trucker asked Fernand Lachance to add cheese curds to his fries in Warwick, Que.

2. “Poutine” is Quebec slang for “a mess.”

3. The average male would have to jog 2.5 hours to burn off the 1,422 calories contained in the country-style poutine (bacon, chicken, gravy, fries, onions and mushrooms) available nationwide through Smoke’s Poutinerie.

4. In 1970s New York and New Jersey, poutine was served as a late-night side dish at clubs. They called
it “disco fries.”

5. At a 2010 poutine-eating contest in Toronto, the winner, Pat “Deep Dish” Bertoletti of Chicago (pictured above) ate 5.9 kg of poutine.

6. The largest poutine in the world was made in Saguenay, Que., and weighed 654 kg—about as much as a large horse.

7. Considered the most expensive poutine in Montreal, the poutine au foie gras is available for $23 at Au Pied de Cochon

See also: 12 foods Canada has given the world (besides poutine)

Sources: Restaurants; news reports; Livestrong.com

Have you ever wondered which cities have the most bars, smokers, absentee workers and people searching for love? What about how Canada compares to the world in terms of the size of its military, the size of our houses and the number of cars we own? The nswers to all those questions, and many more, can be found in the first ever Maclean’s Book of Lists.

Buy your copy of the Maclean’s Book of Lists at the newsstand or order online now.

Canada’s 10 most trusted brands

By Blog of Lists - Tuesday, August 14, 2012 at 9:40 AM - 0 Comments

abdallah/Flickr

Dollars (at least in Canadian Tire money) to doughnuts, these companies enjoy the strongest reputations among Canadian consumers:*

1. Jean Coutu Group (pharmacies)

2. Tim Hortons

3. Shoppers Drug Mart

4. WestJet

5. Research In Motion

6. Bombardier

7. Yellow Pages

8. Alimentation Couche-Tard (convenience stores)

9. Canadian Tire

10. Saputo

*From a survey of consumer attitudes toward companies based on, among other things, their corporate citizenship, leadership, performance, and products and services.
Source: Canadian Business (2011)

Have you ever wondered which cities have the most bars, smokers, absentee workers and people searching for love? What about how Canada compares to the world in terms of the size of its military, the size of our houses and the number of cars we own? The nswers to all those questions, and many more, can be found in the first ever Maclean’s Book of Lists.

Buy your copy of the Maclean’s Book of Lists at the newsstand or order online now.

8 Canadians more famous abroad than here

By Blog of Lists - Monday, August 13, 2012 at 6:34 AM - 0 Comments

Dashan, a.k.a. Mark Roswell, is a celebrity in China (HO)

1. Jack Cowin: Known as the father of fast food in Australia, the Windsor, Ont.-born businessman is one of the richest men Down Under. After moving there in 1969, he rolled out Australia’s first Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant and today controls a food service and manufacturing empire employing 17,000 people.

2. Mark Rowswell: Born in Ottawa, Rowswell is the most popular Westerner in China, where he is known as Dashan, thanks to his fluency in Mandarin and understanding of the culture. In 2012, Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed Rowswell as Canada’s goodwill ambassador to China.

3. Kathleen Reiter: The Montreal-born woman had only lived in Israel for a few days in the fall of 2011 when she auditioned for that country’s version of The Voice, a TV song competition. In April 2012 she walked away as the winner and is now swarmed whenever she’s on the streets in Tel Aviv.

4. David Altmejd: He grew up in Montreal but moved to New York in 1999 where he’s gained fame for his fantastical sculptures.

5. Rob Stewart: Born in Toronto, Stewart starred as investigator Nick Slaughter in the Canadian TV show Sweating Bullets, which aired in the early 1990s. Though little known in Canada, Stewart and his alter ego Slaughter are cult heroes in Serbia, where the show is called Tropical Heat.

6. Mozhdah Jamalzadah: The Vancouver-raised actress was the “Oprah of Afghanistan.” Her show The Mozhdah Show explored women’s issues usually not talked about on TV, if at all. She was often mobbed on the streets of Kabul.

7. Joe Ruelle: Born in Terrace, B.C., Ruelle is an author and blogger who writes in Vietnamese. His mastery of the Vietnamese language
has vaulted him into the world of celebrity. Also known as Dâu Tây, which translates to “Berry from the West,” he has parlayed his blog
into a career in television, film and publishing.

8. Andrew Bonar Law: He’s long since gone, but after being born in New Brunswick in 1858, Law went to live with Scottish relatives at the age of 12. He entered politics in 1900 and would eventually become prime minister, the only one born outside the British Isles. (Okay, many Brits might not remember him either—he only held the office for 209 days in 1922-23 before resigning due to ill health.)

Sources: University of Western Ontario; news sources; No. 10 Downing Street

Have you ever wondered which cities have the most bars, smokers, absentee workers and people searching for love? What about how Canada compares to the world in terms of the size of its military, the size of our houses and the number of cars we own? The nswers to all those questions, and many more, can be found in the first ever Maclean’s Book of Lists.

Buy your copy of the Maclean’s Book of Lists at the newsstand or order online now.

8 oddball Canadian festivals

By Blog of Lists - Sunday, August 12, 2012 at 8:50 AM - 0 Comments

David Buzzard/Marketwire Photo

1. Giant Omelette Get-Together (Granby, Que., June): In a celebration of the area’s French heritage, chefs from the region gather to cook a massive omelette—containing up to 5,000 eggs—over an enormous fire.

2. Elvis Festival (Collingwood, Ont., July): For 18 years, people have travelled to Collingwood to celebrate all things Elvis Presley. What special link exists between Collingwood and the King? None, really. That has never stopped the more than 100 professional and amateur Elvis impersonators who take part, or the crowds who come to see them curl their lips.

3. Accordion Extravaganza (Edmonton, September): Billed as “Alberta’s largest accordion festival,” the annual event attracts enthusiasts from across North America who come to perform and listen.

4. Pingfest (Halifax, usually four times a year): Ignore the name—no one is quite sure where it originated—but if you’re a fan of the long-running British TV show Coronation Street, this is the festival for you, offering “food, games, showings of Corrie material, and discussions of current and sometimes future storylines.”

5. Canadian Cheese Rolling Festival (Whistler, B.C., August): If you love cheese and running, this festival has it all. A five-kilogram wheel of cheese is rolled down a hill with contestants in tow. Whoever catches the cheese gets to keep it, and wins two season passes to Whistler Blackcomb.

6. World Championship Bathtub Race (Nanaimo, B.C., July): Evolving out of the first-ever bathtub race in Nanaimo in 1967, racers in their custom-made bathtubs motor out of Nanaimo harbour on a 58-km course before finishing in Departure Bay.

7. Icelandic Festival of Manitoba (Gimli, Man., August): Or as they’d say in Iceland, Islendingadagurinn. The festival, in its 123rd year, includes Viking warfare demonstrations and the naming of the Fjallkonur (maid of the mountain).

8. Shag Harbour UFO Festival (Shag Harbour, N.S., August): In 1967 a UFO crashed here. Or so some locals believe. Visitors can tour the UFO museum, head out to the crash site by boat, and meet with residents who witnessed the event.

Sources: Canadian Space Agency, Mike Dixon
Have you ever wondered which cities have the most bars, smokers, absentee workers and people searching for love? What about how Canada compares to the world in terms of the size of its military, the size of our houses and the number of cars we own? The nswers to all those questions, and many more, can be found in the first ever Maclean’s Book of Lists.

Buy your copy of the Maclean’s Book of Lists at the newsstand or order online now.

5 most challenging hiking trails in Canada

By Blog of Lists - Friday, August 10, 2012 at 8:45 AM - 0 Comments

James L. Stanfield/Getty Images

1. Canol Heritage Trail, N.W.T.: 350 km from the Yukon-Northwest Territories border to Norman Wells. At least 20 days for the full trail. Why go? Because this is one of the most remote and wilderness-filled experiences Canada offers.

2. West Coast Trail, B.C.: 75 km on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Up to seven days to complete. Why do it? To experience the diverse wildlife and sleep by the ocean.

3. Tombstone Territorial Park, Yukon: about 75 km, depending on the length of different hikes. Eight days to complete. Why up there? Because you start the hike with a helicopter ride. And this mountain range is “Beringia,” an area extending as far as Siberia that escaped the glacial scarring of the last ice age.

4. Pukaskwa National Park coastal hiking trail, Ont.: 60 km along Lake Superior’s shore. Takes five to seven days to complete. Why go? The trail offers the best chance to experience Ontario’s wild boreal forest, though watch out for the bears and wolves.

5. Sunshine Village, Alta., to Mt. Assiniboine, B.C.: 56 km. Roughly six days to complete. Why go? This spot is only accessible on foot or by helicopter and is renowned for its stunning views and opportunity to see wildlife, including mountain goats, bighorn sheep, elk and deer.

Have you ever wondered which cities have the most bars, smokers, absentee workers and people searching for love? What about how Canada compares to the world in terms of the size of its military, the size of our houses and the number of cars we own? The nswers to all those questions, and many more, can be found in the first ever Maclean’s Book of Lists.

Buy your copy of the Maclean’s Book of Lists at the newsstand or order online now.

5 Canadian space inventions (that aren’t the Canadarm)

By Blog of Lists - Tuesday, August 7, 2012 at 9:09 AM - 0 Comments

Mike Dixon, students from Chris Hadfield school, & astronaut Robert Thirsk plant tomatoes with seeds that have been in space (CSA photo)

The Canadarm, which made its debut in 1981 and was retired last year is, without a doubt, one of the most famous robots ever in space. But while Canada’s space program has become synonymous with this giant grappler, researchers here have contributed to space science in all sorts of ways.

1. Greenhouses in space: At the University of Guelph, Mike Dixon and his team are working on “biological life support”—systems that will help sustain long-term human exploration to distant planets. “Canada currently leads the world in research and technology development in this field,” says Dixon, director of Guelph’s Controlled Environment Systems Research Facility, where they’re finding ways to grow plants inside greenhouses with techniques that could one day allow us to grow crops on the moon or Mars.

2. Space vision system: Conditions in space can switch from extreme dark to brightness, making it hard for astronauts to gauge distance and speed with eyesight alone. The Canadian Space Vision System, which was first thought up about three decades ago, uses TV cameras as sensors to help astronauts see better, giving information about a specific target so they have an easier time locating it, and helping the Canadarm and Canadarm2 do their work.

3. Microgravity isolation mount: When astronauts attempt to do science experiments in space, they can find their results bungled by tiny disturbances in microgravity caused by on-board equipment like fans and thrusters, or even the movement of the astronauts themselves. To make it easier, Canadians developed the microgravity isolation mount, which uses magnetic levitation to protect fragile experiments from the spacecraft’s vibrations. It was first launched into space in 1996.

4. STEM antenna: Invented by Canadian inventor George J. Klein, the STEM antenna (short for “storable tubular extendible member”) looks like a roll of tightly coiled steel, like a large measuring tape. Once it’s in space, the roll can be unwound with a small motor into a strong tube to become an antenna. When Canada’s first satellite, Alouette I, was launched in 1962, it carried four STEM antennae; the design was also used on Mercury and Gemini spacecraft that brought the first Americans into space.

5. Landing gear on the Apollo lunar module: Using a landing system designed by Canada’s Héroux-Devtek, the Apollo lunar module was the first vehicle to take humans to another surface beyond Earth. Facing a tight timeline in the space race between the U.S. and Russia, Héroux-Devtek produced the landing gear systems used in all six moon landings; their hardware can still be found on the moon today.

Sources: Canadian Space Agency, Mike Dixon
Have you ever wondered which cities have the most bars, smokers, absentee workers and people searching for love? What about how Canada compares to the world in terms of the size of its military, the size of our houses and the number of cars we own? The nswers to all those questions, and many more, can be found in the first ever Maclean’s Book of Lists.

Buy your copy of the Maclean’s Book of Lists at the newsstand or order online now.

12 foods Canada has given the world (besides poutine)

By Blog of Lists - Friday, August 3, 2012 at 11:19 AM - 0 Comments

Home made pea soup! (Sheryl Nadler/CP Images)

1. Butter tarts: It’s true! Butter tarts are Canadian through and through. In fact, these crumbly, almost shortbread-like pastry shells—oozing with butter, sugar, syrup and eggs—date back to the early 1600s, when they provided sweet sustenance for our pioneers. There’s a great deal of variation today—some bakers add raisins, others pecans—but it’s safe to say they’d all satisfy the most discerning sweet tooth.

2. BeaverTails: Even Barack Obama stopped for one when he visited our nation’s capital in 2009. The Ottawa-based company that came up with the idea of hand stretching pastry shaped like beaver tails, then frying it and topping it with sweet confections like whipped cream and berries, has been dishing out their treats since 1980.

3. Nanaimo bars: It’s no wonder these ultra-sweet bars consisting of a chocolate top layer and a wafer-crumb base, which perfectly sandwiches a custard-
flavoured centre, have fairly contested origins. But since the late 1950s, Nanaimo bars have become staples at every bake sale, not only in British Columbia but across the country.

4. Fish and brewis: The Italians can keep their baccalà, and the Portuguese can have their bacalhau. We
prefer our salt cod to be served along hard tack (hard bread, soaked overnight in water) and scrunchions (fried bits of salted pork fat), thank you very much. The traditional Newfoundland dish, which was probably created by sailors who needed good sustenance out at sea, differs from door to door, but it’s always certain to fill you up.

5. Figgy duff: There are many variations of this Newfoundland boiled pudding, but most contain flour, butter, sugar, molasses and raisins, which used to commonly be referred to as figs on the Rock. So its name fits, sort of. Coincidentally, figgy duff bears a striking resemblance to another of the world’s funniest-named sweets, the British spotted dick.

6. Canadian bacon: We call it peameal bacon but the rest of the world lovingly refers to it as Canadian. And here’s the thing: it’s just lean, boneless pork loin that’s been brined and rolled in finely ground cornmeal (years ago, it would have been peameal).

7. Tourtière: This traditional Québécois double-crusted meat pie may be traditionally served at Christmas, but there’s a good chance French Canadians eat it all year long. While they can be packed with a combination of pork, veal and beef,
in Montreal tourtière is usually made with only
pork—finely ground—and seasoned with cinnamon and cloves, and served with ketchup. Comfort
food personified.

8. Saskatoon berry pie: Many a Prairie native has childhood memories of filling pails with these sweet, fleshy-fruited berries to fill double-crusted golden pies. And even though the shrubs that bear them are grown from western Ontario to British Columbia and the Yukon, they’re especially dear to the people who live in the city that shares the berry’s name.

9. McCain’s french fries: We may not have invented the humble french fry, but Canadian-owned and operated McCain’s has been making frites for more than 50 years. At last count the company, the world’s largest producer of french fries, was dishing out
more than 20 products.

10. Maple syrup: Not only has one of our most beloved chefs, Montreal’s Martin Picard, dedicated a 386-page cookbook to the boiled-down sap—first collected by Aboriginal peoples of North America—but our nation produces a whopping 85 per cent of the world’s supply.

11. Split pea soup: The Oxford Companion to Food says this Québécois, rib-sticking delight with a base of dried yellow split peas and a ham bone, or smoked ham hock, is probably our best-known food export.

Sources: Oxford Dictionary of Food, Canadian Oxford Dictionary, food and company websites

Have you ever wondered which cities have the most bars, smokers, absentee workers and people searching for love? What about how Canada compares to the world in terms of the size of its military, the size of our houses and the number of cars we own? The nswers to all those questions, and many more, can be found in the first ever Maclean’s Book of Lists.

Buy your copy of the Maclean’s Book of Lists at the newsstand or order online now.

7 things that we might not miss from the ancient Olympics

By Jessica Allen - Thursday, August 2, 2012 at 6:58 PM - 0 Comments

The former Olympic stadium in Olympia (Sean Gallup/Getty)

The first Olympic games held back in 753 BCE in Olympia, Greece lasted a single day and featured one event: a short sprint. But over the next 1,147 years–making those games the longest-running recurring event in antiquity–they grew to five days long and more events were added. Think wrestling, boxing, long jump and throwing of the javelin and discus.

Today, some things remain the same: for example, the summer and winter games respectively are held every four years (the ancient Games didn’t make the seasonal distinction, though) and athletes are still strictly forbidden, as far as I know, to cast spells against their opponents. But for the most part, the modern Games have evolved into a different event all together. Here are eight of the biggest differences.

Continue…

Canada’s fittest, and fattest regions

By Blog of Lists - Wednesday, August 1, 2012 at 2:28 PM - 0 Comments

Chuck Stoody/CP Photo

Amid the excitement over Canada’s first four medals going to Quebec based athletes, we wondered just how regional an issue fitness is in Canada.

Here, then, are the 10 fittest regions, by percentage of the population overweight or obese:

1. Vancouver Health Authority 35.0%
2. Toronto Central Health Integration Network 39.3
3. Fraser Health Authority, B.C. (incl. Burnaby and Surrey) 43.9
4. City of Toronto Health Unit 44.5
5. York Regional Health Unit, Ont. (includes Newmarket) 45.2
6. Central Health Integration Network, Ont. (incl. Newmarket and Richmond Hill) 45.6
7. Région de la Capitale-Nationale (incl. Gatineau) 46.7
8. Calgary Health Region 48.2
9. Calgary Zone 48.2
10. Région de la Mauricie et du Centre-du-Québec, Que. (incl. Drummondville) 48.2

And, the least fit regions, again, by by percentage of the population overweight or obese:

1. Burntwood/Churchill, Man. 73.4%
2. Colchester East Hants/Cumberland, N.S. 71.3
3. South Shore/South West Nova, N.S. (incl. Yarmouth) 70.2
4. Prince Albert Parkland Regional Health Authority, Sask. 69.9
5. Nor-Man Regional Health Authority, Man. (incl. Flin Flon) 68.6
6. Prairie North Regional Health Authority, Sask. (incl. North Battleford) 68.5
7. Interlake Regional Health Authority, Man. (incl. Gimli) 68.4
8. Kelsey Trail Regional Health Authority, Sask. (incl. Melfort) 68.3
9. Central Regional Integrated Health Authority, Nfld. (incl. Grand Falls-Windsor) 68.1
10. Sunrise Regional Health Authority, Sask. (incl. Yorkton) 68.1

Note: Because of how the data is collected, there can be overlap between the regions; names are those given
Source: Statistics Canada (2010)

Have you ever wondered which cities have the most bars, smokers, absentee workers and people searching for love? What about how Canada compares to the world in terms of the size of its military, the size of our houses and the number of cars we own? The nswers to all those questions, and many more, can be found in the first ever Maclean’s Book of Lists.

Buy your copy of the Maclean’s Book of Lists at the newsstand or order online now.

Top Canadian TV draws, Olympic and otherwise

By Blog of Lists - Tuesday, July 31, 2012 at 3:04 PM - 0 Comments

Ezra Shaw/AP Photo

It’s become almost legend that when Paul Henderson scored his epic goal against the Soviets in 1972, 18 million Canadians were glued to their TVs. It’s also a myth. The real number of viewers was around 4.3 million, which is paltry compared to the number of people that broadcasters claim tuned in for these events:

1. Olympic men’s hockey gold medal game, Feb. 28, 2010: 16.7 million

2. London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony, Jul. 27, 2012: 16.6 million

3. IIHF world junior championship gold medal game  Jan. 5, 2011: 14.2 million

4. Vancouver Olympics opening ceremony, Feb. 12, 2010: 13.3 million

5. William and Kate’s royal wedding, April 29, 2011: 12 million

6. Olympic men’s hockey gold medal game, Feb. 28, 2002: 10.3 million

7. Game 7 of the Stanley Cup playoffs—Boston vs. Vancouver, June 15, 2011: 8.6 million

8. Super Bowl XLVI New York Giants vs. New England Patriots, Feb. 5, 2012: 8.2 million

Have you ever wondered which cities have the most bars, smokers, absentee workers and people searching for love? What about how Canada compares to the world in terms of the size of its military, the size of our houses and the number of cars we own? The nswers to all those questions, and many more, can be found in the first ever Maclean’s Book of Lists.

Buy your copy of the Maclean’s Book of Lists at the newsstand or order online now.

9 ways Twitter has made news @London2012

By Blog of Lists - Monday, July 30, 2012 at 5:36 PM - 0 Comments

Swimmer Rebecca Adlington has been a victim of Twitter trolls (Mark J. Terrill/AP Photo)

1. #NBCfail
NBC stands by its decision to use tape-delay to present the Games to its domestic audience, though the move is out of synch with online media’s speedy delivery of results. NBC’s prime-time-over-real-time policy has been among the most-discussed topics so far at what have often (wrongly) been called “the first social media Olympics,” with the hashtag #NBCfail trending on Twitter through much of the weekend.

2. Athletes expelled for racist tweets
So far two athletes have lost the privilege of competing at the XXX Olympiad for racially charged comments made on Twitter. Greek triple-jumper Paraskevi Papachristou was forced to withdraw before the games for a joke she made at the expense of African immigrants in Greece. And Swiss soccer player Michel Morganella was expelled for violent, demeaning comments about South Koreans after South Korea defeated Switzerland in a match.

3. Bike race results glitches
Officials blamed mobile users updating social media for choking up bandwidth during the men’s road race. The Olympic Broadcasting Services depends for its race updates on GPS data that was apparently affected by the audience’s participatory approach to watching the event.

4. Aidan Burley smackdown
UK Conservative MP Aidan Burley thought the opening ceremonies were “leftie multicultural crap” and said so on Twitter. Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron strongly disagreed with his MP, calling Burley’s comments “idiotic.”

5. Rule 40 rebellion
A number of athletes, including Dawn Harper, who won gold in the women’s 100 metre-hurdles in Beijing, have taken to Twitter to object to the IOC’s strict sponsorship rules. These rules prevent athletes endorsing sponsors, other than the eleven officially approved mega-sponsors of the Games themselves.

6. Diver Tom Daley’s troll
Vying for the bronze for least classy tweet of the Games is the one that scolded Great Britain diving hopeful Tom Daley for finishing out of the medals. “You let your dad down i hope you know that” read one tweet, referring to Daley’s father, who died last year of brain cancer. A seventeen year old man has since been arrested on suspicion of ‘malicious communications.’

7. Journalist Guy Adams’ Twitter suspension
While #NBCfail was wildly popular over the weekend, and enjoyed by many, British correspondent Guy Adams of The Independent got in trouble after piling on. Twitter apparently suspended his account after he posted the email address of NBC executive Gary Zenkel. Twitter has a partnership with NBC Sports.

8. Swimmer Rebecca Adlington’s undeserved abuse
Beloved homespun British swimmer Becky Adlington saw her star rise rapidly after winning double gold in Beijing. But she wasn’t prepared for celebrity, and has admitted to being dismayed by negativity directed her way. Comedian Frankie Boyle has been her most public detractor, recently tweeting that she had an advantage in the pool because she looked like dolphin. Adlington may have missed that, after quitting Twitter during the Olympics to avoid abuse.

9. Conan O’Brien taking a shot at shot-putter Holley Mangold
On this side of the pond, another top female competitor, American shot-putter Holley Mangold, was the target of a Tweet in poor taste from another comedian, Conan O’Brien: “I predict 350 lb. weight lifter Holley Mangold will bring home the gold and 4 guys against their will.”

Have you ever wondered which cities have the most bars, smokers, absentee workers and people searching for love? What about how Canada compares to the world in terms of the size of its military, the size of our houses and the number of cars we own? The nswers to all those questions, and many more, can be found in the first ever Maclean’s Book of Lists.

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Canada’s 6 sexiest athletes

By Blog of Lists - Friday, July 27, 2012 at 3:45 PM - 0 Comments

1. Adam van Koeverden, 20, kayak

2. Sheldon Souray, 35, hockey

3. Tessa Bonhomme, 26, hockey

4. Ashleigh McIvor, 28, ski cross

5. Cristy Nurse, 25, rowing

6. Heather Moyse, 33, bobsled/rugby

Source: Sportsnet magazine

Have you ever wondered which cities have the most bars, smokers, absentee workers and people searching for love? What about how Canada compares to the world in terms of the size of its military, the size of our houses and the number of cars we own? The nswers to all those questions, and many more, can be found in the first ever Maclean’s Book of Lists.

Buy your copy of the Maclean’s Book of Lists at the newsstand or order online now.