The great outdoors

Plenty of Canadians still have the adventurous, pioneer spirit that built the country. People go canoeing down the 4,200 km of the Mackenzie River, which flows into the Arctic Ocean, or Whitewater rafting through the Fraser River Canyon in British Columbia. Some even go kayaking among the whales and icebergs up the west coast to Alaska.

With so much winter, it is not surprising that Canadians are good at winter sports. Champions such as Kate Pace and Rob Boyd have reached the top of international skiing. Resorts like Whistler and Lake Louise attract skiers from Europe and Japan. Ice hockey (simply called hockey) is so popular it is more of a religion than a sport.

1. How do Canadians prepare for winter?

2. Have you ever felt really cold? What is the coldest place you have ever been to? Tell your partner about your experiences.

Task VIII. Read the text "Keeping the Peace". Answer the questions.

1. Why were the Mounties formed?

2. Do you have any special police forces in your own country?

The Royal Canadian mounted police are a symbol of Canada and the heroes of hundreds of adventure stories. The force was created in 1873 to restore law and order on the Prairies. The Mounties, as they came to be known, did such a good job, they were made permanent and exist today in western Canadian communities that have no local police force.

Robert Service was a Scottish poet who spent sixteen years in Canada. This is part of his poem about the Mounties called Clancy of the Mounted Police.

In the little Crimson Manual* it's written plain and clear

That who would wear the scarlet coat shall say good-bye to fear;

Shall be a guardian of the right, a sleuth-hound of the trail-

In the little Crimson Manual there's no such word as fail'-

Shall follow on though heavens fall, or hell's top-turrets freeze,

Half round the world, if need there be, on bleeding hands and knees.

It's duty, duty first and last, the crimson manual saith;

The Scarlet Rider makes reply: "it's duty to the death".

* The Crimson Manual is the rule book of the royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Task IX. What do you know about population of Canada? Where is it mostly concentrated? What do you know about its culture?

Task X. Read the text, answer the questions:

1. Why have so many Quebecois voted to separate from the rest of Canada?

2. What do you think would happen if Canada was divided up into different countries?

3. What words of French origin do you know which now belong to Canadianisms?

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