Whoever coined the well-worn phrase "To know me is to love me," certainly wasn't speaking on behalf of our home and native land.
Because while hundreds of thousands of Winnipeggers and millions of other Canadians have no shortage of love for their country, they've been far less affectionate toward its history books.
The revelation that Canucks are painfully ignorant of their homeland's background has come out -- fittingly, on Canada Day -- through the Dominion Institute's latest cross-country quiz.
And the embarrassing result -- only 23% passed by correctly answering at least eight of 15 questions -- was borne out at The Forks yesterday, where many of the thousands on hand for the all-day party showed a historical prowess that fell far short of their patriotism.
"That is so bad," said 15-year-old Alicia Olive, when told about the survey's less-than-stellar results.
While the Kelvin High School student was unable to identify Western Canada's first permanent European colony -- the Red River Settlement, now the Winnipeg area -- her friend Tanya Loeppky hadn't a clue who scored Canada's biggest-ever hockey goal, Paul Henderson's marker in the 1972 Canada-Russia Summit Series.
BLAME THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
"It's basically the school's fault," said Loeppky, who was quick to point out why younger Canadians quizzed fell way behind the 55-plus crowd, one-third of whom passed.
"They're older -- they were there when most of the history was taking place," explained the 15-year-old.
Olive agreed: "We haven't had Canadian history in, like, a year."
Gerry Lane, 45, fared somewhat better in The Sun's informal study. He at least knew that the Battle of the Plains of Abraham "was something about the English and French."
But he was less certain about the time and location of the pivotal Quebec conflict, thinking the 1759 battle raged "somewhere in Eastern Canada" during the 1600s.
LEARNED WATCHING JEOPARDY
Mirroring the national poll's results, 76-year-old Paul Erb showed the strength of his demographic with a solid comprehension of Canadiana that wife Anni said has been honed through hours of watching TV's Jeopardy.
Not only did Erb know Henderson's claim to fame, but he accurately fingered Jacques Cartier as the explorer who claimed the St. Lawrence River region for France.
Though Quebecers scored the lowest in the Dominion Institute survey, Ludovic Glorieux and his two pals, aged 17 and 18, from Montreal's South Shore were at The Forks on a mission "to discover Canada" by cycling coast to coast.
Philippe Lombart and Pierre Olivier said short memories are to blame for Canadians' shortage of national knowledge.
"You learn it in school, but people don't think it's important to remember," said Lombart. "It's history -- they just forget about it."
Lane, however, said Canadians' notorious reluctance to promote their country may be responsible.
"We burst on the inside with pride," he said, explaining the difference between us and our U.S. neighbours. "They burst on the outside."
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