Reporter Charles McGrath, writing in the New York Times, and looking at the Canadian program to “Own The Podium” at Vancouver 2010 (which he calls somewhat unCanadian in its naked ambition for success) makes an interesting observation about the Canuck reputation for niceness and its contrast with the sport of hockey (the Times insists, in charmingly American fashion, on calling it “ice hockey”):
Ice hockey … has always been the great exception to the national culture of modesty, civility and pacifism. The game, especially the way the Canadians play it, is rugged and antagonistic, and may be the escape valve that makes Canadian niceness possible.
Now, I’m not sure I agree. Frankly, I like to think of myself (don’t we all) as typically nice and easy-going. Perhaps that’s more because I’m a Libra than a Canadian? But I just couldn’t care less about hockey — and partly, that’s because I find the violent culture that surrounds it takes away from the game.
But it’s an intriguing thought: hockey as the great national escape valve.
What do you think?
Grant Hamilton
One Response to “Why are Canadians so nice?”
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I think niceness or jerkiness is relative. When you somehow manage to have the bar set low that way, you find something an American wouldn’t think twice of as being incredibly awful.
Somehow we managed to build a more civil society and discourse — probably through the mechanisms of our government through our history. Probably through things like medicare (done back in the day before insurance corporations managed to get their talons inextricably sunk into the process) also. I think you can make a case for this in noting that Canadians generally seem to be more brash, boastful, impatient and mean-spirited lately (coinciding with our current Prime Minister, whose approach to political discourse needs no repeating here)
People are creatures of habit – once they make a habit out of being civil it’s easier to keep it going. I don’t really find hockey much of an escape valve since I (and a lot of people) don’t play it.