This Super Bowl commercial from Budweiser Canada features two recreational league hockey teams in Port Credit, Ontario. No, it’s not an original idea, but it is done well in this instance. The ad will not be broadcast in the U.S. so we have to show it to you here. -via Buzzfeed

Martin Reisch said Tuesday a slightly annoyed U.S. border officer let him cross into the United States from Quebec after he presented a scanned copy of his passport on his Apple iPad. Reisch was a half hour from the border when he decided to try to gain entry rather than turn back and make a two-hour trek back home to Montreal to fetch his passport.

He told the officer he was heading to the U.S. to drop off Christmas gifts for his friend’s kids. He said that true story, the scanned passport and his driver’s license helped him get through last week.

He said the officer seemed mildly annoyed when he handed him the iPad.

“I thought I’d at least give it a try,” Reisch said. “He took the iPad into the little border hut. He was in there a good five, six minutes. It seemed like an eternity. When he came back he took a good long pause before wishing me a Merry Christmas.”

Reisch was able to re-enter Canada on his way home using the same method. Link -via Fark

(Image credit: Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press)

Update: U.S. Customs denies it happened. Link

The Bank of Canada will begin issuing new, plastic, $100 bills.

In a statement, the Bank of Canada said that the new notes will last twice as long as paper money and will also be recycled, which makes them generally greener… There are also two transparent windows on the note — one small one depicts a frosted maple leaf, the other extends the height of the bill, and has a copy of the portrait toward the top of the window, and an image of a building at the bottom. If you move the bill the colors of the building will change a lot, while the color changes on the portrait are more subtle.

The video highlights the relevant features , which were all created in an attempt to make the bills impossible to counterfeit.  The degree to which they will be foldable, stackable, washable etc. remains to be determined.

Link.

Paying with plastic? That doesn't mean putting the bill on a credit card anymore. You see, with the new Canadian polymer bills, paying with cash IS paying with plastic.

The Globe and Mail reports what a focus group said about Canada's new $100 bill. I'm tickled with the bit about Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden's mustache:

7. Some respondents felt that Mr. Borden's moustache was poorly groomed. Some of the former prime minister's whiskers fall well below his upper lip in the Bank of Canada's final version of the $100 polymer bill.

8. One focus group in Vancouver thought the double-helix DNA strand on the new $100 bill looked like sex beads, while others saw the Big Dipper.

9. Some groups compared the bills to "Monopoly money," noting the polymer they're made out of felt less real than paper money.

Canada is not the first, actually - polymer notes have been around since the 1990s (Australia was the first country)

Link

Neither albino nor polar bear, the spirit bear (also known as the Kermode bear) is a white variant of the North American black bear, and it’s found almost exclusively here in the Great Bear Rainforest. At 25,000 square miles—one and a half times as big as Switzerland—the region runs 250 miles down Canada’s western coast and encompasses a vast network of mist-shrouded fjords, densely forested islands, and glacier-capped mountains. Grizzlies, black bears, wolves, wolverines, humpback whales, and orcas thrive along a coast that has been home to First Nations like the Gitga’at for hundreds of generations. It’s a spooky, wild, mysterious place: There are wolves here that fish. Deer that swim. Western red cedar trees that have stood a thousand years or more. And a black bear that is white.

There’s also a related photo gallery at NatGeo. Link

(Image credit: Paul Nicklen)

Canada Day (Fête du Canada) celebrates the formation of Canada on July first, 1867. The holiday was once known as Dominion Day, but was changed after Canada gained full independence from Britain in 1982. You can learn more about the holiday at Wikipedia. Canadian Heritage has information about the celebrations in Ottawa and other parts of the country. Link -via the Presurfer

(Image credit: Flickr member Lone Primate)

Winters are quite cold in Yellowknife, the capital town of Canada’s Northwest Territories. YouTube user samantha683 instantly froze boiling water by tossing it into the -30° C air.

via Gizmodo

Have any of you been to the town of Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha! lately? It’s in Quebec. Link

The 26-year-old northern Canadian magazine, Up Here, has published its first swimsuit issue to draw attention to climate change.

Its latest edition, out this week, features 10 swimsuit-clad women posing in threatened northern landscapes such as burnt-out forests and melting icescapes.

Why swimsuits?

"When you want to get attention in a room full of people talking, you tend to yell," writes Tim Querengesser on Up Here’s blog. "So, when we decided to dedicate an entire issue to climate change in the North…we knew we’d have to yell to be heard above the already deafening howl."

Link | Up Here magazine post, where sadly there’s no more details on the swimsuit edition

It was on this date in 1867 that Canada was officially born when the Constitution Act joined three provinces into one country: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Canada province, which then split into Ontario and Quebec. It took a long time for the holiday to be recognized nationwide, first as Dominion Day and now as Canada Day. Many Canada Day events are planned in Vancouver, Ottawa, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, Victoria, and communities all over the country. Even Queen Elizabeth showed up for the party! For more information, see the official Canada Day website. Link -Thanks, Lauren!

(Image credit: Flickr user Lone Primate)

“He was found under his boat in a very distressed state, so essentially he was stranded for a number of days and just desperate for people to know where he was,” SaskPower spokesman James Parker said.

The man reported he had been on a boat on the lake when he hit bad weather. He ended up stranded in the bush, with no way to communicate with the outside world, Parker said.

But he had an axe and he knew SaskPower would have to check the downed line, so he went to work.

“Essentially it was mission accomplished, because we got the call, we chartered a helicopter … and on Friday around noon we discovered him,” Parker said.

Link -via Fark

Take a look at a dozen of the most beautiful castles in Canada. Some are government buildings, some were built to attract tourists, and some are private creations by some of Canada’s wealthiest citizens. Best of all, some are open to the public, so you can go see them for yourself! Shown is Château Frontenac in Quebec City.

Link

(image credit: Bernard Gagnon)

From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by hemlcok.

Mental_floss has posted plenty of quizzes about US geography, but Canadians will have an edge in today’s Lunchtime Quiz. How well do you know Canadian geography? I scored 70%, not bad for someone who has never been to Canada. Link

This chart from the utility company EPCOR contrasts water consumption in Edmonton, Alberta on two different days. February 27th is charted to show a normal day. February 28th was the day Canada won the Olympic gold medal hockey game. As you can see, a huge percentage of their customers waited for breaks in the game to “go”. Link -via reddit

The lynx is a large cat – weighing up to 30 pounds and reaching 26 inches in height – that roams forests of the northern United States and Canada. And take it from a Canadian – downhiller Manuel Osborne-Paradis – the lynx is no cuddly outdoor friend when you’re speeding down an icy slope at 70 mph.

“Get out of the way,” he said. “Oh, wow. You do not want to get close to that.”

The downhill session was already on hold because of fog, and no skiers linked with lynx. Still, officials issued a warning over the race radio in case someone was on the course. The lynx had its own agenda and hopped over the barriers lining the perimeter to retreat to the forest.

Link -via Digg

(image credit: AP/Gero Breloer)

Sure, you know some famous Canadians, but those people you know aren’t on this Lunchtime Quiz at mental_floss. You’ll be given fifteen names, and you determine if those people were born in Cnada or not. It’s harder than you think! I scored 73% (11 out of 15), but I would have done better if I knew who all these celebrities were. Link

The Olympic Torch arrives in Vancouver tonight for the opening ceremonies of the 21st Winter Games. On its way through Canada, it rode on skates, sleds, snowmobiles, boats, wheels, and even a snowboard. One torchbearer even received a marriage proposal while she was carrying the Olympic flame! The Big Picture shows what the journey is like in a series of photographs. Link

(image credit: VANOC/COVAN, Lorenzo Negri with IMF)

How do you drink from plastic bags? Sheryl from Pinc Stuff explains in this short YouTube video clip over at TYWKIWDBI: Link

Crazy, eh?

Previously on Neatorama: Beer in a bag

Music by Serge Chubinski-Orlov, with vocals by Linda Ganzin. The beautiful time lapse video is a collaboration between the Innerlife Project and TimeLapseHD. Link -via Nag on the Lake

After departing Athens, Greece on October 30th, the Olympic Flame has been traveling across Canada, now about 1/3 of the way into its 106-day, 26,000 km overland relay (another 18,000 km by air). Over 12,000 torch-bearers will carry the flame along a winding path covering all of Canada, passing through over 1,000 communities total – from Toronto, Winnipeg and Calgary to smaller communities such as Gwa’Sala-Nakwaxda’xw, Notre-Dame-du-Lac, Moose Jaw and Sheshatshiu. The final destination: Vancouver’s BC Place on February 12, 2010, where it will light the Olympic Cauldron and signal the start of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

The Big Picture has 33 photographs that follow the torch’s journey. Link -via J-Walk Blog

(image credit: REUTERS/Andy Clark)

Neatoramanaut Cat and Brat told us of a bizarre yet strangely compelling museum in central Alberta, Canada: The World Famous Gopher Hole Museum in Torrington. The main attraction of the museum are 47 dioramas featuring taxidermied gophers dressed up in various poses by artist Shelly Haase: Link – Thanks Cat & Brat!

RoadTrip America also has a review of the museum:

Ironically, it was not artistry, but politics and timing that generated the most publicity for the new enterprise. The Gopher Hole Museum opened its doors in 1996, and it wasn’t long before People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) got wind of the project. Voila. Instant world fame for the tiny hamlet of Torrington, Alberta. Even though it wasn’t what they had in mind, the citizens of Torrington aren’t complaining. They created the museum to increase tourism, and they don’t seem to mind at all if it’s PETA that gets the word out.

"The gophers are a tremendous problem for the farmers here," explained Angie. "We have to kill them. Is it so bad to put them on display afterwards?"

Previously on Neatorama:
- 10 Strange and Obscure American Museums
- Unexpected Places on the National Historic Landmark List

Water is music to beaver ears

Or at least, music they can’t stand. The sound of running water is a beaver’s main motivator in building a dam. A scientist once performed a study where they placed speakers beside a beaver dam that were continually playing the sound of running water. The beavers built up their dams by the speaker until it effectively was silenced. The noise drives them mad. Source

Those darn dams

We all know beavers love their dams. In fact, by building their dams and changing river flows, they are change the world more than any other creature besides man. They’re quite good architects and take water flow into consideration when building, using straight dams on trickling waters and curved dams in raging rapids. They use these dams as protection from predators and as shelter throughout the winter. If a predator destroys part of the dam, it will be fixed overnight.

Also just like men, they won’t stop building until the job is done -resulting in some massively huge dams being built along large rivers. The largest beaver dam was over 2,750 feet long. These dams are the only animal-created structures that can be seen from space. Source

It’s Ok To Eat Beavers on Friday

No, that’s not a naughty sex innuendo. The 17th century Catholic Church actually declared beavers to be a fish according to dietary restrictions, meaning they are ok to eat on both Fridays and throughout Lent. Beaver meat was a common dish by Native Americans and French settlers to America, so the decision was believed to be important to these people’s behaviors. The church decisions are based more on an animal’s environment than their physical characteristics. Source

European and American Beavers Don’t Mix

Because the animals have a different number of chromosomes, they do not cross breed with one another. Russian scientists once tried to breed the two together. In 27 attempted experiments, they only had one semi-success and the baby still came out as a stillborn. Source

They’re Our Only Hope and They’re Terrible Pests

Beavers have an interesting role in the environment. Their dams trap sediments in the water, turning rushing rivers into peaceful wetlands. When the dams break, the sediment stays and rich meadows are formed. Some scientists claim beavers can help prevent drought and that they are our only chance and maintaining our precious wetlands. Source

On the other hand, beavers are notoriously destructive. They cause $100 million in property damage yearly and their re-working of river currents can cause massive floods on our nation’s farms. They have been known to destroy whole forests and one beaver couple almost took out a world-famous cherry tree forest in Washington D.C.. Source

My, What Nice Sex Organs You Have

Beaver sex organs have been used for traditional medicines for centuries. Their testicles and vaginal follicles can actually help with a few conditions, but mostly because the sailicin from the willow trees they eat turns into an aspirin-like salicylic acid with anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties. These same naughty beaver parts are still used in perfume production, you may have some beaver residue on you right now- particularly if you’re wearing any of these brands: Emeraude, Coty Chanel Cuir de Russie, Magie Noire, Lancôme Caractère, Hechter Madame, Carven, Givenchy III or Shalimar. Source

Canada Loves Them…But Almost Killed Them All

Beaver is the Canadian national animal and is depicted on the Canadian five cent piece and their first pictorial stamp issued in 1849. The beavers were highly loved in part due to their fur, which was widely sought after up until the mid-19th century. It was so widely adored that the animal was almost hunted to extinction in Canada. If the fur trade hadn’t stopped when it did, the Canadian national animal might be little more than a memory to its residents. Source

This video is really cute. Make sure you watch the whole thing and don’t forget to turn the sound up loud enough to hear the conversation. If only this little guy really came out to welcome me to Canada, I would be there daily.

Link Via Yes But No But Yes

He said he was questioned by a border officer who demanded he turn off his car and, when asked to make the request more politely, threatened to spray him with his pepper gun if he did not comply.

“I just felt I should stand my ground about it. I should not be treated like that. No matter what kind of position you are in, if you want respect you have to show respect,” he said Tuesday. “I asked him three times and when I didn’t turn the car off, because he didn’t say please, he pepper sprayed me … It was terrible. For half an hour or so I couldn’t see anything.”

Link (Photo: Smaku [Flickr])

Carts of Darkness is an interesting documentary film about a subculture of street life involving the homeless and the extreme sport of cart racing.

The National Film Board of Canada has recently posted the entire film online along with the usual trailers. The film by Murray Siple

“follows a group of homeless men who have combined bottle picking with the extreme sport of racing shopping carts down the steep hills of North Vancouver. This subculture depicts street life as much more than the stereotypes portrayed in mainstream media. The film takes a deep look into the lives of the men who race carts, the adversity they face and the appeal of cart racing despite the risk”.

Link – via chunnel

From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by whitespace.