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The Telegraph pokes fun at next Bank of England governor

‘He’s a maple syrup-drinking, poutine-loving, moose-spotting, beer-swilling ice-hockey fan’

Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney speaks at a news conference in Ottawa on Nov. 26, 2012. (Fred Chartrand/CP)

While Canadians continue to speculate on who might replace Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney, Brits are still getting over their shock that The Bank of England has chosen a Canadian as its next governor.

In a humourous article in The Telegraph, Sarah Rainey ponders the meaning of Carney being Canadian, while employing every Canadian stereotype in the book to do it. She writes:

“But – wait for it – there’s something even more remarkable about England’s new top banker. He’s a Canadian! Carney, he of the snappy suits and slicked-back hair, hails from the nation affectionately known as “America’s attic”. What’s more, he’s proud of it. He’s a maple syrup-drinking, poutine-loving, moose-spotting, beer-swilling ice-hockey fan, who once dreamed of playing for his local team, the Edmonton Oilers.”

She also interviews a Canadian-born Oxford academic who adds helpful inside such as: “Canadians have a reputation for being the boring good guy” and “If you want to say something is really tedious, you say ‘as dull as a Sunday in Canada.'”

But wait, Rainey continues, there are other famous Canadians! Who would have know that stars including Justin Bieber, Jim Carrey, Joni Mitchell, Alice Munro, Margaret Atwood and a host of others are Canadian, too?

While Canadians may have a reputation for being a bit boring, we’re also not afraid to use our own wit. The Globe and Mail reporter Michael Babad retorts with his own list of 15 things Brits should know about Canada, including:

1. Over the past five years, Britain’s pound has plunged 23 per cent, while the Canadian dollar has lost just 0.9 per cent.

2. No one has threatened to take away our triple-A credit rating.

3. Our government doesn’t have to own our banks. (Okay, we’ve only got six of them, but whatever.)

Not bad Canada, not bad at all.

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