I have long been fascinated with Canada. I grew up less than two hours from the border in western NY, and we used to go to Niagara Falls (the Canadian side) every time family visited us when I was little. The thing that always interests me is that (English speaking) Canadians are very similar to Americans both linguistically and culturally (well, maybe except for hockey) yet it’s a completely separate country with their own cultural variations.
For a long time, I thought all Canadians were just Americans in the cold until I went to Montréal, a bilingual French/English city in the French majority province of Quebec. Despite barely speaking any French at the time, I fell in love with the French language presence, the cobblestone streets of the Vieux Port (Old Port), and the trendy shops and boutiques of Le Plateau and Mile End. After going to college in Ann Arbor, also close to Canada, and visiting both Toronto and Montréal several times, I can say that I love all Canadians and all of Canada, whether it’s in English or Francais.
However, not all Canadians see their country the way I do. Quebec and Anglo Canada (which they call ROC – Rest of Canada) have had a contentious relationship. Many Anglo Canadians resent Quebec for holding not one, but two referendums to leave Canada while many Québécois feel they (and their language and culture) are being “colonized” by an English majority Canada. I’ve always found this tension saddening – both languages contribute to a diverse, culturally rich Canadian identity. As an American, I always wonder how much more fascinating our country would be if Louisiana still spoke French today.
While in Montreal a few weeks ago, a friend recommended I watch a Canadian TV show called Letterkenny. It centers around a small town in Ontario (Letterkenny) of 5,000 people. The show revolves around three groups of people – the hicks, the hockey players, and the “skids” (users of meth). The show hyperbolizes Canadian stereotypes to great comedic effect – the hockey players spend an entire episode trying to get “gains, ferda (for the boys).” But being an Anglo TV show, I was worried they would share the same contentious view of French Canada that I have seen before.
That’s why I was pleasantly surprised to hear this week’s song spotlight in Season 3, Episode 3. The song comes on at the end of the episode, a very feel-good scene in which all the people of the town, despite their differences, are together to celebrate the re-opening of the town’s (only) bar, Modean’s.
The song is called “It Always Happens This Way” by the Québécois group Toulouse (active from 1976 – 1986). The song was released off their album EXPORT in 1977, and became an instant hit in Quebec, eventually winning four Félix awards, the Quebecois version of the Grammys. Despite only having two lines in English, it also became popular enough in English Canada to peak at #29 on Toronto charts. The group’s main singer Judi Richards sings both the English and French portions, even though she was born to English speaking parents in Toronto, and only learned French when she joined the group.
I love this song because it has a disco sound, upbeat lyrics and is danceable. But beyond that, I love the song because it combines two cultures to celebrate a shared experience rather than build walls based on our differences. Especially in the political climate we’re in in the U.S., it’s refreshing that this song and this scene remind us that we can still all get along and be human – together. Give it a listen and let me know what you think.