Things to Do in Canada 163 (St. Pats)

March 13, 2024

Good morning!

Did you know? Although St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated across Canada, it is only an official holiday in Newfoundland & Labrador. This is because Newfoundland is the most Irish place outside of Ireland.

Speaking of Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day is coming up this weekend! Whether you’re Irish or not, it’s a fun time to listen to East Coast music, drink green beer, eat Irish food, or down some tasty whiskey.

So without further ado, enjoy the 163rd edition of the Weekly Goose!

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St. Patrick's Day in Canada

An annual celebration of Irish identity, St. Patrick’s Day has been a cause for celebration and controversy across the country for more than a century. However, today, it is just a fun celebration for everyone to enjoy.

Canada’s first St. Patrick’s Day parade was held in Montreal in 1824. Ever since, parades and festivals of Irish culture have been held annually on March 17th in cities across Canada. Typical celebrations include dressing in green, displaying Irish symbols such as the shamrock, and drinking green beer.

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http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/st-patrick-s-day-in-canada

Five Reasons Why Newfoundland & Labrador is the Most Irish Place Outside of Ireland

We have more in common with our friends in Ireland than you might think. Between 1770 and 1780 more than 100 ships and thousands of people left Irish ports for the fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador. These migrations were some of the most substantial movements of Irish people across the Atlantic in the 18th century.

Over the years they created a distinctive subculture in Newfoundland and Labrador and their descendants carried on many of their traditions. In certain places around the province, Irish culture is still richly evident. Between people, culture, and yes, even the landscape, here are five reasons why Newfoundland & Labrador has often been dubbed the “most Irish place outside of Ireland”.

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https://www.newfoundlandlabrador.com/trip-ideas/travel-stories/five-reasons-why-newfoundland-and-labrador-is-the-most-irish-place-outside-ireland

The Most Irish Island in the World

Winds rake the island of Fogo, icebergs float past in the early summer and whales blow. The first Irish settler, Thomas Burke, arrived here in 1752. The first known grave of an Irish emigrant is up on the hillside: Michael Greene from Carrick-on-Suir. The headstone gets all the spellings right and says he was buried in 1856. He has a magnificent view. There is a faded wreath and a prayer, written on a piece of paper and protected by a plastic bag, propped up against the stone. They were placed there in 2011 by a group from Carrick-on-Suir and the prayer ends with the words: "God bless Michael Greene and all who followed him."

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http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/travel/the-most-irish-island-in-the-world-1.1538579

Watch

Everywhere you go in Newfoundland, you’ll find Irish roots. But did you know the Vikings also landed here a thousand years ago? Check out our video on Newfoundland’s Viking Trail road trip!

Beaver Bites

  • We’ve all heard of inflation but have you heard of “funflation”? Whether sporting events, concerts, or even the zoo, fun outings are getting more expensive. You’d think prices would be dropping considering people have less money to spend, but that is not the case. Concert tickets have risen to all-time highs, amusement parks have cranked up prices by as much as 47%, and even the Calgary Zoo has now incorporated dynamic pricing, which means you’ll pay more at busier times.

  • The Just For Laughs Festival has been cancelled this year, both in Montréal and in Toronto, due to restructuring of the company. This is both a wonderful and famous comedy festival, so we certainly hope it’s back in 2025. They cited pandemic losses and reduced budgets from streamers and broadcasters as the main culprits for its financial woes.

  • Dreaming of owning a winery? This Okanagan winery and villa, which is ranked as Kelowna’s number one tourist spot, is now on the market for $10 million.

  • As we were recently flying, we saw someone walking to the bathroom in socks. Gross. But it gets worse. Here are 9 things that flight attendants say not to do on a plane.

  • Want another 9 tips? Here are nine things the world’s longest-living people do to stay happy and healthy.

  • Typically used for tourism purposes, yurts are now becoming home dwellings in Canada. At just $12,000, this Mongolian yurt is home to this Yukon resident in Dawson City. Perhaps this is the solution to Canada’s extremely unaffordable housing situation.

Photo of the Week

St. Patrick’s Day in Montreal. Photo by @unvegetalienamontreal