MY FAVOURITE CANADIAN BLOGS

Posted on September 3, 2003 by Dave Pollard
maple leafGary Lawrence Murphy recently cited (somewhat disparagingly) a weblog cataloguer’s list of the ‘best’ Canadian blogs. Blogger Colby Cosh recently listed the most popular Canadian blogs. This blog didn’t make the former list and just made the latter. Since I love lists, here’s my own list of favourite (notice I didn’t say best) Canadian blogs.

This list is highly subjective, of course, and excludes some very popular but very conservative Canadian blogs (including those by people I know and like). Their very popularity and their relentlessly reactionary tone fills me with despair (their owners probably feel the same way about mine). My list also excludes Liberal party pundit Warren Kinsella’s blog. Athough I usually agree with him, he’s too self-serving and short on new ideas for my tastes. The list also excludes top-notch technology-focused blogs that are way beyond my understanding, including Roland Tanglao’s Weblog (he’s been kind enough to send me lots of traffic, but his readers must find my lack of tech knowledge bewildering), and Tomalak’s Realm by the ever-helpful Lawrence Lee who has solved a whack of Salon users’ problems over at Radio Userland. It excludes some parochial blogs about specific cities and towns (like M-J Milloy’s Montreal-focused TheNewForum) that are undoubtedly wonderful for those that live there. And it excludes some exceptional weblogs like the lovely ecoblog Iocrian Rhapsody and Jon Husband’s intriguing Wirearchy that are either on hiatus or are not frequently updated.

Anyway, with those caveats, here are my favourites, a Canadian baker’s dozen (14), in alphabetical order:

  • Abuddhas Memes — The surreal, dense, provocative ramblings of a guy named Tony [Whitehorse, YT]
  • As We Know It — Paul Kelly’s challenging essays on ‘the evolution of culture, technology and knowledge’. [Toronto, ON]
  • Caterina.net — Caterina Fake’s wonderfully chatty and comprehensive review of the world of literature and poetry, with articulate forays into other subjects as well (she writes excellent travelogues). [Vancouver, BC]
  • Creative Generalist — Steve’s potpourri of interesting stuff from all different disciplines; check out this imagination test he found, for example. [Montreal, QC]
  • Cyrenity — Wendy Tomlinson’s startlingly brief and far-ranging news summaries somehow need no further elaboration. Blame Wendy for telling me about The Interview Game (see below*). [Edmonton, AB]
  • The Dynamic Driveler — Dynamic Doug Alder has a social conscience, a great sense of humour, and a superb ability to root out stuff from history (recent and ancient) that bears on today’s issues. [Rossland, BC]
  • Parking Lot — Chris Corrigan’s consolidated blog incorporates his former Open Space blog and includes poetry, art, stuff on community, and some interesting business consulting ideas. [Bowen Island, BC]
  • Rob Patterson’s Radio Weblog — Rob writes about the same things I do — politics, philosophy, environment, business, economics, arts and science — and is always articulate and thought provoking. [PEI]
  • Revolutionary Moderation — Don MacFarlane, one of a rare breed — a liberal in Alberta. A concise, clever blend of Canadian, US and international political stories and insights. [Calgary, AB]
  • Seb’s Open Research — SÈbastien Paquet’s mostly technical blog, but written with non-techies in mind and full of useful tips. [Fredricton, NB]
  • Stephen’s Web — Stephen Downes’ published papers, articles, and daily commentary on learning and technology. [Moncton, NB]
  • Teledyn — Gary Lawrence Murphy’s beautifully illustrated and erudite blog covers emerging technology, philosophy, and community. Gary probably reads more than I do, which is no mean feat. [Sauble Beach, ON]
  • WIFLBlog — My fellow Salon blogger Ted Ritzer has the definitive ‘linker’ blog, and his dozens of daily news links include everything noteworthy about the environment, technology, and things Canadian, all filterable and subscribable by category. [Alberta]
  • Wood’s Lot — Mark Woods’ prolific review of everything happening in the arts world and on the political scene. Mark reads everything, and is an excellent judge of quality. When my stuff shows up on Mark’s blog, I know it’s good. On days I only have time to read a couple of blogs, Mark’s is always one of them. [Perth, ON]

I apologize in advance for inevitably missing something that should be on this list, either because I didn’t know or forgot that the author is Canadian. Someone told me languagehat is Canadian, in which case it should belong on this list. I’ll add others as my fellow Canadians point out my oversights. In compiling this list I discovered Purse Lip Square Jaw, Circadian Shift, Negative Velocity, Scribbler, and Stupid Angry Canajun, five Canadian blogs that I’ll need to read more thoroughly. Whether or not you’re Canadian, take a look at these — you’re sure to find at least a couple to add to your blogroll.

*Meanwhile, I invite the authors of these blogs (and any other readers so inclined, whether Canadian or not) to participate in The Interview Game. Here’s how it works:

THE RULES
1. Leave me an email, saying you want to be interviewed.
2. I will respond; Iíll ask you five questions.
3. Youíll update your website with my five questions, and your five answers.
4. Youíll include this explanation, and acknowledge me as the interviewer.
5. Youíll ask other people five questions when they want to be interviewed.

Kinds like a combination Friday Five and chain letter. But it could help increase the visibility and popularity of Canadian blogs, and help us understand each other a little better. And that’s gotta be a good thing, eh?

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13 Responses to MY FAVOURITE CANADIAN BLOGS

  1. Chris Corrigan says:
    September 3, 2003 at 17:48

    Thanks for the kind words and the flattering inclusion in your list of favourites (spelt with a “u”!).Of course, there are other Canuck blogs I love and here are some of them:Reinvented, by Peter RukavinaRiley DogJordon Cooperand for honourable mention, although she’s Irish, Dervala Hanley has been posting some amazing stuff from her cabin on the shores of Lake Superior.Oh, btw…interview me if you like!

  2. Doug Alder says:
    September 3, 2003 at 19:58

    Indeed thank you for the honour, and OK I’ll bite on the interview thingy :-) Consider this your email :-)

  3. Camilo says:
    September 4, 2003 at 06:33

    I want to play. I simply like to be interviewed.

  4. Rayne says:
    September 4, 2003 at 13:02

    Glad you discovered abuddha’s memes — squirrely-quirky but deep and thought-provoking.

  5. LW says:
    September 4, 2003 at 18:12

    Thanks for the shout out.LesNegative Velocity

  6. LW says:
    September 4, 2003 at 18:21

    Forgot to mention, I’m up for the interview.

  8. Dave Pollard says:
    September 5, 2003 at 21:26

    Sylvain: Vous êtes absolument correct. C’était une omission inexcusable. Jepromets de lire les blogues que vous avez identifié, et le votre, et ceuxrecommandés par ceux que vous avez identifiés, et de mettre à jour ma listeen conséquence. Mes excuses (en souriant).

  9. Rod says:
    September 13, 2003 at 11:57

    Seb Paquet is actually in Moncton, NB as opposed to Fredericton, NB (his office is actually about 6 feet from Stephen Downes’ office.

  10. dN says:
    September 29, 2003 at 22:45

    thanks for including my site on this post. i appreciate the very nice words. it motivated me to get on the ball.

  11. Nelly says:
    November 16, 2004 at 12:24

    Hi there! I’m interested in vocabulary features of Quebec English i.e. the French impact on Canadian English usage in Quebec and idiomatic expressions that characterise Canadian English in this province.Hope to hear from all who live in Quebec and want to have a say! Please, visit my Blog at:http://quebecenglish.blogspot.com/Thanks in advance.

  12. Lonely Canuck says:
    June 20, 2005 at 19:19

    Ahh a fellow canucker – love comin across blogs by me countrymen!how i miss the great white north

  13. language hat says:
    December 9, 2005 at 15:52

    Thanks for the kind words, but I’m afraid I’m not Canadian! (My background is definitely confusing, though: I was born in Japan, grew up there and in Thailand and Argentina, and went to college in the States.)

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