Canadian Expatriates, its contributors, and readers have been invited by Foreign Affairs Canada to participate in a series of eDiscussions. The current topic is “Showcasing Canadian Culture and Know-How Abroad”.

We are asked to consider the following questions:

What role does Canadian culture and know-how play in our foreign policy?

How might the government best promote Canadian talent and expertise in the world?

The eDiscussion runs from April 4 to May 6, 2005. At its conclusion, a summary of the discussion will be sent to senior policy planners.

The Expat admin team encourages its readers to join in the eDiscussion at the Canadian International Policy website.

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Posted by Admin

The administration team is currently searching for Canadian expatriates who would be interested in contributing to the Expat Blog. The subject matter is wide open, but must remain family friendly.

If you are interested in joining our blogging team, please send an email our way!

Thank you!

♪ ♬ ♪

Duh duh duh duh duh.
Duh duh duh duh duh.
Duh duh duh duh duh.
DUUUUUUUUUH.

♪ ♬ ♪

Can you name that tune? Recognize it as Canada' second national anthem? Perhaps the only national anthem to which Canucks as a whole know all of the words? ;)

Yep, you guessed it. That is the Hockey Night in Canada theme song. It was written in 1968 by Dolores Claman and is one of the longest running theme songs in broadcasting.

Ms. Claman, as you may have guessed, is herself a Canuck. She was born in Vancouver; attended graduate school at New York's Julliard School of Music; and later began Quartet Productions, a music production company. The company produced television and radio jingles, as well as background music for GM, Ford, Chrysler, Molson, Air Canada, Lever Brothers, Air France, Imperial Oil, Kentucky Fried Chicken, 7-UP, Canada Life, and CN.

Ironically, Ms. Claman did not follow hockey when she was approached by the Hockey Night in Canada producers and asked to create a new theme song for the Canadian institution. One of the few stipulations on the new theme was that there had to be a break in the music for the sponsor's announcement. Ms.Claman worked on the main riff, the cord progression, and eventually a very gladatorial sounding anthem emerged.

Ms.Claman was paid a lump sum for the first five years of the theme's use and is now paid a royalty every time the theme is used in a broadcast. Since 1989, her name has been included in the closing credits.