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A national symbol?
A New York Times business article on Tim Hortons' (a Canadian coffee chain) push into the US, they noted that one third of Canadians surveyed felt pretty strongly about the chain:
A survey this summer by a group promoting Canadian historical literacy found that 40 percent of Canadians under 34 consider Tim Hortons’ miniature doughnuts, the Timbits, a national symbol.
That seemed a bit odd, but seemingly correct:
The annual Dominion Institute survey for Canada Day, conducted from June 14-17 by Ipsos-Reid, found 26 per cent of Canadians believe they belong, first and foremost, to their province. This is up from 1990 when only 16 per cent of people surveyed in an Ekos poll identified first with their province or region.[...]
As for the most recognized symbols in the Canadian identity, most in the survey said they felt attached to the Maple Leaf, 87 per cent; followed by the beaver, 74 per cent; hockey, 73 per cent; and the "Mountie," 72 per cent.
The canoe was somewhat less popular as a symbol, with 39 per cent support followed by 31 per cent of Canadians who said they felt attached to the Tim Hortons "Timbit."
So hockey, the Mounties, and the beaver are pretty much neck and neck as cultural icons. That makes sense. But the Timbit? I would have bet my money on the Tim Hortons coffee cups. Those things are everywhere. Timbits are nice, but you can't go anywhere in Canada (especially hockey arenas) without seeing numerous Tim Hortons cups.
Perhaps if they put pictures of maple leaves, beavers, hockey, Mounties, and Timbits on the cups that might change.
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