Colossal Canadian Failures 2

By Tom Villemaire, Randy Richmond, Dashka Slater

Sure, Canada was built on dreams and hard work, but it was also built on failure - mix-ups, mistakes, screw-ups, and boondoggles. Failing at things, and laughing about them, has long been a characteristic of our citizens.

Where else but in Canada would governments send farmers to land that couldn't be farmed? Where else would an argument over the metric system almost result in the death of hundreds? Who else but Canadians would march against non-existent enemies? Where else would lumberjacks be used to defend the borders?

Are there politicians better than ours at spending millions, against all odds and good advice, on things that just won't work? Is there any nation better at re-electing those politicians no matter what they do? What other country should adopt as its national slogan "If we don't laugh, we'll cry"?

Here are more of the things that seemed like a good idea at the time.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1550026186
• ISBN13: 9781550026184
• Release Date: April 2006
• Publisher: Dundurn Press
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.76 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.4" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Failure is funny

This is an oddity.Never before have I seen a book that chronicles broad failure as its topic.A celebration of manic genius gone wrong, a catalogue of madness and a nice start on detailing the idiocy of government mismanagement, this book is often hilarious as it teaches the lesson of how good ideas can go wrong and how bad ideas can, um, go wrong spectacularly.If you like Canadian history, love to laugh at government stupidity or want to feel a little smug about your own failures, this gentle tome is for you.Because as it lists failures, you also finish each epistle with a feeling of admiration for those who attempted such things.