Putting the "O" Back in "O Canada"

Katherine Mangu-Ward | June 22, 2007

Canada is on a roll, with slightly less coercive policies than one might expect! (Hey, I'm trying for a positive outlook, ok?)

Health Canada will delay regulation of trans fats in Canadian food products for at least two years, calling instead for industry to voluntarily limit use of the heart-clogging compounds.

Critics blame the delay on opposition from the U.S. government, whose food industry would face complications exporting to Canada if Ottawa introduced binding limits.

Could the whole country wind up following in Ottawa's footsteps?

Of course, voluntary limits aren't all that impressive if, as the Star forecasts, "regulations will be introduced in two years if the industry doesn't meet the targets." But for now, the Canadian people will remain as round as the "O" in their national anthem, "O Canada!"

Comments

|6.22.07 @ 10:48AM|#

Now I'm singing Blame USA! to the tune of Blame Canada!

|6.22.07 @ 11:02AM|#

I enjoy poison in my food! Leave in the trans fat melamie whatever.

|6.22.07 @ 11:42AM|#

In Canadian politics, if Canadian politicians want to do something controversial or will be unpopular, they do it citing "pressure from the U.S.", and Canadians will get pissed off at the U.S. and give the politicians a free pass.

I mean, government in the U.S. is desperatly trying to ban trans-fats just as quick as the government of Canada... perhaps even more so.

Most likely, the opposition to banning transfats comes from Tim Hortons ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Hortons ) and McCains ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCain_Foods_Limited ) ... both are untouchable Canadian institutions, that can demand what they want from the government and get it on a silver platter. The politicians of all parties know they can't do anything to piss off those companies, and yet they are under pressure to "do something about transfats". So blaming the United States is a perfect out, as it pretty much takes all the heat off of the people protecting Tim Hortons and McCains.

Moose Viking|6.22.07 @ 11:43AM|#

ici can you learn some Canadian :)

Poutine
Poutine is a cholesterol-rich Canadian "delicacy" consisting of French fries covered in cheese curds and gravy.

|6.22.07 @ 12:12PM|#

Canada is on a roll, with slightly less coercive policies than one might expect!

LOL, good one. As a North Coast expatriate, I'm always amused at the way Canada plays at being a real country.

Rhywun|6.22.07 @ 12:24PM|#

Jesus. Haven't we shit on Canada enough this week? It's-not-a-real-country jokes get SO lame without a little breathing room.

|6.22.07 @ 12:29PM|#

Canada, not being a real country, will merely have to settle for having a higher standard of living than the United States.

|6.22.07 @ 12:31PM|#

Canada, not being a real country, will merely have to settle for having a higher standard of living than the United States.

Come on, Dan T! You can troll better than that!

|6.22.07 @ 12:33PM|#

It's actually kind of impressive when Canadians see the folly of government intervention - they can thoroughly trounce something. I'm really hoping they do so to this, especially because the Quebecers and Maritimers would really oppose this and would probably propose other solutions rather than banning, which is what gets opponents of bans in so much trouble in other places. People for the ban are so certain the government must do something that merely opposing a ban offers no solution - so we get fabulous bike paths and pedestrian solutions. I'm a libertarian who is all for government roads, so creating their own competition seems like a good thing. I am personally very biased towards bike paths, since Ottawa's are so amazing and I use them all the time.

Canada's big government folk are in many ways the best of big government folk - they want to use government to help people, and they tend to balk at too much nanny-statism. Of course, they're still big government, alas.

|6.22.07 @ 12:37PM|#

Er, so that does seem like such a big leap in reasoning - people here have proposed means of keeping people in shape, like making it more pleasant to walk or bike to work and shopping, as well as PAs (government funded by taxing resturants, naturally) - to fight big Obesity, rather than restricting national pastime fats.

|6.22.07 @ 12:50PM|#

I'm gonna show Canada my O face.

Robert|6.22.07 @ 3:55PM|#

For the past week I was laid up following the removal of a big wart from the sole of my left foot and several small ones from my right. Meanwhile I was eating energy-dense convnenience foods, more caloric than my usual diet. I was conscious of eating a little less because I was sleeping a lot, etc., but I thought I might gain weight. Instead, I lost a whole belt notch.

All the exercise I got from years of bicycling, playing rugby, etc. didn't keep me from getting fat, obese, or more obese. All it did was injure me.

Robert|6.22.07 @ 3:57PM|#

And the exercise didn't prevent my heart attack either. It just strained my heart.