SkylarKD
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2004
My husband and I recently got back from our honeymoon at WDW. We loved Epcot, and were excited to see the Canada Pavillion. We left frustrated though, and more than a little disappointed.
As we entered the pavillion, we heard 'Off Kilter' playing. As I'd heard lots of positive comments about them from the DISboards, we stopped to listen. The few songs we listened to were okay, but we found it strange that some of the guys seemed to have Scottish accents. Whatever, we figured the guys were from all over. Just as I was thinking of making a request, a viewer on the other side of the stage called out my request. "Play 'Barrett's Privateers'!", he yelled. The answer from the stage shocked me. "We don't know that one!" one of the band members answered, although he also commented that they get asked to play the song often. We left after he said that. Whas self-respecting Canadian Celtic rock band doesn't know Barrett's Privateers?!? (To say nothing of why they wouldn't learn a song that's frequently requested) Before going into the movie 'O Canada', we asked a cast member if any guys in the band were actually from Canada. Confirming our suspicions, she said no.
Now, I ask you, What is the point of having a band play in the "Canadian Pavillion" when NONE of its members are from Canada?!? It just seems like an insult to me. We have so much fantastic musical talent in Canada - hire someone who represents the country! I don't care if Off Kilter throws in a few Canadian tunes. In my opinion, knowing how to play "Farewell To Nova Scotia" shouldn't qualify you to represent Canada, musically.
The movie was another disappointment. After seeing the films in China and France, we were excited to see the film of our country. Having lived in 6 provinces, and driven cross-country twice, we feel that we've seen a lot of Canada. To start with, the film was dated either 1983 or 1985. It was a very 1980s representation of the country. Come see our bears, birds and mountains. There were a few pictures of Toronto and Vancouver, but little mention of the great cultural and intrenational events in our cities. They mentioned the fact that the country is very multicultural, but didn't show many people of different cultures in the film. There was one shot of PEI. Newfoundland was not even mentioned in the film. There was a brief mention of the Maritime provinces (which doesn't include Newfoundland), and the "accent" the narrator used was clearly fake. The "accent" they used while narrating the clip of the Calgary Stampede sounded like a United States southerner. And there was no need to say "eh" so much in the film. The country's French heritage was also touched on very little for a 20 minute film. And the clothes and hairstyles... well, let's just say the film was definitely from the 80s. We were very frustrated watching the film. Millions of people see it every year, and I am ashamed that this is the representation of Canada that we show to WDW visitors. It makes me wonder if Canadian Heritage (in the government of Canada) has any idea how outdated the film is.
Maybe I'm making a mountain out of a molehill. I know no one probably thinks their country's Epcot Pavillion is terribly representative of their country, but I was really looking forward to the Canadian Pavillion, and I was sorely disappointed.
As we entered the pavillion, we heard 'Off Kilter' playing. As I'd heard lots of positive comments about them from the DISboards, we stopped to listen. The few songs we listened to were okay, but we found it strange that some of the guys seemed to have Scottish accents. Whatever, we figured the guys were from all over. Just as I was thinking of making a request, a viewer on the other side of the stage called out my request. "Play 'Barrett's Privateers'!", he yelled. The answer from the stage shocked me. "We don't know that one!" one of the band members answered, although he also commented that they get asked to play the song often. We left after he said that. Whas self-respecting Canadian Celtic rock band doesn't know Barrett's Privateers?!? (To say nothing of why they wouldn't learn a song that's frequently requested) Before going into the movie 'O Canada', we asked a cast member if any guys in the band were actually from Canada. Confirming our suspicions, she said no.
Now, I ask you, What is the point of having a band play in the "Canadian Pavillion" when NONE of its members are from Canada?!? It just seems like an insult to me. We have so much fantastic musical talent in Canada - hire someone who represents the country! I don't care if Off Kilter throws in a few Canadian tunes. In my opinion, knowing how to play "Farewell To Nova Scotia" shouldn't qualify you to represent Canada, musically.
The movie was another disappointment. After seeing the films in China and France, we were excited to see the film of our country. Having lived in 6 provinces, and driven cross-country twice, we feel that we've seen a lot of Canada. To start with, the film was dated either 1983 or 1985. It was a very 1980s representation of the country. Come see our bears, birds and mountains. There were a few pictures of Toronto and Vancouver, but little mention of the great cultural and intrenational events in our cities. They mentioned the fact that the country is very multicultural, but didn't show many people of different cultures in the film. There was one shot of PEI. Newfoundland was not even mentioned in the film. There was a brief mention of the Maritime provinces (which doesn't include Newfoundland), and the "accent" the narrator used was clearly fake. The "accent" they used while narrating the clip of the Calgary Stampede sounded like a United States southerner. And there was no need to say "eh" so much in the film. The country's French heritage was also touched on very little for a 20 minute film. And the clothes and hairstyles... well, let's just say the film was definitely from the 80s. We were very frustrated watching the film. Millions of people see it every year, and I am ashamed that this is the representation of Canada that we show to WDW visitors. It makes me wonder if Canadian Heritage (in the government of Canada) has any idea how outdated the film is.
Maybe I'm making a mountain out of a molehill. I know no one probably thinks their country's Epcot Pavillion is terribly representative of their country, but I was really looking forward to the Canadian Pavillion, and I was sorely disappointed.
) and that Canada is all Moutains or icefields with maybe a cute Maritime seaside village (a la Anne of Green Gables) thrown in. But perhaps broadening my countrymen's minds is too much to ask, and a more comprehensive or representative pavillion might actually reduce attendence?
(kinda like the Canada pavillion at Epcot perhaps?
).
