Search Results Tag: Canada

Toronto and the rest of Canada slow when it comes to Internet speed

In case you’ve been longing to see where Canada would stand if one were to rank countries based on how fast the internet is, you are in luck. Pando Networks has ranked 224 countries based on just that and it turns out that the country lies somewhere in the middle of the list with the speed of a pedestrian i.e., 579KBps. Our southern neighbors seem to have it better, with an average of 616KBps, although they do have one ISP (Verizon) that averages significantly higher at 1,056KBps.

At the top of the list is Korea with 2,202KBps which is nearly 4 times faster than the internet speed we have in Canada. Eastern European nations such as Romania, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Latvia and Ukraine follow Korea in the list.

Countries like Congo and Central African Republic have speeds marginally faster than dial up modems (13KBps and 14KBps respectively) making the situation look way better in Canada but it’s a shameful matter nonetheless. And it looks like we have countries like Australia (at 348KBps) and China (245KBps) to keep us company.

City ratings have also been included in the study. Residents of North Vancouver are in the fast lane, at 864KBps, Toronto is somewhat slow with 500KBps and Regina reminds us of a turtle with 350KBps. All in all Canada is in the slow lane on the superhighway of information.

Need help getting the most of your IT systems in Markham.  Speak to your Markham IT Support team today at Idealogical.  We are here to support you.

 

Happy Thanksgiving

What Does Thanksgiving Mean To a Canadian

Monday, October 10, 2011, is observed by people all over the United States as Columbus Day. But, did you know that the 2nd Monday of every year in October is Thanksgiving Day in Canada?

There are only 4 places that recognize Thanksgiving — Canada, the United States, Liberia and Norfolk Island. So how did Canada come to recognize Thanksgiving Day? The very first Canadian recognition of Thanksgiving comes from the explorer, Martin Frobisher, the adventuresome English seaman who tried three separate voyages to the New World to discover the Northwest Passage. Each voyage ended up in northeastern Canada, right where today’s Resolution Island and Frobisher Bay are located.

On an unsuccessful trip to find the Passage, he returned home to Newfoundland. His gratitude for a safe journey and surviving the perils of his exploration led him to have a formal ceremony in 1578 to give thanks. However, the actual holiday of Canadian Thanksgiving can be attributed to the French settlers that traveled with Samuel de Champlain very early in the 17th century. The reason for celebrating was to give thanks for successful harvests.

Jour de l’Action de grâce (Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving Day) is celebrated fervishly by the Canadians as a continuance of giving thanks for a successful harvest at the end of the harvest season. While the Parliament initially references God and the churches celebrate the holiday, this day is usually celebrated in a more secular manner with all provinces in Canada, except Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia) taking this day to recognize the true meaning of the day and to celebrate.

So what does Thanksgiving mean to a Canadian? Here are some of the reasons that I was able to pull out of a hat (or off the Internet):

  • Elegant dinners with turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie (oh, darn, my mouth is watering with the thoughts of such a bountiful meal)
  • Time to spend with family
  • CFL FOOTBALL!
  • It’s not too cold — yet.
  • Time to break out the spirits — fruit brandy (also known as eau-de-vie or schnapps), gin, rum, tequila, vodka, and whisky.
  • Freedom of religion, of speech, of association and the right to travel
  • Thankful to be alive
  • Thankful for a successful business

So what does Thanksgiving mean to you as a Canadian? Feel free to let us know. We’d love to hear about it.

 

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Welcome , today is Thursday February 23, 2012