It didn’t take Colby Cosh long to respond to my two picks for top Canadians.

I’m far from done here Cosh. I intend to enlist all my Canadian blogging friends (let’s see: that’s one person) and my myriad of weekend readers (let’s see: that’s maybe five more). And of course my international blogging buddies are more than welcome to join in.

Shoot down John Mc Crae if you will. He is known for more than the poem, he is known for a universal symbol of remembering in the 20th century. Here is Colby’s take on Mc Crae.

I suspect, though I cannot say for sure, that McCrae’s “In Flanders Fields” will require the survival of Canada itself to endure so long. I’m not willing to bet on it. It is not a major poem on its own merit.

The poppy will survive even if Canada doesn’t. Since the seeds grow so deeply in the ground, I doubt poppies will be extinct 250 years in the future. Some weary archivist will question those faded pictures of Canadians wearing those red flowers in November and the poem will be resurrected. The poppy and the poem are representative of millions of Canadians who gave their lives in the 20th century. The courage, duty and sacrifice they represent is part of all human history. I will not give up this pick without a fight.

And I think we agree on Lucy Maud Montgomery. Far more than a just a childrens author, she is a source of economic well-being for a growth industry in a tiny province, and will be for some time to come.

We have the long weekend. I set them up, you knock them down. Very Canadian.
Here are three more picks. Banting and Best. Robert Munsch.