Happy Canada Day, eh.

As a proud Canadian living in New York City working at an awesomely global company, I feel compelled to write a quick post to commemorate Canada Day. If you didn’t know, Canadians celebrate “Canada’s Birthday” on July 1st. Similar to the 4th of July, it’s a day usually filled with fireworks and barbeques. In some parts of the country you’ll also find music festivals or parades. Canada is a young country, established in 1867 when the Constitution Act united three colonies into a single country called Canada within the British Empire. I won’t bore you with the details (and no we’re not a British Empire anymore) but if you’re interested to learn more about the history of Canada, I recommend checking out Wikipedia or this video.

If you ask my pod mates, they will tell you that I talk a lot about how much I love Canada.  What’s not to love? The people are overly nice to a fault, it’s extremely safe to live and we’re always making it into those top cities to live in the world surveys (Toronto is #15 and Ottawa #14 in this MSNBC list). ABC News featured an article today titled, “Canada Day: 5 Reasons to Love our Neighbor to the North.” Fellow Canadian reporter, Katie Moisse does a great job highlighting some of my favourites about the country - from the landscapes (both scenic countrysides to cosmopolitan cities), to the culture (both our sincerity and multi-culturalism), healthcare (not perfect, but seen as more of a social good then a purchasable commodity), food (poutine, ketchup chips, butter tarts) and of course the people (Ryan Gosling anyone?).

So, if you’re looking to take a road trip this summer and not sure where to go, I’d urge you to consider beautiful Canada. I’m partial to my hometown Toronto, where you can enjoy amazing food, nice people and great shopping. We have a beautiful lakefront (although I wouldn’t recommend swimming in it) and aren’t too far from the wondrous Niagara Falls.

I know I’m biased, but Canada is truly a unique place and will always hold a special place in my heart. As long as I live in the US, I’ll continue to tell everyone about its beauty and all-around awesomeness. To celebrate Canada Day, I’ve pulled together a list of my favourite things about Canada:

 All Dressed Chips

 

Poutine

Toronto Blue Jays (World Series champs ’92 and ‘93 what what),

Canadian Tire Money

 

Bagged Milk      

 

Butter Tarts

Happy Canada Day, eh!

 -Jenn M

‘1st is the Worst, 7th is the Best, 3rd is the one with the…’

Okay, so I guess technically, first isn’t the worst. But you get the idea. Last Friday I had the pleasure of attending Crain’s NY Best Places to Work in NYC Luncheon at the Sheraton with nine other Texties. We were invited to the prestigious event after qualifying for the Top 50 – an honor in itself! We had a fancy lunch and even got to listen to our very own CEO Aedhmar speak on a panel with other leaders from NYC’s 50 Best Places to Work about what exactly makes a business a great place to work. 

Finally, after lunch and the panel came the big reveal. We anxiously waited to hear TEXT 100 called as they counted down from 50. Each unveiled ranking seemed to take a lifetime, and we were thrilled to make it in the top 30. And then the top 20. And then the top 10! When we finally heard our names called for lucky number seven, we couldn’t have been happier. We all know how great working at Text is, but to be recognized by a major media leader for it, is a huge honor and something we’ll be bragging about for awhile.

I took a quick pod poll on our favorite things about working at NYC Text. Here is what they had to say:

  • Duvet days
  • Snack stash
  • Bagel Friday
  • Open environment
  • Andy our beloved and hilarious doorman
  • Jeff Cleveland

For the full list of winners check out Crain’s Best Places to Work 2011 and of course, Jeff and Kari’s Hypertext recap coming soon!

What’s your favorite thing about working at Text 100 in NYC? Or any Text office for that matter? Share in comments, we want to know!

-Brittany Kotary