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Canadianity: Tales from the True North Strong and Freezing
Sprung from their hugely successful podcast Canadianity, Taggart (that guy from that band) and Torrens (that guy from that show) share a collection of showbiz tales from the road and relatable everyday anecdotes, all wrapped up in a nostalgic fondness for this great country. Canadianity takes readers on a cross-country journey, shining the spotlight on notable local heroes (or bahds), the best places to crush food and the greasiest watering holes, coast to coast to coast. Replete with lists of Canada’s top bands, television shows and athletes, as well as random observations about everything this country has to offer, Canadianity is often provocative and always hilarious. Drawing on their combined experiences as a legendary drummer (Our Lady Peace) and a veteran talk-show host (Jonovision) respectively, Taggart and Torrens have infused their first book with equal parts beer and pop culture and added a heaping helping of irreverence.
288 pages, Paperback
Published October 17, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
August 29, 2020
I received this book free for Audible's second anniversary in Canada.
I listened to this on my morning walks. It was pretty enjoyable. Jeremy Taggert is the former drummer of Our Lady of Peace, and Jonathan Torrens is an actor, probably best known for his stint as J-Rock on The Trailer Park Boys. They now have a Podcast together and have written this book. It's a book all about Canada through their eyes. It is compiled mostly of humorous stories from the guys on their travels all across Canada.
I did enjoy hearing about each province's unique people and things. Sometimes I found my mind wandering as the stories just became too long winded. Mostly though the funny and quirky things about being Canadian were fun to listen to.
I listened to this on my morning walks. It was pretty enjoyable. Jeremy Taggert is the former drummer of Our Lady of Peace, and Jonathan Torrens is an actor, probably best known for his stint as J-Rock on The Trailer Park Boys. They now have a Podcast together and have written this book. It's a book all about Canada through their eyes. It is compiled mostly of humorous stories from the guys on their travels all across Canada.
I did enjoy hearing about each province's unique people and things. Sometimes I found my mind wandering as the stories just became too long winded. Mostly though the funny and quirky things about being Canadian were fun to listen to.
May 6, 2019
Jeremy Taggart is the former drummer for Our Lady Peace, one of my favorite bands from my youth. Jonathan Torrens is an actor and television host who has enjoyed a long career as a constant presence on Canadian television. A few years back, they met and decided to produce a podcast about their shared love for their home country of Canada. In turn, the podcast spawned a book of the same name, Canadianity. It is both a nostalgic look at Canada’s pop-culture landscape as well as stories from the lives and careers of the two authors.
Broken down province-by-province, Taggart and Torrens discuss what makes each one great as well as their fond memories traveling and sometimes living there. The two longest chapters are reserved for Ontario and P.E.I., their respective homelands. For each province, they discuss its notable exports whether it is its public figures, actors/actresses and bands as well as what to do when you’re there (bars/restaurants/etc). While some of the lists lack diversity, they’re without question some of the more popular men and women that come to mind when you think about each location.
Above all else, Canadianity is a fun and easy read. I laughed out loud on more than a few occasions (there’s a great story about Gordon Pinsent on a movie set in Newfoundland that got a big chuckle out of me). I would have liked more about Taggart’s decision to leave OLP, but maybe there isn’t more to the story that he shares near the book’s final pages. It’s worth noting that you do not need to be a fan of the podcast to enjoy the book – I’m not a regular listener myself. However, I’m sure it helps with the handful of references to the games they play on the show.
Broken down province-by-province, Taggart and Torrens discuss what makes each one great as well as their fond memories traveling and sometimes living there. The two longest chapters are reserved for Ontario and P.E.I., their respective homelands. For each province, they discuss its notable exports whether it is its public figures, actors/actresses and bands as well as what to do when you’re there (bars/restaurants/etc). While some of the lists lack diversity, they’re without question some of the more popular men and women that come to mind when you think about each location.
Above all else, Canadianity is a fun and easy read. I laughed out loud on more than a few occasions (there’s a great story about Gordon Pinsent on a movie set in Newfoundland that got a big chuckle out of me). I would have liked more about Taggart’s decision to leave OLP, but maybe there isn’t more to the story that he shares near the book’s final pages. It’s worth noting that you do not need to be a fan of the podcast to enjoy the book – I’m not a regular listener myself. However, I’m sure it helps with the handful of references to the games they play on the show.
February 16, 2018
I didn't know that Taggart and Torrens had podcasts. To be honest, I didn't know who Taggart was (he was the drummer in Canadian rock band, Our Lady Peace from 1993 to 2014). Why I picked up this book is because it was Canadian and I knew who Torrens is (I know him as J-Roc from The Trailer Park Boys).
Taggart and Torrens have known each other since 2004. Taggart had become a regular on The Jay & Dan Podcast and Torrens went on the show. They decided to do a podcast a together. It was so much fun doing it so they continued to make them. And then they decided to write this book.
The chapters each cover a province starting with Torren's home province of Prince Edward Island followed by Taggart's home province of Ontario. Each chapter starts with bahd (short for buddy) bands from the province followed by five notable bahds. Then Taggart and Torrens bounce back and forth, each sharing their memories and stories of that particular province. Also in the chapters are tidbits of information and quizzes. The chapters end with "Gotta Do's" in that province. One of the last chapters is called "Canadianity for Dummies" and discusses Canadian shows like The Beachcombers, Wok with Yan, Speakers' Corner, Kids in the Hall, Test Pattern, Codco and more.
I liked the writing style of this book. Taggart and Torrens have different styles and though their stories and ramblings are labeled, you can tell whose voice it is (Taggart swears a lot more). The stories and experiences were interesting ... I like this kind of behind the scenes stuff. Canadian readers will relate to this book and it's a good explanation of who we are to non-Canadians.
Taggart and Torrens have known each other since 2004. Taggart had become a regular on The Jay & Dan Podcast and Torrens went on the show. They decided to do a podcast a together. It was so much fun doing it so they continued to make them. And then they decided to write this book.
The chapters each cover a province starting with Torren's home province of Prince Edward Island followed by Taggart's home province of Ontario. Each chapter starts with bahd (short for buddy) bands from the province followed by five notable bahds. Then Taggart and Torrens bounce back and forth, each sharing their memories and stories of that particular province. Also in the chapters are tidbits of information and quizzes. The chapters end with "Gotta Do's" in that province. One of the last chapters is called "Canadianity for Dummies" and discusses Canadian shows like The Beachcombers, Wok with Yan, Speakers' Corner, Kids in the Hall, Test Pattern, Codco and more.
I liked the writing style of this book. Taggart and Torrens have different styles and though their stories and ramblings are labeled, you can tell whose voice it is (Taggart swears a lot more). The stories and experiences were interesting ... I like this kind of behind the scenes stuff. Canadian readers will relate to this book and it's a good explanation of who we are to non-Canadians.
October 9, 2019
A book that every Canadian needs to read. A good, humourous, informative book that will make you forget about the time. If you are new to Canada this would put you years ahead. If you're interested to know about Canada this book, again, is a must read.
Jonathan Torrens is a national treasure. Hopefully he gets recognized as one.
Jonathan Torrens is a national treasure. Hopefully he gets recognized as one.
December 27, 2017
good for what it is, which is essentially a handy gift/ bathroom book for nostalgic Canadians of a certain age. Some truly great anecdotes. marred by some very tone-deaf musings on indigenous identity and spirituality, and defensiveness about sexism in comedy. I should add to "a certain age", also a certain background - white, working class, "bahds", basically.
I should add, all the interesting biographical stuff (why JROC left Trailer Park Boys, how he tried to "make it" in LA, and how Taggart lived in a beach house with Sean Avery in the early 00s and descended into alcoholism) was shoved in at the end, and I was like - I will read a whole book about this! This is the juicy stuff!
I should add, all the interesting biographical stuff (why JROC left Trailer Park Boys, how he tried to "make it" in LA, and how Taggart lived in a beach house with Sean Avery in the early 00s and descended into alcoholism) was shoved in at the end, and I was like - I will read a whole book about this! This is the juicy stuff!
September 8, 2018
3.5
really fun listen while driving through the East Coast of Canada. Loved listening to funny, random stories about being Canadian and what each province/territory adds to the quilt that is Canada.
The pair describe each region so well and have inspired me to want to take a trip up north!
really fun listen while driving through the East Coast of Canada. Loved listening to funny, random stories about being Canadian and what each province/territory adds to the quilt that is Canada.
The pair describe each region so well and have inspired me to want to take a trip up north!
January 22, 2020
It was ok. I found it entertaining. They barely mentioned Alberta and of course Calgary is non-existent. So many good places to eat in Calgary and they recommended a Mexican bar in Red Deer? Do they hate Alberta? 😞 I know it’s about their lives and anecdotes, but still. Not much about First Nations, politics or immigrants either.
I can’t get past that they mentioned a bunch of small towns from Vancouver Island and hikes from there and Alberta was like: “Here’s Edmonton, some Banff and there were some fires in Fort Mc that affected a lot of people from the east coast that were working there”. Everyone was affected by the fires, not only people from the east coast. That rubbed me the wrong way.
Are you kidding me??? Alberta is so beautiful and the mountains are gorgeous and there are so many hikes in K Country, Waterton and Jasper.... what about the Badlands? What about the Royal Tyrell Museum? What about a number things to do in Okotoks? What about Lethbridge? What about Canmore?
Justice for Alberta! lol
I can’t get past that they mentioned a bunch of small towns from Vancouver Island and hikes from there and Alberta was like: “Here’s Edmonton, some Banff and there were some fires in Fort Mc that affected a lot of people from the east coast that were working there”. Everyone was affected by the fires, not only people from the east coast. That rubbed me the wrong way.
Are you kidding me??? Alberta is so beautiful and the mountains are gorgeous and there are so many hikes in K Country, Waterton and Jasper.... what about the Badlands? What about the Royal Tyrell Museum? What about a number things to do in Okotoks? What about Lethbridge? What about Canmore?
Justice for Alberta! lol
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 23, 2019
A mostly sanitary CBC version of Canada told through the travels and experiences of two Canadians in the public eye - as much as Canadians can be in the public eye anyway. Jeremy Taggart, former drummer for Our Lady Peace, and Jonathan Torrens, host of Jonovision and many other Canadian hits, go province by province and tell us places to check out, foods to try, and spotlight famous pop culture figures from each location. Could be cool to listen to on a Canadian road trip, but is missing any of the grime on the squeaky clean Canadian table.
I know they can only talk from their own experiences, but if you’re looking for any significant first hand recounting of the Canadian immigrant experience, First Nations experience, or Canadian politics, look elsewhere. If you want to feel nostalgic for a specific version of the Canada of the 90s because you grew up there and then, this is a decent shot of nostalgia. Just know you’ll have some blinders on.
I know they can only talk from their own experiences, but if you’re looking for any significant first hand recounting of the Canadian immigrant experience, First Nations experience, or Canadian politics, look elsewhere. If you want to feel nostalgic for a specific version of the Canada of the 90s because you grew up there and then, this is a decent shot of nostalgia. Just know you’ll have some blinders on.
May 5, 2021
Makes you want to hop in a car and travel across our country ... but, errrrrrr, wait; we've got lockdown issues right now, so that might be best delayed.
The stories are told by two, very down-to-earth Canadians telling stories of better times as Canadians. Taggart (drummer for Our Lady Peace until 2014) and Torrens (Canadian actor best known for Street Cents and playing J-Roc in Trailer Park Boys).
I loved the format, traveling coast to coast, highlighting things to do, places to eat, notable provincial icons ... and also touched on some personal hardships and triumphs.
5/5 for this one from me.
The stories are told by two, very down-to-earth Canadians telling stories of better times as Canadians. Taggart (drummer for Our Lady Peace until 2014) and Torrens (Canadian actor best known for Street Cents and playing J-Roc in Trailer Park Boys).
I loved the format, traveling coast to coast, highlighting things to do, places to eat, notable provincial icons ... and also touched on some personal hardships and triumphs.
5/5 for this one from me.
January 4, 2021
Was filled with some great stories about their careers. The book had some laughable moments to relate to about every province and territory. Would like to check out a lot of the places they mentioned in parts of the country I haven't been before. Overal a solid lite read.
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March 8, 2021I skimmed the last 2/3. This just didn't do anything for me, I was bored pretty senseless. Maybe Canadian clichés are funny to non-Canadians?
March 30, 2021
Incredibly charming. Doesn’t hurt that I was obsessed with Street Cents when I was 12. Jonathan Torrens was certainly my most Canadian of crushes!
August 12, 2021
This is a fun romp through all things Canadian. I particularly enjoyed Jonathan Torrens and his humour.
July 20, 2022
The ratio of charming to annoying parts was at least 2 to 1. Overall, I'm in favor of it.
October 24, 2019
This audiobook was a quick, humorous, and insightful look into both the personal lives of the authors, as well as Canadian pop-culture references. I particularly enjoyed how each chapter focused on a particular province and/or the authors’ time spent in the USA.
This was a freebie for Audible’s second anniversary in Canada. Being free, it was worth a listen.
This was a freebie for Audible’s second anniversary in Canada. Being free, it was worth a listen.
May 3, 2021
I picked this up from Audible as it was offered to me for free and decided to give it a listen. It's hard to define what this book is exactly because it's part autobiography of it's authors, part promotional pamphlet for Canada's provinces & territories, part 80s/90s Canadian pop culture nostalgia and part characteristics of what it means to be Canadian.
I was not sure what to expect when I started listening to this book as I had no idea who Jeremy Taggart was and only some knowledge of Jonathan Torrens since I remembered him from watching Jonovision as a kid and later as JRoc on the Trailer Park Boys in my early twenties. I've since learned Taggart was the drummer from Our Lady Peace which is cool as I enjoyed their music back in the 90s. He now does a popular Canadian podcast alongside Torrens and together they decided to write this book.
I did find it interesting hearing their stories about growing up in Canada and the different directions their careers took them later on. They had some interesting tales, suggestions & anecdotes for each province and territory within Canada. It was a bit like being a literary tourist in my own country. I wouldn't call this a masterpiece, but it was entertaining if you're interested in hearing some tales about the Great White North. I may check out their podcast.
I was not sure what to expect when I started listening to this book as I had no idea who Jeremy Taggart was and only some knowledge of Jonathan Torrens since I remembered him from watching Jonovision as a kid and later as JRoc on the Trailer Park Boys in my early twenties. I've since learned Taggart was the drummer from Our Lady Peace which is cool as I enjoyed their music back in the 90s. He now does a popular Canadian podcast alongside Torrens and together they decided to write this book.
I did find it interesting hearing their stories about growing up in Canada and the different directions their careers took them later on. They had some interesting tales, suggestions & anecdotes for each province and territory within Canada. It was a bit like being a literary tourist in my own country. I wouldn't call this a masterpiece, but it was entertaining if you're interested in hearing some tales about the Great White North. I may check out their podcast.
January 2, 2018
Super cute part-memoir, part-travelogue, part-travel guide, part-anthology of celebrity musings about Canada. If you were a fan of Our Lady Peace, Street Cents, Jonovision, Trailer Park Boys, Mr. D, the 1990s, 2000s, or Canadians, you'll find it amusing (if you're a fan of multiple things in this list, you'll find it absolutely terrific).
You can hear the voices of these two Canadian icons, and tell which chapter belongs to which person, even without the helpful title. These guys have humour by the (metric) bucketload and their two styles complement each other very well. While Jonathan Torrens’ humour is a bit more calculated and witty, Jeremy Taggart’s is a bit more self-depreciating and straightfaced. However, they both have elements of the other’s in their chapters. It is so cohesive that it almost seems as if they co-wrote every piece of this book.
I loved the seamless blend and transition between each author/superstar, as it encapsulates the common Canadian humour. Ironically, the word I would choose to describe it is “Canadianity”.
You can hear the voices of these two Canadian icons, and tell which chapter belongs to which person, even without the helpful title. These guys have humour by the (metric) bucketload and their two styles complement each other very well. While Jonathan Torrens’ humour is a bit more calculated and witty, Jeremy Taggart’s is a bit more self-depreciating and straightfaced. However, they both have elements of the other’s in their chapters. It is so cohesive that it almost seems as if they co-wrote every piece of this book.
I loved the seamless blend and transition between each author/superstar, as it encapsulates the common Canadian humour. Ironically, the word I would choose to describe it is “Canadianity”.
October 23, 2017
It's funny. I was most interested in the Torrens tales because I know his work much better. Very aw-shucks Canadian book.
November 8, 2019
Such a hilarious book, I learned little known facts about this country I call home. I 100% recommend this book to others especially if you love listening to facts with a hilarious twist
January 28, 2020
Got this free from Audible, but I can't finish it - I don't find it even remotely interesting.
April 20, 2023
Not objectively a great book but a fun read.
October 25, 2017
Here's a true bahd story: Back in the 90s there were a few Canadian bands that I would check out regularly as they toured throughout southwestern Ontario. While waiting to meet members of IME after a show, I notice a guy at the back of the room who looks a lot like the drummer of OLP so I go up to him to confirm this and tell him how much I like his band. Keep in mind I was super nervous and it was totally unlike me to do this but Jeremy was super nice and friendly and didn't make me feel like I was bothering him at all. Flash forward a couple months later and I'm in the audience for an OLP interview with Jon Stewart (access courtesy of a friend's boyfriend who had promised us both tickets to a special OLP show the next night). I find out during this taping that the boyfriend only received two tickets and understandably he was going to use it for him and his girlfriend and so I was out of luck and super disappointed. My friends then suggest to me that I should just go up to Jeremy because of my encounter with him from months ago and ask him for a ticket and I was like, "who does that?" because it's definitely not me. Then I remembered that you only live once and just went for it. I re-introduce myself to Jeremy I think he may have "remembered" our previous encounter, start explaining the situation and before I could even get to the asking part (probably because he was sensing my anxiety) he opens up his jacket pulls out a ticket from the inside of his coat and hands it over. It was such a cool and kind moment that I have never forgotten and a story I always share when I'm hanging out with people and we start swapping concert stories and celebrity encounters, always ending with: "that Jeremy Taggart from Our Lady Peace, he's cool". As a proud regular patron of the library, this moment sealed my decision to buy this book instead of borrowing it and I've already bought one for an old bahd out west who I know will enjoy it. This book had me laughing out loud several times, reinforced my desire to visit Newfoundland and reminded me how much I love this country...thanks bahds!
October 8, 2019
I've honestly never read/listened to a personal life or a "homage to a country" kind of book before, but I'm glad this was my first.
Both Taggert and Torrens have amazing stories to tell, not only about their own lives but this country.
This book made me proud, but it more so made me grateful to be a Canadian. There is so much in this country that I have never thought to explore or discover, to appreciate and welcome, to think about and ponder.
I love how they are able to weave the great things about Canada, whether it be places, people or legends, with their own lives and experiences, Taggert with Our Lady Peace and Torrens through his several career choices, including J Rock from TPB.
One big thing I can thank this book for is making me want to explore the maratimes. My girlfriend and I are already planning the trip.
Definitely a great audio book to listen to, over and over.
Thanks for the read buds!
Both Taggert and Torrens have amazing stories to tell, not only about their own lives but this country.
This book made me proud, but it more so made me grateful to be a Canadian. There is so much in this country that I have never thought to explore or discover, to appreciate and welcome, to think about and ponder.
I love how they are able to weave the great things about Canada, whether it be places, people or legends, with their own lives and experiences, Taggert with Our Lady Peace and Torrens through his several career choices, including J Rock from TPB.
One big thing I can thank this book for is making me want to explore the maratimes. My girlfriend and I are already planning the trip.
Definitely a great audio book to listen to, over and over.
Thanks for the read buds!
December 30, 2018
Taggart and Torrens have a podcast called Canadianity and this book is essentially a companion piece to the podcast. They dedicate a chapter per province and go all across Canada with personal anecdotes, bar and restaurant recommendations, and other highlights. They also cover a lot of nostalgia that Canadians of a certain age (probably 30s and over) will appreciate - from Heritage Moments to the Friendly Giant and Mr Dressup. It's amusing but seemed aimed at fans of the podcast or the authors and not so much for a broader audience. Maybe as a bathroom book to flip through the anecdotes, but it's really more a set of sketches and lists than a coherent book. Will Ferguson probably did the "who are Canadians" type humour book better with "Why I Hate Canadians".
December 21, 2018
Full disclosure - I picked up this book purely for its Canadian content. I’ve never listened to a TnT podcast to date, but I respect both Taggart and Torrens as artists. From that perspective, this book was just alright. I did enjoy reading some of the stories, and if I was travelling the entire country tomorrow I would definitely appreciate the things to do, eat, see, etc. in each province and territory (however, I found the verb format of that section a bit repetative and juvenile: CRUSH, SMASH, DESTROY!). But like a few of the other reviewers have pointed out, this seems to be a book written by bahds for bahds. It’s probably a good compliment to the podcast if you’re a fan.
February 3, 2019
I had never listened to the Canadianity podcast so this was my first intro to Taggart and Torrens. The book grew on me as it went along. There's a chapter for each province which was interesting. There were all sorts of quizzes which were cute but didn't really work in an audiobook setting. Overall, I just enjoyed the Canadian culture coming from the book. Parts were funny, but mostly it was interesting. Loved the chapter at the end about nostalgic things like TV shows we watched as a kid. (Littlest Hobo, anyone?) The guys often sounded like they were just reading their book, but Torrens would slip in to character here and there, thankfully. Glad I read it.
May 31, 2019
I’d like to say that I was disappointed with this book, but that’s not a very Canadian thing to do, so I’ll just say that Taggart and Torrens probably had a lot of fun putting this book together. I’ve never heard of Jeremy Taggart or his band Our Lady Peace. I didn’t recognize Jonathan Torrens name but I do recognize the names of some of the shows he’s been in - Trailer Park Boys, Street Cents, Mr. D. (I’ve never watched any of them.). The premise of the book is promising. Taggart and Torrens go province by province listing some of their favourite Canadian places and people. But it just didn’t do much for me. Sorry.
January 6, 2018
The definition of a bathroom book, it's a pretty scattered combination of short anecdotes, lists and games. If you regularly listen to the podcast then you won't really get a lot of new stuff here, as a lot of stories and games are repeated. It's written very much like a podcast, direct conversational style that's easy to read through. A lot of the material is quite short. The section where Taggart talks about leaving OLP he basically glosses over it in about two sentences, so if that's the kinda biographical stuff you're looking for then it's not the book for you.
January 17, 2018
OK collection of miscellaneous stories and musings regarding Canada and its diverse regions and culture. Smiled often and chuckled occasionally but not much more. I was very unfamiliar with the many CBC shows they referenced, have never watched Trailer Park Boys and couldn't name more than a song or two of OLP so maybe a lot of references didn't mean as much to me as others?
I also admit to having never heard of their expression "bahd" that was used endlessly throughout the book to the point of irritation. I guess it must be a regional or a specific age-demographic thing???
I also admit to having never heard of their expression "bahd" that was used endlessly throughout the book to the point of irritation. I guess it must be a regional or a specific age-demographic thing???
December 8, 2019
Thank you for evoking a sense of pride for being Canadian! I wasn’t too crazy about the book at the beginning, but by the end I was beaming while listening to all of the great parts of being Canadian. I went through the book in an audio format, which I don’t think lended itself well to the quiz sections. That said, some of the stories had me in stitches.
Thanks guys for a great trip from coast to coast to coast! I’ll definitely recommend your book to anyone looking to learn a little more about being Canadian.
Thanks guys for a great trip from coast to coast to coast! I’ll definitely recommend your book to anyone looking to learn a little more about being Canadian.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews