Discover more of Canada, one great find at a time.

Happy Tuesday, Canada! 🇨🇦

We've got another fun collection of Canadian discoveries for you this week! From old musical instruments finding new life to paper you can actually plant in the garden, there are some pretty clever Canadians out there.

We've also found a wonderful Newfoundland artist to introduce you to, and there's a little game tucked into today's edition that might just stump you.

Let's get into it!

You get first pick of the Thanksgiving leftovers. What are you claiming?

Think you know your Canadian celebrities? Let's find out!

Three of these four familiar faces are Canadian, but one was born south of the border.

Can you spot the impostor? 🇨🇦

Take your best guess. We'll reveal the answer near the bottom of today's newsletter!

Answer reveal near the bottom!

Products, businesses, people and places that deserve a little more attention.

This Canadian family business started with a rocking horse and a teenager trying to pay for graduation.

Back in 1984, 17-year-old Marc Michaud built a wooden rocking horse to help pay for his Grade 12 graduation. More orders followed, and what began in rural Saskatchewan grew into a family woodworking business now based in Jarvis, Ontario.

Today, brothers Marc and Réal carry on the tradition, making beautiful wooden games including crokinole, Rummoli and marble games.

A little personal note: we actually have two Michaud game boards sitting in our game closet at home right now!

TAKE A LOOK AT THEIR WOODEN GAMES →

When the band breaks up, the furniture gets interesting.

In Markham, Ontario, husband-and-wife team Darren and Leigh are giving old musical instruments a completely different kind of encore.

Drums become wall shelves, clocks, tables and even planters. Guitars find new life as shelving and Bluetooth speakers.

It all started in 2018 with one old drum kit and a little experimentation. Today, the couple handcrafts their creations in their Ontario workshop, giving instruments that have played their last note something new to do.

Music lovers, you're going to enjoy browsing this one!

SEE WHAT THESE OLD INSTRUMENTS HAVE BECOME →

What if that greeting card you received could turn into a little patch of wildflowers?

That's the idea behind Botanical PaperWorks in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

They make paper from 100% recycled material, with real seeds embedded right into it. Instead of throwing it away, you can plant it in soil, add water and give those seeds a chance to grow.

The Winnipeg-made paper is used for everything from greeting cards and wedding invitations to business promotions.

It's one of those wonderfully simple ideas that makes you wonder why we don't see more of it.

SEE THE PAPER THAT GROWS →

Most coffee is roasted with modern equipment. This Yukon coffee company still uses an actual wood fire.

In Whitehorse, Michael Russo roasts small batches of coffee over flames fuelled by Yukon birch, pine and spruce.

His experiments began back in 2016, and his very first batch actually caught fire! Fortunately, he kept at it, eventually turning his fascination with traditional roasting into Firebean Coffee.

Today, the company offers several different roasts, using coffee beans sourced from countries including Brazil, Colombia and Mexico.

And no, the finished coffee isn't supposed to taste like a campfire!

EXPLORE YUKON’S WOOD-FIRED COFFEE →

If Newfoundland could smile back at you, it might look a little like this.

Colourful little houses, dancing laundry lines, curious animals and plenty of East Coast charm. That's the wonderful world of folk artist Cara Kansala.

Born in Northern Ontario, Cara now calls Newfoundland home, where her playful paintings celebrate the people, places and everyday moments that make the province special.

She's also an award-winning children's book author and illustrator, bringing that same imagination and storytelling into her books.

There's so much personality in her artwork, and some of the titles are nearly as entertaining as the paintings themselves!

EXPLORE CARA’S COLOURFUL WORLD →

Is there a Canadian business, product, founder or place that more people should know about? Send us your recommendation and tell us what makes it worth discovering.

Your suggestion could be featured in an upcoming edition of More Canada Please.

The impostor is... A. Steve Martin! 🇺🇸

That's right! Steve Martin was born in Waco, Texas.

William Shatner was born in Montréal, while Martin Short and Eugene Levy were both born in Hamilton, Ontario.

And here's a fun little twist: Steve Martin and Martin Short have worked together for decades, which might explain why some people assume they're both Canadian!

Did you get it right?

Before you go...

I just want to say a big thank you to everyone who's been writing in!

We're receiving so many wonderful messages, business suggestions and stories from all across Canada. While we're not able to reply to every single one, please know that we do read them all, and we genuinely appreciate you taking the time to reach out.

Some of our favourite discoveries have come directly from readers just like you, so please keep them coming!

And if you've been enjoying More Canada Please, we'd love it if you passed this newsletter along to a friend or family member. It's a simple way to help more Canadians discover the incredible people and businesses right here at home.

Thanks again for being here. See you next week!

Dan 🇨🇦

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Learn More