'Feel The Civility': Comedian Mike Myers On Canada — And 'Canada'

By Rachel Martin,

Kevin Leahy

Published June 30, 2017 at 3:58 AM CDT

Comedian Mike Myers grew up an avid Toronto Maple Leafs fan, mostly playing street hockey on tennis courts in the suburb of Scarborough. The reason for his first visit to Chicago, where he would later perform with The Second City comedy troupe? To take in a Chicago Blackhawks game before the team's stadium was torn down.

Canada is about to celebrate a big birthday.

Saturday is Canada Day, a national holiday marking 150 years for the country that brought us hockey, the pacemaker, the band Rush — and comedian Mike Myers.

Although a longtime resident of the U.S., Myers remains proudly Canadian. The son of immigrants from Liverpool, England, he grew up in Scarborough, a suburb of Toronto. He even wrote a book about it titled Canada — a love letter to his homeland.

Interview Highlights

On what he loves about Canada

When I get off the plane to visit my brother up in Toronto, my jaw unhinges, my shoulders drop to my hips and I just can feel the civility, like on a cellular level. In a world where countries have more passion and more oomph, our civility is looking awfully sexy lately. I don't know of a country that is working as hard as Canada to try to get things right in terms of inclusion, in terms of a level playing field. I think we don't get everything right, but we're certainly trying really hard up there.

On what it means to be a Canadian — in a world where the narrative of the "American dream" persists

If Rome ruled the world with the broad sword and if Britain with the three-masted ship, America has ruled the world with the moving image and the ability to tell stories. The American narrative is unbelievable. Canada doesn't have that. We're a country born without a mission statement. We're an anomaly of geography and history, but what we can be is a collection of progressive ideals.

I say in the book we may not have put a man on the moon but we've been awfully nice to the man on Earth. And that is something I'm very proud of.

On receiving the Order of Canada award on Friday

I am insanely honored — the only tinge of sadness is my mom passed away about 3 1/2 months ago. She didn't live to see it. But as a child of an immigrant, who was raised by Canada and the Canadian government, it is an unbelievable honor.

On whether he'll "party on" on Canada Day

I always deck my house out with Canadian flags and portraits of the queen and stuff. There's nobody more Canadian than a Canadian who no longer lives in Canada.

Morning Edition producer Noor Wazwaz and digital producer Heidi Glenn contributed to this story.