'Beannachtam na Feile Padraig!' / Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Whether hoisting a Guiness or green-tinted Harp, marching in a boisterous parade or singing into the wee hours, the Irish (and Irish-at-heart) love to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.

"Saint Patrick was a gentleman,
Who through strategy and stealth,
Drove all the snakes from Ireland,
Here’s toasting to his health.
But not too many toastings
Lest you lose yourself and then
Forget the good Saint Patrick
And see all those snakes again."

Sláinte! / Cheers!

Spring break.

Whether heading to warmer climes or hitting the slopes, everyone wants a little break from the blahs of winter.

Our vignettes feature stock footage shots from our archive. This week, airports, vacation spots and other leisure activities.

See you when you get back!

What better way to welcome March than by briskly marching it in?

The following vignette features a sample of the wide selection of marching footage held in our archive.

From a poignant police funeral procession to the precision of the military. National celebrations, prisoners, protests, and parades -- all march in, but in such different ways.

The excitement of Oscar Night begins on the red carpet, all 500 feet of it.

To inspire for this year’s star-studded show, here is a flashback to the red carpet at the 82nd Academy Awards, featuring Ben Mulroney with some of the Oscar nominees. Do you remember which of these celebrities actually won an Oscar?

For more on the Academy Awards, visit the Oscar Spotlight on Ctv.ca.

It was 40 years ago today that Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau denied mouthing an obscenity in the House of Commons.

Two members of the Opposition, Lincoln Alexander (PC, Hamilton West) and John Lundrigan (PC, Gander Twillingate) made the accusations, claiming that the prime minister said two words, one that started with an F and another that started with an O. Trudeau vehemently denied using such unparliamentary language. “I would never say anything like that.”

When pressed by reporters to reveal what words he had mouthed, the Prime Minister said they were “Fuddle-duddle.”

The exchange came early in Question Period, as Lundrigan asked Trudeau if the government planned any new programs to combat unemployment. His question was framed in a mildly derisive manner, to which the prime minister responded with the reported euphemism.

No sooner was the minced oath mouthed than merchandise was rolling off the line: sweatshirts, beanies and buttons emblazoned with “Qu’est-ce que c’est dat fuddle-duddle?”

The clip below takes you back to the scrum outside of the House of Commons on February 16, 1971.

Hugs and Kisses, Kisses and Hugs

A Sweet Mood is Set for Valentine's Day!

xo xo xo

‘Tis the day that the sleepy little woodchuck pokes his head out of his nest, looks for his shadow, predicts the timing of spring’s arrival, then hits the snooze button for a few more weeks.

Some say the ritual dates back to the Celtic pagan fest of Imbolc, which falls halfway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. The Christian celebration of Candlemas also falls on February 2, and tradition says that clear skies that day meant an extended winter. The Germans reportedly brought a blend of these traditions to America.

The first Groundhog Day took place in 1886, as a media stunt, in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, home to the most notable of all weather-predicting marmots, the portly Punxsutawney Phil. Legend has it that Phil owes his 125-year lifespan to an "elixir of life," served every summer at the annual Groundhog Picnic.

First to pop up in Canada is Shubenacadie Sam, who lives at the Shubenacadie Provincial Wildlife Park in Nova Scotia. There’s also Brandon Bob and Manitoba Merv in Manitoba and Balzac Billy in Alberta.

Most famous in Canada, but immortal in name only, is Wiarton Willie, the albino groundhog who has been prognosticating the weather since 1956. Willie inspires a week-long groundhog festival in picturesque Bruce County, Ontario. In addition to having his likeness chiseled into a 4.5-tonne limestone statue, Willie also has his own website and line of clothing!

Our clip this week pays homage to Wiarton Willie and his furry co-horts everywhere. May it always be just six more weeks until spring!

It's a milestone birthday for Wayne Gretzky. In his honour, we are featuring some classic footage of Wayne at 14, just as his promising career was unfolding. Watch for dad, Walter Gretzky, at the end of the clip.

Even as a five-year-old not yet in Grade One, Wayne Gretzky was already playing hockey on an all-star team with boys twice his age. At eight, he was touted as the greatest phenom since Bobby Orr. Resentment and envy grew among some of the hockey parents in hometown Brantford, Ontario. It got bad enough that some even cheered when he was injured during a game.

In 1975, the Gretzkys decided to move Wayne to Toronto, to play for the top-ranked midget team in Ontario, the Toronto Nationals. Though he was only 14, the team was thrilled to have him. They signed him to a contract and helped arrange a billet family, complete with temporary guardian, not only to give Wayne a place to stay, but to help him meet the residency requirements of playing for the Nationals.

Rival teams protested. The Ontario Minor Hockey Associaton questioned the move, suggesting he was too young to live apart from his family to play hockey and that the residence was suspect. They took a stand and refused to let him play for the Nationals, claiming he had established residency too late. Gretzky filed an appeal which went all the way to the Supreme Court of Ontario. Gretzky lost.

He eventually got around the ruling by moving up to play Junior "B" hockey, which had different residency rules. Again, he found himself among players much older than he was. In 28 games, he scored 27 goals and 33 assists to win Metro Rookie of the Year.

The rest, as they say, is history.

 centre

If it's January in Canada, chances are that someone, somewhere, is talking about the weather. Here is some fodder for the conversation, and a peek at some of our cold-and-snowy stock-footage clips!

Canada is no stranger to snow and cold. The military base at Alert, Nunavut is typically covered with snow for 306 days of the year. 

David Phillips, Environment Canada's Senior Climatologist and weather guru, has analyzed 30 years of weather data for Canada's largest cities. In terms of winter's snow and cold, these came out on top:

• Coldest Winter - Yellowknife, NT
• Snowiest City - Gander, NL
• Greatest Average Snow Depth - Quebec, QC
• Most "Huge" Snowfall Days (25+ cm) - Moncton, NB
• Sunniest Winter - Calgary, AB

Head out west to warm up. Residents of Victoria, BC, see the least amount of snow and the mildest winters.

Ottawa is the second-coldest national capital in the world, after Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

The coldest day recorded in Canadian history was on Feb. 3, 1947 in Snag, Yukon, where the temperature dropped to a bone-chilling -63° C (or -81.4° F). It was so cold that an exhaled breath made a hissing sound as it froze. One weatherman remembers tossing water into the air and watching it freeze into pellets before hitting the ground.

If you think that's cold, think again. Russia's Vostok Research Station in Antarctica holds the record for the coldest temperature ever recorded on Earth, an almost incomprehensible -89.2° C (-128.6° F)!

Feeling a little stiff and sore from the first few workouts of the year? A little short-tempered after butting out your last cigarette on New Year’s Eve? Brown-bagging your lunch today, to save a few bucks?

You’re not alone.

These are the early days, the earnest days of New Year’s Resolutions.

According to a recent Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of Sun Life Financial, 77% of all Canadians make New Year’s resolutions. What crazy thing inspires our resolve as one year ends and another begins?

The tradition of making promises for renewal stretches back to ancient Babylon, when those who worked the land committed to returning borrowed farm equipment, to start their year with a clean slate and hopes for a better crop.

Resolutions later took on a religious tone, as the devout made vows toward spiritual perfection.

Today’s most popular resolutions inspire the temple within: lose weight, quit smoking, exercise more, eat healthier. We want to get out of debt. We want to find balance.

Somehow it’s OK that only 22%, or two in ten, manage to keep their resolutions.

For the rest, the important work is done as the clock strikes twelve and we resolve, with the best of intentions and a hopeful heart, that that this will be our best year ever.