by Mark Collin Reid

Canadians are renowned for many things, including our amiable ability to poke fun at ourselves.

This uniquely Canuck quality was put on world-wide display during the closing ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

When crooner Michael Bublé took the stage to sing the old standard “The Maple Leaf Forever,” everyone expected an earnest if overwrought rendition.

However, minutes into the performance, things took a turn. Suddenly, the stage erupted with every cliché imaginable about the true north strong and free, from dancing Mountie showgirls to inflatable beavers to a hockey game played by towering table hockey pieces.

All in all, the extravaganza struck a chord with its skewering of all things Canadian.