Mattel made a Canadian Barbie, eh?

 They sure did - and she happened to be my Christmas present from my friend, Alison! It was news to me that Mattel's Dolls of the World Collection included a Canadian Barbie, as Canada seems so close to the United States, and not very "exotic." (Although, being a Canadian living in the US, I can testify that there are definitely differences between the two countries...and their inhabitants.) Besides having that beautiful 80s Barbie face, she makes me smile. Seeing the Canadian flag on her box makes me feel like she and I are sharing something special.


Curious about Barbie's get-up? She is dressed as an iconic Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer. (The RCMP are Canada's national police force, and are sometimes referred to as "Mounties.")  Out of the country's population of about 34 million, only about 30,000 citizens of Canada actually serve in the RCMP, but they are still a recognizable symbol of Canada, hence Mattel's choice of outfit.

Among the facts provided on the back of her box are a list of all of Canada's provinces & territories (the equivalent of "states" in the U.S.), six French words for you to learn & my favorite statement: "It gets cold and icy here, but you'll find that Canadians are warm and friendly people." I can't disagree with that - we really are.

One correction: since this doll was produced in 1987, the third territory of "Nunavut" has been formed to make up Canada's collection of 10 provinces and 3 territories.

Note: no, Canadian money is NOT this small, so don't try to cut these out and spend them across the border. They'll just laugh at you - in a warm and friendly way, of course.