Ah, the late 90s and early 2000s in Canada—a time when MuchMusic still played music videos, MSN Messenger ruled our social lives, and our childhoods were a weird mix of homegrown TV shows, iconic snacks, and schoolyard legends. If you grew up in Canada during this golden era, you know the vibes. So, grab your bag of Ketchup Chips, cue up a burnt CD, and let’s take a nostalgic trip back to a time when life was simple, our Internet was dial-up, and "Take Off, Eh!" wasn’t just a joke—it was a lifestyle.
1. YTV’s The Zone
Carlos, Sugar, and Snit the weird talking TV. Peak after-school entertainment.
2. MuchMusic Video Dances
If you didn’t awkwardly slow dance to Too Close by Next at one of these, did you even grow up in Canada?
3. The Big Comfy Couch
Molly the doll, Loonette’s insane clock stretch, and the low-key creepy vibes we only noticed as adults.
4. Student Price Cards (SPC Cards)
Nothing made you feel more powerful than flashing this bad boy at Bluenotes for a 10% discount.
5. House Hippos
We ALL wanted one. Thank you, Concerned Children’s Advertisers, for giving us lifelong trust issues.
6. Uh Oh!
That insane game show where kids got slimed while Wink Yahoo screamed at them. A fever dream.
7. Degrassi: The Next Generation
Before Drake was Drake, he was Jimmy Brooks. The trauma this show gave us? Unmatched.
8. Pogs
It was all fun and games until someone brought a metal slammer and flipped the whole game on its head.
9. Reboot
The first-ever fully CGI cartoon? Yup. Megabyte and Hexadecimal haunted our childhoods.
10. Ketchup Chips & All-Dressed Chips
Americans will never understand the majesty of these.
11. Treehouse TV’s Weird Shows
Nanalan’, Toopy and Binoo, and Maggie and the Ferocious Beast—pure, unhinged energy.
12. Breaker High
A high school on a cruise ship? Ryan Gosling before he was Ryan Gosling? Iconic.
13. The Log Driver’s Waltz
The most Canadian animated short ever. Why was this such a bop, though?
14. Canadian Tire Money
Some of us still have a stack of this in a drawer, and we don’t know why.
15. Iceland from Mighty Ducks 2 Being the Villains
Like, come on. We all knew it should’ve been Team Canada.
16. Being Forced to Watch Heritage Minutes in School
"Dr. Penfield, I smell burnt toast!" burned into our collective consciousness forever.
17. Owning a So Fresh CD Compilation
The only way to get your hands on the latest bangers (and at least one Tragically Hip song).
18. Avril Lavigne’s ‘Let Go’ Album Being a Personality Trait
Every Canadian teen girl in 2002: "I am Sk8er Boi."
19. Watching The National with Your Parents
Peter Mansbridge had the bedtime voice of a generation.
20. Buffalo Jeans & Roots Sweatsuits
If your entire school didn’t smell like a mix of Axe Body Spray and Roots track pants, was it even a Canadian school?
21. Marble Slab Creamery Being a Luxury Experience
Mom: "We have ice cream at home." Us: "Not the same."
22. Pajama Day at School = Peak Happiness
It just hit different when you got to wear your favorite Garfield PJs in class.
23. Having to Explain Smarties to Americans
"No, they’re not the same as your weird chalk candies. These are superior."
24. Renting Movies at Blockbuster on Friday Nights
Be kind, rewind. And try not to cry when they’re all out of the new release.
25. Thinking You Could Win Roll Up the Rim
Every year we thought this was it. Every year, we won Please Play Again instead.
Honorable Mention: Zellers’ Restaurant Grilled Cheese
RIP to a real one.
So, how many of these hit you right in the nostalgia? If you’re nodding along, congrats—you’re officially part of the unofficial Canadian 90s/2000s club. And if this trip down memory lane has you feeling all warm and cozy, you’ll probably love our These Candles Smell Like Canadiana collection, inspired by the sights, sounds, and scents of the good old days. Check ‘em out, and keep repping that Maple Leaf life. 🍁
