The Canadian tourism board wants you to know that this year is the 100th anniversary of the publication of Anne of Green Gables. They’ve been emphasizing this important data point all year long, hoping that it will pan out in tourism dollars. If you don’t believe me, go ahead and take a peek.
So you see, yes, Carrots herself is alive and well, and inspiring consumer spending in a time of economic woe, to boot. I find this funny, because Anne Shirley and her creator, Lucy Maud Montgomery, only ever inspired me to sheer audacity. I wanted to be wild and creative, and have adventures that involved bosom friends, raspberry cordial, and cute boys (possibly not in that order) just like Anne. (Well, OK, once I was also inspired to donate money to PBS because I got sucked into a fundraising drive while they were airing those Sullivan miniseries based on the Anne books, too. But that’s about it).