Hey Canadian Tire, ‘Wanna’ Is Not a Word!

Canadian Tire is a big company that makes a point of giving back. They sponsor a variety of community events and causes. But evidently grammar is not their forte. Currently the company is running a campaign to get kids out into the fresh air, away from computers and video games for a little fun. Great idea.

The problem is that throughout the ad they refer to ‘two little words’ that can make a difference in a child’s life. “We want to show Canada how two little words can bring us all together.” What are the words you ask? None other than “Wanna Play?” I get the idea, ‘wanna’ is a commonly used expression, an unofficial contraction of ‘want to’, but it just is not a word.

Had they not referred to them as words I’d be fine, if they had said “We want to show Canada how one little saying/request/expression can bring us all together” I would have no gripe at all. But please don’t teach kids that ‘wanna’ is a word. Please.

DCMontreal – Deegan Charles Stubbs – is a Montreal writer born and raised who likes to establish balance and juxtapositions; a bit of this and a bit of that, a dash of Yin and a soupçon of Yang, some Peaks and an occasional Frean and maybe a bit of a sting in the tail! Please follow DC on Twitter @DCMontreal and on Facebook, and add him on Google+