To be fifteen in Canada in 1995 was to have “Hand in My Pocket” by Alanis Morissette everywhere, Toy Story on every screen, and Friends on after school. That year, gas cost ~$0.53 CAD/litre and Windows 95 launches with lineups at midnight was the new thing. Born in 1980? You turned 15 in 1995 — a teenager from 1993 to 1999, right in the window a soundtrack bonds to you for life.
Compiled by the Original Lore archive from period charts, box-office and price records. How we build these · sources noted throughout.
An Ottawa kid who used to be a Canadian dance-pop singer turned into the voice your older sibling was blasting that year — Canada claimed her as one of its own before the rest of the world caught up.
the year-end #1 was Her first #1 single in Canada; #11 on RPM's Year-End Top 100 Singles for Canada, 1995, off Jagged Little Pill.
what topped the Canadian box office in 1995
Toy Story
Braveheart
Se7en
Clueless
Pocahontas
the tv shows you are binging in 1995
Friends
Due South
The X-Files
This Hour Has 22 Minutes
Goosebumps
the games you are playing in 1995
Donkey Kong Country 2
Killer Instinct (SNES)
Mortal Kombat 3
Sonic & Knuckles
Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness
NHL 96
what things cost in 1995
What things cost in 1995
gasoline
~$0.53 CAD/litre
minimum wage (Ontario)
$6.85/hour
movie ticket
~$6.15 CAD
stamp (domestic letter)
$0.45
avg family income
~$55,247/year
trending this year
Lancelote, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0Windows 95Photo by Niklas Sobieski Larsson (Wikimedia Commons), source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Playstation_Comparison_(SCPH-1002_and_SCPH-9002).jpg · Public domainSony PlayStationAI-generated illustrationToronto Raptors & Vancouver GrizzliesPhoto by Zorion (Wikimedia Commons), source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Non_au_r%C3%A9f%C3%A9rendum_1995.png · CC BY-SA 4.0The Quebec referendumAI-generated illustrationJagged Little Pill
the gadgets you just got
Photo by Niklas Sobieski Larsson (Wikimedia Commons), source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Playstation_Comparison_(SCPH-1002_and_SCPH-9002).jpg · Public domainSony PlayStationPhoto by Ruben de Rijcke (Wikimedia Commons), source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:IBM_Aptiva_2144-M51.jpg · CC BY-SA 4.0Windows 95 PCPhoto by Morn at English Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons), source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Discman_D121.jpg · CC BY-SA 3.0DiscmanPhoto by Jorgebarrios (Wikimedia Commons), source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Beeper_Motorola_Bravo_Express_-_CTC_Chile_-_1.jpg · CC BY-SA 4.0PagerPhoto by Darian Hildebrand (Wikimedia Commons), source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RCA_VHS_shoulder-mount_Camcorder.jpg · CC BY-SA 3.0Camcorder
what everyone is snacking on
Photo by Alex Lozupone (Wikimedia Commons), source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NanaimoS1370051.jpg · CC BY-SA 4.0Nanaimo barsPhoto by Ser Amantio di Nicolao (Wikimedia Commons), source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_pile_of_All_Dressed_potato_chips_on_a_paper_towel.jpg · CC BY-SA 4.0All-dressed chipsWikimedia Commons, source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coffee-Crisp-Split.jpg · Public domainCoffee CrispAI-generated illustrationCrispy CrunchPhoto by Beosmrx (Wikimedia Commons), source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kraft_dinner_preparation.jpg · CC BY-SA 3.0Kraft Dinner
what everyone is drinking
Photo by Justin (Wikimedia Commons), source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tim_Hortons,_extra_extra_large.jpg · CC BY-SA 2.0Tim Hortons double-doubleArkpafisto, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Clearly_Canadian_Orchard_Peach.jpg) · CC0Clearly CanadianPhoto by Lynette (Wikimedia Commons), source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Canada_Dry_ginger_ale_bottles.jpg · CC BY 2.0Canada Dry ginger alePhoto by Kiliweb (Wikimedia Commons), source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:President%27s_Choice_Cola.jpg · CC BY-SA 3.0President's Choice ColaPhoto by Alextvmx (Wikimedia Commons), source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Botella_Orange_Crush_Mexico.jpg · CC BY-SA 4.0Orange Crush
what made the news in 1995
Quebec's sovereignty referendum fails by a razor-thin margin
The NBA expands into Canada with the Raptors and Grizzlies
Windows 95 launches, reshaping how people use home computers
The O.J. Simpson trial verdict is watched around the world
The Oklahoma City bombing shocks North America
Photo by Tony Webster (Wikimedia Commons), source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Qu%C3%A9bec_Flag_(14744342616).jpg · CC BY 2.0Quebecers narrowly vote No to sovereignty, 50.6% to 49.4%, October 30AI-generated illustrationThe Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies play their first NBA games as the league returns to CanadaPhoto by Flickr user (CC BY 2.0) (Wikimedia Commons), source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Disquetes_y_CD-ROM_de_instalacion_de_Windows_95.jpgWindows 95 launches worldwide with midnight store openingsPhoto by Los Angeles Police Department (Wikimedia Commons), source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:O.J._Simpson_1994.jpg · Public domainThe O.J. Simpson murder trial ends in a not-guilty verdictPhoto by Leonard Brakebill, Oklahoma Air National Guard (Wikimedia Commons), source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Murrah_Building_-_Aerial.jpg · Public domainThe Oklahoma City bombing kills 168 people
what everyone is saying
"two-four"a case of 24, the unit of measurement for any long weekend
"eh"still tagging the end of every second sentence
"keener"the overachiever, said with equal parts respect and mockery
"out for a rip"driving nowhere in particular, just to be out
"Molson muscle"earned honestly, one two-four at a time
