If you’ve yet to pick up your January issue of Canadian Living, you’re in for a treat, because this month’s Man of the Hour is Rick Mercer. He’s opened the issue with his take on why politicians need to quit it with the hockey metaphors. Rick is fantastic at witty rants like this one, but we don’t just love him for his clever critiques of Canadian politics and his well-timed punch lines. Here are five reasons we love Rick Mercer. 1. He took a stand against bullying in the It Gets Better Project. Here, Rick used his humour and insight to assure kids who are struggling with bullying that those who are made fun of when they’re young often grow up to be the most successful adults. 2. He created concepts like the “national igloo” and “Prime Minister Jean Poutine.” While he found many Americans (even George Bush) who believed these things actually existed in Canada, they're such amazingly ridiculous ideas that we wish they really did! 3. He helps raise awareness about great Canadian charities, such as Plan Canada and Hope Air, for which he was named an honorary patron. Hope Air offers flights for low-income Canadians who need to travel across the country for health care. 4. He makes Canadians care about Canadian news. Though politics south of the border tends to be more dramatic and publicized (barring all the recent Rob Ford scandals), Rick Mercer keeps us up to date about what’s happening in Ottawa and why it matters to us. And really, that’s no small feat. 5. He’s not afraid of anything. He’s done the CN Tower EdgeWalk, worn a beard of bees—even tagged bears. Just watch this! [HTML1]