Dennis T. Olson "Fifth Avenue Cowboy" (Sunflower International Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Ron Hallordson & Ralph Watts)
A rock-solid, steel-drenched pure country set from Winnipeg, Canada... This album is packed with great original material, including Olson's best-known song, "Truck Driving Outlaw," which found a second life on numerous latter-day trucker compilations. I couldn't find out much info about this guy online, but this is a very good record. He had a deep, robust, confident voice and a good strong backing band, all apparently local artists. If anyone out there has more info about Olson and this album, I'm all ears.
Jimmy Arthur Ordge & Joyce Smith "The King And Queen Of Country Music" (Point Records, 196-?) (LP)
Jimmy Arthur Ordge "Tears From A Country Heart" (Point Records, 196-?) (LP)
Jimmy Arthur Ordge "The Country Soul Of Jimmy Arthur Ordge" (Point Records, 1968-?) (LP)
Jimmy Arthur Ordge "Storytime And Prayers" (Royalty Records, 196-?) (LP)
The Original Sloth Band "Whoopee After Midnight" (Troubadour Records, 1973) (CD)
A jazzy, retrodelic stringband from Canada, with covers of various rags, blues tunes and Depression-era novelty songs. Highlights include "(I Just Want To Be) Horizontal," "I'm A Vulture (For Horticulture)" and "Get A Job," along with more well-known standards, such as "The Sheik Of Araby," "Temperance Reel" and "How Long Blues."
Marg Osburne "The Best Of Marg Osbourne" (Arc Records, 19--?) (LP)
Best known as a Christian gospel singer, Marg Osbourne (1927-1977) also recorded secular material, ranging from regionally-oriented folk and country to pop vocals and standards. Originally from Moncton, New Brunswick, Osbourne joined bandleader Don Messer in the late 1940s, and was a cast member of his radio and TV shows, notably on the Don Messer Jubilee, which ran on CBC-TV throughout the 1960s. She recorded several gospel albums, some with a country tone, as well as secular albums such as this one, with the uniquely Canadian mix of folk and country material.
Marg Osburne "The Golden Era Of Marg Osbourne" (Banff Records, 196-?) (LP)
This one's more of a folkie thing, with singalong oldies like "Sweet Betsy From Pike," "Barbara Allen" and "Nobody's Darlin'..."
Marg Osburne "My Kind Of Country" (Marathon Records, 1972) (LP)
Canada has long had a vibrant love of country music, often tinged with strong regional pride and songs extolling the great Northern expanse. Some artists, of course, became well-known down south, but for every Hank Snow there are literally thousands of other musicians who never made it to Nashville, or never even tried. At any rate, the Canadian country scene is huge, and deserves to be celebrated in its own right. I'm pretty sure I'm only scratching the surface here, and welcome any recommendations, additions or corrections. 
