Canada PoliticsMPs go fresh-shaven as Movember arrives on Parliament Hill
Don't be surprised if you see a lot of MPs in Ottawa, this month, looking a lot like Ned Flanders from the Simpsons.
Movember has officially arrived on Parliament Hill and, once again, MPs of all political stripes will be sporting moustaches as part of the annual event to raise money for prostate cancer research.
On Thursday, MPs took part in the traditional shave-off in accordance with official Movember rules, which require upper lips to be hair-free at the beginning of the month. The NDP's Peter Stoffer was among the first parliamentarians to shave-off his bushy cookie duster as his fellow "mo-bros" and "mo-sistas" cheered him on.
"Luckily, I'm like a Chia-Pet," he quipped.
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"It'll grow it back next week."
MPs are hoping to exceed last year's success. In 2011, according to CTV News, 75 MPs grew moustaches for the cause raising upwards of $70,000.
Liberal leadership candidate Justin Trudeau's upper lip seemed to get the most attention with what some called a Pirate's of the Caribbean goatee.
[ Yahoo! special section: Movember ]
"I've been having too much fun, so I'm keeping my moustache for another month or so — carrying it into Manuary," he told CTV.
Movember was founded by a bunch of beer-drinking Australians in 1999 and has grown to a worldwide campaign of impressive proportions. According to Movember.com, in 2011, over 854,000 people worldwide participated raising over $125 million.
Out of the $125 million, Canadians raised $35 million — 'Mo' money than any other country.
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