Who among us has not ambled through a back lane of some Canadian city, feeling somehow clandestine? Or played shinny in the post-school day fading light? Or as a teenager learned to park in one, banging up the fender of the parents' car? (Don't ask.)

The back lane is that most Canadian of Canadian roadways. Discreet. Quiet. But essential. So here's hoping you'll nominate a special back lane. I see a whole lot of highways and roads, and yay, some bridges too being nominated, but back lanes? Not so much.

Why Back Lanes Deserve Love (and Nominations!):

-The Name: In the U.S., they just get called alleys, in the U.K., snickets, (admittedly a great word,) but only in Canada are they commonly known as Back Lanes.

-The History: According to Canadian Architect, back lanes were essential for the "distribution of services and goods and accommodating a variety of uses including stables, workers' housing and commercial functions."

-They Hide Sculptures: Just this summer a significant stolen sculpture was found in one, the back lane near Furby Street and Westminster Ave. in Winnipeg. (There's definitely a song in that...)

-They Reveal Architecture: Today the Back Lanes of our major cities are "experimental sites for architectural interventions."

-And Of Course..The Game: Shinny, shinny, shinny.