It's a good thing Jim Cooper and Ross Robinson - founders of Oh Canada, Eh?! - believe imitation is the best form of flattery. Otherwise, they'd have a major problem with a theatre group in Mackinaw, Michigan.

 The popularity of the Niagara Falls dinner show has stretched down the 401 and across the border for a copycat show in Mackinaw, dubbed Voyaguers Jubilee. The concept is virtually the same, chock full of music, local humour and a specialty menu. But the capper is the show's promotional pamphlet, which is virtually a word-for-word repeat of the Oh Canada, Eh?! brochure.

 Cooper and Robinson still chuckle every time they read it. Not that a phone call wasn't in order.

 "We phoned the owners and said we had no problem with imitation, but we hope you're not paying your advertising people much money...as long as you know they're not being creative," says Robinson.

 "They've got a trapper on the front (of the brochure) with a canoe," adds Cooper. "I don't know what sort of show it is, but we might take a little trip up to Mackinaw and have a look at it."

 They take such antics in stride. Winners breed copycats, and Oh Canada, Eh?! wraps up its first year as a big winner. Voters for last month's Misty Awards certainly thought so as they gave the show two awards for Progressive, Development (for innovation in the tourism industry) and for Indoor Attraction of the Year, beating out rugged competition! from VinCor International, the Imax Theatre Niagara and the Niagara Falls Brewing Company.

 Cooper was surprised at such acclaim for the show's inaugural year. When it opened back in May, he was just worried about getting through the summer season unscathed - awards didn't occur to him.

 "When they said 'And the winner is...' and they got the word 'Oh' out, Jim jumped about six feet in the air," he calls Robinson. "It was great."

 Always looking for new promotional angles, Cooper and Robinson hustled around the room after the show, collecting about 200 Misty programmes to send out to hotels and bus tour organizers. Plans are well underway to capitalize on the awards, and all indications point to a banner second year for the show. Cooper estimates about 30,000 people will see Oh Canada, Eh?! in 1995, with nine shows per week scheduled for the summer season.

 The show is also straying from its Pyramid Place home on occasion. There was a recent performance at Stage West in Mississauga, and a portable set has been built for upcoming shows in Cleveland and Atlanta.

 After seven months, the show finally takes a well-deserved hiatus in January. Being newcomers, they took their expected lumps, but Robinson and Cooper are satisfied Oh Canada, Eh?! fulfilled its original mandate to provide tourists and locals with a patriotic show that celebrates Canada. Getting the confidence of Niagara Falls hotels and tour buses was vital, says Robinson, and they gradually warmed up to the show's audience-pleasing energy.

 " It's hard slogging, it's hard work. The month of June was very slow for us because we didn't have the credibility yet."

 The tourists weren't here, and the local people didn't really know us yet." They didn't trust us," adds Cooper. "But what really surprised us is the word-of-mouth advertising we've had."

  And the first thing people talk about, they agree, is the show's uninhibited patriotism. Robinson recalls watching a 'large family from Quebec in the audience one night. Curious about their reaction in this climate of separatism, he spoke with the father and was told "This was a tremendous experience for our children.

 "He said 'Now our children see that you are as passionate about Canada as we are about Quebec'."

U.S. visitors are another surprise. They're usually the-facto usually the first to stand for the Canadian Flag during the rousing finale.

 "Many American people come up and say 'It's about time you Canadians started waving your flag'," says Robinson.

 Through 140 shows, the Canada, Eh.! crew has become a family of sorts. Cast member Jennifer Benson is even getting married inside the theatre next week. The original cast from the May opening is still intact, with Brenda Clemente holding the in-house record for 134 consecutive shows (a throat problem broke her string J. And the script, written by local actor Sean Elliott, has barely been touched. "The script will remain pretty well as it is," says Cooper, "because our audience changes, Rather than,chang6 the show and get the same audience, we get different audiences all the time. Having said that, we've had a lot of people come back two or three times who are bringing other people. " It's dangerous to change some thing that has been so successful."