"Hat" is a generic term for
"Hat" is a generic term for something you wear on your head. "Toque" is specific - like cowboy hat, sailor hat, top hat, etc.
The toque is a national icon here. Think of beer, hockey, Mounties, etc. The toque is right up there with those. Come to Canada in the winter, and you'll see toques everywhere. They're certainly not fashionable, they're often not pretty, but they do the job of keeping our heads warm, and so we wear them anyway.
And no, I'm not interested in ordering a BRS-branded spliff. I'm prepared to go a long way to support the organization, but not quite that far.
Alan