What's wrong with Canada?

[CJ Swartz]

Heather, David, Mig, Margaret -- I hope to visit Canada someday, and have always had an interest in the beauty of your country although it's a cooler climate than I would be comfortable staying in for long (being an Arizona "desert rat" ). My first recollections of anything Canadian was Sgt. Preston of the Canadian Mounties (and his dog King, of course) -- I've always loved those Mounties!

Then I saw photos of Vancouver, and Lake Louise, Atlantic puffins, etc. etc. -- your country is a treasure trove of beauty.

Your health-care system is one that the U.S. has looked at over the years, and one that I still think could help us fix our current nightmare of a system.

According to the census, Canada's population increased by only 4.0%, and the population density is 1/10th of the U.S. But you're safe from invasion by this Arizonan -- brrrr!!

[Sam]

Will all the stuff going on here in Zim, we've been looking at the possibility of emigrating somewhere else. But Canada never came to mind, until now! What put me off was that shortly after my parents married, they lived in Quebec for four years and some of my father's 8mm cine films show snow halfway up buildings!! They used to go tobogganing from a first floor window!

[OhThatGirl2001]

Well Sam, it's true... we have snow. For us however, it stays on the mountains most of the time. We have 2-3 snowfalls a year that actually amount to something. I think Canada is a wonderful place to raise children.

Lisa

[OhThatGirl2001]

Here is a shot I took of our local mountains yesterday afternoon. Does this look cold to you?

Lisa

[Mig]

"They used to go tobogganing from a first floor window!"

As a child I'd do this, and, we'd also jump off the roof of our house and then make angels in the snow. One time I came back to my house from a ski trip and we'd had a monster storm and in order to get to my front door from the street I had to surf on my skis. The snow was about 8 feet high. When I got to the front door my parents had to shovel the snow into the house in order to open the front door wide enough to let me in.

And CJ, you think Canada is cold? Try visiting S.F. in the middle of July. I was standing at a light last summer here in SF and a crazy street person said to no one, "The coldest winter I ever had was the summer I spent in San Francisco." In a queer sort of way it made sense.
In the summer months in the eastern part of Canada the temperatures are routinely in the 80's & 90's.
It does get cold in the winter though. Farley Mowat, the great Canadian author, once wrote, "It's so cold your spit freezes before it hits the ground."
The best time to visit is in August.

Mig

[G. Couch]

What's wrong with Canada?

....what's wrong with Canadian hockey? (Go Hurricanes! )

[d_kendal]

what's wrong with Canadian hockey?

no kidding!!! all our teams have been doing awful in the playoffs this year. whats up with that? I thought canada was supposed to be the nation of hockey!

- David

[CJ Swartz]

from Mig: The best time to visit is in August

Verrrry Interesting! The best time to leave the Valley of the Sun is in August.

[G. Couch]

Originally posted by d_kendal

I thought canada was supposed to be the nation of hockey!

- David

It migrated south this year!

[Jakaleena]

Originally posted by CJ Swartz
you're safe from invasion by this Arizonan -- brrrr!!

I had a friend who was from Canada (Toronto) but lived here in the US. His friends used to find the funniest cards to send him for birthdays, etc. that ribbed him about being Canadian. The one I particularly remember showed a border station. The hut was manned on the US side by an American guard, and a mountie was manning the Canadian side. The US side of the hut had flowers blooming, birds singing and sun shining. The US guard was wearing shorts. The Canadian side of the same building was covered with snow, icicles were hanging from the eaves, a snow drift was up to the window and the Mountie, steam coming from his mouth and nostrils, was wearing a parka...

My friend said it was a fairly accurate perception of what people thought Canada was like... LOL

[winwintoo]

On Tuesday this week it was 28 degrees C (82 F)

On Wednesday we had a blizzard - I mean a whiteout. I couldn't see the building across the street!! Highways were closed lots of cars in the ditch, tow trucks run of their feet.

Margaret

[d_kendal]

We're having strange weather this year in Alberta too. we had snow up until late april, then it's been on and off very hot or really cold and raining during most of may. it's been really hot and dry in the last week, so there's been forest fires out in the prairies so it's been reeally smoky in the city here.

- David

[Brandee]

Having lived in Michigan for most of my life (and being awfully close to Detroit and the bridge/tunnel to Canada), I tend to consider myself as an "honorary Canadian". (: I love it there.

[Ed_L]

When I was a kid, I lived in northern Vermont, not far from the Canadian/U.S. border. I remember cold, cold winters. Then we had summer (August) . At the time, it also was a good place to raise a family -- don't really know if it's changed much. I ran into a guy from Vermont about a month ago, and I told him I used to live in Essex Junction. I told him I thought it probably changed quite a bit since I was a kid. He said he didn't think so - there's still no Walmart there.

Ed

[Lampy]

Thank goodness

Walmart is evil! Seriously, after hearing that they take out insurance policies on their employees and collect the money when they die...... that is just sick for an employer to profit that way. Especially when you figure their part timers work a few hour a week at minimum wage and take home very little. They up and die and Walmart make $60,000 on them. No wonder they make money every quarter. I won't go into the way they make their suppliers lowball their prices and put others out of business! Darth Vader has nothing on this Evil Empire!

It is unfotunate that Walmart has cracked into the Canadian market. Their rath will continue to kill many more small businesses.

Heather's Rant for the day!