In Canada, I now can marry the guy of my dreams (should he ever decide to rear his lying bastard head!) and at our wedding reception serve Pot Brownies if I so choose!

Strong arguements in favor of our northern cousins!

Or the glass half empty approach, you can get involved in extended divorce litigation with the man of your nightmares while in a sugar freaked buzzed out haze.

And that's the more likely scenario, BB!

I can't name any Canadian landmarks! I need to come up with at least one for "The Super Jailhouse of Space"!!! HELP!!!!

I'm sure there's a nice Canadian tourism website you can find on Google... The only thing I can think of is that space needle thing in Toronto though I don't know what it's called. There's also that huge mall (the biggest in the world?). I only remember it from reading "Alpha Flight"

The CN Tower and the West Edmonton Mall, respectivly. (And here I thought that skit on Jay Leno tonight was a joke. :rolleyes: )

Parliment Hill (Ottawa) and Olympic Stadium (Montreal) are other good choices.

Well, at least I know how many sides there are on a pentagon (five right??)

And I agree -- Antarctica should get their own olympic ring -- what's up with that??

Terry Fox Mountain and monument. They chose a beautiful mountain to name after him.

How about Alanis Morissette, Celine Dion or Bryan Adams? Do they count as monuments?

Take Celine Dion...please. And keep her.

Some eastern Canada monuments: the Bluenose schooner - docked close by. The captain sailed her over a reef in Halifax harbour, so she isn't going too far from home.

Montreal's Olympic Stadium - we're still paying for it, 17 years later.

Peggy's Cove, a moonscape of a tourist trap with a lighthouse and site of the memorial for the Swissair crash.

Still and all, I think Canada has been generally more tolerant, liberal, certainly socialistic in the classic sense and multicultural vis-a-vis the USA. There was not a melting pot philosophy and the presence of a populous and powerful Quebec has done a great deal to influence Canadian politics and culture overall. Francophones put a lot more emphasis on group rights over the rights of the individual, in my opinion. The rural areas of the country tend to be more closed, conservative, etc. etc. If you're a gay person in my little community, you sure don't advertise it. Our premier just announced today, no gay marriage here until the federal government says so/forces the issue. Pot-growing is supposed to be rampant, on the other hand; however, I stick to tomatoes.

Vancouver is one of the most beautiful, livable cities I've ever visited. In fact, just about everywhere I've been in Canada -- Toronto, Montreal and Quebec City, the Maritimes -- has been wonderful.

I also love poutine and wish we had it in our fast food restaurants here...

Ottawa's pretty nice, too. (And contrary to popular belief, it doesn't end at the edge of Parliment Hill. )

Don't forget the Green Gables, as in "Anne of..."

It's incredibly popular among Japanese tourists.

Hey, and I heard Canada kept pot illegal.

Yes, and an MP in New Brunswick was attacked and beaten in his office for supporting gay marriage. Then there was the Alliance Party MP who called for recriminalization of homosexuality (he did make a belated, half-hearted apology when ordered to) - so it's two steps forward and one-and-half steps back on "progressive" issues.

Last week, nurses at a hospital in Halifax were complaining about second-hand medical marijuana smoke. I'm not sure if they wanted to block it or have it circulated...

Looks like Martin is going to finally speak about gay marriages in his annual interview. (Whenever that is.)

As for keeping pot illegal, it's just that the Supreme Court has declared there are no constitutional reasons for throwing the current law out. The issue is still going through parliment.

Canadian Monuments, let's see. Well, I grew up on Lake Huron, one of the Great Lakes. They're all shared with the U.S. (except for Lake Michigan), but they're pretty spectacular. This summer, I saw Niagara Falls again for the first time in 23 years - you have to see it on the Canadian side.

Travelling across country by train through the Canadian Rockies is something everyone should experience. I did it when I was 12. Staying at the grand old railroad hotels should be a life time goal. Start on Vancouver Island at the Empress, then go to Vancouver and stay at the Hotel Vancouver. As you go through the Rockies, depending on which line you take (CP or CN) you can stay at the Jasper Park Lodge, the Banff Springs Hotel, and the Chateau Lake Louise. Calgary, Edmonton, Regina and Winnepeg have railroad hotels as well, but I don't remember the names. In Toronto, it's the Royal York, in Ottawa its the Chateau Laurier, in Montreal, La Reine Elizabeth, in Quebec City, the Chateau Frontenac.

Fat Cramer, you're going to have to help me out with the Maritimes hotels.


Canada is a vast country with lots of open space, It has a varied and beautiful geography. The only thing it doesn't have, damn it, is palm trees.

There are palm trees in the Biodome in Montreal.

Loved the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City. I'd like to stay there the next time I visit, if I can afford it.

Prince Edward Island -- its red dirt roads and rolling green fields are lovely, particularly in the summertime.

Don't get me started on Canadian sweets. Wish we had beavertails and maple syrup pie down here.

Plus, don't forget all the wonderful posters we have from Canada right here on Legion World.

Don't forget Stratford. Not exactly a monument, but still a pleasant touch of class as well as a nice day off for any student (or teacher).

Canada, apart from any other virtues, took in thousands of those who were fleeing military conscription in the United States. (As it might end up doing again, dammit all, from rumblings in Washington circles about reinstating the draft.) I had to contemplate this fact once, in earnest, about 32 years ago when I was a fearful pre-teenager ... so I belatedly thank Canada for at least being there.

I personally uphold -- especially on Bill of Rights Day -- what was intended in the design of the United States, as to severe limits on governmental power. Yet I'm also glad that a large, English-speaking portion of North America is, quite simply, NOT the U.S. And I'll just leave it at that.

How could I have forgotten Stratford? I go every year.

When I was young, the family took a vacation to Halifax. I remember going to the Magnetic Hill in Moncton. That and the Bay of Fundy were the highlights of that trip.

You can't overlook the picturesque Thousand Islands of Kingston, Ontario where the salad dressing was born. Kingston, of course, was Canada's original capital and the first prime minister's (Sir John A. Macdonald) home is here, Bellevue House.

BTW, Kingston also happens to be home to Ryan Malcolm, Canada's first Canadian Idol.

Owl Lad, I went to Queen's University. I could hardly overlook Kingston - so many good memories. Besides Queen's, I spent several summers there, one in the guard at Old Fort Henry.

But JEEPERS!

I still can't marry the alleged man of my dreams or smoke reefer there without getting killed or arrested.

Guess Canada is on an even keel with the USA.

Sweden is pretty nice! Is Sweden better than the US and Canada?

Never been to Canada yet, but I'm dying to go!

Owl Lad, I went to Queen's University. I could hardly overlook Kingston - so many good memories. Besides Queen's, I spent several summers there, one in the guard at Old Fort Henry. [/QB][/QUOTE]

Queen's was my alma mater too, Con-Ed '92 and you? I worked on the Island Queen Boatlines for 4 summers.

Other things good about Canada, how can anyone forget: SHANIA TWAIN! "Up, up, up" for sure!

Owl Lad, I finished quite a bit earlier. Arts 77. What is Con-Ed? I don't think they had that when I was there.

Did you ever live in residence. I was in Gordon House.

Do they still have a big frosh week. I was on the Arts Orientation Committee one year. That was a lot of fun.

I'll leave my assessment of Canada at fewer people, universal medical care, in the very least nonenforcement of pot laws, gay marriage, and the fact that they're much less likely to invade other countries. I really don't like cold weather, but if things continue to develop the way they are, Canada is looking like a decent alternative....

I have to agree with Lash's criteria and state that marrying the man of my dreams and smoking pot during the ceremony are the *only* issues worthy of determining whether a particular country is better than another.

Semi,

Con-Ed is short for Concurrent Education, a teaching program that gives us teaching experience and education courses from year one. It's a small program (only admits 100 students each year), but easier to get into than applying after 4 years of an undergraduate degree.

I lived on West Campus at Jean Royce Hall in my first year and then hit student ghetto living for the rest of my years there.

Orientation weeks have calmed down quite a bit since your time. They haven't made headlines for quite some time.

I am curious... CANADIAN!

"Close the body mold and switch on the power! It's important that I live the next 24 hours as a Canadian!"

Just bumping this thread up to show my appreciation for Canada and for the Canadian posters on LW! I was just thinking this weekend about how nice it would be to retire to a small farm in British Columbia...

I just came back from spending a week in Toronto. Nice place! Clean. Very safe. Pretty to look at. Many things to do. Then I come home to Detroit where nine people were shot at the annual fireworks. *sigh*

Oh and hey, can any Canadians keep us updated on your big election this week? I learned a bit about it on my trip and am quite interested.

Election day is today. It's a strange one this time, very close, possibly the Governor General ("an unelected figurehead") will have to determine who forms the government. I don't think that can happen in the U.S.

The other thing commented upon this weekend is that there have been no issues in this campaign. Usually you get one or two big issues that dominate and are debated, but not this time around. Personally, I feel compelled to vote strategically - to keep one guy out rather than for somebody. Demockracy.

I'm sitting on the edge of my seat for this one. I hope Harper doesn't win.

Minority Liberal government, probably the best thing that could have happened in the current circumstances.

However, we really see the glaring need for proportional representation with these results. With p.r., the Greens would have had 12 seats (they got 0), the NDP (so-called "leftist") and the Bloc Québécois would have had an equal number of seats (versus 19 and 54 respectively ) and the Libs & Conservatives would be reduced in numbers. Just looking at the Bloc results suggests that we'll never get proportional representation - it would be too divisive for national unity, greatly reducing Quebec's clout.

Not that the power of Quebec has been a bad thing, IMO - often opposed to federal policies, Quebec has managed to put the brakes on a lot of legislation and has brought greater power to all provinces through its own efforts for sovereignty. Of course, I'm writing as one who favours scattered rather than highly centralized control.

Alas, my fellow voters in this riding returned our "Koko" candidate to Ottawa, where he can continue to exercise his legislative skills to give tours of Parliament to visiting high school students.

FC just out of interest. Are the Canadian Liberals and Conservatives roughly the same as over here in the UK? In terms of politics, economic policy etc?

I think the Conservatives would match in terms of traditionally being the big money/business guys - Bay Street, Wall Street, the City - and more establishment. Our Liberals may match your current Labour Party under Blair, since they've moved more to the right - and maybe the earlier Liberals matched the earlier Labour versions as well (more socialist, more union, etc.). The Conservatives are still called Tories, but Whigs isn't heard much for the Liberals now.

Love Canada.

been to all 10 provinces plus the Yukon territory.

Arachne: you're right. or Jay Leno was. many Americans don't know that New Mexico is a state, let alone anything about Canada.

as for more monuments:
Marconi Tower, St John's, Newfoundland
L'Anse aux Meadows (amcient Viking ruins), Newf.
Condereration Bridge, PEI/NB, probably counts
Louisbourg Fortress, NS
Halifax fort and clock tower
I think the world's longest bridge is near Woodstock, NB?
not man-made, but Perce Rock, PQ, should count
ditto Montemagny (spelling? sorry) Falls outside of Quebec City
Ile d'... memory fails. Canada's 'Ellis Island', just northeast from Quebec City

that's off the top of my head. there's plenty more.\
Owl Lad, when you say Con-Ed, we in NY area think of the urility, Consolidated Edison.

speaking of politics and TV, why did you never see Brian Mulroney and Jay Leno in the same room at the same time?

I recently heard that the famous Canadian apparel company, ROOTS, was actually founded by Americans.

Say it ain't so...!

It ain't so. Here's the company blurb-

Established in Toronto in 1973, ROOTS is Canada’s leading lifestyle brand, selling a wide range of clothing, leather goods and accessories for men and women of all ages.

Co-founders Michael Budman and Don Green have led the extraordinary growth of ROOTS. Inspired by their teenage summer-camp experiences in Ontario’s Algonquin Park, they created a business that celebrates the natural beauty and culture of Canada.

Starting as a single store with a single product (the ROOTS Negative Heel Shoe), ROOTS grew by establishing other signature products, including leather jackets and bags, the ROOTS awards jacket, the ROOTS Beaver Athletic sweatshirt (a cultural phenomenon in 1985), the Tuff Boot and the leather club chair.

To expand its range of offerings, the privately held company has developed relationships with more than 20 licensees, producing shoes, underwear, fashion accessories, fragrances, watches, luggage, linens, home furnishings and more.

ROOTS has created a unique Canadian caché by nurturing connections with high-profile entertainment and sports celebrities, and by customizing products for thousands of films, television shows, musical groups and sports teams.

The company has always emphasized an athletic lifestyle and a strong team spirit. This creates a natural fit with the Olympic Games – bringing together the best athletes with the best apparel brand. In 1998, ROOTS outfitted the Canadian snowboard team, gaining worldwide recognition for exceptional designs. Over subsequent summer and winter games, the company has developed relationships with additional teams. In 2004, the company dressed four countries – Canada, the United States, Great Britain and Barbados – with hopes for more in the future.

ROOTS products are available through 225 branded stores, including 140 in Canada, 5 in the United States, 12 in Taiwan and 68 in Korea. ROOTS products are also sold by independent retailers and department stores around the world.

Well, maybe I spoke too soon. It apparently is so. Although Roots was founded in Canada, it appears that the two founders were born in Detroit. I thought about editing my previous response to protect my credibility, but hell ... I was wrong!!! Here's the additional info.

Life & Times tell the extraordinary story of Michael Budman and Don Green, founders of a remarkable made-in-Canada company they called ROOTS.

Although born in Detroit, Michigan, they first met in 1963 at Camp Tamakwa in Ontario and were inspired by the rugged outdoors.  Budman was 13 and Green was 10 years old.  They became the campers who refused to go home.

Despite their American ‘roots’, Budman and Green built a company that was thoroughly Canadian, complete with a beaver logo.  They started out by opening a shoe store in Toronto that sold specially hand-made ‘earth shoes’ which had a negative heel.  This fashion fad gradually faded out in favour of the hugely popular line of ROOTS sweatshirts.

From the beautiful tranquillity of Algonquin Park, Budman and Green describe the far from tranquil 25 years they have spent building the ROOTS company and their marketing strategy - ROOTS + Celebrities = Good Business.  Old friends Dan Aykroyd and Robbie Robertson talk about their connection to the boys.  Aykroyd confesses to have been a shoe salesman in the original ROOTS store.

Despite their differing styles, Green and Budman’s long standing partnership seems as solid as the day it began.  In family scenes, viewers see that the two are living a Canadian dream.

I don't think Canada is intrinsically better or worse than anywhere else. I can tell you that Canadians can be extremely arrogant, especially when it comes to the USA and its citizens. Part of this has to do with the fact that America was founded by the winners of a war for independance, and Canada by the losers. (I, for example, am decended from a Loyalist soldier, Col. Cornelius Gee.) It's something that trickled down into our modern beliefs.

I think that Canadians have a lot of reinforced beliefs about themselves and about Americans, and I think a lot of it is bull. Many Canadians believe the bulk of Americans couldn't find Canada on a map, or that most Americans think Canadians live in igloos year round. It's meant to be comedic but it's rather smug; I've met Americans who really thought these things. Granted, America/Americans is only the second most popular topic of satire; we spend most of our time making fun of ourselves.

No one is better, just different.

Thirteen years later and the USA is now as good as Canada (at least in parts)!

Well, except for the still horribly inadequate health care system...

Never been to Canada. Might do it sometime when I have the money to travel.

One of the nicest girls in my high school class was from Canada.

LOL

Just chiming in to say that many Filipinos would love to live in the USA or in Canada permanently

From Kate Beaton's Hark! A Vagrant!

LOL

Thanks, FC.

How very polite

I have a lot of admiration for Justin Trudeau, particularly for his diverse cabinet - and he marched in the Pride Parade!

Blaze thinks Justin Trudeau is a cutie! And Blaze usually does not like older men.

Well I do wonder if I could get a job teaching at a Canadian university ... I've been hesitant about the international job market ... but maybe that should change?

I visited Canada when I was ... 12? Did my dirty sinful business to non-scrambled porn for the first time in a hotel room.

Visited there again decades later on my birthday and had sex in a hotel room! (with my wife) Yay Canada!

Canada isn't better though - just look at Canadian football....

I knew one jerky dude from Canada. But I'm sure the rest of 'em are okay.

This confirms my long held theory that cleome knows Justin Bieber!

No, the dude I'm thinking of had better hair and a worse personality.

Also, remember I'm nearly as old as at this point. So my foul betrayal at the hands of this Son-of-a-Wendigo probably happened when Bieber was still being brewed in Satan's laboratory.

What is the one thing Canada makes more of than any other country?

Canadians!

Is that where they all come from?
Another mystery solved by Quis!

And now we see more about Cleome's long standing mysterious relationship with Bieber...

Morraine Lake, The $20 View. by Derek, on Flickr
We have a lake that Parks Canada fills with Blue Gatorade.

Can your Prime Ministers/Presidents/Kings do this?





Just like his dad could do it too.

Ew. That just does not feel necessary to life at all.

This, on the other hand, feels incredibly necessary to life.

I think the band Of Montreal is pretty cute. But... they're actually Yankees.



Whenever I hear the line, "We made love like a pair of black wizards," I totally think of two gamers in group therapy. (Warning: song contains the f-bomb, so don't blast it at work, eh?)




Now that I think about it, the band The Pursuit of Happiness is Canadian. So I guess it all balances out in the end..

Logically because there's a Canadian band called the 'Pursuit of Happiness' there should be an American band called 'Peace, Order and Good Government'

Sorry that was a joke for all of you who've ever written that particular essay in a Canadian High School history class.

Warning: clip contains science some may consider inappropriate for a Thursday.

I love that he didn't even ATTEMPT a seque. He wanted SO BADLY to show he could answer that question.