Canada 101: A Primer for Americans

The Moderate Separatist ^ | March 24, 2013 | Leigh Patrick Sullivan

[Leigh Patrick Sullivan]

There have been many misconceptions swirling around down south about Canada. While lack of knowledge about America’s closest neighbor and ally is certainly not uncommon, current issues such as the Keystone XL pipeline have brought many to the surface.

In an effort to better educate our American cousins, here’s a quick primer on all things Canada.

[Nepeta]

Come to Alberta my friendly neighbor, we will treat you well, and if any Canadians start talking idiotic about Americans, we just cuff them upside the head:)

I've never been to any of the prairie provinces, but I have heard many good things about them!

[Bulwyf]

well, we have some of the most beautiful parts of the rockies here too, even people come from the swiss alps to see them:)

[Nepeta]

well, we have some of the most beautiful parts of the rockies here too, even people come from the swiss alps to see them:)

In my youth I fantasized about driving through the US and Canada in a camper, and getting a good look at all kinds of places. It still sounds like fun, but I cannot begin to afford doing it. There is so much to see.

[hoagy62]

I have a friend who moved to Grand Prairie. She and her partner (yep, she’s a lez) are posting things on Facebook disparaging the US all the damn time. If you can fight your way through the snow, try giving her a cuff upside the head, if you please.

[Bulwyf]

I am actually headed there soon to meet up with a nice Christian gal I’ve been chatting with, when there, I will most certainly make it very clear that any who smack talk the US will get a smack down:)

I like to remind folks that a big part of the reason we were safe during the cold war was because of a large nuclear deterrent. Thank you for that American taxpayer.

I still love it when they call me a want to be American, they think they’re insulting me and I take it as a compliment :P

[JimRed]

Come to Alberta my friendly neighbor, we will treat you well, and if any Canadians start talking idiotic about Americans, we just cuff them upside the head:)

From "Four Strong winds"

Think I'll go up to Alberta, weather's good there in the fall,
There's some friends that I can go to workin' for,
Still I wish you'd change your mind If I asked you one more time, But we've been through that a hundred times or more.

If I get there before the snow flies, And if things are going good,
You could meet me if I send you down the fare.
But if you wait until it's winter, It will be no good
'Cause that wind sure can blow way out there.

[Bulwyf]

It’s not so bad:) Then again my ancestors were vikings, perhaps I’m too used to the cold :P

[fanfan]

What a joke.

Poutine isn’t even mentioned.
Nothing on winter, nothing on metric, nothing on bilingualism even.

[Squawk 8888]

In the Maritimes that was always the case; it was for that reason that my dad and most of his siblings moved to Toronto.

[dfwgator]

Banff/Lake Louise was awesome. I highly recommend it.

[Billthedrill]

Great to hear from you. I live in northern Idaho, so my view of Canada is probably pretty biased. Canada to me is the Waterton Peace Park, Victoria BC, Banff, and some absolutely killer beer at a campfire in the Canadian Rockies. Also eight-foot carnivorous beavers that dropped giant trees across the road so they could devour the entire campground. That was after the beer, though...