A few years back Chrétien was making his way towards a building with a large crowd obstructing his path. A man suddenly emerged from the crowd and began berating Chrétien about something, I can't remember what.
Here in the US, Secret Service would have been all over the guy. In Canada, Chrétien, think of him what you will, delivered a hard left hook to the guy's face. I respect that. I have to think it's a hockey thing.
My first experience of Canada:
While parking my car in a park's parking lot in Vancouver, a man came up to me. He asked me very politely, "Pardon me, do you have any spare change for a loony?"
Of course, I looked at him like he was crazy. Only later did I realize that "loony" is the Canadian slang term for their $1.00 coin.
Is there somewhere to go to be able to read a short political history of Canada since about 1960? I think I have lost track of the various shifting parties of the Great White North.