Northern Neighbor - Canada

I love going to Canada. I have a lake cottage in far north Canada and a US home on a river that is the US-Canada/Ontario border, so I make about a zillon trips a year to that country.

I came across some interesting facts that somehow escaped my attention this last half-century. I will share them with you now..cuz I ain't got a blessed thing better to do right now. (I'm waiting for the tardy GasPasa truck from Sta. Rosalia...:rolleyes





Interesting Facts About Canada

Canada perhaps is the only country in the world that is rarely in the news for any controversial issues. It is known to be a peace loving and one of the most preferred countries to migrate to.

Following are a few fun facts about Canada, that make this country stand apart from the rest.

• An unusual fact about Canada is its name origin, it comes from a St. Lawrence Iroquoian word, kanata, which means village or settlement.

• An interesting fact about Canada is that it's the world's second largest country areawise (including its waters), and fourth largest in land area.

• It also has the longest coastline in the world, about 243,000 kms in length.

• The country shares the world's longest common border with the United States of America, which is also the only unprotected border in the world.

• An interesting fact for kids, is that Canada is widely believed to be the home of Santa Claus.

• The belief that the North Pole is owned by Canada is false. No country owns the North Pole.

• Canada is also the largest producer of a refreshingly sweet dessert wine called Icewine.

• It features in the list of top five world's producers of gold, copper, zinc, nickel, aluminum, and natural gas.

• A funny fact about Canada's city of Montreal, sometimes called The City of Churches, is that it has more churches than houses! (Well, I don't believe this one at all!)

• Canada is also home to the world's smallest jail, located in Ontario. It is only 270 square feet.

• It also has the highest tertiary education enrollment in the world, which includes locals as well as international students.

• Toronto is the largest city of Canada, with a population of more than 5 million people. Toronto dwellers hold more university degrees than any other big city in the world.

• Despite being a really big country, it has the fourth lowest population density in the world, with only three people living per square kilometer! Almost half of the population in Canada were born in other countries. The USA is fast catching up.

• Here's a weird fact about Canada, it produces so much energy, that it provides it to the US too!

• The Ice Hotel in Quebec, known as Hotel de Glace is created every year using 400 tons of ice and 12,000 tons of snow. It melts away every summer and is recreated every winter.

• Canada has just one desert in British Columbia, towards the southernmost corner of the Okanagan Valley in Osoyoos.

• The desert is only 15 miles long, with over 100 rare plants, and over 300 rare animals. It is also the only desert in the world that has a long boardwalk, for people to walk on!

• Canadian winter temperatures fall below freezing point, with snow covering some parts of the country for nearly six months!

• In 1883, the baseball glove was invented in Canada.

• Many inventions including basketball, the electric light bulb, the electric range, the electron microscope, the telephone, standard time, the television, and the zipper, and the first snowmobile were invented in this remarkable country.

• The Niagara Falls, one of the largest and most popular waterfalls is in Ontario.

• Half of Canada is covered with forests, which should not be surprising, considering one-tenth of the world's forests are here. It is also home to the polar and the grizzly bear.

• Canada has two national sports; Lacrosse as the country's national summer sport, and Ice Hockey as the national winter sport. Its citizens invented the game of Lacrosse.

• Canada is also known to have the highest quality of life in the world, according to the United Nations Human Development Index.

Well, there you have it..all you really wanted to know about Canada, our trusted ally to the North. Now, where the hell is that gaspasa truck?

You forgot to mention Health Care.

Roger------------add CANADIAN WHISKEY to the list of wonderful things.

------I have travelled extensively in British Columbia--------by far the friendliest people I have ever encountered, in general. I have seldom heard any USA bashing from any Canadian folks.

Barry

Fox News afficionados aside, Canada's health care system is not very different from the health care systems found throughout the industrialized world.

Sure. One can complain about specific aspects, but the bottom line is that such systems provide for all of their citizens. And, those with greater means, are more than welcome to avail themselves of private alternatives. That's the unreported dirty little secret about Canada. Folks with wealth can still buy whatever level of health care they feel they need.

The dark, dirty secret about the debate in the US, is that it is overwhelmingly the health insuuers that provide the misinformation about this issue. Who in the world can feel comfortable that a for profit company should be granted the right to tell you what treatment you can have?

I dunno. I just cannot get my head around the alternate idea. We spend untold trillions of dollars on foreign wars that basically enrich the friends of the people in power. But, somehow, those same people in power have been able to convince the rank and file Americans that somehow, having free and total access to heath care is somehow bad.

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Originally posted by Barry A. Roger------------add CANADIAN WHISKEY to the list of wonderful things. Barry

Alberta Springs 10 year old Rye............smooooooooth

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Originally posted by Bajahowodd Quote: Originally posted by Pompano Oh yeah..Canada's great Health Care system...where most folks die long before the treatment begins..or a doctor is even seen, let alone treats anything. I know too many who elect to head south..and get it looked after in sunny Arizona durning the annual winter migration. Been there, done that.... Tony...but I know your heart is in the right place. Fox News afficionados aside, Canada's health care system is not very different from the health care systems found throughout the industrialized world. Sure. One can complain about specific aspects, but the bottom line is that such systems provide for all of their citizens. And, those with greater means, are more than welcome to avail themselves of private alternatives. That's the unreported dirty little secret about Canada. Folks with wealth can still buy whatever level of health care they feel they need. The dark, dirty secret about the debate in the US, is that it is overwhelmingly the health insuuers that provide the misinformation about this issue. Who in the world can feel comfortable that a for profit company should be granted the right to tell you what treatment you can have? I dunno. I just cannot get my head around the alternate idea. We spend untold trillions of dollars on foreign wars that basically enrich the friends of the people in power. But, somehow, those same people in power have been able to convince the rank and file Americans that somehow, having free and total access to heath care is somehow bad.

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Originally posted by bajaguy Quote: Originally posted by Barry A. Roger------------add CANADIAN WHISKEY to the list of wonderful things. Barry Alberta Springs 10 year old Rye............smooooooooth

I would venture a guess that there are more Californians relocating than Canadians. I being an ex-Californian, living in La Paz now, have made several Canadian friends in quite a short time. For several years I traveled to Vancouver and Toronto for work. Some of the nicest people, great food, and party places galore! Beautiful country. If you hunt, heaven on Earth. Great fishing, even through 4 feet of ice. Having grown up in Michigan, it is just too darn cold 6 months out of the year!!

Other than the "EH" thing, the Canadians I've met and worked with are just like the folks in the US, all sorts, sizes and shapes.

mojo_norte, Canadian Customs are thorough and pretty much like our US agents in the same area...polite, but professional. If you are not breaking any of their entry laws, you will have no problems whatsoever. If you have been convicted of a crime within the last few years, you may be sent back...i.e...a DUI will get you turned back, for instance.

I was only turned back once when I tried out my 'How Canada Really Got It's Name' joke.

How many miles do I put on my motorhome?..odd question for things about Canada? I very seldom take the motorhome to Canada as I use a pickup/fifth wheel//boat combo mostly when Up North. In other travels I suppose I put on 15 to 20 thousand a year?? Could be more..it's one of those things you really don't want to know.

Lista...on that sign in Rigby, Idaho...I've seen it often coming south from my northern home to Baja. Always makes me think of France, Russia, and Germany saying the airplane originated there..rather than at Kitty Hawk. Or french fries in Saratoga, NY race track...or Oysters Rockerfeller at...well, you get the picture, right?

And on that note, I invented the only diet that really works...Key Lime Pie, beer, and pizza.

Howard, wild geese have NO nationality. We could call them 'nomads', I suppose. They are all migratory birds, flying north in summer and south in winter. Some of them fly as far north as the Arctic Circle, and some as far south as Mexico.



There are multiple types of geese from; Canada geese, Snow geese, speckle belly geese, to blue geese and more depending on what part of North America you travel.

About 25 kinds of geese live in various parts of the world. Thirteen kinds of wild geese live in the United States and Canada.

The Canada goose (Honker) is the best-known goose of North America. Canadian geese have a broad white band across its throat and cheeks. It ranges from Labrador and the Arctic Ocean to Mexico.




Honkers that are hatched in Canada are much more 'orderly' than their USA counterparts. ..as seen in the photo below: a group feeding in a stubble field in Saskatchewan. Ten-hut! By the numbers! Eyes front, wings back!





This makes them so much easier to line up for a group 'shot'.




Honkers of Manitoba, Canada..with 2 Nomads...a few years ago.





The Honkers below are all USA hatched.

Sr. Pompano

Thank you so much for the lesson on Geese. I am now ready for Jeopardy and if the category on Geese ever comes up, I'm set!

I am sorry for this slight hi-jack but something has been really bothering me for years. "Why do you drive on a parkway and park on a driveway?"

The reason I ask this of you as I feel you are all knowing and wise beyond your years. Anyone who is so knowledgeable on Geese can certainly help me on that burning question!

Howard...I am a direct descendant of 'Karnak the All-Knowing' from the Johnny Carson show.


For instance..I can see that answering your question on American v.s. Canadian geese was a huge mistake.

[Edited on 2-19-2011 by Pompano]

And let us not forget that Canada is the USA's largest National Park.

On my hands, no. I certainly do have lots of time, but never waste a moment.

This is a direct result of having made it that way.

Stay tuned for the next post on how to decoy Canadian honkers using willow blinds.

Honk Honk.
Like you, dear Pompano, us Canadians love to think about Canada.
Especially when we're in Baja!!

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Originally posted by Pompano Quote: Originally posted by Marc You really must have a lot of time on your hands. On my hands, no. I certainly do have lots of time, but never waste a moment. This is a direct result of having made it that way. Stay tuned for the next post on how to decoy Canadian honkers using willow blinds.

I can hardly wait.

Pompano I am going to write my Prime Minister ( Steven Harper ) for those of you who didn't know we actually have one or knew his name and ask him to apoint you as our Baja ambassador. Another little un-known fact about Canada, and this will make all you Red White and Blue's happy. The national anthem O- Canada was written and composed by an American

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Originally posted by Puckdrop Pompano I am going to write my Prime Minister ( Steven Harper ) for those of you who didn't know we actually have one or knew his name and ask him to apoint you as our Baja ambassador. Another little un-known fact about Canada, and this will make all you Red White and Blue's. The national anthem O- Canada was written and composed by an American

Uh Oh! How sacrilegious....er, I mean sacripolitical. I mean, a maple leaf conspiracy involving our red white and blue? O Canada! You have put over a fast one on us. Someone call Homeland Security.

Well, Chester Allan Arthur was born in a small town in Canada, Bedford Quebec ...so there!

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Originally posted by Bicho Well, Chester Allan Arthur was born in a small town in Canada, Bedford Quebec ...so there!

Chester Allan Arthur was a planted cell
Besides, Quebec isn't really part of Canada

hey Puckrop...you can tell you're new around here....notice that canucks actually dont respond to these "about canada" threads

Motoged who is laid up on our patio with a moto injury does add however that basketball was also a canadian invention!!!!

Well Shari, maybe it's time we break our silence
We are all brothers and sisters, you know that

Basketball was invented by a Canadian. Sure glad they got rid of the peach baskets though

By a Canadian living in the US.

Wait till they here the Canadians developed Penicillin.

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Originally posted by Barbareno Wait till they here the Canadians developed Penicillin.

Necessity is the mother of invention.

Good ol' Tom. Did some ads for Seagrams, didnt he?

At that time Dennis it was for Canadian Whiskey

Quote:

Originally posted by Bicho Well, Chester Allan Arthur was born in a small town in Canada, Bedford Quebec ...so there!