A lesson on Canadian geography, provinces and major cities starting from west coast to east coast:
Bristish Columbia (pop 4.1 million) Largest City: Vancouver (2.1 million) Capital: Victoria (325,000) Border states: Washington,Idaho, Montana
Alberta (pop 3.1 million) Largest City: Calgrary (976,000) Capital: Edmonton (961,000) Border states: Montana
Saskatchewan (pop 1 million) Largest City: Saskatoon (230,000) Capital: Regina (199,000) Border states: Montana, North Dakota
Manitoba (pop 1.2 million) Largest City & Capital: Winnipeg (700,000) Border states: North Dakota, Wisconsin
Ontario (pop 12 million) Largest City & Capital: Toronto (5.1 million) National Capital: Ottawa (1.1 million) Border states: Wisconsin, Michigan, New York
Quebec (pop 7.3 million) Largest City: Montreal (3.5 million) Capital: Quebec City (705,000) Border states: New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine
New Brunswick (pop 800,000) Largest City: Saint John (126,000) Capital: Fredericton (80,000) Border states: Maine
Prince Edward Island (pop 125,000) Largest City & Capital: Charlottetown (45,000) Border states: none (island)
Nova Scotia (pop 936,000) Largest City & Capital: Halifax (400,000) Border states: none. Only borders New Brunswick.
Newfoundland & Labrador (pop 520,000) Largest City & Capital: St. John's (200,000) Border states: none (island)
And for Canadians, this is the American (mostly) equivalent:
Toronto = New York Ottawa = Washington Vancouver = Seattle/San Francisco/L.A. Calgary = Dallas Niagara Falls = Orlando Montreal & Quebec City = France Atlantic Provinces = New England
First, thank you for the geography lesson, and the US/Canadian city conversion. Love it!
Re anti-American bias, we are certainly used to that, as it is a global phenomenon. We *do* distinguish between America those American differences - it's just that we dislike them both!
In our trips to Canada since deciding to emigrate, we have met with only support and approval. If there's an anti-American bias, and we're leaving because we're anti-American, it stands to reason that we will be welcomed or at least accepted. Anyway, I'm a New Yorker - I'm used to being hated. And like a true New Yorker, I enjoy it.
This morning I see that Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario, is banning the Muslim religious court known as sharia . This ends months of debate about whether sharia would be legal and binding in Ontario. I'm quoting at length from the story in today's Toronto Star because many US readers are likely not up on this. In a surprise announcement that caught both supporters and opponents of sharia law off guard, Premier Dalton McGuinty says he will move quickly to ban all religious arbitration in the province. McGuinty made the announcement in a telephone interview with The Canadian Press yesterday after months of debate and controversy surrounding use of Islamic sharia law in family arbitration. "I've come to the conclusion that the debate has gone on long enough," the premier told the news agency. "There will be no sharia law in Ontario. There will be no religious arbitration in Ontario. There will be one law for all Ontarians." The announcement prompted t
This is something I've noticed throughout my Canadian odyssey, from our earliest trips to Toronto to today. I've waited a long time to mention it, to make sure I wasn't drawing a hasty generalization. Canadians seem very careful with money. Frugal. Cheap. Of course no generalization is absolute. But on the whole, people here seem very concerned with how much things cost, and with saving money. I'm not talking about people who simply can't afford things. I've been poor. I know what it is when your basic expenses outstrip your income, how wearing that is, the stress it puts you under. So we'll leave that aside. I'm talking about an attitude. A concern with spending the least amount of money possible, about avoiding or reducing costs if at all possible. An unwillingness to part with money. Phone bills. Parking. Cable TV. The garbage tags I blogged about yesterday. In the US, charging an extra dollar for garbage tags would not create an incentive to put out
I'm opening a sticky subject here, my need to understand causing me to throw caution to the wind. It's about Alberta. Alberta vs. the rest of the Canada. The Globe And Mail runs something about Alberta's gripes every day, and I try to follow along. If it weren't for wmtc's resident Albertan , and the ensuing arguments in comments, I would've had no warning. It's not something Americans know about. As is, observing for more than a year, I have only the smallest of clues. Here's what I know. Please pardon my ignorance and oversimplification, but I have to start somewhere. The province of Alberta is rich, because it has oil. The province of Alberta is conservative, relative to the rest of Canada. Hmm. Funny how those two go together. Because of its great oil wealth, Alberta revenue helps fund services in the rest of Canada. (These are transfer payments?) Apparently many Albertans resent this. They want to keep Alberta's money in Alberta. They don't
A lesson on Canadian geography, provinces and major cities starting from west coast to east coast:
ReplyDeleteBristish Columbia (pop 4.1 million)
Largest City: Vancouver (2.1 million)
Capital: Victoria (325,000)
Border states: Washington,Idaho, Montana
Alberta (pop 3.1 million)
Largest City: Calgrary (976,000)
Capital: Edmonton (961,000)
Border states: Montana
Saskatchewan (pop 1 million)
Largest City: Saskatoon (230,000)
Capital: Regina (199,000)
Border states: Montana, North Dakota
Manitoba (pop 1.2 million)
Largest City & Capital: Winnipeg (700,000)
Border states: North Dakota, Wisconsin
Ontario (pop 12 million)
Largest City & Capital: Toronto (5.1 million)
National Capital: Ottawa (1.1 million)
Border states: Wisconsin, Michigan, New York
Quebec (pop 7.3 million)
Largest City: Montreal (3.5 million)
Capital: Quebec City (705,000)
Border states: New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine
New Brunswick (pop 800,000)
Largest City: Saint John (126,000)
Capital: Fredericton (80,000)
Border states: Maine
Prince Edward Island (pop 125,000)
Largest City & Capital: Charlottetown (45,000)
Border states: none (island)
Nova Scotia (pop 936,000)
Largest City & Capital: Halifax (400,000)
Border states: none. Only borders New Brunswick.
Newfoundland & Labrador (pop 520,000)
Largest City & Capital: St. John's (200,000)
Border states: none (island)
And for Canadians, this is the American (mostly) equivalent:
ReplyDeleteToronto = New York
Ottawa = Washington
Vancouver = Seattle/San Francisco/L.A.
Calgary = Dallas
Niagara Falls = Orlando
Montreal & Quebec City = France
Atlantic Provinces = New England
--Kyle
First, thank you for the geography lesson, and the US/Canadian city conversion. Love it!
ReplyDeleteRe anti-American bias, we are certainly used to that, as it is a global phenomenon. We *do* distinguish between America those American differences - it's just that we dislike them both!
In our trips to Canada since deciding to emigrate, we have met with only support and approval. If there's an anti-American bias, and we're leaving because we're anti-American, it stands to reason that we will be welcomed or at least accepted. Anyway, I'm a New Yorker - I'm used to being hated. And like a true New Yorker, I enjoy it.