another question...how big are towns/citys in canada?
toronto n quebec are king sized...all the documentries ive seen usually stick the the north half of canada...most of the towns look like the typical one-street western movie towns (one barber, one saloon, one 'bar', one undertaker, one mail office,one bank,maybe a bell/watch tower and other assorted holes in the ground)

ps...the pic above there is photoshopped right? (other than the arrow being drawn ofcourse)

Just for clarification purposes, Quebec is a province, not a city or town. There are only two "big" cities here, which would be Quebec City (the capital of the province) and Montreal. According to Stat Canada's newest census (done in April), Quebec has a population of about 7.5 million people.

Of that, about 3.5-4 million live in Montreal, and about 685 thousand live in Quebec City. The rest of the province is a lot of small towns and farm communities. Also, not everyone in Quebec speaks French. 1.3 million of us do not have French as our mother tongue (although most of us do speak the language).

My first impression of Canada is cold.
Second is good fishing/hunting/wildlife/wilderness
The third thing that comes to mind is a rather laid-back people
And I can't help but think of high taxes.

But cold first - an outdoorsman's paradise second.

I'm gonna go ahead and skip everyone's posts and just state my opinion.

Ah... Canada... Our retarded neighbor to the north.

Personally I wouldn't want to live there as I have a slight affinity for America, but it's not too bad. One of the weirder experiences was buying smarties and biting into a hard chocolatey inside as opposed to a soft chewy fruity inside. While in Alberta I was thoroughly impressed with just how integrated nature and society was. There were mooses walking around the parking garages of all places, standing in people's yards, and there were small woodland creatures scurrying around the side walks. It was a neat experience to say the least.

Beyond the nature, I don't know enough about Canada to REALLY have any strong impression of the place, but from what I've heard (medical mainly) I would prefer to stay in America whenever I get the sniffles.

Yes... we have Moose, Elk and Beaver to contend with on our daily commute... makes driving on the highway very tricky as moose don't like it when you pass. And don't get me started about elevators and elk... bastards camp out in the elevators all day... stairs can be a bitch.

Well I personally pay zero taxes, and yes I am employed. :P

As far as sizes of towns and cities, we've got around seven cities of over one million people, and a lot of smaller cities and towns. Something like 80% of our population lives within 200 km of the U.S. border (stats are slightly fabricated, but close facsimiles to the real deal).

I live down here near the Mexican border and most of us have no opinion of Canada other than the fact that its cold and they love their hockey. I do know that an inordinate amount of pro wrestlers hail from Canada. Thats a positive in my book. :thumbsup:

If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home from us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains set lightly upon you; and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen.
– Samuel Adams, 1776

Approximately forty thousand Loyalists left the United States for Canada during the American Revolution. Some left voluntarily, others were forced out.

Most Americans have forgotten that they were our countrymen.

Most Americans have also forgotten that, in addition to being a wretched brewer (not really his fault - Colonial American Beer was really awful, worse than it is now even), Sam Adams was a natural born Shit Disturber or the first water, who would have sent this country sprinting back to England's arms if John Adams had not been cut from a much more sensible cloth and thus able to blunt his excesses of Idiocy. One should not give anything he had to say any more literal credence than one should give the White House Press Secretary. He's telling it like he wanted it to be, not like it was.

That said, your summation is spot on. A ton of Loyalists ended up in Canada. Would that they had held the south as well.

Hmm...I'm trying real hard but I aint seeing shit...

Plus, alot of American beer I've tasted, taste like shit. It's like a watered down version of Molson Canadian...I even had something called Mississipis Mud (However many s's and i's there is), worse. beer. ever.

boobies!

There is a long tradition of Americans escaping to Canada. From the time of the Empire Loyalists, to Vietnam draft dodgers to today.

They have contributed much in making Canada a stronger place.

Then again, I don't have the issues others do with immigrants.

I live 30~ miles from the border (Four hours from Calgary- thanks to the advanced Canadian highways). Half the cars around here are Canadian, probably to shop with lower taxes. From the many times I've been to Canada, spoken to Canadians, and read news about Canada, I can concur that the actual people are the same as Americans, with a government that they actually like.

Hmmm, yeah I really tried not to be offended by that one but as it turns out, having my country referred to as "RETARDED" really pisses me off.....especially when you neglect to say what you are basing that statement on.

I will admit I am a very proud Canadian, but I am also smart enough to realize that as a country we have our flaws too, primarily with health care and taxes. I know some people here get angry that Canadians thinks they are "better" then the US, but in reality, I think that Canadians just get so damn sick of being referred to as Americans that we feel the need to make it clear that we are different then the US. We just want out own identity...and that is why we attach Canadian flags to our back packs when travelling. I wont lie, its a nice feeling to instantly be treated better when someone finds out I am Canadian and not American...but ultimately we just want to be seen for what we are. Not some "retarded" clone or wanna be USA. We are Canada....young and proud...still learning, but well on our way to making a great name for ourselves.

Love, love love it Charlatan! Had me ont he ground laughing my ass off.

I love Canada, especially since we just legalized staplers, yup that Tim Horton will make a fine Prime Minister.

We have beautiful women, multi coloured money and no bush(es) what more could you ask for.

why thank-you! :icare: I'll treat you to a Tim Horton's anytime!

oh diddagirl, I heartily agree with your sentiments. God know's I've stepped up to the plate in this forum in support of our country. But when you think of it, we aren't all that young either. As a formalized nation even, well over a hundred years of stability, but even before that we have a lot of history as a people...

when I think about Canada, the first thing that pops into my mind is usually that Canadian talking about how the U.S. would never get along without Canada. Usually citing our dependance on Canadian Oil, Softwood Lumber and Steel. Well I'll tell you this, everyone in the metalworking industry loathes Cnadian steel. I know that for sure and I suspect things would be a lot harder for the Canadians than it would be for us, if we did'nt get that lumber, steel and oil from Canada.

Also at the front of my mind is the ridiculously high taxes in Canada, and the health care system that they proudly proclaim is wonderful, and how us Americans are idiots not to have something similar. Well, IMO the Universal Health Care system is a great example of how NOT to do universal healthcare.

Theres a lot more, but I'll leave it at that.

Canada is a huge geographic area.

Canada has approximately one tenth of the population of the USA.

Did you know that if California was to suddenly decide to succeed from the Union, they would push out Canada from the G-8 summit of countries?

One state of fifty is larger (demographically) than our entire nation.

Did you know that Canada trades more with the US than any other country, and roughly the same as Mexico and China combined? (446B vs 497B combined)

So, according to the US census bureau, the United States would be seriously hurt if trading were affected. I personally like trading with the US.

What hurt most was when George Bush commented that Mexico was the closest ally that the States had. That cut pretty deep.

We (canadians collectively) think we are bigger and more important than we really are. Sometimes it takes statistics and thinking in relative terms to recognize that if we were to force the issue, we would quickly lose any fight. Instead, we belong to a whole bunch of multinational groups with a combined power that means something. NAFTA, UN, Kyoto, NATO, The Commonwealth; all of these groups allow us to pretend we are someone important. Much like dressing up in our parents clothes or borrowing Dad's car to impress a girl on a date, we need to be conscious of the fact that we are small. Very small. Politically and demographically.

Geographically, we are still the big dog.


http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/...1220.html#2004
http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/...p/top0412.html

I don't know who 'That' Canadian is that you are referring to but based on BigBen's following post, it certainly puts it into perspective that all Canadians should observe and educate themselves to. It is true that the dependency runs deep in one direction more than another.

What Americans should keep in their minds, though, is that we are proud of our nation (justifiably so), we are proud of our relationship with the US, we are proud of how far we have come in the world community, as we grow our small nation.

It's just when we hear sentiments like yours that we get our backs up. With a country on the vast physical scale such as ours, with a population roughly equivalent to New York or California, how are we to sustain a reasonable infrastructure without contribution (tax-wise) from our citizens? Infrastructure which includes hard and soft concepts such as roads/military and healthcare/education?

I have no illusions about the demographic size of Canada. We are small. Politically, we do have influence mostly as an arbiter of middle way... because of our size and more importantly our history, Canada has served well in diplomacy.

When I hear Americans come down on our health care and our taxes, I just consider the source of the criticism. They are a product of their system and me of mine. Perhaps I am deluded as much by ideology as they, but I prefer our system for our circumstances.

As for "That Canadian", that Canadian is pretty much any Canadian who is either taken for granted, or heaped with scorn by an foreigner who doesn't know what he is talking about... As BigBen points out, we are small but we are proud (what nation isn't?). If you dis us, you're going to get our backs up and we will start talking about how we kicked your asses in the War of 1812, how the US does rely on our natural resources and is your largest trading partner (still edging out Mexico and China).

We say these things because we don't like being taken for granted (we are not the 51st state of America).

Wow what a great way to say it. I lie in Florida and we call canadians, snowbirds. because they come down in the winter, drive up prices, fill all the hotels and make the only time of the year decent enough to enjoy the outdoor amusement parks miserable. I don't think that your average canadian is any more or less rude than your average american but it is kind of pisssy when you find one that either reufses to speak or cannot speak english.
Welcome to america now learn english. I, No Parle voi french buddy. Anyway just a little rant and rave. then again what in earth is this here for. I have alos worked with canadian pilots from the royal canadian Air Force. i thought i could drink. those guys could put away a pony keg each. it was admirable. they could fix jets too.

Oh yeah there is tons of stuff to do in Canada Like Umm hold on its coming....... Ice hockey and umm....... beer...... umm wait theres more oh yeah polar bears hehe

Building igloos... my son and I do it all summer... The best thing about all the snow in summer is I can keep my beer cold.

hockey is good. so is beer. I've never done a polar bear. hmmmm...

We had one stroll by my house the other day... the neighbour shot it for our community barbeque. Polar Bears are good eating.

Holy crap. It's rednecks on ice. beer and shooting varmits to eat.

/seriously was surprised that canada's population was that low. that's totally awesome.

wow, good for you. Saw a couple of cubs down by the boardwalk on the weekend, but some guy said they weren't good eatin' till they get bigger than the racoons. Still they were being harrassed by the coyotes, so we just scared 'em off.

What did you do with the bear-skin?

My neighbour says she is going to use it in her winter igloo to keep the chill off...

I think Canada is a great thing. You are our little brother!! Americans may be dumb and ignorant but whatever we still have more money, more power, and are better than you at everything except for things that don't matter!! Anyway I hope you can see that we are just being affectionate when we make fun of you, we're just teasing you know!! Aww Canadians how cute!

I like Canadians because they're cuddly! (I had to say it.)

I hate Canada.

Only time I went I was expelled. My idiot friends picked me up in Duluth one night, I was sloshed, and they wanted to hit the bars, we were all not 21.

Idiot friend #1 drove through the border crossing without stopping, idiot friend #2 had unbenounced to me and idiot friend #1 brought some pot with... you do the math. I was detained, strip searched, and expelled in Canada in the course of 6 hours in the early AM that day. America wasn't much kinder, but I didn't have to get naked. It's along drive back to the cities with no sleep and that shame on your head.....

Also I get the feeling Canooks feel superior to us state side.

That's a great story! I am used to hearing it happen the other way around. Shit, in this day and age if you tried to run the border you might get shot... well, not on the Canadian side, our customs officers don't carry guns.

We don't feel superior. We just like to take the piss out of you.

Well to be honest I don’t envy Canada, I don’t envy anywhere colder than Pittsburgh :), but I have always wanted to move there for at least a couple years to see how nice it really is. As for the sense of humor every city/state has theirs, but I will agree Canadians are not afraid to attack you with theirs, as we Americans are cause we could get shot for what we say :) (by all the ‘gang’ members there are here)....

I visited Niagra Falls one time when I was younger probably about 15. And that Canadian sense of humor got the best of me. I had asked directions for the falls from someone near Casino Niagra and the person said to me “Its just down the road from here, but you might as well wait till after 6 to go see it, they shut the water off at 5 for daily cleaning”. And me being a dumb shit at that age was like “AW MAN! Im leaving at 5:30! ~ That sucks!” and walked away, I only made it 5 feet when I hard that Canadian hit the ground laughing so hard he probably shat himself!

that's funny Elven! well maybe not so funny at your expense. Actually, it was downright rude of that guy to make fun of you.

i used to work in Pittsburgh (at Melon Bank) and it was the same as far as weather goes during that winter, as it was back home in Toronto. So not much difference except that Pittsburgh has a lot of hills.