Despite being from New York State* we've only been to Canada once, in 2008 with our wife and daughter. We felt the difference between Toronto and NYC was no greater than the difference between NYC and Philly.**
As Homer Simpson once said, 'Canada is easy to miss, tucked away down there.' Of course South Park's 'Blame Canada' and the traitor Moore's Canadian Bacon are so funny becuase the notion of Canada being difficult or problematic is so ridiculous.
One can forget that Canada is another country. In 1993 we were reminded of this fact during a pivotal four game series in the Bronx between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays.*** During 'Oh Canada' Yankees fans gave the infamous 'Bronx Cheer'. Mayor Giuliani apologized profusely to the mayor of Toronto and the next day legendary Yankee Stadium announcer, Bob Sheppard, gave the crowd a stern admonishment to be polite, these are Canadians.
Ten years later we went to the stadium to see the Yanks and Jays play. We sat out in the leftfield bleachers next to a nice couple come down from Toronto. They appreciated the organ guy's rendition of 'Oh Canada' and asked us, 'You have a good knowledge of the Yankees, eh? Has anyone ever hit a homer out of the park? We had a pleasant afternoon with our Canadian friends. Of course a few rows down a Bronx yahoo was shouting at the Toronto's pen, 'Blue Jays you suck!'
Anyway, with the post 9/11 rise of Mark Steyn we became increasingly aware of Canada. In 2003 we read a fascinating article by Steyn pointing out that at the end of World War Two, Canada had the third largest Allied army. In fact a Canadian army numbering nine divisions slogged across northern Europe. Steyn actually inspired us to write a short FYI style article about the Canadians in Europe. The Cannucks really made a name for themselves in the Great War with their four division attack on Vimy Ridge in 1917.
One is not accustomed to thinking of the Canadians as a bellicose people, but they've kicked a lot of Kraut tail. Taliban too. They've also got the best damn war memorial we've ever seen:
As we have followed Steyn so have we followed Canadian politics, far more closely than any American should. The Gomery Scandal, the human rights commission, the parliamentary coup, Stephane Dion's do-over tape, Jake Layton's hockey arm pull....Rob Ford- the Canadian precursor to Trump. Over fifteen years we've watched the indifferent corruption of Chretien, the steady leadership of Stephen Harper and now Justin 'Trudeau'. Canada you don't ever again get to mock American presidents.
So happy Canada Day. We'll conclude with words the afore mentioned M Steyn quoted just last night:
I see a long straight line athwart a continent. No chain of ports or deep-flowing river or a mountain range, but a line drawn by men upon a map nearly a century ago, accepted with a handshake and kept ever since. A boundary that divides two nations yet marks their friendly meeting ground: the 49th Parallel, the only undefended frontier in the world.
*Way down river, about half an hour north of the Bronx. Montreal was over 300 miles away. Still at the toll for the mighty Tappan Zee Bridge there used to be a sign reading, 'Canadian currency discounted 30 %' which seems awfully optimistic to us. {Actually, as of today one needs $1.26 Canadian to make a greenback-Ed.] Whatever.
**Despite deep family roots in the city, and having cheered for the Eagles during the Super Bowl becuase we love our wife, we hate Philadelphia and everything in it. We always rooted for Apollo Creed.
***Those are baseball teams, for all you World Cup addicted Europeans out there.
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