BLAME CANADA! (14)

Okay...having lived in this country from almost coast to coast and been from ocean to ocean to ocean. First, rains lots in Vancouver and along the coast. Prince Rupert has record rainfall and out on the Island, you might be lucky if you get 10 days a year without the wet stuff. But if you do take a trip to the that part and go to the Charlottes, you will find a very wild place. Some species of insects, flowers and plants only grow there and no where else. The fallow deer are so unused to people, they will come right up to you and eat out of your hand. And these are wild deer.

Toronto, I love the city....but they sort of try to be New York. Which is okay, if you like New York. But it is a great city and the CN Tower is a cool thing to check out. As is Quebec City with probably some of the oldest architecture anywhere in Canada. Montreal with is a great city. Niagara Falls is worth seeing and there is a lot of interesting places down in Southern Ontario as I think of Guelph with it's brick buildings. I liked the little micro breweries they have out there as well in places like Guelph and Kitchener. Lots of Amish people there so it is not uncommon to see horse and buggy on the road. They also have some of the best homemade food anywhere and you can get that at Kitcheners farmers market. Also up around Kenora is beautiful and on the Niagara Escarpment.

The maritimes, or Atlantic Canada...I am retiring there and to me is what this country is really about with it's down home friendliness and hospitality. Cape Breton has very strong Scottish roots and as your coming from Great Britian, you would probably feel somewhat right at home there or anywhere in Atlantic Canada. Remember, Newfoundland did not join Confederation until 1949 and up to that time was still very much a British Colony. The cities are modern, the hospitality is great and if you love seafood, then try out Halifax's own fisherman's wharf as I call it and if you go there, you have to check out the Citadel. And old British fort that is now a National Heritage Site. The prairies, the bread basket of Canada....is flat. They have a saying out there that if your dog runs away, you can watch him for 3 weeks. Beautiful thunderstorms out there though and worth visiting.

The Arctic, is desolation. Rock, ice, cold and that is all. Yet very spiritual and very beautiful. The Inuit people are some really awesome people. The Arctic in the summer is awesome if you like daytime all day long. Winter...well you eat lunch in the pitch black. However, the Inuit are very friendly people and for the most part, welcome us Southerners. Cambridge Bay or Iqaluit would be the place to start as they have a travel agent up there. Just be prepared if you do take a trip up there, you may be flying in a beat up cargo plane, however, remember, Canadian pilots who do the Arctic Runs are some of the best pilots anywhere in the world. They fly funny, they scare the hell out of you, but they get you there!

Summer is pretty well great across the entire country, however winter, this is Canada, so to get away from the cold is not going to happen. We have cold, we have snow and we have lots of it. Just don't stick your tongue to anything metal...trust us, we all did it and it hurts!

Jobs, yeah, they are around however, we are going through the same economic stuff as the rest of the world. They are there, just not in the numbers they were a year ago. Tradespeople would do much better as I think eyes pointed out.

Hope this helps and gives you some ideas. And we will Blame Canada....blame it for being the best damn country in the world in which to live!!!

Geo