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Canada Maps Imagine getting lost in Canada! Why, you could walk miles without finding proper shelter, food, or even a CanadianTire store. So before you plan your next picnic in Nunavut, take my advice and spend some time poring over these maps of Canada. You'll find all kinds of Cool Canadian Stuff®. Web:
Canadian Aboriginal Peoples The term "aboriginal people" refers to the descendants of the original inhabitants of a particular area. In Canada, there are three recognized groups of aboriginal peoples: the Indians, the Metis (who have some European ancestry), and the Inuit (who used to be called Eskimos). The government of Canada has two complementary goals with respect to the aboriginal peoples. First, the government works towards bringing improvements into the lives of these people, many of whom live in extremely isolated areas. Second, the government has an overall goal of making Canada one of the most electronically connected countries in the world. As a result, there are a large variety of Internet resources devoted to Canadian aboriginal peoples. Web:
Canadian Constitutional Documents In 1982, the United Kingdom parliament gave up all power over Canadian laws, including the Canadian constitution. Since then -- through hard work and perseverance -- Canada has become one of the best countries in North America. Would you like your own copy of the 1982 Canada Act? It's here, along with many other Canadian constitutional documents, waiting for you, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Web:
Canadian Culture There is an old riddle: What is Canadian culture? The answer is, "Mostly American." Some people feel that "Canadian culture" is an oxymoron. What do they know? Haven't they ever heard of the Blue Jays? William Shatner? Rick Moranis (with whom I went to summer camp)? After all, if Canadian culture is good enough for Wayne Gretzky, it should be good enough for the Kids in the Hall. Web:
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Canadian Fact Sheets Straight from the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade to you. Here is information about Canadian provinces, history, government, legal system, economy, trade, education, women, geography, environment, climate, transportation, arts, sports, and -- of course -- the Mounties. Web:
Canadian Geographical Names It seems like the map of Canada is always changing, changing, changing. In 1867, the Dominion of Canada was created by combining Upper Canada (Ontario) and Lower Canada (Quebec), Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. In 1871, British Columbia joined the dominion, as did Prince Edward Island in 1873. Now, it happened that, in 1869, Canada had purchased a big chunk of land (called Rupert's Land) from the Hudson's Bay Company. Later, the three prairie provinces were created out of this land: Manitoba in 1870, Alberta and Saskatchewan in 1905. In 1949, after a plebiscite, Newfoundland joined Canada as the tenth province. In the meantime, there were two territories, the Yukon Territory and the Northwest Territory, and on April 1, 1999, a large hunk of the latter was redefined as the Nunavut Territory, a home for Canada's Inuit (the modern, politically correct term for Eskimos). So how do you keep track of all these names? Use the Net, Luke, and when the discussion turns to Canada, you need never feel geographically challenged. (Disclaimer: Please do not use this paragraph as a complete geographical description of Canada. There are probably at least 4 or 5 names I have left out but, as you know, it's a big country.) Web:
Canadian Government I remember her like it was yesterday. I was in the Food Building at the CNE, standing in line at the Primo spaghetti booth, when I noticed that, just ahead of me, was the most beautiful Canadian girl I had ever seen. She had captivating blond hair, the color of Molson Golden Ale, and deep green eyes that looked as if they had been poured out of a Resdan bottle. Her earrings were two perfectly shaped Shreddies, and her dress was a diaphanous vision that could have only come from the Mountie-lookalike department at Holt Renfrew. Dare I dream that this girl might be my one true love? I started to talk with her and, when the conversation turned to the federal government -- as it inevitably does when you are talking with a beautiful Canadian girl -- I was able to impress her with my esoteric knowledge. "Did you know," I asked her, "that the role of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency is to improve the economy of Atlantic Canadian communities through the successful development of business and job opportunities?" Did she notice that, of all the people waiting in line, I was the only one with the coiled sexual power of a jungle cat? Well, let me just say that, as I walked toward the Dufferin Gate looking for a place to eat my spaghetti, I was not alone. Web:
Canadian History Here is a little-known fragment of Canadian history: when my sister, Melissa, was two years old and I was babysitting her, she fell off my parents' bed and hit her head on the floor. (Come to Toronto with me some time, and I will show you the exact spot.) Of course, not all Canadian history is that interesting, but still, there are jewels if you only take the time to look. Web:
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Canadian Investment If you're looking to spread your money around a little, try investing in Canada. Learn about Canadian money markets, investment clubs, financial publications and the government. (And if you have a little extra money, I have a snow farm you might want to invest in.) Web:
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Canadian Legal Resources My brother Randy is a lawyer in Toronto, so I guess you could say I have a Canadian legal resource right in the family. But when a free consultation isn't enough, I turn to the Net (and so should you). In less time than it takes to say "division of powers", you will be able to find information about Canadian courts and tribunals, law reform commissions, legislation, taxes and accounting, lawyers and law firms, universities, the federal and provincial governments, free speech and privacy. Wow! (Or as they say in Canada, "Eh?") Web:
Canadian Music After more than 25 years of federal "Canadian content" rules, Canadian music is alive and well and living in...ahem...Canada. At the Web sites you can search for your favorite musical artists. Or just join the discussion of your favorite musicians from the land where a rich musical tradition resonates from sea to shining sea. (Bagpipes and accordions are optional.) Web:
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Canadian Names, Addresses and Phone Numbers Everything seems fine. Life is rolling along smoothly, and you say to yourself, I am content, what more could I want? But then the monster of desire rears its fearsome head. All of a sudden you feel the need to find the address and phone number of a Canadian -- and not just any Canadian, a specific Canadian. What to do? You could ignore the urge, but that would be denying the demands of your very being. You need that address and phone number, and you need them now. And you know -- you just know -- there will be no peace for you in this world until you get the information you desire. What to do? What to do? And then it hits you, like the smack of a wet fish on the snout of a baby seal, you can use the Net to look up Canadian names, addresses and phone numbers (not to mention Canadian businesses). So you look up the address and number you need, and you are relieved. Until later that night, when you have the irresistible urge to look up another Canadian address and phone number. You give in once, twice, three times a day. You tell yourself, there is more to life than looking up Canadian addresses and phone numbers. You tell yourself, I can take it or leave it. You tell yourself, I am in control. But it is that same sad, sad story. Pandora couldn't put her demons back into the box and neither can you. Web:
Canadian News An American magazine once referred to Canada as "the retarded giant on our doorstep". Read the latest Canadian news and get the real scoop. You will find that Canadian news is about as exciting as...well...Canadian news. Web:
Canadian Political Parties When I was a kid, there was nothing my friends and I liked more than Canadian political parties. In fact, I still remember one such party that ended at 3 AM, and then only because my parents came down to the basement and made us all go to bed. Today, Canadian political parties are larger and better organized but -- dare I say it? -- not as much fun. Still, you can't tell the players without a program, so here's the info you need to find out more than you really wanted to know about the Bloc Québécois, the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance, the Liberal Party, the New Democratic Party, and the Progressive Conservative Party, as well as a large couple of handfuls of other, smaller, less effervescent parties. Web:
Canadian Resources I grew up in Canada, and, although I didn't realize it at the time, I had Canadian resources all around me. Now I have to get them from the Internet. Fortunately, that's not a problem. There are so many Canadian resources, you can use all you want and still have enough left over for the rest of the family. News, statistics, travel, government services, politics, history, education, culture -- everything under the Canadian sun is waiting for you on the Net. Web:
Canadian Sports As a young lad growing up in Canada, I watched a lot of hockey on television, and went to a great many football games. That was years ago. Since then, Canadian sports have become even more popular. For example, there are now professional baseball and basketball teams, which was not the case when I was growing up. If you are a sports fan, you will enjoy these Web sites, where you can keep up-to-date on Canadian sports of all types, both amateur and professional. Web:
Canadian Talk and General Discussion What do you do at 9:30 PM on Saturday night when you are just dying to talk to a Canadian and William Shatner's line is busy? Hop over to IRC, where nimble-fingered Canadians are cutting fast, loose and easy. Need a French-Canadian fix? Try the #quebec channel ("ici, on parle Français"). Who says Saturday night has to be dull? Usenet:
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Canadian Travel Canada is a big place, and it's easy to get lost. Imagine how embarrassed you would be if, after saving all your money and planning for months, you and your family finally make it to Canada only to become completely disoriented. For example, what if you are driving from Winnipeg to Toronto, and you accidentally make a left turn at North Bay? The next thing you know, you are in the Ungava Peninsula, and the kids are complaining, "There are no bathrooms. You promised we would stop at McDonald's. Whose dumb idea was it to go on this trip anyway?" Don't let this happen to you. Before you even think about exploring this grand old country just north of the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave, use the Net to access Canada's tourism information network. Remember its slogan: "Canada, the country with a lot of space." Web: CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) In December 1928, the Canadian government set up a Royal Commission (special committee) to figure out what to do about radio broadcasting in Canada. After spending a long time studying the situation, the commission issued a report, which, in May 1932, led to the formation of the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission (CRCB). The CRCB started to create and broadcast Canadian programming and, in November 1936, after more committees and more reports, the CRCB was changed into the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Since then, the CBC has grown into a large, government-supported network, broadcasting television and radio across Canada, in both English and French. It's hard for an outsider to fully understand the importance and the ubiquity of the CBC. Canada has fewer people than California in an area that is much larger than the entire United States. Most of the country speaks English and is heavily Americanized (although they like to deny it). The province of Quebec speaks French and has its own unique culture. Add to this a government that has, for many years, tried to create a "Canadian culture" by spending money, passing laws, spending money, creating lots of cultural propaganda, and spending money. The modern-day mission of the CBC is to balance all of these forces -- in two languages -- while entertaining and informing the entire country. Web: Montreal When I was in the 10th grade, my class went on a trip to Montreal to see the World's Fair. Years later, I went to Montreal again to see the summer Olympics. You, however, may not have fulfilled your quota, so a trip to Montreal may be in your future. If so, here are good places to get the details you need to make your visit enjoyable: locations, attractions, calendar of events, museums, maps of the city and, for foreign travelers, customs regulations and exchange rates. Web:
Musée du Québec The Musée du Québec (Quebec Museum) is the province of Quebec's national art gallery, containing more than 20,000 works of art, most of which were produced in Quebec. You can look at some of the paintings over the Net as well as historical information about the artists. At this point, I can hear you saying, "Wait, Quebec is a province. Why would it have its own 'national' art gallery?" The answer is: Don't even ask. Just visit and enjoy yourself. Web: Nunavut Nunavut (pronounced "Nunavut"), a territory in northern Canada, was created by an act of parliament on April 1, 1999, to serve as a homeland for the Inuit people. Nunavut is huge, a bit less than 2 million square kilometers. To put this in perspective, the entire country is about 10 million square kilometers, which means that Nunavut comprises 20% of Canada! Still, most of Nunavut is -- to use the technical term -- a frozen wasteland and, thus, sparsely populated. (The population of Nunavut is less than 30,000 people, of which two thirds are Inuit.) Do you want to be a Nunavut expert? Here are 4 interesting facts that are sure to impress your friends and relations. (1) The capital of Nunavut is Iqaluit. (2) In Inuktitut, the language of the Inuit, Nunavut means "our land". (3) Nunavut spans 4 time zones. (4) Nunavut's area code is 867. Web:
Ottawa I once spent a summer in Ottawa, the capital of Canada, and I had a great time. It's a beautiful city with a lot of tourist attractions and wonderful places to visit. And there are miles of pleasant bicycle paths on which you can ride your bike or jog. True, the winter gets a tad cold -- actually, freezing beyond endurance -- but you can skate on the canal and cross-country ski in the parks. However, perhaps the most important thing that anybody needs to know about Ottawa is that my friend, Mike the Dentist, lives there. If, for some reason, you need more information, all you need to do is check with the Net, where you can find out about dining, transportation, things to see and things to do. Whether you live in Ottawa or are merely planning to visit, there is lots of info waiting for you on the Net. And if your teeth start to hurt, you can always call Mike. Web:
Toronto I was born in Toronto and, I can tell you, it changes so quickly that the only way I can keep up is to live in California and use the Net to look at the Toronto information Web sites. Find all the info you need about Toronto: news, sports, entertainment, food, music, tourism, and so on. However, my favorite activity is to check the weather reports during the winter. Web:
Vancouver The summer after I finished high school, I hitchhiked across Canada and ended up in Vancouver, where I joined a special French-language program at the University of British Columbia. It was great -- the government paid for everything. I got free food, a place to stay, had lots of fun, went on excursions, and spent the afternoons sunning at Wreck Beach (the nude beach). And all I had to do was put in a few hours a day trying to learn how to speak French. ("La plume de ma tante est sur la table.") Since then, I have had occasion to spend many more delightful days in the pearl of the Canadian west coast. For instance, when I was a medical student, I spent a few weeks in Vancouver researching a book on unconventional medicine. Even if you do not want to learn to speak French or understand unconventional medicine, you may still want to visit Vancouver. If so, you can check with the Net before you go. There you will find information about parks, community centers, bicycling, swimming pools, arts, entertainment, attractions and visitor resources. True, the government probably won't pay for your room and board, but you can still spend your afternoons at Wreck Beach. Web:
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