Tag Archives: Canada

Talking Trade

When you get thrown under the bus, your first priority is to avoid the wheels. Once you have done that, you figure out your next move. These days Canada’s Prime Minister is doing his best to not get hit by the wheels. Last Monday the US and Mexico announced a trade deal to replace NAFTA, […]

The Gate

I had to be in downtown Ottawa yesterday to see my doctor. No, nothing wrong, it was my annual physical and I apparently am set for another year between medical appointments. Since I was downtown I took the opportunity to run a couple of other errands, one of which took me to Chinatown. As I […]

At The ATM – Cultural Differences XIV

I”m not sure this belongs with the occasional cultural differences series I have been doing from time to time to show differences between Germany/Europe and Canada/North America. Maybe it is just an automation thing. In Canada, when I go to withdraw money from an automated teller at my bank (or any other institution I have […]

Not A Holiday Here

Happy Canada Day! Or, if you are of a certain age and prefer the old usage, Happy Dominion Day. If you are not Canadian, feel free to join in the celebrations. Everyone loves a party, right? Canadians are not celebrating our nation’s birthday by using legal marijuana to get stoned, which had been the government’s […]

Shopping German Style (Cultural Differences XIII)

About 25 years ago, maybe a little more, Canadians began changing the way they shopped. In some ways they were just catching up to Europe. The change was not in what we purchased or when we went to the store, but rather in how we took the goods we bought home. As paper bags had […]

TWU

 I wrote a post for today about the Supreme Curt of Canada’s decision in the Trinity Western University case. It was written within minutes of the decision being rendered and I have decided that, unlike most of the things I put here, it should be edited before publication. I have followed the case for the […]

A Special Place in Hell

He’s recanted and repented, but it seems a bit forced and not particularly heartfelt. Memo to the US government: you might want to make sure your messaging is a little less emotionally charged. That might save you some worldwide embarrassment. The recent trade spat between the US and Canada has me wondering about the theological […]

Ontario Votes

We take a break from our Black Forest series today because…. …it is voting day in Ontario. Voters are set to choose which of the three major parties will form the government. I will admit to not being all that excited. If we were still living in the province, I would probably have written extensively […]

Just A Reminder

I came across this sign at Vimy Ridge in France. It is a beautiful place to visit, but not without its perils. You can walk into the craters if you wish; other than the sign there is really nothing to stop you, except a strand of rope. But you do so at your own peril. […]

Olympic Dreams

We’ve passed the half-way mark (I think) in the 2018 Olympic Games. It all seems a little unreal to me. As a usually proud Canadian I want our athletes to do well. However, it has been difficult for me to cheer for them in real time. The CBC, Canada’s public broadcaster, has the Olympic broadcast […]