Keep calm and blame Canada

Though things really aren't so bad here in the Great White North; I kinda want to stay

Never underestimate human stupidity.

Pittacus Lore, The Fallen Legacies

Erin and I have been in Toronto on vacation for the past few days, and it feels lovely to be away from the shitshow my homeland has devolved into. I love Canada. The people are friendly, and the atmosphere is more relaxed and easygoing. Sure, Canada has its problems, but relatively speaking, they’re much smaller and fairly minor. And they’re not our problems.

I haven’t turned on a TV news program since we arrived, and it’s been…awesome.

Canadians do a much better job of facing many of their problems. Yesterday, for example, was the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, when the entire nation essentially says “I’m sorry” to their First Nations peoples. It’s not a perfect apology, but it’s much more than many Americans could muster.

This was the view from our hotel window at the Toronto Sheraton, looking down at the set-up for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation ceremony at Nathan Phillips Square:

Toronto, and much of Canada, is much more accepting of its non-White population. Something like 50% of Toronto’s population originates from outside the city, much of that from Asia, the Middle East, and the rest of Canada. It’s a very cosmopolitan city, much more so even than Vancouver, BC.

Canada also has some odd demographics. Though it has the world’s 2nd-largest land mass after Russia, it’s home to only 40 million people, 80% of whom live within 150 km (93 miles) of the US-Canada border. Because of this, its population density (11/sq. mi.) is among the lowest in the world…though you’d never know that here in Toronto.

Known for leading the world in refugee resettlement, Canada has been incredibly open to accepting those fleeing war, poverty, and poor economy and looking for a fresh start. While there aren’t the same number or types of available opportunities for refugees as in the US, newcomers are at least assured safety and security.

One of the things I most enjoy about being in Canada is that it feels more welcoming than the US. Of course, that might have something to do with my sensitivity to the malevolence of America’s political atmosphere. Still, you don’t have people trying to dehumanize those they believe are unworthy of existence. Not that the LGBTQ is met with uniformly open arms, for instance, but there’s far less resistance and hostility than one would encounter in the US.

There’s a sense of tolerance, of “live and let live,” here in Toronto that doesn’t exist south of the border. People here don’t seem to be losing their shit over which bathrooms (or “washrooms” here) transgender people are allowed to use. They don’t bust a vein over pronoun usage. And a person being LGBTQ isn’t cause for a full-fledged meltdown.

And libraries aren’t removing books with LGBTQ characters (OMG!! What about our poor, precious snowflakes??).

Granted, not everything’s perfect north of the border. Canada has long had a problem with how it’s treated its First Nations people. That said, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is at least a step in the right direction and an effort to acknowledge the wrongs done. That bell can never be unrung, of course, but apologies and reconciliation efforts can begin to heal historical wounds. At least that effort’s being made.

On a different note, Ryan Reynolds has addressed those of us who’ve threatened to move to Canada (guilty as charged):

“Canada’s not your safe house!” Ah, would that it could be….

I’ve long had a thing for Canada, beginning as a small child. I grew up in northern Minnesota, about a 90-minute drive south of the border crossing at International Falls, MN. The first time I crossed over to Fort Frances, ON, was when I was a Boy Scout, so I would’ve been around 11. We didn’t go often because my family didn’t travel much, but I remember being fascinated with the idea that we lived so close to a foreign country.

I loved the Canadian accent, the street signs in English and French, and buying gasoline in liters. Everything was just different enough to pique my interest. Now that I live in Portland, the distance is greater, but Canada is still easily accessible. Vancouver, BC, is a 6-hour drive or about a 60-minute flight away.

Erin and I have been to Vancouver numerous times, often for soccer or hockey games but sometimes just for long weekends. Its downtown is a slightly less chaotic version of downtown Toronto, and the drivers are a bit saner than you’ll find in Toronto.

Sometimes I love coming to Canada because I feel it’s time to decompress from the shitshow America has devolved into. Not that Canada doesn’t have its own set of issues and drama, but the Great White North’s problems seem far less dramatic and life-or-death than America’s. For instance, no one is actively calling for the violent overthrow of the government. In America, that’s becoming a regular thing.

There are too many on the Far-Right, whether the American Taliban or Christian Nationalists or perhaps combinations of the two, who’d quite happily shed the blood of others to achieve their goals.

Something about the Tree of Liberty occasionally needing to be watered by the blood of patriots…just as long as those “patriots” are other people, preferably someone who’s not themselves or someone they know and/or love.

For at least the next couple of days, though, I’m going to enjoy being in a place where people are far less uptight. Though some cabbies and Uber drivers careen around downtown Toronto as if they’re frustrated wannabe Formula One drivers, we’ve (so far) emerged unscathed and met some fascinating people.

Though I often talk about moving to Canada, I realize being a tourist means glimpsing the surface and not seeing some of the problems of daily life in the Great White North. Canada has its difficulties like anywhere else, and the beautiful thing about being a short-timer here is that I don’t get to see or worry about them. I can pretend this is a wonderful Paradise above the 49th Parallel.

The Shining City on the Hill with a red-and-white maple leaf flag flying over it.

And who knows? Perhaps it is, but the cost of living in the cities can be ridiculous (particularly in Vancouver), and the supply of housing can’t meet the demand. So there’s that.

So in a couple of days, we’ll return to the shitshow we call home, and life will continue apace. I’ll miss Canada…or perhaps I’ll continue to miss my fantasy version of Canada, where I can get maple syrup when I order a pretzel at a restaurant.

Nomnomnom….

Life is good here, but it’s mostly a fantasy I’ve constructed. I know that, but how about allowing me my dream world for just a wee bit longer? Is that too much to ask for?

And can I get another pretzel with maple syrup, please??

Good day, eh?

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