Canadian Crossing

U.S. embassy issues Montreal travel warning due to student protests

The U.S. government has issued a warning to Montréal tourists about the student protests that have now gone on for more than 2 months. American tourists are advised about possible "unforeseen violence," "vandalism," and "arrests."

This story in itself is worthy of CanadianCrossing.com, but there is an added wrinkle. I am headed soon to Montréal on vacation.

I booked the trip before the protests started, and once the Canadiens didn't make the playoffs, I thought protests would be a non-issue.

Interestingly, the warning came out before the smoke bombs last week in the Metro.

One doesn't usually book a vacation in the hopes of seeing protests, unless one is protesting. This doesn't fall into a tourist must-see when traveling. Plenty of visitors are coming to Chicago this week for NATO and what would have been G8.

The good news is that these protests aren't directed at tourists, and we haven't seen stories of tourists being affected by the protests so far.

My advice, which I will literally take to heart, is this:

-- Know a second way to get where you are going. If you are going by train, know how to get around by bus.
-- Be patient and flexible. If you are staying for awhile, adjust your itinerary whenever possible if protests might interfere.
-- If you aren't going to be where the protests are (near the universities and downtown), take advantage of those opportunities.
-- Ask your concierge or hosts if they know more about where the protests might be.
-- Look like a local person. Wear a hat from a local sports team (Habs? Expos?). Okay, you might seem like a tourist wearing a local hat. So be ready to know something about the team or sport you are wearing.

Montréal also has to be concerned about visitors to the upcoming Grand Prix weekend of June 8-10, and summer festivals, especially comedy and jazz.

Should you not go to Montréal during this uncertain time? Well, I'm going. I will be smart about where I am going and keep my eyes and ears open. If nothing else, vacations are full of things and moments you can't see at home, and protests fit into that category.

Traveling is full of surprises: good and bad. Be flexible and enjoy what you can. Montréal has a lot to offer — even with a protest or two.

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2012 Stanley Cup notebook: Bob Cole to call Western Conference final for CBC

Bob Cole is going on the West side for the Stanley Cup conference final.

CBC is carrying the Eastern Conference final, which starts Monday either in New York or New Jersey, and Games 4-7 of the Western Conference final. Since Jim Hughson and Craig Simpson became the #1 team, they have worked the Western Conference final.

Given Cole's age (80) and home (Newfoundland), he doesn't normally travel that far, though he did a Canadiens game in Los Angeles this season. Once Cole is on the West Coast, going from Los Angeles to Phoenix is a relative breeze.

The Canadian networks do their odd split once again for the conference finals. TSN will carry the first three games of the Phoenix-Los Angeles Western Conference final. Chris Cuthbert and Ray Ferraro will handle the call. Game 1 is in Phoenix on Sunday.

Those on the U.S. side of the border will have to rely on NBCSN for those games.

With the Internet speculation about Cole's pbp calls in the Stanley Cup coverage, some wondered whether the CBC would draft Mark Lee or Dean Brown to work with Garry Galley. At some point, the CBC needs to figure out who would be the next #2 pbp guy, regular season or postseason.

The other possible compromise would have been if Hughson and Simpson had called the first three games of the Eastern Conference series and then had gone out west, leaving the East for Cole and Galley. This would have been awkward, but a way to save face for Cole.

Stay tuned to CanadianCrossing.com and the Twitter feed for more details.

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Hard to know what to make of the Ron MacLean 9/11 references before Game 6 of the Washington-New York game. Everything the CBC does these days gets a lot of grief, and MacLean did apologize for his choice of words. On American soil, the tragedy has reached demagogue status, mourning the loss of life without much thought to preventing it or dealing with the after effect of those first responders.

Too many politicians, mostly Republican, wrapped themselves in the flag and flag pins and didn't help those who suffered as a result of helping others on that day. And did little to punish those who had some idea this was coming.

Compared to that, what MacLean did wasn't nearly as offensive. But if you disagree, I get that.

Though MacLean, and his sidekick, Don Cherry can't be accused of not supporting troops, firefighters, and police officers.

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The Saturday night Hockey Night in Canada slot had the potential to be Too Much Hockey in the United States. The brilliant plan for Game 7 was to run both of the Eastern Conference semifinals 30 minutes apart on Saturday night.

Of course, the New Jersey Devils prevented that scenario.

For the U.S. outlets, NBCSN would have carried one game (Rangers-Capitals) and CNBC would have carried the other game (Flyers-Devils). CBC has both series and Canadian fans would have been left scrambling in that scenario.

CBC could have traded one of those games to TSN for a game in the conference final. Last spring, when the CBC traded a game to TSN on Election Night, the CBC just lost that game.

In previous years, the U.S. outlets would have had more trouble. NBC wouldn't jump in and show a game, even in the deathbed that is OTA on Saturday night, and CNBC only started being an outlet this year.

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Another tentative deal that will keep the Coyotes in Phoenix.

We've seen that as many times as Jack Nicholson's character types the same phrase over and over in "The Shining."

The NHL is filled with teams that could use a change of scenery: Dallas, Columbus, New York Islanders, Nashville, Florida, and Phoenix. The only one that makes Gary Bettman more passionate to justify his decision is Phoenix. The fact that the NHL owns the Coyotes and the Canadian teams are supporting the losses of the 'Yotes makes Bettman's position even more exasperating.

As the Phoenix Coyotes have made their way to the Western Conference Final against the Los Angeles Kings, a Disney movie script writer wouldn't believe a scenario where the 'Yotes get to stay in Phoenix only if they win the Stanley Cup.

Quebec has more than earned a right to one of these teams. The 'Yotes deserve to be that team, since the Atlanta legacy will take awhile to wear off in Winnipeg.

Seattle, Kansas City, and Hamilton, Ontario have good arguments, better arguments than the ones in Columbus, Nashville, Florida, and Phoenix. But if Quebec doesn't have a team in the fall of 2012, then the owners need to ask themselves what Bettman is doing for them by remaining in the desert.

Lone Canadian on U.S. Death Row deserves better from Harper government

If the United States didn't believe in the death penalty (I know, a real stretch) and an American was sentenced to death in another country, should the U.S. government fight for the right for its citizen to still be punished, but not with the death penalty?

Canada doesn't believe in the death penalty; the United States does (duh!). And a growing number of Canadians are wondering why the Harper government isn't fighting harder to get the one remaining Canadian on Death Row off that list.

Ronald A. Smith's guilt or innocence isn't up for dispute; he has admitted to killing two cousins in Montana in 1983. And Smith is asking for a commutation to life in prison without the possibility of parole, so freedom isn't the issue.

This story is filled with odd quirks. Smith requested the death penalty at the time and turned down a plea that would have kept him off Death Row. In 2007, the Harper government announced that it would not fight to keep Smith off of Death Row, but in 2012, a representative of the Harper government was prepared to read an enthusiastic statement on behalf of Smith's commutation.

Smith's lawyers were unhappy at the last minute when the woman from the Canadian Consulate General in Denver, was going to read an enthusiastic statement on behalf of the Harper government. At the last minute, they were told she had to read the original statement that was far less enthusiastic.

Before the Harper government took power, Canada had a policy of fighting for its citizens who were sentenced to the death penalty. You get the impression from listening to the news that the Harper government doesn't fight much for its citizens behind bars in other countries, especially in instances where innocence is seriously up for dispute.

Arguing against its citizens being put to death shouldn't make a government look weak. Standing up for your citizens is something government is good at doing.

Ultimately, the fate of Smith will rest with Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D), who is leaving the office at the end of the year.

'iCarly' hits Canada in search of Canadian Fat Cakes

No matter what you've heard on "iCarly," you can bring processed baked goods from Canada into the United States.

Then again, even if you are a part of the "iCarly" demographic, hopefully you know that the Canadian Fat Cakes episode was just a spoof.

The popular Nickelodeon TV show took Fat Cakes, one of their running jokes, and adapted an episode where Sam, who is obsessed about Fat Cakes and has never had a Canadian fat cake, gets a chance to tour a plant in Canada where they make Canadian fat cakes. Fat cakes in Canada taste better because they are made with "cane fat" while American Fat Cakes are made with "corn fat."

Processed baked goods are well within the rules of what you can bring back from Canada into the United States. Trust me, I've brought back Canadian versions of Twinkies, Ding Dongs, and Cup Cakes. The customs officers think they're more funny than dangerous.

Since the show mentions Seattle, the inference is that the cast went to Vancouver or somewhere nearby in southwestern Britian Columbia.

Besides the actual ability to bring back processed baked goods, one other glaring misstep in the script was that Sam didn't have her passport when she tries to go back across the border to the United States. Sam would have needed a passport to get into Canada. She seems surprised about this when she gets to the border. Especially since this was a day trip, Sam would have had this issue come up earlier in the day.

For more from the food perspective, check out this edition of "Temptation of the Week" from our sister blog, BalanceofFood.com.

photo credit: iCarly

Windsor Hum is a real issue on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border

While the Windsor Hum is louder on the Canadian side of the border, the noise about the noise is getting louder in American media circles.

The Wall Street Journal reported on the phenomena. This take from ABC News portrays Canadians as hearing things.

The Windsor Hum has been going on from some time. The likely source is on the American side at Zug Island. The problem is that those on the Canadian side can't get those on the American side to investigate.

Reports have ranged from a low murmur to rattling and shaking.

In my trips to Windsor, I personally have not experienced this occurrence. However, with the number of complaints, you have to realize something is going on.

Audio scientists could explain why those on the Canadian side are hearing the noise, but not on the American side. Despite the snide take by the U.S. media outlets, Canadians don't hear any better than Americans and their ears work the same way. This could be as simple as the dynamics of where the sound comes from, or that more Canadians live near the source of the sound than Americans do.

Chances are that Barack Obama and Stephen Harper haven't discussed the Windsor Hum. The Windsor area already feels ignored by Queen's Park (provincial capital in Toronto) and Ottawa (national capital). And Detroit, outside the auto industry, is ignored on the U.S. side. Still, someone should step in and find out the source of the noise, and if that can't be adjusted to give Americans and Canadians more peace of mind.

ESPN rediscovers MLB in Toronto

"You always hope to have one Blue Jays game a year."

In Chris Berman's "Ode to Codeine," he notes that you should take advantage if you draw a Blue Jays assignment. Well, ESPN rarely makes the trip up north, much less show the Toronto Blue Jays these days. Monday night proved to be an exception, and the U.S. cable sports channel's trip to Toronto had nothing to do with the Blue Jays, Toronto, or codeine.

ESPN wanted a chance to showcase long-time Japanese hurler Yu Darvish, and this was its best shot so far. While the focus and coverage was on Darvish, Canada and Toronto were not ignored.

In the graphic for the Blue Jays fielding alignment, defense was spelled with a c — defence — and play-by-play guy Sean McDonough pointed that out. McDonough, along with Aaron Boone and Rick Sutcliffe, also teased on-field reporter Tim Kurkjian for almost not getting into Canada because of an expired passport. McDonough made a joke on how U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton helped Kurkjian with his passport.

Kurkjian, in his first report, said "Darvish has fit in beautifully here in the United States" though McDonough later made the distinction between the U.S. and Canada in a similar context.

The Blue Jays didn't impress in the U.S. national appearance. A rally without a hit in the second inning ended without a run. The only Toronto run came on a solo home run by Edwin Encarnacion in the fourth inning. Encarnacion is one of the few Jays sluggers hitting the ball well, hitting a home run in each of the last four games.

The game drew a relatively quiet crowd of 21,945 fans. Walkup wasn't much of a factor; while the roof was closed, the weather outside was rainy. The announcers thought there would be more fans because of Darvish. Boone pointed out the number of people of Japanese descent in Toronto, but the extra crowd for Jeremy Lin (Chinese descent, NBA) proved to be more of an impact at Air Canada Centre.

The announcers also had fun showing Sunday Night Baseball play-by-play guy Dan Shulman in the Rogers Centre crowd with his sons. Shulman is Canadian and from Toronto; you had to think he knew he might be on camera at some point. Sutcliffe mentioned that he had never met Shulman's sons before. Well, this is because ESPN rarely gets to Toronto.

Then again, ESPN ranked Toronto as the worst city for professional sports teams in North America last summer. The poll was based on fans voting online, so science certainly wasn't a factor. The playoff futility of the Blue Jays and Maple Leafs plus the overall futility of the Raptors played a lot into that take. They didn't take into account the CFL Argonauts or the score might have been lower.

McDonough referred to the long-suffering Toronto sports fans as having "not a lot to cheer about in this beautiful city." He pointed out the woes of the Blue Jays, Raptors, and Maple Leafs, and even the Argonauts though McDonough doesn't follow the CFL.

Toronto's past glory came up as well. McDonough relived his CBS-TV call of Joe Carter's World Series winning home run. They also paid tribute to the late Tom Cheek's call of Carter's home run.

Referring to 1994, Mc Donough noted that "the work stoppage that followed really killed baseball in Montreal and Toronto."

The city of Toronto was on great display in the bumpers coming out of the break. One particularly beautiful shot had the skyline of downtown Toronto lit up looking west as McDonough said, "one of the great cities in the world, Toronto, Ontario."

ESPN portrays itself as the Worldwide Leader. Canada is part of that world, especially when Toronto has teams in sports that the network cares about (MLB, NBA). Since ESPN doesn't carry hockey, the NHL gets very little coverage on the Worldwide Leader. At least ESPN made it up to Rogers Centre; Fox will show every MLB team this year except for the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays get another U.S. national appearance as the matinee series conclusion airs this afternoon on the MLB Network at 12:30 pm Eastern. The U.S. cable channel will take a local feed for the coverage.

Want to help make poutine Canada's national dish?

Okay, so this is more about Wendy's trying to get publicity for putting poutine on its menu, but the idea of signing a petition to make poutine Canada's national dish was too good to pass up.

McDonald's has served poutine in its locations in Quebec for some time. I've seen it in a Burger King, but I haven't ordered it in either well-known fast food chain. If Wendy's uses its skin-on fries, this might be the one fast food poutine I would try.

Chances are that if you are in Canada, you might be more willing to try a local poutine place than a national place. But if you're traveling, and a Wendy's is at the roadside, you might see if the fuss is worthwhile.

The "Poutition" is designed to be presented to Parliament on July 1 (Canada Day). Canadians will be able to see and hear ads for this cause.

I have hosted a talk on Canadian food, and while poutine came up in conversation, Canadian food is way more than just poutine. Still, Canada doesn't really have a national dish, and outside Quebec, poutine is more novel than anything else. If nothing else, poutine is becoming more popular in the United States.

Then again, what is the United States' national dish. Mac & cheese? Hot dogs?

What do you think about poutine as Canada's national dish? Is there a better option? Let us know in the comments section below or clue us in on the Canadian Crossing Twitter feed.

photo credit: Wendy's

'Colbert Report' riffs on Canadian currency

Iceland isn't going to switch to the Canadian loonie as its currency, but that didn't stop Stephen Colbert from going off on the idea on the "Colbert Report."

This time, Canadians are "poutine-sucking, health care addicted, nemesis to the North." Colbert notes that Canada is just jealous as they need their own version of Canadian bacon, Canadian beer, and Canadian baseball (hockey; go figure).

Colbert also talked about the new Canadian quarter with a dinosaur skeleton that glows in the dark. The creature is based on the first dinosaur fossil found in the Peace Country in northwestern Alberta.

He imagines himself as a child hoping to get his friends, Chip and Scott, and get their moms to drive them to Ontario this summer to get the quarters.

Colbert worries about losing the youth of the United States to the "scourge of Canadian politeness and fiscal sanity." Not too bad stereotypes, if you have to have stereotypes.

Colbert ties the dinosaur theme, noting that Canadians should keep their dinosaurs "liquified in your tar sands and pumped directly into our gas tanks."

The "Colbert Report" airs Monday-Thursday on the Comedy Channel and CTV in Canada and Comedy Central in the United States.

Would NBCSN hire Gord Miller to call potential Ottawa clincher?

We have seen what the NBC Sports Group has thought about the Ottawa Senators vs. New York Rangers series. A MSG sim sub in Game 1. The puzzling pathetic analysis of Brian Hayward. John Forslund and then Rick Peckham, introduced to make Forslund look better by comparison.

Now that the Senators have a 3-2 lead, and clearly the NBC people have never been interested in running the CBC feed, why not do the second-best thing? Bring some Canadian funk to the broadcast booth in Ottawa.

Look at Monday's schedule. Two games on the docket: Game 6 Senators-Rangers and Game 6 Chicago-Phoenix. TSN will send Chris Cuthbert and Mike Johnson to Chicago; CNBC will carry the local CSN Chicago feed. So Miller and McGuire would have the night off.

On Sunday, Pierre McGuire will be in Washington and Gord Miller will be in Philadelphia. Doc Emrick has taken breaks in the first round, so McGuire would need to be matched up with another play-by-play person.

Miller and possibly McGuire might have to be in Pittsburgh on Tuesday, but otherwise they would likely have Tuesday off, depending on how well they cover Game 6 Panthers-Devils. So far, neither NBC or TSN has paid much attention to that series.

Miller and McGuire reunited to broadcast the Buffalo-Winnipeg game on NBCSN, and the ratings were surprisingly good. And NBCSN had Miller and Ray Ferraro work the Capitals-Rangers on the last day of the regular season.

The coverage of this series hasn't gone to New York City since the local MSG coverage has kicked in so far. So the rest of the country has been suffering from inferior broadcast teams. If there is a Game 7, we would likely get one of the two top NBCSN broadcast teams. But for Game 6, the long-suffering fans deserve a good broadcast team, even if they have to import half of that from Canada.

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Canada weakens food safety as part of Harper budget cuts

Especially with NAFTA, when a NAFTA member country cuts back on food safety, good results never come as a result.

In the Harper budget cuts, food safety takes a much sharper cut than other federal agencies. The memory of the listeriosis outbreak in 2008 is still fresh, even if the deli meat wasn't. 22 deaths and 35 serious illnesses resulted from the outbreak.

In the last Canadian federal election, the Conservatives promised $100 million more in spending over a 5-year period for food safety. Wonder how that will turn out.

How food safety became a political issue on both sides of the border is startling. Conservatives eat food just like liberals and others.

At least Canada has a federal agency — Canadian Food Inspection Agency — devoted to food safety. The U.S. can't even spare that as a concept, real or weak.

For more on this story, check out our perspective from our sister blog, BalanceofFood.com.