Canadian Crossing

Regina, Saskatchewan used as target in latest Avengers comic book

Saskatchewan doesn't get a lot of the love usually dished out to Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia. So those that live in Regina would have been excited that their city was featured in the Avengers comic book.

Well, some probably aren't thrilled that the Queen City suffers extensive damage following the impact of a "evolution bomb."

Destroyed buildings and mutating people isn't quite the image Regina was hoping for, but the comic book writers could have picked another non-Canadian city for its target.

Marvel Comics released a statement pointing out that "In the city of Regina, we got to further flesh out the incredible Canadian landscape into the Marvel universe and expose our readers to a hidden gem from our northern neighbours."

Regina isn't the only Canada element that suffers in the story. An all-Canadian superhero team called Omega Flight can't stop what is going on. Of course, this leads to the appearance of the Avengers.

In the comic book realm, this is pretty cool. Regina, considered the Jewel of the Prairies, gets some well-deserved publicity. The publicity might help drive people to see what Regina looks like, minus any bombs.

photo credit: Marvel Comics

New U.S. ambassador to Canada should know Canada before taking job

With President Barack Obama now in his second term as U.S. president, Canada is getting a new U.S. ambassador. Like current Ambassador David Jacobson, Bruce Heyman's chief qualification to represent the United States in Canada is being a heavy contributor to Obama's campaign.

Heyman's obvious drawback, since he has to be approved by the Senate, is that he is a partner at Goldman Sachs and has been there since 1980.

Getting someone who has a background with Canada hasn't been a priority in selecting an ambassador. Jacobson had little experience contact with Canada; Heyman has done some business in Canada. Jacobson didn't have much of a background about Canada.

Contrast this with Gary Doer, Canada's Ambassador to the United States. Doer is the former premier of Manitoba, and has plenty of interaction with the United States as premier from border security to trade.

Frank McKenna, former premier of New Brunswick, served as Canada's ambassador two ambassadors ago.

The United States has employed former governors in recent times in that role. Paul Cellucci, who was governor of Massachusetts, served from 2001-2005 and James Blanchard, former governor of Michigan, served from 1993-1996. Gordon Giffin, who served as President Bill Clinton's second ambassador, grew up in Canada. Though born in the United States, Giffin's family moved to Canada before his 1st birthday. He grew up in Montréal and Toronto.

This isn't about politics either. Cellucci is a Republican; Blanchard is a Democratic politician. Doer is NDP serving under a Conservative prime minister.

If Heyman is looking for advice, and let's hope he is, do a better job than David Wilkins, who served from 2005-2009. Wilkins never seemed comfortable in Canada and didn't seem to embrace the experience he was given.

Chicago journalist Carol Felsenthal, in writing about Heyman's nomination, gave us some background on Wilkins.

"(Wilkins)… argued that Ottawa is a tough posting: that the U.S. and Canada have "the largest trading relationship the world has ever known," and that Canada is "the number one supplier of hard energy to the U.S." A former speaker of the South Carolina legislature who ran Bush's presidential campaigns in the state, Wilkins told me that when he took the appointment he'd been to Canada only once—on a trip to Niagara Falls soon after his marriage. He was never able to learn French, he volunteered, but did learn "a few phrases, " such as "Merry Christmas" and "It's very cold."

Ottawa should have been an easy posting. No new language to learn, no hot button issues, and you get to stay in the same time zone (Wilkins was from South Carolina). While a little French goes a long way, Wilkins took that literally.

From Andrew Cohen of the Ottawa Citizen:

While Wilkins was an able envoy — representing an unpopular president, tending the commercial relationship and playing the innocent ("bonjour, y'all!") — he never seemed to get Canada. The best diplomats read, ask, and try to understand the place. Wilkins, like his boss, was incurious.

By contrast, Jacobson did seem curious about Canada. To be fair, we know this because Jacobson started a blog in his role as ambassador. Though we wish he would have updated the blog more often, Jacobson came across as someone who was earnest in his desire to learn more about Canada.

This entry came on his third anniversary as ambassador:

Since I arrived I have traveled far and wide in Canada. I have literally dipped my toes into three oceans. I have seen cities and towns. Farms and prairies. Lakes and mountains.

I have had the privilege of meeting with so many of the Canadian people from every walk of life. Government officials and business leaders. Generals and head of NGO's. Shop keepers and small business owners. Factory workers and farmers.

I've had Christmas dinner with soldiers in Afghanistan. Walked with wounded warriors. I have learned to cross country ski and curl. I have rooted for your sports teams – unless they are playing ours. I have eaten your food and drunk your wine. I've come to love Tim Bits.

While I always hesitate to say I have been everywhere and have met everyone, I can say that I have covered a lot of ground and met a lot of people. I do it to try to better understand Canada and the Canadian people. Because understanding your country and your people is – in my view – the most important thing I can do to make the most of my opportunity as United States Ambassador.

Caroline Kennedy's name was being tossed around for ambassador. So was former governors Granholm and Christine Gregoire (Washington state). Granholm and Gregoire would have been better selections than Kennedy, and probably would be better than Heyman.

Canada shouldn't be treated like other obscure countries where an ambassadorship is a reward for giving a lot of money. Canada is the largest trading partner and the primary source of oil to the United States. A former governor isn't a cure-all for handling a close and vital relationship. But the people in that role don't need much of a learning curve and their curiosity continues.

I know that because I gave nothing to Obama's campaign (journalists aren't supposed to contribute to anyone's campaign) that I had no shot at being the next U.S. ambassador to Canada. But I am from Chicago, speak better French than David Wilkins, and have a strong knowledge of Canada. More importantly, my curiosity about Canada stretches farther than Canada's reach into the Arctic Circle. Hopefully, Heyman, if approved, will have 1% of the curiosity level I have about Canada.

Words is the theme of the inaugural Canadian Dinner Party

A while back, there was a show called "Dinner for Five" where Jon Favreau would talk with 4 different people about various topics. We've seen that type of show ranging from the original "Politically Incorrect" to "Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn" on Comedy Central.

While no one ate on "Dinner for Five," the conversation was rather fun. The dynamic of the four guests and Favreau could sometimes be really quiet or really loud.

I remember one particular set of guests on "Dinner for Five" that had Dave Foley from "Kids in the Hall" and Neve Campbell. I was hoping that they would bring up the sketch that Campbell as a Canadian unknown actress before she made it big, and they did talk about it.

The theme of this debut quartet is "words." The first three are obvious, the fourth is not just a pretty face. And they're all Canadian.

Leonard Cohen -- Cool is the closest you can come to describing the impact of Leonard Cohen. The lyrics, rhythm, and ooooo that voice. Just wonderful.
Margaret Atwood -- If you asked casual book readers to name their favorite Canadian author, chances are Margaret Atwood would come up first.
Neil Peart -- If rock and roll had never been invited, Neil Peart would be one of the top Canadian poets. Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson get most of the limelight (pun intended), but Peart is a drummer who write the most amazing lyrics. Writing poetry is a gift in itself. Writing poetry that can be set to the rhythms of music takes a skill rarely found.
Jacqueline Hennessy -- Thinking of Jacqueline Hennessy, twin sister of Jill (whom we highlighted in our Valentine's Day special), as just a pretty face ignores most of what Jacqueline brings to the table. True, they are identical twins. While Jill dropped out of high school, Jacqueline has a doctorate in French literature. She works as a journalist. And she has a few acting experiences without being a whole-hearted part of that world. Pretty cool.

Chicago Tribune editorial sings praises of Canada

Okay, so this is a little bit weird. The Chicago Tribune, in the city where I live, praises Canada in an editorial.

And the press in Canada is loving it.

The impetus of the editorial stems from the hiring of Marc Trestman from the Montreal Alouettes. Some Chicago Bears fans may have discovered that there is a CFL. Marv Levy, who is from Chicago, followed a similar path from the CFL to the NFL.

And it doesn't hurt that in terms of the NHL team "half the team hails from Canada." If you break down the numbers purely by where they were born, the praise is true. Captain Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith, and Brent Searbrook are the most prominent Canadians on the roster. Coach Joel Quenneville, mentioned in the editorial, is from Windsor, just across the border from its biggest rival, Detroit.

The editorial praises Canada's economic situation, stable banks, stable housing market, better health care, source of oil. The editorial desperately wants the Keystone XL pipeline to be approved. The editorial should have pointed out that Canada is already the United States #1 source for oil.

The editorial writers also praise Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper "we know many Americans have never heard of him" for his quest to open up new markets for trade.

Chicago and Illinois already trade quite heavily with Canada, as I can vouch for in dealings with the Canada-U.S. Business Council (formerly the Canadian Club of Chicago), something not mentioned in the editorial.

The take on poutine is rather amusing.

This homely dish, a tradition in Quebec, has become a popular menu item at some of Chicago's trendiest eateries. Take a mess of french fries, sprinkle on cheese curds then ladle brown gravy all over it. Embellishments range from foie gras to kimchi. Reactions range from "Yuck" to "Yum."

Poutine commands attention, like so many imports from the land of moose and maples.

The editorial could have mentioned the sold-out upcoming Poutine Fest in Chicago, but did not.

The key to the editorial is the perception of Canada. The country is vast and complicated, like any other country. Some stereotypes are thrown in, some good and some bad. But some careful research was done that has been overlooked elsewhere in the States (banks and housing markets leap to mind).

Cities closer to Canada see and feel more about the relationship between the two countries. And Chicago can easily access points to Canada, east and west, via multiple forms of transportation.

Let's leave this with the finishing touches from the editorial, and some more love from Canada, courtesy of the Chicago Tribune.

Land of the north, Chicago is calling to you. Calling your sesame bagels, smoked meat and Tim Hortons double-doubles. Calling your low rates of gun crime, and universal health care. Calling your oil, especially your oil. We hope some of that Canadian good fortune rubs off on our city.

Stephen Colbert takes another potshot at Windsor in his new book

This wasn't the first time Stephen Colbert has taken a shot at Windsor, Ontario, Canada, but seeing the latest attack in print has caused yet another uproar on the Canadian side.

After having recently spent less than a week in Windsor, I can assure the American portion of my readership that the city is not "Earth's rectum." The city is the southernmost part of the country, so warm is a relative description.

Visually, the city is tucked underneath so maybe the geography inspired Colbert's joke. Or more than likely, Windsor is more of a punchline than other Canadian cities.

Colbert responded to a CBC article noting the joke in his newest book, America Again: Re-becoming the Greatness We Never Weren't. Colbert had fun with the article and CBC poll in Wednesday's episode.

"Before we can harness geothermal power, we have to take the planet's temperature with a geothermometer. And I have no idea where the Earth's rectum is!" -- Colbert writes in the book.

The footnote at the bottom of the page reads "Windsor, Canada?"

Colbert took off on the CBC for phrasing the footnote as a statement, leaving out the crucial question mark.

Colbert also took off on the CBC for running a poll "Is Stephen Colbert's description of Windsor as 'the Earth's rectum' good or bad for the city?" The "good" votes were running 5-1 when this reporter took the poll.

Colbert called Windsor "the worst place on Earth" 5 years ago during his Word segment on The Colbert Report.

On the segment on Wednesday, Colbert noted that the source could be anywhere, including Winnipeg. After all, Rob Ford confused Winnipeg and Windsor back in September on a trip in Chicago.

Stephen Colbert did his show from Canada during the Vancouver Olympics in 2010. And Colbert clearly has an affinity for the country with his jokes. A Facebook group has started a drive to get Colbert to host his show from Windsor.

Let's face it: Windsor is going to suffer its share of jokes, as is Detroit. Southern Ontario has many towns that aren't as well known enough to make fun of them. Windsor is a known commodity and thanks to its exposure along the U.S.-Canada border, Windsor will occasionally be the butt (get it, butt, rectum) of jokes.

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

The Globe and Mail goes behind a paywall, reducing its impact on those curious about Canada

Those who follow the Twitter feed know that I do post a lot of links from The Globe and Mail. Besides being Canada's national newspaper, The Globe and Mail has an approach to stories that are better suited for an audience that is trying to learn more about Canada.

Well, that landscape has changed starting today as The Globe and Mail is going to a paywall starting today.

The terms are pretty harsh: you get 10 articles a month. If you choose to subscribe, you have to pay $19.99/month after getting a 1-month trial for 99¢. If you can subscribe to the weekend edition, you still have to pay $4.99/month. Only those with a 5- or 6-day subscription will get free, unlimited access.

$4.99/month would have spoken to a more viable option, especially for those who don't live in Canada.

If I lived in Toronto or elsewhere in Canada, I would be a subscriber to The Globe and Mail. But I don't and so I can't. I can understand the desire for getting more money from Canadians for its content, since Canadians could choose to subscribe. But if you live in Paris or London or New York or Stockholm, you want to read the news of Canada even if you can't subscribe.

Since the Internet responds to ISP addresses, The Globe and Mail could interact a paywall that only responds to Canadian ISPs. After all, the ads on the Web site don't realistically apply to those outside Canada.

The difficulty with other news sources is that the newspaper landscape in Canada is rather sad. The majority of newspapers in major Canadian cities are owned by Postmedia Network, an organization spun off from Canwest. The network is as weak as it is extensive, with few decisions, especially on national news, being made in those local cities.

Besides the right-wing dominant National Post, these major papers are part of the Postmedia Network: Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, The (Montréal) Gazette, Regina Leader-Post, Ottawa Citizen, The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon, SK), Windsor Star, and both daily Vancouver newspapers, the Vancouver Sun and The Province.

And Postmedia has launched paywalls at some of its newspapers. At least with The Globe and Mail, you get more articles you might want to pay for having.

They bring a point of view that is more about cost savings than strong journalism. If you think this is about political philosophy, The Globe and Mail is pretty conservative. For those who think The New York Times or to a lesser extent, The Washington Post, are liberal, Canada doesn't have that philosophical equivalent.

The U.S. has USA Today, plus NYT and WP, as papers that serve a broad national interest. When The New York Times put up its paywall, you could turn to The Washington Post. There is no such alternative on the Canadian newspaper landscape. The National Post is national, but certainly not straight ahead in its coverage.

As a reader, I turn to The New York Times less often as a new source as a result of the paywall, even if you can find ways to get around paywalls. This is my greatest fear for The Globe and Mail.

The newspaper does point out that "readers who find stories through social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook as well as search engines and blogs won't have those stories count against their monthly cap." For those that are savvy enough to do so, they can still tune in. For others, they may drop out.

In a follow-up article, The Globe and Mail spelled it out in a way that leads us to wonder what is covered.

"The Globe and Mail homepage and all section pages — such as Business, Life, Sports and Commentary — will not count against the meter. You can visit and view those pages as many times as you like."

Since the count is reset at the end of the month, you will get 10 days to experiment at the end of October. Hopefully, the newspaper will give you a heads-up. Still the idea of counting to 10 articles in 30 days with $20 at stake is the opposite tone you want when people are looking for news and information. We'll follow up to see how the new system will work.

The good news is that those who pick up the Twitter feed (@canadian_xing) can read those links without worry about the cap. The bad news for me is getting that info to my readers.

In the Twitter feed, we'll be adding more content from CBC News, the Toronto Star, Huffington Post Canada and other sources where we can find similar stories. In other instances, we will just draw attention to the story. Sometimes, The Globe and Mail will be the only source and we will have to proceed accordingly.

Reading about Canada from strong journalism sources is the best way to keep abreast of what is going on up north. The Globe and Mail paywall makes that a lot more difficult to do. Stick with CanadianCrossing.com and we'll make it work somehow. Our curiosity will still be vibrant, even if our choices are now more limited.

photo credit

ESPN writer grossly misuses Montreal mass-shooting reference

We have certainly run into instances of American journalism where their knowledge of Canada isn't up to speed. But when a Canadian writer gets involved, well, that is news.

Chris Jones is Canadian, but also grew up in Australia, and writes for ESPN magazine, based in the United States. Jones wrote a column about Jeffrey Loria, current owner of the Miami Marlins (nee Florida) and loathed former owner of the Montréal Expos.

Jones' column was warning fans of the Marlins that Loria would repeat himself and the Marlins would eventually be without a team. While the sentiment of the column was something we would applaud, this wasn't the most well-researched column and there are a number of holes, a la fromage Suisse.

The column in itself isn't why Jones got into trouble; he referred to what would happen in Miami as "Montréal Massacre, Part II." What Jones said he didn't know, and what the ESPN copy editors should have caught is that "Montréal Massacre" in non-sports terms refers to the Ecole Polytechnique shootings in 1989, when gunman Marc Lepine targeted women and killed 14 female students before turning the gun onto himself. The reference is more disturbing since the anniversary was in early December, and the Stephen Harper government is getting rid of the long-gun registration, which was originally inspired by the Montréal Massacre.

Once Jones realized what happen, he said he tried to fix the situation as best he could. While the online version was changed, the printed version contains the horrible phrasing.

Jones said he was living in Australia in 1989 when the shooting happened, and didn't associate the term with the shooting. For now, we can accept that explanation.

As someone who is a journalist, writer, and editor, writers have a requirement to stretch the language. Editors are paid to recognize when something can be disturbing or offensive. Even if the U.S.-based copy editors don't know of a Montréal Massacre, they should have taken out the violent element of the phrasing. An editor isn't always the popular one, but a good editor knows that being right is more important than being cool.

When writing about a culture that you aren't familiar with, you do have to go overboard to make sure what you are saying isn't taken badly because of circumstances that they know and you don't.

In the United States, a mass shooting involving 15 people is almost a ho-hum moment. In Quebec and Canada, the Ecole Polytechnique shootings were a big deal for the gender targeting and that 14 innocent people were murdered in the prime of their lives. It was, and still is, a big deal 22 years later.

Sports is sports, and real life is real life. Sports writers and editors (and I have been one) don't always get the difference. The folks at ESPN didn't set out to upset the people of Montréal and Quebec and Canada, but they should have been paying more attention to their copy. Normally, having a Canadian writer means Canada won't get as slighted as what sometimes happens in American journalism. But journalism means double and triple checking, even when things are obvious.

Bob Elliott is first Canadian sportswriter in Cooperstown

A belated congratulations to Bob Elliott, the latest entree into baseball's Hall of Fame. Elliott won the Taylor Spink Award.

Elliott covered the Montréal Expos from 1978 to 1986 for the Ottawa Citizen and the Toronto Blue Jays since 1987 for the Toronto Sun.

Tom Cheek, long-time broadcaster for the Blue Jays, missed a chance to also get into the Hall of Fame.

In an interview shortly after hearing about his induction, Elliott told a fascinating story about traveling to Cuba to see Omar Linares. The Expos and Blue Jays wanted to sign Linares to play just the home games, since Canada didn't have an embargo against Cuba. MLB wouldn't let that happen, and Linares never played in the major leagues.

The Expos were unable to compete at the same level as other teams throughout most of its existence, especially after the strike of 1994. And the Blue Jays haven't been back to the playoffs since then. Though Canada doesn't have the repressive relationship with Cuba that the U.S. has, the Canadian teams were punished because of U.S. political actions.

Last year was a huge year for Canadian-related people in the Hall of Fame. Roberto Alomar, Pat Gillick, and Dave Van Horne all made it to the Hall of Fame in 2010. This year will sound a lot less Canadian, but will still be worth taping the ceremonies. The MLB Network runs the ceremonies in the United States.

Windsor, Canada snaps 26-month murder-less streak

While people on both sides of the border associate Detroit with “murder,” you might be surprised to know that the city right across the border, Windsor, Ontario, recently went almost 27 months without a single murder.

Yes, Windsor is 20-25% the size of Detroit, but to have a city with bad economic numbers with several hundred thousand people in these times and not have a murder for over 2 years, well that is very remarkable.

The streak got snapped when a young man was stabbed to death in what police have described as a dispute where the victim knew his killer. If you are worried about the sudden increase in crime in Windsor, know that the alleged killer has turned himself into police.

I have spent a number of days in Windsor during this murder-less streak, and have always felt comfortable even late at night in the downtown area. In the last two trips, I was out until about 2 a.m. at least once each trip and never felt concerned. The same can't be said of downtown Detroit, where I have been temporarily while waiting to cross the border and for the bus to go back home, though I was only there in daylight.

Windsor has plenty of crime and you can't judge a city by its murder rate. However, a blue-collar city in the shadows of Detroit going more than 2 years without a murder means Windsor and Canada are doing something right.

But who gets the credit led CNN to a bizarre take on Windsor, Canada, gun laws, and taxes.

According to this Windsor Star columnist, CNN showed its ignorance over guns in Canada. While the columnist think this is about bias, my take is that CNN combined its extreme ignorance about Canada with some lazy journalism.

CNN interviews one Windsor resident who may or may not know all of what is going on. If a non-expert source tells you there are no gun shops in Windsor, an editor might ask the reporter to make sure there are no gun shops in the city. I haven't seen one myself, but I would believe it. The columnist says there are three such shops. Either the source or the columnist are wrong. My money is on the columnist.

Canadians pay higher property, income and education taxes than in the United States, Blaine said. "It's going to cost more to live in Canada."

Windsor, while having low-income areas, does not have slums, he said. A social welfare system is designed "to keep people from falling in the gutter."

Almost felt like CNN had to explain elements of Canada in what was essentially a murder story in a blue collar town, a bit of overreach.

Rick Perry tripped up by obvious Canadian satire of Occupy Toronto

 

Good to know presidential candidate and Texas Governor Rick Perry reads the Globe and Mail. Next, Perry should learn the difference between satire and news.

What is with conservative politicians being foiled by Canadian humorists? First, we had Toronto Mayor Rob Ford confused by "This Hour Has 22 Minutes." Now we have Perry clearly confused by satire as he quoted from a Mark Schatzker column in the Globe and Mail on Occupy Toronto.

The Schatzker column was a satire of the one-week anniversary party of Occupy Toronto and all that they had accomplished in less than a week. Whether you think that is funny, in reading the content, you realize it isn't real and, by the way, the column is labeled satire.

"It's weird protesting on Bay Street. You get there at 9 a.m. and the rich bankers who you want to hurl insults at and change their worldview have been at work for two hours already. And then when it's time to go, they're still there. I guess that's why they call them the one per cent. I mean, who wants to work those kinds of hours? That's the power of greed." – Jeremy, 38

That is the original quote for the satirical column. This is Perry's summary:

"I guess greed just makes you work hard."

Admittedly, the satire is subtle, especially in that context. However, when you read passages such as this one, you should be able to see the value of humor:

"Looking back, I can't believe what we achieved in a few incredible days: government-funded health care, a well-regulated banking system, and a cap on corporate political donations. Our work is done." – Tracy, 20

Nothing globally works that fast. Even liberals don't expect change that quickly. Though Canadians do have government-funded health care and a well-regulated banking system, neither of which the U.S. can claim.

In the video, Perry said he got this from his son, but what isn't clear is whether his son send him the article or just one paragraph. Usually when you pass on a story, you send a link. Perry and/or someone in his campaign should have checked the original to make sure what Perry would say would be valid.

This does remind you of another presidential candidate, Michele Bachmann, who passed on something without checking it out first when she told us that a woman told her that the HPV shot led to her daughter's retardation. In both cases, vetting wasn't done.

As funny as Gov. Perry's faux-pas was, other conservatives reacted poorly to the satire, mainly assuming that Perry was correct without checking any details. So you had conservative media not vetting the candidate who wasn't vetting what he said.

Satire lends itself more to liberals more than conservatives, a statement where both sides of the aisle can agree. Still, if you are running for high office, and someone tells you something that sounds unusual, you should make sure that what you saying is true. From the Daily Show and Colbert to This Hour Has 22 Minutes and The Onion, we live in a satirical world. Politicians are obvious targets in this world, and until they figure out what is happening, well, we'll have plenty more to write about, especially when Canada is involved.

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Kudos to those in Canada who have been taken by the spirit of Occupy Wall Street. Toronto and Vancouver are just two of the Canadian cities that have their own version of Occupy. We note that the Canadian economic situation is much better in the United States, but this doesn't mean that Canadians don't have economic issues, especially in younger demographics, similar to what is happening in the United States.