Canadian Crossing

2023 Victoria Day notebook: Alberta wildfires starting early

Welcome to Victoria Day 2023, the unofficial start of summer in Canada. We gathered a few recent items of note and reflect on where Canada is at the moment. You don't have to be at the cabin or cottage to enjoy this notebook. Having a Caesar (or a virgin Caesar) and perhaps a bag of all-dressed or ketchup chips wouldn't hurt.

2023 Alberta election preview

CanadianCrossing.com Alberta coverage

CanadianCrossing.com Canadian politics coverage

This should be a serious concern in upcoming #AbElection2023. Will be curious to see what voters think. #abpoli https://t.co/ytS52WQRpW

— Chad Rubel (@canadian_xing) May 19, 2023

The Alberta election is a week today. Glad we got the decision that Alberta premier Danielle Smith breached the conflict of interest act. Smith's thought process sadly reminded us of the old Steve Martin joke about how he forgot armed robbery was against the law.

The primary story in the province this month is still the devastating wildfires, even with the election. The conditions are unfortunately ripe for wildfires. We've seen them spread beyond the province in Western Canada.

Can't wait for summer, except when wildfires are involved. Difficult to think about voting for Rachel Notley or Danielle Smith (not directly) when you might have to leave your home or already have evacuated.

We will have more on the Alberta election after we find out the results.

2022 Victoria Day notebook: Alberta in the spotlight

2021 Victoria Day notebook

Victoria Day 2020 notebook: Summer of uncertainty in Canada

Canadian notebook: Celebrating Victoria Day 2019

You likely have read about U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas receiving luxury gifts from billionaire Harlan Crow. Sadly, this will likely not results in charges or removal from the bench.

Canada Supreme Court Justice Russell Brown has been on leave since February 1 over allegations in Arizona that involve a physical altercation and allegations of unwanted touching of women.

Action was swift in that the incident happened on January 28-29.

We haven't seen updates of late as to how long the leave will last or whether action can be taken against Brown.

The incidents are different in nature but you do get the sense that the Canada Supreme Court cares about appearances on the court while the same is not true in the United States.

Russell Brown and Clarence Thomas do have one intriguing element in common: both were highly conservative judges at a really young age with little judicial experience. Thomas had not been a judge while Brown was only a judge for 2½ years in Alberta.

Brown is 57. If he stays on the court, he can be there until September 15, 2040, his 75th birthday.

Canadian TV notebook: A much longer wait for Season 3 of Transplant on NBC

There are a lot of Canadian TV shows coming this summer and fall to the CW. One of those "old" shows is Transplant, where Season 3 will be further delayed, as in 2024. Some of that is the writers strike in the United States. That strike may open the flood gates for more Canadian TV.

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

There is a new Canadian film with a following in the United States. Blackberry is about the Canadian phenomena with a phone with a keyboard.

Matt Johnson directed the film from a screenplay from Johnson and Matthew Miller about the rise and fall of Canadian tech company Research in Motion. American actor Glenn Howerton plays Jim Balsillie while Canadian icon Jay Baruchel plays Mike Lazaridis.

Canadians have great stories that should be told by Canadians. Let's hope for more opportunities like Blackberry and fewer like Argo.

Your humble narrator has not seen the film. Just odd that a lot of Americans can easily see this film in theatres.

The End of Sex played in U.S. theatres for a week. The film played in a couple of Chicago suburbs but not in the actual city, where more likely filmgoers would see this film.

Monia Chokri's new film The Nature of Love | Simple comme Sylvain is the lone Canadian film in competition at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. This film follows a wealthy woman who has an affair with a working class man.

The film is in the Un Certain Regard section, the same place as A Brother's Love in 2019. You might recall that Chokri directed and starred in Babysitter (2022). Chokri wrote and directed the 2019 and 2023 films.

CBC News has a nice wrapup of the overall Canadian presence at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.

2023 CFL preseason schedule

The CFL preseason starts today at 4 pm Eastern/2 pm Mountain with the Battle of Alberta as the Elks of Edmonton travel to Calgary to play the Stampeders.

The new CFL Preseason Live means all the preseason games are available online in the U.S. (online for 6, TV for 3 in Canada) though there is no on-demand option.

CanadianCrossing.com NHL coverage

Gary Bettman's pet project has been a colossal failure in the greater Phoenix area. The latest is a sound rejection of a new arena in Tempe last week.

The argument in Glendale was that fans couldn't get to the arena. The local TV ratings are anemic, barely ahead of what a test pattern (ask your grandparents) would get.

The Arizona Coyotes need a new home and not in the desert. Salt Lake City, Houston, and Kansas City have been mentioned as possible relocation destinations.

The obvious choice is Quebec City and the Quebec Nordiques 2.0. Beautiful new arena, hockey history, fans who like and will support hockey. TSN's Pierre LeBrun, among many others, mentions that Quebec City doesn't have enough corporate money. The idea that the arena would be filled, lots more merchandise would be sold, and a great rivalry in La Belle Province isn't as valuable as corporate money in Salt Lake City is highly frustrating.

The potential ownership has been vetted when Quebec City put up a bid for an expansion team, a setup that was rigged for another desert city and away from an actual hockey city. Time to right a wrong and bring back the Quebec Nordiques.

Canada has a bit of copycat with corporate names for stadiums and arenas. Rogers has the MLB stadium in Toronto and hockey arenas in Edmonton and Vancouver. Scotiabank has the NBA and NHL arena in Toronto and the NHL arena in Calgary.

There is a satisfaction of referring to the large stadium in Toronto as SkyDome, the original name for the stadium. Exhibition Stadium was the home of the Blue Jays (MLB) and Argonauts (CFL). Its replacement has a corporate name (BMO Field).

Taylor Field in Regina, the long-time home of the CFL Saskatchewan Roughriders, was named for Neil J. "Piffles" Taylor, a World War I fighter pilot who served as president of the Regina Roughriders, the Canadian Rugby Union, and the Western Interprovincial Football Union.

Ivor Wynne, as in Ivor Wynne Stadium in Hamilton, was athletic director and dean of students at McMaster University.

Mosaic Stadium was also the last name given to Taylor Field. The new Mosaic Stadium is likely to be called that since that field only had that name.

The CFL has corporate names in Regina, Winnipeg, Edmonton (field only), Toronto, Hamilton, and Ottawa.

Vancouver has BC Place and the old Empire Stadium, though one of the Rogers arenas is in Vancouver.

You can find out more about that shirt.

photo credits: Baroness Von Sketch/CBC; uni-watch.com
Twitter capture: @canadian_xing
video credit: YouTube/IFC Films

Female actors shouldn't be limited in roles once they have played a mother

Actors, regardless of gender, reach a point where they start playing parents onscreen. Character actors know this more than traditional leading actors.

Unfortunately, there has been a stigma in Hollywood over female actors and their decision to play mothers. The worry is that they won't be seen as "sexy" or "desirable" once they have played a mother.

The concept is a bunch of bull[droppings] since a woman's "desirability" shouldn't decrease a drop just for playing a mother. Also, men don't have this stigma and they aren't usually as involved with the children onscreen.

Rachel McAdams (she's Canadian) is playing Barbara Simon, mother of Margaret, in Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. Without knowing (or caring) about her age, she would seem old enough to play a woman who has a daughter about 11 or 12. Not a stretch. Hoping Hollywood still thinks of her and other female actors as viable in the roles she is used to playing.

Natalie Portman rolled the dice on this topic a few years back when she played the mother of Jacob Tremblay's character in Xavier Dolan film The Death and Life of John F. Donovan in 2018. Portman's strategy might have been to play a mom in a film that might not have all that much traction in the United States.

Portman did a really nice job in that film. The scene where she is chasing after him on the sidewalk was highly powerful. As far as most of Hollywood knows, Portman never played a mom in a film.

I thought the film was better than most people thought, though I can feel their complaints about the film.

Canadian film review: The Death and Life of John F. Donovan

English Canada argues that they don't have a star system, and we generally agree. Quebec has its own actors, most of whom don't peek out into the English side.

Macha Grenon leaps into my head because I seen her play mother roles in English (The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom) and French (Familia). Grenon also played a mother as the lead in Nouvelle adresse on Ici Radio-Canada Télé. English Canadians might know This Life, which is the English language adaptation on the CBC.

Perhaps Grenon is known for doing well playing mothers and has that look. Plenty of American female actors play mothers and are often typecast in those roles.

We've seen Grenon play non-mother roles in French (Days of Darkness | L'Âge des ténèbres from Denys Arcand) and in English (Barney's Version).

Canadian film review: The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom

Molly Parker is seen saying goodbye to her daughter as she goes off to university in Essex County. That isn't quite the same as she does very little mothering in the 5-episode miniseries this spring on CBC. Her character provides some work as a aunt, which is like a mother but not a mother. Parker does a number of U.S. based projects but again, few in Hollywood will know Essex County even exists.

Parker played the mother of Kit (Dylan Authors) in Weirdos (2016) from Bruce McDonald. Then again, her character was not going to win Mother of the Year.

Canadian film review: Weirdos

Tatiana Maslany won an American Emmy and 4 (out of 4) Canadian Screen Awards for her roles in Orphan Black for 5 seasons. Sarah Manning was a mom to her daughter Kira (Skyler Wexler). Kira was smart enough to know which one was her mother, despite the clones. Cosima Niehaus did interact with Kira more than the other clones; Rachel Duncan, not so much.

Then again, with Maslany also playing Alison Hendrix, Helena, and several clones, maybe the motherhood part got pushed to the side. Siobhan Sadler (Irish actor Maria Doyle Kennedy) was more of a mother to Kira than Sarah was, having served as the foster mother to Sarah and Felix (Jordan Gavaris).

The Canadian system offers a lot more flexibility for female actors. Grace Lynn Kung, who is the lead in Wong & Winchester on Citytv, also plays a mom on Sort Of. Amanda Brugel played 7ven's mother on Season 2 of Sort Of. They aren't being typecast in Canada.

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

The hope is that Hollywood overhauls its view on female actors, especially lead female actors, to realize that playing a variety of roles enhances a female actor instead of diminishing them for playing a "mother."

Rachel McAdams playing the mother in the movie adaptation of a Judy Blume novel should be the catalyst that changes the Hollywood mindset toward female actors. Even when they get to play grandmothers, female actors are still viable in my film world.

photo credits: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret; The Death and Life of John F. Donovan; The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom; Orphan Black

Remembering Canadian music icon Gordon Lightfoot

Gordon Lightfoot died earlier this week at the age of 84. An amazing Canadian singer-songwriter with a 5+ decade career. The Order of Canada. Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald might be your most favourite or least favourite Gordon Lightfoot song. Neither for me. Lightfoot had an amazing international career yet he kept Canada as his base. He also showed Canadian musicians that you could do both.

This won't be a typical obituary in the classic sense. Listen to the hits and pick out songs you may not have known, such as Cotton Jenny.or Canadian Railroad Trilogy.

Our tribute starts out with an offbeat look at Lightfoot as a prolific singer and songwriter. SCTV had this really funny skit where Lightfoot sings every song ever recorded. A very Canadian idea.

Remembering Gordon Lightfoot: Canadian folk music icon (The Current)

Remembering Gordon Lightfoot (Q from CBC Radio)

CBC Radio seemed like a good place to remember Gordon Lightfoot. The special Q episode devoted the entire show to the memory of Gordon Lightfoot, including an interview with Anne Murray. Murray McLauchlan and Tom Wilson were also guests on the program hosted by regular Q host Tom Power and Commotion's Elamin Abdelmahmoud.

Nicholas Jennings, who wrote Lightfoot the biography, was a guest on The Current with Matt Galloway.

He's been in my life as long as I can remember, first through his songs, then by writing about him through the decades. Proud to be his biographer.
R.I.P. Gordon. Condolences to his wife Kim, his children, grandchildren, bandmates and friends. @lightfoot365 #gordonlightfoot pic.twitter.com/Xv2nOKUeCc

— Nicholas Jennings (@nicojennings) May 2, 2023

Peter Mansbridge on his podcast The Bridge with Peter Mansbridge will also look back at the life and career of Gordon Lightfoot. You can hear that on SXM Canada or wherever you get your podcasts. 

I saw Gordon Lightfoot a few years back in person. I wish it was in Massey Hall in Toronto, where Lightfoot might have the record for playing the most dates of any artist there. The theatre was intimate. Lightfoot physically wasn't at his best but still put on a really good show.

I loved how much the fans knew the songs I did not know. You forget all the really great songs he had. Hits a plenty but simple songs I had never heard and still enjoyed. One of the radio guests pointed out there were lots of unreleased songs because he was so meticulous to make sure they were where Lightfoot wanted them to be.

2019 WIFF Canadian films in review

2019 WIFF Canadian films in review: Documentaries

"A must for huge Lightfoot fans and a nice primer if you only know the major hits."

If you think you know a lot about Gordon Lightfoot, you will still learn a lot about him from the 2019 documentary Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind. Saw the film at the 2019 Windsor International Film Festival. I know we say we learn a lot from documentaries. I had no idea and was blown away.

CanadianCrossing.com music coverage

“I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Lightfoot as a child – he spent the afternoon in the Gatineau Hills with my family, and it is a memory I will always cherish." Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said this as part of his statement on the death of Gordon Lightfoot.

We tease about the prominent Canadians with the first name Gord or Gordon. We lost Gordon Pinsent earlier this year. We lost Gord Downie from The Tragically Hip in 2017. Gordie Howe passed away in 2016.

Ranger Gord (Peter Keleghan) was a part of The Red Green Show. Gord Miller is alive and a real person. There are 2 prominent Canadians named Gordon Sinclair.

Gordon Lightfoot might be the most significant of all the Gord and that is saying something in Canada.

The photo is of Gordon Lightfoot performing 100 Years Young, which was a CBC variety special celebrating Canada's centennial from 1967.

video credit: YouTube/westnyacktwins
photo credit: Roy Martin/CBC Still Photo Collection; @petermansbridge
Twitter capture: @nicojennings

Grocery rebate is helpful for Canadians while Americans struggle without help

We weren't planning on writing about the grocery rebate found in the new Canadian federal budget. BalanceofFood.com, our sibling blog, found the grocery rebate idea as a fascinating topic worth exploring.

Their research took them to Andrew Chang explaining the grocery rebate for the CBC News Explore audience. Chang left The National to do online journalism for CBC News Explore. His explanation of the grocery rebate on the whiteboard was journalism that was simple and informative. A good sign for Canadian journalism if the new service is doing that kind of work.

The money on the table for low and middle-income Canadians is a decent amount ($233 or $467 with seniors getting $225) but won't go too far given the current rising food prices. As our sibling blog noted, the American government with the GOP-led House won't even consider help for Americans unless the Democratic Party wins back the House in 2024.

Grocery rebate is a nice idea but only a short-term solution to rising food prices (BalanceofFood.com)

Food prices are generally higher in Canada than in the United States due to a number of circumstances. Even higher if you consider the cost of groceries in the North, such as in Iqlauit in Nunavut. The Balanceoffood.com story includes links to podcasts that delve into the high food prices in Canada. 

CanadianCrossing.com BalanceofFood.com coverage

CanadianCrossing.com food and drink coverage

CanadianCrossing.com Canadian politics coverage

CanadianCrossing.com Canadian society coverage

CanadianCrossing.com journalism coverage

You can find out more about how to watch CBC News Explore. Americans can watch CBC News Explore live via the Tubi streaming app.

photo and video credit: CBC News Explore

Rogers Centre renovations help but Canada still needs a really good baseball stadium

The new bleachers that are literally RIGHT at the visitors Bullpen… and a bunch of signs saying you can’t ask for autographs… pic.twitter.com/TfN4AU3sz8

— Geoff Rohoman (@RadioRoho) April 6, 2023

The Toronto Blue Jays return home today for the 2023 home opener. Rogers Centre has the first level of renovations done. You've heard Ben Wagner and Dan Shulman talk incessantly about the changes to outfield seating in 2023. This is part of why the Blue Jays started with a long road trip to St. Louis, Kansas City, and Anaheim (with a 6-4 record).

The original plans included grass but that seems to have disappeared. SkyDome was a replacement for Exhibition Stadium when it opened in 1989. The dome was a huge success, unlike the roof at Olympic Stadium in Montréal.

The sad reality is the new changes at Rogers Centre might be the best MLB scenario for Canadian baseball fans. The history of MLB stadiums for Canadian teams is a miserable one.

Consider the 4 new MLB franchises in 1969.

Kansas City moved into Municipal Stadium, the old home of the A's and current home of the NFL team. The Royals got a new baseball-only stadium in 1973 where they still play. San Diego moved into San Diego Stadium, current home of the AFL Chargers.

Seattle moved into the minor league Sicks Stadium that never became terribly viable in the lone season of the Seattle Pilots. The franchise moved to Milwaukee where they had an old major league stadium in County Stadium.

Montréal had a couple of not so great options for the new Expos. The Autostade on Rue Sainte-Catherine E, just east of St. Laurent, was the home of the CFL Alouettes (1968–1971, 1973-1976). The Autostade could have been a truly intimate baseball experience. A number of factors led the group away from Autostade and onto Jarry Park, which was only supposed to be a temporary home for 3 seasons. That turned into 8 seasons.

Jarry Park was a single deck stadium without cover, quaint even for its time. Olympic Stadium hosted Les Expos starting in 1977. The sightlines were great for football, not as much for baseball.

Exhibition Stadium in Toronto, home of the CFL Argonauts, was the Blue Jays first home stadium. The fans had cover in the outfield seats but not over the 3rd-base side.

2023 Toronto Blue Jays preview

2023 Toronto Blue Jays spring training schedule

The best MLB stadium in Canada is a theory and a plan: Labatt Park in Montréal. Downtown. Grass with a dome. Small, intimate, a true baseball stadium.

If Montréal knew the Rays were coming for certain, building a baseball stadium would be a no-brainer. Building Labatt Park for the new Expos would give Canada a true MLB baseball stadium.

Comerica Park in Detroit and even Sahlen Field in Buffalo, permanent and temporary MLB stadiums near the Canadian border, offer more of what Canadian cities should have in a baseball stadium. The Detroit stadium's upper deck is too steep but the lower deck has wonderful sightlines, even from a pedestrian friendly view in centre field from outside the gate.

Not every stadium is going to be Wrigley Field or Fenway Park. Canada teams deserve a better viewing experience at a MLB ballpark on Canadian soil.

CanadianCrossing.com MLB coverage

The practical nature of Toronto and land means revamping Rogers Centre. The improvements look great. Just the idea of not having home runs fall into a pit just past the fences is a substantial change.

I've seen the Blue Jays and Argonauts at SkyDome. I've seen Les Expos at Stade Olympique in Montréal. I've seen minor league baseball in Vancouver and Winnipeg. The Forum and Maple Leaf Gardens were legendary hockey arenas. Canadian baseball fans deserve a similar place for Major League Baseball.

Twitter capture: @RadioRoho
photo credit: @BlueJays

Appreciating the darkest maple syrup

Canadians should have an easier time finding what used to be the old Grade B maple syrup, ideally from Quebec. Americans could find the Grade B maple syrup, especially from Quebec, before the change. Since the classification brought everything to Grade A but with new descriptors, finding the good stuff has been rather difficult.

Our sibling blog, BalanceofFood.com explores the difficult search in the United States to score what is now known as Very Dark Strong Taste.

The difficulty in finding the old Grade B maple syrup (BalanceofFood.com)

Maple syrup is an identifiable Canadian food that is enjoyed in the United States. Difficult to appreciate how good Canadian maple syrup if consumers have to struggle to find the truly dark stuff.

Daily Show treats Quebec maple syrup heist as a drug war

CanadianCrossing.com BalanceofFood.com coverage

CanadianCrossing.com trade coverage

CanadianCrossing.com food and drink coverage

Back in 2013, Jason Jones (Canadian) had a bit too much fun exploring the maple syrup heist story for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. The Le Gros Jambon portion at the Montréal diner is worth the watch.

How the climate crisis is affecting maple syrup (Ici/Radio-Canada)

Why we should appreciate maple syrup, especially good quality maple syrup.

photo credit: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart; me

Joe Biden's visit to Canada as president shouldn't be his last

My friend texted "Roxham Road closed" on Thursday. Joe Biden was on Canadian soil. That sounded about right.

The debate over revising the Safe Third Country Agreement, has been on the table since 2017 with the angry toddler wrecking havoc south of the border. President Joe Biden was in Ottawa and that was the conclusion of the mess that has been border issues between Canada and the United States.

Daily Show explores why refugees are fleeing U.S. for Canada

The speech. The one-on-one meetings. The press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The dinner at the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum.

The 27-hour visit had little in the way of side trips for the president but Sophie Gregoire Trudeau introduced Dr. Jill Biden to curling.

The important discussions that won't get the flashy headlines about Biden's crack about the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The chance for those in Ottawa to see the U.S. president, well, from a distance. Supposed to be one of the perks of living in a country's capital.

Joe Biden makes first official U.S. visit to Canada since 2016

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime." — Mark Twain

There is a lot of symbolism with the U.S. president on Canadian soil, the first president in a long time to sleep in Canada, and having the U.S. first lady along for the trip. The U.S.-Canada relationship is terribly important. This relationship can survive butting heads in charge, such as Pierre Trudeau and Richard Nixon as well as those who see eye to eye, such as Brian Mulroney and George H.W. Bush as well as Justin Trudeau and Barack Obama.

The relationship doesn't do well when U.S. presidents have a hatred for Canada (2 leap to mind) and Canadian prime ministers who love the United States a little too much (yes, we are looking at Stephen Harper). Friendliness is encouraged; acceptance is enough.

Vice President Kamala Harris lived in Canada during her teenage years. Instead of that being a source of pride, Harris has to hide that fact among the American electorate.

The impact of the Joe Biden presidency on Canada

President-elect Joe Biden should make his first international trip to Canada

The Three Amigos, when working well, is a way to be a budget version of the European Union, but there is too much distrust. Free trade handled poorly under NAFTA and made terribly worse under the CUSMA (USMCA) trade deal. Borders should be much more open. Those in the United States who want to live in Canada. Those in Canada that would love to live in the United States. That should be way easier.

CanadianCrossing.com Canadian politics coverage

CanadianCrossing.com U.S. politics coverage

The president of the United States and the prime minister of Canada meeting in each other's countries should be commonplace. We make them a big deal because they are a big deal. Sovereignty is crucial for both countries but commonalities should also be enhanced between the countries.

Ideally, we would insist on an entire debate devoted to U.S.-Canada issues for all presidential and vice presidential candidates. We know that is a pipe dream and not a pipeline dream.

Thank you, Mr. President and Mrs. First Lady for coming to Canada. You are welcome back, maybe for Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals between the Toronto Maple Leafs and an American team at Scotiabank Arena. You can have some butter tarts and even a little poutine.

video credit: YouTube/White House
photo credit: CPAC

Joe Biden makes first official U.S. visit to Canada since 2016

The president of the United States will be in Canada today … and tomorrow.

Unlike the Barack Obama trip in 2009, Biden is bringing the First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, and the couple is staying overnight Thursday night.

Biden is expected to arrive in Ottawa later tonight and meet with Governor General Mary Simon. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will have meetings with Biden on Friday. The U.S. president will address Parliament before leaving Canada.

The last top official from the United States to make a formal trip to Canada was then Vice President Joe Biden at the end of 2016.

Canadians may pick up on the fact this will be the first visit by a U.S. president with an overnight stay in Canada during a bilateral visit for the first time in decades.

Border issues, Buy American, guns, Safe Third Country deal/Roxham Road, Haiti, NORAD, NAFTA 2.0 aka CUSMA. Some of the many challenges that won't get solved by the end of Friday night. The people under the U.S. president and Canadian prime minister work on these issues.

Obama Canadian Parliament speech needs to ignite significant growth in the bilateral relationship

The chant from the Liberals and the NDP in the House of Commons — "Four more years" — might have been the most memorable moment from President Barack Obama's speech before Parliament in June 2016. The experts will monitor the speech for the platitudes and the not-so-hidden messages.

President Biden will have those messages in his speech tomorrow before the House of Commons in Ottawa.

Canada and the United States are allies, neighbours, and friends. Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the President of the United States, Joe Biden, will visit Canada to continue working together to advance our countries’ shared priorities: https://t.co/U2vEv4iEO0

— CanadianPM (@CanadianPM) March 9, 2023

Three Amigos are back after 5 years but feels unbalanced

Joe Biden and Justin Trudeau meeting virtually is still important symbolically

The impact of the Joe Biden presidency on Canada

President-elect Joe Biden should make his first international trip to Canada

Factoring Canada in the 2020 presidential election

Kamala Harris, Jackie Robinson, and their association with Montreal

Looking back at when Joe Biden was in Canada

Joe Biden reinforces Canadian leadership in state visit

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden goes to Canada

CBC News Network will present live coverage of the President Joe Biden visit with a CBC News Special: U.S. President Biden in Canada starting at 1 pm Eastern on Friday. CTV News Channel will also have live coverage.

CPAC in Canada has extensive coverage. C-SPAN hopefully will cover the speech, likely through CPAC, though its schedule gets updated at the last minute.

MSNBC and CNN might have some related coverage though we wouldn't expect either channel to spend much time on the actual speech.

CanadianCrossing.com Canadian politics coverage

CanadianCrossing.com U.S. politics coverage

We will wrap up the visit on Monday.

photo credit: Patrick Doyle/The Canadian Press via AP
video credit: YouTube/The Obama White House
Twitter capture: @CanadianPM

Learning the word beanie, the American expression for a toque

Your humble narrator is intrigued by the nuance of language in Canada vs. the United States, even if both countries (mostly) speak English.

Chesterfield (sofa) and serviette (napkin) are obvious differences. Canadians will "phone" someone while Americans "call" someone. While "eh" is associated as Canadian, you can find "eh" in the upper Midwest of the U.S. and not everywhere in Canada.

The hat Canadians call a toque. I never had to learn the Canadian word for toque because I've always known the hat as a toque (or tuque). Maybe I learned it from Bob and Doug McKenzie of SCTV and Strange Brew fame. I never learned any other word for the winter hat other than toque.

I lived a lot of years on this planet, covered Canada for a lot of that time, and never knew what I am about to tell you. I figured Americans call the hat a toque. Some Americans know the word toque. Chances are they know SCTV and/or Hockey Night in Canada.

Some Americans are confused when you say the word toque. Turns out a lot of Americans call this hat a beanie. I was stunned. A beanie.

Not surprised Americans have a name for this hat. Beanie doesn't fit what this hat is; toque is the ideal word. Yet there is this divide. The surprise lies in living in a place and not knowing what people called this hat.

There could be a regional difference across the border where toque might be more common than beanie. Or your humble narrator have friends who know it as a toque.

CanadianCrossing.com Canadian society coverage

CanadianCrossing.com U.S. society coverage

Americans are more likely to adopt Britishisms, calling fish and chips as if they are American. Popular songs taught us mac (umbrella) [Penny Lane, Beatles] and windscreen (windshield) [Get Out of My Cloud, Rolling Stones]. Lift. lorry, and braces. Chips, crisps, and biscuits.

Most Americans won't reach across to Canada for terms. Chesterfield, serviette, 2-4, double double are words Canadians and fans of Canada will know. Toque also makes that list.

photo credit: me

Where to visit Canada in 2023

"The ArriveCAN app is optional." That might be the most glorious Canadian travel news of 2022.

We have feigned hope for more travel in the last couple of years but that hasn't been a reality. Canadians, who were vaccinated, were encouraged to come to the United States. Americans to Canada? Not so much.

Let's hope 2023 sees a return of Americans to Canada, swayed by beautiful scenery and landscapes as well as a cheap Canadian dollar.

Making up for lost travel time is an ideal goal for 2023, provided you have the time and money.

Experiencing marijuana tourism in Canada

Your humble narrator finally got to be on Canadian soil. As tempting as kissing the ground might be, didn't get that literal in my appreciation for being in Canada. Poutine, ketchup chips, butter tarts, even a decent shawarma were on the menu. All of that went well with legal marijuana in Canada.

Pope Francis I arrives in Canada on Sunday for an expected apology on residential schools

The most famous person who isn't Canadian who came to Canada in 2022 was Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church. The trip was mostly to Alberta with a brief stop in Quebec and an even briefer stop in Iqaluit in Nunavat.

The trip was good in that attention was brought to what happened in residential schools. Unfortunately, after the trip, the issue of reconciliation disappeared from the headlines.

Canada drops all COVID-19 measures at borders as of October 1

Canada to finally lift pre-arrival COVID-19 tests for air and land border crossings

Making travel plans for Canada in 2023 will be a lot easier now that restrictions have been lifted. You should be vaccinated but that isn't a requirement. Just a healthy suggestion.

Touchdown Atlantic 2022 showcased Nova Scotia and its love for the CFL

We are partial to Nova Scotia and happy for those who finally got to see a CFL game in that province. The 2023 version will be in Halifax proper. The donair is a beautiful local food to enjoy as well as amazing seafood.

Stanley Tucci has plenty of love for Toronto

Toronto, among many other Canadian cities, are great eating destinations. We aren't sure how many of those places are still in business. The pandemic did a lot of damage to restaurants.

Greyhound leaves Canada for good

If you want to travel by bus and haven't done so recently, Greyhound abandoned Canada in 2021 with the grand exception of incoming buses to Toronto, Montréal, and Vancouver. If we travel by bus, we will share our experiences.

How the Canada-U.S. border closure has affected border towns

A trip back to Montréal. A first trip to Saskatoon. A chance to see relatively new CFL stadiums in Regina and Hamilton. The Icefield Parkway in Alberta. Cape Breton in Nova Scotia. Gander in Newfoundland. Churchill in Manitoba, though that might be a pipe dream. The interior of British Columbia, a world not Vancouver or Victoria.

I've been to Quebec City but would like to try areas of the city I didn't get to see. Stratford, Ontario as an adult: have been there as a kid. Explore the Acadian part of New Brunswick.

The previous 2 paragraphs look familiar for those who remember our 2022 travel guide. We made a trip to Windsor for the film festival. Would love to go deeper into Canada in 2023.

Where to visit Canada in 2022

Where to visit Canada in 2021

Where to visit Canada in 2020

Where to visit Canada in 2019

Where to visit Canada in 2018

Where to visit Canada in 2017

All Canada national parks are free in 2017

Where to visit Canada in 2016

Where to visit Canada in 2015

Where to visit Canada in 2014

Even if you are able to travel, right now, travel sucks. Not what it used to be or what it should be. Do research. Hope that trip will be what you want that to be. Someday. Please make it soon.

CanadianCrossing.com now has stories grouped by provinces and territories

CanadianCrossing.com border crossings coverage

CanadianCrossing.com travel coverage

Wish the short-term future was better for tourism in Canada. A day trip in Windsor would improve my mood.

Share your Canadian tourism wishes for 2023 in the comments section below. Time to make travel plans.

map credit: Ezilon.com