76: Niagara Falls! Saved by… Forts!!

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John Steinbeck visited Niagara Falls in 1960, while on his Travels with Charley roadtrip, and summed it up simply with ‘Niagara Falls is very nice.’ And it is. But when you go, as 12 million do each year, and see the cynical embrace of 1980s-era commercialism and $15 Imax screenings of the falls a stone’s throw from the real thing, it’s hard not … Read on

58 Things You Should Know about the War of 1812

War of 1812

Douglas Coupland’s 1812 sculpture, Toronto ‘War of 1812’ would make a great name for a bulldog. They’re irrational creatures – with misshapen jaws and butts that make them look mean, and squashed tails that easily get infected by passing fecal matter. But down deep they’re really softies with an unfortunate tendency for leg-humping, slobber and youthful deaths. The real War of 1812, incidentally, … Read on

Best Canadian City: my awards

Quick! What’s the best Canadian city? The subject has led to a lively discussion on Lonely Planet’s Thorn Tree, something so prickly that Toronto-based author Andrew Potter suggested could actually bring about a civil war. Most people equate Canada with its natural beauty, or hockey, or Mounties, or beaver nickels. Last year I visited Canada six times, mostly to focus on Canadian cities … Read on

Full Mountie: My Days as a RCMP Cadet

A few months ago the Royal Canadian Mounted Police – Depot Division (Regina, Saskatchewan) invited me to spend a couple nights and a (full) day training as a “mountie.” It’s a rare opportunity. Apparently only five civilians before me had had the chance — and I was apparently the only one to get a regulation moustache. This Lonely Planet video sums up the … Read on

Going to Canada

Tomorrow I head on a three-city visit to Canada: Toronto, Montreal and St John’s in Newfoundland. It’s part of a series of seven videos of seven Canadian cities and how one can ‘experience a place like a local.’ It’s far from my first time there (that would be age nine to Alberta; above). But to prep, I’ve been reading books like mad. Canadian … Read on

Photo of the Day: Regina’s RCMP Depot

Every mountie in Canada comes through Regina, Saskatchewan — home to the RCMP Depot, a training facility in place since 1885. Last week I served as a ‘cadet for a day.’ Marched for 6:30am inspection, learned how to remove people from cars (using ears, pain points) or putting them in (with a memorable groin toss). I got a regulation Mountie haircut & moustache, … Read on