Years ago I visited Montreal, a three-day
drive from Florida, and found a lovely
elegant city where French is spoken.
We have some snowbird friends who fly down
to play tennis each winter every time the
white slush turns into gray mush making
driving difficult in Quebec. It is a
beautiful modern city and great for
shopping.
Canada is the second-largest country in the
world after Russia, strategically located
between Russia and USA via the north polar
route. (Probably near the domicile of
Santa Claus.) Approximately 90% of its
population is concentrated within 160 kms of
the US border. It is a high-tech
industrial society that closely resembles
the USA in its market-oriented economic
system with affluent living standards.
Unfortunately, permafrost in the north is a
serious obstacle to development; cyclonic
storms form east of the Rocky Mountains
which is a result of the mixing of air
masses from the Arctic, Pacific and North
American interior, producing rain and snow
east of the mountains. (And we
complain about hurricanes here in Florida!)
Canada's paramount political problem is
meeting the public demands for quality
improvements in health care and education
services after a decade of budget cuts. (Sound
familiar?) The issue of reconciling
Quebec's francophone heritage with the
majority Anglophone Canadian population has
receded recently as support for separatism
abated after the Quebec government's
referendum on independence failed to pass in
October 1995.
Queen Elizabeth II, is represented by
Governor General Adrienne Clarkson.
There are no elections since the monarchy is
hereditary and the governor general is
appointed by the monarch on the advice of
the prime minister for a five-year term.
Following legislative elections, the leader
of the majority party or the leader of the
majority coalition in the House of Commons
is automatically designated prime minister
by the governor general.
I
highly recommend taking a trip to beautiful
Victoria Island in British Colombia, where
they obviously speak English. You can take
the Vancouver auto ferry from Vancouver to
Victoria, and make sure you have tea in
their gingerbread cottages with gigantic
flowers on a summer day when the 16 hours of
daily sun produce the biggest flowers I
have ever seen. Truly a delight!
I
currently do business with a firm in that
area and I must say, I have had an excellent
rapport with them in their professional,
courteous manner. I think our American
corporations should take an example of their
service-oriented modus operandi and
concentrate more on middle management as
they do, for happier customers and results.
Canada enjoys a substantial trade surplus
with its principal trading partner, the USA,
which absorbs more than 85% of Canadian
exports. In my case, internet
services.
On
a final note, skiing on virgin snow in the
Cariboo Mountains in British Columbia,
reached only by helicopter is a once-in-a
lifetime thrill, and those of you brave and
rich enough to try it, should do it.
It is an exhilarating experience of
freedom!!
Oh,
Canada! We love ya!
Alinka Zyrmont
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