Friday, December 28, 2007

Don't be so smug...


I have noticed over the years how the residents of 'certain provinces' feel an almost pathological need to speak ill of other Canadians, in order to make themselves feel better about who they are and where they live. I will purposefully leave the Province of Quebec out of this, as being the xenophobic, rampantly-racist, anti-semitic cultural ghetto they revel in being, they automatically dislike all the other provinces and territories. They may however make a somewhat favorable mention of a province which allowed them to spend money there, without reminding them of what dicks they are. As a sidenote, I was born and raised in the Province of Quebec. I was schooled in both school systems, the English one and the French... I moved from Quebec in 1976 as a political refugee, wanting my children to grow up in a democracy.

So take your basic 'Upper Canadians' for example. As in those who inhabit certain parts of the Province of Ontario.

They have a marked tendency to look down on those who inhabit the Maritime Provinces (and for the most part are not aware that Newfoundland and Labrador are not part of the Maritimes, but of the Atlantic Provinces). Apparently the belief would have it that Maritimers are either dumb, poor, uneducated folk, or simply dope smokin' fishermen...

As many of you out there may or may not know, when the many flights were diverted to airports across Canada on 9/11, fate smiled upon this country. How so you ask? Well for one, these flights were diverted to the coasts, away from our "important cities" such as Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal. Disregarding what a monstrous slight that is to Maritimers and Newfs (classifying us as 'disposable Canadians'...), how very fortunate we were to have so many foreigners introduced to Canada in such a way!!

True story:

Caller: "I want a number to get a hold of the Canadian Embassy!"

Me: "Absolutely, ma'am... And in which country do you want to contact the Canadian Embassy?"

Caller: "Pardon...?"

Me: "Madam, Canada has embassies in just about every country in the world. In which country did you want to contact the Canadian Embassy...?"

Caller: "Why...here!! In Toronto...".

(If you are reading this and are from Toronto, let me explain. Canada's interests are represented in foreign countries by an ambassador, who is assisted by a consular staff. They operate out of an Embassy. A smaller version of an embassy is a consulate. These offices operate only in foreign countries. There are no Canadian embassies or consulates in Canada... Toronto is located within the Province of Ontario. This province is in fact part of Canada, the country in which both you and I live. Toronto is not a foreign country, just as the Province of Quebec is not a foreign country. They both are simply smaller parts of this great country of ours. We do have however, embassies and consulates which represent the governments of many foreign countries here in Canada. I hope I've managed to clear this up for you.)

Those 'accidental tourists' who spent time in the Maritimes as well as Newfoundland and Labrador, still talk about their stay in terms overflowing with affection and gratitude. I shudder to think what their impressions of Canadians would be, had they actually let the flights land at Pearson International.

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