Canadians are way too nice

“Ohh, wal, you’ve gotcher farmlands and the mountains, eh? And over there in B.C. yah got the Mary Jooana and those darned Hippies, yep. And now there’s that oil here in Alberta bringin’ in the immigrants like crazy, don’t yah know?”

Canada, we tend to forget, is a bigger county by a considerable margin than the U.S. – there are nearly 44 million square miles up here – more than a square mile for each citizen.

Our shared border is the longest in the world not patrolled routinely by armed forces. And there is far more in common between Canada and the U.S. than is different.

But there is a difference – and Québécois might justifiably say, “Vivre le difference!” Canadians are much sweeter, nobler, kinder, gentler, friendlier, thoughtful – well, more just plain nice than their southern neighbors.

It has been argued that the distinction began some 230 years ago and has grown, subtly ever since.

Northrop Frye, a noted Canadian scholar, concluded that,” The central fact of Canadian history is the rejection of the American Revolution.”

Encyclopedia Britannica Online extrapolates on that theme:

Contemporary Canadians are inclined to favour (sic) orderly central government and a sense of community over individualism; in international affairs, they are more likely to serve the role of peacemaker instead of warrior, and, whether at home or abroad, they are likely to have a pluralistic way of viewing the world.

Not long after arriving in Alberta, I began asking Canadians why they are proud of their country. Their reaction, in nearly all cases, has been remarkable.

Imagine asking the late actor Gary Cooper why he thought he was a great actor. In his famous self-effacing manner, Coop would no doubt cast his gaze downward, scuff his boot in the dirt and begin his response with something like, “Shucks, I never said any such thing…”

Cooper wasn’t Canadian, but he was from Montana and I found the folks in that beautiful state to be every bit as nice as their northern neighbors.

Anyway, there’s no doubt that Canadians are very proud of their country; but expressing that pride just doesn’t seem proper to them.

I’m going to continue my survey and look forward to repeating it when I return to the states. I’m certain the responses will be quite different down south where characteristics like friendly, tolerant, pleasant and peace-loving are given lip service but aren’t considered sources of pride.

My rude welcome at the border was an anomaly. This is a nice place to visit and I believe I would like to live here – if they could just solve that little problem caused by the earth’s tilt. I like the long days and short nights, but wonder if I could adapt to the opposite situation in the fall and winter. More on this little accident of astronomy in a future posting.

Meanwhile, have a nice day. I’m pretty sure I will.