What I don't know about Canada...

O Canada! Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide, O Canada,
We stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

"Resent" is too strong a term for it, but it is fair to say that many Canadians are a bit peeved by the fact that Americans know so very little about their neighbors to the north.

U.S. History is part of the curriculum in Canadian schools -- many folks have told me they memorized all of the states and their capitals while in school. But most Americans -- certainly including this one -- learned very little about Canada in school and have paid very little attention to news about it ever since.

I've always been curious as to why the Canadians never bothered to kick the British out. I couldn't understand why they have so much affection for the royalty -- more, it sometimes seems, that even the British themselves. And I suppose, in the back of my jingoistic American mind, I wondered why Canada had never asked to join the United States.

If I decide to write more formally about my discoveries and observations during this year on the road, Canada and Canadians will have to be a part of the mix -- perhaps several chapters. To do justice to such an analysis, I'll have to do more reading on the subject. I'm still generally ignorant about how Canada became Canada.

One revelation is that the expansion into Canada came from the north as much as from the east. Because of inland waterways, many trappers and other early visitors and settlers dropped down into the western parts of the continent from above.

This exploration and development of trade took place much earlier than the settlement of the American west. Many French, British and other newcomers formed families with natives and, over several generations, became a significant culture of their own in the new world.

This largely peaceful "invasion" and the integrating of cultures resulted in far less violence as compared to the Indian Wars in the States. That is not to say there were no problems; blood was shed and friction continues to some extent. But the dynamics of settlement and conflict resolution were far different above the border than in our country.

I crossed the time line today and ended up an hour late for supper. Sunset doesn't provide much of a clue this time of the year; in fact, clearing skies have made it much brighter at 7:30 than it was a noon.

Ten more days in the Canadian west. I believe I've identified some questions; hopefully I'll have time and opportunity to find some answers during that interval.