Friday, September 26, 2008

It's Canada Again

I don't know if any of you saw the Whistle Stop Tour on Good Morning America when they were at Niagara Falls, but part of the stop contrasted stark differences between Canada and the US. Here is a description of that part of the show from this article:
• The main package of the show’s first hour was taped Monday evening and detailed the economic differences between the American and Canadian sides of Niagara Falls. It opened with Roberts and news anchor Christopher Cuomo walking down desolate north Main Street and commenting on boarded up and closed businesses.

“It’s just totally fallen into disuse,” Cuomo commented.

In a voiceover, Sawyer pointed out the average household income in Niagara Falls was $27,000. The scene then shifted to the bright, bustling area of Clifton Hill in Niagara Falls, Ont.

“Can you imagine, turning the corner, looking across the water and seeing this,” Sawyer said. “Is it Las Vegas? Is it Oz? Nope, welcome to Canada. Same river, same falls, same mist, but the average household income in Canada is almost doubled.”

Returning to this side of the border, she made a pit stop at Niagara University’s Dwyer Arena and interviewed parents and teenagers about the lack of job opportunities.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Must be the first day in months I missed the show. I had no idea this was the case. I read someone else's blog who said old potheads are moving to Canada where laws about everything are more lenient.
Still Maine is cold enough for me, and I couldn't bear a shorter summer than we have. Though, in Nova Scotia the flower gardens everyone seems to have, really thrive. Never saw Quebec when the sun was shining, however. Just my luck.

Dan said...

You can not be surprised by this?
This country is falling to shit. The rich get richer and the poor have to bail them out!

Joy said...

No, not surprised at all. It affirms what I have been saying for decades about Canada. Why are they so much more civilized than we are, and we're about the same age? Michael Moore addressed this in Bowling for Columbine in term of being a fear-based nation. That and rampant greed.

I don't think it's as cold around Vancouver, but the long, freezing winters are a drawback for me as well. I like more moderate temperatures, which we don't have here in the summer.

I won't leave but definitely think about it.