It's party time! This week, we have the best of the past week, including everything from thoughtful Canadian analysis on US politics in Another Perspective on Obama and Race, to snarkilicious goodness from CanadianBill and ManleyMcFlagHag. Plus, this week we offer a special year-end round up of 2006 Dkos Canadiana: politics, history, environment, and more. (Can you resist a diary with a title like Canada's Stephen Harper Is Bush's Bitch? I know I can't.) Plus we've got your regular favorites: pootie pics, caption contest, and a tour of Quebec's legendary Trois Pistoles. It's all below the fold, so put on your party hat and come on down!
(Cross-posted at The Next Agenda, a Dkos-style blog for Canadian progressive politics.)
News and Analysis
Another Perspective on Obama and Race by Alien Abductee gives a comparative look at race issues and U.S. and Canada, wondering if the Civil War is till making a difference in American politics.
In Canadians Boycott Israeli Military Foundation shergald looks at the Canadian peace activist group, Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid (CAIA), and its boycott of two Canadian bookstore chains.
Political Snark
Manley McFlagHag beats the drums of war. 54-40 or Regime Change. Eat it, James K. Polk. advocates the clarion call of Manifest Destiny for the North–because hey, it's working so well in Iraq, right?
You know you like to listen...and laugh. Stephen Harper Phones George W. Bush provides a startling insider look at the relationship between George and Steve. Did I say Steve? I meant, Stephen! From the inimitable CanadianBill.
Pointless Pootie Pic
I don't know why I keep putting up pictures of beer-drinkin' pooties, but this one was too perfect:
The beer that Mr. Kitty is enjoying (?) is named after our featured Canadian community:Trois Pistoles.
Year End Roundup
Since News From the North is only in its 5th week, we missed quite a few deserving stories earlier this year! What follows is a completely unscientific roundup of some of my favourite Canadiana diaries from 2006–please add your own in the comments!
2006:Canada-U.S. Relations
In War on Terror, Canada, and Bush, qwertman gave a great analysis of where Bush's rhetoric intersects with the reality of Canadian politics. You'll also want to get the insightful comarpison of US vs Canada: One continent, two news mediaby Northwatch And of the many diaries on this incident, I like More thoughts on the Canadian terrorists arrests from FrankFrink for thoughts on the real meaning of the Canadian "terrorist" arrests in 2006.
And what about Harper and Bush? (Hint: the fact that we call him MiniMe, Baby Dub, and Bush Lite should give a few hints about their relationship.) Thursday Next put it politely inCanada's PM Flatters Bush. But perhaps Kingsmeg had it more accurately:Canada's Stephen Harper Is Bush's Bitch.
I guess George and "Steve" really are in bed together...uh, in a totally manly, heterosexual way, of course.
2006: Canadiana Series
We saw some great Canadian-related series on Daily Kos in 2006; if you think they were too short-lived, why not give the authors some love in the comments? Kanuckistani Korner - Canadian Take on the Ports/SCOTUS was one of the great episodes in deepfish's kontinuing kommentary on kanada. And Six Degrees of Aaron gave us Canadian Politics: This Week In Review,rounding up posts from maple Leaf Politics–a valuable contribution in this year of political upheaval, excitement, and more than a wee bit of farce...
Oh, and somebody started a CAN HIST 101 series, but heaven only knows when that will continue. Historians always seem to take their time... ;)
2006: Anti-Canadianism
If it weren't for the Republicans, would we have known the truth about Canada, Enemy of Jesus! I doubt it. Arken revealed the shocking facts about the godless North.
Meanwhile, RioMadeira gave a snarkariffic response to the anti-Canadian commentators inAn Open Letter to Purveyors of Anti-Canadian Remarks Anyway, Bionic already let us know why they are so cranky. It seems that Ann Coulter is just a wannabe–a cheap knockoff of a Canadian original. (You read it here first!)
(In case you find a Republican who actually listens to facts, you can use Canada's Medicare: A global competitive advantage? on 'em. In this great diary, paul2port used news reports to argue that, far from being an economic drag, the Canadian healthcare system actually makes the country more attractive to international investment. )
Caption Contest
Lipstick. Pig. There's a caption in here somewhere...
2006:Human Rights and the Environment
It's a shocking thought to those of us living down here in George Bush's Jesusland, but according to Sympathetic Canuck Geneva Conventions Still Mean Something in Canada. If you want to take a longer-term view of things check out
July 14, 1976: Canada Voted to Abolish the death Penalty. In this great diary, * pale cold* provides a little perspective on the Canadian rejection of the death penalty–an issue increasingly contested south of the border.
I tried not to duplicate any authors in the year-end roundup, but pale cold also hit one out of the park with Environment: The Spirit of British Columbia . It's a beautifully-written meditation combined with reporting on the welfare of the white bear that symbolizes British Columbia.
And in what I think is the feel-good Canadiana story of 2006, there's A Mountie Gets His Man: Canadian Gay Marriage Continues by STOP George which gave us the story of two small-town Mounties and their low-fuss same-sex wedding in rural Nova Scotia. (There's more in MsLibrarian's diary here.
Featured Canadian Community: Trois Pistoles, Quebec
On the shores of the St. Lawrence River sits the charming village of Trois Pistoles, population 4,000. FromWikipedia:
The town is located on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River.
A ferry crosses the river to Les Escoumins on the north shore. The port facilities are also used by fishing boats and scuba divers.The town is said to have been named for a silver goblet worth three pistoles, an old French coin, that was lost in the river in the 15th century.
Trois Pistoles is home to The University of Western Ontario's French Immersion School, so if you're looking to improve your French, why not check out this fun way to do it? Or try your own faux-immersion by tuning into streaming radio from nearby Rivière-du-Loup, at FM 107 where the feed may just move you to make a request . (Hurry and you can guess the top song of 2006 and win!) Or tune into 103.7 for adult contemporary--listen to the streaming radio here. I'm kind of getting addicted to oldies and classics with Cynthia Janie
at noon on weekdays.
Le Cheval Noir
One of the most beautiful sights in Trois Pistoles is the local church, whose striking neo-gothic towers dominate the river landscape. Known as Notre-Dame-des-Neiges (Our Lady of the Snows), it is the source of a striking local legend about a canny priest who captured the Devil himself in human form. On the dvice of the Virgin Mary, the priest used his stole as a bridle and forced the Adversary to help build the church building! Or at least that's how it went when I heard it. You can read another variant online, and enjoy the artistic rendering of the legend that's found on every bottle of Unibroue's Trois Pistoles beer.
What to Do in Trois Pistoles
There's more than church-building devils in Trois Pistoles! The Parc l'Aventure Basque en Amerique provides a tribute to the Basque heritage of North America, as well as a beautiful park for cycling, hiking, and kayaking. Other Local Attractions:
Musee Saint-Laurent:From June 24 until Labour Day, visitors can see a number of classic and antique cars, trucks and farm equipment at this automobile museum. Many of the vintage vehicles on display have been used in movies and television shows. Guided tours are available.
La Maison du Teleroman: La Maison du Teleroman (Home of the TV Series) is a centre that displays artefacts from numerous Quebec television series dating back to 1950. Host Victor-Levy Beaulieu will guide visitors through a collection of sets, costumes, photos, posters and manuscripts. There is also an art gallery, a bookstore and a restaurant and bar on site.
The Garden of Legends: Le Jardin des Legendes (The Garden of Legends) uses statues to enlighten visitors on prevailing myths about the area. Tales of the neighbour down the road, the three pistols, the silver goblet and the snow in the churchyard are some of the stories told in the garden.
This has been News From the North. Party safe...and I'll see you next year!