1.  Do you get American TV shows up there?

On a recent Sunday night, Elaine and I cozied up in the living room and watched this trifecta of CBS juggernauts:  60 Minutes, Madam Secretary, and The Good Wife. Better yet, we watched them on East Coast time thanks to having Detroit’s network affiliates on our cable package. So yes, we keep up with Colbert, Stewart, The Big Bangers, The Sharks, Olivia Benson, Annalise Keating, Red Reddington, Phil Dunphy, and many, many more.  My guesstimate is that we watch 95% American shows and 5% Canadian (those would be local and national news, and our guilty pleasure, Border Security). Two biggies we don’t get:  ESPN (only get the Canadian version) and The Weather Channel.

2.  Do you get NFL and MLB games up there?

Affirmative. We get all the games live and in HD on Sunday and Monday night. The NFL has a healthy  following around the provinces. Fantasy teams and leagues abound. Since we’re geographically close to Seattle, we get a heaping helping of Seahawks’ games. Ditto for college football – we get all or most of Saturday’s rowdiest rumbles. Per baseball – it’s not as prolific, but we watched every at-bat and inning of the 2014 MLB World Series.

3.  Do they have a President and Capitol Hill up there?

Stephen Harper  is the Prime Minister of Canada and head of the executive branch of the Canadian federal government. The Canadian prime minister provides leadership and direction to the government with the support of a cabinet, which the prime minister chooses, the prime minister’s office (PMO) of political staff, and the Privy Council office (PCO) of non-partisan public servants who provide a focal point for Canadian public service.

The Parliament of Canada is the country’s federal legislative branch, seated at Parliament Hill in the national capital – Ottawa, Ontario. It consists of three parts:  the Queen, the Senate, and the House of Commons. They work together to make the laws for the country. The Executive Branch is represented by the Queen (figurehead only), the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and the Departments of Government. They implement the laws. The Legislative Branch makes the laws, and the Judicial Branch, which is not part of Parliament, interprets them.

4.  Do you have any familiar retailers and restaurants up there?

Oh yeah. Take a gander at this murderer’s row – Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Michael’s, Target, 7-Eleven, Jiffy Lube, McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, Papa John’s, The Old Spaghetti Factory, Starbucks, Chevron, Best Buy, Best Western, Holiday Inn Express, and Safeway…..to name a few. What faves are missing – Lowe’s, Kohl’s, and Aldi.

5.  Do Canadians have funny accents up there?

What are you asking, eh?! Accents are a two-way street. I can definitely hear how certain words are pronounced (a-boot and pass-ta) by my Canadian connections. A few weeks ago I was talking and someone said “is that an American accent I hear?” No big deal. My buddy Buzz calls that green, leafy stuff that’s healthy for dinner “PROD-use.” I say “PRO-deuce.” To each his own.

6.  Is gas cheaper up there?

HECK NO! Quite a sore spot in our neck of the woods. At this moment, we’re paying 121.9 cents per litre. Translating that into gallons – we’re paying about $4.15 per. Taxes are brutal! No Ethanol in sight. The cost of gas in Canada is roughly 30% higher than in the USA. Don’t get me started on the price of cheese and chocolates!

Bonus commentary – The Metric/Imperial Divide

Canada switched over to the metric system decades ago, while the USA remains one the few countries utilizing the imperial system. Younger Canadians still use the old imperial system for measurements such as height and weight. But not for Fahrenheit temperatures.

7.  Is health care more affordable up there?

HECK YES! That’s what I’ve heard. No co-pays or endless forms to fill out. Socialized medicine, or whatever it’s called, hopefully will make up for the steep prices of daily commodities. Fingers crossed. No system is without flaws. Once I qualify for Elaine’s work-based health plan, the landscape should tilt positively in our direction.

8.  Is everybody a hockey fan up there?

Haven’t done enough research yet to make that call. I do know that within the province we have the NHL Vancouver Canucks. One province to the east are the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers. Rivals, absolutely. But I still see a fair share of Sidney Crosby jerseys around town. PS:  Local fans enjoy cheering the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League.

9.  Are you expecting a lot of snow up there?

Depends on your definition of “a lot of snow?” Elaine estimates Kelowna snowfall last winter (we’re situated in a valley) was under 10 inches total. I’ll take it. Coming from Lee’s Summit, MO – that’s a walk in the park. Ask me again in late February.

10.  What do Canadians think of Americans up there?

Talk about a continental divide?! Here’s my honest take. Canadians know just about EVERYTHING about the American people, the American President and government, and the American way of life. Chalk that up to my answers in Question 1 – Canadians have the tools and access to be informed. Conversely, I would say Americans know very LITTLE about the Canadian people, the Canadian government, and the Canadian way of life. That’s not a slam. Just one person’s opinion after spending time on both sides of a trade-friendly border.