In vacationing at Harrison Hot Springs with the family this holiday season I hadn’t realized we were venturing into the heart of Big Foot territory until I learned that the info center had a little “Sasquatch Museum” attached to their bungalow. I had assumed this would be a delightful trip into kitsch and looked forward to buying the kids some Big Foot-related swag. I was delighted when the visitor center even suggested they’d open the place for us since we were coming to tow

It’s this weird thing that my thoroughly continental childhood had a slight Asian flavor to it, although it’s not something I generally discuss. This influence is due to the fact that my grandparents lived in Manila and Macau during part of my childhood and sent me all sorts of fun things from that part of the world. This was at a time when Asia was still very far away from North America or Europe. Here is a typical childhood photo of me in Paris extolling my like for Hong Ko

Tax season. I had a chat with a Canadian accountant about how I would deduct all expenses when I lived in the USA so I would pay, effectively, as little tax as possible to the state and federal governments. She looked at me askance and said, “In Canada, we pay our taxes. It benefits our friends and neighbours.” And then I thought about how paying tax is one of the most patriotic things you can do. I will add that it’s an easier justification when I know I’m getting a lot for

There are a host of frequent refrains you hear from American conservatives around elections and one of them is laughing at celebrities who don’t move to Canada after the Republican candidate manages to win the US presidency.They’re right. You hear a lot of noise from artists who say they’re going to move away, but then they don’t. So it got me to thinking: why not? Apart from pure patriotism, what makes them stay in the USA? I think I may know. The ones who are middling weal

You’d think, with eight months of winter and -40 degree temperatures, my biggest problem with living in Alberta would have been the weather. It wasn’t. In fact, the brutally cold temperatures and blankets of snow have a stark beauty. I appreciated the alpine rabbits changing their fur from brown to white and the tiny red squirrels. Farming, rodeos, cross country skiing, and harvest festivals? Sure! Bring it on. We’ll adapt. [Backyard snow piles and -28 C, January. That’s outd

My Canadian friends have offered advice about what winter wear products I’ll need to survive my first proper cold season. I was having a nice time putting things into a wish list and sourcing hats and coats and such online and then I started to have this weird feeling like I’d seen this sartorial elegance somewhere before. *sigh* I very nearly dressed myself as Joel Fleischman from Northern Exposure circa 1993. Catastrophe averted! I’m looking at fire-engine red coats now ins