Canada - Facts and Info
 

Well since a number of people on this site seemed to be more than a little misinformed about Canada I have decided to post a link to a website that has both information and dispells some myths.

www.canadianally.com

Keep in mind that the site was put togther by the Canadian miliary advisor to the embassy in Washington, so most of the information will deal with military matters and national security issues.... oh and this site is actually targeted at Washington lobyists and advisors, to give them at least some basic understanding of their largest trading partner.

There are lots of people on this website who crave information on Canada and this would be great for those people who crave info on Canada.

-Rudey
--There are LOTS of people who crave info on Canada

Cool website, it answered some of my questions. Plus that NORAD thing sounds like a good idea.

RACooper, I am not finding any information on what is truly important in Canada to the US
For example:
Crunchies
Dairy Milk
Flakes
Aero Bars
KinderSurprise
Milk tray
Roses
Heros
Kokanee
Labatt's
Molson
Comedians
Fodder for South Park episodes
Hockey
Degrassi


Just joshing ya!!
However keep Avril and Celine, thanks!!!

Interesting web page. Thanks.

Good stuff. Thanks.

I thought I would put it out there because I served with the officer that is trying to raise awarness of Canada's military and security presence: past, present, future... but he is finding it to be tough going, fighting to get the information out there, as well as countering misinformation in the media or public perception.

I would love to hear commentary (legitimate) about the site's content... so I could pass it along at the next CISS meeting.

Pretty good stuff... few people know about Canada's participation in NORTHCOM (Northern Command, which is really NORAD renamed).

Don't forget also the yearly USAF/Canadian AF exercise MAPLE FLAG as well.

Call me un-American, but the Canadian Snowbirds do a better air show than the Thunderbirds and the Blue Angels... :p :D

I have a question for you, RACoooper, if you don't mind. Or any other Canadian who might know, actually.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police...do you know what their American equivalent would be (provided there is one)? I don't think they're like our State Troopers. Are they like our FBI? Or some other sort of federal agent?

Thanks! :)

Well the RCMP could be considered like the FBI as the perform roughly the same function as the FBI & the Secret Service.... were-as CSIS (Canadian Security Intelligence Serivce) could be thought of as the CIA of Canada (although it is strictly domestically oriented).

Maybe that's b/c Canada has no military presence. Their national defense is the U.S. and they don't even have to pay a penny (must be pretty nice). As long as Canada doesn't do something to threaten America's national security, they can rest assured that no foreign country will invade our neighbor. The U.S. seeks stability in regions throughout the world, especially its own.

I'm not trying to harp on you RA, but I have noticed some distirbing trends lately in Canada. For one, why has your government outlawed the Fox News Channel and dished out hefty fines to those Canadian citizens that wish to watch FNC transmitted via their satellites. Next, why does the Canadian government allow such loose immigration policies to exist. These policies put both our countries at risk (i.e. Madrid, Spain). Finally, I'm not sure if a ruling has been made on the American deserter situation, but Canada needs to react in a more timely fashion so that the Army deserters may be tried accordingly.

Something that's implied in your argument should be brought to light a little more clearly.

The deserters that Canada basically ignores from what I've seen would probably not be ignored if the US was helping to stave off an invasion of Canada or one of her interests.

The FNC thing I had no idea. I guess some countries don't have our appreciation for freedom of the media. European countries without a Communist threat have been constantly moving towards Socialism. When the government forbids certain media members, that's some scary stuff. Just so Canada knows, the US still allows Al Jazeera via satellite. But fines for watching a news channel? Sounds too 1984 for my liking.

But yes, in general, for all its little quirks, Canada is still one of our strongest allies in the world (since the fall of the Soviet Union we don't have many left since now all these countries don't need the protection of young Americans and their big guns).

As far as I know there are no fines for watching Fox News.
I tried searching on the CRTC website and the only thing I found was a documents about Fox News Canada. Fox News Canada is a speciality channel that will brodcast Canadian content as well as international news from an American perpsective.
I didn't have time to search all the documents I found but I'm sure RACooper will be able to answer this question better than I.
There are many American channels that are specialty channels because of Canada Content policies. Therefore they are on available on satelite or on digital cable and you have to pay quite a bit to watch them.

That would make sense. Frankly, I'd be shocked if Canada censored political content in their TV.

I've been to NORAD and I disagree.

It's safe to say that Canada isn't in the "Super Power" league -- but it's because they don't care to be.

I think either you misheard or misread something, you have been misinformed somewhere or that you need tell somebody to pull the other one, because it has bells on it...

I have never heard of the Canadian gov't outlawing a TV station. I can understand if they had to choose between placing a Cdn News Station and a US one, but that wouldn't outlaw it. There are a number of regulations regarding Canadian content in programming, so maybe the quota for US stations was met.

As far as fining Canadians who do watch it - that's a load of bull. Obviously the ministry of Heritage encourages us to watch Cdn stations and Cdn content, but they would never fine someone.

Canadians are being fined for watching Fox News because they are getting the station illegally. bcdphie is right when she said that TV shows in Canada have to have Canadian content. When US primetime shows are broadcast here, they are streamed with the Canadian simucast with the Canadian stations that are also showing them, complete with Canadian commercials. Some US cable channels would sometimes show Canadian commercials as well. MSNBC is available on digital cable here and is called MSNBC Canada.

Wow... stop listen to O'Riley it rots your brain....

This site is actaully aimed at people like you, to actual inform you about the facts not the myths...

Okay seriously did you visit the website or any of the linked sites? Because you must have missed the military info section or the international deployment section. As for not paying a penny... I have no idea how to respond to that... just wow... so how do we pay for our military, peacekeeping, NORAD, NATO, or any of the other multi-national orgs? Is if from defense contracts to the US maybe? Selling our military designs and equipment to the Marines? Oh wait... do you actually think the US gives Canada money for it's military? HAHAHAHAHA oh thats rich... classic

Second you obviously didn't read the section regarding immigration or border security did you.... oh wait your one of the guys who thinks that the terrorsists came from Canada right? As far as I'm aware our immigration polices closely match yours... and in fact we have per captia less illegal (or unregistered) immigrants... I recommend you go back and visit the site AND READ IT; look for links regarding immigration please.

Third the fining of people who use ILLEGAL dishes to recieve FOX New is because of the dish and not the channel.... their are laws regarding Canadian content on the TV, radio, or print media. The reason FOX News wasn't available (they will be next year apparently as FOX News Canada) is that they wouldn't budge on the Canadian content... although CNN, Al Jazeraa, BBC, MSNBC and the rest seemed to be agreeable to at least showing Canadian commercials..... and now so has FOX News apparently :rolleyes:

As for the deserters... guess what we are another country with our own laws and values. People can seek assulm if they can prove that if returned to their country of origin they will be prosectuted for their beliefs, sexual oreintation, religion, culture; or will face "un-due" hardship. So if the deserters are conciensus objectors or pacifits they qualify... because we as a country require that our soldiers are volunteers (so if you say are Serbian and your unit was to be deployed to Serbia you could object and not go, and "get-out" with no strings attached.. the same applies for pacifits). I am aware of some of these so-called "deserters"... for example the Sgt. who "deserted" after she came home on compassion leave; both her and her husband are (were) serving in Iraq and their children were in the care of the grandmother in BC, but then the grandmother slipped into a diabetic comma.... the military gave this woman one week leave and she deserted to care for her children. So guess what the government has given her aid... and I say rightly so.

I saw a bit on something similar on FOX news on my trip. One of the anchors was interviewing a Canadian journalist about the supposed hatred of FOX news in Canada (I didn't see too much of it).... the Canadians here will find this funny - he was interviewing a journalist from the TORONTO SUN! HAHAHAHAHA

I hear in Canada they keep students back in high school so you end up going to high school for 13 years. I guess RACooper will find he is in good company with many other students who are held back and aging.

-Rudey

Grade 13 no longer exists in Ontario. In any case, even when the fifth year existed, the students were not being held back at all. High school simply took five years to complete. Think of it like a post-grad year that some people take in prep schools. (Post graduate years now exist in a couple of private schools in Ontario, for students who might want to take extra courses or upgrade their skills) High school ends in Grade 12 now, just like every other province, excluding Quebec (their system, oddly enough is similar to the school system in the UK, with high school starting in Grade 7 and ending in Grade 11. This is followed by CEGEP, which when completed, is equivilant to the first year of university. Students with two years of CEGEP enter university with their first year credits completed).

It's not something I'd be proud of...you know, spending extra time in high shcool to...upgrade my skills.

-Rudey

Beats the hell out of the majority of people who have no skills at all.

It actually replaced the "common" first year of university that many American universities offer. In fact, most Ontario universities preferred all American applicants to take first year at home before being admitted to the school. Of course, great SAT scores or AP courses could also be used.

Which is also why fewer Ontario universities recognize AP compared with schools in other provinces. My high school has had an excellent AP program for years (and they still do) but the girls weren't able to use their credits in Ontario.

What is the common first year?

Seriously is this the Canadian version of special education? I can see that.

-Rudey
--Americans demand to know!

I would have to disagree with you on your statement involving the American deserters. These deserters are much different than the American men who fled Canada to dodge the draft (draft dodgers were civilians). Pacifists, the two men in question joined the Army voluntarily, they were not drafted. I don't know about you, but in America joining the military means that there is a possibility that you will see some type of action.
Right now the Canadian govt. is slapping American's in the face, and if the deserters aren't returned Canada is going to have many upset Americans (e.g. The French have lost millions and millions of dollars for their undermining statements and policies. Right now the French are dealing with a large recession). I have no problem with dissent concerning the war, but your government has no right to offer these SOLDIERS assylum.

Regarding your statements about immigration you are incorrect. Currently upon arrival to Canada, immigrants are provided with money, health care, and are not even screened for up until six months. That's right the government doesn't screen the immigrants until they have a chance to. I'm not saying that America does a good job with immigration, but your government actually has these people right in front of the them asking for financial assistance.

One there are well over two dozen "deserters" sheltered in Canada currently.. some refused to fight because they are Muslim and found the attitudes of the Amercian pulbic and military towards Mulsims in the Middle East and Iraq in paticular disturbing to say the least. Others "deserted" because they were conciencus objectors to the War with Iraq (a position that this country still supports) and as such recieved assylum because they would have been forced to violate thier beliefs if they remained in the US. I have talked to a few that have been to UofT and I can't say I agree with their reasons, but I can say I agree with the decision of the government to provide them with assylum... whether that assylum will be permenant or not is a matter for the courts....

As for slapping the American government's face... so what, the Canadian government and legal system has been treated in the same manner by the American government too... Canada doesn't support the death-penalty (along with most of the "free-world") and is legal bound not to deport anyone who will face the death-penalty.. so if we deport someone to the US who faces the death-penalty, Canada requires legal assurances that the person in question will not be executed or threated with execution... but as it stands the US is still the largest violator of this provison.

Guess what all people recieve health care in Canada, even the tourists.. so why shouldn't immigrants or refugees. Now as for the sreening process there are two distinct catagories of people seeking to settle in Canada: Immigrants and Refugees. Immigrantion is a process handled before the actual arrival of the immigrant.. ie. initial security checks and such are done prior to arrival, based on the information provided. Post-arrival secondary checks are performed six-months later on some of the immigrants "flagged" by security, intelligence, or criminal investigation units. Refugees on the other hand give no prior warning to their arrival, so the security and background checks are handled differently. Current policy is to provide comfort and care to all refugee claimants with security checks being performed while they are in Canada... sometimes these checks turn-up the fact that they entered Canada under false pretenses and they are deported... while the system isn't perfect (nothing every is) it is in keeping with the international obligations and traditions of Canada.... once again please visit the site and follow links in order to be provided with more detailed and official documentation.

I don't think Assylum has actually been granted, the last i heard it was before the courts. When you claim refugee status (or assylum same legal category) you have to prove it is necessary, if it is deemed that assylum won't be granted then you can appeal as far as the Supreme Court, these soldiers could be inside of the Canadian legal system for the next 10 years. This is perfectly legitimate, the Canadian government and our legal system should not be America's whipping boy, we have our own constitution and inalienable rights and no pressure from an outside government, friend or foe should change that.

Chill with the personal attacks.

If you want to engaged in personal attacks, use PM.

From the GreekChat TOS:

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I guess personal attacks are the vouge for some.

No names so as not to get whined about:p

RAC, ignorance is not just found any any single Country or City or Greek Organization.

Some are just better at it than others.

I for one have always been intrigued by Canada and wish I could visit it!

I dont pretend to be an expert, so I am glad to learn new things daily!:)

Who is launching personal attacks?

I've seen crap posted on this website that was absolutely ridiculuos, profane, and sexually perverse, yet nobody did anything about it. I haven't seen anything on this thread that comes close to the crap that was allowed to stay posted on the Phi Gamma Delta board for over a month.

Look at the moderators for this forum. Moe.ron and Tke are moderators. The Lambda Chi and that Delt have nothing to say in this forum regarding moderating. It's not their job.

Now who made personal attacks? I'd like to know also. There was actually an STD outbreak in Canada. Is that a lie? No. So why erase it? I want to know how the government dealt with it.

-Rudey
--Rudey always wins...you can talk all you want about him, but he wins.

phigamucsb, like Rudey said, neither of us are the moderators for the fiji board. My responsibility is only in this forum and the other forum that I moderate.

BAck to the topic kiddies.

Rudey, in my reply to your previous posts, I did a few google searches for it, but could only come up with Canadian porn sites -- some of them apparently involving anal warts.

Canadians are some sick people :D

LOL When you said that I didn't do the search at work because I was scared what would pop up. This weekend I'll do the search.

I don't understand what all this hubub is about.

Canada is Canada. Nobody hates Canada. The US appreciates Canada's friendship but we also feel they should appreciate the benefits they receive because their neighbor just below is the world's only current superpower economically and militarily. I would say the same for any country the US has ties to like South Korea and Israel.

My opinion about Canada? Quebec and the old city are beautiful. I could see myself staying in Montreal and parts of Toronto. The country's ties to Chicago in terms of Second City have produced the best minds in comedy ever and I still watch SCTV. I don't like the fact that some people in the country carry a Napolean complex about their country, but whatever. There were too many strip clubs and lower income folk along the border for my taste. Again all personal opinion. Mostly I don't care enough about Canada...it isn't the spiciest standout place ever (again in my opinion). I don't see a need to constantly carry around that Napolean complex and keep talking about why Canada is so great...just let it be.

-Rudey

This is not a thread to wave the Canadian flag and chant jingoistic slogans... instead it is a thread meant to provide education about the US's neighbor to the north...

What you take from the information provided is your own choice, but I ask that people try to make an honest effort to learn what they can from the material istead of relying on old or tired preconceptions.

Also my wealthiest family members are Canadian. Of course their most famous project was an American one. They won the Great Canadian Award.

-Rudey