Canada is a country of multiculturalism. When you move to Canada from the USA this difference is key. It is unique because it is about including the best of each culture, as opposed to melting in. Sharing voices, that respect each other, even in the face of disagreement tends to be more the norm. Canada’s size, variety of geography, many time zones and climate, are everyday differences its people accept. Awareness of differences while working together to grow a better future is a work in progress, just as in other countries. Accepting differences, in ways aimed at working with them however is a uniquely Canadian cultural characteristic.
Canadian population concentrations are typically near the US border. With borders on three oceans, a variety of mountain ranges and vast parries it is truly a super natural place to live. Wilderness tranquility with snowy winters in its far north to its world class cosmopolitan busy cities in its south, are more dimensions to its differences. Vancouver, because of the Pacific Gulf Stream, has a year long mild life style, with communities that will see maybe a week of snow or less many years. Still short daily trips to nearby mountains allow world class skiing or US shopping in Seattle. Toronto and Calgary on another hand, have the full four predictable seasons.
Canada has a lot of lakes. More than half the worlds fresh water lakes are in Canada. According to the Canadian government there are over 2 million lakes. Those at McGill University say there are 879,800 lakes, compared to just over 200,000 in Russia or just over 100,000 in the USA. Almost 32,000 of Canada’s lakes are over 3 sq miles in size. Just the Great Lakes alone have a little below 20% of the worlds fresh water (that includes Lake Michigan which is entirely in the USA). The Great Bear lake has about 8% covering in its 31,000 sq km of Canada’s north.
Canada has the third largest oil reserves (behind Venezuela’s three hundred billion barrels, Saudi Arabia’s and over twice Russia’s or five times the US oil reserves).
With just over forty million people and an enormous land mass, Canada features options for opportunities, equality and a natural life style. Living in past grievances or wrongs and fellow humans with problems still exist. Compared to countries where false promises, greed, bullying or violence and corrosion dominate, working together, by accepting, differences is far more the norm in Canada.
