North Of The Border And Slightly Around The Bend

Tomorrow is Canada Day here in the land of the Great White North. It's traditionally a day of celebration, even if we're under the iron fisted rule of a schoolyard thug at the moment (had to get in a dig against the FrankenHarper monster).

Parliament Hill, Ottawa

Ottawa is ground zero for the festivities, and being a local, I'll be there scrambling about among the many thousands who crowd the downtown core for the first of July. And William & Kate are turning up too, their first official tour since that whole get together they did in April. Perhaps you saw it?

We'll try to behave ourselves. At least we'll do better then the Vancouver post-Stanley Cup fiasco, which still weighs heavily on our collective conscience...

Canada, second biggest country on the planet, and home to some of the most jaw dropping gorgeous scenery. And, of course, that means we must be represented by our national animal, the beaver, who spend their time building gigantic dams, making little beavers, and skating on frozen ponds, when they're not picking fights with dogs....

What are you looking at, bub?

Of course, there's always the more friendly local wildlife turning up at your tent in the morning....

I should take this time to render a formal apology to the world. We are, of course, the nation that unleashed Justin Bieber on the world, after all.... 

Not to mention Celine Dion.....

I know, I know, cardinal sins against humanity. On the other hand, England gave us the Spice Girls and George Michael, while America brought forth into the world the abominations of Britney, Lindsay, and Miley, so let's just say we're even.

Besides, we've more then made up for it with Sarah McLachlan, who is, of course, a goddess of music.

It'll be a busy day tomorrow, no doubt. And chaotic, though in a good way.

To my fellow Canucks, at home and abroad, Happy Canada Day! To everyone else, I will confirm for you now that yes, maple syrup does run in our veins with blood. It's a rather unique mutation of the species homo sapien canadianesis.

Prince Edward Island

Quebec City

Algonquin Park, Ontario

Riding Mountain National Park, Manitoba

Jasper National Park, Alberta

Nahanni National Park, Northwest Territories

Tofino, British Columbia