Good things to say about Canadians, eh?

[byhammerandhand]

If present company is any example, I believe it. 

http://www.pri.org/stories/2015-03-27/can-canada-teach-rest-us-be-nicer

[Virgs Sew n Sew]

I found it ironic, when reading the comments, that most were bashing Canadians while touting how "nice" Americans are by comparison.  : O

My experiences are very limited.  When I worked at the Command and General Staff College (CGSC) at Ft Leavenworth, we had an attachment from the Canadian Royal Air Force (if my rapidly aging brain is remembering their branch correctly).  Those gentleman were always polite and most had a quick wit as well.  They could always get me to smile when they clicked the heels of their immaculately polished boots together and tipped an imaginary hat my way.

I don't think you could find a kinder more caring person around than Darren.  If all Canadians are like the gentleman I've met, the article is correct.

Virginia

[Darren Henry]

Thanks for the compliments, but we certainly don't have a monopoly on nice. Look at all the great people here from all over the world.

You're right Virg---it is the RCAF. I have never had something returned after it had been stolen, and would not have dreampt that in a city the size of Edmonton someone would go to that extreme to help another motorist. I can attest though that if you have your hood up (international symbol of " oh crap!") you're not long until someone stops by with a set of booster cables.

Taras Grescoe, a Montreal-based writer, believes Canadian niceness is born of necessity. "We're a small group of people, spread across the second-largest national territory in the world," he said. "We've always known that, in order to survive -- or just stay sane -- we had to watch out for one another. The old lady down the street, the teenager at the bus stop who forgot to bring a scarf when it's 5 below. Hence our general willingness to proffer assistance rather than aggression."

The other two "theories" are bunk.

[gene]

I thought the niceness from those north of the border was due to a massive consumption of alcohol.  :o

Here in the USA such consumption usually results in violence and crime. Maybe the difference has to do with how close one is to the magnetic north pole?  :D

I wonder if the USA is in the process of legalizing pot so our masses might not be so mean. Instead of a husband beating his wife, the wife will call emergency 911 because her husband ate all her potato chips.  ???

Here's something from down under. Is this like our "I'm proud to be an American" by Toby Keith? 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOlPCmFG2pc

gene

[byhammerandhand]

Here I was thinking it was the poutine that made them mellow.

[Darren Henry]

Gene; fighting just isn't effective if you're wearing parka/skipants/mittens/bush packs/ a couple of sweaters and a toque LOL. On a cold day we all look like we're training police dogs. Easier to just sit down have a beer and work it out. wink.

Keith; I think it's the other way round. Poutine is a Quebec invention that has only come west in the last decade or so. The French-Canadians in Quebec have a reputation for being some of he hottest headed of us. We're still nice instead of poutine. LOL.

[Mojo]

Funny you post this. I just hired a Canadian stitcher last week. She was looking for part time work in the winter months ( Nov - May ). I would have hired Darren but he loves the cold and snow. :)

She is working as an independent for cash. She is coming in for just two weeks before she goes home but wanted to train some with us before leaving so she could work on her skills over the summer.

Chris

[Darren Henry]

If she's from the prairies tell her to drive slow on the way home. Spring keeps teasing us and then hiding again. The snow was all but gone and temps were hitting double digits until last Monday we woke up to 3" of snow and got another 2" Tuesday. It's been balmy since Friday with day time highs of 12-13*C but tomorrow  it will drop to around freezing for another week with a lot of cloud cover. That has mitigated the flood potential; but dang it's depressing.