New (and Improved) Canada

Speaking of how little some Americans know about Canada, the Wall Street Journal got our country’s name wrong TWICE in August. One article referred to it as “New Canada” while the other referred to the “Commonwealth of Canada.”

I truly wish that I could say that this surprises me. As Homer Simpson once responded when it took his kids 40 minutes to locate Canada on the map, “Oh Marge, anyone can miss Canada, all tucked away down there.” (Matt Groening’s dad, Homer, was born in Canada, btw)

Though I have met many Americans who have travelled widely in Canada and who follow the news there, I’ve also met many Vermonters from this area (40 minutes from the border) who have lived here their whole lives and have never been to Canada. When asked about this several of those people have told me that it had never really occurred to them before to go to Canada.

Anyhow, the comments thread on the Gawker story about the Wall Street Journal made me laugh. Lots of good names suggested for Canada there. I liked “New and Improved Canada.” Then I could be part of the “New and Improved Canadian Studies Program.”