Pisani Canadian Adventures

Because hockey is a religion in Quebec

2012-02-10T12:27:00.000-05:00

We have not been the most dedicated of Catholics since moving to Quebec. After spending 11 years in the same parish in Naperville, Illinois, we didn't jump right into finding a new church in Montreal. We looked at one and didn't like it so much. Adding to the confusion, Danielle was not confirmed before we arrived here as in our old parish, kids are confirmed in 10th grade. Here they are confirmed in 6th grade. Danielle was not too crazy about attending religious education classes with little kids. Yes, a bit lazy of us, I know. We will look into it when she is in college. After all, she has come this far and she might as well complete those happy sacraments.

We did attend mass one time at a beautiful French church. Surprisingly, we got a lot out of it and could understand what was going on as most Catholics are going through the motions anyway. Amen is the same in any language. It just so happened it was during March Madness when we were at church. It was also the anniversary of my dad's passing, so getting my ass to mass seemed like the right thing to do. (When we moved out of the house and off to college my dad would call his kids on Sunday to make sure we all got our ass to mass). During the homily, from what we could understand, the priest was asking everyone to write down a special petition or prayer on a piece of paper we could find in the pew. I recall writing something about my dad. I looked over at what Louis had written and it said "Marquette win" as Marquette was in the March Madness tournament. At least he cheers for the Catholic teams.

The Catholic church has been in the news a lot lately and not in a good way. So in the last couple of days when this ad campaign caught my attention, I had to laugh. Some say hockey is a religion in these parts, and this campaign makes the case.

So, kudos to Archbishop of Montreal for having a sense of humour and appealing to the masses...no pun intended.

(the article is below)

MONTREAL—With the playoffs just two months away and the hapless Habs currently in 14th place in their conference, perhaps there’s only one thing left to do — pray.

If you were so inclined, then you might find a new ad for the Archdiocese of Montreal a tonic, knowing, perhaps, that God was on your side.

The ad, placed in Montreal’s French-language newspapers, lists the current top teams in the league’s Eastern Conference.

Then, at spot number eight — the cut-off for the playoffs — it reads: “Let us pray.”

“It was a lighthearted wink, to ally with people who love sports,” said the Catholic Church of Montreal’s communication’s director Lucie Martineau. “And to pray they (the Canadiens) are in the playoffs.”

It tells average Montrealers that “we are there, we are present,” Martineau continued. “We have the same worries as you.”

Despite the longstanding comparisons of the Montreal Canadiens to a religion, the church has only now sought to ride the NHL club’s jersey-tails.

The Archbishop of Montreal, Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte, was not available for an interview. But Martineau said he’s a Habs fan and quickly approved the idea proposed by the church’s outside ad firm, Bos.

Hugo Léger, the firm’s vice-president of creation, said Bos has searched for a long time to “link the two religions” but had to wait for the right moment.

It saw that moment in the club’s declining fortunes as the regular season clock runs out.

The reaction, Léger said, has been huge and positive. “I don’t know,” he added, “if it will make everyone fall to their knees Saturday night at the Bell Centre.”

That the church would eventually attach itself to the religiosity of the Canadiens — real or imagined — is not surprising, since Montrealers are so fervent about their team, said Olivier Bauer, a theology professor at the Université de Montréal and author of the 2011 book Hockey as a Religion: The Montreal Canadiens.

Bauer senses a change. Even in recent years, he felt the church was hesitant to make the link.

But the treatment the Habs receive from some fans, bordering on the sacred, is unmistakable. Linking the two is “logical,” Bauer said.

The team, and its jersey, are called “La sainte flanelle” (the holy flannel). Patrick Roy was called “Saint Patrick.”

“The religion of the Canadiens in Montreal takes the form of Catholicism,” he explained. He cited the example of one fan he knows who has literally created a Habs “temple” in his house, with the appearance of a Catholic church, complete with altar, the centre of which sits a replica Stanley Cup.

The ad is directed at a population that, more than elsewhere in Canada, has turned its back on organized religion. Fewer than 10 per cent of Catholics in Quebec attend mass.

In this way the ad might be an attempt to reach out to fill the pews again. “Is it a Hail Mary pass?” laughs Bauer. “I’m not sure it’s so desperate. But the idea is definitely to use something that works.”

Church spokesperson Martineau said, “We don’t think it’s something that will bring people to the church, but maybe it can lead them to reflect and think about their faith.”

It’s not the first time the church has comically commented on current events to make its presence known. Last year it placed a billboard ad at the entrance of the Champlain Bridge, whose state of disrepair has become infamous here.

“Say your prayers,” it read.

As for the Canadiens, what do they think of the newest ad?

“It’s nice to count on their support,” Was all spokesperson Donald Beauchamp would say.

Is dignity a cultural thing?

2012-01-19T10:49:00.001-05:00

I read this post today on a Special Olympics blog. It's written by Tim Shriver. It's appalling. I have to wonder....would this happen in Canada?

Raise Your Voice for Dignity!
Posted on January 18, 2012 by Tim Shriver

Many people have shared with me in recent days the tragic news about a girl named Amelia who was refused a spot on a waiting list at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for a liver transplant because she is “mentally retarded.” When I heard about this, it made my blood boil.

Some have questioned why we in Special Olympics have mounted a campaign to challenge the humiliating use of the word, “retard.” Others have sometimes suggested that Special Olympics has gone beyond its mission in mounting the world’s largest public health campaign to close the disparities and outright bigotry that still infect systems of care delivery for people with intellectual differences. Still others wonder why so many of us speak with such passion about how sport is needed to unleash the power of the human spirit and to attack the vicious discrimination that so often crushes innocent people unjustly.

I say to all of them, open your eyes to the discrimination that goes unchecked all around us and help us stop it now!

If you are a medical professional, raise your voice for dignity now!

If you are a conservative political leader, fight for the dignity of all citizens now!

If you are a liberal political leader, fight for the dignity of all citizens now!

If you are a parent, raise your voice for the dignity of Amelia just as if she were your own now!

If you are a young person, blast the social networks with your commitment to Amelia’s dignity and justice now!

If you are a Special Olympics athlete or family member or coach or volunteer, challenge the status quo and fight for Amelia’s right to play and win the game of life now!

There can be no bystanders at moments like this. Amelia is everyone’s child. If she is denied care, we are all denied our humanity.

This is life and death and that’s not just rhetoric. Please join us in stopping this tragic injustice.

When politics crosses the (goal) line

2011-12-20T23:42:00.001-05:00

Montreal and the rest of Quebec is all a-buzz with the news of the firing of the Montreal Canadiens coach (a French dude) and the hiring of an interim coach by the name of Randy Cunneyworth. He's a unilingual anglophone -- a fancy way of saying he doesn't speak French.

Cunneyworth comes with great credentials and he was hired from within the Canadiens organization. Everyone should be happy, yes?

Of course not. Now the government is involved and suggesting the team get rid of this unilingual anglophone and instead hire someone who speaks French. They really don't care if he speaks English, as is the case with many people in Quebec, just that he speaks their language.

Separatist groups (the crazies who really do want to separate and have their own country) are insulted and calling for a boycott of Molson beer (the family owns the Canadiens). Personally, I see it as an idle threat because they probably don't drink the beer anyway.

Unfortunately, under Cunneyworth's leadership of three days, they have lost two games. The interesting element will be if he starts winning, will he be worthy?

Our good friend Mark Kirstein emailed us today and said it best....

"Ok sell the house get back to Blackhawk country. When there is a damn near civil war over the Canadien coach not speaking French it truly has gone too far. And when that shit takes space on my sports page {Chicago Tribune} it is even worse."

Because it's the law

2011-10-15T11:26:00.000-04:00

Nothing says "obey the language laws" like making sure a protest is bilingual.

Hannah comes to Canada

2011-09-28T20:32:00.000-04:00

Five days...two provinces, three major cities, a little league baseball game, an historical tour, lots of meals out, discovering a new house, tolerating a neurotic dog and keeping an aunt, uncle, two cousins and a mom and dad on their toes...that was our wonderful visit with our beautiful niece Hannah. And of course her parents. We like them too. It was awesome to watch my baby brother, whose diapers I once changed, be a dad. We are so proud of John and Stephanie. While their 16 months with sweet Hannah has not been typical and they have faced hurdles that would make many parents crash and burn, they have taken Hannah's difficulties, focused on her abilities, (which there are MANY) and have become the best parents a child could ever ask for.

We love it when we have visitors. It's a great chance to see the place we live through new eyes. And this was a particular monumental visit since Hannah was traveling to Canada for the first time. For us it was enlightening to watch a 16-month old and her parents....how time flies. Hannah has some respiratory issues so we were quickly taken back to our days with Louis and nebulizer treatments every few hours. It's good for us to see how far Louis has come. And for Louis it was a great time to hang out with his Uncle John who happens to be one of his favorite people. He was thrilled to have his uncle at his baseball games and took some pointers from John, while Hannah was entertained and watched with enthusiasm.

We spent a day in Ottawa at Louis' baseball game and walking around the city. I love this city. It's very regal and a mix of old and new. Danielle joined us for the day.

A quick night at home was followed by a road trip to Quebec City. As many of said, this is the closest to a European feeling and we have to remind ourselves we are in North America. We had a great time walking the city, eating, embracing ourselves in history for a tour (Louis got to play hooky, Danielle had to stay behind for school). It was a wonderful time. Hannah was a rockstar! John was most entertained by the ~~rude~~, aggressive drivers we experienced while trying to leave the city at rush hour. He opened is window yelling "douche bag" to one driver. I had to laugh when I told him that there are some things that just don't translate and in French, douche means shower, so he just called that dude a shower bag.

Our last day we spent quickly touring Montreal...with drives to the schools to show Uncle John and Aunt Stephanie where Louis and Danielle get their Quebec education. While in Montreal, John was quite patient when an old French guy gave him hell for not speaking french when he asked John a question and he responded with "no hablo fran-say."

We had some time at home and an adult dinner out which was appropriately capped off with Duke getting sprayed by a skunk at 10 pm. For John and Kish, it was just like old times in Arizona.

We had an amazing five days and can't wait to see the Colorado Schmitz family again!

the Daily Duke 9.24.11

2011-09-24T08:21:00.000-04:00

We are so enjoying having my brother John, his wife Stephanie and our precious niece Hannah visiting from Colorado. Duke is very interested in Hannah, especially her toys. Who needs dog toys?

the Daily Duke 9.20.11

2011-09-20T17:13:00.000-04:00

Duke didn't get the memo that it's Fall here in Canada. This didn't stop him from taking a dip in my friend's pool. But then again, he doesn't have an issue with cold water.

Bikes and sangria

2011-09-14T19:10:00.000-04:00

We are fortunate to have a wonderful network of bike paths in and around Montreal. Today's 30KM ride to Old Montreal was so much easier with a pit stop for a pitcher of sangria at an outdoor cafe. It was a beautiful day....

When you have three combination bike locks and have no idea what the combinations are....you resort to finding a cafe where you can BYOB...bring your obnoxious bike.

Ten years later

2011-09-11T18:11:00.000-04:00

It's hard to turn on the radio today without hearing non-stop coverage of the tenth anniversary of 9-11. It was such a difficult day for the U.S., and we were so absorbed in the events that I didn't take into consideration what it must have been like to hear the news from another country. Now, being in Canada for all the anniversary coverage makes me think of the impact it had on Canadians.

Because it likely won't make the news in the U.S...I thought this letter from President Obama to Prime Minister Stephen Harper was worth sharing....

Dear Mr. Prime Minister:

It has often been said that the United States and Canada are great neighbors, trading partners and the best of friends. Friendship gives us comfort and it gives us strength, but can be tested in difficult times. In one of the darkest moments in our history, Canada stood by our side and showed itself to be a true friend.

On the 10th anniversary of September 11, 2001, we remember with gratitude and affection how the people of Canada offered us the comfort of friendship and extraordinary assistance that day and in the following days by opening their airports, homes and hearts to us. As airspace over our two countries was shut down, hundreds of flights en route to the United States were landed safely by Canadian air traffic control in seventeen Canadian airports from coast to coast. The small city of Gander, Newfoundland, population 9,600, received 6,600 diverted passengers, while Vancouver received 8,500 people. For the next 3 days — before our air space was reopened — those displaced passengers were treated like family in Canadian homes, receiving food, shelter, medical attention and comfort.

Ten years later, we continue to be grateful for Canada's friendship, and for the solidarity you continue to show us in our shared fight against terrorism. The United States is fortunate to share a border with a country that understands, in your words, "There is no such thing as a threat to the national security of the United States which does not represent a direct threat to this country."

On this anniversary, we recognize all the gestures of friendship and solidarity shown to us by Canada and its people, and give thanks for our continuing special relationship.

Sincerely

Signed Barack Obama

the Daily Duke 9.8.11

2011-09-08T18:48:00.000-04:00

We're enjoying some beautiful sunny days. Although, it's easy to tell that fall is in the air with cool mornings. Duke is loving the dog park. It's hard to believe that in a matter of months this place will look like this.

"I'm almost fluent" word of the day 9.7.11

2011-09-07T20:34:00.000-04:00

bureaucracy

a system of government in which most of the important decisions are made by state officials rather than by elected representatives.

• a state or organization governed or managed according to such a system.

• the officials in such a system, considered as a group or hierarchy.

• excessively complicated administrative procedure, seen as characteristic of such a system : the unnecessary bureaucracy in local government.

ORIGIN early 19th cent.: from French bureaucratie, from bureau (see bureau, -cracy ).

Now we really understand the origin of the word.

Change of course

2011-09-07T20:29:00.000-04:00

It's been unbelievably stressful in the Pisani household the last two weeks getting Danielle settled into post-secondary education. Since she technically graduated from high school in June (after grade 11) her next step was to go to CEGEP for a two year program.

And then came immigration issues. And miscommunication. And frustration. And tears. And swearing.

Due to the fact that our family is in Quebec on Paul's work permit, which expires on September 21 and is in the process of being renewed, Danielle's student visa was hung up in the incredible bureaucracy of the Quebec government. We're talking frustration beyond belief. The week before she was to start CEGEP -- and couldn't speak to a live person in the international office of her "new" school for direction -- we were told that if she couldn't produce her student visa by September 19, she would be de-enrolled from this school. Even though we were going to be paying over 10K for this school when the Quebecers go for free.

Yes, imagine the frustration. And the language in the Pisani household. Imagine the phone conversation when the Quebec immigration person called Kish one morning. He unfortunately was on the receiving end of an enormous, yet somewhat professional, outburst and, bless his heart, he stayed on the phone and listened to the rant. And the criticism of the Quebec government. However, in between my rants, I thanked him a number of times for speaking English and complemented him on his command for the language.

So, we decided that we needed to research the one and only viable option, and that's what we did. After filling out an application in record time and having an interview, she was accepted to Lower Canada College (LCC) which is a grade 12/pre-university program in Montreal. The only "issue" is that by attending this program, she is no longer eligible to attend a university in Quebec. We weren't too disappointed with that non-option of Quebec because frankly, WE DON'T HAVE A CHOICE.

Frustrated yet? Imagine.

So after so many issues with the Quebec government and "public" institutions, we gave a silent middle finger to the system and changed courses to this new school. I was speaking with a friend yesterday and explaining the situation and said that in the big scheme of life events, how fortunate we are because we're talking about education and where we have a choice. And then I had to stop myself because I realized I was trying to maple syrup the situation and make it sweet. However, after the fact, this is a minor bump in the road.

The good news? She's in an excellent school where the focus is on preparing the students for a university in Canada (not Quebec) or in the U.S. There are only 40 kids (co-ed) in the program and enrollment has doubled just from last year. They have administrators on staff who work one-on-one with the students on scholarships and applications. And I really like that several of the administrators also TEACH a class or two so that they can stay connected in the classroom. Brilliant idea, eh? Ironically, Danielle is one of only a couple "international" students in the program which is saying something about what some Quebec students must be thinking when the really do have a choice.

And, she's enjoying wearing "real clothes" as they have to dress in business attire each and every school day. We'll be sure to ask in December how much she misses a uniform.

In the meantime, we couldn't be happier with her placement. And most importantly Danielle is happy and she's getting a kick-ass education.

We're not so happy with Quebec at the moment.

the Daily Duke 9.7.11

2011-09-07T19:56:00.000-04:00

Duke watched by the door as Danielle and Louis each left for school at different times. As he gets older, he appreciates the peace and quiet in the house.

Our 8th grader

2011-09-01T19:00:00.000-04:00

Something happened this summer. Louis must have grown a foot, his voice lowered by several octaves, he increased our food budget by hundreds of dollars, he craves his independence and he had a great summer. Today was his first day of school. Yes, he had new clothes to mark the occasion but opted instead to wear his old crap. I remember the days when I could set clothes out for the kids and they would just wear them.

So, what did Louis do this summer?

He had an amazing baseball season playing on a "typical" baseball team. (We don't like the word "normal"). He and his team went to the provincial championships, unfortunately losing two heartbreaking and very close games. But, we were fortunate to be with wonderful parents, the best kids and we looked forward to each and every game. It was lots of fun.

He got to go to a Toronto Blue Jays game and sit in the Blue Jays charity box with great friends from his baseball team. And mom got to go too. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and we will never forget it.

While at the Blue Jays game Louis came face-to-face with a Frank Thomas photo

He also got to sit in the box for the Katy Perry concert with another great friend. I'm sure he's happy all of his dude friends know he went to Katy Perry. We had a great time and what a way to see a concert!

After Toronto, Louis and mom hit the road and went through Niagara Falls. He was not that impressed. But it was worth the stop. I made him smile in this photo.

We stayed the night in Cooperstown, N.Y. and went to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Absolutely AMAZING. Put it on your travel list, even if you're not a baseball fan. The town is quaint and a great place to visit. We took out a membership because we kept thinking that Paul and Danielle needed to experience it. We're hoping to head there this fall.

After Cooperstown we went on to Portland, Maine to meet up with Danielle who had been nannying there for a couple of weeks. Paul joined us too we had a great time. We love Maine and everything about it.

So, that's Louis' summer. In between this he had baseball camp, time with friends, fights with his sister and lead the life of a typical teenage boy. And for that we are grateful.

Happy trails

2011-08-31T14:31:00.000-04:00

I just love the northeast. The kids and I took a quick overnight trip to Burlington, Vermont to ~~save a shitload of money by avoiding 15% sales tax and inflated prices in Canada~~ shop for school clothes. It's worth the trip as there is not sales tax on shoes and clothing in Vermont and as we all know, that stuff adds up. Plus, it was a reason to hit the road and head south and also go to our favorite Burlington Mexican restaurant.

We like to take the ferry these days. After crossing Lake Champlain from New York to Vermont, there's a pretty country road we take when I ran across this store and had to stop and take a photo of it. Unfortunately, the store was not yet open. Brilliant name.

We made our usual trip to Walmart for our usual provisions and when I turned the corner I saw this....cue the sound of a choir singing "Alleluia." In WALMART folks. God bless the U.S.A. When we go there it's like the whole world is on sale.

the Daily Duke 8.25.11

2011-08-25T20:38:00.000-04:00

Duke would like to thank the Korte family from Lemont, Illinois for being so thoughtful and bringing him a box of Trader Joe's dog treats when they come to visit earlier this month. What we would give for a TJs in Montreal. Duke thought they were mighty tasty. Merci!

The perfect season

2011-08-25T20:33:00.000-04:00

Louis has had a great summer of baseball. His team finished the regular season and the regional playoffs undefeated! So this spirited team is headed to the Provincial championships tomorrow. We've had so much fun this season with the players, the parents and the siblings. Paul didn't get thrown out of any games this year. He did have a lot of fun with the boys. One kid in particular is named Laurent and speaks mainly French and his name is very French. After saying it a few times and asking for the pronunciation Paul said, "okay......Larry." Nothing like bringing a little American influence to the Canadian baseball team. Go Blue Jays!

the Daily Duke 8.17.11

2011-08-17T13:31:00.000-04:00

Have I mentioned that he was supposed to be Paul's hunting dog? He's a bit domesticated now.

Da plane

2011-08-14T07:50:00.000-04:00

There's something eerie about driving down the interstate near the airport and having this plane appear in the windshield. It's the very large and regal Airbus 380....it makes a daily flight from Paris on Air France. No, I was not driving when I took this photo.

A nice night

2011-08-12T10:48:00.000-04:00

It was a beautiful night for tennis in Montreal last night. Chilly temps. Good tennis. Our American won. Full moon. Full stadium? Yes, this match was sold out even though it doesn't look like it. Good times though.

the Daily Duke 8.10.11

2011-08-10T17:47:00.000-04:00

Duke is very bummed out to learn that they don't allow dogs into the Rogers Cup Tennis Tournament in Montreal this week. He's thinking of all those balls he could add to his collection.

Rogers Cup

2011-08-10T17:44:00.000-04:00

One of my favorites things each summer in Montreal is the Rogers Cup tennis tournament. Louis and I enjoy going early in the tournament where we get to see some great tennis. Lucky for us our session last night was rained out and we learned the real meaning of "raincheck."

the Daily Duke 8.6.11

2011-08-06T20:57:00.000-04:00

We have had an awesome several days visiting with out of town friends and an overnight in Quebec City with the Korte's and the Oltman's of Chicago. Duke enjoyed the attention from the dog-loving Korte family and was never far from food. Duke had a sleepover with a friend while we were gone for the night and struggled to stay awake the day after as we hung out late into the night (or morning) with these great friends.

the Daily Duke 8.2.11

2011-08-03T23:28:00.000-04:00

Duke is absorbing the drive through Vermont.

Construction criticism

2011-08-02T09:51:00.001-04:00

This is what happened in Montreal over the weekend. A giant piece of concrete fell near the entrance of a tunnel on a major road frequented by 100K cars a day. Fortunately it happened on a Sunday morning when thankfully most people were off the road.

The sad irony? It happens to be the middle of what is called the "Construction Holiday" in Quebec. A time when most construction shuts down for an entire two weeks so employees can take paid vacations (in addition to other vacation time). Bright orange signs and barricades remain up clogging traffic, but there is very little construction action on the roads in Montreal. We have always thought it was silly as winters are harsh and summer is an ideal time to jam on those projects. But, it's a union/political thing for the most part and these people need a break. In the summer. In construction "season."

Louis and I just returned from some time spent traveling in Canada (Toronto) and the northeast U.S....Niagara Falls, Cooperstown, N.Y. and the coast of Maine. I noticed right away in Toronto the clean and well maintained roads and infrastructure. It's the polar opposite of Montreal where freeway overpasses are dark and dingy due to age and lack of maintenance and have nets attached to them to catch the falling concrete rocks that can easily slam into the cars below. On our drive we appreciated the state of the U.S. roads too. Despite the debt ceiling issues, I never once felt like concrete was going to fall from the "ceiling" of a freeway. (Obviously, there are many roads in the U.S. in need of repair and there have been bridge tragedies and more, however, we will never complain about that after living in Montreal.)

Montreal is an island. The only way to get to the island is via a selection of bridges...most of which are in dire need of repair and it's not uncommon for bridges to be closed in any given day to to "expansion joint" issues. The government knows it's an issue...but instead they keep putting band-aids on the bridges while keeping inspection reports out of the media so that we don't know the extend of the dangers all while blaming budgets when there is so much corruption in the construction industry and bureaucracy beyond belief. Several weeks ago someone said the area in the above photo was just fine.

I crossed the Camplain bridge yesterday to come home and noticed all sorts of noises coming from my car that I had not heard for a week...it was as if I decided to take my little Ford Escape Hybrid 4 wheeling. Each and every time I cross that bridge, I cross my fingers.

My mom was visiting once and commented on the scary bridge. I though she was going to start with the rosary as we approached the structure. She said she couldn't the believe the condition of the roads. To which I said, "yes, but we have 'free' health care." And she commented "good, you're going to need it."

the Daily Duke 8.1.11

2011-08-01T21:31:00.001-04:00

Duke got to experience the ocean for the first time in Maine and loved every minute of it. He tried drinking the water a couple of times and didn't like it. He's been drinking a lot of water today. Sort of like the day after a few too many salty margaritas.

Not a joke

2011-07-22T20:00:00.000-04:00

Here's one thing we will not miss about Canada. Seriously, people pay this for cans? Or, I mean, canettes.

the Daily Duke 7.17.11

2011-07-17T21:56:00.000-04:00

To say that Duke is always at our feet is an understatement.

"I'm almost fluent" word of the day 7.17.11

2011-07-17T21:53:00.001-04:00

Of course we were hoping for a U.S. win....but here's the word of the day which is obvious.

the daily Duke 7.8.11

2011-07-08T14:37:00.000-04:00

Danielle has been gone this week visiting Colorado and spending some time with her Uncle John, Aunt Stephanie and precious cousin Hannah. Every once in a while Duke will wake up from a slumber, go upstairs into Danielle's room and bring down some random stuffed thing from her bed, desk, floor or closet. I think he's saying he misses her. We all do.

the Daily Duke 7.4.11

2011-07-04T16:06:00.000-04:00

Duke got to go with us on our road trip and overnight stay in Vermont. He had a chance to take a ferry across Lake Champlain linking the states of New York and Vermont. Seeing all that water from the car as we were moving along in the ferry was quite confusing. He's getting to be a great hotel guest too.

Two countries, two celebrations

2011-07-04T16:02:00.000-04:00

We decided this year we wanted to really celebrate Canada Day this year. Our original plan was to go to Ottawa until we realized there was a royal couple there stealing the thunder. We opted instead to stay in our local town and watch the fireworks and listen to some music. The tunes were good, but the fireworks? They were....shall we say....we're quite certain the sidewalks they just put along our road must have used up much of the budget. It was still fun to be out and enjoy with our local Canadians.

Since we live so close to the US, we decided to drive to Burlington, Vermont for the night to enjoy a 4th of July celebration on the 3rd of July. We know Canada has health care, great work benefits and social program, but WOW....the US has it nailed in terms of the fireworks displays. It's safe to say the budget for the 4th was not ever cut and we were happy to enjoy that in Vermont. Seriously, one of the best displays we have ever seen. It was nice to not think about deficits, debt ceilings and all that drama and enjoy the celebration.

We took the ferry home across Lake Champlain

the Daily Duke 7.1.11

2011-07-01T08:39:00.000-04:00

Because it's Canada Day. Because this is Duke's friend Oliver...he gets a guest post on the Daily Duke.

Celebrate

2011-06-21T23:48:00.000-04:00

Danielle had her official "closing" ceremony as it's called at her school....not to be confused with a graduation ceremony. It was such a beautiful event and we were so happy to have family there with us...Paul's mom and brother Dan and my mom. It was just perfect.

Unlike in the States were graduates typically wear a cap and gown, the "girls" at her school all wear white dresses with certain restrictions. Because there were only 36 graduates in the class, as each girl got up to receive her diploma, the Headmistress was able to say a few words about each girl, making the entire program seem a bit more personal. The entire school comes to the event (all 300-something of them) as do many "Old Girls" or grads of the school.

Danielle and her Grandma

Singing the class song

Danielle and her Nana

Danielle's name will forever be on the walls of Miss Edgar's and Miss Cramp's school

While the road has not always been easy on this Canadian adventure, we are so proud and pleased with all that Danielle has done with her education here in Quebec. She has made the most of it and absorbed so much that will make her a better human being. We couldn't be prouder of her accomplishments!

Proud parents

2011-06-21T08:04:00.000-04:00

NHL, MLB, WTF

2011-06-09T11:36:00.000-04:00

There's no doubt we're Chicago White Sox fans. Our family is particularly fond of General Manager Ozzie Guillen. His rants and raves are classic. Just You Tube them for yourself.

It seems as though each time Ozzie and the Sox travel to Toronto to play the Blue Jays, Ozzie seems to ruffle feathers, no pun intended. We were particularly amused when Paul's brother Dan emailed us this story from The Onion...

CHICAGO—Following the latest outburst from the much-sanctioned White Sox manager, officials from the National Hockey League fined Ozzie Guillen $25,000 Monday in order to see if he would pay. "We saw that he had taken a few jabs at his critics before the Blue Jays game and we decided, well, what the heck?" said NHL chief disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan, adding that the league knew it was a long shot but decided it couldn’t hurt to try. "We need the money, and if he doesn't pay, we lose nothing. Plus, come on, he totally deserves it." When reached for comment, Guillen said he would pay the fine, as he cannot afford to be suspended by the NHL during the Stanley Cup finals.

Who says hockey and baseball don't mix?

2004 or 2005 ish

Last day of school

2011-06-08T18:48:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe that Louis finished grade 7 yesterday....marking his third year of school in Canada. All in all we remain quite happy with his education on a daily basis. Is it perfect? No. We hear so much about budget cuts in the U.S. we ask ourselves often if we're in a better spot. We will say that there seems to be more special education resources in the U.S. Louis remains "included" in many of his classes with a modified curriculum. Finally, this year we were able to insist that he be pulled from the daily French class and use that time in the resource room instead. That seemed to make a big difference. We find it necessary to supplement school with twice a week tutoring and once a week speech therapy. Our team of outside help has been fantastic. Unfortunately, there's no summer school available for special education. Those resources remain limited, especially in the English schools.

Louis always looked forward to going to school to see his friends. Never once did we hear "I don't want to go to school." He left happy in the morning and came home happy. That's worth more to us than whether or not he can fully explain photosynthesis. It's all good.

Because Canadians are smart

2011-06-07T15:44:00.000-04:00

I love the mode of transportation for the Public Works dude in our town. Very smart.

The never-ending annoying healthcare issue

2011-06-07T14:09:00.001-04:00

I can't even believe to describe how frustrating it is to read the news in the U.S. and discussion about the morality of Medicare, socialized medicine or whatever you want to call it. The part that ~~pisses~~ disturbs me the most is that the politicians and blowhards like Beck, Limpballs, Coulter, Palin and the other clowns are all sitting pretty with plenty of money in the bank and premium coverage for themselves. As if they know what they are talking about, they love to bash the Canadian system.

I've written about it several times before, but we have no issues with heath care in Canada, thus far after almost three years. None. It's been so much easier to navigate than what we dealt with in Illinois with Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Each and every time I spoke with them I was certain I should drive myself to the doctor for a stress test. Here? My real stress test was fully covered by medicare and our private insurance at the old age of 45. And my mammogram? I whipped out my credit card at the last appointment and guess what? Covered by medicare. The receptionist looked at me like I was crazy and I walked out of there feeling like I was shoplifting.

I just read a great posting on Bob Cesca's blog and he sums it up perfectly. Yes, I know he can be left-leaning. But he's right 99.8 percent of the time and he tells it like it is.

From Bob's posting....

Okay...I'm not very good at math, but this pie chart pretty much sums it up.

Is the system perfect? No. Do some people have complaints? Of course. But, the complete article in the link below is a nice summary. I have to say, when we move back to the U.S. some day, I'm not at all looking forward to re-entering the U.S. health care quagmire.

http://theincidentaleconomist.com/wordpress/in-defense-of-canada/

Surprise blooms

2011-06-05T10:42:00.000-04:00

One of the greatest gifts the previous owners of our house left us, besides a home we love, is a garden. They were originally from the Netherlands and very much into the yard. This Mandarin Azalea surprised me this year as it did not bloom the past two seasons. Being partial to the color orange, this plant amazes me each and every time I drive up to the house. It also matches the road construction signs we have near our house.

the Daily Duke 6.2.11

2011-06-02T20:14:00.000-04:00

I absolutely adore this photo. It was taken by Danielle's friend Chloe who is also our neighbor and an AMAZING photographer, eh? I'll be posting some of her rugby photos later this week. She's just great. She has quite an eye and is wonderful all around.

I love it because it so captures a boy and his dog -- a dog who does not normally sit still like this. It also captures the construction that has been going on outside of our house for the last two weeks. We're thankful for the sidewalks that are slowly, but surely being constructed.

Prom night, and day, and morning...

2011-05-29T21:33:00.000-04:00

Danielle celebrated her school's "Prom" this weekend. This ~~stressful~~ beautiful event is often referred to as "Grad" or "Grad Ball" in these parts. It's a big deal for the kids because they only have one big dance. We are fortunate to not have to buy three or four dresses a year and all the trimmings like many of our friends do in the States. It's the "Grad" and it's in the graduating year (grade 11) and that's it! However, when you go to an all-girls school finding an date can be a challenge. Danielle took a really nice guy who we have to say was more than patient as Danielle (who is not known to be shy for those who don't know her well) fluttered around like a butterfly. A real Canadian gentleman.

While it's "Prom" night the festivities start the day before with a class BBQ. Parents are not invited.

Prom day started very early with the hair and all that stuff. We were so fortunate that a rugby mom who also owns this salon gave Danielle a gift certificate for the prom package for taking such good care of her 8th grade daughter playing rugby for the first time. See, Danielle has to do this with her daughter -- lift her up in the air and all so she can catch the ball. That's a big responsibility.

Danielle loved the hair and makeup and they did such a wonderful job. Thank you Avanti!

The Prom took place on a Friday and her date arrived at the house at 1 pm for photos and the "interview."

I took this picture without knowing Paul was in the background...it's a classic though...

So the limo arrives with one couple in it...then they left to pick up another couple and end up at one girl's house where they pick up the last couple.

There they took more photos...and more photos...

After this meeting they were scheduled to gather at the Summit on Mont Royal to take group photos. However, as luck would have it, it was raining buckets. They made the stop anyway. Just for "fun." Fortunately, Danielle's hair looks even better in humidity.

Then they were off to the official "cocktail" party at another home where they ended up taking the official photos and some just for fun...

Then the limos take them all to the hotel for the dinner dance and where they meet up with the teachers and parents and the girls all complained that their feet hurt. All this after "a bit" of champagne.

After the reception there was the daddy/daughter dance which was so sweet....

The parents are then kicked out and we don't see the girls until the next day! It's all organized by the school...and the girls and dates are then bussed to a country home about 45 minutes from the city where they have an all-night party. Most of the guys left at some point during the night. Some stay. The funny part is that the school representatives went though all the girl's overnight bags without them knowing it and took out the excessive amounts of ~~alcohol~~ beverages for legal drinkers (it's 18 here) although many of the dates are over 18. However, they left just "enough" for them to have fun. While some parents might find it odd that we're being somewhat "laid back" about this...we were also high school prom-goers and well, did similar things, although our parents didn't know about it and fortunately we can no longer be grounded.

The country house party had security and Danielle said it was well monitored and no one was sick and no one was out of control and it was a great party until 9 the next morning. However, I have yet to see any photos from this party on Facebook or otherwise. I was given an "approved" selection of photos for the blog. Hmmmmm......

At 9ish a bus then picked them up where they went to another house for brunch. The hosts told me when I picked Danielle up that they have never known Danielle to be so quiet....all the girls were very tired and had the time of their lives.

Danielle came home and slept for 18 hours. She had a wonderful time and we're pleased we only have to do this once!

the Daily Duke 5.28.11

2011-05-28T12:25:00.000-04:00

Duke is all "what are you wearing?" He's not used to seeing Danielle in anything other than her school uniform, yoga pants and pj's. He's was very curious about her prom dress.

Census consensus

2011-05-20T21:00:00.000-04:00

Our statistics are officially entered into the Statistics Canada..or as they say in Quebec Statistique Canada. After getting several notices via mail and assuming we didn't need to fill out the forms, I decided to go ahead enter our numbers via the Internet to avoid getting arrested. Besides, by waiting a bit, I was keeping the government employee responsible for "sending out reminder notices to the people every other week to justify my job" person. Not that it would matter, that person will always have a job. A good job with great benefits.

So, as I got into the online form I had look twice at the computer screen a few times. I mean, all I could do was imagine what Rush, Glenn Beck, Newt and the rest of the "family values" crazies would think if this census form ever saw the light of day in the U.S.A.

After getting through the "relationship" status page, there were several pages dedicated only to language...

No, thank you Canada.

Random photo 5.18.11

2011-05-18T09:44:00.000-04:00

Yes, for obvious reasons we continue to be known as "The Chicago House" in the neighborhood.

The first of many lasts

2011-05-17T23:46:00.000-04:00

As Danielle winds down her last year of high school, she is starting to experience the "last" of many events that have been a major focus of her education starting in elementary school....and especially at her high school. Tonight was her last music concert.

Danielle with the other graduating grader 11-ers

Danielle and her graduating music classmates with the school's Headmistress

However, just an hour or so before the music concert...Danielle was here....

Danielle had just about an hour to get back to school, scrub her knees that were caked with mud, and get into her uniform. Fortunately, it's not her last school rugby game since her team won the game...thanks in part to plays like this.

Here's to the first of many lasts she and her friends will experience in the next month.

the Daily Duke 5.11.11

2011-05-11T14:22:00.000-04:00

Duke is ecstatic to discover that Louis has decided to try another ball sport this summer in addition to baseball....Lacrosse. I envision lots of practice in the park with Duke being his retriever.

In case you wanted to know...the championship game of the National Lacrosse League takes place this Sunday, May 15 in Toronto at 2 pm eastern. This I know because in the last 24 hours I have learned more than I ever wanted to know about Lacrosse from Louis, thanks to Google.

Cake bosses

2011-05-09T17:31:00.000-04:00

Loyal reader

2011-05-06T09:06:00.002-04:00

We have a very loyal reader in the Chambly, Quebec area....could you send me a private email??? I'd love to learn more about you.

kish.pisani AT gmail.com

the Daily Duke 5.3.11

2011-05-03T13:43:00.000-04:00

Duke is in training for grilling season.

Sober satisfaction

2011-05-02T21:11:00.000-04:00

It's hard to not make a comment today about the killing of Osama Bin Laden. This is one of those times when it's strange not to be in your home country, even though Canada is so close.

Today Louis had the day off due to Canada's Federal elections and the public schools being used as polling places. We took the opportunity to drive to Ottawa to take in a museum (more in a later post). The two hour car ride, complete with Tim Horton's coffee and Timbits (we're so Canadian), was an ideal time to listen to the CBC and other talk radio to hear the Canadian perspective about what happened. Fortunately, Rush Limpballs is not in Canada so I didn't accidentally land on his show when scanning through AM radio in the boring part of Ontario. I hate it when that happens. When it does accidentally happen in the states, the kids usually know I will listen for a few minutes and follow that off with a 15 minute rant about what an ~~assho~~ ego-maniac, self-absorbed, bigoted, slob he is and they have to insist I change the station so I don't take off speeding and risk yet another traffic violation.

However, this quality listening time today came between arguments over the radio stations as Louis insisted on listening to his music which gives me a headache. You call this music? I'm sure my mom had the same reaction when I insisted we listen to David Bowie, the Go Go's, Billy Squire and AC/DC over and over again in the early 1980s. Kids today. Wow. I am turning into my mother.

Back to world issues. As Stephen Harper said in his statement below, the mood can best be described as sober satisfaction. More than one radio commentator and caller voiced concern about the outright celebrations taking place in the U.S. about the final killing of OBL. Most Canadians I encountered remain cautious. They are not feeling celebratory, per se.

Perhaps that's just the Canadian way. A bit cautious. A bit reserved. A bit humble. Except of course when it comes to hockey.

Below is Prime Minister Stephen Harper's statement. As I mentioned, today is the day of our Federal elections. It's assumed he will remain Prime Minister later tonight when the final numbers are in...but who knows. This has been one crazy election.

On Sept. 11, 2001, 24 Canadians were murdered in the Al Qaeda attack on the World Trade Centre. The death of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, reported today by President Obama, secures a measure of justice for these Canadians and their families.

Bin Laden's death does not end the threat of international terrorism. Sadly, others will take his place.

But, this does remind us why Canadian Armed Forces personnel have been deployed to Afghanistan: to deny Al Qaeda and organizations like it, the use of Afghanistan, where the 9/11 attack was conceived and planned.

Through their operations there to cut off terror at its root, our men and women in uniform have made an enormous contribution to Canadian security abroad.Here, dedicated security officials work tirelessly and with success, to prevent similar attacks in Canada. Protection of the public is the first and most important duty of government.

Canada receives the news of the death of Osama bin Laden with sober satisfaction. We will continue to stand firm with our allies against the threat of global terrorism.

Politics as usual

2011-04-30T11:56:00.000-04:00

I saw this spruced up political poster in downtown Montreal last night and it made me laugh for a number of reasons. They like to stir things up in Quebec too. I can't figure out the exact translation but I think it has something to do with this dude being a con. If I could vote I would do everything I could to make sure the Bloc is not well represented in Parliament.

Quebec politics....almost as interesting as the recent ~~ridiculous, racially-driven~~ birth certificate dilemma in the U.S. The Bloc Quebecois here is the political party that wants to separate from the rest of Canada and make the entire province exclusively French speaking (even at the risk of losing business and residents) and it's own country. They came very close in the mid 1990s and they are gearing up again.

So Monday is election day here in Canada. All we can do is sit back and watch what happens and where our tax dollars will go....even though we really have no say since we can't vote. We can only be entertained. See, Canada is not that different from the U.S.

the Daily Duke 4.29.11

2011-04-29T12:45:00.000-04:00

Duke Pisani of Beaconsfield does not understand why it was necessary to get up so early to watch a royal wedding when there's such a thing as Tivo. It was so early he didn't even go out to pee until after the vows.

The Cup

2011-04-18T13:46:00.000-04:00

The city of Montreal is jazzed up about the hockey playoffs. There's a Canadian restaurant company called Boston Pizza...they decided to change the name during this playoff run against the Boston Bruins...they've been waiting for this match-up for quite a while.

the Daily Duke 4.17.11

2011-04-17T17:00:00.002-04:00

Concentration. It's hard to explain in a photo this dog's deep affection for peanut butter. An empty jar secures at least a half an hour of peace and quiet in the house.

New Brunswick bound

2011-04-14T18:20:00.000-04:00

We dropped Danielle off early this morning at her school for a road trip to New Brunswick for a school rugby tournament. This will be the third year she has gone to this tournament. The team plays an exausting schedule of games and they get to visit a beautiful part of Canada.

Why rugby you ask? We ask that ourselves. Danielle got involved in the sport her first year at the school and has been hooked ever since. She loves the team aspect of the game and we have to say she has the most amazing coach. This man, who hails from South Africa, truly understands the sport, and most importantly the safety factor. He has had very few injuries (that's reassuring) as a coach. The worst injury was a broken leg and hip -- and that was when one of his athletes was playing basketball in her driveway.

At a recent team meeting, her coach read the following quote from Sir Richard Wild, the former Chief Justice of New Zealand...

"It is the team element which provides a spur for the weaker spirit, a curb for the selfish and discipline for all. It treats every player as equal from whatever sporting background she comes; there is no yielding in the tackle, there's no privilege in the scrum."

Oh...and now that she's been appointed Captain of the team we're not sure if we should be addressing her as "Captain Danni" at home.

Frequently Asked Questions partie une

2011-04-12T20:46:00.001-04:00

We're often asked a myriad of questions starting with "why are you here?" I thought I would answer some of these questions and at the same time provide updates about why we are here.

Do you like it in Canada?
Why, yes we do. We've been in Montreal since October 2008 and it's been an adventure to say the least. Once we got through all the pain it the ass moving details and starting life in a new country, it's been okay. We survived filing our first Canadian taxes and will never complain about taxes again in the U.S. Kish continues to try and covert her U.S. speedometer to kilometers per hour and has unfortunately been unsuccessful on a couple of occasions. She also tried to convince a Montreal police officer that if the bright red sign that said "Arret" had said "Stop" she would have stopped. He didn't care.

However, in general, we do like the quality of life in Canada.

How are you liking that free health care? I heard they have death panels in Canada!
Well, it's not free of course because over 50% of our income goes to taxes and the majority of Quebec budget goes to health care. Our roads may suck, but we have health care. We did not have a problem finding doctors. However, what makes it easy is that we do have a supplemental health care policy through Paul's job. Think of it like Medicare in the U.S...those who only have Medicare have a more difficult time than those who have another policy to help out. (Our universal health care is also called Medicare). Most doctor's offices do not handle insurance at all. They swipe your Medicare card and if you need to pay for anything else, you pay out of pocket and then get reimbursed from the insurance company. Despite the rumors, you can't just cross the border into Canada and get free health care or cheap prescriptions. In order to get a Medicare card you have to show a lot of paperwork, pay some fees, get some stamps, justify some government worker's jobs, etc. But, in the long run, it's been relatively easy for us and we have very few complaints, if any.

Are you Canadian citizens now?
No, we are temporary residents through Paul's work permit. We all have visas we keep in our passports. We are treated like Canadians when it comes to customs and all that so we do have restrictions on what we can bring across the border, which I've written about often on this blog. We pay taxes like anyone else, but we can't vote. There are a few other things we are not entitled to either...mainly when it comes to school-related programs that are for Canadian citizens.

I've heard college is cheap in Canada?
Why, yes it is, relative to the U.S. However, since we are not permanent residents or citizens and despite the fact that we pay taxes here, that still does not apply to us right now. When Danielle turns 18 she will be able to apply for permanent residency herself, which would enable her to attend University in Canada at the "cheaper" rate. For those of you in the U.S., think of it as in-state versus out of state tuition. The prices also vary by province with Quebec being the "cheapest." Here in Quebec, Danielle could attend a university like McGill for less than $4,000 per year (for tuition). Yes, you read that right, $4,000 per year, not per month as it would be for many schools in the States. There are many other fantastic universities in Canada which are more expensive, but nowhere near the inflated prices in the U.S.

Do you want Danielle to go to college in Canada?
Do the math. Ideally, yes.

Wait a minute...isn't Danielle only in 11th grade or a junior in high school...why is she graduating from high school this spring?
In Quebec, high school goes from grade 7 through grade 11. In grade 11, actually a bit earlier, kids need to decide what track they want to continue with for their education...social sciences, sciences, vocational or whatever. So, after grade 11, kids go to CEGEP which is like a two year junior college program. Then, they can go to university in Quebec (or not) and it's three years. Some kids choose to go to a year or two of CEGEP in Quebec, then transfer to another province (or not). If a kid attends high school in Quebec, they must go to CEGEP for two years before going to University in Quebec. However, if someone in high school in another provinces, which goes through grade 12, they can come to University in Quebec when they are finished with their respective high school program. Confused? It's taken us a two years to get this figured out.

So, what's Danielle doing next year?
Danielle applied to three Commerce programs (like business) at CEGEPs in the Montreal area and got accepted to all three. She's decided to attend John Abbott College and was accepted to the Honours Commerce program which is where she will go. The school is located five miles or so from our house, and easy public transportation since she does not yet have a driver's license (which is not uncommon here). It will be nice to not have to commute to the city. She will be in a program with about 40 other students and is very much looking forward to it. We're taking it one year at a time and it's a two year program. Since we are not residents we will have to pay, however, if we were residents it would be basically FREE. For our friends in the U.S., it's like free freshman year of college.

Does Duke understand French?

to be continued in a future post.....

Because it's Canada

2011-04-11T17:26:00.000-04:00

Disclaimer: the rest of the family gets annoyed when I start getting too political so I need to mention that these opinions are those of the writer (me) and don't necessarily represent the opinions of the entire family. However, Duke the dog agrees with me on everything.

Because it's Canada, the Federal election debate in French was just rescheduled due to a hockey game. Yes, hockey. Sadly there are only two Canadian teams in the Stanley Cup playoff race, one of them being our home team, the Montreal Canadiens. This country also happens to be in the middle of a Federal election. When it was discovered the first playoff game for the Canadiens was scheduled on the same evening as a French televised debate, Gilles Duceppe, the leader of the Bloc Quebecois party, suggested they move the debate up a day so as not to interfere with the game. Unlike the conflict that put this country into another election cycle, everyone agreed. And so it was done. Everyone is happy. For now. Besides, it's hockey.

I'm still trying to understand Canadian politics. I'm sure there's a sixth grader out there who can correct my facts. However, that sixth grader would have to be outside of Quebec because in this Province they emphasize Quebec politics and history because, well, many people in Quebec still want to abolish English, separate and want nothing to do with Canada except when it comes to equalization payments and benefiting from the Alberta.

This is what I know about the current election. Back in March the Conservative government FELL. Doesn't that sound dramatic? Almost as bad as a government shutdown. Basically, the Conservatives lost a motion in the House of Commons that was brought forward by the Liberals. Unlike the U.S. which has two parties (yes, I know, those Tea Party people want to be a real party, but... ), Canada has a bunch of them. There are the Liberals and the Conservatives, the New Democratic Party the Green Party and here in Quebec, the Bloc Quebecois. There are several other candidates but they don't seem to matter much, sort of like Donald Trump. They use the election to make some noise, like the Marijuana party in Canada (yes, they are an official party).

So, last month the House of Commons passed a motion of non-confidence in the Conservative government because they affirmed the Conservative government did some not-so-legal things by not disclosing financial details and therefore obstructing government. As a result, the Liberals and all the other opposing Members of Parliament refused to pass a budget. Sound familiar? But instead, here in Canada this meant that Parliament is basically dissolved and within six weeks or so there has to be a Federal election.

So, this is where we are now...six weeks of campaigning for a reappointment of Stephen Harper as Prime Minister or a leader of one of the other parties. The main difference between the elections in Canada versus the U.S. is that in Canada everyone votes for the candidate/party they want in their "riding" which is like a district. This person will represent them as a Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons. The leader of the winning party then becomes Prime Minister. Currently we have Stephen Harper. Confused? There are 308 seats in Parliament and 158 are needed for a majority. Although Stephen Harper and the Conservatives have the most MPs, they don't have the full majority which makes things interesting.

Quebec makes things even more interesting, as usual. Outside of Montreal, most of the MPs are members of the Bloc Quebecois. Many of these supporters are the ones who would like to see Quebec break away from Canada and have a lot of other crazy ideas. Personally, I correlate the leader of the Bloc and his party to Sarah Palin and her followers. They make a lot of waves and get a lot of attention for the crazy things they say or do. Not that I can understand Gilles Duceppe from the Bloc because he doesn't like to speak English, nor does he care much about the anglophone vote. I feel the same about Sarah Palin, I can't comprehend what she's saying most of the time either.

Speaking of hockey. The Montreal Canadiens will play the first game on Thursday, April 14th and the Federal Election debate (in French) will be the day before. There will be an English debate as well, which I will watch so I can make sure I'm understanding these politics.

Not that it matters that much. Despite the fact that we pay hefty taxes here in Canada (more in Quebec), we can't vote.

You don't think the folks in this country eat, sleep and breathe hockey? Stephen Harper plays a game of ball hockey with a staffer while waiting for his plane on the tarmac as it's prepared for another campaign stop.

the Daily Duke 4.9.11

2011-04-09T10:01:00.000-04:00

Duke is hanging on to the last bits of winter. He doesn't want the snow to go.

the Daily Duke 4.2.11

2011-04-02T17:34:00.000-04:00

Searching for a white ball. What sort of mean dog owner throws a white ball in the snow?

the Daily Duke 3.23

2011-03-23T10:41:00.000-04:00

This crazy dog is pretending he's resting on a pile of warm sand, not a pile of snow in March.

Only in Quebec

2011-03-22T18:23:00.000-04:00

After over two years of living in Quebec, we finally received a copy of our benefits in English -- supplemental healthcare insurance, life insurance, dental and all that fun stuff. While reading the fine print on the Optional Life Insurance it was oh so entertaining to read..

"If you are employed in Quebec you must also pay 9% provincial sales tax on the monthly premium."

Yes folks, we pay taxes on everything...we even have to pay sales tax to the tax preparer.

In the air

2011-03-14T21:34:00.000-04:00

If you can look past the snow on the ground, the temperatures hugging freezing and the crater-sized potholes, we believe, based on what we recently saw in the back yard, spring might be in the air.

the Daily Duke 3.14

2011-03-14T21:30:00.000-04:00

Duke is frustrated trying to find THE same snowball Danielle just threw for him. Yes, there's still this much snow on the ground in the Eastern Townships of Quebec.

the Daily Duke 3.12

2011-03-12T12:36:00.000-05:00

Duke starts looking sad when he sees us pack our ski stuff. He likes to position himself as if to say "don't forget to take me."

Random photo 3.10.11

2011-03-10T13:25:00.000-05:00

Spring seems very far away.

the Daily Duke 3.8

2011-03-08T12:52:00.000-05:00

Duke says Happy Mardi Gras y'all.

An inspirational weekend

2011-03-08T12:43:00.000-05:00

Owl's Head Special Olympics 2011 from kish.pisani@gmail.com on Vimeo.

What can I say except it was a very cool weekend at the Quebec Special Olympics Winter Games. We are so proud of our TEAM....we had five athletes attend and six medals. The alpine ski competition was made up of the best Special Olympics skiers in he province!

Louis was amazing...almost too amazing. Something "clicked" with his technique in the last week and he improved tremendously. The first run on Friday was for divisioning and he nailed it! So much so that he jumped up in a division, which meant more competition. We were so proud that the came in 4th or 5th in all three of the races. But more importantly, he was there to cheer on his teammates, one of which won silver in their division -- twice! He lived the Special Olympics oath..."Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me brave in the attempt." He was so happy for his teammates (as you can see from the video) and we are so happy that he is such a good sport.

We asked him on Sunday night what his favorite part of the weekend was...thinking he would say skiing. He said "my friends." That's what it's all about.

He had a great time sleeping in a school classroom with his team...eating meals, going to a dance and the most amazing opening and closing ceremonies. All the ceremonies were in French which made it difficult for some of us, but in a strange way, we could understand it all.

We can't say enough about the power, inspiration and pure joy that comes from watching these athletes...all of them.

the Daily Duke 3.7

2011-03-07T21:57:00.000-05:00

Duke had a nice weekend at dog camp (a.k.a. the country kennel). He's pictured here as we are leaving the place. He used to be known as "The Humper." Now he is known as "Captain Humper." Nice Duke. Really nice.

Imagine

2011-03-03T23:57:00.000-05:00

Louis and I took the long way home from the Eastern Townships where we were skiing to take a side trip through Burlington, Vermont. We encountered a beautiful drive along Hwy 105 in Vermont. Can you imagine what this road will look like come fall? It's on our "to do" list for sure.

the Daily Duke 3.1

2011-03-01T16:38:00.000-05:00

We follow the rules...most of the time.

the Daily Duke 2.27

2011-02-28T08:13:00.000-05:00

Is it any wonder why we are known as the Chicago sports family in the neighborhood?

Compassion in Action

2011-02-27T21:17:00.001-05:00

When you are the sibling of a someone with any sort of disability, it's known that you tend to grow up with more compassion, patience and understanding. We know this about Danielle. We were so proud, again, when we heard a couple of weeks ago that she won an essay contest entitled "Compassion in Action."

Before I go on...let me first say that it seems like our last few posts have been about how great our family is -- and our dog of course. That's not the message we're trying to portray here. In other words, it's not meant to be like one of those annoying Christmas newsletters where the writer is bragging and bragging about this and that. When we brag, it's because we deserve it, dammit. While blessed in so, so, so many ways, we've certainly encountered many, many obstacles, not unlike many, many others. Trust me, we're not perfect. On any given day we could easily find ourselves on The Dr. Phil Show. Seriously, just ask the neighbors come spring time when we forget the windows are open and they hear us on a not-so-perfect day.

That being said, we do get to brag about Danielle, again. She deserves it. When we moved to Montreal six weeks into her Freshman year, it wasn't easy. Imagine one of her first classes on her first day of school being a discussion about gun control. Danielle had to make the comment that not all American gun owners are evil and that most every member of her mom's family owns guns...and her dad too but we decided to leave them in the U.S. Let's just say, it wasn't the best day for Danielle, but kudos for speaking her mind and defending her country in a way that would even make Sarah Palin proud (it's hard for me to write that). Even more challenging was sitting through a year of history class in French.

A few months ago, Danielle submitted an essay contest called Compassion in Action sponsored by LEARN (Leading English Education and Resource Network) in Montreal. In the essay they were to write about a person or group who has made a significant difference to the community or world through compassion and leadership. Danielle chose to write about Eleanor Roosevelt in an essay called Eleanor Roosevelt: The Woman Behind the Declaration. Specifically she addressed Roosevelt's role as the most influential member of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.

Bravo!

The award was announced in the middle of her class when members of the organization and the Headmistress of the school came into the classroom. She was most surprised.

For winning the award Danielle received a scholarship to attend Encounters with Canada (EWC) in Ottawa. This program is a week-long gathering of kids from across Canada to gather and learn and experience different topics. After this week she'll become one of over 85,000 Canadians who have already taken part in this remarkable experience. And we bet she's only one of a handful of Americans to ever attend this program.

Danielle left tonight for Ottawa where she's attending the "Politics in Canada" week. She'll have the opportunity to go to Parliament, meet her MP (Member of Parliament), go to meetings, meet other Canadian kids and more. She will spend the first week of her March break (she has the next two weeks off school) in Ottawa at Encounters with Canada. The Headmistress (like a principal) of her school, who herself is a graduate of this program in Ottawa, was so pleased with Danielle's accomplishment that she offered to pay for her transportation. This being the case because Danielle is not a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant, yet. Yes, we pay high taxes. But -- get this -- the government pays for the transportation for all the kids attending this program! And, the Headmistress said she could miss a week of school if the week she chose did not fall during March break. As it is, Danielle decided the Politics in Canada would be the most interesting program even though she had a free pass basically to attend one later in March.

Bon Voyage Danielle! You exemplify Compassion in Action each and every day.

Following is an excerpt from Danielle's school website announcing the award.

Grade 11 student Danielle P. learned this week that she is one of the winners of the Compassion in Action Writing Contest, offered by LEARN (Leading English Education and Resources Network) and Encounters with Canada.

To be eligible, competitors between 14 and 17 years of age had to write an essay about a person (or group) who has made a difference to the community (or world) through their compassion and leadership, or is in the process of transforming a community (local, national or international) for the better. The contest also challenged essay writers to include an element that would inspire others to make a difference in their community.

Danielle wrote about former First Lady, author, speaker, politician, and activist Eleanor Roosevelt, clearly impressing the judges with her essay. She says she chose this topic because, “Eleanor Roosevelt has always been an inspiration to me; I want to go into International Relations and Politics when I’m older.”

Danielle learned about her win when representatives from LEARN and Encounters appeared in her classroom, and made the announcement, taking her completely by surprise. Her prize will be a fully paid week at Encounters with Canada- the country’s largest youth forum – compliments of LEARN.

Danielle will join 135 other students from across the country in Ottawa for the theme week of her choice, taking part in unforgettable workshops, presentations, excursions and cultural activities. An American by birth, she says she’s “really looking forward to having a Canadian perspective on international relations or politics to meeting people from across the country.” EWC has been offering rich and diverse programmess for 29 years. Over 85,000 youth have already lived the EWC Experience.

To find out more about the contest and LEARN, go to www.learnquebec.ca.

For information about the Encounters with Canada programme, visit www.encounters-rencontres.ca.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

ESSAY EXCERPT: Eleanor Roosevelt: The Woman behind the Declaration

“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood” This first article of the UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS seems quite simple doesn’t it? A basic human right is to be born free and what a simple right it is. No one is created better or worse than another and no one deserves to be discriminated against, hurt or misrepresented by anyone else, which is all in keeping with the idea that one should act towards another in a spirit of brotherhood. Sadly, before one such great woman, the right to be born free and have equal rights was merely a privilege granted to those in power. One woman used political power, the media spotlight, leadership and, most of all, compassion to change not just her country, but the world as well. This woman was none other than Eleanor Roosevelt.

Unlike the first ladies of the United States that preceded her, Eleanor Roosevelt felt that she needed to exceed the traditional duties that they had come to be marked by the first ladies that preceded her. While her husband was in office for 12 years, she felt it was her duty to use her leadership to change the world. In fact, she is considered by many historians to be a major contributing factor to Roosevelt’s presidency, as she was the face of his campaign shortly after his diagnosis with Polio.

the Daily Duke 2.21

2011-02-21T20:12:00.000-05:00

Paul skied all day. He has an excuse. Duke...well...he did the same thing he's doing in this picture. All day.

Family Day in Canada

2011-02-21T20:04:00.000-05:00

It's technically a holiday in much of Canada...except Quebec. The provinces of Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan celebrate Family Day on the third Monday in February. It's supposed to celebrate the importance of family life to people and their communities. Kind of nice.

It was just an ordinary day in Quebec. We've been spending a good bit of time at a small rental place near our ski hill. What better way to learn more about Canada than with Canadian Monopoly?

Although, when Danielle and Louis play this game together, it's not always that friendly. I suppose, that's normal...and very family-like. Even for Family Day...most everywhere but Quebec.

Welcome to your world, Canada

2011-02-18T20:16:00.001-05:00

"That will be $5.50 (U.S.) please."

That's what Canadians will be charged in the way of a travel fee President Obama has proposed for the 2012 budget. I don't think it's much of a news story in the U.S. from what I can tell. But in Canada? Wow! People are pissed. I've been entertained by reading the comments following news stories in the Globe and Mail and National Post. I have not been this entertained since watching ten minutes of Glenn Beck's show the other day. There's some serious misinformation going on. I know, I know. This is a family blog. I talk about stuff in our family. But, every once in a while there comes a subject -- a subject relating to the U.S. and Canada and I have to speak out. This is probably a good time to say that the political opinions expressed in this blog are expressed by the writer of this blog (Kish) and not always the entire family. There. I said it.

I'm amused at the irony.

I mean, I feel like once a day I get a tax bill of some sort. I'm truly Canadian when I say to Paul as a lawyer invoice comes in the mail..."Holy crap, did you know lawyers have to charge sales tax?" It's true, they do. It's called a goods and services tax and we are taxed on everything. They guy who mows the lawn in the summer? Yup, goods and services tax on top of all that. We are used to it by now.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has made comments about it being a bad idea. Sort of funny when you think about the fees and taxes he institutes in Canada.

Yes, I know, we have "free" health care in Canada. If you're a regular reader of this blog you know that I love Canada. I've come to accept Canada and the taxes. I'm cool with it really. I actually don't mind the health care situation in Canada. I've embraced life here...and the water tax bill, the welcome to Quebec tax (true), the yearly driver's licence renewal fee (which is more if you ~~accidentally went through a stop sign~~ have any traffic violations, $700/month plus tax to heat the house, the new, annual "car" tax, double digit sales tax, and more. Did I mention $24 for a case of beer? Canadian beer? As Tony Soprano says, "it is what it is." We just deal with it. We have health care and affordable secondary education compared to the U.S. It all comes out in the laundry, so to speak.

So, as I mentioned, this new proposed $5.50 U.S. travel fee has Canadians really upset. They think they are bailing out the US economy, and they should not have to bail out the neighbors to the south. Because after all we are friends. Think of it like a cover charge for a party. Canada thinks it would be like your brother making you pay a cover charge to go to a party in your own neighborhood. You just don't treat family like that. Well, in my family we did, but that's another story.

Here are some details of this travel fee...

Since 1997, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean have been exempt from paying a document inspection fee to fly or arrive by ship to the U.S. Other travelers to the US do pay a fee and will continue to do so. We all know the U.S. economy ~~is in the toilet~~ is trying to rebound. So, Obama proposes this $5.50 fee for people traveling from Mexico, the Caribbean and Canada. Seriously, $5.50. That's like a cup of coffee and a small box of Timbits at Tim Horton's (with tax). It's estimated that in 2009 16 million Canadians flew into the U.S. Yes, I know, that's a nice number. They also spend a lot of money in the U.S. and we love Canadians. The U.S. government estimates this new fee will generate $90 million from Canadians alone. Many Canadians have the impression though that they are "bailing" out the U.S. Frankly, this is chump change compared to the deficit in the U.S. I mean, some professional sports contracts out there worth more than $90 million when all is said and done.

But here's the irony...have Canadians taken a look at what it costs to fly in and out of Canada and for the privilege of using a Canadian airport? We pay $25 each and every time we use Montreal's airport. You want to talk taxes? ~~Holy crap.~~ It's not uncommon for the taxes and fees in Canada to be 25 percent or more of a fare. And you want to use miles? You pay the taxes and fees anyway. And, the news of this $5.50 fee came the same week CTV ran a story about the number of Canadians choosing to drive across the border to take flights out of U.S. airports because they can save thousands -- thousands of dollars in airfare and fees for a family. Yes, U.S. carriers charge baggage fees. That does kind of suck. But, have you tried carry-on? Or better yet, try and ship the contents of a suitcase from Canada to the U.S. via Canada Post. Have fun with that...baggage fees are a bargain in comparison.

Just for the heck of it...I went on United Airlines and checked a flight from Chicago to Montreal...leaving March 11 and returning March 18. To fly in and out of Montreal the fare is $717.03 with $68.20 in taxes and fees. (all dollars are American). To fly in and out of Burlington, Vermont (less than a 2 hour drive) it's $448 and $21.20 in taxes and fees. If you are a family of five...do the math.

And this is before the $5.50 fee Obama has proposed for the 2012 budget, which still has to pass.

My point?

Welcome to your world, Canada. A $5.50 fee is not a big deal and will help the U.S. Department of Homeland inSecurity. Will it bail out the U.S. deficit? It won't make a dent. But it is something. Is it a slap in the face as some have said? Perhaps. But, we're talking $5.50! (A slap in the face was receiving a "Welcome to Quebec" bill weeks after we bought this house -- essentially it's a sales tax on the price of your home).

Besides, you'll spent more to buy a beer at the airport in Montreal. Just think what you'll save being in the U.S., you can easily get a beer in Milwaukee for less than $5.50. And if you don't like that, fly over Florida and go to Cuba. But wait, there's a $25 departure tax there.

Just for fun...here's some ~~bullshit~~ explanation from the Air Canada website on what the fees mean.....

What are the additional charges in my Fare?

Fuel NAV Canada Insurance ATSC Airport Fees International Destinations
Note: This information is intended as a guideline only. Actual fees and surcharges are subject to change and some exceptions apply.

Your fare may include NAV CANADA surcharges, fuel surcharges and insurance surcharges where applicable. Ticketable Airport Improvement Fees and the Air Travellers Security Charge (ATSC) are included in taxes component of your fare.

Canadian and US Destinations

Fuel Surcharges: For travel within Canada and between Canada and the United-States, fuel surcharges are now included in the ticket price. For International travel, fuel surcharges vary according to destination.

NAV Canada Surcharge: NAV surcharges within Canada are either 9 / 15 / or 20 CAD based on distance. For transborder itineraries, 7.50 CAD / 7.50 USD each way. This surcharge is collected to cover the fees that Air Canada pays to NAV Canada to operate Canada's Air Navigation systems.

Insurance Surcharge: In order to account for the rising costs of aviation insurance, Air Canada along with other North American carriers have implemented an insurance surcharge. This insurance surcharge is 3 CAD, each way for travel wholly within Canada. (Some exceptions apply).

ATSC: The Canadian Parliament has enacted the Air Travellers Security Charge Act to fund security personnel and security equipment in response to the events of September 11. For domestic itineraries, the ATSC is 7.12 CAD one-way to a maximum charge of 14.25 CAD. For transborder itineraries, the ATSC is 8 CAD / 7 USD one-way to a maximum charge of 16 CAD / 14 USD.

Airport Improvement Fees: Many airports in Canada and around the world have implemented Airport Improvement Fees (AIFs). Some airports collect these fees at the airport at time of departure, others are collected at the time of ticketing and are reflected in the additional charges portion in your fare. Canadian airports that include the AIF on your ticket are as follows: (All amounts in CAD)

Bagotville, Que. (YBG) $20
Baie-Comeau, Que. (YBC) $10
Bathurst, N.B. (ZBF) $40
Calgary, Alta (YYC) $22
Castlegar, B.C. (YCG) $7
Charlottetown, P.E.I. (YYG) $15
Comox, B.C. (YQQ) $5
Cranbrook, B.C. (YXC) $10
Deer Lake, N.L. (YDF) $15
Edmonton, Alta (YEG) $20
Fort McMurray, Alta (YMM) $20
Fort St. John, B.C. (YXJ) $12
Fredericton, N.B. (YFC) $20
Gander, N.L. (YQX) $20
Goose Bay, N.L. (YYR) $20
Grande Prairie, Alta (YQU) $12
Halifax, N.S. (YHZ) $15
Hamilton, Ont. (YHM) $20
Kamloops, B.C. (YKA) $10
Kelowna, B.C. (YLW) $10
Lethbridge, Alta (YQL) $12
London, Ont. (YXU) $15
Moncton, N.B. (YQM) $15
Montreal, Que. (YUL) $25
Mont-Joli, Que. (YYY) $5
Mont Tremblant, Que. (YTM) $20
Moosonee, Ont. (YMO) $7
Nanaimo, B.C. (YCD) $10
Ottawa, Ont. (YOW) $15
Prince George, B.C. (YXS) $18
Quebec City, Que. (YQB) $25
Regina, Sask. (YQR) $15
Rouyn-Noranda, Que. (YUY) $10
Saint John, N.B. (YSJ) $20
Sarnia, Ont. (YZR) $20
Saskatoon, Sask (YXE) $5 Travel within Saskatchewan
(YXE) $15 Travel outside Saskatchewan
Sault Ste Marie, Ont. (YAM) $15
Smithers, B.C. (YYD) $15
Stephenville, N.L. (YJT) $20
St. John's, N.L. (YYT) $15
Sydney, N.S. (YQY) $25
Thompson, Man. (YTH) $15
Timmins, Ont. (YTS) $10
Toronto, Ont. (YYZ) $25 Originating passengers
(YYZ) $8 Connecting passengers
Val d'Or, Que. (YVO) $10
Vancouver, B.C. (YVR) $5 Travel within B.C./Yukon
(YVR) $15 Travel outside B.C./Yukon
Victoria, B.C. (YYJ) $10
Waterloo, Ont. (YKF) $15
Windsor, Ont. (YQG) $10
Winnipeg, Man. (YWG) $20

International Destinations

ATSC: The Canadian Parliament has enacted the Air Travellers Security Charge Act to fund security personnel and security equipment in response to the events of September 11. For international itineraries, the Air Travellers Security charge is 17 CAD for each return or one-way trip with a departure from Canada.

Airport Improvement Fees: Many airports in Canada and around the world have implemented Airport Improvement Fees (AIFs). Some airports collect these fees at the airport at time of departure; others are collected at the time of ticketing and are reflected in the additional charges portion in your fare.

NAV Canada Surcharge: NAV surcharge for International travel to and from select countries is CAD 15 per direction. This surcharge is collected to cover the fees that Air Canada pays to NAV Canada to operate Canada's Air Navigation systems.

Peak Travel Premium: For travel to/from certain international destinations on peak travel dates, a Peak Travel Premium may be added to the 'Taxes, fees, charges and surcharges' component of your fare. The actual premium charged and the applicable peak travel dates are subject to change.

Change of seasons

2011-02-16T07:04:00.001-05:00

We decided it was time to take down the Bears flag.

the Daily Duke 2.15

2011-02-15T07:24:00.000-05:00

Duke really, really likes snow. He attacks a snow bank in the yard as if it's a giant cone of gelato.

Repeat Gold

2011-02-14T21:30:00.000-05:00

It's Valentine's Day and my heart is warm. Louis won Gold again over the weekend at this year's Provincial Special Olympics Alpine Ski Championships. It was a long and rewarding day for Louis and all of his fellow athletes. And for the parents, coaches and volunteers.

It was the oddest weather day...one minute we would have a white out and then the sun would come out and then another white out. The conditions were difficult for the athletes with many of them falling on the race course. It's always hard to watch a fall. But each and every one of them would get up, put their skis back on and finish the race. (they can't receive any help on the course, if they are even touched by anyone they get disqualified). They did great despite the weather, not being able to take a practice run and only being able to do one Giant Slalom in the morning and Slalom in the afternoon.

This race prepared the athletes for the upcoming Special Olympics Quebec Winter Games March 4-6. Louis will join his team and the other racers and winter sports athletes from around the Province for a weekend of competition. We are ready!

Louis gets ready for his race

Danielle was his coach for the day- cheering him on as he skied and at the bottom

the Daily Duke 2.13

2011-02-13T08:34:00.000-05:00

Duke was very....relieved....when we returned last night after being away from the house for 13 hours at Louis' Special Olympics ski race. We're lucky he can hold it. Today, he knows we owe him big time for his patience. And his bladder.

So proud

2011-02-07T20:24:00.000-05:00

While training with our Special Olympics group yesterday, I saw something that made me so proud. Danielle volunteers her time as a certified ski instructor, teaching Special Olympians ski techniques, encouraging them, helping them, supporting them, laughing with them. Sometimes it's not easy. Sometimes it's frustrating. Sometimes it's not so fun. But the rewards are priceless.

I was helping at the race course and looked up on the chairlift to see Danielle with our newest skier, a young man with Down Syndrome. This young man would not move his feet forward to even put on skis last week. (Don't ever assume that people with disabilities are not stubborn!) The week prior, he spent time on the "magic carpet" -- an area with barely an incline which is used for new skiers.

So yesterday after a time or two on the magic carpet, Danielle decided this young man was ready for the ski lift and to get skiing. She got him on the lift -- no small accomplishment -- and up they went. (He didn't have a lift ticket -- that's our girl -- plow ahead and ask questions later.) That's where I saw them and I have to admit, I though "oh shit" what is she doing?

She was teaching this young man how to ski.

And ski he did. Was he fast? No. Was it perfect? No. Was he up on skis, trying something for the first time? Yes. Is he a Special Olympian? You bet.

Danielle did it too. She was amazing. And patient. And kind.

Our new skier got tired. He sat down after a while and did not want to get back on his skis. That's okay. Danielle told him it was okay because he tried and he accomplished so much. He was skiing.

The most interesting part of this day? This young man only spoke French and didn't know a word of English. Danielle taught him in French.

It was a good day for everyone and she made her parents proud. Très bon Danielle.

They look good together, eh?

2011-02-04T16:20:00.000-05:00

The meeting that took place between Stephen Harper and Barack Obama has been news in Canada all week. I'm guessing it seems to not be such a big deal in the U.S. as I've looked through the regular news sources to try and get an American perspective. I suppose it's because it's all about Egypt this week, as it was during this press conference where they were supposed to be talking about border relations between the two countries on the 49th parallel. The American media didn't seem too interested in what Harper had to say as they actually cut away from his comments in French and English in order to analyze what Obama stated about Egypt. Again.

All they did today in meetings was really talk about the border, a future agreement and how the two countries could work even better together to help out the economies, streamline the border and yet remain sovereign. Many politicians in Canada want more discussion here. We are each other's largest trading partners, so it is sort of a big deal. And the U.S. could certainly take advantage of some of the natural resources in Canada, like fossil fuels and such and other resources that would lessen its dependence on foreign energy sources. But I digress. (Stephen Harper had, what I interpreted as a bit of a smirk on his face when he talked about this and how it would be better to accept energy from a secure, stable and friendly country like Canada).

On a side note...I'm stunned at how many Americans do not even know who Stephen Harper is. I'm also amazed at how many Americans have no idea about important the business and cultural relationship is between our two countries. There's more to Canada than hockey and that Justin Bieber kid. Oh, and Celine Dion. ~~She can stay in the U.S~~. Sorry, that's not nice.

Back to the border...it sounds good and you can tell by the editorial below from the National Post, that it is a welcome idea for man. Unless, Joe Lieberman pushes the idea of wanting Canadians to get visas each time they cross the border. I can tell you that would NOT be good and it would not do anything but complicate border crossings more than they already are. Dumb idea Mr. Lieberman...not to mention the fact that all the Canadian "Snow Birds" who contribute a significant amount to the U.S. economy in the winter months, might consider taking their golf clubs and flip flops elsewhere, which means their loonies and toonies too.

All I really want to know is if they share "intelligence" will the Canadian border people be able to really tell how long I've been out of the country when I return to Canada from the U.S. So, in other words, when I say I've been gone a day, give or take three, they would be able to tell?

Harper and Obama only took a couple of questions from the press. When the Canadian reporter asked President Obama a question and told him that he did not have to answer it in French, the President looked relieved and said something about his French not being that great. Dude, that's how I feel every day...I too get relieved when I call the cable company and reach someone who actually speaks English. Welcome to my world, north of your border.

National Post editorial board: Yes to the North American perimeter

National Post editorial board February 4, 2011 – 9:30 am

At 6,400 kilometres in length, the non-militarized border shared by Canada and the United States is the longest in the world. Until Sept. 11, 2001, moving across it in some places was as simple as crossing the street. In the adjacent towns of Derby Line, Vt., and Stanstead, Que., for instance, you could pass back and forth within the confines of the local library, which was deliberately built on the border itself.

This all changed nine years ago. Border agents properly became more vigilant about potential security threats: Suddenly, contraband cigarette runners and outlet shopaholics were no longer their primary interest. In this post-9/11 world, mandatory passports, NEXUS terminals and FAST cards all became part of the ad hoc security apparatus cobbled together in the campaign to fight terror without hampering legitimate business and tourist travellers.

Now, there is a movement to create a more comprehensive bilateral-security framework. Indeed, the subject is expected to dominate today’s meeting between Barack Obama and Stephen Harper.

Since 9/11, America has gone through several cycles of overheated fretting in regard to the security threat from the north. This week brought a typical instance: U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman, chairman of the Senate’s Homeland Security committee, commented on a report indicating that U.S. security forces provide an “adequate level of security” on only 1% of the Canada-U.S. border. Mr. Lieberman said security challenges were complicated by the fact that “most Canadians do not need a visa to enter the United States.” While not directly advocating visas, Mr. Lieberman added: “I think it is something that we should be talking about with our Canadian neighbours.”

In response, the Obama administration quickly quashed speculation on the issue, while the Canadian federal government flatly rejected any calls even for a discussion about a visa requirement — which of course would cripple Canada’s export-dependent economy overnight. As Immigration Minister Jason Kenney pointed out, “It would be massively problematic from an economic perspective.”

Apart from flying in the face of free trade, a visa requirement also would undercut the close relationship between our two countries. Requiring a visa is an unfortunate necessity in some bilateral contexts — but it is not conducive to international trust and goodwill. Witness the hostility generated by the United Arab Emirates’ recent requirement that Canadian visitors to that country purchase an expensive visa before their travels, or the negative reaction when Canada recently imposed visa requirements on visitors from Mexico and the Czech Republic, as a means to block bogus refugee claimants.

Senator Lieberman was correct, however, when he said that Canada has “more lenient asylum laws and immigration laws than we do here [in the United States]. And that potentially has an effect on us.” Numerous experts, such as former Canadian Immigration Service head James Bissett, have argued on these pages that our bleeding-heart policies in this area constitute a major security threat not only to the United States, but also to our own country.

Thus, instead of making it more difficult for law-abiding Canadian citizens to cross the border into the United States, Canada should make it more difficult for foreign security threats from ending up in our country in the first place. And the best way of doing so is through a co-ordinated security perimeter that protects both countries on the basis of agreed-to standards regarding the entry of personnel and cargo.

This is an issue that extends beyond terrorism. A related complaint heard on Capitol Hill concerns the prevalence of cross-border drug smuggling, particularly of methamphetamines, in part because of more lenient Canadian laws governing the chemicals used in manufacturing the drug. The issue could be addressed by reviewing Canadian laws in this area, and by cracking down on the criminal elements who produce and distribute these substances.

Stephen Harper and Barack Obama will meet today to discuss these issues. And the scuttlebutt is that they will sign an agreement, and strike a committee of bureaucrats, with the aim of putting in place some form of perimeter. This is a good time to be embarking on such a project. Due to recent events, Canada is entering these negotiations from a position of strength: With the crisis in Egypt threatening the security of the world’s oil supply, Americans will be looking north for a secure supply of oil and natural gas.

Detractors claim that a security perimeter would represent a step toward abrogation of our sovereignty. But critics made the same claims about free trade, which enriched us without making us any less sovereign.

A North American security perimeter would be beneficial to the law-abiding citizens of both countries — and bad news for those who would threaten our common safety.

We're getting milked

2011-02-04T07:52:00.003-05:00

I've written in the past (click here) about how confusing it was when we first moved to Montreal when it came to buying milk. I had no idea what to do. And I didn't want to ask. Danielle would come home from school and tell me how "it" worked. I have the process covered now, but each and every time I go to the super market it gets me angry. I will never, ever, complain about the price of dairy in the U.S. again. This is crazy! As you can see from the article below, I'm not the only one. The scoop is -- we pay just about $6 a gallon for milk in our area. Yup! And we have to work for it -- putting the darn plastic bags in the pitcher and all that. Really, that's not a big deal, but it's not like we're paying a lot for packaging.

We've been spending quite a bit of time in the Eastern Townships of Quebec where we ski each weekend. It's a short ride over the border to Vermont. You know how in the U.S. you don't want to do your food shopping at a 7-11 or White Hen because you know you are paying more for convenience? Well, those prices are bargains for us. It's sad when I walk into a Vermont convenience store and feel like I've won the lottery by stocking up on gallons of milk (in plastic containers), chicken, butter and cheese and actually saved money. We always stop at a super market in the U.S. and pick up a turkey or two -- just your average bird can cost $50-$60. Pork is reasonable and then of course there's always rabbit or lamb. (Interestingly, I just read over that post and I thought it was crazy when we were paying 95 cents/litre for gas). Oh, and I can fill up the car with gas on the way home and save a bundle there too -- seriously -- the gas prices yesterday were $1.27 a litre -- with almost four litres to the gallon you can do the math. It's not uncommon for those prices to fluctuate 10 cents/litre from one day to the next so it's a gamble whenever we decide to buy gas in Quebec. We're all about supporting the local economy and all, but this is just crazy.

Quebecers get milked as price increases

Retail price here 40% higher than in rest of Canada

BY ALISON MACGREGOR, THE GAZETTE FEBRUARY 1, 2011

MONTREAL - Quebec families will be hit with higher grocery bills this week, as the retail price of milk increased an average of four cents a litre across the province Monday.

A four-litre package of two-per-cent milk now retails for as much as $7.67 after the increase - significantly more than what consumers pay in other provinces.

While four cents might not seem like a lot, Quebecers have been paying higher milk prices for years and a further increase will put an even bigger strain on consumers' budgets.

Over a year-long period, paying more for milk can have a significant financial impact on a family with growing children.

Canada's Food Guide recommends drinking two cups - 500 millilitres - of milk a day as part of a healthy diet. According to this guide, that would mean a family of four should consume 14 litres of milk per week - or 3 1/2 four-litre bags of two-per-cent milk. At $7.67 per bag, that would work out to a total price of $26.85 per week.

A 2008 Montreal Economic Institute (MEI) study found that a family of four in Quebec paid an extra $300 a year for milk, eggs and poultry as a result of Canada's supply management policies.

Agricultural policy expert Sylvain Charlebois, the author of the aforementioned report, found that the retail price of milk was as much as 40 per cent higher in Quebec than in the rest of Canada.

"Are we penalizing consumers with less means?" asked the associate dean of Guelph University's school of management in an interview. "We are talking about a necessity. For pregnant women, it is really important."

Canada's taxpayer-funded supply management system regulates the production and pricing of milk across the country. Critics argue these policies result in inflated production costs and high retail prices.

A more recent MEI report found the cost of milk production in Canada was the third highest among developed nations, behind only Japan and Norway.

Quebec and Nova Scotia are the only two provinces that regulate the retail price of milk: Nova Scotia sets a minimum retail price; Quebec sets a minimum and maximum retail price.

While consumers deal with the increased price of retail milk; restaurant owners are grappling with a hike in industrial milk prices that took effect Tuesday.

The Canadian Dairy Commission (CDC) has increased the price of industrial milk by 1.5 per cent, to the dismay of many restaurant owners. Industrial milk is used to make cheese, yogurt and ice cream. A price increase means more expensive food staples and increased operating costs for restaurants.

In a recent news release, The Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CRFA) urged the CDC not to go through with a price increase.

"Record-high dairy prices and low disposable incomes are already driving consumers to choose other menu items in our restaurants," Garth Whyte, president and CEO of the CRFA said in a statement.

"This price increase will drive dairy consumption down even further."

As for the jump in retail milk prices in Quebec, the head of a prominent consumer group said the price hike was unnecessary.

Cran, president of the Ottawabased Consumers' Association of Canada in an interview.

Pierre Nadeau, president of the Conseil des industriels laitiers du Quebec, which represents the interests of Quebec dairy producers, said the price increase was needed to cover the rising cost of producing milk: running the machinery, covering fuel costs and paying salaries to the employees of milk production firms.

He acknowledged that "consumer groups can be upset at an increase in price."

"As a consumer, I can understand," he said.

"There are costs to bring milk to the population and the cost is increasing. The farm costs are increasing. The processing and distribution costs are increasing. We think (the price increase) is justified and maybe they think it is not -that is simply the way it is."

Charlebois said Quebec dairy industry players need to recognize and react to broad changes in the marketplace -such as the fact that Quebecers "are drinking less and less milk."

In the past, milk was an important part of the traditional Quebec diet, he noted.

But Quebec has become much more multicultural and a significant number of today's consumers are from cultures where milk is not an important part of the diet.

As a result, he said, the dairy industry needs to figure out ways to "increase demand" and develop innovate products to attract consumers.

In 2008, Statistics Canada found the average Canadian drank 57.7 litres of milk in a year, a 12.3 litre drop from 70 litres in 1988.

amacgregor@montrealgazette.com

more:http://www.montrealgazette.com/Quebecers+milked+price+increases/4200378/story.html#ixzz1CzbaHT4y

the Daily Duke 2.2

2011-02-02T14:03:00.000-05:00

Duke is in his usual spot in the morning looking out the window. Today he's watching the snow fall wondering how his dog friends back in Chicago are taking care of business this morning in the blizzard.

the Daily Duke 2.1

2011-02-01T19:24:00.001-05:00

Duke is exhausted from watching the Weather Channel all day long. He's borrowing a phrase from the Sarah Palin ~~word salad~~, playbook and is having his own "WTF moment." He's all...WTF -- What's the Fuss? It's winter. It snows. He is a Canadian Field Labrador after all.

We're sorry...

2011-02-01T17:06:00.002-05:00

As they say in Canada quite often, "we're sorry." We're sorry to our neighbors down south that you are getting some nasty weather...we're not. While our Chicago friends are getting ready for a blizzard, we're not. It's a bit cold, but it's Canada. To celebrate the weather we are not getting, here's a very funny clip from last week's Rick Mercer Report, one of our favorite shows. Bundle up, stay warm, enjoy the snow day tomorrow. Again, we're sorry.

In training

2011-01-27T14:58:00.000-05:00

We are in the thick of ski season -- in more ways than one. We actually enjoy the snow...mainly because the ski conditions are great and well, we like it. Ask us again in mid-March though. Ski season for us means Special Olympics training. Each and every weekend we are skiing in the Eastern Townships of Quebec getting ready for upcoming competitions. Louis will compete in the Quebec Provincial games in February...and...in March he will compete in the Quebec WINTER games. The Winter games is a gathering of all the winter sports. They will have an opening and closing ceremony, an athlete's village and more. The athletes all sleep in the "village" which is actually a school gymnasium with cots. What fun (for Louis). Paul, who is now an officially sanctioned Special Olympics coach will be in the village as well. Kish and Danielle will stay in the local motel.

We are wrapping up selling raffle tickets to benefit Quebec Special Olympics. The $5 tickets makes you eligible to win a bunch of great prizes...including a trip for two to Greece and a weekend in Quebec City. If you are interested in purchasing tickets, email us. We have a limited number left. Thanks so much to everyone who has purchased tickets. We sold a lot and the proceeds will benefit Quebec Special Olympics and our ski team.

Enjoy the snow or the sunshine wherever you are.

the daily Duke 1.27

2011-01-27T14:49:00.000-05:00

Duke really doesn't understand what all the fuss is about with the snowy weather. He's okay with it and thinks it's kind of cool...and he means that literally.

the daily Duke 1.26

2011-01-26T18:01:00.001-05:00

Let's just say it's been very cold here in Montreal and Duke has spent about a week on the sofa. He has a lot of energy and he enjoyed every minute of a walk in the woods. If you could only see his tail wag in a still photo. He was so happy, he gets two Daily Dukes today.

A cross-border kerfuffle

2011-01-25T20:45:00.000-05:00

From the news in Canada...

A cross-border kerfuffle over a popular chocolate treat nearly cost a Winnipeg woman a $300 fine and saddled her with a bureaucratic headache.

Lind Bird was recently stopped at the U.S. border and selected for a random search of her vehicle. She was warned she could have faced a fine after the customs official found — and seized — her $2 Kinder Surprise egg as illegal contraband. Bird learned U.S. authorities have banned the candy because they come with a plastic toy inside that could, if eaten, choke a small child.

"It's just a chocolate egg," Bird said. "And they were making a big deal. They said 'if you were caught with this across the border you would get charged a $300 fine,'" she said.

"It's ridiculous. It's so ridiculous," she added.
The U.S. takes catching illegal Kinder candy seriously, judging by the number of them they've confiscated in the last year. Officials said they've seized more than 25,000 of the treats in 2,000 separate seizures.

"They have been determined to present … a choking hazard to young children," said Mike Milne, a spokesman for the U.S. department of customs and border protection. Milne said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration supports the Kinder Surprise ban.

As trivial as the border seizure may seem, Bird said the U.S. government has sent her a seven-page letter asking her to formally authorize the destruction of her seized Kinder egg.

"I thought it was a joke. I had to read it twice. But they are serious," she said.

The letter states if Bird wishes to contest the seizure, she'll have to pay $250 for it to be stored as the two sides wrangle over it.

Wow! Thankfully this didn't happen to me over the past weekend when I crossed the border in Vermont on my way to Maine to meet some friends for a scrap booking weekend. I got to the U.S. border stop, blasting the Oldies station, which was playing R.E.M. and David Bowie (since when is that Oldies?) and I got the golden ticket...the random border check and was asked to pull into the parking lot and go into the office...all while the U.S. border dude had my passport, which any traveler will concur, is un-nerving.

So I go in and am asked several questions and after I answered that I was not a diabetic and therefore they would not find random needles in my car, I was told to sit down that they needed to search my vehicle. After looking up and seeing a rather nice and large photo of Janet Napalatano and another of Barack Obama, I wanted to say "Oh for the love of...of.... something," but I noticed the border dude's gun and big ego and simply said "all righty then, I'll just have a seat." And they searched my car. And they didn't find anything of interest as I expected.

Coming back into Canada is usually more of an experience. Not because I'm not hiding printer cartridges or one or four bottles of wine or anything. This time though I was prepared. I had my receipt and was under the duty total and was ready to show it off and answer all of the questions with the confidence of an innocent tourist. I had a few items from Target and of course three, I mean one bottle of California wine. I like the over-priced European wine we get here in Quebec, but come on, sometimes a girl just wants a cheap bottle of California wine. For the first time in over two years the only question the Canadian guy asked me was where I lived and how long I have been out of the country. That's it.

"Don't you want to see my receipt?" I asked.

"No, have a nice day," he said.

And for once I was prepared.

I turned up the Oldies station again and listened to my favorite Fleetwood Mac song.

Good news for Canada's economy

2011-01-14T07:02:00.000-05:00

I'm just sayin'. It's about damn time. Although, we have to wait until 2013. But...YAY! Basically, Target is acquiring a local discount-type retailer here called Zellers. This is really good news for the Canadian economy as the Pisani family will certainly help out with that.

"It" happens in Canada too

2011-01-13T14:54:00.001-05:00

Just two days ago I wrote about gun violence. I wrote about how what's foremost on the minds of Canadians is why people in the United States have and use guns. Little did I know two days ago. Just this morning I got word that a fellow American Women's Club board member lost her 22-year-old son last night. He was murdered outside of his duplex apartment. He was shot. With a gun. This was the first homicide for Montreal in 2011.

The area of town he lived is Westmount, the same area where Danielle's school is located. Having someone murdered at gun point in Westmount would be like the same thing happening in downtown Naperville, for those Illinois friends. Other than petty crime, it's just not a crime-ridden area. While they don't know the circumstances just yet, it's devastating for this city and of course my fellow board member.

How are the guns getting into this country where the laws are so strict? Likely from our neighbors down south and via the borders somehow. Come to think of it, I've never been asked if I'm bringing firearms across the border; not that anyone carrying them would say anything. It always seems to me that the Customs agents are more concerned with whether or not I'm bringing a new iPad across, or God forbid, a bottle of tequila. And then of course collecting duties and taxes.

Certainly there is crime all over the world. It's just that this doesn't happen all that often here, and when you know the mother of the victim, it's a different story.

the Daily Duke 1.11

2011-01-11T22:11:00.000-05:00

It was New Year's Day. In Quebec. In Canada. And this dog went for a swim.

Oh Arizona

2011-01-10T17:56:00.000-05:00

This editorial cartoon is from Canada's Globe and Mail. I sincerely hope I'm not violating any copyright laws.
If I am, like a Canadian, I say "I'm sorry."

Arizona is in the news here in Canada. What happened in my home town of Tucson, at the Safeway we have frequented, is on the minds of Canadians today. It's hard to get away from it. I would say that the debate on whether or not political rhetoric influenced the shooter has been surprisingly equal. I've heard talk show hosts go on and on about how the guy was just crazy. I've heard (and read) others go on about how the nasty political climate had to affect this deranged "kid." However, what's on the mind of most Canadians? Guns. They don't get why on earth people to the south need to carry weapons. If someone has a gun around here, it's for hunting or because they live in the far north woods and need when they go chop firewood for protection against a bear...not a neighbor or an immigrant.

We own guns. I inherited a .357 magnum (think Dirty Harry) from my dad. Paul has hunting guns. But, we left them in the States. We have no use for them here in Canada, nor did we want to deal with the paperwork. (We were more interested in having the movers pack and hide a year's worth of Bombay Sapphire and Patron Tequila. That's more important).

The gun thing...that's a bit foreign to Canadians. After watching the horrible news from my home state over and over again, I'm starting to think more like a Canadian.

Bonne Année

2011-01-04T08:23:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year! A few days late. We've spent the last week or so at a rental cottage near our ski hill enjoying a wood stove, being somewhat unplugged, watching movies, playing games (the kids actually played Monopoly!) and skiing of course. Danielle and Paul spent four days in a class to become certified ski instructors. They spent the four days, seven hours a day, in ski boots. After the four days of instruction, skiing and testing, they are both Certified Canadian Ski Instructors! It's a huge accomplishment. Both will use their new skills this winter in the Special Olympics ski program and they can both earn some extra cash if they want teaching lessons down the road. Always good to have a back-up plan, eh?

Paul's new word of the year is "Peeee-vot" as in pivot which is what his French instructor kept saying about his skiing..."Peeee-vot."

In the middle of all that, we celebrated our 20th anniversary...it's been a wild ride.

the Daily Duke 12.4

2011-01-04T08:10:00.000-05:00

Duke is looking for a lame-duck. No, not really. He's watching Louis and Paul leave our little rental cottage and he's a bit concerned. Who is going to feed him table scraps now?

the Daily Duke 12.27

2010-12-27T19:43:00.000-05:00

Duke gets ready for a ski day.

Ready for football...and skiing

2010-12-27T19:39:00.001-05:00

We're enjoying some time in the Eastern Townships of Quebec skiing and hanging out. Louis was dressed appropriately for skiing and of couse tonight's Saints game.

Merry Christmas from the Pisani Family!

2010-12-25T10:30:00.002-05:00

the Daily Duke 12.25

2010-12-25T10:28:00.001-05:00

Christmas morning...it doesn't get any better than this for a dog.