Like Obama, I too love Canada. Growing up in Williamsville, outside
of Buffalo, Canada was a constant presence—from the trips to the beaches and
amusement park at Sherkston, to the occasional forays to Niagara Falls, to the
television stations streaming in different shows and lots of hockey. And, of
course, when I became of legal age, the Canadian beers that were a mainstay of
our local bars—Labatt, Molson, O’Keefe. Since we’ve lived in Vermont, our
family has made many trips to Canada—usually the short trip to Montreal,
sometimes just Sheila and me, other times with Faye and Isabel. We enjoyed a
wonderful two week vacation to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, and Sheila
joined me for several days at a conference in Vancouver. But I had never been
to Ottawa—nor had Sheila or Faye. (Isabel went with her 6th grade
class from Bristol Elementary, before everyone needed passports.)
