When I was young, I mean under ten years old, my family crossed the Blue Water Bridge from Port Huron, Michigan to Point Edward, Ontario. Our ultimate destination was Niagara Falls.

I found the trip to be long and tiresome, as my position was always in the back seat crammed between two other brothers. I had more siblings, but by the time I was ten, half of them had moved out.

The rest of Canada whipped by the car window looking very much like America. They did have funny-looking money though. I noted this after buying a Canada Dry ginger ale and getting change from my dad's five dollar bill in pink money with a woman on it. He said I could keep the change. I figured at that time that this meant the bills were worthless to him.

My biggest memory of that first trip to our northern neighbor was that we had to be checked in and out of that country by border guards. That made me feel guilty even though I wasn't doing anything illegal. I guess I just don't like being suspected.

Since that experience, I have returned to Canada on different occasions with others. I 've been to Windsor to see Phantom of the Opera, Toronto to see Fiddler on the Roof, and Stratford (not on Avon) to see a couple Shakespeare plays with high school students.

I hope we will always have a good relationship with Canada.
 

Author Notes

Image from Google