The 42nd

Mainland Canada’s southernmost tip is parallel to Rome and although there are no ancient monuments, the ecosystem is as old as the last ice age when glaciers slid into Lake Erie 11,000 years ago. Point Pelee National Park (pelée being a French word that means “bald”) is on the 42nd parallel and it pokes into the shallowest of the Great Lakes like Pinocchio’s nose. Varieties of plants, animals, insects and birds found within its bounds are unique in the country. It’s a complex ecosystem.

Walking through the Carolinian forest of Point Pelee

To reach the Point you drive to a little town called Leamington, Ontario. Leamington is known as the tomato capital of Canada and the tourist office on the main street is housed in an enormous tomato replica – undoubtedly a beefsteak. It comfortably holds two people who peer out of its window and greet you, offer advice on what to see, where to go and how to get there.

In comparison

Beaufort range, Vancouver Island, Canada

In my hometown,
on the west coast,
the mountains are big
and the people small –
in comparison.

None of my business

My dear American neighbours*,

Monster.com, a job search site, has seen a 50% spike in the number of you looking for jobs in Canada this year. There’s no wall to stop you, of course, because long before the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), we had a porous border and folks from both sides flowed like Great Lake waters back and forth. But as the Great Pumpkin rises in America, I’d like you who are considering jumping the 49^th parallel to move from Tribeca to Toronto or Vero Beach to Vancouver to bear in mind a few things. You might not notice it right away, but we are different from you. For instance: