During last winter’s Olympic games we kept hearing coverage about how nice and friendly Canadians are. We’ve met a few over the years and have never been given reason to doubt the stereotype. Visiting a large Canadian port like Halifax, however, gave us the chance to experience Canucks en masse; and they really are nice! For one thing, everybody — and I mean everybody — stops their vehicles for pedestrians at crosswalks. We saw a big ol’ 18-wheeler come to a complete halt just to let one single walker amble across. People in Indiana are pretty nice, too, but until now I always thought eighteen wheelers don’t stop for nuthin’ smaller than a dump truck.
Perhaps the jaunty crosswalk man has something to do with it. As our new friend (and husband of Shannon’s partner in librarian crime) Lance pointed out, this little lighted guy looks like he has a place to go, a purpose in life, and a spring in his step:
If that’s the iconic image of a Canadian pedestrian flashing through every driver’s mind, it’s no wonder they’re willing to hit the brakes.
The post office boxes in Maple Leaf Land are also worth stopping to notice. How stylish. How colorful. How difficult for would-be taggers to mark with noticeable graffiti.
Not yet convinced? Peep this. The public trash bins in Halifax have recycling slots on the sides and solar-powered compactors for non-recyclable trash in the middle. These Canadians are friendly to both humans and the environment.
Thanks, Canada, for jumpstarting our voyage around the world with your niceties and hospitality. Thanks, too, for the Timbits! Now that your neighborliness is confirmed we’ll have to schedule another visit when we get back to the U.S.
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