Top Gear

Great British exports - name them....

Jaguar perhaps, Tartan, Marmalade, Custard.... but it is unlikely that TV motoring programmes would make your list, however I am beginning to realise that one of the UK's most popular exports is the BBC show Top Gear. It is occasionally shown on the subscription channel BBC Canada but is also available on You Tube.... I often meet Canadians who ask me about the programme and tell me how much they love it. The guys I was talking to last night could not only name all the presenters and describe all the challenges in detail but could also tell you which episode of which season was which...........

Canadian News from Abroad

A few recent mentions of Canada in the foreign press:

Western Canada - Centre of Organised Crime? You read it here first

Why there is an accent on policing in Calgary

Still pretty cold - climate change in the North

Personally, I am not sure that the stereotype of Canada as practically crime free holds true - I think that violent crime levels here in Edmonton are actually quite high. Maybe it's just that a more optimistic outlook on life in general means that Canadians are less worried by the crime in their communities and consider crime levels in a better perspective. I also think the reporting of crime by the local press is quite low key and this may be a factor. A recent stabbing outside the city centre library made it to page 5 of the Edmonton Journal - the front page was taken up by a residential planning dispute and the Oilers on their way home after missing out on the playoffs...

Flying Penguins

Well, I expect the British crowd are fed up with this already - but I enjoyed it! Thanks to Calgary Grit for this