As McCain visits Canada today, millions of them are down here!

Last summer at a labor forum in Chicago, Sen. Barack Obama, going after the anti-free-trade union vote, promised that as president he would take up numerous serious treaty issues with the president of Canada.

Alas for the freshman senator, as much as many Americans think that Canada is so much like the United States (and feel that's a compliment to say), Canada does not have a president. It has a prime minister. (By the way, what's his name?*)

President. Prime minister. What's the difference, right, in the world's largest bilateral trading relationship? A little more than a billion dollars a day going back and forth.

This morning the Republican Party's presidential nominee-to-be, Sen. John McCain, travels to the capital of Canada (no, it's not Toronto).

So The Ticket decided to explore a number of other things that Americans don't know about Canada, like so many of these familiar faces on TV, the big screen, the radio.

Thanks to our industrious colleague Patrick Day, we've assembled a photo gallery here of a few folks you probably didn't know were Canadian -- and some secrets about their politics. (Even though they're not U.S. citizens, it's really illegal for them to donate to American politicians.)

So many people in American society, especially around Los Angeles, are famous but not as being Canadian. Many of them are pretty funny folks. (They also spell and talk funny, like humour and rumour, and people being in hospital. Their Thanksgiving is in October, if you can believe that. They can only afford three downs in football up there. And how long has it been since a Canadian NHL team won the Stanley Cup?)

OK, here's a few northern names for breakfast: Michael J. Fox, Matthew Perry, Andrea Martin, Catherine O'Hara, Eugene Levy, Leslie Nielsen, Mike Myers, Lorne Michaels -- who invented and still runs "Saturday Night Live" -- that bald weird guy Paul Shaffer ,who leads Letterman's band, and that other bald guy who gives away millions in briefcases, Howie Mandel. Speaking of giving stuff away, Alex Trebek on "Jeopardy!" and Monty Hall from "Let's Make a Deal." All Canucks.

Keifer Sutherland (Dad Donald too), Keanu Reeves, John Candy, Peter Jennings, Christopher Plummer, Paul Anka, Norman Jewison, Ivan Reitman. Brendan Fraser and Margaret Atwood. For old-timers, Raymond Burr, Walter Pidgeon, Raymond Massey, Lorne Greene, Rod Cameron, Mack Sennett, Jack Warner, Louis B. Mayer, Jay Silverheels and Chief Dan George. Canadians all.

The original America's Sweetheart, Gloria Pickford, was actually Canadian, as was Superman's girlfriend (Margot Kidder), the original King Kong's love (Fay Wray) and James Bond's forever-thwarted love, Miss Moneypenny (Lois Maxwell).

So the countries have been bound closely together by culture as well as geography and history. (Americans remember the British burning Washington and the White House in the War of 1812, but they forget that was in retaliation for the Americans sacking Toronto, then called York.)

Since 9/11, Canadians have quietly paid a dear price in terms of lives lost for fighting next to their next-door neighbors -- or neighbours -- in Afghanistan, something few Americans realize and McCain, the former POW, must surely appreciate in his speech today. Outside of the grand old Chateau Laurier hotel in downtown Ottawa, McCain won't see much of Canada, which is 10% larger than the United States with but 10% of the population.

But what likely matters invisibly in the Canadian mind today will be the nonpolitical fact that while the younger U.S. presidential candidate who perhaps most Canadians would intuitively favor for president considers visiting a faraway place like Iraq for the first time in a few years, the older would-be president from Arizona pays at least a day's worth of attention and respect to the nation that has and will continue to play a far larger role in American life. Even if like so many of its famous citizens, it's not all that famous as Canadian, eh?

Allright now, click on the photo of who-is-that-anyway and take The Ticket's little photo tour of the politics of some other famous unknown Canadians.

--Andrew Malcolm

(* Canada's prime minister is Stephen Harper.)

Comments

[Jon]

It is the FAIRMONT Chateau Laurier, a great hotel!

[Dr. Banks]

I Was teaching a graduate school course in a program my university operates in Vancouver, BC, a delightful city with over 2 million people living in its Metro area. Because I am an American man of substantial girth, leaning over to pick up some dropped papers caused me to split my tousers. In NYC and the rest of the USA my size pants are found in any Dept. store; not in Vancouver. The Big & Tall shop I finally located was attended by a pleasant tall man who, when I approached him said, "How may I help you; what part of the States are you from?" Because I am virtually accent free, I inquired as to how he knew I was from the "States". His reply was a gesture with arched, outstreached arms, as if describing Santa to a space alien. Those people are too damn thin!! They hike. They cycle. Even though they have taxis, one does not stop for you every time you raise your right arm. It is a conspiracy of fitness.

Yet, there is fine dining in Vancouver's better restaurants, where, after several visits, I am known by sight, if not name,

I suggest an immediate annexation of Canada. A new flag, with 50 stars (57 stars if Obama wins) and 9 little maple leaves. We fatten them up to normal American-Mall size and install MRI technology in all their local hospitals to keep them from stampeeding across the new state borders. (if Obama wins, the MRI machines can be taken from elderly US patients, a result of rationing necessary under "Universal Obamacare" mandates.)

[Will]

I didn't know that Canada had a president.

[Mac]

Let's not forget Rich Little, Dan Aykroyd, Rick Moranis, Phil Hartman, Jim Carrey, Glenn Gould, Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, Robbie Robertson, Joni Mitchell, k.d. lang, James Cameron, David Cronenberg, Jack Kerouac ... and MacIntosh apples!

[mike]

Hayden Christensen, Neve Campbell, Jennifer Tilley, Eric McCormack, Corey Haim, Norm Mcdonald (Norm show), Devon Sawa, Ellen Page, Kristen Kreuk, Matthew Perry, Keannu Reeves, Joshua Jackson, Alexander Graham Bell is buried in Canada, James Naismith, Phil Hartman, Joe Shuster (superman), Samuel Goldwyn (Landed in Canada after leaving Europe), Todd McFarlane (spawn), James Doohan.

Canada's population is close to 34 million now (could be 35 million) which means that the US has 8-9 times more people not 10.

[Christina West]

First Iraqi statehood, then we go to Iran - Canada, you're next! Onward toward victory!

http://www.womenforjohnmccain.com/

[BlueBerry Pick'n]

If Canadians talked about Americans like that, we'd get lynched.

So, I understand you lost your Right to Privacy today. Interesting. From what I can gather, no Americans are even talking about that much less mentioned that the Rest of the World might be a little put out that Americans didn't even care they were giving it up themselves, much less that they're spying on the REST of the Globe.

"America", the gift that keeps on giving.

I challenge all readers to ask your friends: "what is WHINSEC? ...& how long has the US Congress sponsored its activities?"
& what do you know about the "Security & Prosperity Partnership"?

I'll give you a hint: calling it a 'New American Century' doesn't mean *you* benefit. There is no 'we' in corruption.

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BlueBerry Pick'n
can be found @
ThisCanadian com
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"We, two, form a Multitude" ~ Ovid.
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"Silent Freedom is Freedom Silenced"
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[BlueBerry Pick'n]

Few people noticed when Abraham Lincoln was played by Canadian Raymond Massey.

┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄
BlueBerry Pick'n
can be found @
ThisCanadian com
┄┄
"We, two, form a Multitude" ~ Ovid.
┄┄
"Silent Freedom is Freedom Silenced"
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[Peter (Toronto)]

I think her name was Mary Pickford. Other than that, very nice piece.

[Madison Bouvier]

Dearest Mike, Canada's population is only 33,390,141 not 35 million as you apparently fantasize about. Using census numbers, the United States is approximately 9.11 times bigger. The US is bigger, what is your point??

[Ken]

Mike's point, is that like most Americans, you are ultra-sensitive to any suggestion than anyone else is 'bigger' than you.