Just Returned from Canada

[DODI]

For the first time it was harder getting into Canada. We had to give them the kid's birth certificates which they reveiwed and matched with the kids, asked the usual questions and we were on our way. We had a wonderful stay in Quebec -- Hydro Quebec has it's very own grid. We went to Ottawa for a visit, thankfully on Wednesday, if it had been one day later I think we may still be in Ottawa. I asked at the Parliment Hill if they would consider invading the States now, being as we have no military around. They said no, Canada's military is only used for peacekeeping. I found many reasons to emigrate there -- good medical, college for kiddies would be affordable, the people are wonderful and the country is beautiful and they seem to have jobs.

We came back into the states via I-91 in Vermont, didn't know what the situation would be on I-87 in New York. The guard didn't even ask to see our driver's licenses. We had no wait at the boarder. It was great. It was fun to watch the Toronto news on the blackout with Bloomberg blaming Canada in true South Park fashion. The Canadian newsman basically said "whatever". If you need a vacation idea I strongly recommend Canada!

[gully]

1. Headed to Canada in Sept ey?

Sure I'll want to stay *sigh*

[magnolia]

2. My husband and I...

...just bought a summer cottage in Nova Scotia, to escape the unbearable Virginia heat. I love it up there. They have the best recycling program. They plan on zero waste by 2005. Here in the U.S. zero waste isn't anywhere on the horizon.

[inthecorneroverhere]

4. Nova Scotia

Summer cottage? Hmmmm...that beautiful, quiet seacoast sounds like an eventual 'year-round' possibility, after a little bit of shopping at ones' favorite coat-and-boots spot...

Here's my best wishes that the power will come on soon for friends in Ottawa and Montreal. My personal guess is the failure occurred at a transmission site (not a power plant) somewhere around Lake Erie on the U.S. side).

[newyawker99]

8. Congrats magnolia!! 500 posts

:toast:

[mitchtv]

3. I saw the mayor of Toronto in tv tonite saying...

"have you ever heard the US take responsibility for anything?"

[inthecorneroverhere]

5. I think it's on U.S. side in Ohio or upstate NY

See my above. Engineers have been harping about the fragility of the Lake Erie grid. My guess is the failure occurred in Ohio or upstate NY somewhere in the deregulated U.S. side of the grid, in a transmission area.

It's not in Pennsylvania, since very few outages occurred there. I don't think it's in the NY City area, either. I think it's in the Upstate U.S. area in an area of un-repaired transmission lines.

The generation plants are still regulated pretty closely, but transmission and distribution has been deregulated, first by Ray-gun, then by shrub I, and further by our current *pest AKA *shrub II. I think the failure is probably in a distribution facility that may have not been updated since the era of highwaters, bellbottoms, and polyester. :silly: :silly:

(For those short on intuition, I mean the 1970s....)

[PATRICK]

6. Two sides of the Niagara

Canadian government owned businesses. Government owned power utilities. Shining, porsperous, growing. Across the river it is not exactly blight. The greenery is beautiful. There is an ugly gray balloon that goes up and down and private enterprise gristle and ancient rotting bones of old state run cheapies. Where does THEIR money go? The parks and public attractions(stores too) of Niagara Falls Canada are self sufficient without taxpayer money since 1855. Pataki had rpromised to rebuild some things. Nothing done. Same story I suppose for the slightly less sexy power grid. Pataki DID build tourist sites along the more vote rich, useless Erie Canal though.

Before the Civil War you could cross the Mississippi from the free north, alive, industrious growing and vital to the sleepy dead and stultified slave state on the other side. Sometimes the contrast is that close, that easy, and nor excuses or rationale can obfuscate the obvious.

[PATRICK]

7. Oh yeah, and just got back from the Falls

Nice that the average Canadians are so polite about the Americans lamely trying to pass the buck. WE had power and air-conditioning, bless my serendiptious planning.