My grandparents on my Dad's side originate from Prince Edward Island in Canada, and, I have somehow become "Canadian" as far as my friends are concerned. But, I can't help that I love Canada. The people are nice, the cities are safe, Montreal might be my favorite North American city, and you get 30 cents on the dollar. Not to mention that the drinking age is 18, which, doesn't matter now, but mattered when I was 19.

Anyway, Sportsguy loves Canada too, so I'm passing along what he has to say.

Canada might be 15 years behind the United States in every respect -- this would explain the ongoing affection for Bryan Adams -- although that time-warp factor is also one of the reasons Canada remains my second-favorite country behind Australia. (Some of the others: the superb national anthem, Bobby Orr, the NHL draft, Molson commercials, the Edmonton crowd, the city of Montreal, John Candy, Canadian money, Canada Cup '72, the sneaky sense of humor from every Canadian not associated with the NHL, Phil Hartman, the Rougeau Brothers, the sweeping love of beer, Don Cherry, the nickname "the Great One," the way they kicked the crap out of the Soviets during the famous Canada-USSR junior hockey bench-clearer in '87, Norm MacDonald, and gambling at any Canadian casino because you always feel like you have 40 percent more money than you actually do. This should be its own column.)