A worthy export

It may be a rather futile effort in the context of the U.S.' skewed public discourse, but a website pioneered by Frank McKenna is doing its best to make sure Americans at least have access to the truth about Canada.

(A)ccording to the website, there are a lot of myths that still need busting. Among them:
— That 90 per cent of Canadian marijuana is smuggled into the United States. It was actually about 2 per cent in 2003.
— That Canada has a lot of illegal immigrants. Actual estimates range from 60,000 to 200,000 compared with 12 million in the U.S.
— Canada caused the electricity blackout of Aug. 14, 2003. It began in Ohio.
— Homicide rates are as high in Canada as in the U.S. They are three times lower.

Of course, the bad news is that our new PM seems eager to import a rather large dose of Bush-style senseless militarism. But at the very least the flow of information isn't entirely one-sided at this point - either in its direction, or in its accuracy (or lack thereof).