G-prime wrote:
Saying Canada is best represented by Niagara falls, is just saying the idiots who took this survey have never BEEN to Niagara Falls
Amen. Here's another thing, coming from someone who lives in N.F. Ont, as well as someone with basic observation and analytical skills (ie. that of a monkey). Niagara Falls does not represent Canada as far as Canadians are concerned. Niagara Falls represents what businesses and park agencies want tourists to see as Canada. In fact, I think we need to take a little tour.
If you're coming from the United States, you will likely cross over the Rainbow Bridge, which is just a few hundred metres from the Canadian Horseshoe Falls itself. Here is the skyline you will see: tall hotels, big casinos and bright lights. Little Vegas. As you pass through Canadian customs and the tall mast with the big Canadian flag, the first thing you will notice is a big Planet Hollywood, it's red sparkling lights and round dome set in its tacky pillars with capitals of fake palm hurting your brain as you come to grips with the fact that this is supposed to be another country. Wow, welcome to Canada!
If you go straight, Highway 420 can lead you to the QEW and as far away from the Falls as you could want (recommended).
If you go left, a strip of American stores and the usual Canadian souvenirs (that's right, all the stuffed-animal beavers in mountie dress, geniunue authentic Canadian maple syrup, and fake Aboriginal carvings money can buy). There's a painted statue of a cartoonish-mountie you can get your picture taken with. Farther up on the corner is the Marvel Megacity, the MGM something or other, and the WWE Piledriver amusement ride. The more you keep going on the left route, the closer you get to the actual falls - a natural and beautiful wonder, tainted by the looming Fallsview Casino, a Starbucks, and at some point a Wolfgang Puck. Try and catch a glimpse at the historic Loretta spiritual centre, which is being torn down later so the Sheraton Fallsview can have more parking space.
If you go right, you can take a lovely scenic route down the Niagara Parkway, a well-maintained and beautiful roadway with lush foliage, a golf course, botanical gardens, a butterfly conservatory, and several nature trails into the Niagara Gorge. However, on the way there, you'll see the sad streets of Downtown Niagara Falls, the most neglected, scummy, crime-ridden (granted it's per-capita), abandoned downtown I've ever seen, and I've been to Rochester, NY. Not far from that is a big souvenir depot, meant to look like an old log trading post. The eye is also treated to large statues of moose and mounties, beavers and other "authentic" Canadian marketing ploys.
The majority of tourists are American and as such Niagara Falls presents a watered-down version of Canada, in a sense selling the Canadian stereotype. It's not just a tour of the Falls: it's supposed to be a tour of an entire people itself, like a World Showcase nightmare from Epcot Centre. Probably the most perverse example of this is the Totem Pole Park, along the Niagara Parkway. For seven bucks, you can view a showcase of totem poles by
Korean Frank Kim, who carves logs into the images of dutiful British generals (what an authentic Aboriginal image!), pseudo-tribal faces, and authentic native pop culture characters like Bart Simpson and Spongebob.
Ever wonder why a lot of the First Nations don't care much for white people?
The majority of Americans you will meet are friendly, though somewhat naive about our country. But the ones who are ignorant as fucks take ignorance to a form that can only be described as an art. Try not to burst a blood vessel when an American asks you if he's in Canada yet or if he comments on your infinitely amusing Mmonopoly money.
All jobs in Niagara Falls are in the service sector. This means the majority are low-paying. Most of the kids who go off to school don't come back because job opportunities for anything outside business is lacking. The higher-paying jobs are often filled on a who-you-know basis.
Also, Niagara Falls is terribly, terribly white and racism is still prevalent in varying degrees among all social classes.
The problem with a poll like this is also the same problem we have whenever Canada votes. It's why a lot of eastern and western provinces have considered seperation. The majority of Canadians live in Ontario and Quebec. Thefore, what the people of these to provinces usually vote for is usually what gets picked. And most of us are pretty ignorant of the rest of our country. Picking Niagara Falls couldn't have been a better example of that ignorance.
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