How do rural Canada and rural America compare/contrast?

[Cornerguy1]

Getting off the plane in Calgary from Houston, you'd think you had gotten off in Texas.

LOL. So you didn't visit in January then?

[macmeal]

Originally Posted by Wiggins

One thing that has intrigued me ever since getting a Canadian in my family (my dear spouse) is that the road maps show many more roads and populated centers all along the border, even away from the larger cities. But look south of the border and it is barren, very sparsely populated. That was my impression on a round-trip drive from Chicago to Winnipeg too; south of the border there was nothing, north of the border was all sorts of small hamlets and towns.

And yes, there is so much similarity between Texas and Alberta. Many of the same oil industry companies have facilities in both places. Getting off the plane in Calgary from Houston, you'd think you had gotten off in Texas.

All joking aside...(yes, my posts were in fun) I've noticed that same thing.

I've only been TWICE across the northern 'tier' of the US, and ONCE across Canada..so obviously, this is only an impression. But yes it's my impression, too, that there is just more "going on" in the Canadian Prairies than in the nearby US Upper Great Plains.

My theory? I would imagine it's just 'geography'...for while the 'Southern tier' of Canada is the "best"...(most usable..most productive....most useful, land in Canada, on 'The Prairies' or otherwise), the 'Upper tier' of the USA, by contrast, is our HARSHEST land...the coldest, the remotest, and in some ways the HARDEST area in which to attract business, immigrants, or even develop most agriculture.

The 'Northern tier' of the US, despite its great soil, has possibly the harshest climate in the nation....meanwhile, the Southern tier of Canada, with the SAME conditons, represents the "best" agricultural land in Canada....a large part of which has no agriculture at all.

Just my 'theory', but I suppose that The Canadians have dne a more thorough job of 'developing' their Great Plains because they have relatively little OTHER crop land, while in the US, the 'Upper Plains' get little attention, because most of the US has 'better' conditions, and life is easier there.

As far as the "Texas/ Alberta" connection, I think there's something to that. Alberta is 'cattle country', like Texas, as WELL as "oil country"....and I believe that there was a heavy 'Texas' influence upon BOTH industries back in the early days. At one time, someone told me that a lot of folks in Edmonton and Calgary have Texan family ties....at least, enough to make a sort of 'mark' on these places. How true this is, I can't say....but it sounds reasonable.

[jungeon]

Originally Posted by gdude

In rural America people are close with one another and are very open with others, have high rates of attending church-always willing to lend a hand to a neigbor/friend in need etc... Would you find this in rural Canada? what are the differences of Rural Canada and rural America?

No there actually really different. Only alberta is remotely similar and thats because those black coybows who escaped slavery or segregation came up north and introduced the cowboy culture to Alberta. So Alberta is basically more like a Western state(wyoming/montana type) but with 2 big cities Calgary aka houston north and Edmonton.

The rest of rural Canada is way different than america. For example there are not many churches and few people even go if any for that reason, just because traditionally Canadian farm land has been not very productive, so farmers need more land to grow equal amount of food. Hence things are wayyyy more spread out. The most religious part of Canada is the inner city evangilicals and the suburban catholics.

I think that people any where in Canada will lend a helping hand if you approach them right. Ie. big smile and be really buddy buddy with them when you first me and they can be very helpful. But if you approach them with a normal face maybe less helpful