Posts with the American tag

Barris Beat

Entre Amis. Between Friends.

Written by Ted Barris on . 1 Comment
Canadian and American flags flying near the Ambassador Bridge at the Canada-U.S. border crossing in Windsor, Ont. Cdn Press

It was July 1, back in 1966. I was a teenager working for tuition money at my uncle’s restaurant in Baltimore. I was wearing a T-shirt with the red Maple Leaf flag on it (it had become the symbol on our national flag the year before) and a customer at that Double-T Diner in Maryland asked me, “How come you’re wearing that red Maple Leaf on your shirt?”

“I’m Canadian. It’s Canada Day, our national holiday,” I said, “kind of like your July 4.”

He nodded as if he understood, but I quickly realized he didn’t. (more…)

Barris Beat

Pros and Cons of Stay-cationing

Written by Ted Barris on . Leave a comment
When the corn-on-the-cob disappears at the local grocer store, it can mean only one thing!

In recent weeks, I’ve taken to walking early in the morning. Every day. I follow a number of routes around town, each about five or six kilometres in length. The walks – sometimes I jog – remind me of the times back at high school when I would run 10 or 15 kilometres with the cross-country team, without even batting an eye. Anyway, one day last week, an acquaintance greeted me during my walk. “Why so early in the day?” he asked.

“Beat the heat, for one thing,” I said. “And because there’s nobody around.” (more…)

Barris Beat

Socialism! The devil you say?

Written by Ted Barris on . Leave a comment
“Red Scare” poster of the Joe McCarthy era.

We have finally discovered something President Trump fears. “Here in the United States, we are alarmed by the new calls to adopt socialism in our country,” he said last week in his State of the Union address.

And his audience of Senators and House representatives booed.

“We are born free and we will stay free,” the President said. “Tonight, we renew our resolve that America will never be a socialist country.” (more…)