Don T-
I didn't catch the opening cerimonies and missed this presentation so thanks.
I have always liked Canada. I went on a fishing/camping trip with an old high school buddy back in the mid 80s where we met in Montreal. He flew from Florida where he lives and I drove a Ford Ranger pickup with a camper shell and canoe from North Carolina. I remember it was in May and we traveled through the Quebec area on a very wide dirt road that went on and on. We soon realized why the roads were so wide when we started passing logging trucks. Those things were huge. We fished different places as we came across them by day and froze our butts off at night. We went as far north as Chibougamau then returned to Montreal via 167 (I think). We wanted to see a moose in the wild but never did. The one thing that will always stand out in memory is making sandwiches on the roadside. The humidity was so low (opposite of what we were both use to) that the bread would get crunchy before you could get the darn thing made. There was water everywhere and we caught many fish. The scenery was unbelievable and we both had the time of our lives.
It was a short, 9 day, 3000 mile trip that I will always remember and cherish. Being two southern boys from birth we were like fish out of water.
I can certainly understand your pride in being Canadian. It's a beautiful place for sure.