November 30, 2004
Canada and US erase one international irritant
Relations between Canada and the United States are a little thorny at the moment. Canadian Steel, beef and softwood lumber continue to be the subject of American bans or hefty duties, Canadians overwhelmingly disapprove of the actions of the American President in Iraq and a Canadian MP has made America-bashing a spectator sport.
So with US President Bush set to visit Canada for the first time as President, you might have feared that he and Prime Minister Paul Martin might have little to agree on when they meet later today. Well, you'd be wrong.
Yesterday, the two governments announced a deal that will see their respective weather services harmonize their procedures and forecasts, hopefully leading to more accurate weather predictions for people in both countries. Apparently, weather forecasts for border communities have been known to differ greatly depending on whether the prediction came from Environment Canada or the US National Weather Service, leaving residents of those communities confused as to what to wear each morning.
With this new deal, residents of both Detroit and Windsor will be caught without an umbrella in the rain or wearing their parkas on days when they might have been better of in shorts.
So a hearty "Good for you!" to the two governments. I know I'm going to sleep better tonight knowing that my weather forecast will be just as inaccurate as theirs...
Further Reading:
Canada and the United States to Improve Weather Forecasts (Environment Canada News Release)
Canada, U.S. in weather pact (Victoria Times-Columnist)
Posted by maxthecat at November 30, 2004 07:01 AM
http://www.maxsmewsings.com/mt/archives/2004/11/canada_and_us_erase_one_international_irritant.php