07-02-2006, 05:12 AM
Quote:Thanks a ton for the Beer recomendations DeeBye. I look forward to enjoying a few next time I am at a bar in Ontario. On the topic of Beer in Canada, I was thoroughly impressed with The Beer Store compared to the dingy liquor stores we have in the Boston Area.
The Beer Stores are cool in that they usually stock pretty much everything under the sun, but I think I'd prefer it if other private stores were allowed to sell alcohol as well. Note that this is a purely Ontario thing. Other provinces have their own liquor laws. For example, in Quebec the legal drinking age is 18 and you can purchase alcohol in every mom and pop corner store and most supermarkets. Not so in Ontario. The Beer Store is heavily regulated by the province and is owned by the brewers. The only stores allowed to sell "hard" liquor are owned entirely by the province. It's a really screwy system that works, but is a most bizzarre business practice when viewed from the outside.
Quote:Speaking of Collingwood, my friend's extended family owns a Ski Chalet near Blue Mountain resort. It was a blast up there, I can't wait to bring my snowboard back. Perhaps the biggest bummer about Canada is due to American foreign policy*. In order to visit I'll have to get a new passport. For a 6-8 week wait and 100$ I'm rather annoyed :angry:
I've vacationed at Blue Mountain when I was younger and it's a really nice place. I used to live in Midland (south-eastern tip of Georgian Bay) which is quite close to Collingwood. It's great in the summer, and if you like snow it's awesome in the winter.
The required passport for Canada-US travel is a bummer. It works both ways too. I used to be able to visit the US with a valid Ontario driver's license or at most a birth certificate, but now I need a passport. This is a pity. It used to be like we were renting apartments in the same building and gave each other keys and free access to each other's pads, but lately we seem to have changed the locks and don't allow each other in unless they use the secret knock and show ID. It's such a great thing to boast that we share the longest undefended border. I hope that continues to be the case.