I was driving down I89 from Burlington the other day when a green SUV with Quebec tags passed me. There is nothing too unusual about seeing those blue lettered white plates on Vermont highways. And also not out of place, was the American flag decal in the car's rear window. I was aware that I had, on many previous occasions noted Canadian vehicles displaying our flag since the September 11th attacks.

My business necessitates frequent trips to various Canadian provinces and I am in almost daily contact with outfitters from all over Canada. More than just vendors and partners, many of these contacts are personal friends. I stay in their homes, know their families and enjoy their cooking and hospitality.

On the other side of the coin, I sometimes get the feeling that many of my American customers are not fully aware of the strong bond that exists between our neighboring countries. Yes, Canada is a country. Separate and independent, wholly democratic and in no respect a stepchild to the United States. Canadians are proud and patriotic and I don't think I have ever heard a Canadian say that they "wished they were an American". Yet as individuals and as a nation they are extremely loyal and trustworthy friends. Their culture is different, their laws are different and they see the world around them differently than we do as Americans.

As that SUV rolled by in the left lane, I remembered playing pool with Alphonse Martel in one of Shefferville's finer establishments. Alphonse is somewhat of an icon with Quebec tourism and now in semi-retirement helps run the base operations for Club Chambeaux during caribou season. He is a smart man with a wry sense of humor and he doesn't shoot a very good game of pool. He is a friend of mine and on the side of his worn green felt hat he wears a pin with the American flag and the 9/11 date.

While we as US citizens seem to wear our patriotic ego on our sleeves especially when traveling, Canadians are incredibly tolerant, and view their own country with similar pride. Although the Canada's gun laws irk some American sportsmen, the country's violent crime rate is a fraction of that of the US, beyond that they also have a universal health care program that works and their environmental laws tend to reflect greater balance between wilderness preservation and the promotion of hunting and fishing traditions. Additionally, they have a well-trained and equipped military that has stood with the US in nearly every global conflict.

Another colleague and friend, Horace Lane runs one of the best moose outfitting operations in Newfoundland. He is also an officer in the Canadian Rangers, a defensive wing of the military similar to our reserves. I recently stayed with Horace for a few days and enjoyed some of the hospitality that Newfoundland is famous for. On the wall of the guest room where I was bunking hung that now somewhat famous painting of the New York firemen raising an American flag at Ground Zero in the aftermath of the attacks. We talked about it and the emotion that he expressed was that of a man whose dearest friend had been assaulted. "It was an attack against all of us", his facial expression stiff as we looked at the picture.

Gander Newfoundland is one of the island's larger communities with a population of 7,000 On September 11, 2001 this quiet little city became pivotal to the events taking place in New York and Washington. Over 100 trans-Atlantic flights were re-routed that morning and Gander's little airport played host to 39 commercial jets on a tarmac that typically sees few big airplanes. The population of the town doubled in hours as 6500 passengers found themselves stranded for days on Canada's largest island province. The stories of Gander's outpouring of hospitality toward this influx of people from all over the world have been heralded. How ordinary folks opened their houses to strangers of every race and nationality. The steady flow of baked goods, soups and blankets to the schools and churches that were hastily set up as shelters defined for the world what good neighbors are all about.

So if your adventure travels take you north of the border in the near future do remember you are visiting a different country with its own laws and culture but rather than being apprehensive you might chose to recognize that you are also visiting a neighbor and a friend of the United States and an ally beyond equal in the modern world.