Just read a news story about the kindness of our neighbors to the north. The Canadian government has offered any assistance it could provide in the wake of Katrina and they have begun gathering supplies to ship at a moments notice. Everything from search and rescue to offers of new timber for rebuilding.When it often feels like the US stands alone in times of internal crisis, it is nice to know Canada stands beside us!

Thank you, generous friends.

Thank you, you have always been wonerful neighbors.

>>>you have always been wonerful neighbors<<<

Americans have helped Canadians too. Since I'm an immigrant, I'm always discovering gaps in my knowledge of North American history. It was only quite recently that I learned that the first relief supplies to arrive after the terrible 1917 explosion that levelled the north end of Halifax came from Boston.

My thoughts and prayers are with the people whose lives Katrina has devastated.

The devastation in New Orleans and other southern states affected by Katrina is front and centre in the news as well as the minds and hearts of everyone right now. Here in Vancouver, Rescue and Relief teams are heading to New Orleans to assist where they can, at the request of the Governor there. I can only offer my prayers right now.

I'll tell you what bpothers me about this whole thing. Less than 24 hours after the preliminary results of Katrina's devastation of the Gulf states came out, the various media - here in Canada as well as in the US - were bemoaning the myth that the US comes to everyone's rescue but when they need help no-one offers assistance to them.

Sorry for the long sentance.

The fact is that offers of help were pouring in from Canada, (and I suspect from other countries as well), but there was a profound lack of response. Our politicians and community workers reached out immediately to the consulates, embassies and even the White House and received little if any direction. Only the Canadian Red Cross was able to react immediately with direction from their American brothers.
Did people really expect that a foreign country would send personell into the US without being specifically invited? How do you think Homeland Security would have felt about that? Yet the American media presented a case which I'm sure will become a mantra for eons to come - when anyone else needs help the US is there front and centre, but when we need help where's the rest of the world.

Unfortunately I belive that tis what most Americans will retain - not the reality but the media myth.

I too offer my thanks to our Canadian cousins. And hopefully many of us here in the US will know of your generosity and care. I too am disturbed that the news media has not reported the response from Canada. BTW, my grandfather was from Canada, I have always held you close in my heart.

To all the Americans, you're welcome. I know that many of us Canadians are heart broken by what happened in Louisiana. It's really humbling to realize the impact of nature.

To our Canadian friends... heartfelt thanks and gratitude. We all need to help each other.

Merci Canada! If I'm not mistaken, many of the French in Louisiana migrated down from eastern Canada in the 1800s.

JNN, good point! I forgot about that. I think it's even earlier than the 1800s though - the Acadians left Nova Scotia in the mid 1700's. The ones who ended up in Louisiana became known as Cajuns.

The Acadians didn't exactly emigrate from or simply leave Acadia. They were expelled by force by the British exactly 250 years ago this year, even though they had been living peacefully under British rule since 1713. Some did indeed manage to make it to Louisiana while others were eventually able to return. Over half died as a result of the expulsion, and many of those who returned found their lands had been taken by British colonists. It remains a shameful episode.