At approximately 3 pm today Canada’s population reached 40 million people (according to Canada’s population clock, which really looks more like test tubes….disturbingly).
By comparison, California has a population of about 39 million packed into a lot less geographical space–lookee here**:
This is one of the many reasons we’re in Canada. We know it’s not utopia–there are certainly challenging political and human problems here, just like California–but it’s slightly less stressful because people aren’t stacked in a state-sized Skinner cage getting crazy aggressive and/or dissociating entirely from the difficulties and responsibilities of living in a post-capitalist post-democracy.
Yeah, the weather in California is pretty sweet, but can it ever really be a sunny day when so many people are crammed together, competing for all the good things, that almost everything gets trampled under (like wildflowers, pedestrians, cyclists, air quality, social and economic justice, arts funding, and Disneyland)? We’re starting to think not-so-much, maybe.
Anyway, happy 40 Millionth, Canada. Now make a wish and blow out those wildfires.
**if you want to play around making maps of your own comparing the size of one place to another place, check out thetruesize.com.
2 replies on “You Don’t Look A Day Over 39 Million”
On the other hand… US: 331.9 million vs India: 1.4billion (about 1/2 the size from that fun link for comparisons. Thanks for that.
McQ
I think the people living in Auburn, Santa Barbara, Bishop, Santa Cruz, and Napa Valley would disagree with your description of the state California. The city of Los Angeles isn’t California, although many people seem to make it so in their minds. 😚
“Much of the population is centered in several large cities. California contains the second largest city (Los Angeles), 3 of the largest 10 cities (Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Jose), and the largest county (Los Angeles County) in the United States.”
Your description of LA is on par with reasons we left as well… I love fewer people & easy access to nature in Michigan 😍