I had a Canadian moment and an American moment within 24 hours of each other while on holiday this week.

On Monday evening, my family and I checked into a family-run motel in Swift Current, Saskatchewan. A storm swept in off the prairie in the early evening and knocked the power out around 7:30 p.m. After waiting half an hour, the innkeeper found out the power would be out for a while.

With no TV, no internet and rooms rapidly warming up, we found ourselves outside our rooms in the parking lot with a retired couple from Winnipeg. We set up chairs and I broke out the Kokanee I was keeping chilled in the cooler.

Soon we were joined by the woman in the room on the other side of ours, a flight attendant for WestJet. She brought her own beer.

For the next two hours we had a great wide-ranging conversation about things Canadian and American. We shared Air Canada jokes and compared weather, road conditions and how to best not get caught by RCMP radar. It was one of those magical evenings where one felt if only the whole world could have pulled up a beer and a chair we might have peace in our time.

The next morning we ran into the Winnipeg couple and wished each other a safe trip. Then it was down the Trans-Canada highway.

And speaking of the RCMP, we didn’t see hide nor hair of any cops — federal or local — setting up radar. The speed limits were treated like suggestions and everyone seemed to get along fine on the road.

Later that day we crossed into North Dakota. Within 20 miles we were welcomed back to the U.S. in a way almost uniquely American. On Interstate 39, we saw a sign that read North Dakota State Police ahead. Then half a mile later the sign read “Drug Interdiction — Drug Dog” in use.

“Welcome back to the USA,” I said to no one in particular.

And this was no bluff — on the side of the freeway was a small army of state troopers, about five cars, a tactical squad and their canine companions. Up ahead, two cars had been pulled over by officers. We passed a couple with Manitoba plates who were doing 20 under the speed limit and looked very nervous.

North Dakota’s license plates read “Discover the Spirit.” Of what, I wondered — fascism?

After all we were outside Grand Forks and the University of North Dakota — nickname “The Fighting Sioux” who named their arena after a major donor (Ralph Engelstad) who would have pulled his donation if the university decided to get with the 20th century and get rid of their offensive nickname.

Canada and the U.S. — divergent societies. But wait, perhaps it’s not so simple.

After a morning listening to CBC Radio One, I reminded myself that Canada’s treatment of First Nations people hasn’t exactly been exemplary either. A United Nations Commission on Human Rights Council declaration that would have protected the rights of indigenous people worldwide passed with Canada one of the only two votes against it.

According to Reuters, Assembly of First Nations National Chief Phil Fontaine said Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservative government was siding with counties that violate human rights in opposing the draft wording of a treaty that Canada had once supported.

“It’s hard to believe that it would take this position… (The treaty) speaks about those issues that Canada says it believes in,” Fontaine said at the opening ceremonies of the group’s annual convention in Vancouver.

Not good optics.

As for police matters, again, on CBC’s The Current, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police were selling “sponsorships” (where have we heard that term before?) for up to $25,000 for corporations, some of whom do business with Canada’s police agencies, to have special access to the chiefs at their convention.

Can we say “conflict of interest?” Sure we can. You think the CACP would have learned from the Toronto Police union’s fiasco in selling stickers to the public several years ago.

So maybe things aren’t all that black and white between North America’s great neighbours.

But if my travels through Canada and the U.S. this summer are any indication, perhaps trading stuffy conference rooms with pricey eats for folding chairs and beer might help feuding factions on both sides of the border loosen up enough to solve their problems.

Call it the summer vacation solution.

Keith Gottschalk

Keith Gottschalk

U.S. Keith Gottschalk has written for daily newspapers in Iowa, Illinois and Ohio. He also had a recent stint as a radio talk show host in Illinois. As a result of living in the high ground...