Driving through Alberta triggered all sorts of thoughts and made me aware of how prejudiced I can be towards people who are different from me. But when you come from the USA, Christians, conservatives, and cowboys are often crazy. In Alberta, that’s just not the case.

While more overtly conservative than Quebec and the maritimes, Alberta’s politics are still smarter than their counterparts south of the border. In the Wild Rose Province, just because you’re a cowboy doesn’t mean you’re an idiot. Here are some of the reasons why I was impressed with Alberta’s middle path.

• Albertans like trees and stuff. Recycle bins were placed at every roadside rest stop we saw, probably because caring about cleanliness and quality of life is not a contentious political issue. It’s common sense.
• Albertans believe is possible to be Christian without being anti-science. Because they’re surrounded by paleontology, Albertans believe in evolution, as evidenced by the world-class Royal Tyrell Museum.
• Albertans believe you can kill your dinner, but not your neighbor. They are generally pro-rifle without being pro-handgun, and even though I would rather forage than hunt, I totally get the logic in this.

We never made it as far as Jasper on this road trip, but we’re sure to be back.Calgary was a cool little town with a friendly vibe, and was not as provincial as I had anticipated. Oh how we would love it if Alberta could kick up their craft brew scene a notch. BC still beats it by leaps and bounds.