CNN report says squirrel seen in Banff, B.C.

[trailmix 77]

By Robert Remington, Calgary Herald August 21, 2009

CNN report says squirrel seen in Banff, B.C.

By Robert Remington, Calgary HeraldAugust 21, 2009 Comments (43)

An Alberta ground squirrel is poised to become Canada's most famous animal after the creature inserted itself hilariously into a timed photo being taken by a U.S. couple at a lake in Banff National Park. Minnesota resident Melissa Brandts' photo was selected as nationalgeographic.com website's photo of thePhotograph by: Melissa Brandts, nationalgeographic.comCALGARY - I really like Jeanne Moos, the witty, husky-voiced CNN correspondent with a flair for the offbeat and the obscure. But she needs to get out of New York more often.

This week, in a report on the famous squirrel that popped up in a tourist photo at Lake Minnewanka, Moss referred to Banff, British Columbia.

Her faux pas is being circulated on Twitter, where one user posted: "CNN's Jeanne Moos makes boo boo. Banff squirrel is in Alberta!!"

With Americans being one of the world's most geographically challenged people, we really shouldn't be surprised.

A National Geographic survey in 2006 found that half of all young Americans couldn't locate New York on a map or identify the Mississippi River.

Yet, before we go blaming a correspondent for "the most trusted name in news" for the blunder, perhaps we should look in our own backyard.

The website Travel. bc.ca,based in Victoria, B. C. has a page heading for "Banff, B. C." In fact, a Google search for "Banff British Columbia" brings up 1,410,000 results. The first listing on the page, under the heading "Banff, British Columbia, Canada" is a link to the website BritishColumbia.com.On it and several B. C. tourism sites, Banff is listed generically as part of the "B. C. Rockies." So, it should come as no surprise that, in addition to well-paid network correspondents, other Americans who should know better also think Banff is in British Columbia. On Arizona's Mount Lemmon, just outside Tucson, Banff is listed as being in British Columbia on a trailside sign comparing the vegetative similarities of the two far-flung regions, which are roughly at the same elevation.

It's not that Americans are wilfully ignorant of Canada. The Canadian-American Center at the University of Maine has an interactive web page that helps people learn the names, shapes and flags of each Canadian province. It offers this awkward phrase to help remember the provinces and territories from West to East: "Be A Sweet Monkey On Queen NaNaNa's Pretty Exciting Island -- Your NaNny."

Still, nothing seems to be sinking in. In 2006, the Daily Orange, the independent campus newspaper at Syracuse University, located 2.5 hours south of the border in New York state, asked people on campus if they knew much about Canada. "Not to be disrespectful to Canada or anything, but the country just doesn't matter," student Patrick Saint Laurent said.

Banff Lake Louise Tourism, which noticed the Moos slip-up, isn't losing any sleep over it.

"We just had a good chuckle out if it," said Kurt Schroeder, the organization's director of sales and marketing. "At the end of the day, there is only one Banff on this continent. It wouldn't matter (if) they say it's in Alberta, British Columbia or Kansas."

With the world going nuts over the inquisitive squirrel -pictures of the little critter have been inserted into photographs around the world wide web -the tourism bureau is riding the wave with a link from its website to a "crasher squirrel" program that enables users to insert the rodent into their own photos. The scene-stealing squirrel has been inserted into everything from photos of Barack Obama to da Vinci's the Last Supper.

Even the Town of Banff is capitalizing on the mania, placing the squirrel on its website.

Schroeder said that search-engine hits for "Banff squirrel" reached 55 million Thursday, up from 31 million earlier in the week.

All the hoopla hasn't done much, though, for the Banff Squirrel's Nest Bed and Breakfast, which comes up third on one search engine for "Banff Squirrel."

Calvin Shakotko, owner of the bed and breakfast located on Squirrel Street in Banff, said the picture of the world's most famous squirrel has generated only one e-mail and one phone call.

Given the influence of CNN, perhaps people are searching for squirrel B&B's in British Columbia.

[DeadPoolX 9]

A National Geographic survey in 2006 found that half of all young Americans couldn't locate New York on a map or identify the Mississippi River.

That can't be right. New York is one of the most well-known and important states in the United States. The Mississippi River is something elementary students learn about. Unless the survey specifically targeted really stupid people (or pergaps those in impoverished areas where education is generally poor), I can't believe that study.

For the record, I'm not saying Americans are great at world geography. However, I can't imagine most Americans couldn't identify the so-called "most important states" or know the longest and most major river in their home country. It just doesn't seem possible -- at least not 50% anyway.

Still, nothing seems to be sinking in. In 2006, the Daily Orange, the independent campus newspaper at Syracuse University, located 2.5 hours south of the border in New York state, asked people on campus if they knew much about Canada. "Not to be disrespectful to Canada or anything, but the country just doesn't matter," student Patrick Saint Laurent said.

Knowing the media, I'll bet that they interviewed numerous students and simply quoted the one who insulted Canada. It's like when comedy shows interview "people on the street" and ask all sorts of easy questions. They don't show the ones who answer correctly.

Edited August 22, 2009 by DeadPoolX

[JillA 2]

Reminds me of when our local newsbroadcast said Obama met with "Canada's President Steven Harper"

[Krikit 1,164]

That is an AWESOME picture!

[trailmix 77]

That can't be right. New York is one of the most well-known and important states in the United States. The Mississippi River is something elementary students learn about. Unless the survey specifically targeted really stupid people (or pergaps those in impoverished areas where education is generally poor), I can't believe that study.

For the record, I'm not saying Americans are great at world geography. However, I can't imagine most Americans couldn't identify the so-called "most important states" or know the longest and most major river in their home country. It just doesn't seem possible -- at least not 50% anyway.

I love the squirrel too! His picture would make a great av!

Deadpool, those darn national geographic people are known to be liars! Anyway, here is the statistical data on the survey:

About the Survey

The findings presented are the results of a face-to-face survey conducted from December 17, 2005, to January 20, 2006, by Roper Public Affairs and Media, a part of GfK NOP. Interviews were conducted among a nationwide representative sample of 510 adults age 18-24 in the continental United States. Data were weighted for sample balancing by sex and age. The margin of error for the total sample is +/- 4.4 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level. The margin of error for subgroups is higher. Because of rounding, numbers may not total 100 percent.

You can view the full report here - from the table it would appear that half of the respondents are either college graduates or have some college - if that is any gauge of knowledge

Edited August 22, 2009 by trailmix

[Hugglebuggles 60]

Omg that's an amazing photo!

For the record, I still have no idea where the Mississippi river is... Is it in Mississippi? Maybe?

[Arabella 4]

Omg that's an amazing photo!

For the record, I still have no idea where the Mississippi river is... Is it in Mississippi? Maybe?

lol it flows from Minnesota all the way down to the gulf of Mexico.