By Mark Kelley

After five weeks, and 6,000 kilometres crossing this country, I am reminded of one overwhelming fact about this country we call home. It is big. Massive. Sweeping. Breathtaking. And daunting. And while that may seem painfully obvious to anyone who has mastered Google Earth, I still think the sheer size and scope of this country is lost on most of us... from our citizens, to our media, and yes, our politicians.

The fact is we all reduce Canada to a collection of cities, out of convenience (80 per cent of us live in cities), but we lose so much by doing that. I remember meeting a wonderfully welcoming gentleman on main street in Wolfville, N.S. He told me how he'd found the perfect place to live, how much he loved his town, and wouldn't want to be anywhere else. And as he was leaving me, he mentioned in passing, "and by the way... I'm the mayor."