Travel with Rick Steves · Saturday, September 19, 2026
Author Paul Theroux explained that his recent cross-Canada road trip was partly inspired by his family's history in Canada, with ancestors arriving in 1693. He noted that crises, such as the truck protests and political rhetoric about Canada becoming the 51st state, tend to make people more talkative and unified, which he found beneficial for his writing.
“One is, my family comes from Canada. My ancestors went to Canada 330 years ago. 1693, they went.”
“But also, what what makes people talkative? Crises. Crises.”
“When something goes wrong, a very bad storm, a war, economic downturn, people become talkative, like-minded, and they express themselves.”