All week, Front and Center looked at the real-life challenges facing workers in the Great Lakes region.

As part of that conversation, North Country Public Radio’s Brian Mann has been on the road talking to people on the Canadian side of the border. It turned out, workers living just a few miles away in Canada, have experienced the recession very differently than workers in the U.S.

Follow Brian Mann’s road trip:

• Workers in U.S. vs. Canada
• Comparing social safety nets
• Government jobs on both sides of the border

While Chicago and Detroit struggled and lost population, Toronto and Montreal continued to grow—they have even added jobs through the recession. Workers who do lose their jobs in Canada find a much more comprehensive social safety net. Mann joined Eight Forty-Eight on the line from Toronto.

Wednesday, Mann will explore Canada’s approach to workforce education and retraining in the Great Lakes region.