The vocabulary research of the 1980s and 1990s brought a breath of fresh air into the language classroom. Teachers in many remote EFL locations had long suspected that vocabulary was their learners' main challenge, but there was little research evidence to confirm this or say what to do about it. Then, suddenly, work by Nation, Laufer, Meara, Schmitt, and others suggested a range of highly promising and usable ideas: the sequencing and testing of vocabulary by frequency; the distinction of basic vocabulary from advanced, academic, and technical; the interaction of vocabulary and grammar knowledge -- these were all frankly revelatory. After a decade of applying and, we hope, contributing to these developments in developing countries (Saudi Arabia, Oman, Hong Kong), we returned to Canada wondering what, if any, of this work would be usable here, what would have to be modified, and what could be added to it. Would ideas that made eminent sense in a development context make any sense in a developed country? Our paper describes the vocabulary scene we found in Canada on our return, what we attempted to add to it, and suggestions for next steps.