Today, as I listen to the F-16s and the Snowbirds rehearse for the airshow over the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto, I hear from the Canadian Space Agency’s headquarters in Longueuil, Québec, that Chris Hadfield will become the first Canadian commander of the International Space Station. Cool! We’ve come a long way from the clunky lunar module that Neil and Buzz had to kick around in.

It will be the first time a Canadian will command the space station. He’s an experienced astronaut with two space shuttle missions under his belt, the first Canadian to walk in space, and he spent 25 years flying fighter jets in the Canadian military. He’s a nice guy from Sarnia, Ontario who’s taking his guitar up into space with him.

They’ll fly him up to the station in a Russian rocket in December 2012. Good Luck Chris.

Degrees of Canadian separation: I used to work with Philippe Garneau, brother of the first Canadian in space, Marc Garneau. Philippe’s partner at the time, Michael Wurstlin, was the designer of the original Canadian board game Trivial Pursuit.

When I was a small girl, which I have to say was a few decades ago, we used to go to Yorkton for the summer. We took the train, the way many people traveled then. We boarded early in the morning in our town further north in Saskatchewan, and we arrived in Yorkton at about six in the evening, supper time.

We packed a lunch for the trip, and I remember looking forward to my mother opening the lunch bag and passing out the sandwiches and hard-boiled eggs. It must have been a family trait because my relatives used to joke about how my grandfather loved to take a train trip, and that the train would have barely left the station before he suggested that the hard-boiled eggs be brought out and eaten.

Our relatives lived on Myrtle Avenue when I was very small and later near the top of Tupper Avenue. To get downtown we walked down Tupper Avenue or down the hill that was the back lane behind the houses. For some reason, I remember that someone had a bush full of the most gorgeous fragrant purple lilacs along the lane behind their house. Every so often, if there was no one around, I would pick some to take home to my mother. For some reason, she wasn’t as pleased as I had hoped she would be. When we reached the bottom of the hill and crossed the railway tracks, the grain elevators seemed to loom high above our heads.

We came from a much smaller town, and to us as children Yorkton was the big city. It was a treat to be taken to the Broadway Café for a piece of pie, and I remember my mother buying me a pair of red summer sandals in a store along Broadway. It seems to me there was also a Woolworth’s, and for a small child that store contained all sorts of summer toys that would be a treat to play with. The task then was to persuade an adult to buy one of those desired treasures!

My brother was in love with model planes, but Yorkton was thrilling to him because it had the real thing. There was an airport, and it was not very far away.  In those days, children could get permission to take a morning to go on a hike somewhere, so my brother and I would walk out along a dirt road to the airport Some days we were lucky! We would see planes landing or taking off. Surprisingly, I remember doing this often. And I don’t remember being chased away or told that two small children standing nearby watching the plans should not be there.

I also remember swimming at York Lake. Unlike the airport, we were not allowed to go there by ourselves. But on a Sunday afternoon, when the adults were not at work, someone could be persuaded to take us for an afternoon of swimming and building castles on the beach. I also seem to remember a large building we called “The Pavillion”. I think the adults held dances there at nights. During the day, it was a cool spot to get in out of the sunshine for a while. They may also have sold chocolate bars and other treats. More pestering the adults for those!

I still have great memories of those Yorkton summers.  I wonder how things have changed.

And the good citizens of present-day Yorkton certainly have my heart-felt wishes that their current flooding troubles will soon be overcome.

If you have any memories you would like to share, please leave a comment below.

Leslie Windsor, Toronto

"Pioneer at Fort Garry 1861" – oil on canvas by Adam Sherriff Scott assisted by E.T. Adney, 1925. Detail from mural installed in the Winnipeg Hudson's Bay Company store depicting aboriginals, Métis and settlers wearing blankets and engaged in trade.

There are few objects more quintessentially Canadian. Point blankets are found in the “blanket box” at the foot of the bed in every cottage, cabin, fishing lodge, Bed & Breakfast and resort in the country. They have been the warmest, coziest and coolest bedding accessory in Canada for over 300 years.

“It’s even whispered, up Canada way, that ancient trappers, long since retired into town, can still hear the horned owl hoot, the woodpecker hammer its way to a grub, and the white-throat’s silver singing, when they pull a Point blanket closer around their ears on a winter’s night.” – from The Beaver magazine, June 1941.

After finishing his first book for the HBC – The Blanket: an Illustrated History of the Hudson’s Bay Point Blanket, Harold asked me to design his self-published, definitive work – The Collector’s Guide to Point Blankets of the Hudson’s Bay Company and Other Companies Trading in North America. Yes, the title is a bit of a mouthful, but it has become a standard reference for antique dealers, curators and textile lovers all over the world. Harold tells me the book is still selling steadily and you can order a copy directly from Harold’s site.

This isn’t Martha Stewart. It’s a thoughtful and colourful presentation of research into the dating and valuation of these blankets, and a discussion of their history, manufacture and care. There is an extensive label identification section, as well as a lively discussion of the cultural role that Point blankets played in both Canadian life, and that of the peoples of the First Nations of North America.

I’ve always been intrigued by the roadside traveller’s motel. Perhaps I’ve seen too many bad movies, or read one-too-many trashy novels, but I always wonder about the secrets that must dwell within these places. What clandestine affairs and nefarious dealings have passed behind those thin walls and under that blinking neon “Vacancy” sign? What lonely tragedies and end-of-the-road downfalls have played out beside the colour TV and the rattling air conditioner?

Since the early days of the automobile, over-active imaginations like mine notwithstanding, the roadside motel, motor inn, highway hotel, cabin camp or cottage court has been a staple for travellers seeking a middle ground between expensive hotels and the rough and tumble of camping in a tent. Auto camping is still very popular in places where there is a large, seasonal holiday population, and where business is still conducted face-to-face away from the office. North Bay, the gateway to northern Ontario is such a place.

This is Canadian Shield country, geographically the strategic center of Ontario, where Highway 11 and the TransCanada Highway meet. That makes it a major crossroad in Ontario. It’s the middle ground between the north and south, the south terminus for the Ontario Northland Railway, and a place where people meet and business deals are struck. The city is also a big destination for outdoor enthusiasts, especially fishermen who come to Lake Nipissing, often referred to as the sixth Great Lake. Nipissing covers over 800 square kilometres and is relatively shallow, so the fishing is excellent, especially in winter. Ice fishermen come every year from all over North America to fish for trophy-sized Pickerel (Walleye), Aurora trout and Brook trout.

This area was used in the early fur trading days of Canada. It was enroute from Montreal, up the Ottawa River and into Georgian Bay, which is a part of Lake Huron, via the French River. Lake Nipissing also lies about 25 km (16 mi) northwest of Algonquin Provincial Park, so there are lots of travellers in the area.

Main Street North Bay Ontario

After trying and failing to get my “turbo rocket mobile Hi-Speed Internet Solution” to work, and startling the local fauna by charging my laptop with the gas-powered generator, I resigned myself to a quiet weekend of unconnectedness and contemplation.

“There are no limits to the majestic future which lies before the mighty expanse of Canada with its virile, aspiring, cultured, and generous-hearted people.” – Sir Winston Churchill

Every self-respecting summer dwelling has a collection of books stashed away somewhere. Usually right next to the stack of board games. Titles on how to identify trees or call moose are common. There I found a great little book called Canada Inside Out, a collection of quotations about Canada and Canadians, edited by David Olive. So I spent a number of hours reading about how critical Canadians are of themselves and how foreigners are usually unstinting in their praise of my country. It’s an inspiring read, especially when sitting on a piece of  Precambrian rock by a freshwater lake. I think it’s also out-of-print. So keep your eyes out at your friend’s cottage this summer.

In the mean time, here are some web pages that feature Canadian-inspired quotes…

Canada4life |  BiteSizeCanada |  ThinkExist |  Canada Kicks Ass |  QuoteDB

“If some countries have too much history, we have too much geography“. – W.L. Mackenzie King (1874-1950), Canadian Prime Minister

Travellers headed west out of Calgary towards the mountains are focused on the growing Rockies, but the first thing that strikes me every time I drive east from the stampede city is the big sky.

Construction delay near Cardston, Alberta, looking west towards the Rocky Mountains

Perhaps it’s because I can’t see over the horizon that my eyes are drawn upwards into the endless expanse of sky. Unlike the Rockies, the land is so flat and sparse in much of the Canadian Badlands that I can literally see forever. The sense of space is irresistible.

This part of Canada tends to have the most clear days and the most sunlit hours in all of the country. But when a storm approaches, it can be seen for miles.

Over the edge at Niagara Falls – photo courtesy of Bobby Mikul

Back in 2000, Niagara Falls Tourism asked us to help them get publicity for a big Valentine’s Day wedding.  Four hundred lovers were tying the knot in a winter garden ceremony across from the American Falls. The event got me thinking how did Niagara Falls become the honeymoon capital of the world anyway? That’s when I caught up with Sherman Zavitz who told me a remarkable story. Zavitz is a Niagara Falls historian and author of It happened at Niagara. His book is full of interesting tales on the Falls including its honeymoon tradition.

Theodosia Burr by John Vanderlyn (1802)

Joseph Brant was a celebrated Mohawk chief, politician and military leader who fought in the American Revolution for the British and who knew George Washington and King George III. On a visit to New York City in the late 1700s, Brant was introduced to Theodosia Burr.  Theodosia was the daughter of the third Vice President of the United States, Aaron Burr. The Burrs were part of New York City society and when Theodosia met Brant at a New York social gathering, Brant invited Theodosia to Niagara. In 1801, when Theodosia married Joseph Alston, the couple decided to embark on a “wedding journey” to Niagara Falls. The couple also visited Brant at his home on the Grand River. Pack horses and a team of staff accompanied the Alstons on their journey. It was likely a long and arduous affair. But obviously Niagara Falls must have impressed the newly married Alstons because when they got back home, news spread quickly of their Niagara visit and before long, many well-to-do Americans were embarking on similar wedding journeys. The honeymoon destination was beginning to catch on.

By the 1850s, railway travel was taking North America by storm and thousands of newly married couples began to visit Niagara Falls. My grandparents married in New Brunswick on June 10, 1903 and traveled by train to Niagara Falls for their honeymoon.

So what is it about Niagara Falls that has captured the hearts of so many? Well, Louis Hennepin, the first European to see the falls in 1678, seemed to understand the falls’ allure when he called Niagara “a vast and prodigious Cadence of Water.” Charles Dickens was obviously fascinated by the falls too when he wrote, “I seemed to be lifted from the earth and to be looking into Heaven.”

In the 1950s, Niagara Falls became known as “Baby City” after it was discovered that a record number of honeymooners were conceiving their first child in the world’s honeymoon capital too.

Maid of the Mist – photo courtesy of Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corp.

As the 2000 Valentine’s Day wedding suggests, honeymooners still visit Niagara Falls. You’ll see them on the Maid of the Mist which has been taking honeymooners to the base of the Horseshoe Falls since the mid 1800s or on the  Spanish Aerocar which has been operating since 1916. Today’s honeymooners also visit  Niagara wineries and many choose to stay at a Niagara inn or spa. Honeymooners also attend the wonderful Shaw Festival, an annual summer theatre festival devoted to the works of George Bernard Shaw and his contemporaries.

Besides being a long-lasting comic strip first published in 1918, and the second solo album by Rod Stewart released in 1970, Gasoline Alley is a collection of roadside eateries, gas stations, RV dealerships and assorted travellers’ diversions on a patch of highway 2 just south of Red Deer, Alberta. Some people think that Gasoline Alley IS the City of Red Deer, but it’s not. It functions as a service centre about mid way on the 300 kilometres between Calgary and Edmonton.

With a population of about 2.5 million (5.5 if you include the surrounding area) Toronto is one of the most multicultural cities in the world. Over 140 languages and dialects are spoken here, and just over 30 per cent of Toronto residents speak a language other than English or French at home. More facts on Toronto diversity. So when the FIFA World Cup gets going, flags pop up everywhere and Torontonians hit the streets in search of a great spot to watch their favourite teams play.

The World Cup runs every four years. It is the largest international football (soccer) tournament on the planet, and this year it takes place in South Africa. There are a total of forty-eight teams divided into eight groups, competing in a total of ten different stadiums in nine cities around South Africa. There are two stadiums in Johannesburg.

It’s hard not to get caught up in the enthusiam around Toronto, so we headed out with the camera and asked a few people in the know where they like to watch the games?”

Little Italy

Café Diplomatico is an icon. Since the mid-60s, this Italian cafe has been a fixture at the corner of Clinton and College Streets, west of Bathurst. I used to hang out here in 1982 when Italy won the cup, long before “The Dip” expanded into the store next door and enlarged its great patio. It fills up fast, so get over there. Il Gatto Nero, 720 College at Crawford has been serving espresso and cappuccino for about 40 years, and Sicilian Sidewalk Café, 710 College at Montrose, serves Italian ice cream. Both have patios and attract crowds during World Cup.

Further west on College is Bairrada Churrasqueira Grill House at 1000 College St. This Portuguese B-B-Q place has 50-inch TVs throughout and a fabulous patio out back with picnic tables shaded by big trees. Good food. The specialty is Suckling Pig but you can also order veal chop, ribs, chicken and steaks. Daily specials include Sopa de Grelos (rapini soup). Expect big crowds here too, especially Portugal and Brazil fans.

Corso Italia –  St. Clair Avenue West roughly between Dufferin and Lansdowne – also has a significant Latin American and Portuguese population.

Tricolore Bar & Café at 1240 St. Clair Avenue West is a standard billiards hall where all the guys know each other by name and sip espresso in the back. Traditionally it’s an Italian establishment, but a Brazilian waitress at Novecento told me that Brazilians wait on tables there and the place attracts lots of Brazilian as well as Italian fans.

Novecento occupies a nice corner at 1228 St. Clair West. It has a Milano bar feel and is a bit more swank than Tricolore. Good panini, beer and wine, but just as many come for the gelati. In fact, the signature drink here is the “Novecento” (who knew?) – nocciola (hazelnut) gelato, Kalhua, Baileys and coffee. I watched the bartender make three of these and joked that they looked like the best sundaes money could buy. One of the patrons assured me, “You got that right”.

Marcello’s Pizzeria hops just about any night but during World Cup, people are lined up out the door. East of Dufferin at 1163 St. Clair West, it’s a popular family joint and according to my Italian friend Susana, the pizza is excellent. Brazilian fans like to hit VidVid Lounge at 1067 St. Clair West for drinks and World Cup matches.

And where do you buy all those flags and jerseys, scarves, soccer balls, towels, key chains, videos and other World Cup paraphernalia? According to fans on the strip, the best football shop in Toronto is Ital Record, Ital Sport at 1339 St. Clair Ave. West. Be prepared to declare your colours, and have a little football opinion ready when you enter.

Greektown – east of the Don Valley on Danforth Avenue, between Chester and Dewhurst Blvd. I wandered over there on Saturday afternoon a week before World Cup 2010. In Alexandros Square near Danforth and Carlaw, I met up with a couple of Greek oldtimers who told me they hang out at a non-descript sports café north of Danforth on Pape Avenue. The most serious Greek football fans park themselves at the Olympiakos Fan Club, 678A Pape, second floor, across from the library, just south of Danforth.

But in fact, the best place to be in Greektown during World Cup is close to an outside patio, so I wandered over to Omonia, one of several restaurants on the Danforth strip with a nice patio. Omonia has been around for 32 years and according to its owner, it’s THE place to watch the World Cup. Several other cafe owners along the Danforth told me the same thing about their places!

Although not a “sports bar”, a fave of ours in Greektown is Avli at 401 Danforth on the south side, across from Chester subway station. We love Chef Lambrose’s rabbit pie, made from his grandma’s recipe in a special clay pot (the pots have a story too). Lamb Shank is another house specialty.

So you’re in Greektown and you happen to be an English football fan, try the Fox & the Fiddle, on the south side of Danforth, east of Carlaw.

Yonge Street

Serious English fans however will likely be holed up at the The Main Event, Toronto home bar headquarters of the Manchester United Supporters Club of Canada. It’s on the west side of Yonge Street, north of Eglinton Avenue. Any of the pseudo-English “Duke of Whatever” pubs are sure bets as well.

Koreatown – on Bloor St. between Christie and Bathurst. After the tie with France in World Cup 2006, Koreatown went crazy! As I strolled through this Toronto ‘hood, locals told me there are two  places to watch World Cup games.  The New Mul Rae Bang is a Korean restaurant at 712 Bloor West. A big screen TV hangs over the bar and booths line both walls. The food looked dynamite and the wait staff were already wearing their Korean football shirts well ahead of show time.

Clinton’s is across the street from New Mul Rae Bang at the corner of Clinton and Bloor. It’s right out of a Molson Canadian beer commercial and over-the-top Canadiana kitsch. The walls are paneled with sawed logs, there’s a  landscape mural and a deer head wearing shades hangs over the bar. Plenty of notables have passed through Clinton’s doors including Frank Sinatra, Bob Dylan and John Candy. The bar has a couple of flat screen TVs, a giant projector screen and a big outdoor patio to keep football fans happy.

Dundas West

Churrasqueira Oliveira at 898 College is our favourite take out BBQ place. Its short beef ribs are, in our opinion, the best in the city, so if you’re holed up in a hotel looking for a neat dinner idea, pick up some of Oliveira’s ribs then head to an LCBO (liquor store) and get yourself a bottle of good red or some good beer and treat yourself to a inexpensive dinner in with your own flat screen TV. I asked the Brazilian patriarch at Oliveira where he thinks Brazilians will be watching the World Cup, and without hesitation he told me Brazilian Star Bar & Grill at 1242 Dundas West. A guy hanging outside the place told me he always orders Brazilian Star’s rice and beans, beef and salad. Beer, wine, liquor and good coffee also served.

So pick a team, get yourself some colourful gear, and mingle with a neighbourhood crowd as they watch The Beautiful Game. 

I am very pleased to give you a report on my latest fishing excursion. The Trent River system (aka Trent-Severn Waterway) in Ontario, has been one of my favorite destinations to go and practise the art of fishing and try to become as complete an angler as possible. Historically, this has proven to be a daunting task. Here is my latest.

On the Victoria Day long weekend I booked a beautiful cabin on the shores of the Trent between Hastings and Campbellford, from my friends Catherine and Don at Terrace Lawn Cottages. I met up with my fishing pal, Kelly, who picked me up in his boat and off we went to try and catch a few walleyes and northern pike. Our priority was to catch walleye, however, the northerns seemed to be the order of the day.

The weather was what I would consider perfect for fishing, warm with slightly overcast skies. Kelly and I started jigging the bottom in about fifteen feet of water off a reef and along a weedline. A good spot for some walleye to ambush our offerings but we caught pike. I switched to an orange jointed rapala and tried a stop and go retrieve. This is one of my favorite spring tactics, casting into shallow water and slowly use this pull and pause technique. I caught more pike. We tried many more walleye standards but all we caught were pike.
So I accepted the fact that we were pike fishing and switched to a big shiny spinnerbait.  On the first cast didn’t I catch a fifteen inch walleye. It ended up being the only one I was able to catch all weekend. That’s fishing for you. The more I think I have the answers, the more surprised I get. Nothing wrong with a little dose of humility.

The thing I love the most about the Trent Severn Waterway system is we always catch something. My friends, Kelly and Scotty, and I have hooked into some really nice fish on this river. Big largemouth and smallmouth bass (season opens last Saturday in June), some large muskies, walleye, northern pike, jumbo perch, rock bass, pumpkinseed and bluegill sunfish. What also appeals is the opportunity to spend some quality time with my close friends on the water. It helps me stay in the present and forget about everything else for awhile.
The one unfortunate thing about my stay at Terrace Lawn Cottages was that my sons Cam and Nate were not there this time. But, we will be there again soon fishing together, catching fish, a proud papa and his two favorite people in the world.

Tight lines and sharp hooks

Pete