Exploring Ontario

'Happy Bear'

Hello everyone. We are gradually getting used to the summer culture here: hot sun, plenty of weekend festivals and outdoor activities. The ice hockey season finally finished - it seemed to go on forever and it's a real obsession here, often making the headline story in the news! Someone on the radio justified the blanket coverage equating it to the World Cup - not quite the same I'd say. I expect you heard about the riot in Vancouver when they lost to Boston in the finals. Ordinary Canadians were really upset and offended that their own fans could be so destructive and many locals came out the next day to help clean up. I heard a comic on Radio 4 say that at least when it happens in Britain the fans are not usually trashing their home city. There are lots of channels showing baseball now which I don't watch but Eamonn quite likes it. We were delighted to see Rory McIlroy win the US Open and we saw a fair bit of  Wimbledon. The coverage here is pretty good but they will still stick in as many ads as they can between games. I got to see it live in the mornings but could also watch it on the iplayer with Eamonn in the evenings. We follow the Grand Prix and now I'm glued to Will and Kate. They love them here (mostly) and they seem to be having a really good time.

St. James Cathedral:The Calling of St. James  by Stuart Reid

I'm beginning to get some rhythm into my free time. Thank heavens for the BBC, both radio and tv. I would be miserable without them.  I have finally got back into reading and am on my 2nd book from the stack I brought over. I think it's a sign that I feel more settled now. I'd like to be someone who is never without a book but I have to be very comfortable in my surroundings to do that. I like to listen to the Archbishop of Toronto sometimes; he is a wonderful speaker and he leads Lectio Divina sessions once a month here in the Cathedral. We haven't been to any yet but they are posted on the diocesan website:  http://www.archtoronto.org/lectio/reflections.htm I can recommend them if you want a time of guided reflection. In the February broadcast he comments on St. James' letter in which he said: 'Be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger.' Good advice, for me anyway.

I still have a lot of free time because my work permit doesn't allow me to do much, not even voluntary work or study so I have applied to have it relaxed which involved having a medical. We had to pay $300 (£200) cash - I asked if I should give it to the receptionist but the doctor said , no, he would take it. A very new experience for me, handing a wad of cash to a doctor! I had to have an X- ray to check that I don't have TB, which he said he knew I didn't have (!) and blood tests to show that I don't have HIV / Aids. I now have to wait to hear from Ottawa and if I am given the all-clear then I can approach a few organisations about volunteering. We've also registered with a local doctor who has already got us booked in for a colon cancer check on November 1st. A lovely birthday present for Eamonn. They do the same checks as at home but more frequently: mammograms are every 1 - 2 years and smears are yearly along with a yearly physical. While I'm on the subject, there are some subway and tv adverts out at the moment reminding people to get checked: Colon Cancer Canada has a slogan: 'We're behind your behind.' !! I've made enquiries about joining the CWL here as it doesn't exist in all parishes. I've also put my name on the waiting list for a choir but I may not get in until next year! There are no Newcomer activities until September but at least we get around at the weekends. 

We've had some lovely outings in great weather. One weekend we went to Tommy Thompson Park, a man-made park built on reclaimed land into Lake Ontario. It forms a long spit and lagoons, ideal for wildlife. It's still  being developed so it's only open at weekends. There were plenty of people cycling and rollerblading and some walking like us. We identified an Eastern Kingbird and some Yellow Warblers but saw many others that we don't yet know. There were hundreds of cormorants flying around! We get a real buzz when we make a firm sighting! We have joined the Ontario Field Ornithologists. They do field trips which we would enjoy and there are a few coming up later in the summer.

The post strike is now over so the post will go back to being just bad rather than non-existent. I don't think it's really over because they were only forced back by Government legislation.

Eamonn's firm has had a fundraising week and he took part in a 2 km Big Bike Ride. They looked quite comical in their site gear and shorts. It was held around the corner so I went to wave them off. Apparently it was quite hard work. He's the one waving his tambourine!

Recently, we went on a guided walk of the Distillery District. It's one of the oldest areas of Toronto and was once the largest distillery in the world, producing beer and whisky. The buildings now house galleries, restaurants and shops. This is where I bought 'Happy Bear'. There were interesting artworks made of recycled Rubik's cubes. Quite a clever idea. There was a Bike Festival going on too.

The next day we went to the Islands to see the dragon boat racing, a two-day festival. Afterwards,  we had a lovely stroll along the beach away from the crowds and enjoyed the lakeviews.

 

Last Friday was Canada Day, a national holiday, so we went south to Leamington ('The Tomato Capital of the World' !) on the shores of Lake Erie, about 4 hours drive from here. It's a small town with a fantastic bakery/cafe that did a great cooked breakfast (the hotel only did continental). We spotted a 'drive-thru' ATM and a huge queue of cars for Tim Hortons 'drive-thru' coffee shop! No need to walk anywhere. And you can get your skates sharpened too. We spent the evening beside the Marina listening to a very good band, singing along to familiar '70s songs. There were great fireworks at 10 pm but not before we all stood to sing the National Anthem. A nice tune but we don't know the words yet. We spotted a pastime in the local visitors' guide: duck and geese calling competitions - something to while away the evenings!

Latitude 42 sign

On Saturday we went to Point Pelee, a sand spit which is a National Park, a very important site for migrant birds. The park is on the same latitude as Rome and Barcelona and it was HOT! We spotted an Eastern Towhee, a Baltimore Oriole feeding its chick, some butterflies and other birds. There were painted turtles in the ponds and a family of barn swallows, one young bird posed for us. We had sprayed ourselves a bit before we started our visit but obviously not enough. Considering that it's such an important bird sanctuary we didn't see anyone else with binoculars and there are no hides there, just a viewing tower and a boardwalk. The RSPB needs to show them how it's done.

Young Barn Swallow

That night there was a fantastic storm which went on for nearly 3 hours and the rain was torrential. I suppose the Great Lakes drive the humidity which sets off the storms. There were sheets of lightning flashing among the clouds; we watched it until we fell asleep. On Sunday we made our way along the shore of Lake Erie spotting an indigo bunting ( a fantastic turquoise colour) and a couple of killdeers - a pretty shorebird despite its name. Southern Ontario is totally flat and reminded us of Holland without the windmills. There's quite a population of Mennonite families here, easily recognised as the young girls wear headscarves with long hair and pretty dresses. The shore is lined with beautiful detached houses which have their own jetties and decking facing the lake. But Manitoba is still suffering floods which began 3 months ago after the spring melt and there has been terrible fire damage in Alberta. The plains states seem to suffer a great deal of hardship.

Next stop: USA!

Canada Day Trivia:

Basketball was invented by a Canadian teacher as an indoor activity for his pupils in Massachusetts.

We spotted in the supermarket: Baked Beans in maple syrup - no, I didn't buy any, as much as I love maple syrup!

Subway advert seen for funeral packages: 'Eternal Rest is only a few clicks away.' If only it were that easy!



I'm sorry if these blogs are getting too long - I keep thinking I won't have much to say soon but it hasn't happened yet!

Do keep in touch and thanks for all your messages.

With lots of love,
Mary and Eamonn