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.All Trips / Eastern Canada / North America / Ontario
“Pic of the Week”, April 14, 2023: Trowbridge Falls, Thunder Bay
A pretty spot for a picnic in northwestern Ontario is Trowbridge Falls. The falls are in a conservation area on the Current River, and are nicely terraced. In the summer people like to wade into the falls to sit down and cool off, and kids love playing in the water. The flow is not too rapid and it’s a pretty safe environment. The water is surprisingly warm in the summertime.
There are hiking trails in the adjoining forest. In the winter the trails around here are popular with cross-country skiers.
There is a campground adjoining the park and legend has it that the spot is haunted. There are a lot of stories of unexplained mischief that have been ascribed to ghosts. Not …
Tagged Trobridge Falls, Trowbridge, waterfall
.All Trips / Eastern Canada / North America / Ontario
Family Fun in Centennial Park, Thunder Bay
Developed in 1967 in celebration of Canada’s 100th birthday, Centennial Park covers approximately 147 acres (60 ha) along the Current River. The park is situated at the north end of Thunder Bay, Ontario.
The park was built to represent the history of logging in the area, which is well known for its pulp and paper industry. The park features replicas of conditions at logging camps in the early 20th century. Very popular during the summer is a ride on the Muskeg Express Train,
The park also has recreational facilities, such as hiking or cross-country skiing trails, a picnic area, an animal farm, and a toboggan hill. A new children’s play area is being constructed. It is a great day’s destination for a …
Tagged Centennial Park, Park, Thunder Bay
.All Trips / Eastern Canada / North America / Ontario
Toronto’s Hockey Hall of Fame
It’s hard for non-Canadians to understand just how popular ice hockey is in Canada. It’s bigger than football (soccer) in Europe. Bigger than cricket in India. Bigger even than NFL or college football in the USA. Canadians consider hockey to be THEIR game, and that is reflected in Canadian culture. If two Canadians meet somewhere, chances are they’ll probably talk about hockey.
Most young boys (and probably girls today) learn to skate, hold a hockey stick, and handle a puck while you skate. When I was in grade school, my friends and I would often play hockey on a small patch of ice my dad made for us every winter. We were clearly amateurs, but it was a lot of fun …
Tagged hockey, Hockey Hall of Fame, Toronto
.All Trips / Eastern Canada / Food / North America / Ontario
Cheese is surprisingly popular in Canada, much of it originating in Quebec. So it’s unusual to see a cheese factory outside of that province. In …
Thunder Oak Cheese Farm, Ontario
An interesting place to visit near Thunder Bay is the Thunder Oak Cheese Farm. Here you have the opportunity to see Dutch-style Gouda cheese being made, and have the chance to sample or buy some interesting Gouda flavors. The farm is located a few miles south of the city of Thunder Bay.
The Thunder Oak Cheese Farm is run by the Schep Family, who immigrated from Holland and have been making fine Gouda in Canada since 1995. The Scheps have their own Holstein dairy herd from which their natural (no preservatives or color added) Gouda is made.
Thunder Oak Cheese Farm, Thunder Bay
Cheese is surprisingly popular in Canada, much of it originating in Quebec. So it’s unusual to see a cheese factory outside of that province. In …
Tagged Cheese, farm, Gouda, Thunder Oak Cheese Farm
.All Trips / Eastern Canada / North America / Nova Scotia
The walk offers some nice views of the harbor, and of ships and sailboats moving about — even of a lighthouse on an island. There’s the sound of gulls and of waves crashing, and …
A Walk along Halifax’s Waterfront
I enjoyed my visit to Halifax, although I’d have to say it’s not one of the prettier cities in Canada. An exception to this impression was my walk along the city’s waterfront, which is a lovely place.
The city has a terrific 6-km boardwalk known as the HarbourWalk which stretches along the main highlights of harbor and which is said to be one of the longest boardwalks in the world. It’s flat and easy to do, and walking this stretch is most pleasant on a nice summer day.
Harbourwalk, Halifax Waterfront
The walk offers some nice views of the harbor, and of ships and sailboats moving about — even of a lighthouse on an island. There’s the sound of gulls and of waves crashing, and …
“Pic of the Week”, November 27, 2020: Grain Elevators, Thunder Bay
There are eight massive grain elevators in the Port of Thunder Bay, situated on the western shore of Lake Superior. Trains bring much of the bounty from the Canadian prairies to Thunder Bay — wheat, durum, canola, feed grains, peas and other crops, as well as grain by-products (smaller amounts are also shipped to Churchill and Vancouver). These foods are temporarily stored in these enormous structures before being loaded onto ships that then make their way through the St. Lawrence Seaway, bound to countless ports around the world.
The Port of Thunder Bay has the largest grain storage capacity in North America, currently handling about 6 million tons of grain each year (though capable of more). Ship loading rates range from …
Nov 26, 2020
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“Pic of the Week”, November 13, 2020: Lupins, Thunder Bay
In my travels I’ve come across three places where lupins were growing in abundance. 1) South Island of New Zealand, 2) Ushuaia, in southern Patagonia, and, 3) Thunder Bay, on Lake Superior’s western shore. I’m sure there are other places that love and grow lots of lupins, but these are my observations.
Many of the ditches and roadsides in Thunder Bay had a thick growth of these colorful flowers, as you can see in these photos.
(Click on thumbnails to enlarge, right arrow to advance slideshow)
Nov 12, 2020
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“Pic of the Week”, November 6, 2020: Old Burying Grounds, Halifax
As you walk down Barrington street in Halifax, you’ll pass the Old Burying Ground. I guess “burying ground” sounds a little better than cemetery. But it is old, especially by Canadian standards, with graves dating back more than 250 years. The Burying Ground was established the same year as Halifax was founded and the cemetery was closed to new graves in 1844.
There are some 12,000 people interred here, but only about 1200 headstones remain. Most of the names of those buried here are unfamiliar, but I bet there are many colorful stories about some of these residents. For example, General Robert Ross rests here — it was he who lead the successful raid of Washington DC in 1814 (War …
Nov 5, 2020
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