Toronto the Good lived up to its moniker. Good in so many ways. With the humidex in the 40 range the city was good at impersonating Calcutta at the start of monsoon season. Jammed into a subway car at rush hour it was good at reminding me how grateful
I am for Big Bras d’Or. But it was good in
good ways too. It was Michael who introduced me to unclehood a long time ago. He delivered many a happy hour in his tender years and he continues to do so today. The lad exemplified the good samaritan on a sweltering day, ferrying us all over downtown Toronto in the air-conditioned Subaru so I could see and photograph war memorials and the works of Emanuel Hahn. Mike joined us for a ballgame at Christie Pits and told me how to make the most of a visit to Toronto Islands.
On the ferry to the Islands I exchanged pleasantries with Cito Gaston, long-time manager of the Toronto Blue Jays. Cito looked as trim and fit as ever. At Mike’s morning coffee hangout I recognized musician-writer Dave Bidini and told him how much I’d liked his
Tropic of Baseball.
We were history tramps. Earlier in this trip we immersed ourselves in the Northwest Resistance of 1885; in Ontario we were keen to delve into the War of 1812 and the 1838 Upper Canada Rebellion. At Prescott ON we got to do both at Fort Wellington and the Windmill battlefield. At Saint-Lin QC we visited the Wilfrid Laurier National Historic Site and learned about Laurier’s youth at Saint-Lin.
We drove north of the St Lawrence to see war memorials, at Lachute and the remarkable one at Trois Rivieres. We’d planned to stay at the national capital but it was Jean Baptiste weekend and Quebec City was a zoo so we drove all the way to Acadia, arriving late at Edmunston.
There is more history on the agenda but now that we’re in the Maritimes there are also kin and kith to see. There’ll be no time to squander on daytime television or even a trip to the local bowladrome.
I am for Big Bras d’Or. But it was good in good ways too. It was Michael who introduced me to unclehood a long time ago. He delivered many a happy hour in his tender years and he continues to do so today. The lad exemplified the good samaritan on a sweltering day, ferrying us all over downtown Toronto in the air-conditioned Subaru so I could see and photograph war memorials and the works of Emanuel Hahn. Mike joined us for a ballgame at Christie Pits and told me how to make the most of a visit to Toronto Islands.
On the ferry to the Islands I exchanged pleasantries with Cito Gaston, long-time manager of the Toronto Blue Jays. Cito looked as trim and fit as ever. At Mike’s morning coffee hangout I recognized musician-writer Dave Bidini and told him how much I’d liked his Tropic of Baseball.
We were history tramps. Earlier in this trip we immersed ourselves in the Northwest Resistance of 1885; in Ontario we were keen to delve into the War of 1812 and the 1838 Upper Canada Rebellion. At Prescott ON we got to do both at Fort Wellington and the Windmill battlefield. At Saint-Lin QC we visited the Wilfrid Laurier National Historic Site and learned about Laurier’s youth at Saint-Lin.
We drove north of the St Lawrence to see war memorials, at Lachute and the remarkable one at Trois Rivieres. We’d planned to stay at the national capital but it was Jean Baptiste weekend and Quebec City was a zoo so we drove all the way to Acadia, arriving late at Edmunston.
There is more history on the agenda but now that we’re in the Maritimes there are also kin and kith to see. There’ll be no time to squander on daytime television or even a trip to the local bowladrome.
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