July 24th, 2008 writerspice
I have been lazy lately and lulled by the site of green tomatoes slowly growing in my garden. A little sun might be nice, however, to actually ripen them up.
All this percipitation brings to mind the summer of 1992, when it rained 16 weekends in a row, and I walked around Peterborough with an umbrella practically implanted under my arm.
But there were sunny times then too, when my bare feet took to the sidewalk and I sat on the patio at the Only Cafe, sipping honey-coloured pints of ale (not at the same time, mind you. You know the rule: no shirts, no shoes, no service, and even in those post-Gwen Jacobs days, I was still pretty attached to wearing my top). If the patio was even built by then… I might be getting my memories confused but in the interests of creative non-fiction, I reserve the right.
Suffice it to say that I equate the town of Peterborough with easy-going summer-time days and am looking forward to an upcoming journey to those eastern Ontario parts. If you’re in the province and you’re looking for a local-ish getaway, get thee to Peterborough. And if you’ve never been to this artsy-fartsy riverside town, here are ten fun things to do (well, fun from my own experience), in no particular order.
- Hit the Peterborough Folk Festival – the free, all-day Saturday event in late August features loads of bands on various stages, an artisan village, workshops, psychic readings, a beer tent and more, all in a bucolic setting beside the Otonobee River. The whole thing starts downtown on Thursday night, and don’t miss the pub crawl on Friday – the best way to see both the city’s thriving musical culture and its great pubs and restaurants, including the Montreal House and the Gordon Best Theatre (pictured above), on top of the Only Cafe.
- Did you know that this city was once a canoe capital? For over a hundred years (1850 – 1960), factories like the Peterborough Canoe Company and the Rice Lake Canoe Company pumped out the iconic Canadian vessel. Practice your patriotism and go to the Canadian Canoe Museum to learn more.
- Speaking of boats – get in one. Climb aboard a faux riverboat on Little Lake and learn a bit about the long holidaying history of the Trent Severn Waterway as you rise from one level to another in the over-a-century-old Peterborough Lift Lock.
- See some art. For awhile I worked at the Art Gallery of Peterborough, researching artists, writing press releases and generally being amazed by this lovely lake-side gallery that I’d only visited once before then for a Cultural Studies class excursion.
- Speaking of class, anyone interested in architecture and/or higher learning should take a walk around the campus of Trent University. I decided to go there because it reminded me so much of the rock slabs and open spaces of Northern Ontario. Oh, and its reputation spoke to my hippiesque sensibilities.
- One of the other things I loved to do in the Peterpatch was take my moody self and head to the cemetery. On the edge of Little Lake, this pocket of parkland and gravestones is a great place to do some thinking. If being surrounded by dead people and silence isn’t your thing, take a tour with the Trent Valley Archives. Offered every Sunday, from 4 to 5 pm, these tours educate on a certain themes (Their Spirit Lives On in July, August features Tragic Tales). Tickets are $10 per person. For more information call (705) 745-4404. The archives is also doing other cool stuff, like historical pubcrawls. Only in Peterborough!
- Years back, some friends of mine and I packed up our lawn-chairs and headed down to Del Crary Park to see Buffy Sainte-Marie FOR FREE. She was playing the Festival of Lights. This year, if you’ve been wondering just what happened to Glass Tiger, you can ask them yourself when they hit the stage on Saturday, July 26th. Other upcoming performers include Ron Sexsmith, Michael Burgess and Justin Rutledge. Get there early!
- The first time I ever visited a farmers’ market was in Peterborough. Once, a little boy with a dirty face was carrying around a mess of squalling kittens in a cardboard box filled with straw. Of course I took one, but that’s another story… Active since 1825, the Peterborough Farmers’ Market is just as great as Orillia’s, with loads of vendors, lots of music and that same happy spirit.
- Writer Margaret Laurence described the Otonabee as a “river that flows both ways” in her novel The Diviners. It’s true. The currents flow back and forth like a weaving. Paying homage to this local natural environment, the Ecology Park is a must-see for anyone who loves the earth. Follow a nature trail, learn about native species and pick up some skills about effective composting and organic gardening. A great place to bring the kids!
- After all is said and done, head to Hunter Street and grab a pint or a giant cookie or just a slightly- cinnamon-scented coffee at the Only Cafe, home-away-from-home for underground artists, actors, writers, addicts and those wanting to bump elbows with the town’s artsy elite. When I lived in the Patch, I spent more time here than anywhere else, and have the journal entries to prove it.
If you’re from Peterborough or, like me, a long-time ex-pat who still misses the magical city, what do you do for fun within its boundaries?
Photo of Gordon Best Theatre (above the Only Cafe) by daniel_photographer
Photo of Ptbo Lift Lock by Derek Purdy
Posted in Ontario, Recommended | 8 Comments »
June 3rd, 2008 writerspice
Last year I spent some time chatting with a few local farmers to produce an article about the importance and ease of eating from the fields in the county I call home. Called Think Fresh, Eat Locally, the article is in the May/June issue of Simcoe Life magazine.
With my ever-burgeoning interest in growing food and using wild edibles and herbs (my newly-planted veggie garden is sprouting and a batch of mullien from a neighbour’s driveway is drying in the dehydrator as I type), I poured my heart and soul into this piece.
Unfortunately, in the print issue, it ran with the wrong byline.
Although this has never happened to me before, it is a fairly common occurrence for lots of writers (a few colleagues were quick to share their own tales of woe when I released my sorrows in a forum).
But do me a favour. Should you live somewhere within Simcoe County and come across the magazine, take out your pen, cross out the wrong name and write mine in. That would make me feel a whole lot better.
Chef Doug Porter puts together some locally-grown greens at Collingwood’s Simcoe County Restaurant (photo by Lauren Carter)
Posted in Food, Going Green, Issues, Ontario, Recommended, Seasons, Simcoe County, World, Writing Life | No Comments »
May 27th, 2008 writerspice
This past weekend, J. and I embarked on a bit of a staycation.
We still drove three hours to get there, but by creeping along in our fuel-efficient car, we only used about a half tank of gas (the starter went and J. had to replace it in our B&B’s driveway and then the emergency brake kinda caught fire as we were picking Ollie up at the kennel, but, hey, you can’t have everything!)
I’m still working on pitches and stories from the excursion, so can’t say much lest I give my ideas away, but suffice it to say we were in the St. Jacobs area. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it to the market (sources tell me that the 130-year-old Kitchener Farmers’ Market is even better, with more reliably local food and less crap), but Saturday afternoon found us in the village, a first time for both of us.
We wandered around a pottery shop in a renovated silo, sat quietly in a replicated meeting house in a museum dedicated to Mennonite culture and explored a hundred year old broom-making shop and antique store (where I coveted an ornate Victorian twine dispenser made of iron – must be all the Jane Austen I’m reading lately).
St. Jacobs reminded us a bit of Elora, that other once-sleepy Ontario village that came to fame and is now lined with expensive boutiques and crowds of bussed-in tourists eager for the authentic.
Both towns seem a bit like how I would imagine the Southwestern Ontario pavilion at Epcot Centre and over rhubarb-strawberry squares at the bakery, we wondered what the Mennonites think. In the museum, we learned that they were first nick-named “the quiet in the land” when they arrived in the late 1700s. It must be strange for such private people to have to run their errands in a town crowded with people wishing for a glimpse of their black wagons rolling down the road.
We didn’t see many horse-drawn wagons. Mostly we saw buses lined up in the wide parking lot a block from main street and lots of cars, one from Florida. But on the way home we stopped at the Kissing Bridge, the province’s last remaining covered bridge, and as I was snapping photos, one came by. I surreptitiously took a picture – not the greatest one, but you get the idea – before we continued on our way, driving down back country roads with dust around their edges, to wander our way home.
Posted in Ontario, Recommended, Writing Life | 1 Comment »
May 23rd, 2008 writerspice
Last week, I went to the countryside town of Uxbridge, Ontario on assignment. While there, I wandered into Bredin’s Bakery, bell jingling and old-fashioned porch door slamming behind me.
Inside, as a fourth-generation baker toiled away in the background, I tasted some cookies I’m pretty sure they are serving on simple china plates on a fluffy white cloud in, um, heaven.
Here’s a photo of a baked-goods buyer, perplexed over what delicious bit of paradise pastries she should purchase.
Either that, or she’s wondering what I’m doing, bent over, aiming a camera at her face. Ah, well. It made for a good shot of this simple bakery with delicious fare.
I’m glad I went. Who can argue with contented crumb-fingered sighs?
(And, yeah, okay, I guess this is me officially coming-out as no longer gluten-free – a long, controversial story that can be summed up by saying, nobody knows one’s body like the person who has to live in it).
Posted in Food, Ontario, Pretty Pictures, Recommended | 1 Comment »
April 24th, 2008 writerspice
Maple syrup season is almost over, which means that the sugar shacks will soon be closing their doors.
Luckily, this spring, the members of my family who are based near Shaw’s Sugar Bush (watch the video about how do what they do), a 104-year-old maple syrup farm down the 14th Line, near Orillia, finally followed through on what has become an on-again, off-again tradition. Last weekend, we gathered for pancakes soaked in the sweet gleaming gold from our region’s special trees.
In the barn-like restaurant, we sat at a long table beneath historical photographs and watched the staff steadily serving French toast, sausages, maple baked beans, maple tea, spiced apple cider and other tasty elements of Canadian cuisine. After committing that classic eyes-bigger-than-the-stomach sin, my nephews, my sister, her husband, my mom, my step-dad, Jason and I wattled wandered out back to leisurely work off at least a fraction of those big buttermilk pancakes.
Tall, grey maples stood over a carpet of dead leaves, spotted with bunches of pale purple, white and yellow flowers, the first colour of the season.
We stood back as a team of Percheron horses pulled a wagon past us, following a 1.6 kilometre loop through the trees, roped together by the green tubing (they don’t actually use buckets anymore) that collects the precious sap. My nephews ran ahead and, in a moment of sugar-fueled-Indiana-Jones-adrenaline that only small boys and mothers with threatened children can muster, actually jumped on the wagon…
As the morning steadily promised to be a glorious day, J. and I said goodbye to go home and work on our garden and get busy refurbishing our thirsty canoe, in preparation for other eagerly-awaited warm-weather adventures.
Shaw’s is open for one more weekend. Visit their site for a menu and more information.
Photos by Lauren Carter
Posted in Food, Ontario, Orillia, Seasons | 1 Comment »
January 8th, 2008 writerspice
Having returned refreshed from my holiday hiatus, I am ready to atone for the blogger’s sin of disappearing off the face of the earth for over eight days…
With a brand new year comes some freshly published clips to share.
Last winter, when January was white, snowy and damn cold (unlike these days with persistent rain and fog turning the world to a setting suitable for the dreadful Gothic novel stirring in my mind) I bundled up and went dog-sledding for the very first time for Simcoe Life. Here’s the evidence – including pics – to prove it.
This past autumn, I also ventured over to both Collingwood and Wiarton, for stories for Edible Toronto’s latest issue.
Let me know what you think!
Posted in Ontario, Simcoe County, Writing Life | No Comments »
December 10th, 2007 writerspice
The Festival of Lights is on right now in Niagara Falls and that’s where J. and I spent the weekend. The town sure has changed since we were kids. Back then, the two grand waterfalls and the amusement park atmosphere of Clifton Hill were the main draws. These days, the casino brings in countless visitors. As we took in the glittering light displays along the Niagara Parkway and wandered around during the day, we looked for signs of an even older Niagara Falls, one that drew 1950s honeymooners rather than visitors handing over coin at the casinos. This motel on Lundy’s Lane was one such sign: a perfect classic of kitsch.
Posted in Ontario, Pretty Pictures | No Comments »
December 3rd, 2007 writerspice
Last year, my family went for a walk on Christmas Day. The grass was green. The sky was blue. Halfway down the road to the park, I took off my jacket. With predictions for the coldest winter in fifteen years, it’s pretty clear we won’t be doing that this year. “A good old fashioned Canadian winter,” is how one newscaster described what’s happening with the weather these days, not only in my part of the world, but across the country. Snow, snow and, oh, yeah, some snow. It’s more like the deep heart of winter than late fall. This picture is what we woke up to this morning, with buses shut down and schools closed.
In Wasaga Beach, Ontario, another town in Simcoe County, this weekend was a bit more like the middle level of hell than any winter wonderland. On Friday, most of the arcade of historic buildings along the longest freshwater beach in the world were consumed by fire. Ankle deep in white sand, these wooden storefronts and snackbars were a relic of the easygoing past of Georgian Bay’s Wasaga Beach. Built in the 1930s, many were already faced with possible demolition. A developer has been buying them up, armed with a plan to turn the whole area into a mock New Orleans. Thankfully, the city has not given consent.
These kinds of developments really bug me. Travellers crave authenticity and so resorts and tourist towns give it to them – creating false ‘villages’ and ‘small towns’ at the expense of their own history and heritage. Case in point: Collingwood, where the historic downtown is often overshadowed by Blue Mountain’s faux alpine village. Many people simple stay in the Village and don’t even venture into the first historically-designated downtown in Ontario.
Several people have lost their businesses in Wasaga Beach but the community has also lost a little bit of itself. The wonderfully ramshackle arcade area where sunbathers bought hot-dogs and ice cream cones in their bare feet will never be the same. No matter what sort of fresh face they put on the area, that summer memory is sadly long gone.
Posted in Ontario, Simcoe County | No Comments »
November 15th, 2007 writerspice
Imagine this: you’re standing in a train station, minding your own business, reading a magazine or staring at your fingernails, when all of a sudden the whole place begins to rumble with the arrival of a locomotive. A whistle blows. Steam billows into the air. Everyone watches as the behemoth pulls to a screaming stop, opens its doors and emits a rowdy, eager, excited crowd of bright-eyed revellers.
Ladies and Gentleman, it’s the Santa Claus Express. Buckle up, put away your reading material and get ready for the ride. From where I’m standing, it seems that this is the weekend the holiday madness celebrations officially start.
Here in Orillia, a candle lit procession along our historical main street will start at the Legion on Saturday evening at 6:00 pm. The town crier (yep, we still have one of those), minstrels and carolers will lead everyone to the Opera House, where Father Christmas, the Holly Queen and a bunch of official folk will ring an official start to the season (don’t forget to bring your donation of a non-perishable food item). The next afternoon, Santa is dropping in during the Santa Claus Parade to give a few ho-ho-hos before things really get hectic.
The guy has a busy schedule. At varying times on the same day, he’s also showing up in Oakville, Sudbury, Cambridge, Niagara Falls, Woodstock and Thunder Bay. In Ottawa, this Saturday’s Help Santa Toy Parade, organized by the Fire Fighters’ Association for nearly 40 years, is expected to fulfill its tradition of bringing out thousands who line the streets to give their donations of new toys or money to people collecting along the parade route.
But Santa’s starring appearance on Saturday will happen in the nation’s biggest city, during the world’s largest Christmas parade (warning: very creepy elf on this website).
Started in 1905 as a way to advertise the arrival of Santa at the Eaton’s department store, the Toronto Santa Claus Parade has persevered through two world wars and the end of Eaton’s sponsorship (1982: soon followed by the end of Eaton’s). Along the way, Santa’s been pulled by live reindeer shipped in from Labrador (1913) and brought in by aeroplane (1919). During World War 2, when supplies were scarce, costumes were made out of paper (1939). These days, about half a million people throng the streets to watch a multitude of marching bands and over 20 elaborate floats wind their way through the downtown streets.
Whatever you do this weekend and however you celebrate (or don’t) this time of the year, it’s pretty clear that from here on in, things are gonna get nuts.
Photo by Shopping Diva
Posted in Ontario, Orillia, Seasons | 3 Comments »
November 7th, 2007 writerspice
In my part of the world, it isn’t April that’s the cruelest month. It’s November: grey, damp, dark at 5:00 and shadowed by the anticipation of the long winter tunnel that awaits. Yesterday morning, weather predictions called for 15 to 20 centimetres of snow (that’s about 5 to 8 inches, for you non-metric folks) in my area. Only a light dusting covered the cars this morning, but it’s enough to call to mind one basic fact: It’s Coming.
For skiers, snow-shoers, yurt campers, kids, this is exciting. For us? Well, apart from the fact that we also claim to like to ski, snowshoe and winter camp, last night we went to bed at 8:30.
But don’t get me wrong. There are aspects of this particular time that do appeal. For one, the mood is perfect for poetry. As the days grow shorter, that other half of my career comes to life.
Travel wise, it’s also a great time to get away.
When J. and I were still doing shift work, before we’d settled into a more-or-less 9 to 5 life, we liked to take a few days off mid-week and, just, well, leave. The crowds are non-existent and rates are so much cheaper.
Once, on a two-night November excursion to Niagara Falls, the first big snow hit. Snuggled up in our hotel room (upgraded to include a fireplace, of course), we ate ordered-in gyros and Greek salad and watched nearby Buffalo, New York being buried on the T.V. news. When the flurries eased, we set out to explore, passing first through the shabbier streets of Ontario’s kitsch capital, walking by a vacant art deco department store, amazed at how empty the 1940s street scape seemed to be. We hiked along the gorge, visited the Hershey store for chocolate milkshakes and gazed at the awesome power – in any season – of those several tonnes of water forever falling.
Another trip took advantage of great mid-December deals during holiday shoulder season at Deerhurst Resort in Ontario’s Cottage Country. This was fun: before settling into our bargain suite, we wandered the snowy main street of Huntsville, poking around art galleries, outdoor equipment shops and, my favourite, for that time of year, Christmas Tyme, where about a million tree ornaments vigorously attempted to empty my wallet.
This year, as the days grow gradually colder, shorter and covered in white, we’ll have to see just where the spirit moves us.
Photo by Jeff Epp
Posted in Bargains!, Ontario, Seasons | 1 Comment »
