Vanishing BC: In Paintings

Vanishing BC, Paintings of things gone now from Michael Kluckner.

Manic Monday: Pride

Canada Day is July 1st.

Manic Monday

Scanned: Proud to be Home

Scanned this from a store flyer.

O Canada

Found this on The Rocky Mountain Retreat, right down at the bottom.

Thursday Thirteen #7: Ontario Abandoned Farm Houses

Not sure how this will work out as I have not done a lot between my photos on Flickr and this blog, but for the Thursday Thirteen here are 13 of my photos of abandoned farm houses taken in various locations in Ontario, Canada.

Famous Canadian Women You've Never Heard Of

We are making goodies for Thanksgiving dinner today. Sitting with a coffee in the kitchen while my cheesecake cooks I began browsing through a book about Canadian Heroines. It's sad how many of these women I have never heard of.

In the US they seem to have a lot about their own history and the people in it. They learn in school about famous US men and some of the women too. In Canada we also learn a lot about world history, not so much our own though. When I was in high school you had the option of picking Canadian Literature, Canadian History and so on. Why wait till then? In University and College you come across courses about Canadian Women in History and other more narrowed down areas of interest. But, why do we have our people and our history shoved aside so that it has to be found? Does anyone know about Emily Stowe, Harriet Brooks, Maude Abbott or Alice Wilson? Those are all Canadian women.

Anyway, a nice time of year to think of some of these Canadian women. A time of year when things are settling down for winter. People are planning and cooking for family dinners together. Some are packing up the car and some are packing away things that were cluttering up the dining room. I hope everyone has family they can spend some time with, on the phone through an email or whatever is available. But, even if you feel you are alone, you're not. We are all Canadians and we all have that in common with the Canadians here now and those forgotten long before we came around.

When you have your Thanksgiving, give thanks to Canadians. As Red Green says... "we're all in this together".

Happy Canada Day

Doors Open.ca

Doors Open Toronto

Doors Open Ontario

Doors Open Canada

Celebrating our architectural heritage. The aim of Doors Open events is to facilitate people's understanding and enjoyment of their local architectural environment while encouraging awareness of their built heritage.

TO Live with Culture A guide to Toronto's culture and arts scene, events.


If you're in Vancouver, BC, there is Northern Voice

Northern Voice is a two-day, non-profit personal blogging conference that's being held at the UBC main campus on February 23-24, 2007.

Real Yummy Maple Leaf

I cut this out from the wrapper of a Caramilk chocolate bar. Do they have the same new maple flavour outside of Canada?

Toronto Not Yet Known

Unknown Toronto

Sarah's journal of secret Toronto facts and mysteries: TTC lore, hidden spaces, history, art, urban wildlife, film shoots and great Toronto food, clubs, bars, galleries, museums and shopping.

Unknown Victoria

Victoria: The Unknown City is a new guidebook about that eccentric town on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. This is the author's blog. Look here for Victoria lore, updates and additions to the book, and hate mail.

Canadian Ghost Towns

Ghost Town Pix

The Lost Villages Historical Society

Abandoned Houses in Ontario - The Heritage Photography Project

Forgotten Ontario - a TV show.

Ghost Towns Canada

There are also grain elevators which are kind of their own vertical ghost town.

The photo here came from Bankhead Ghost Town, Alberta, Canada. I don't know who took the photo but I would really like to see more.

Canadian Soap Star

Bree Williamson - A Toronto grrl does the soaps. I've been watching her for a few years on and off. It's nice to see a Canadian making all those big bucks working on US TV. She was being interviewed on one of those TV blab shows tonight so I looked her up for fun. Her sister on the soap is Melissa Archer, a stunning redhead, though she isn't Canadian. I like seeing two sisters but they have very few storylines together. It's kind of disappointing that way.

Found this short video she made for Breast Cancer Awareness. I can't hear it but will save the link to play it again when I get my own computer hooked up again.

Watch for Falling Leaves

Taken today on the backyard patio.

The Maple Leaves are Falling

The Outback of Ontario

I'm about to venture forth into the Outback. I had planned to get out for breakfast this morning but now it's 11:00am and breakfast will no longer be served without an extra dollar or so added. So that plan is done for. That's ok, there are more options for luncheon places anyway. Now that my favourite place closed there really isn't a great place to go out for breakfast in town.

I was thinking to drive out somewhere a bit. Maybe. It would be nice to get out and I'm not coughing and sneezing nearly as much now. I don't think I could be a germ spreader still. I will be nice and careful too.

There are a few destinations in the realm of not so far away. I thought I would look at an online map for anything new I had forgotten. Do you know there is Southern Ontario, Nothern Ontario and the GTA? Well there are. However, here in the area north of the GTA and yet not north enough to be Northern Ontario we are kind of lost from the named map areas. We are on the map, don't think we lack importance. But, we don't have a real name when it comes to the direction stuff. So, I have decided to call this the Outback of Ontario.

Mainly because we are out back from just about every city known to people in Ontario. We are out back of Toronto. We are out back of Barrie and we are certainly out back of London and Orangeville and those towns. You can't really say we are out back from Peterborough cause there is a lake in the way. You'd have to drive around it to get here so it's not quite out back, according to me.

Flower Power and Garden Therapy

This morning while trying to avoid that whole hacking up a lung thing, I found the Canadian Horticultural Therapy Association

It's for seniors, disabled people and likely anyone sicker than just the common cold to get together and feel better through gardening. It's a great idea. Puttering around in the garden does make you feel better. They key is puttering rather than taking on the whole care and maintenace for all of it. That's a job. We're just looking at garden therapy, that's a hobby.

There is a job posted for a garden therapist. I'm sending that one to my sister. Maybe she'll consider that as another career option since she isn't really keen on being a "mouth janitor" any more.

Ontario Blogs

Ontario Blogs

Last Seen...

Toronto is so big... what if I move and just get lost. People have told me to get lost before, what if I finally, really do. I may never be seen again.