O’ Canada, Where Art Thou?

On November 1st, I crossed the bridge from St. Stephen, New Brunswick into Calais, Maine. I will admit that I felt a twinge of sadness as I left the country that was my home for the last 3 months. It was a great trip. Sure there were ups and downs, but as I look back at the entire experience, I feel very lucky to have been able to take this journey.

As I crossed the bridge, I saw a gas station right across the border. Only $2.25/gallon for gas! Wow, maybe I shouldn’t feel so sad (for those of you in the US, gas in Canada is about $4/gallon….yikes!). But I will miss the Maple Dip donut from Tim Hortons, listening to CBC radio, and most importantly all of the people I met and the amazing landscapes I saw.

I realize that this blog has some holes in it. I guess the photographs came first. I really enjoyed writing here, but I found that it took a lot more time than I planned. I suppose I could have just put in simple entries, but I enjoyed the descriptive text.

Thanks for following along and I hope you enjoyed reading about my Canadian experience and viewing the photographs.

Take care,
Jason

Alright. So I have learned a lot on this trip so far and one of those things is that my time management skills need some sharpening. This blog is painfully behind, so I will attempt to catch things up in a summary post right now and will attempt to back-date some posts in more detail.

Ok, picking up after the Centennial Celebration in Edmonton, AB:

* visted the world’s largest mall in Edmonton. Some of you are thinking….”I thought the largest mall is in Minneapolis”. Well, you would be wrong. See, the mall in Minneapolis is the largest in the US, but the mall in Edmonton is the largest in the world. Now I’m not much of a mall guy, but I had to make a stop to see what it was all about. Well, its a big mall and the shops are very similar to what you would expect. But what sets this mall apart are: the huge wave pool, the amusement park, the underground aquarium, the ice rink. Oh, and the poor flamingoes trapped in a glass room. It gets so cold in Edmonton in the winter that this mall lets you have a day out and have it all be indoors.

* Went to a Pow-Wow in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan. I went to Meadow Lake for the Centennial Celebration but found out there was a Pow-Wow going on at the First Nation (Flying Dust) nearby. I wasn’t sure what it was all about, so I stopped by and it was pretty amazing. Tribes from all over Canada were there and the atmosphere was a mix of county fair and native tradition. The main “stage” was a circular area with risers around (where the dances took place). Outside of this structure was a ring of concession stands…..foods, gifts, coffee, etc. The best part was during the dances…..the clothing was amazing; full of color and detail. Really something. And the music, drumming, and singing….like nothing I have heard. It was a very interesting and fun experience.

* Met the Fire Chief in Meadow Lake. I stopped by the Fire Hall and talked to the Fire Chief. I thought it would be about and hour of talking and taking pictures of the equipment, get a few portraits, etc. But the chief took me all around town, showing me places of note, introducing me to the mayor, EMS workers, and other folks….it was great. That evening, the fire fighters had a training session and I was able to hang out and get some pictures….pretty cool.

* Returned to Calgary. I haven’t posted the first trip to Calgary yet. I was there in August and stayed with someone I met earlier in the trip….so very friendly. During that trip, I met with the Curling National Development Coach. He invited me back to Calgary because he was putting on a Workshop for high-end players…..so I returned to photograph that event. It was a lot of fun and got to see Curling up close and personal. The players and coaches were very friendly and allowed me to roam wherever I wanted.

* Headed to Saskatoon. This was a long drive, but got some great pictures along the way. This part of the country is fairly flat, but I think it is a beautiful landscape…..the skies go on forever. There are about a million people in all of Saskatchewan; Saskatoon is the largest city with about 200,000 people. Its a whole different scale out there. I stayed with friends of a friend of mine (Molly and Scott and their children Mac and Fin) from high school and they were super (as has everyone that I have stayed with). I liked Saskatoon; there is a very pleasant feel about it. The Univesity of Saskatchewan is major part of the city and it has a beautiful campus and the entire area surrounding is very nice with streets lined with trees and the river weaving its way across the city….very calming.

* Saw the underground tunnels used during Prohibition in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. This is where Al Capone retreated to when things got Hot in Chicago. There was also a huge liquor production going on here under Capone’s control. I went on a tour which was a “live theater” type of tour. It was just me and another couple and while the performance was good, I never really know how to react in this kind of situation….especially since there were only 3 of us on the tour. It was pretty interesting though.

* On to Regina. Regina is the capital city of Saskatchewan and is dominated by government activity. Its not quite as pleasant as Saskatoon, but not a bad place at all. I stayed with friends of a friend again (Jason and Suzanne) and they as the others were great. We had some good conversations about Canada and I learned a whole bunch. While I was here, I was able to get a press pass to a CFL game: The Saskatchewan Roughriders vs. Edmonton Eskimos. I went to the pre-game BBQ and saw lots of pumped up fans and then I was able to take pictures from the field on the visitor’s sidelines…..what a cool experience! It is not easy to capture the action, but man it was fun being down there. And the game was exciting….lots of scoring and Saskatchewan won the game by blocking a field goal attempt as the time ran out. Pretty sweet.

….more soon…..

So let me ask you something….. when you order a bagel with cream cheese, do you assume that no butter will be applied to it? Let me know your bagel ordering assumptions.

The reason for this question…..well, I don’t want to speak for the whole of Canada, but lately every time I order a bagel with cream cheese, it comes doused with butter, this morning for example. I got one to go and when I got back to my room, it was dripping with butter with a side of cream cheese ready to be applied. Yuk, man.

As you can tell, this has nothing to do with my trip, just a tiny fly in the ointment this morning that I thought I would share. There are some new images up and I hope to have some more blog entries soon.

I hope all is well.

Edmonton, Alberta. I was at the Centenial celebration for Alberta on Thursday. The Prime Minister was in attendence and before his scripted speech, he addressed the crowd about Hurricane Katrina. He mentioned that he spoke to President Bush and offered on behalf of all Canadians any help that was necessary for as long as necessary to their neighbor. The crowd cheered and I was definitely touched. The Defense minister began on Thursday preparing several warships to carry supplies to the region, even before an official request was made. People here are glued to the news and they are talking about plans for Canadians hosting displaced families.

I feel pretty helpless about everything that is happening and I certainly have everyone in that region of the country in my thoughts. Here are some links to organizations that can help with the relief efforts:

AmeriCares
American Red Cross
America’s Second Harvest

Day 33

It is true. I was at Alberta’s Centennial celebration in Edmonton taking some photographs. Lots of people crowded the grounds around the Legistature to celebrate. There were speakers: Alberta’s Premier, the Prime Minister of Canada, the Governor-General of Canada (Queen’s representative in Canada), the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta (Queen’s representative in Alberta), balloon animals, exhibits, food – Alberta beef, of course, face painting, you get the idea.

Anyway, it was a great way to get a peek into Canadian, especially Albertan, society.,..lots of pride and celebration for the 100th birthday. So after all of the speakers had their say, I made my way to where the VIPs enter and exit (it was all outside and it was just a roped path). The Royal Canadian Mounties were there, got some pictures, etc. And then all of a sudden came a small entourage with Prime Mimister Paul Martin coming down the path. Wow. Yes there was security, but not nearly what I would expect. He was shaking hands with the crowd and made his way down the line. I got some pictures and then he got so close that I actually got my hand ready to shake his. Then about 2 people before me, his handler took him to the other side of the line. Sucks! I really wanted to thank him for his support regarding Katrina. So close.

Alas, it is still a good story.

Days 21-24

Nelson is a great town and I fell in love with it almost immediately. It is located in the southeast of BC, in the “Kootenay” region. Most small towns in this area of the country have been on the decline because of the downturn in the logging industry. But Nelson is different; it is thriving and its people seem to have a special outlook toward community. As one of my hosts said, “People choose to be here”. While tourism is a big industry here in the summer and winter, the town has maintained its identity. If you have ever seen the movie Roxanne, then you are already a little familiar with Nelson because this is where they filmed it.

I stayed with some wonderful people here, Sandi and Brooke, who own a hostel in to…..the Dancing Bear Inn. They were great in showing me the town and connecting me with people who may be of interest for photo essays.

I had a great few days here and I wished I could have stayed longer. But I have a distinct feeling that I will return.

For those of you who know me well, the title of this post should spell trouble as I am not the most seaworthy of folks, never mind that I don’t have a low center of gravity for balance.

My gracious hosts in Nelson, BC, Sandi and Brooke, asked if I wanted to go on a Dragon Boat ride on the lake. I had a vague sense of what a dragon boat was, and in my extreme ignorance I assumed it was a leisurely trip down the lake. I think a gondola is what I had in my mind.

I found out about an hour before we headed to the lake that they were on a team that will be competing in September. Granted it is an amateur team, but still…..I guess this was no gondola. When we appeared at the boat house on the lake, I saw the Dragon Boat….oh, it seats 22 people and they all paddle at once to go. Yikes. The captain of the team was nice enough to let me suit up and go along and I just hoped that I wouldn’t ruin their training, especially given that I had never held a paddle, let alone use one.

When the rest of the team went for a brisk walk to warm up, the team captain asked if I could help take the canoe out and unhook the Dragon Boat from its tie, which was anchored about 20 feet away from the walkway. Gulp, “sure”. Can’t she see the ambiguity and anxiety on my face?

This is a simple task, but I know she did not realize how much of a dufus I am when it comes to this stuff. So I carry the canoe out of the hut with one of the other team members and we put it in the water. They tell me to get in and I slowly put one foot in the center and then I try to swing the other one in quickly and the boat sways back and forth; I can feel myself losing my balance and I think about my small camera on my belt. This would not be good. Not at all. I somehow recapture my balance and barely make it into the canoe. The other team member at the front of the boat asked what happened (nicely, of course) and it really was just Forman being Forman.

Meanwhile, we get the boat untied and all is well. I take my place at the back of the boat. We are about to get underway (we have about 20 people on this boat) and I have no idea how to use the paddle that is in my hand. All of these folks in the boat have been at this for several weeks; I just didn’t want to screw up the timing. The gentleman behind me showed me what to do and off we went. And let me tell you, it was a workout and the motion you use is not a natural one. So I have my eyes set on my stroke, but I also have to watch the team member in the middle of the boat to make sure I have the timing down. But all of a sudden we were all in sync and the sun was setting and it was quite the experience. And you should see these guys start from a standing position…..pretty great stuff.

Anyway, I thought I would share this experience because it was a lot of fun and because I almost toppled the canoe and got all wet. Best of luck to the Nelson team in the mid-September race!

Days 15 – 21

For those of you Seinfeld fans out there, the title mimics the Mackinaw Peaches episode. I have been in the region in British Columbia called The Okanagan for the last several days and I have eaten the BEST peaches I have ever had the pleasure of tasting. Unbelievable.

Anyway, I have spent most of my time in The Okanagan in its principle city, Kelowna. It hosts about 100,000 people nestled by lake with mountains nearby…..very nice. It has had a population explosion in the last several years because of its climate and maybe because of the peaches. Some would say it has become a bit too commercial. I can’t really comment, I just like the peaches.

For the first few days, I stayed with Denise and Jan who are recent immigrants from South Africa. Interesting to get their perspective on Canada and they were great hosts. The last few days were spent with Denise and Dean, who have lived in Kelowna for about 15 years, so equally interesting to get their perspective on the region. And they were also excellent hosts.

Other highlights:
* peaches
* went “grocery” shopping at a nearby farm (you shop for your produce at nearby farms….excellent) and they had a bin saying “Yesterday’s corn…20 cents”; I couldn’t believe it….day old corn. In San Francisco, when you buy corn, it can easily be days and days old.
* took pictures at an Echinacea farm
* took pictures at a winery (oh yeah, The Okanagan also has exellent wines) during one of their music events….John Fiddler (once of the Yardbids) was playing acoustic guitar against the backdrop of the sunset by the lake.
* great hosts

Hello everyone,

Well, I think its a good thing that I’m a photographer and not a writer because I am woefully behind on keeping the blog up to date. I’ll be back-filling the entries, so check back. I am currently in Prince George, BC heading down to Kelowna, BC today. I have updated the images on my website, so please take a look. There are now images in the “More Canada Images” section.

Some random facts:
* a Looney is a $1 coin
* there is a 55 yard line in Canadian Football
* a new Governor-General of Canada has been announced – Michaëlle Jean
* Curling season does not start until the fall
* 30 degrees celsius is 86 degrees fahrenheit
* Gas is about $1CAD/litre

Good day today.

Got up at around 5am to get to the Ferry by 6:15 for a 7:30am departure. The Queen of the North cruises the “Inside Passage” along the coast of British Columbia. But it is not on the open ocean, more in and out of a trail of islands and inlets. Very cool. Trip time: approx 15 hours.

The highlights:
* met some very very nice people in my seating area. Christine and Wendy were from Guernsey, which is one of the Channel Islands off the coast of France. Guernsey is part of the United Kingdom and was the only part of British soil to be occupied during WWII. Interesting. They also have some very odd laws based on their Norman days hundreds of years ago and they have a distinct identity…..they are NOT part of England, as I was politely reminded. Their friend Sandra was from Canada and they were all taking a trip together. Very nice and we enjoyed good conversation during the voyage.
* I contacted BC Ferries a few days before and received permission to photograph the Captain and the bridge. It was a lot of fun and the bridge officers and crew were so friendly and welcoming. They let me stay up there for several hours to chat and take photographs.
* The sunset was absolutely incredible. The colors changed by the minute and I didn’t want it to end. It really made the entire trip.

We arrived in Prince Rupert around 10:30pm…..long day.