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Showing posts with label geography. Show all posts
Showing posts with label geography. Show all posts
Saturday, August 1, 2020
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
WORLD GEOGRAPHY WEEK-BANCROFT
This is a place I'd like to see more of. My visits to Bancroft consist of picking people up or being picked up there and subsequently dropping people off or being dropped off there. I also stopped off at the Tim Hortons there on my way to Kilalu. I also went north of Bancroft to the pig roast at Grafite Bible Camp last summer.
Around here, Bancroft has a reputation for being a weird, hick town, which is funny, first of all because it's coming from the hick towns around here and second because Bancroft was the first town in this area to get a Tim Hortons and it also has more franchises other towns in this area don't have.
Several years ago, TV Ontario voted Bancroft best town for art or something like that.
They really need to work on their electricity problems, though.
Around here, Bancroft has a reputation for being a weird, hick town, which is funny, first of all because it's coming from the hick towns around here and second because Bancroft was the first town in this area to get a Tim Hortons and it also has more franchises other towns in this area don't have.
Several years ago, TV Ontario voted Bancroft best town for art or something like that.
They really need to work on their electricity problems, though.
WORLD GEOGRAPHY WEEK-THE REST OF ONTARIO
Kingston: This southern extension of the Canadian shield is nice with all the limestone. The last few times I went there, it had a lot of nice shops and restaurants downtown, although I don't know what it's like now. It also has a great music scene.
Peterborough: Another great music scene and more interesting shops. Peterborough is one of the few places where the downtown is still busy. The Peterborough Zoo is always a hit, as well as the Indian River Reptile Zoo east of the city.
Toronto: As Jan Morris said, Toronto has just enough of everything. While not London, Paris or New York, it isn't Columbus, Ohio or Paduca, Kentucky either. There are just enough theatres, museums, ethnic restaurants, sporting events, and other attractions.
Hamilton: Spent some time there, but my exploration of the city consisted of going to Cops' Colosseum to see a Hamilton Bulldogs game when I lived in Brantford. I'd like to see more of this interesting city because it seems like a miniature Toronto, multiculturalism without the big city hassle.
Brantford: As stated in a previous post, I spent time there a while back. Didn't see much of the town of Brantford, but saw many of the surrounding area, such as going to the Simcoe Fair, the Simcoe Lights and other places. I'd like to go back there and explore Brantford and area more, but my impression from the time I spent there was that it was like southeastern Ontario in that all the towns are unique.
Bradford: A bit of a weird-seeming city, but anyone who visits has to check out the Bradford Marsh.
The Muskokas: Cottage country. Southeastern Ontario tries to be cottage country but the Muskokas have a lot more wealth and a lot more interesting things to do. They beat us to the punch.
New Liskeard: Has a bit of a wild west feeling. The French influence also helps make it interesting.
Killaloe: Located in the Ottawa Valley, this little town also has a wild west feeling. Definitely have to go back there someday.
Barrie Huronia and the Bruce Peninsula: This area proves money buys happiness. With it's fertile farmland, tourist industry and nuclear plant, there's an openness and a friendliness in the people. Statistically, there are lesser amounts of social problems than in other parts of the province.
Peterborough: Another great music scene and more interesting shops. Peterborough is one of the few places where the downtown is still busy. The Peterborough Zoo is always a hit, as well as the Indian River Reptile Zoo east of the city.
Toronto: As Jan Morris said, Toronto has just enough of everything. While not London, Paris or New York, it isn't Columbus, Ohio or Paduca, Kentucky either. There are just enough theatres, museums, ethnic restaurants, sporting events, and other attractions.
Hamilton: Spent some time there, but my exploration of the city consisted of going to Cops' Colosseum to see a Hamilton Bulldogs game when I lived in Brantford. I'd like to see more of this interesting city because it seems like a miniature Toronto, multiculturalism without the big city hassle.
Brantford: As stated in a previous post, I spent time there a while back. Didn't see much of the town of Brantford, but saw many of the surrounding area, such as going to the Simcoe Fair, the Simcoe Lights and other places. I'd like to go back there and explore Brantford and area more, but my impression from the time I spent there was that it was like southeastern Ontario in that all the towns are unique.
Bradford: A bit of a weird-seeming city, but anyone who visits has to check out the Bradford Marsh.
The Muskokas: Cottage country. Southeastern Ontario tries to be cottage country but the Muskokas have a lot more wealth and a lot more interesting things to do. They beat us to the punch.
New Liskeard: Has a bit of a wild west feeling. The French influence also helps make it interesting.
Killaloe: Located in the Ottawa Valley, this little town also has a wild west feeling. Definitely have to go back there someday.
Barrie Huronia and the Bruce Peninsula: This area proves money buys happiness. With it's fertile farmland, tourist industry and nuclear plant, there's an openness and a friendliness in the people. Statistically, there are lesser amounts of social problems than in other parts of the province.
WORLD GEOGRAPHY WEEK-BOLT CASTLE
About 15 years ago my family and I took a daytrip to Kingston and went on the Thousand Islands cruise. Geographically speaking, that was nice. I got a good feeling, being out in the middle of Lake Ontario, knowing there were (actually more than) a thousand islands around us, many with unique features. Mainly, though, it was boring because I couldn't see them.
As part of our Thousand Islands cruise, we stopped off at Bolt Castle on the New York State side of the Thousand Islands. Now _that was interesting.
For those of you who don't know the story, which I assume is most of you, a wealthy industrialist named James Bolt wanted a vacation home for himself and his bride-to-be, so he imported a castle from the Rhine River and erected it on the island on which it presently stands, the name of which island escapes me at the moment. Partway through the project, the now Mrs. Bolt died and James abandoned the project in grief.
Never having been in a castle before, touring Bolt Castle was quite the experience. We walked through the great hall, stood on the tower and saw the rest of the place, or at least the parts completed before Bolt's wife's death.
One thing is for sure: Had James Bolt completed the rebuilding of this German castle and vacationed there with his family, he would not have had the kind of home where it would be possible to tell people, "Well gosh, we'd love to have you for the weekend, but we don't know where we could put you."
As part of our Thousand Islands cruise, we stopped off at Bolt Castle on the New York State side of the Thousand Islands. Now _that was interesting.
For those of you who don't know the story, which I assume is most of you, a wealthy industrialist named James Bolt wanted a vacation home for himself and his bride-to-be, so he imported a castle from the Rhine River and erected it on the island on which it presently stands, the name of which island escapes me at the moment. Partway through the project, the now Mrs. Bolt died and James abandoned the project in grief.
Never having been in a castle before, touring Bolt Castle was quite the experience. We walked through the great hall, stood on the tower and saw the rest of the place, or at least the parts completed before Bolt's wife's death.
One thing is for sure: Had James Bolt completed the rebuilding of this German castle and vacationed there with his family, he would not have had the kind of home where it would be possible to tell people, "Well gosh, we'd love to have you for the weekend, but we don't know where we could put you."
WORLD GEOGRAPHY WEEK-SOUTHEASTERN ONTARIO
I've lived in this little corner of Ontario, Canada all my life. Al Purdy's poem about the small towns above Belleville comes to mind.
Geographically speaking, southeastern Ontario has more versatility than one would think at first glance.
In the southern portion of Hastings County, there is the fair sized city of Belleville and the city of Trenton, home to a Canadian Forces airbase.
As previously stated, north of Belleville there are many small towns, as well as the Tyendenaga Mohawk reservation. Again, at first glance, all these small towns may seem to blend together, a closer look reveals they all have their uniqueneses and quirks.
I've always been awed by this areas location. We are halfway between Toronto and Ottawa and not that far away from Montreal. We're also about halfway between Peterborough and Kingston, the latter containing a U.S. border crossing.
Though there are many reasons why, especially as a blind person, this corner of one of Canada's first provinces frustrates me, geographically, it's always been a personal #1.
Geographically speaking, southeastern Ontario has more versatility than one would think at first glance.
In the southern portion of Hastings County, there is the fair sized city of Belleville and the city of Trenton, home to a Canadian Forces airbase.
As previously stated, north of Belleville there are many small towns, as well as the Tyendenaga Mohawk reservation. Again, at first glance, all these small towns may seem to blend together, a closer look reveals they all have their uniqueneses and quirks.
I've always been awed by this areas location. We are halfway between Toronto and Ottawa and not that far away from Montreal. We're also about halfway between Peterborough and Kingston, the latter containing a U.S. border crossing.
Though there are many reasons why, especially as a blind person, this corner of one of Canada's first provinces frustrates me, geographically, it's always been a personal #1.
WORLD GEOGRAPHY WEEK-INTRODUCTION
Several weeks ago I was invited to write posts in commemoration of World Geography Week, which took place November 13-19. I didn't get around to doing so, of course, but I would still like to write the posts I probably would have written anyway.
For a long time, I've had an interest in geography, the places in the world. As a blind person, you get an inward sense, a feeling for a place. The late comedian and blind travel writer Gord Painter understood this.
Despite my interest, I am not very well traveled. I live in southeastern Ontario and have been to a few different parts of this province. I've also spent some extended periods of time in Brantford and Hamilton, so I have a bit more knowledge of that area of southwestern Ontario as well than of other places. In addition, I've been to California twice on vacation, taken a day trip to Bolt Castle in upstate New York (pre 9/11 and Canadians needing a passport to get into the States) and spent a weekend in a suburb of Montreal.
I'd like to travel more. In 2014, I got a passport. However, my extremely limited income as an unemployed blind person and other challenges that come with not being able to see--such as getting to a train station or airport from my small town, prevent this.
Nevertheless, I continue to have a fairly strong interest in the goings-on, customs and cultures of different locales on this little blue planet of ours.
As you've probably guessed by now, I was an odd child. Whenever someone came over to our house, I would ask them about where they'd been outside of Ontario throughout their lives and get them to tell me about their travels. So few people have a passport. Though income limitations naturally prevent many from exploring the globe, its still a darn shame more people who are capable of doing so don't visit different places.
For a long time, I've had an interest in geography, the places in the world. As a blind person, you get an inward sense, a feeling for a place. The late comedian and blind travel writer Gord Painter understood this.
Despite my interest, I am not very well traveled. I live in southeastern Ontario and have been to a few different parts of this province. I've also spent some extended periods of time in Brantford and Hamilton, so I have a bit more knowledge of that area of southwestern Ontario as well than of other places. In addition, I've been to California twice on vacation, taken a day trip to Bolt Castle in upstate New York (pre 9/11 and Canadians needing a passport to get into the States) and spent a weekend in a suburb of Montreal.
I'd like to travel more. In 2014, I got a passport. However, my extremely limited income as an unemployed blind person and other challenges that come with not being able to see--such as getting to a train station or airport from my small town, prevent this.
Nevertheless, I continue to have a fairly strong interest in the goings-on, customs and cultures of different locales on this little blue planet of ours.
As you've probably guessed by now, I was an odd child. Whenever someone came over to our house, I would ask them about where they'd been outside of Ontario throughout their lives and get them to tell me about their travels. So few people have a passport. Though income limitations naturally prevent many from exploring the globe, its still a darn shame more people who are capable of doing so don't visit different places.
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