Riding the Rails across the West

The Assinaboine River Valley in Saskatchewan

The Prairies west of Winnipeg

Through the forests of N. Ontario

Every promotional line on Via Rail’s website that describes “The Canadian” is true.  It’s a 4,466-kilometre train journey across five provinces between Toronto and Vancouver.  Over four nights and three days, I saw exactly what was promised:  the lakes of Northern Ontario, lush boreal forest, the vast expanse of the Prairies and the magnificent Rocky Mountains.  The landscape was draped in the golden colours of the early fall and, for the most part, in brilliant sunshine.

Avec J - P , un nouvel ami de Shawinigan ,Québec

Here are some observations and highlights:

·       Meeting people from all over Canada and the United States. A common comment from fellow passengers: “taking this trip was on my bucket list.”

Big sky in Alberta

·       Relaxing afternoons observing the scenery from the dome car.

Sunrise east of Edmonton

·       Great food and conversation in the dining car.

 

·       No rushing and being off the grid with little or no cell
or internet service.

 

·       Signs of the Canadian economy on the move as we stopped frequently to allow freight trains to pass.

Moving goods from west to east

The trip across the west was a pleasurable way to complete my two-year adventure of working in and exploring Toronto and parts east.

Farmland in Northern Alberta



Pyramid Creek Falls between Valemount and Blue River, BC

Heading south to Vancouver on the last, and only, damp day of the trip

Toronto: The city of “the”

The TTC at Union Station on Front St.

In this blog, I haven’t written much about Toronto itself as I have concentrated on reviews of my travels to parts east. So, during a Labour Day weekend walk in one of Toronto’s many neighbourhoods, this time in Yorkville, I took stock of some of my impressions over last two years in Canada’s largest city. 

One thing that comes to mind is how folks here often use the in front of place names, streets, communities and sports teams. Topping the list for me is the TTC.  People say “I’m taking the TTC,” or “the streetcar” or “the subway.” The TTC is the Toronto Transit Commission, the operator of the subway, streetcar and bus system.

The Gardiner

For drivers, the constant worry in the GTA – the Greater Toronto Area – is the traffic tie-ups on the Gardiner (the expressway along the lakeshore) or the DVP (Don Valley Parkway along the city’s east side connecting the Gardiner and the 401, the highway across the northern part of the city) or the QEW (the highway linking Toronto with Hamilton and Niagara Falls.)

Bay and King: The Financial District

Queens Quay at York

Toronto is a city of neighbourhoods – some 140 of them.  A few to mention include: The Danforth, The Beaches, The Annex, The Entertainment District, The Financial District and The Harbourfront (my neighbourhood, south of the Gardiner.) Early during my time here, a Toronto local told me “no one lives south of the Gardiner.”  I guess she hadn’t noticed the explosion of waterfront condos. And since moving here in October 2013, the waterfront is now connected to the rest of downtown by an extension of the PATH, Toronto's underground pedestrian walkway that links 30 kilometres of shopping, services and entertainment.

The Jays on a July 2015 afternoon

In terms of sports, it’s all about the Jays – especially this summer with everyone on the Jays bandwagon – and the Leafs and the Raptors. But there are also the Argos and the Marlies. By the way, the Leafs and Raptors play in The ACC. I’ve managed to see all the teams in action, except the Marlies.

The Ex on a hot and hazy early evening

I’ve been to two editions of The CNE or simply The Ex, Toronto’s annual summer fair that was founded in 1879 and renamed to Canadian National Exhibition in 1912.

From the Toronto Island Ferry

And of course, almost never out of sight during my downtown walks, is Toronto’s iconic landmark that punctuates the city’s skyline and is a way-finding marker – The CN Tower.


The summer of TORONTO 2015

The TORONTO sign at City Hall is a big hit.

The reason why I came to T.O. nearly two years ago has wrapped up with the conclusion of the TORONTO 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games.  All the planning, meetings and writing culminated with the successful delivery of the Games. Athletes competed, medals were won and our press clients had the required services and facilities to tell the stories of the Games.




Most of my time was spent in the two main press centres – at CIBC Pan Am Park (Exhibition Place) for the Pan Am Games and at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel for the Parapan Am Games – with long hours inside the press workrooms each day.  But, I did manage to make it to Nathan Phillips Square at Toronto City Hall twice for PANAMANIA concerts (the arts and culture festival) and the nightly fireworks. 

Other highlights were seeing my first wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby games which enhanced my appreciation for para-sport.


Wheelchair basketball: CAN vs. MEX at Ryerson.



Wheelchair rugby: CAN vs. USA at Mississauga.

Canadian star Zak Madell interviewed by our Games News Service.

With Olympic medallist Charmaine Crooks -- we first met in 2001!

I enjoyed the opportunity to meet some new Games gypsies and to reconnect with former colleagues from the Games circuit. As with any multisport Games experience – the TORONTO 2015 Games are my sixth multisport event – there are highs and lows as you work the event. The real appreciation of what was accomplished comes with time.  

The Pan Am Opening Ceremony on July 10.

The 'pine-cone' cauldron.

A daytime look at the now famous TORONTO sign. It's remaining at City Hall for now.

A year-end look at eastern skylines

The Manhattan skyline from the Empire State Building in August

2014 has been a year of discovering cities in eastern Canada and the U.S. 

From Halifax to Detroit and from Ottawa to Washington, D.C., I had the opportunity to visit nine cities in the region this year. 

For this blogpost, a visit means at least one overnight stay. My excursions in Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New York, District of Columbia and Michigan totaled 23 hotel room nights this year – 26 if I include a January trip to Las Vegas, but that’s another story.


I described all my trips in detail in various blogposts this year. So for a recap, I chose to take another look at those adventures by focusing on my photos of skylines of the east.


U.S. Capitol with the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C.

Toronto skyline from the Beaches - first warm day in May

Quebec City with the St. Lawrence River in June

July in Niagara Falls, without a view of the falls

A July cruise along the Ottawa River provides a view of the Chateau Laurier Hotel and Parliament Hill

Fine late September weather in Montreal

Thanksgiving weekend in Windsor



GM headquarters dominates the Detroit skyline in this Thanksgiving weekend view from Windsor

On the ferry in Halifax Harbour on chilly November Sunday afternoon

A November visit to Detroit revealed an empty Woodward Ave. waiting for revitalization





Touring in summer weather during the first week of fall

My friend Monique timed it right for her Toronto visit.  During the last week of September, we were fortunate to have some of the finest weather of the last few months for the first week of fall – plenty of sunshine and mild temperatures.  The weather was perfect for our long list of activities as we explored Toronto, the Niagara Peninsula and Montreal. 

Niagara-on-the-Lake: a pretty town

Over the last year, I’ve been to Niagara Falls several times. However, I hadn’t ventured off the main highway to explore the wineries of the Niagara Escarpment and Twenty Valley. I think one can return multiple times to the area to meander along the country roads to discover the wineries.

For this trip, we focused on testing white wines. We sampled many fine Rieslings, said to be Niagara’s most important variety that withstands the summer heat and the severe cold of Ontario’s winter. A big thank you to my colleague Elissa (a native of Niagara), who provided us with maps and tips. 

Old Montreal

The early fall colours were especially brilliant in Montreal.  After arriving by train, relaxing strolls in Vieux Montreal, shopping along Rue Sainte Catherine and enjoying Blanche de Chambly beer on a patio on Rue Crescent were the order of the day.

My friends Ginette and Yvon took us on a drive around Mount Royal that included a stop at St. Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal. And Yvon brought us to, what he says. is a little-known viewpoint on the Mount on the west side to see some sweeping views of city.

St. Joseph's Oratory

Merci Ginette et Yvon!

 Time to say au revior Montreal and à la prochaine!

 

A Taste of TIFF

I wasn’t going to write about TIFF 14, but my NYC Broadway show buddy Jen suggested this blog. So here are my impressions of my first Toronto International Film Festival.

I knew TIFF was a big production from my years of watching reports on entertainment programs.  Experiencing it while living in the Toronto gave me some perspective on the magnitude of this festival. For weeks leading up to TIFF, the local news programs created the buzz. And once the TIFF got into full swing, TV stations had live hits each evening from the many red carpets.

I haven't been much of a movie-goer in recent years, but the excitement of TIFF got me back into the cinemas. I saw four films over the last week.

A Second Chance: A Danish drama about a cop who makes fateful decisions involving a pair of junkies and a baby. Set in winter around Christmas, the film had many foreshadowing scenes of frigid, grey waters off Denmark’s coastline.  Academy Award-winning director Susanne Bier and star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau were on hand for a Q and A at this world premiere.

 

Cut Bank:  This film, set in Cut Bank, Montana (said to be the coldest spot in the USA), is about a crime scam gone wrong.  Performances by veterans Bruce Dern and Billy Bob Thornton were highlights in an otherwise basic movie. It didn’t help that I nodded off during this 10 p.m. showing and missed a few minutes where there was an important plot development.

Kill Me Three Times:  From Australia, this black comedy was engaging and entertaining. Lots of plot twists, schemes and scams in this murder tale, but all is logically linked. Of note is the cinematography described as “sun-punched.”

Cake:  I’ve never seen Jennifer Aniston in a dramatic role.  I was impressed with her performance (a departure from romantic comedies) as a woman dealing with physical and emotional trauma.

The only star I saw on the red carpet was John Travolta, on my way home along King St. on Friday night. I joined the crowd and took some Smartphone photos, just like every other star-spotter!

 

 

Thanks to @erin_braincandy for arranging all the tickets and being my #TIFF14 viewing partner.