A Day in Niagara

In June of 1997, one of the women who attends the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto organized a bus tour down to the Niagara Region and I bought a ticket. The bus was a very comfortable coach and it was nearly full.

Our first stop (once we had reached the Niagara area) was at the new Butterfly Conservatory which is near the Lewiston Bridge. I had never been inside a place devoted solely to butterflies before and I would describe the experience as 'magical'. We knew that this was on the itinerary for the day so many of us wore light colored clothing and ended up wearing one or more butterflies during the visit.

  One of the butterfly feeders - the pink liquid in the dish is a sweet nectar which butterflies enjoy

This is Helenka and, on the top of her blond head, is a butterfly (it is hard to see due to the vegetation in the background).

  

Jack had a butterfly affixed to his pant leg.

The pathway through the conservatory was elliptical and passed through sub-tropical vegetation.

 Also - a second butterfly feeder. As I exited an  attendant stopped me - I had a butterfly on my hat and the insect had to be rescued.

 From the conservatory it was a short drive to the falls and my favourite way to view them.

Above the falls and the walk along the edge (of course - behind the railing) gives me an odd feeling as if I was about to plunge into the torrent!

The lip of the cataract. 

The Maid of the Mist was nearly made invisible by the mist! The waterfall in the background is the American Falls and the land to the right of that cataract is Goat Island.   

A bed of tulips with the American Falls in the background.

From Niagara Falls it was a short drive down river to Queenston Heights - the site of one of the battles in the War of 1812. At that point is this monument erected to the memory of the British General Brock.

Over to my left from where I took this photo is the beginning of the Bruce Trail. While I was in the St Catherines area on one of the walks - which is not far from Niagara Falls - the hikes that I went on did not end nor begin at that point.  

A garden at Queenston Heights. 

Niagara-on-the-Lake is a lovely community situated along the Niagara River. It is the site of a highly respected theater festival.

The main street was lined with flower boxes full of tulips and daffodils.

The town clock.

 The venerable Prince William Hotel

And to express the bemusement that I felt while there  - a caleche passing a modern motor coach.

Retreats

I have enjoyed Retreats - whether they be in monasteries or  in campgrounds. I love being in a new and different place and I enjoy the bonding (especially the sharing that is done).

During the summer of 1997 a few people at MCCToronto got together and organized a retreat. They knew that the Basilian Fathers of the Roman Catholic Church owned a small island towards the north side of Lake Simcoe and that - when the center was not being used - they rented out the retreat facilities on that island to other groups. We were fortunate to be able to rent it on a beautiful weekend in June.

The estuary in the cottage hamlet of Joyville from which the barge ferry took us over to the island on Friday and brought us back on the following Sunday


To reach the island cars were driven to the cottage hamlet of Joyville which is situated towards the north shore of the lake and accessible through the larger town of Orillia.

Strawberry Island is owned by the Basilian Fathers (ironically I am now living a block north of their university enclave) and is a pretty place.

The bungalows were where we slept. A few years later Pope John Paul I visited Toronto and spent a day or two on Strawberry Island. I have wondered which cabin did he sleep in?

 There was a small pier extending out into the lake from which people could fish - if they so desired.

One aspect of retreats that I have always enjoyed is the interaction between those who are there. Sometimes there were people who came to lecture on a subject but I much prefer a general discussion group.

Here is a group discussing some subject or another. At the same time discussions were underway on the other cottage verandahs.

Lovely trails meandered through the woods and, along one of those trails, was this cross.

Naturally, there was a fire pit and a singsong in the evening.
  

 
Finally -the outdoor 'chapel' where we gathered on Sunday morning for a service.

The mixed gender retreats were held only once or twice. Now there are separate retreats - one for the women and another for the men. I attended one of the latter a couple of years ago (I was booked to attend another but there was a mix-up between me, the ride coordinator and the assigned driver so I was missed).  Usually these retreats are held at an education camp for school children up Airport Road in Caledon. There is a small ski hill across the road and the large acreage of the camp is quite hilly and laced by hiking trails - actually, the Bruce Trail passes through the area.

The retreat center - actually, the building is much larger than this photo shows. We all ate and slept in the same building.

The dining room where we ate - and where most of our discussion periods were held.

A large group of men. If this had been a 'co-ed' retreat, the group would have been at least twice this size. Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto is a large congregation.

                       An arrangement which was the centering piece for a discussion group.

Our 'hike master' who came to the camp on Saturday afternoon to lead those of us who were energetic on a walk through those woods. At one point we were walking along the Bruce Trail. As you have noted, in all probability, this was spring and the trees were yet to leaf.

The very extensive grounds. Some distance to my right are the buildings where the property managers reside.

There was a barn (and there were animals inside it)

The highest hill - on the immediate property - offered a vista over the surrounding countryside.

The women's retreat was a number of weeks ago while the one for we men is upcoming. I am hoping to be able to go again.

Canada Day Boat Cruise on Lake Ontario

One  of the fraternal groups within the Gay Community sponsors a boat cruise on Lake Ontario almost every summer. July 1, 2010 was a near perfect day for such an activity and the cruise was sold out. For those of you who are not familiar with Toronto and area, there are a series of small islands (large sand banks) a half mile or so from the foot of Yonge Street. We sailed through many of the passages between the islands, back and forth past the downtown core and well out onto the lake. There could not be a better way to see Toronto and the islands than that!

Being such a perfect day, ours was not the only craft out on the water. Here is a canoe passing between our boat and another cruise ship.

                             If you think that the canoeist was brave - how about this kayaker?

As well as all sorts of tour boats and private craft, there was a 'Tall Ship' gathering too.

                                  This boat looks more like an Oriental junk than a 'Tall Ship'.

                      Another 'Tall Ship' was moored beside some condominium towers.

It being such a lovely day the Center Island ferries were continually passing back and forth - full while bound for the islands and near empty on the return trip.

Cruising east from the boat slip we were soon past the downtown core and could see St. James Anglican Cathedral.

Where is the cathedral in the above photo? The green spire in front of the tallest building on the right hand side.

                                                  And  it was a grand day for sailing too!

As the captain of our boat kept cruising back and forth, the views were not always in chronological order. Here are two more 'Tall Ships' moored off of the islands.

A rival to the cruise ship which we were on is the Mariposa Belle. Reminds one of the Mississippi and 'Showboat'?

To the east of the downtown core is an estuary into which the Don River flows. A local street passes over on a bridge with the elevated Gardner Expressway behind it. As our boat approached this spot the helmsman turned to the right so we cruised between Wards Island and the Leslie Street Spit (Tommy Thompson Park).

 Trees on Wards Island are in the foreground with the CN Tower and condominium buildings along the shore and the bank towers in behind.

                                         Looking across Ward Island to the downtown core

Two more unusual watercraft. Yes - the guy on the surfboard was actually paddling in the channel and the craft near to him is a Native Indian canoe!

          The derelict Leslie Street Spit Lighthouse as seen from off of Ward Island.

When I snapped this photo our boat was a couple of miles out on the lake from the islands

                                          Cruising through the passages between the islands

On our way back to 'port' the Captain steered towards the west near the mouth of the Humber River and the arced foot/bicycle bridge over that waterway. The bridge can be seen behind the two sailboats

This is the ferry which carries passengers across the strait to the Billy Bishop Airport

From there the captain steered the boat to the pier from whence we had left. A day among great friends and out on the lake in sunshine and a nice breeze, I was tired - but the cruise was well worth the price. 

Toronto Waterfront

Actually, Toronto's waterfront extends all the way from the boundary between Etobicoke and Mississauga to the west to the boundary between Scarborough and Ajax to the east. I have written about some of that area to the west and to the east but, except for the Toronto Islands, not about the territory in the middle. I will begin with the ferry docks and move west from there.

There are four ferries which ply the waters between the Islands and the downtown core. Two of these ferries go back and forth between downtown and Center Island, one goes to and from Ward's Island to the east and the fourth one (which is a 'barge' ferry) to and from Hanlan's Point - the western extremity  of the islands. It is by this method that delivery trucks and school buses are able to cross over and return.

The following photo is of the ferry terminal at the foot of Bay Street.

From here I will move east for a couple of blocks to the Redpath Sugar Refinery. There is/was an artist based at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco who moved from city to city painting images of whales  upon walls. The attached was painted upon the Redpath Sugar facility.

Much of the downtown center waterfront is a bunch of condominium buildings - including along the quay immediately across from the ferry terminal. When I chanced to go by, one of the boats that are leased out for parties was in view.

It is only towards the furthest west - and the furthest east - that one finds bathing beaches. However, there are 'sun bathing' beaches in the central core. The following photo is of one of them and the name of this spot is 'Sugar Beach'! It is built upon a pier so, while there is sand, beach umbrellas, and deck chairs, there is no where to bathe in the water - only in the sun.

The city commissioned the world renowned cellist - Yo Yo Mah - to help design a 'symphony' garden in the middle of which is a small stage where folk can lounge on the grass while listening to music. The photos of the garden above and following are a part of that.

The most prominent edifice in the city is the CN Tower which is almost immediately beside what was known as 'Skydome' but has been renamed The Roger's Center. The above photo shows one of the elevators which connect the ground to the viewing platform near the top (it is on the left hand side of the pylon and a little less than half way to the top). The item high and to the right is not an elevator but a light stanchion. I have been up there four or five times - the last time was with a friend from the Bay area of California. I am terrified of heights so, although I know that the glass floor of the viewing area is perfectly safe I flatly refused to stand on it - until she dragged me out there. I have a photo taken by a professional photographer of that incident and it looks as if we were literally standing in space! I have no idea what has become of that photo but, if I find it, I will scan it and add it here.


Moving on west of there one comes to Bathurst Street at the foot of which is another small ferry which takes people across to Billy Bishop Airport which has been leased to Porter Airlines. Here is a photo of one of their aircraft coming in for a landing.

Moving on, the seawall walk goes by some more parkland to the grounds of the Canadian National Exhibition. Along there one always sees plenty of waterfowl.

Three Canada geese keeping a close eye upon a female mallard and two ducklings.

Immediately across from where I took the above photo is Inukshuk Park and, of course, a real inukshuk.

The Chinese Lantern Festival was photographed largely at Ontario Place which is an adjunct to the Canadian National Exhibition grounds. Usually I attend the CNE every summer and, while there, I look at the displays of sand sculptures in one of the pavilions and visit the farm animals on display in another building.

Not having an artistic bone in my body, I continually marvel at the creations by people who do.

On one visit I saw alpacas for the first time (I have seen many llamas). First a small group.

A young alpaca who seems to be saying, "Take me home with you PLEASE!