On to Toronto

Judy.  We hadn’t planned to write anything about Toronto, not because we didn’t think we’d like it, but so many of the folks we know have been there, and we were only going to be there for three days. But it was such an adventure for us that we decided to comment.

Toronto - old & new

We took the train from Ottawa to Toronto—not the gentlest ride we’ve ever had. Ted said he couldn’t even read his book for all the bouncing around, and, until we got close enough to Toronto to see Lake Ontario, there wasn’t much scenery, either. Still, once we arrived in Toronto (an hour late), we had a short walk through the beautiful downtown to our boutique hotel, the Hotel Victoria, then a few blocks to a brewpub called C’est What? How can you not love a restaurant with a name like that?

As usual, we looked for memorable visits—ate dinner at the Royal York Hotel Library Bar, went to the Royal Alexandra Theatre to see COME FROM AWAY, a beautiful and energetic musical about the 38 American planes that landed in Gander, Newfoundland, on 9/11, and the Newfoundlanders who took them in. It’s a deeply moving experience.

When we left the theatre, the rain that had been predicted arrived with a vengeance! The bottom absolutely fell out of the sky. We ducked into a tequila bar, settled in with a couple of mezcals, and reminisced about Oaxaca.

Mezcal - Oaxaca style

Then we got into a conversation with the bartender, Andy, a great guy who is an actor, and just got his papers to go to New York. He treated us like a million dollars, and we shared actor stories. Pretty soon three men in town for a conference sat next to us at the bar—and they shared stories about parts of Canada we’ve not yet visited. It turned out to be a great evening chatting with new acquaintances. But then the bar, which was in a basement, started flooding—this was a really bad storm—and we had to leave. We called an Uber, and just as we got in, the rain stopped. The whole city was flooded so that you couldn’t get outside downtown, traffic was outrageous, and the ten-minute walk home became a twenty-minute ride! 

St James Anglican Cathedral

Because of the rains our Free Walking Tour was cancelled, so we wandered around the city on our own tour, to the St. Lawrence Market (which National Geographic calls one of the world’s great markets), where we ogled the fish, meats, cheeses (!) and fresh produce, to St. James’s Cathedral and garden, and up to the Conservatory Garden to see a varied collection of beautiful plants.  Yonge-Dundas Square is Toronto’s Times Square, and was full of shops and life.

Yonge-Dundas Square

We walked through Graffiti Alley, found a labyrinth, and ended at the Art Gallery of Ontario, where we absorbed more of the work of Emily Carr, Tom Thompson, and the Group of Seven, modern artists who changed the face of Canadian paintings, and whom we’ve grown to admire. 

The only real downer, and it was pretty awful, was the number of homeless sleeping right in the middle of the sidewalk. People just stepped around them, but it was hard for me not to worry about those guys.

It was a short but sweet visit, filled with interesting surprises.

Homeless napping

Graffiti Alley

"Oh, Canada!"

Judy. Of all the surprises I’ve received in this eastern part of Canada, the biggest is the huge number of French speakers. Of course I knew that Quebec’s first language is French, but I was amazed to learn of the number of Acadian towns and French speakers in the Maritimes. I suppose as the Capitol city of the country, some French is to be expected in Ottawa, but I hear the language spoken on the streets as often as I hear English.

It’s just one of the surprises Ottawa has to offer.

We broke our “big city” rule to come here because we know nothing about the area and it’s always interesting to visit a country’s capitol. We also broke our “no tourist” rule, because there’s so much to do here. We’re really glad we did; we’ve had a great lesson on Canada! A docent in St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church (where the Dutch Royal family attended during WWII while living here in exile) told us, “We know so much about American history, but you seem to know so little of ours,” so we’ve made it a point to learn something about what makes Canada—well, Canada.

 

War Memorial

Parliament 

We started out by taking one of our favorites, a Free Walking Tour, which began at the War Memorial.  Remember how touched we were by the Australian quote regarding their military: “Lest We Forget”? Well, it’s alive and well here, too, not only for the various modern wars’ veterans, but also for those who protected Canada before its Confederation. Ted’s already talked about that in a prior post. We learned about Ottawa’s beginnings as “Bytown” (named for Col. John By, who divided it into lots), about the Irish and French settlers who had street fights over areas of the town, and the separate Catholic churches each built so as not to come near each other. Eventually that settled but left a terrible reputation, so when the country’s Capitol buildings in Kingston burned, Bytown put in a bid to be the new Capitol. In an attempt to change the perception of the city, Bytown changed its name to Ottawa, and was named the Capitol in 1857 by Queen Victoria. It also helped that it was on the Ottawa River and the Rideau Canal, and that “Ottawa” wasn’t yet on any maps, so in the early days of its Dominion, it was not easy to find by foreign invaders (us). “Ottawa,” by the way, comes from an Algonquin word meaning trade, which gives you another aspect of the city’s beginnings.

 

Senate Chamber of Parliament

Parliament Hill from the Ottawa River

While Parliament Hill and its buildings are truly beautiful, they are in the process of being renovated, which will take years. We took the English-speaking tour of Parliament Central Block, watched the Changing of the Guard in front of it, watched the “Northern Lights” sound and light presentation on Parliament Hill about Canada’s history, and walked the city. We saw gardens and Cathedrals, Art museums, and Art Centers, and a view of Parliament from the water taxi on the Ottawa River. We rowed a canoe along part of the Rideau Canal, and, over beer and nachos afterwards, met a delightful local woman named Debbie, who showed us around the area and gave us a ride home.

Denise and Pascal & the beautiful garden

We had a lovely visit with a Servas couple, Denise and Pascal, a Francophone couple who gave us a tour of parts of the city we’d not seen, took us to their home outside Ottawa, fed us a fine lunch, then drove us back to our apartment.

Our street in Centretown

We lived in Centretown, an older area in transition, with brick houses and stained glass windows, and a park where, every morning, women from nearby Chinatown practiced

Morning dancing in the parki

dancing, and where, on Friday nights in the summer, movies are shown. We went to the Chinatown Night Festival and had a great lunch at a Dim Sum restaurant there.

Chinatown Gate

 

Food stall at the Night Festival

We walked to Sparks Street during our last week to watch the Busker Festival, and saw terrific performers from all over the world. 

Pole balancing!

One morning we rented a car and drove to Merickville, a 225-year old town built on the Rideau Canal, and afterwards drove to the small town of Fournier to visit Ab and Monique, whom we had met thirteen years before at a resort in Nicaragua. Over an excellent lunch prepared by Monique, we shared travel stories and marveled at the fact that a couple of days of laughter so many years ago could lead to a renewed friendship.

Ab and Monique

We’ve spent more time in the east now than in British Colombia, and I find, that like in America, the two parts of the country could not possibly be more different. Now I’m intrigued by the middle provinces and am ready to visit there in the next while. I continue to be surprised by how much I learn, and how much people are willing to teach me. Canada has been a treasure and learning experience I’ll not soon forget.

At the end of the “Northern Lights” presentation, a recording of a young voice singing “Oh, Canada” in the bilingual version was played. Around me, people stood and sang one verse in English and another in French. They are  rightfully proud of their country, and I, too, am proud, to have them as neighbors.

"Sleeping with an elephant"

Ted. The Canadians that we have met have been quite friendly to us and seem to relish the close ties that their country has with the US. They have all traveled in the States and many have family and friends who live there. However, they seem deeply hurt by the new tariffs and caustic remarks made about their country and its political leadership. As I learn more of their history, I wonder if that sadness might also be mixed with a tinge of fear.

Historically, Canadians have had ample reason to shiver when they looked to the south. The US has actually invaded Canada twice! The first time was in 1775 (yep – before writing our Declaration of Independence). We invaded again in 1812,  scaring the crap out of the tens of thousands of British loyalists who had fled north at the end of the American Revolution. We were thwarted by an alliance of British troops, French and English speaking militias and First Nations warriors.

"Triumph Through Diversity"
War of 1812 Monument on Parliament Hill in Ottawa

Fear of their southern neighbor motivated Canadian politics throughout the 19^th century. The Rideau Canal and the city of Ottawa owe their existence to ongoing concerns of American incursions. In the 1860’s British troops began to leave the Canadian colonies while American military might grew (primarily for internal use). It is no coincidence that in 1867 the colonies of eastern Canada banded together to form the independent Dominion of Canada.

It is inevitable that our friends to the north will always watch us with a bit of trepidation. In 1969, the Prime Minister of Canada, Pierre Trudeau illustrated his government’s situation to a group of American reporters. “Living next to you is, in some ways, like sleeping with an elephant. No matter how friendly, or even-tempered is the beast…one is affected by every twitch and grunt.”