What's the deal with Niagara Falls?

Niagara Falls. In February. "Kind of cold don't ya think?" said G.G. Blynn as they refused to leave the hotel room for the group's nightly walkabout. "It's minus twenty-five out there!" as they wheeled themselves away from the window.









In the daytime, things are only moderately warmer. The wind feels like Portage and Main, and it's damn hard to find a good coffee shop. Oh, there is a Starbucks in every hotel lobby along the tourist cluster that has attached itself to the actual falls, but that hardly a good cup of coffee.





Niagara Falls, the city, was incorporated in 1903, about 35 years after the work on the falls began. It's known as the "honeymoon capital of the world" though it's much too cold for any of that in February.




We stayed in the tourist district, near the falls, but a world away from it's natural beauty. Neon billboards, high-rise hotels, casinos, museums of dubious intent,  souvenir shops of the everything-seems-to-be-made-in-a-prison-in-China sort, and all-the-steak-you-can-eat kind of restaurants are everywhere in this small stretch of high-rises and parking lots.





Like all great cities, Niagara Falls has a lock bridge too, a small unattractive thing, with locks being available for sale from the nearby hotel. Or was it The Keg?














Niagara Falls is actually the collective name for three waterfalls that straddle the border between Canada and the Excited States. Horseshoe Falls is claimed by both nations, while American Falls  and Bridal Veil Falls, fall on the American side of things, though the view if always much better from Canada.

Constructed at the same time as the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway, the falls are an engineering marvel. The vertical drop is more than 50 metres and the flow rate, during peak daytime hours is about 168,000 cubic metres per minute, generating hydro power for both nations since the latter part of the 19th century.








Interestingly, the water flow is controlled by a bilateral commission and there's more water going over the falls in the peak tourist times, and far less during the night and the winter.








And all in all, the whole thing is underwhelming. Maybe February isn't the right time of year to visit Niagara Falls, and if we hadn't been here for the Blynn's wheelchair conference thing....

"What's the deal with Niagara Falls anyway?" wheezed B.T. Mendlebaum as she opened the hotel room window to blow out the smoke from her cigarette. "It was a hell of a lot warmer when we went to Iguazu."

Photos by Jeem. Copyright 2018 by Jim Murray.

Jeem plows snow at VanDusen Garden

Freshly cleaned walkway - by Jeem.

In a cost-saving move the Park Board, and VanDusen Garden, decided to let volunteers help with snow removal during the recent winter storm. Typically volunteers are somewhat qualified, though limited training was provided.

Here comes Jeem now!

In Jeem's case, and against the better judgment of his lawyer B.T. Mendlebaum (disbarred), this was a great opportunity: to operate moderately heavy machinery at a high rate of speed, in a slightly reckless fashion, and ... to have fun while doing a great service to the community.

However.

Great work Jeem!

Racing around clearing snow off the walkways was easy enough, and Jeem was cheered on by an adoring VanDusen staff. Plowing through flower beds, and creating an entirely new path through the fern garden, was greeted by a chorus of "No Jeem!"

For reasons unclear, Jeem persisted his folly.



In the end, after some confusion and an incident involving the new "bird garden", the police were called. A few days later Jeem appeared before a judge. Thanks to fine representation from his lawyer and friend, B.T. Mendlebaum (disbarred), Jeem was given a sentence of twenty-one hours of community service, which, if the stars align, might even include snow removal for the Park Board!

This post is dedicated to the memory of our dear friend Valerie who passed away last summer. Valerie always believed in Jeem, no matter the problems he created for himself.  For that, and so much more, we miss her.

Photos by Jeem, except for "Here comes Jeem now!" by Sherry MacDonald.  Copyright 2018 by Jim Murray.

The Winter Storm of 2018

It came one day in late February: a west coast winter storm.














Transit was stuck, commutes were snarled, and the city awoke the next day to 25 centimetres of fresh, clean snow.













The storm came so quickly this great blue heron was frozen into this small patch of water, waiting for the ice to thaw.








Hearing the crunch of the snow underfoot is a wonderfully Canadian feeling, and one we don't often get here on the left coast. Childhood memories of hot chocolate and cinnamon toast, of skating and tobogganing...























All too quickly the snow disappeared. Spring is coming.

Photos by Jeem. Copyright 2018 by Jim Murray. 

Festival of Lights at VanDusen Garden

Another year has gone and again we find ourselves the day before the official opening of the Festival of Lights at VanDusen Garden.










The light show really begins on December 1st but we come just before closing on November 30th to see the lights come on for a "dress rehearsal."

After a record setting month of rain, our time was spent under only a gentle mist.


















At one time pink was for boys, and water bottles were just that.

Photos by Jeem. Copyright 2017 by Jim Murray.

Earle Peach receives Mayor's Arts Award

It was a gala October evening to celebrate Vancouver's artists who enrich the city's culture through creativity and dialogue. It was the annual Mayor's Arts Awards, and a highlight was celebrating Sherry's friend and colleague, and new honouree, Earle Peach.

Earle received the award in the Community Engaged Art category. He leads four choirs: the Solidarity Notes Labour Choir; the Highs and Lows Choir; the Gathering Place choir; and InChoiring Minds. Earle also heads the delightful Illiteratty, and he is one half of Songtree with Barbara Jackson.

When the mayor and Earle were posing for the official photograph, the photographer asked the two men to turn into each other. Earle looked at the Mayor and said, "Frankly, I'd rather you turn into me."




Earle's acceptance speech was gentle and without ego. It spoke to the need to repair the world, to reconcile, to be accountable, and to raise up voices rarely heard, like those in the Highs and Lows.

Among a number of other projects, Earle is currently working with playwright Sherry MacDonald on a musical about the Battle of Ballantyne Pier.

Earle Peach is a gifted composer and songwriter, a dedicated political activist, and highly deserving of a Mayor's Art Award in 2017.

Now, if only our mayor could turn into someone more like Earle.

Photos by Jeem. Copyright 2017 by Jim Murray.

Bread & Honey Food Company ~ Parksville

What started as a simple get-together brunch after the-wedding-the-night-before, turned into a discovery of an amazing breakfast and lunch place. In Parksville.

Bread and Honey Food Company is small. It's located in a strip mall in Parksville. It actually doesn't look like much, but don't let any of that deceive you. In many ways, Bread and Honey reminds us of the original Locals in Courtenay, which also started in a strip mall. It's unfortunate, but once Locals expanded to a bigger and better location a few blocks away, it lost some of its special magic. Bread and Honey is all magic.











The food is excellent in so many ways. It's not complicated, and not necessarily fancy but flavourful far beyond regular restaurant fare, because the ingredients are obviously chosen with care and attention to detail. Then, what Chef Michael does with these ingredients, is nothing short of incredible. Service is warm, inviting and exemplary.





Bread and Honey existed before, and apparently was good in that incarnation too. This version, same location, opened in late June with new owners, Angela Sproul and her husband, Chef Michael Sproul. Open Wednesdays through Sundays for breakfast and lunch, and brunch on weekends. From our brief encounter, reservations are highly recommended.

Wonderful. Magical. When in Parksville, come and be amazed.

Photos by Jeem. Copyright 2017 by Jim Murray.

Milano Coffee in Comox

While on Vancouver Island this autumn we noticed a relatively new coffee shop on Comox Avenue, in Comox of all places.











It's Vancouver's own Milano Coffee and this one opened about a year ago. It's Milano's fifth café, with three others in the home town, and one in Toronto. Of all places.

The Comox café is actually a licensed operation, but it's all in the family as Robin and Vickie Henry of Comox, are related to the Milano owners, Brian and Linda Turko. (Linda established the much-loved Turk's Coffee Bar on Commercial Drive in Vancouver in the latter part of the last century.)



The café in Comox has a simple, Winnipeg-style about it. Casual and spartan. Comfortable environment, but hard chairs. The espresso is simply excellent, and very much in the Milano tradition. Probably too much milk and foam in the macchiato, but these things happen. 










Photos by Jeem. Copyright 2017 by Jim Murray.

St. Michael's Residential School in Alert Bay

After visiting the U'Mista Cultural Centre in Alert Bay, a moving tribute to the Kwakwak'wakw people and the Potlatch, we stepped out into the sunlight and viewed a vacant lot adjacent to the
Centre.

This was the site of St. Michael's Indian Residential School, sometimes referred to as the Alert Bay Residential School, and often as "St. Mike's." It was built in 1929 as a regional school for Aboriginal children from North Vancouver Island and the province's north coast, including children from Bella Bella, Bella Coola, the Nisga’a territories and Haida Gwaii.



In fact, these children were forcibly taken from their parents, prohibited from speaking their own languages, kept away from their families for years and inculcated with Anglo-European beliefs. That the school was largely self-sufficient with its own farm, cattle, water and electric plant, was largely due to the free labour pool at its disposal.

"Almighty God for what has been accomplished: for a race of people brought in the shortest period of time known in history from the most debasing savagery to citizenship both in the Kingdom of our God and in his God-blessed Dominion of Canada."

Published in 1934 

by the Indian Residential School Commission 

of the Missionary Society of the Church of English, in thanks and appreciation for  St. Michael's in Alert Bay

Thankfully, St. Michael's closed in 1975. The 'Namgis First Nation was given control of the building and it was used for several purposes. In February of 2015, First Nations, church leaders, former students and politicians attended a healing ceremony hosted by the 'Namgis First Nation to mark the demolition of the building. In May of the same year, 'Namgis had a blessing of the Land ceremony.



There's something strange about standing here, to think about fifty years and more of an "education" system designed to destroy a people. It was such a large building, with classrooms, offices and quarters for 200 students. It was a structure that dominated the town itself, again perhaps part of the design to eliminate an entire culture.

This empty lot isn't empty at all; it's full of stories of pain, fear and anger, that continues to cross generations to this day.

Empty lot photo by Jeem (others: archival photos). 
Copyright 2017 by Jim Murray.