Too Square to be Hip
A narcissist's guide to travel and culture
The city of Barrie, located on the southern shore of Lake Ontario is a place that punches above its weight. Although it is now but a bedroom community for Toronto, the city was lucky enough to have been an established community long before and as such it is still home to a lively downtown district …
On a bright summer day during the summer of 2020, we drove up from Ottawa to the Ontario town of Deep River to meet up with friends of ours. They were staying at a their family members and we had no clue what to expect. In the end this day ended up being one of …
Escaping my dreary life in the city during the 2020 Covid 19 Pandemic, I found myself staying at a cottage in the Algonquin Highlands, a wild region of Canada just south of the famed Algonquin Park. As usual after a day of rest i was finding myself restless and looking for adventure – a call …
This small Quebec town located part way between the cities of Ottawa and Montreal is not a place I had ever thought of stopping off at during my many road trips trips along the 417 highway. Riguaud, at one point, was primarily known for its small ski hill and producing many strippers for Quebec’s clubs. …
On the shimmering shores of Lake Simcoe, part way between the cities of Barrie and Orillia, you will find a shall hamlet called Shanty Bay. Although little in stature, the town holds one of Canada’s lesser known attractions, the church of Saint Thomas. This religious structure in very important to Canada’s black community, you see …
In the township of the Georgian Bay, near lock 44, you will find a relic of Canada’s “Canalisation”. The Big Chute Marine railway is in fact a patent slip linking two sections of differing elevations on the Trent Severn Waterway, a massive feat of engineering spanning from Port Severn on the Georgian Bay to the …
Just off Highway 400, heading north to Sudbury, you will find one of Ontario’s most underrated conservation area’s, that of McCrae Lake. This massive piece of Crown Land, located away from the major centers, is a popular retreat for hikers, swimmers and those who enjoy backcountry camping. The conservation area stretches from the rocky shoreline …
Just a short drive outside of the city of Barrie, Ontario, you will find a relic of Canada’s historic trading network, Fort Willow. Once a key player in the fur trade and the war of 1812, the fort served to service the Barrie – Wasaga route via the Nottawasaga river and the 9 Mile Portage. …
Located deep in the heart of the Blue Mountains, you will find a ruined stone cottage once belonging to a Canadian Crown Counselor from Toronto. His name was Britton Bath Osler. A man of wealth and taste, a summer cottage for him famously consisted of a 15 room castle! Although but a shadow of its …
In this post I lump in a few distant elements located south of Lake Simcoe into a single road trip. What binds all of these together is their geographic proximity and the fact that they are easy to miss! These include the following: Aurora Newmarket Canal Ruins (Holland Marsh) Bradford West Gwillimbury The Sharon Temple …
