In 1875, 200 Icelandic farmers arrived on the shores of Lake Winnipeg to establish Gimli. It was the start of a diaspora that would see Iceland lose 20% of its population after the eruption of the volcano, Askja.
In 1943, the RCAF made an airstrip at Gimli into an RCAF Station, to be used as part of the British Commonwealth Training Plan. It operated throughout WWII and then again from 1950 to 1971, when it was closed. Continue reading
How far do you want to go?
As my original question boomerangs from the kayak behind me, I consider the shoreline ahead of me, and the butt underneath me.
Up to the corner of the bay. Then we can decide.
I wave my left hand in the right general direction, unnecessarily. I’ve chosen an obvious landmark clearly visible even at this distance of about two miles: a jut of land where Three Mile Bay merges into, or separates from, the main body of White Lake. Continue reading
According to official government documents, it appears that the complete designation, if not exactly the correct name of this piece of infrastructure, is “St. Andrew’s lock, dam, bridge and related facilities at Lockport, Manitoba.”
According to me, the structure is one of three ugly bridges in the Selkirk area. And in the harsh light of day, I hold to that assessment.
But it turns out that almost anything looks better at sunrise. Maybe even good.
Happy first day of Palindrome Week for 2018, for everyone using the m-dd-yy date format. I myself do not generally use this format, preferring the easily read and unambiguous mm-ddd-yyyy format with numbers and letters (for example, 10 Aug 2018), but I am happy to take palindromic dates where I find them.
Today, for example, is 8-10-18, or 81018. Saturday is 81118. And so on, to Sunday 19 Aug 2018.
Pulling up to the light, I notice this bumper sticker on the car in front of me.
This reminds me of another request for my patience: in that case, for a cashier-in-training. Whereas that request provoked irritation with Corporate America, this one provokes puzzlement.
I wonder how they want me to exhibit my patience with this New Driver. By not ramming the car? Continue reading
Fields of sunflowers grace the secondary highway between Kenora ON and Selkirk MB at apparently random intervals. With the car obligingly pulled over at one such spot, I step out onto the shoulder. The field lies on the other side of a ditch filled with grasses, reeds, and thistles, but, thankfully, no water. I silently bless the recent drought-like conditions. Wearing sandals, I take each step deliberately, not to say gingerly, trying not to think about Class Insecta, Order Rodentia, or Suborder Serpentes.
Note to self: The pursuit of iconic photos might go better with walking shoes.
Through 11 years of kayaking we’ve observed different sorts of kayakers.
There’s the “go in water so cold that you throw up if you fall in” kayakers.
Are we that sort?
No. Continue reading
Well, that’s what I think they are, but I didn’t plant them. And it was way too early to knock at the cottage door to enquire.
They grow in such a splendid jumble that it can be hard to get just one in the frame.
In places I visit infrequently – once a lifetime, say, or even once a year – I have no choice about the photographic conditions. No option to wait for a morning with less cloud or more cloud along the horizon. No chance to wait for a time of year when sunrise comes at a more respectable hour. It’s a “take it or leave it” situation.
If only I had better access.
That’s what I catch myself thinking. Continue reading
Posted: 2025 Jun 13
Thanks to John Whitman for this slightly dismayed face from downtown Ottawa.
This space is available for other submissions.
