Powerless In Peterborough

I have lived on this planet for over 70 years, never mind how “over”. For the first 50 years my experiences with weather based emergencies were negligible with the worst being caught in a rainstorm the day I received an Afro perm only to see it disappear in a wet, smelly, soupy mess. Sure I had heard about global warming but sadly I chose to ignore the warnings from those “Environmental Alarmists”. Living in Canada, a few degrees rise in global temperatures did not seem like a big deal.

Much changed over the next 23 years with weather based events occurring with a frequency that has become frightening. My work has often brought me face to face with the consequences.  In 1990, my office was flooded with a foot of water after a rain storm which lasted no more than 20 minutes but dropped more rain then any other recorded event. In 1994, the Garnet Fire burned 55 square kilometres, destroyed 18 homes and forcing more than 4,000 Penticton residents to flee their homes. I was on call 24/7 for ten days registering and dealing with displaced citizens, finding food and accommodation or locating people for distant family who were unable to contact their loved ones. Wild fires in the Okanagan have become an annual event. Not so much “If they will happen” but “When they will happen”.

Flash forward to the winter of 2025 and my introduction to an “Ice Storm”, a new experience.  An ice storm also known as a glaze event or a silver storm is a winter storm that is characterized by freezing rain..

The formation of ice begins with a layer of above-freezing air above a layer of sub-freezing temperatures closer to the surface. Frozen precipitation melts to rain while falling into the warm air layer, and then begins to refreeze in the cold layer below. If the precipitate refreezes while still in the air, it will land on the ground as sleet. Alternatively, the liquid droplets can continue to fall without freezing, passing through the cold air just above the surface. This thin layer of air then cools the rain to a temperature below freezing (0 °C or 32 °F). However, the drops themselves do not freeze, a phenomenon called supercooling (or forming "supercooled drops"). When the supercooled drops strike ground or anything else below 0 °C (32 °F) (e.g. power lines, tree branches, aircraft), a layer of ice accumulates as the cold water drips off, forming a slowly thickening film of ice, hence freezing rain.        Wikipedia.org

Our experience began innocently enough with a planned trip to the Centre of Canada for some time with our grand-kids. During these trips we always plan a few days of “Us Time” and on this trip we were going to spend a few days exploring the city of Kingston and the area known as the “Thousand Islands”. Weather forecasts were to be damp but hey “We won’t melt”. Sadly Kingston was a bust as our timing was bad and all the things we wanted to see were closed for the season. I was especially sad that the Prison museum was closed. So it is now fodder for a future blog. But it did give us more time to explore the Thousand Islands region.

The 1000 Islands (pronounced “Thousand Islands,” not “One Thousand Islands”) is a sightseer’s paradise and a popular destination for those looking for an authentic outdoor vacation. Located along the peaceful border between northern New York State (USA) and southeastern Ontario (Canada), the 1000 Islands is a region of endless shorelines, rich history and unique culture.

Vacationers have been coming to the 1000 Islands (there are actually 1,864 of them) for more than 150 years to enjoy its breathtaking beauty. More than 50 miles of waters that were once patrolled by pirates (yes … pirates!) and Prohibition bootleggers are now cruised by cottagers who enjoy serene bays and vacationers who tour aboard guided trips and hear the astonishing stories behind the islands.        visit1000islands.com

Photo: artofit.org

With the whole day ahead of us we headed to the town of Gananoque, a half an hour drive from Kingston. We spent an hour exploring the town finishing with a lovely lunch at Laverne's Eatery in their 100+ year old restaurant. From Gananoque we would access the Thousand Islands Parkway. The parkway is a scenic drive along the St. Lawrence River and the hundreds of islands along the way. Without being able to see and visually count them  all, I am unable to confirm there are actually more than 1,864 islands.

Located along the St. Lawrence River, the Gananoque and Thousand Island region is one of the most beautiful and unique destinations in North America. It is home to two UNESCO recognized sites. The area is known for it's famous castles and cottages, shipwrecks, the War of 1812 historic sites, festivals, theatres and casino. It has an abundance of natural beauty, rocky shorelines, sandy beaches, captivating rural pastures and of course a myriad of islands.    destinationontario.com   Photo:Landsby.ca

Along the way we discovered ferries that would transport us to some of the larger, more populated islands. The drive provided lots of scenic stops with views of the St. Lawrence. A very brisk, cold wind made our stops brief. Back to Kingston for the night. While enjoying our free breakfast buffet, (Are they really free?) we got into a discussion with the attendant who told us about the upcoming ice storm forecast for Ontario later today. She warned us to make sure we had an ice scraper handy as we would need it to break into our car. Based on the 12C ambient temperature and the huge amount of sunshine streaming through the windows of the breakfast room, we listened intently but with a hidden skepticism.

It is a two and a half hour drive to Peterborough from Kingston. As we neared Peterborough there was a marked change in the weather. Heavy dark clouds were accumulating with a noticeable drop in the temperature. By the time we reached Peterborough temperatures had dropped to 6C with a slight drizzle. We woke up the next morning to a different world, One that looked right out of a certain Disney movie and one where I wished we had listened to the breakfast lady about keeping that ice scraper handy. Our rental car was completely covered by a thin coat of ice.

The rain continued to fall for much of the day. We did get a chance to go out for an icy walk and explore our new environment. A close examination of the trees in the neighbourhood showed the icy rain had begun coating the branches giving them a decided droopy look.

The ice rain continued on and off throughout the night. We woke to our rental car now covered by a quarter inch of ice and icicles that touched the ground. The outside stairs were a skating rink requiring carabiners and ice axes to descend to street level. The side walks were not much better but thanks to the City of Peterborough's use of a salt solution, the streets were mostly wet.

Using the wet streets when we could and avoiding sidewalks, we carefully toured the neighbourhood to discover many of those droopy trees from yesterday were now laying on the ground, their trunks split in half. Our family tree lost only one branch but the next door neighbours lost most of their tree as it had split in half. 

A closer look at the limbs showed at least a ½ inch layer of ice now coating them. It was this added weight that caused the trees to split. In some cases the entire tree just toppled or larger branches broke off. Many of them landing on electrical wires, hence the power outages. At one point 80,000 people were without power.

We experienced a short power outage early in the morning then another in the afternoon. This one would last for the next 20 hours. We were lucky to find a Greek restaurant that was outside of the affected areas and serving up Souvlaki. It was to be the feast for our 50^th wedding anniversary dinner.  After dinner entertainment was a candle lit game of Monopoly before going to bed early. The lack of a night-light made my trips to the bathroom some what painful that night and I couldn't remember where I stashed my cell phone. 

The next day brought relief from the ice rain, it had now just become rain and we woke up to power thanks to the fact that the neighbourhood has underground services. I hesitated to use the scraper to remove the ice from the car doors as it was a rental and did not want to risk scratching it. Luckily with some gentle, well placed taps the ice slid off in large sheets. The sun had came out so we took the grand-dog out for a much needed walk.

Not for long as the walking path became a bit of a shit show. Drove the poor grand-dog crazy as he tried to pee on everything that hadn't been there yesterday. 

We left to visit other family the next day in wonderful sunshine and temperatures in the double digits. But Mother Nature was not done with us. That afternoon we were hit by a loud thunderstorm and an unexpected snow/hail storm that covered the ground with an inch of sleety soup. I think it is time to go home. 

There is a whole other blog that could be written about living without power and the internet. Not going to as it is too painful a memory. 

I have attached a link below to a Global report on the ice storm. If is still active, check it out for the full story. 

Peterborough and area reeling after major ice storm | Watch News Videos Online

Riding "The Ironhorse" With Gourmet Meals

What has my hatred of flying brought me to.  For for our trip to the centre of Canada we decided to replace those beloved security pat downs, long security waits, cattle lines divided by wealth, children and privilege, turf wars over storage bin space, and limited available bathrooms with 4 nights and 5 days of gourmet meals and an up close view of most of Canada. Was it a good decision? I guess we will see as we will have 4 nights and five days to figure it out. 

Cross Canada train travel in Canada can be best described as non-existent. The first passenger train to travel across Canada left Montreal on June 28, 1886 and arrived into Port Moody (Vancouver) on July 4th. One hundred and thirty-seven years later little has changed except the costs and perhaps the gourmet meals. 

Photo- Canada-rail.com

Day 1

Arriving at Pacific Station we were immediately met by the friendly VIA staff. Not being used to this level of welcome without being patted down, I found it a bit disconcerting. I am a natural skeptic so when faced with too friendly, I gravitate towards disbelief but with 4 nights and 5 days, I will have plenty of time to see if it can be sustained Based on my own experience, my abilities to paste a smile on my face fades in only a few hours.

The exterior of the train is visibly old with lots of tired stainless steel but at 70 years I can understand. The cars were built in the 50’s. with the latest renovations completed in 2010. 

Even the luggage carts have been around the block a few times with steel wheels that made a terrible racket as they moved our luggage to the baggage car. 

Our berth is affectionately known as a roomette. Its layout has changed little since I first rode the train in December of 1966. That is except for the price and it is now known as the Sleeper. The finishes have received some updating and modernization.

Photo- canadarail.com

Some cars have received even more updates and are now called Prestige Class. Like most modes of travel today, things can be very different between the “haves” and the “have mores”. 

Photo- canadarail.com

There is a reason our berth was called a roomette. When ever you add ette to a noun it means it is smaller than the noun itself. Our roomette lived up to its ette. It is about 5’wide by 8’deep with high ceilings, two comfy looking chairs, along with a sink and toilet giving it a roomy feeling. That is till they fold down the chairs, drop down the bunk-beds and expose the rooms true ettness and the reason for its new name, Sleeper Class. Once the beds come down, there is little room for anything else but sleeping and napping. For the rest of the trip, we chose to leave the bottom bunk down. 

Prestige Class. Here the cars have converted two roomettes into a single room with seating for two as well as double bed at floor level, no bunk beds here. A full bathroom with shower and a huge widow fills the outside wall bringing in lots of natural light. But it also comes with a hefty price tag, 5 times what our roomette cost. 

Photo- canadarail.com

As we made our way through the check-in line at the station, we were met by some of the dining car staff who helped us make reservations for that evenings dinner. We had the choice of 5:00, 6:45 and 8:00 pm and were able to get the last two spaces for 5:00pm. Of course Prestige passengers needed no reservations.  Economy passengers could fight over any remaining tables. We share the same 4 dinner options. Day 1 was a winner with a beautifully prepared rack of lamb and a decadent three chocolate cake.

We left Vancouver, right on time. This would be the last time we would arrive or leave any where on time. No surprises as VIA is famous for it lack of timeliness. The main problem is they do not own the tracks and must give way to freight traffic so a lot of time is spent on sidings. Leaving at 3:00 pm and with a few stops , meant we started into the Fraser Canyon at dusk. Some of the best views are found through the Canyon. 

Photo- cs.trains.com  (Cisco Bridges)

The train traverses some very narrow spots with scary views from the windows looking straight down and seemingly over the mighty Fraser River. We managed to see a few gloomy but spectacular views before it got too dark but sadly it was to dark to see the famous Hell’s Canyon or Cisco Bridges. It is something VIA needs to rectify to make this trip "over the top".

Photo- planetware.com  (Hells Gate)

Day 2

Woke at 6 am with a terrible kink in my neck but felt better after a very decent cup of coffee in the Dome/activity car. There were three dome cars located on our train with two of them nicely placed near our roomette. Bar service began at 11:00 am with canapés at 5:30. As we soon discovered, finding seats in the dome car can be difficult especially through the really scenic areas. Obtaining a seat through the Prairies was never a problem.

Seats in the dome car are treated much like the beach chairs found at resorts. Despite being told not to save chairs, hotel guests will get up early and place personal items on chairs to hold them for a later arrival. Not allowed on VIA but people still managed to come up with innovative ways to circumvent the rules. Thanks to a fabulous breakfast and chatty table mates, we got to the dome car late but did score two adjacent seats at a table but not facing the front of the train. 

My neck kink flared up again trying to enjoy the impressive views as we rode into Jasper. We had only an hour to enjoy Jasper.  Jasper has been one of our go to places that we have returned to many times and have not seen or done it all. We walked the town feeling profound sadness as we  witnessed the destruction that the forest fire reaped last summer. Did not feel the need to take any pictures.  We will be back as it still has plenty to offer. 

No breakfast today, it was an open seating brunch. For early risers, a Continental breakfast was laid out to tide us over till the brunch seating. Brunch was your typical brunch menu. Dinner was once again delicious. The meat option was a beef tenderloin, a cut that can be difficult to cook but was wonderfully prepared by the chefs. I was told that there might be a red meat option for all dinners. I am definitely in my happy place.

We expanded our living space in the afternoon and wandered to the back end of the train. To get there you had to pass through the Prestige car. Here walls were clad in a luxurious leather like material that was soft and cushy to the touch. I can only guess what the walls were like in the cabins. The last car on the train is the Park Car and contains a comfortable bar on the first floor with lots of glass making it very inviting. 

Upstairs is a viewing dome with the front three rows reserved for Prestige passengers and the remaining available to the Sleeper folk. The bar is complimentary for Prestige so the concierge was kept busy. 

Felt very decadent waiting for our dinner call sipping a glass of $12 Okanagan red watching the Prairies go by at 60 kilometres an hour.

Day 3

Woke up at 6:00 am to a kinky neck. Witnessed the start of sunrise which took my breath away. A brilliant orange line cut across the entire horizon. Could not capture the colours on my camera that I saw with the naked eye. You will always have four options for breakfast with one being vegan. I ordered soft poached eggs this morning as this can really show the skills that you want in the kitchen. My eggs were perfectly cooked, not to hard, not to runny with a slab not a slice of ham. Someone in the kitchen knows what they are doing. Dinner was a medium rare slab, not slice of prime rib which I inhaled along with Nonie’s left overs. I am pretty sure I have died and gone to heaven.

We were seated with new people at every meal so we quickly found that train people are very friendly. We liken this experience to speed dating. Instead of 5 minutes you have 70 minutes to get to know them and they to get to know you and decide if you want to see each other later. It is a very small world on the train and you will see everyone again, and again and again so ghosting is not an option. We have not yet had any follow up dates but met a couple this morning at breakfast that had possibilities.

Train people come in all ages. My expectations were for a train full of seniors but pleasantly surprised at the number of young people and families on board. But we easily outnumbered them and should we be stranded in the middle of  no where, we could easily take over the train and eat them. 

Day 4

The day started a little like the movie Ground Hog Day, a movie where the character keeps waking up to the same day. I woke up at 6:00 am with kink in my neck. The coffee was delicious. The four options for breakfast seemed familiar and I swear that we had shared a meal with our dining partners on Day One. Thank heavens one of our dining partners at lunch was a global warming and vaccine denier which led to a lively discussion and spiced up the day. However a follow up date was highly unlikely.

The afternoon was a repeat of Days 1-3 but the dinner menu let me down when the meat option was a cooked to perfection, two inch thick rib-in pork loin. Paired with a delightful red blend from Ontario, it was a surprisingly nice change from the red meat. I regret that I am not one of those that take and posts pictures of their food so I hope my writing has done them justice

Day 5

Woke up this morning at the crack of 6:00 am. We have been parked on a siding in the middle of no where for more than an hour. It is still dark but I can see that overnight we received a huge dump of snow. In my mind I have started planning the take over of the train. Probably start with the bar in the Park Car. 

Just found out that our 2 hour delay was caused by a broken down freight train ahead of us. Heading to the bar to start the take over. 

All along the trip we have kept a tally of the number hours we had fallen behind schedule and it became a standing joke for the first few days but on Day 5 it has become decidedly less humorous as the tally climbs closer to double digits. 

Ed. Note- Train was 7 hours late. 

Final Thoughts

Did I make a mistake by substituting our usual 5 hour flight with a 5 day trip across Canada? The jury is still out as our 2:00 pm arrival in Union Station has come and gone and we are still a long ways away. My fear is that our 5 days may become 6 days. Say, isn't that how long it too the first train to cross the country in 1886. 

Photo- pinterest.ca

Travel by trains and cruise ships have similarities with food being uppermost in mind. I have been amazed by the level of gastronomy that came out a that tiny kitchen. Four choices for every meal made things so easy. 

Photo- trainweb.org

Train people are a lot like cruise people. Train people have a very keen knowledge of engines, train cars and how the lights work on the tracks. Some have worked on trains while others played with trains. Cruise people are wise in the way of buffet, excursions and ship board perks. Both are similar in their passion for their different modes of traffic.

At the end of all of our adventures we always ask ourselves “Would we do this again”. This was the second trip for Nonie and my third trip. Unless they invent a high speed rail service between Vancouver and Toronto and lose the bunk beds, it is highly unlikely "we would do this again". But it is an experience we will remember. 

Back To The Rock Genealogically

Family

Our first trip to the rock was only ten days which seemed like plenty of time to do and see everything we wanted to do. One of our the goals was to explore my family roots and visit the small village of Moreton Harbour where my grandmother Elsie Brett was born on August of 1918. She immigrated to Canada and the big city of Toronto shortly after 1935 when she was just 16. If some of you are struggling with the term immigrated, you must remember that Newfoundland did not become part of Canada till 1949. What had planned to be a one day visit on that first trip turned into three days. See my blog “Back To The Rock For the First Time”, May, 2010. While I learned a few things about my grandmother, I was left with a lot more questions. 

Research compiled over the next ten years has provided me with the names of my great grandfather and mother, great, great grandfather and mother and great, great, great grandfather and mother.

Great Grandfather- Wilfred Brett

Great Grandmother- Dulcie

Great, Great Grandfather- William Henry Brett

Great, Great Grandmother- Susan Jane (Forward)

Great, Great, Great Grandfather- Charles

Great, Great Great Grandmother- Julia     

All who lived and died on the Rock.

Many headstones were old and erosion had worn away any chance of telling who was buried there. 

                      

The Brett family arrived in Moreton Harbour sometime between 1790 and 1818.  

Like most, they established themselves as a fishing family. 

By the beginning of the 20^th Century Moreton Harbour had a population of about 500. The census of 1911 listed 12 Brett families with a total of 40 souls. The 2021 census stated that the current population of the village is now 28 but did not provide any names. It was not an easy life in Moreton Harbour. 

Further research did not find any Brett's still living in Moreton Harbour but the name lives on by virtue of a fairly new street sign.

I did discover an interesting footnote during our trip. Nonie and I attended a shed party in Twillingate where I mentioned to our host that I had family from Moreton Harbour. Not missing a beat she broke into a rendition of “I's The B'y That Builds The Boat”, a well known  Newfoundland folk song. For your listening enjoyment, I have attached a link to a YouTube video of a rendition sung by Great Big Sea.

`https://youtu.be/AQn-2xAlu7I

I's the b'y that builds the boat

And I's the b'y that sails her

I's the b'y that catches the fish

And brings them home to Lizer

Chorus:

Hip yer partner, Sally Thibault

Hip yer partner, Sally Brown

Fogo, Twillingate, Moreton's Harbour

All around the circle!

Moreton Harbour gets a shout out. 

Our visit to Rock was a success but there are still plenty of things we would have liked to do.

Would we return, you bet but there are too many other adventures on our Bucket List and we are running out of time. 

If we were ten years younger, we would be back. 

Even foggy and drizzly, it can still take your breath away. Though that might be the wind. 

Despite driving over 1500 kilometres and with an estimated 120,000 moose on the loose, you would have thought one would have made the effort to pop out onto the highway and let us admire his giant rack. We will have to make do with this sad Irving gas station moose though you have to admit he has a pretty big rack.

"Long may your big jibs draw" everyone.