Campaign for The Land that Gives Life: Pimachiowin Aki: A Proposed UNESC...

Fly Over the Boreal Forest of Manitoba-Ontario: A Proposed UNESCO World ...

If you look on a map of Canada and locate Manitoba ; then find the largest lake which is named Lake Winnipeg ; and follow the eastern shore going north ; you will find the Poplar River . Where the river empties into Lake Winnipeg , there is a small Ojibwe community of about 1500 people .

My very dear friend , Sophia , who visited us for a week along with her husband Ray during the Spencerville Fair , comes from Poplar River , Manitoba.

I can't begin to explain how valuable this woman is to her people , community and the land from which she comes. I do know how precious she is to me as only few people can nest so gently in my heart.

I am so proud of this woman for standing up for the Land- the Boreal Forest- the traditional territory of her people.

She is internationally known as a 2007 recipient ( one of six) of the Goldman Environmental Prize that is given to "Grassroots Environmental Heroes".

She was inducted into the Order of Manitoba in 2008.

She was chosen to be spokesperson for the Pimachiowin Aki World Heritage Project . Five communities from Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario are working to create a UNESCO World Hertitage Site straddling the Manitoba and Ontario borders. This area includes the traditional territory of the five First Nations below:
1 Bloodvein River
2 Little Grand Rapids
3 Pauingassi
4 Pikangikum (Ontario)
5 Poplar River

It is their hope to preserve and protect their land so it can continue to give life to future generations.

Drop by their website. It is a pleasure to explore and holds a wealth of information to share.

http://www.pimachiowinaki.com/

Now You See Him- Now You Don't



We rarely see moose as full silhouette.
Usually only a portion is backlit.



Unless you see an eye reflection in the distance
you may not have the contrast needed to recognize
a moose easily...even with headlights.

More often than not , all you see are legs on the road
for a brief moment.

The Last Day of Summer

Today is officially the last day of summer in these parts of the world. It promises to leave with a day of rain and thunderstorms...a grand exit.

Tomorrow at 5:00am , the first official day of Fall begins. It promises to be sunny , mostly clear and room temperature. Perfect weather to be outside enjoying the new sky , new light , new clouds , new air ...the second most wonderful time of year in my opinion.

Signs of Moose

All roads in Canada pass through Moose country. Watch for the signs. They come in all shapes and sizes.                                 

                                                     

                                     Moose come in only one size...

                        HUGE !

Remember: Moose can't read . They cross wherever they want .

Mmmoo-oose!

My brother tangled with a moose a few years ago .


It is his destiny never to forget or be allowed to forget just what it can mean to hit an immensely , huge animal .



caps of all sorts



t-shirts of all sorts




He bought a camp on a northern lake , fully furnished . This was on the wall.

He entered his name in a draw for one of several pieces of art on the table. This is the one he won.

I added another to his growing collection. This is it.

What most reminds him to watch for moose can be seen in the car photo. The steering wheel is folded down onto the dash of the car . His hands were pinned under the moose who ended up sitting on top of his hands. A year of physical therapy saved his career where fine muscle control is essential .

The moose was not as lucky.

For your sake and the moose's , observe the roadsides carefully when you drive the roads of moose country.

Transport narrowly misses hitting a giant moose on the highway

This gives you an indication just how quickly a moose can be in front of your vehicle. A truck driver has a higher clearer view than a car ...and this is daylight hours. Moose are virtually invisible at night . Pay attention on the roads of moose country.

A Great Big Moose In The Middle of The Road

This moose is viewed from the front seat of a car. It gives you some perspective as to just how big these herbivores are. More about moose later.

Ron Wassink: Building A House In The Arctic ... On Stilts

Ron Wassink: Building A House In The Arctic ... On Stilts: Images copyright - Ron Wassink The majority of commercial and residential buildings in Iqaluit sit atop steel pipes (piles). The piles are...

All About the Fair

Friday at the fair is Kids Day. A way for every one of the children to have the opportunity to explore their community in a different way . The schools empty out in the afternoon.

" We're going to the fair!" is on the air.

A juggler attracts some fans...
Pull up a bale of hay and sit yourself down. Enjoy the show!




156 years ago , at the first fair , this steam tractor was showing it's power ...A Modern Age.

There is all kinds of food to contemplate. Mm-mm! Not the type of food we're allowed to eat at home. " But it's only once a year!"



I'm in for ribs.



Then a stop and wash.

 Okay ! It's all fun and games for the next two days.

Spencerville Fair 2011

Visitors from Poplar River  and Fort Alexander , Manitoba dropped by for a week for a 'look see' and a 'catch up'. We went to the Fair , a first for them , at the best time for older folks...Friday at supper time.

Of course , the poultry barn is a must for me...I have this thing for birds.

There were the classics...

There were the ones with 'hairdos'...

There were those with the 'body do'...













...and the 'feet do'

There were the gorgeous....

There were the gorgeously noisy...

We stared at them and they stared back.

Hockey Coins



gfg.com

 He shoots ! He scores !  Companies made a big hit in Canada when they introduced Hockey Coins in Tea boxes , Shirrif Potato Chip bags , Jello boxes and J-Pudding boxes.

There were just the original six teams in the National Hockey League . If you ate enough chips , jelly and pudding you could collect the whole set.

You could trade doubles to get ones that were missing...

Or you could play 'Close to the Wall' and win big...

or lose your whole collection trying to win.

Salada Tea also had hockey coins. For many people during that prize promo , they made the switch from Red Rose .

Kids collecting coins didn't pay much attention to the advertising on the back of these coins. It was the hockey player on the front ...and the team he played for.

Boys walked around the schoolyard with pockets full of these plastic coins constantly clinking them . The sound was a challenge looking for a taker.


This post belongs in True Tales From A CPR Section House. I misplaced it. Sorry for this error!

A Mudpuppy Adventure

I was over at Mattawa Fish doing a post about this aquatic salamander and found this video by Pete Hoban from YouTube. I thought it too precious to pass up. This funny little video plays off of our human fear of unusual creatures . The Mudpuppy is one of them...at least at first meeting.

What's Happening On These Fair Days?

This is what swells the little Village of Spencerville from a meagre 500+ population to well over 30 000+ on the second weekend in September every year for the past 156 years.

Are you going to the Fair? What's new this year? 

Who has grown the largest pumpkin this year?

Who will win top prize in any of the hundreds of categories?

Who is playing in the big tent?

What will it be like next year?

A Fair Season

This is another sign that times are changing. That winter is not far up the road. It is 'fair' season in the country.

...crops are being harvested

...the grounds are being readied

...plumage and fur is being cleaned

...the village is abustle

This is the time to show off the skills of farm home and yard and field life . And it is the opportunity to display in the best way possible the bounty of the land and people .