Oh, Canada

Near Beardmore, Ontario, Canada, June 2012

Nikon FM-3A Nikkor 50mm/f1.4
Agfa RSX-II 100 film

Construction of Canada's Trans-continental highway began in 1950 and it is one of the world's longest national highways, stretching an amazing 8,030  KM (or 4,990 MI). It was officially open for business in 1962 and completed in 1971. 

The highway is recognized distinctively by the white-on-green maple leaf route markers, such as the one pictured above. 

As you travel across this highway, prepare to be awe-inspired by the scenery. A traveler will experience everything from the majestic peaks in Banff National Park to the prairie areas of Saskatchewan.

Garish - The Next Generation

 Trans-Canada Highway, near Lytton, British Columbia, Canada,

July 2011

I am not, by training nor inclination, a nature photographer. When God was passing out the Ansel Adams and Galen Rowell genes, I was in line for the Walker Evans and Pete Turner DNA.  Still, if nature has been altered, trimmed, and adapted by the hand of man, then I am attuned to this mutation, and it piques my interest and captures my eye.

Case in point: These young growth conifers in the mountains of British Columbia. They fascinate me as to how mankind can harmonize with nature, in a Grandma Moses sort of way

I'll leave the Muir Woods to those who can do it way better than I.

Happy Accident

Trans-Canada Highway, outside Parkbeg, Saskatchewan

August 2011

Shooting with my Polaroid Super Colorpack, I had left the focus ring set at 5 feet from the previous photograph I took, a portrait.  I retook the shot, but actually prefer the heavily-diffused look (called "soft focus" nowadays, a euphemism for "out of focus").

I can't pull a Pee Wee on ya, and say "I meant to do that."  I didn't, but so what?  The results are just the same.

You Can't Go Back Sometimes

Cedarhof Restaurant

Trans-Canada Highway, Wawa Ontario, Canada, August 2011

The first time I traveled the Trans-Canada Highway, in October 2002, I pulled off at this charming restaurant and had an expertly-cooked German meal that still makes my mouth water, just remembering it: Hungarian goulash soup, buttered rye bread, and a Wienerschnitzel, lightly breaded, that just melted in my mouth.  

Every time thenceforth I traveled the Trans-Canada, I would pass through Wawa too late at night for it to be open. So, this time I set out early enough to make it there in time for dinner. 

No matter: I found that the Cedarhof had been closed down eight years ago, which means on my five subsequent journeys -- beginning in 2004 -- it had been out-of-business all along; I just didn't know it yet.

I assumed it was still opened, as it is still listed on Wawa's tourist website promoting its businesses.

You just never know.

Channeling Homage

Highway 17 (Trans-Canada Highway), Ignace, Ontario, May 2010

Last week, I was subconsciously channeling the great color photographer, Keith Laban.  On my recent trip to Canada, Ed Ruscha?  Walker Evans?  Maybe, maybe not.  But I sure miss tableaux such as these.  They're disappearing.

Hopscotch

Hopscotch grid, Highway 17 (Trans-Canada Highway)

Town Square, Ignace, Ontario, May 2010

This sure brings back memories!  Take the video consoles out of your kids' hands and take them out to the playground for a couple rounds of hopscotch!

Things Found While Driving

Corrugated Wood Separating Drums

Highway 11 (Trans-Canada Highway Extension)

Emo, Ontario, May 2010

I didn't find any "emo punks" in Emo, but I did find these amazing specimens of rugged technology.

Gartch

The Proprietor of Gartch's International Pub

Fort Frances, Ontario, May 2010

If you happen to be passing through the border city of Fort Frances, Ontario, in Canada, a great place to go for libations and a pretty good place for food is Gartch's International Pub, which is on Highway 11, running through the center of town.

There, I found some interesting inebriates and even more interesting conversation.  A patron kept good-naturedly referring to me as "Russian," (I am Welsh/Irish/English/Scots) and another warned me against the food, which I actually found quite palatable.

Pictured above is the pub's proprietor and host, Gartch himself, a lad of obviously Scottish descent and a true gentleman.

P.S.:  Myung told me she thought this photo was a still from a Hitchcock movie.  Made my month!   R.

Couchiching Nation Takes Down Toll Booth, Wins Fight to Have Government Clean Up Contaminated Land

Councillor Dan Mainville stands before the toll booth

erected by the Couchiching Nation on Highway 11

before the bridge crossing over Rainy Lake

I was in Western Ontario vacationing about a week and-a-half ago, and read in the Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal that members of the Couchiching First Nation had erected a toll booth on Ontario Highway 11, which is also the Trans-Canada Highway extension, and only one of three routes into the city of Fort Frances.

As it was on my way of my trip's route, I went there to check it out, and talked with many members and a councilor from the Couchiching First Nation.  For decades their land -- which was granted the tribe by the federal government of Canada -- has been a hazardous materials zone: The tribe's members residing on the reserve land live on the grounds of a former sawmill, whose processing left the land poisoned with unsafe levels of chemical byproducts.

Susan Smith immediately volunteered to work eight-hour

shifts collecting tolls.  "I live in Fort Frances, but

this is my community," she said.  "I've lost friends over

this issue, but we have to do what's right for our

community."

According to Nation member Ed Yerxa, "The government has studied the soil contamination, and their assessments confirmed ten times the base unsafe level of both furon and dioxin.  If you had people cleaning up this mess, they'd be wearing protective suits against the contaminants.  Yet, we have families, children, and elders who have to live here every day."  Of the 1,800 total members of the Couchiching Nation living in Canada and the United States, there are approximately 650 members living on the reserve lands in Ontario.

After the studies were completed -- some, decades ago -- both the federal and provincial governments did...nothing.  No cleanups were forthcoming, however, according to Dan Mainville, Council to the Couchiching First Nation.  "The federal government made us a cash offer," Mainville explained, "which we turned down.  Over the years the offer went up to $2 million [Canadian]."

Ed Yerxa prepares industrial outdoor lighting as night

approaches, to ensure safety of toll collectors and

motorists. "We worked with the Ontario Provincial

Police to make sure that putting up the toll booth was

done peacefully," Yerxa said.

Wanting nothing more than their governments to live up to their obligations to First Nations people, the Couchiching voted to peacefully erect a toll booth on the highway -- which runs through their tribal land, and for which they have never been reimbursed under Canadian eminent domain laws.

All during the day, I queried non-Native Canadians for their opinions on the Couchiching collecting a $1.00 toll on Highway 11, which runs through their sovereign land.  Half of the responses from non-Indians were along the lines that it was "extortion," and that the Couchiching were "bullying" the "captive motorists."  The other half were politely non-committal, but I only met one non-Native Canadian squarely behind the Couchiching's efforts.

Yes, I personally witnessed no behavior by the toll collectors matching these fears, rumors, and preconceptions.  The two women taking tolls, Susan Smith and Holly Cogger, did not demand payment, and although many drivers sped past the stop sign on the toll booth, when other motorists slowed down (but did not pay a toll) the two women were cordial, and politely thanked the motorists for safely reducing their speed.

Holly Cogger, about to collect a loonie from

a motorist entering the Couchiching First

Nation. "I'm doing this for my children

and grandchildren," she said. "This land

belongs to them.  We're just caretakers.

We have to make sure this land is in

good shape to pass on to them."

Fortunately, the Couchiching's message was heard loud and clear by the government, and down came the toll booth, less than two weeks after its erection.  According to Minister of Parliament John Rafferty (N.D.P.):

While I am satisfied that the public health hazard faced by these families on the Couchiching reserve has been resolved, I am very disappointed that an agreement was only struck after public action was taken by the Couchiching leadership.   It is my understanding that the federal government paid $1.7 million for two engineering reports that were completed several years ago and showed that dangerous chemicals were present (i.e. dioxins, etc).  I’m thankful these families will finally be relocated, but the burning question that I still have is 'what took so long'?

Sara Mainville, another councilor the the First Nation and niece of Dan, exclaimed:

"We’re happy about that. The fact that they’re going to take direct action and there aren’t going to be any more studies done on the contaminated lands, that they’re going to move the homeowners and they’re going to remedy the soil contamination so that we’ll have those lands for future development I think, that’s just wonderful news for us."

Peaceful activism in defense of one's sovereign rights -- no matter whose -- is always a great thing.  Pilamaya, Couchiching!

Garish: The Cutting Room Floor

Provincial Highway 8, between Moosomin and 

Rocanville, Saskatchewan, June 2009

"The first cut is the deepest.  Baby, I know."  

-- Rod Stewart.

This image is one of my dearest favorites, but it didn't even make it beyond the first round of edits.  That's how it goes sometimes.  The beautiful halo of powder blue, turning to a deep-blue sky framing this red farmhouse I found in Saskatchewan off the Trans-Canada Highway was too reminiscent of an image that did get included, of an even more brilliant crimson farm storage tank -- coincidentally, just up the road, near Esterhazy.