Picks of Canada

Hamilton Ontario has a mixed message on its natural environment. On one hand there is the exceptional beauty of the Niagara Escarpment with its ravines and bay meeting Lake Ontario versus the surge of industrial pollution from its steel mills, factories, and entwining highway commerce. Perhaps in compensation for this battle, the city of Hamilton has endeavoured to tip the scales in favor of the environ with over 350 parks and preserves (not to mention biking and walking trails). One can find jewels like Albion Falls Park to the splendor of the Royal Botanical Gardens. This last weekend I discovered the pleasures of Dundurn Castle.

Ravine Hillside, photo by Eileen Courtright

Dundurn Castle is  on the Northwest flank of Hamilton Bay following York street and the ravine which leads right into downtown Hamilton a  kilometer or two ahead. The Castle is an example of the splendor achievable by the United Empire Loyalists and the Family Compact that on one hand defended Canada valiantly against American expansionist interests upon Canada leading to the War of 1812  and other skirmishes but on the other hand ran Upper Canada for their own interests leading to the 1837 Upper Canada Rebellion.

Sir Allan Napier MacNab (1798 - 1862)had the castle  designed and built by an prominent English architect, Robert Wetherall over a 3 year period finishing in 1835. Fortunately, the  castle was built around the brick bulwarks of Colonel Richard Beasley’s colonial home. Designed as a fashionable villa with many distinctive touches that are best viewed on the mansion tour. The interior of the villa has been restored to the styles and rich decor of 1855 empire home. However, the extensive and rolling grounds are an equal if not greater match to the finery of the interior decor.

The Cockpit, photo by Eileen Courtright

The grounds are the edge of the ravine falling of in wooded magnificence to the bay waters. The castle with its distinctive Gaelic name, Dundurn means  ”strong fort” has all the military trappings. This includes large stables,  a Cockpit (an outbuilding resembling an astronomical observatory but used for cock fights has a beacon-eyes view of Hamilton harbour), an earth-mound fortified store shed, plus the 40 room central mansion with its genteel colonnaded entrance way on safer street side but with its narrow slit windows (see picture above)facing a line of attack from the bay.

The Gardens

But the biggest surprise and pleasure was the estates vegetable gardens. We had come to Dundurn for the Scottish Festival but so had come one this summers many thunderstorm visitors as well. So while the Festival was on hold , there was an opportunity to walk the grounds and visit the Dundurn Castle’s Family Vegetable garden. This is  the square 8 plots - about an acre of land, devoted to various vegetables. Squash, beets, peas, potatoes, pumpkins, tomatoes, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, corn, and a thousand one legumes and herbs which I was unable to identify. Such a garden!

Dundurn Vegetable Garden, photo by Eileen Courtright

Interspersed among the almost farmers market plenty of the vegetable patches were a bevy of floral beauties. And surrounding this were orchard apples, pears, plums  and other fruit trees. And of course strawberries and raspberries were to be found in  among the vegetables.  Any true-blooded canning and food preserver would love these meticulously maintained gardens.

But the vegetable garden was a but a patch on the rolling grass and tree shaded grounds that make up Dundurn Castle Park. With gentle ripples and natural amphitheaters, the park is a natural playground perfect for a Scottish Dance festival, folk concert or fall art exhibit - all of which have been able to take advantage of the natural beauty and history preserved at Dundurn Castle.  Hamilton, with this and 349 other parks, has done well to preserve its natural beauty bounty.

Warkworth Ontario, part of the beautiful rolling hills of Northumberland County,  has a Rodeo, a Pie-baking Contest  and a Summer Film Showing. But the event that gets my highest  and lip-smacking attention is the LongLunch in mid August.

Each year the good denizens of Warkworth spread out a table the length of Main Street (okay, it stretches  from the LCBO to the Warkworth Library and Municipal Building).  And upon that table they serve up a country feast of salads, fresh corn, beans, and pork or beef with your choice of the berry, berry good local pies - see the annual  November Perfect pie contest here for the origins of the local pie making precocity in the area..

But a hardy meal is not the only fare available at the LongLunch. Add in some great Banjo, Flute and Dixieland Band music, a photography show and some great sidewalk shopping and you have the makings of a great afternoon outing.

Lining both sides of the streets are art galleries, antique shops and plenty of shady seating to swap stories and tell tall tales with.  Its certainly has the makings for  Stephen Leacock picaresque story telling. Ad walking through I could hear some pretty good yarns and slap-pants stories spinning their way.

Unfortunately the LongLunch has had to fend of Mother Nature from time to time. No small feat in this summer of much rainy weather.

Canopy for Weather Protection

The Dixie Dudes
The weather has gotten downright offensive in the past few years - a downpour or two mixed in with nipping winds have greeted Lunch goers.

But now the town is ready. As you can see from the photo above, the LongLunch has a nifty white canopy running most of its length and it provides shelter from either a  too strident Sun or rains run amuck as they are wont to do in the Trent Hills area. I am assured that each valley around Warkworth has its own local weather systems.

This year was no exception in the Weather threats department - with the latest forecast on the Weather Network of 40% chance of Big Blustery and the Dunderheads playing their downpour sounds.

Fortunately, the only sounds were music to the ears from The Dixie Dudes whose upbeat Dixieland Sounds were not only fun and full of merriment; but infectious enough to get a not a few LongLunchers tripping the lite fantastic right on Main Street.

And this was just the start of musical entertainments that includes flute with song  and some lively banjo strumming. I know the latter were appropriately colorful. Perhaps not the piquant “quality” of P.G.Wodehouse’s banjolele renditions in ThankYou, Jeeves - but certainly more fungo fun.

And musics and good conversation were not the only goodies to be found on this LongLunch afternoon. There was a photography show over in the old library building. Here on display were Spirit of the Hills photographers and the results of their latest competition. The images were quite good - even the Honourable Mentions were of winning quality.

And the new Library had a big book sale. And of course all the shoppes in town were featuring their Sunday Best.

My own personal favorite was the Eclectic Mix which had featured artist Mary McEwan painting out front as seen in the screenshot at the left. Mary has some very compelling acrylics and water colors  a few of which can be seen here.

It was fascinating to see that her painting techniques used some of the very same methods employed by some of thePhotoFinishing plugins that one can use when doing post photography work. There is really a rich continuity between painting and photofinishing.

Also it was fascinating to see her play with colors echoing that of honourable father’s pastels. Mary was constantly working the colors in her painting with more than brush strokes - again just like honourable father.

It was a delight to chat with the artist and see her color styling in action. And of course there were lots of good picture taking opportunities as you can see here. This reminded me of the craft show at Dundas Ontario - of course they have the Dundas School of Art nearby offering many artisans and courses for great local interest. The nearest equivalent is Sir SandFord Fleming College in Cobourg and Peterborough.

Clearly the arts are thriving in Northumberland county - Spirit of the Hills encompasses a wide range of crafts and arts. But perhaps the icing on the cake was the LongLunch’ s very nice appointments as seen below:

- in short there were all the touches that make a lunchtime repaste congenial. Visit here to see all the details about the Long Lunch. Visit here for 50 more pictures of the goodies to be found at this year’s Warkworth LongLunch.

I have been carrying two curiosities with me for the past 2 dozen years or so. First, I have always wondered what would happen if the Mos Eisley Cantina scene in Stars Wars were carried into popular music and dance (I have recently seen that brilliant denouement at the Toronto Fringe Festival when the Gadfly Dance Company presented Unbearable Prospect). Second I have wondered what would happen if some artist pushed and refined Group of Seven Painter Lawren Harris’ later abstract visions of the Canadian Landscape - and I have now seen that as well in my niece’s recent art. It is the latter subject that I treat here.

Alicia works in a variety of media including sculpture, etchings, and charcoals.

But of late she has been painting in a style that reflects and reminds one of Lawren Harris during his more lean and abstract period. I have always wondered what would happen if someone took up the Harris ideas.

And one can see some of the resemblance to Harris and the Group of Seven works above. But quickly one can see a distinctive subject and style as Alicia explores the impress of the landscape on various moments  and explorations.

This Italian Cliff has the look of a Christian flock on vigil or pilgrimage. As well there is motif of  traveling lines and points of view that that suggest a quest or theme running through - a travel to be taken as it recurs in several paintings .

But of late the style has become more reflective, the shapes rounded rather than broken shards of landscapery:

Its as if Terra Firma  was now more pliable and accomodating.

And of course that can only lead to reflections.

If you would like to see more of Alicia’s art and how it has satisfied my cravings for landscape styled into a mind space - visit Alicia’s gallery here.

Caribana to Toronto is like the Gay Pride Parade, living proof that the Queen City continues to meld into Quepasa Place - more tolerant and indulgent of its multi-cultures than even its various media recognize. And what better way to celebrate than a downhome West-Indian Island Carnival. It is fitting that the final day of Caribana is not the Parade but a feast and fest on Toronto Islands. And despite the rain Caribana was out in full colours:

And what a bounty of hues! One can see why Caribana attracts fun frolic, sound and colour abound.

There are Pirate skull and crossbones - long a cultural reality including now in the Caribbean, but an effloresence of colours, sparkle, dance and sounds that is refreshingly infectious. Kids get in on the action and enjoy the fun and pride of the parade.

It-might-rain-and-did-mightily could not dampen the enthusiasm for hundreds of thousands of parade-goers and doers stretching from THEx to Lakeshore by High Park.

The Parade was a show stopper on the Gardiner into town. And why not - where else are you going to see such spectacular floats as luscious as any Floral Garden beauties.

And speaking of beauties there were many for the eye of the beholder - including this Black Pride Can-do Parade of such great splendour, energy and sheer fun.
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Go here to see over 200 more pictures from the Caribana parade

A garden is a statement of future hope

or glimpsed greatness to be.

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