For the second year in a row the New Year's Eve fireworks have been cancelled. The city cancelled the fireworks at Victoria Park in the core of the city and the local ski hill cancelled its fireworks as well. We may have no fireworks but we still have lemon meringue pie. I believe all is right in the world as we greet the new year.
Does champagne go with lemon meringue pie?
It may surprise you but Sudoku, despite the name, may have its roots in 19th century French number-placement puzzles. Today's logic-based puzzles, like the originals, are often featured in newspapers, Fans also satisfy their need to tackle the puzzles by buying books filled with boxes composed of the well-known 9X9 grids.
To the uninitiated, the puzzles look quite difficult. But, in truth, even children of eight or younger can solve these puzzles and in doing so they hone their logic skills. Although the verdict is still out, many believe seniors improve their age-deteriorating memory by playing the game.
Why this wall carries the image of a crucifix is a puzzle. The building does not appear to have any religious connection other than the image itself. That said, someone has gone to a lot of trouble in order to decorate this wall.
A local LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario) store in London was closed Monday after a man reportedly took an axe to the displays leaving mounds of broken glass from hundreds of smashed bottles and a floor awash in wine and possibly other alcoholic beverages. The police reported have a suspect in custody. Why the store was attacked remains in question.
The local turkey farm sells thousands of turkeys before Christmas. A day or two later these large birds take centre stage for the annual Christmas dinners at many London homes. This year the picking up of the pre-ordered turkeys was done outside. Why? COVID.
But after so many months of living with the virus, the work-arounds are getting to be almost second nature. The pick up line was long but the wait was possibly shorter than in pre-COVID times. On arrival, one told a person their name, then joined the line waiting to pick up a bird. The line was at least a dozen folk deep, but three people on cash kept the line moving smartly. When one reached the front of the line, the turkey was wait there for pick up.
A second COVID Christmas was celebrated but it was a little light on family and friends. Surely next year the traditional large family gathering will return. There were lots of brightly wrapped gifts under our tree and a somewhat subdued little girl discovered that Saint Nick had come and gone long before mom and sis were up and about.
Later in the day an aunt and cousin stopped by to exchange gifts. Everyone present was vaccinated, some had had a Rapid Test before joining the small group. Oh well, the group may nave been small but it was a merry gathering nevertheless.
And I do hope that you, too, had a very merry Christmas.
The east end of London was traditionally where the factories were located and there were lots and lots of those with the accent on were. The factory jobs paid well and the older homes in the neighbourhood reflect the prosperity that once anchored the neighbourhood.
Then the factories left, the east end shopping district emptied and the neighbourhood went into decline. Just seven years ago one of the last big employers in the area, Kelloggs, closed its plant and departed the city.
With housing prices climbing right across Canada, it is a case of a rising tide lifting all boats and the homes in the east end, with their heritage charm, are increasing in value and attracting new, first time home buyers. The area's fortunes may be about to turn around.
The Hyatt Mosque and Centre in London, Ontario, in the east end of the city is located in a century old former church building. Talk about good luck. The new owners promise a full restoration of the exterior of the 1907 church to its original elegance. No alterations are planned.
Inside there is a beautiful sanctuary with lots of gorgeous, heritage woodwork. Everything will be preserved and then the restored space will be used for lectures, seminars and gatherings.
After years of neglect, three cheers for the new Muslim owners. What great neighbours these folk are proving to be.
In my rather brief lifetime, I have watched entire communities die as the one industry that made the place work packed up its bags and left. All too often it was the call of offshore sirens that were responsible.
The story is always the same: making the widget is cheaper done offshore. The widget factory is closed, production moves offshore and society benefits from the availability of a less expensive products. Well, not every one benefits. The employees, especially the older one, find themselves unemployed, unable to land another job paying a comparable wage. The community suffers from the loss of the business paid by the departed company and other associated losses. The community may even be saddled with the task of finding a new use for the now empty building or for the land it sits upon.
Some Kamik boots, made in North America with some offshore materials, cost in the neighbourhood of $80. Some Sorel boots made offshore in Vietman also cost in the neighbourhood of $80.
That's right. No difference. If there is a savings it is not being passed on to the customer. And, these boots are just one example of something that I have been noticing for years. The local factory closes, the buy-straight-from-the-factory discount outlet closes, the workers are left to fend for themselves and the local suppliers may also close.
Yet, the price of the product doesn't go down a noticeable amount. In fact, some products go up and go up a lot, when the original factory is closed and production moved offshore.
I've been known to complain about this, I'll bet you are not surprised. One reason, I've been told, is that it costs more to ship a shirt from China half way around the globe away than to ship it from Toronto, not even two hours distant.
My gut feeling, and it is just that, is that the savings are being hoarded by the company behind the product. If a hedge fund owns the company, my gut feeling is even stronger.
Oh, one last thought: when we last bought winter boots for our youngest granddaughter we noticed that the Kamik, made in North America boots, were about twenty dollars less than what appeared to be comparable boots from Sorel. Offshore production. Humbug!
For years I have liked the boots made by Kamik. My aging memory tells me that Kamik boots have been made and sold in Canada since my boyhood days. Am I right? I don't know. It hardly seems possible and yet, the boots carry a Made in Canada label.
Our communities have changed a lot during my lifetime. One of the big changes is the loss of manufacturing jobs as many factories closed and the jobs were sent off shore. I went looking for an answer and I was surprised at what I found
Click on the link. You will be surprised as I was and you might decide that the next winter boots you buy are Kamiks.
Elf on a Shelf is a Christmas tradition. I know because the book, published in 2005, says so. Right on the cover it says so very clearly, "A Christmas Tradition."
I think of the little elf dolls as a fairly new Christmas gimmick but then I'm a bit of a crotchety old codger. I like my traditions to have been around longer than me.
My middle granddaughter is quite taken with the little dolls and carries one around in its box all through the Christmas season. She never touches the little doll as that would strip it of its magic powers. Humbug!
Today she made ginger bread cookies, now there's a tradition, and gave one of the cookies to the elf whom she had carefully seated in our Christmas tree. I took a picture of both the cookie and the doll and it was either out-of-focus or suffered from camera movement. Taking blurry pictures, now that is a Christmas tradition celebrated all year long.
Isla is only eight. She is younger than almost every decoration that she and her sister hung on our family Christmas tree. Some of the decorations are more than seven decades old. Many of the decorations were hung by the girls' mother when she was a child. All of the decorations carry a family Christmas memory.
Clearly two neighbours are cooperating in order to mount this display. The cooperation, as much as the two Santas (only one shown above) says Christmas as much as the large inflatable Saint Nicks.
The little suburban court has two immense, welcoming Santas at both sides of its entrance. The inflatable Santas tower above the cars passing by on the main road. Many of the vehicles slow down for a better look at the simple but dramatic display.
Unbelievable. And a sad commentary on life today. These pots are heavy. Massive pots in enamelled cast iron are not easy to hide under a coat or slip into a bag. And yet, the display of the French made Staub pots and stove-top grill plates must be anchored to the display with a stainless steel cable to prevent theft. A staffer first unlocks the large padlock to enable someone to make a purchase.
At one time, malls were the future. Not so much today. Westmount Mall has been partially demolished to rid it of excess retail space. The Galleria in downtown London has lost both its anchor stores. Today one of the former stores is now the Central Library.
In South London, White Oaks Mall keeps on going but admittedly it has a good number of empty store fronts. Yet, when COVID is factored in, it appears White Oaks may be bucking the trend in London and remaining a force in the retail sector of the city.
Personally, I like shopping at White Oaks. It may be dreary and wet outside but in the mall it is dry and comfortable. And White Oaks still has enough stores to make it a one-stop shopping experience. This is a mall to watch.
For instance, the star at the top of our tree has been adorning Christmas trees for 74 years. It was given to me on my first Christmas by a lady with whom my dad worked. Her name is long forgotten but not her kindness.
The star is not alone. Each decoration carries not only an individual memory but a shared memory as well. Each year my granddaughters decorate our tree and that shared family experience is etched into their memories, there to be recalled on seeing the box of ornaments.
Making cookies, biscotti and other tasty treats to share with friends and relatives is a Christmas tradition in lots of Ontario homes. In our home, my wife's Christmas turtles are far and away the most popular treat. It is a popularity that just seems to keep growing as this year my wife has baked more than a thousand of the chocolate covered, pecan footed cookies.
Have you wondered what Christmas Music would sound like when played with a country twang? Well, wonder no more. Just high-tail it down to London next year to see and hear the sounds of the Hyde Park Christmas Parade. If our country bands has a float in next year's parade, you will have your answer.
The giant teddy bear in the Hyde Park Santa Claus parade wasn't asked to wear a mask but the North Pole elves accompanying teddy were well covered despite being outside and somewhat distant from the crowd.
The elves were just trying to set a good example, I guess. Now, about teddy. . . .
The Hyde Park Santa Clause parade attracts an electic mix of entries. The little heritage automobile driven in the parade was a fine example of this.
When I was in public school in the '50s, the art teacher, a cool dude for the time, drove a Nash Metropolitan. It was a rather unique little car in that it was designed in America but built in England. The drive-train and suspension were supplied by the Austin Motor Company which also did the final assembly.
Although not a lot of the little cars were sold during its run, the owners truly loved their little cars and kept them and, one might even say, cherished them. Today there are still an amazing number of the little cars to be found for sale.
The sky was more dramatic than usual. The clouds were exciting and looked especially fine as lit by the colourful light of the setting sun.
If one is being vaccinated against COVID-19, one of the two government sponsored vaccination sites is at the Agriplex building on the Western Fair grounds. When not being used by the local medical community for delivering vaccine to the public, the Agriplex is used for agricultural events.
The Agriplex pavilion can accommodate 400 livestock stalls or 450 show booths. The dirt show arena has stadium seating for more than 1500 and the smaller auditorium used for auctions, seminars and presentations has seating for about 330.
With lots of parking outside the building, the facility is large enough to handle 100 or more folk seeking their COVID-19 vaccination. It must have taken some careful cleaning before being converted for use as a vaccination centre but since the conversion the Agriplex has proven perfect for use as a vaccination clinic.
The Agriplex is easy to find. One only has to look for the building featuring a large, metal sculpture of a galloping horse.
If getting vaccinated in a glorified agricultural barn concerns you, many local pharmacies are also doing vaccinations. Both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are available from a large number of neighbourhood drugstores across the city.
If You Grew Up In London, Ontario, You Will Remember When...
The folk running this page to an wonderful job of finding interesting historic photos and posting the pictures accompanied with some good copy.
Check it out.
A vintage photo of the S.S. Kresge store on Dundas St. in downtown London on the morning of its opening in November 1948. The opening of the new store was quite the event and hundreds of Londoners gathered to catch an early glimpse of the new shopping experience.
This new store was 80ft by 180ft. Along one inside wall were located the popular bay lunch counters and the tea room with table service. The remainder of the store was filled with a broad range of merchandise ranging from kitchenware, hardware, records to clothing and more.
On opening day there were 350 employees on duty to serve the public.
In 1963 a Kmart, owned by the Kresge company, opened in London but the discount chain store was in north-east London in a growing mall. In 1998 the suburban stores closed. Although I could not determine when the S.S. Kresge store in the core closed, I did learn that the last remaining store in the once oh-so-successful Canadian branch of the U.S. chain closed for good in 1998.
Another member of the Daily City Photo group posted a picture of a dying mall which featured as its anchor store a Kmart outlet. Kmart was the discount chain with anchor stores in malls right across North America. It was created by the older value-priced retailer Kresge which had stores on main streets across the continent.
Kmart replaced the Kresge stores and then, failing, was bought by Sears. Sears, of course, later failed as well. Today there may be half a dozen Kmart stores left but they, and any remaining Sears stores, are all in the final stages of liquidation and closure.
The S.S. Kresge store shown was on Dundas Street in downtown London, Ontario. Even today when a picture is posted online of the old retail outlet, seniors reminisce about the fine goods, especially baked goods, sold there. The lunch counter was much loved and is greatly missed.
There's a chap who posted pictures from the French town of Strasbourg located on the Rhine River. The river marks the border between France and Germany in this area. Often the fellow posts pictures of bridges and invariably these bridges are beautiful. Many are decades, or even centuries, old, so it is clear that these bridges are very practical as well.
A few years ago the bridge spanning the Thames River in London, Ontario, between the city golf course on the north side of the river and Springbank Park on the south side was a beautiful, narrow, suspension bridge. The bridge grew old requiring either extensive restoration or replacement. It was replaced.
Today the span is wider, far more stable, practical and dull. Was this really the best decision? I cannot imagine the folk of Strasbourg demolishing an old and and very graceful bridge in order to erect something more akin to a Bailey bridge.
The water in Springbank Park may be a bit on the dirty side but it does often remain open for most of the winter months here in London, Ontario. When faced with the decision to fly south or stay put in London, some mallards opt for calling London home. Some years, when it is colder than usual, some of the non-migrating mallards may wish they had flown south.
Children five and older are now being vaccinated in Ontario, Canada. This little girl, 8, is being signed in at the vaccination station in London, Ontario, by her grandmother. Children must have an appointment made a few days in advance. On arrival they are signed in, registered, placed in a waiting line, given a shot and then left to rest for fifteen minutes before signing out and leaving the building. Approximately one hundred children are working through the system from entry to exit at any one time.
For those of us who have never been in a room with a hundred children gathered together to be vaccinated, the big surprise is the quietness. Most of the time, one could hear the proverbial pin drop. In the forty-five minutes it took to get the vaccination process completed, this little girl only heard two kids causing a fuss. For the most part, the children were all quite relaxed.
One of the medical staff said the biggest problems were caused by concerned parents.
Small, community parades keep costs in check by encouraging the participation of businesses located in the area. Sometimes the entries are not a great fit for the event but these entries do add colour and extend the parade length.
The banana walking the route was there thanks to the local No Frills grocery store. No Frills is the name of the discount grocery store chain owned by the Loblaw Companies.
One never knows who or what one will see walking in the Hyde Park Christmas Parade. One surprise this year was an Imperial Stormtrooper.
One could be forgiven for thinking the white armoured galactic soldier, wearing a jaunty white top hat and carrying an extra large candy cane, might break into dance at any moment.
This stormtrooper carried a definite Fred Astaire air. Clearly this soldier was trying his best to get onto Santa's good side.
Hmmm. I wonder what the stormtrooper asked Santa to bring him. And did the soldier claim to have been a good little "white hat"?
London, Ontario, has two annual Christmas parades. The main one, the big one, the held in the core and it is held at night. The other is held in the suburbs and ends in what was once the village of Hyde Park. The Hyde Park Christmas Parade, as it is called, still has the feel of a small, community event. There are not just floats and marching bands, and of course Santa himself, but there are a lot of parents with small children walking in the parade. The kids seem to love it and I'm sure it gives them wonderful memories to treasure for a lifetime.
Friday was a PD day, a personal development day, for my granddaughter's teacher. With no school and little to do, even a light snowfall beckoned with a promise of winter fun: making a snowman with grandpa.
But the snow was not only light but dry and powdery. It wouldn't roll. It refused to even pile. But stuff like that may stop some but not a dedicated kid. She decided to make a melted snowman. A snowman past his prime. And so she put her Frosty hat on her creation and sure enough, just like the song says, the hat was magic. The almost formless large lump of snow became a snowman.
Although rain has not posed a serious threat in London in decades, a record breaking rainfall could wreck real havoc on certain areas of this city. Most of the city, like Springbank Park, would be safe but there are areas built on flood plain. These areas are protected by a system of dikes and a large dam in the north end of the city. But in the event of a truly extreme amount of precipitation, the Thames River could easily break free of its restraints and flood the homes built on the flood plain.
Scanning London from a spot in the south end of town, near Wharncliffe Rd. and Base Line, a black-painted apartment building immediately catches one's eye. It is big, black and dramatic today but one must wonder what it will look like in a few years hence. Black paint has a reputation for fading.
It was time for the annual fall tire change. Summer tires off and snow tires on. While the service department makes the switch, folk usually stroll about the showroom looking at the new cars, sitting in them and dreaming not of a seasonal tire change but of a complete change of cars.
But there was no dreaming today as the dealership showroom was completely devoid of new cars. There's a chip shortage, you know. And new cars need numerous electronic chips to function.
The floor was not totally bare, the dealer had a 1960s era VW Beetle on display. Today it was memories wandering the showroom conjured up and then only in the oldest, most senior of clients. I had a robin-egg blue memory haunt me while I was there.
When businesses go under, brown paper often goes up on all the exterior windows. It looks as if this company has found a more attractive answer: art. The empty store offers a leasing opportunity and I, or one, like the positive approach.
Some time ago, the village of Hyde Park sat at the corner of Hyde Park Road and Gainsborough Rd. Not today. The village was annexed by London and very few of the original structures remain.
One building that dodged the demolition bullet, a white, wood frame farm home with a large, front port, has found that its luck has run out. It sits empty, its windows boarded up, patiently awaiting the arrival of the demolition crew.
About to download today's image, I looked at the camera back and noticed a button had been touched and a multitude of older images were being displayed. A friend using an older model smart phone took a picture of the camera monitor.
I have to say that with a more up-to-date smart phone delivering pictures with a greater tonal range and a bigger file, this could be art. What do you think?
How long one lives is influenced by a number of factors. Genes, of course, play a big and commanding role but where one was born also carries a lot of weight. Folks living in Hong Kong often live to 85. If you were born in Switzerland, knock a year off the average age at departure to put Switzerland in 4th place in the global rating.
Run a finger down the column listing countries and their position in the longevity sweepstakes, move past Italy, Spain, Iceland, Sweden and France and assorted other countries and when you reach the 16th place you have reached the entry for Canada. A Canadian at birth can hope to see almost 83 years-of-age.
Run your eye down the column all the way to the 46th entry and you find the United States. The low rating for the States is correct but many would argue it does not reflect the reality facing many seniors living in the U.S. Childbirth death rates are high in the States and too many people die early thanks to gun violence. Healthcare and longevity are actually better in the States than the numbers indicate.
Still, for many people, health care in the senior years is more available in many places when compared to the United States. Take a simple thing like prescription drugs. In Ontario, Canada, a senior pays for the first hundred dollars of prescription drugs annually. After that, the cost is only $4.11 for each prescription.
I've known folk living in the States, admittedly not all that well off, who had to pick and choose between prescriptions when it came to having their prescriptions filled.
For seniors anywhere in the world, it can be tough when it comes to maintaining good health. But I look at the ratings and it is pretty clear that many other places around the world are quite possibly doing things better than we are in North America. Hey, 16th position doesn't come with a lot of bragging rights. And what can one say about 46th?
It is mid November. The temperature is barely above freezing. And yet one sees Canadian teens coming home from school wearing shorts. Why? Do these kids have anti-freeze for blood?
When I was a teen, the girls complained that they had to wear a dress or a skirt to school and were not allowed to wear slacks. They were cold and resented the stupid dress code rules.
Who would have thought that once the codes were history, teens, both boys and girls, would choose shorts over jeans. Not me!
