Pesticides Banned in Ontario, Are Parks Safer?

Ontario’s parks became a lot healthier on Earth Day, April 22, 2009. That’s the date when the provincial ban of the cosmetic use of pesticides throughout Ontario came into effect. After listening to medical experts — like the Canadian Cancer Society — the ban was instituted to reduce exposure to pesticides, particularly by children who, because of their small size, are more susceptible to the toxic effects of pesticides.

I wonder what overriding concern demanded the application of an unnamed pesticide here in Springbank Park in London, Ontario. The small ducks swimming about the pond may, by the government's logic, be affected. I called the posted number but got an answering machine. I'm going to guess something has been used for fighting the West Nile Virus by going after mosquito larvae in the pond water. It would be nice if that information was given on the warning sign. The sign left a lot of strollers, especially those with young children, worried.

Only God Can Make a Tree...

American poet Joyce Kilmer wrote, "...only God can make a tree." True, but man trims it. For years I have admired this beautifully shaped red maple sitting on a ridge overlooking the city. Change the time of day, or the weather, and the whole picture changes dramatically. I naively thought the tree's shape was natural, a wonderful happenstance. Wrong.

This beautiful tree is an example of true placemaking in action. It adds one more reason to visit this little parkette. This tree symbolizes an attitude, an attitude of care, of involvement in one's immediate world, of making aesthetic decisions and following through on them. The home owner could simply sit back and let the tree grow and expand and if a limb overhung the home, the offending limb could be chopped off. It would be a totally practical approach and not unknown. But no, this homeowner opts for beauty. Kudos!

To see what happens when there is absolutely no attitude of care read my piece featuring the trees in front of The London Free Press, a company that talks the talk but stumbles when it comes to walking the walk.

Addendum: the fellows from Abel Tree Expert Co. did such a fine job on my neighbour's trees, I immediately hired them to trim my personal little forest. This is not an ad. I get nothing for telling you that I was happy with their work and their fee. Abel Tree Expert Co. : 519-652-0927.

Cheers,
Rockinon

Reflections on City Centre Towers

HSBC now occupies the important corner office but originally this was the Credit Foncier building. The glass panels reflect the City Centre towers. If we reflect on the towers, we recall a fine hotel, Hotel London, was demolished to make room for those concrete monoliths. Londoners old enough to recall the grand, old hotel speak fondly of its elegance and early last century charm.

More Healthy Living

He glided by me. Man, I wanted to capture that feeling of motion. My little Canon Elph SD10 let me down. It picked too fast a shutter speed and froze the action. This despite the fact that I was running along beside my subject. Oh well, there is always Photoshop and its motion blur filter. Now the picture feels right.

Healthy Living

I cannot recall anyone over sixteen running anywhere when I was young. It just wasn't done. I rode a bike until I was sixteen and I can assure you that that wasn't cool. Sunday it was hot and humid, more than 30 degrees with 94% humidity. Despite the muggy weather, London parks were filled with strollers, both the two legged kind and the ones on four wheels. These two jogging moms, one with pony tail bobbing from the fast pace, were staying in shape and giving their young children a powerful lesson in healthy living. (They also gave an aging photographer a workout. These two ladies were making good time as they pushed those strollers through Springbank Park.)

Gardner Galleries

In 1971 Jason Gardner purchased 186 York Street, an historic 1908 building in the heart of downtown London directly across from the Via Rail Station. With over 2325 square metres on five levels and two salerooms, this was the largest auction house in southwestern Ontario. Gardner, only the second owner, kept the rare terra cotta exterior and most of the original interior while updating air conditioning and installing state of the art alarms.

Jason Gardner passed away in 2008, after a career spanning more than 60 years as an auctioneer and appraiser. What the future holds for 186 York Street is a question.

This may be my last new lily of the summer.

It's August and my lilies are just about done. Oh, there are a few stragglers but they are all on plants that have already had numerous blooms. I don't think there are any surprises left. Ah, but it was fun while it lasted. When you grow lilies you have both a bit of history and bit of twentieth century creativity. Lilies have been grown for thousands of years but it was not until about halfway through the last century that the hybrid revolution took root. It's no accident that my lilies are extremely robust. They were bred to be that way.