Why Hamilton?

Recently, the local paper has made a number of references to Hamilton, Ontario as if Hamilton has it right while London has it wrong. Hamilton is deep into the "creative city" stuff.

My wife and I found ourselves in beautiful, downtown Hamilton the other day. We didn't aim to be there, we blame our GPS. But, the moment I saw the entrance to the downtown, I knew it was time to get out the camera.

London has a number of one way streets downtown. These one way streets are constantly nattered about. Cool folk hate 'em. Note the main drag in Hamilton; It's one way!

And, immediately to the right as one enters downtown there is a coffee shop; It's run by the Salvation Army. I guess in Hamilton, it's move over Timmy.

I wasn't too impressed with the Hamilton downtown. It reminded me of home, of London, or of any of hundreds of hollowed out downtowns in the core of North American cities. As we left the core, I grabbed one last picture; a once grand hotel, now boarded up. Oh well, at least Hamilton hasn't demolished this fine, old structure.

Maybe Hamilton does have a leg up on London after all.

It's closed; It's empty; But, it's interesting.

It's closed; It's empty; It's the former McCormick's biscuit and candy plant on Dundas St. E. in London, Ontario.

According to the London Public Library, years of study went into the design of the 1913 biscuit bakery and candy manufacturing plant. The plant was one of the largest, most modern and most sanitary factories of its kind in North America. The exterior was finished with white enamel terra cotta. There were so many windows, it became known as the Sunshine Palace.

The McCormick's factory was meant to be a model facility. Not only was the plant itself an amazing state of the art bakery and confection plant employing about 1000, producing 135,000 lbs. of candy and 100,000 lbs. of biscuits every working day, but it was to have a baseball park, bowling greens, a tennis court and croquet grounds for the enjoyment of the workers.

In 1854, Thomas McCormick opened his biscuit and confectionery manufacturing business. In 1926, McCormick's purchased its London competitor, D.S. Perrin and Company Ltd. In the 1940’s McCormick's itself was taken over by George Weston Ltd. In 1990, the business was acquired by Culinar Foods of Montreal. In 1997 Beta Brands Inc. took control. In 2004, McCormick was sold to Sun Capital Partners, a Florida investment firm.

• In 2007, Sun Capital Partners closed McCormick's, cut 275 jobs and denied workers severance, vacation pay and pensions.
• McCormick's workers fight two years in court to win vacation pay and have to pay their legal bills from the winnings.
• One 48-year employee now earns a pension of $300 a month.

Today, the Sunshine Palace sits empty. Its glow dimmed. Its white terra cotta soiled. Inside it's been gutted of its bakery and confection making equipment. The next important date in its more than a century and a half of history might well be its demolition.

"Life is Good!" at Winter Wheat

Shelters allow visitors to relax, sip a coffee and enjoy each other's company.

"Life is Good!" at Winter Wheat.

"Life is Good!"

Winter Wheat is the inviting home of Canadian folk artist Lucy Ogletree and her husband Mike Roberts. The five-acre property, filled with whimsical art, is open to the public for much of the year. Check the website before going. The grounds and shop make a perfect destination to explain a drive in the country.

According to the Winter Wheat site:

"Folk Art is created by ordinary folks who express what they are feeling in their hearts by creating imaginative things. Often times the expressions they create are extremely exuberant, witty or humorous."

Morgans leaving the parking lot in Sparta, Ontario, Sunday.

Sunday the group of Morgans touring Southwestern Ontario stopped in Sparta, the village just north of Winter Wheat. They proceeded down Quaker Road to Ogletree's oasis of creativity. The group, mainly from the Toronto area, was impressed.

To reach Winter Wheat, take 401-exit-177 and head in a southerly direction on Hwy 4 towards St. Thomas. At the edge of St. Thomas, turn right, staying on Hwy 4, now also known as Sunset Road. Turn left at Union and head east on Sparta Road. In Sparta, turn right onto Quaker Road and head south for about 2 km. Winter Wheat is on the west side of the road. Watch for the property dense with trees and the fence posts decorated with angels.

Winter Wheat is an amazingly welcoming place.

Ogletree's studio and her home are nestled among the tall pines and spruce trees, along with a country store filled with her beautiful folk art paintings and whimsical creations.

Visitors are encouraged to not only stroll the store but to wander the grounds. There are a couple of shelters where one can relax with a coffee and some friends.

The sculptures dotting the property are brightly coloured with a whimsical, upbeat quality. For Ogletree, everything is art. Brooms? Art! Funnels? Art! Keys? Art! . . .

The richness of Winter Wheat means everyone has a slightly different reaction to the place. I find the spot inspiring. I wander her gardens, stroll down her flower-bordered paths and smile at the merriment added by her sculptures. It all leaves me wanting to do something with my yard. So many times backyards are nothing more than a barren, sterile patch of grass.

The easiest answer is to buy some of the yard sculpture for sale at Winter Wheat. Mix some Ogletree sculptures with your day lilies and when the blooms are done, the sculptures will continue to brighten your garden.

Bud Light Lime crew at Crossings

Morgan owners snap on the tonneau before dinner at Crossings Grill Pub.

The British Sports Car of London sponsored a car show Saturday at Bellamere Winery in the northwest end of the city. Morgan was the featured marque. Morgans were driven from as far away as Windsor, Toronto and Welland area to enter the show.

Events like this are good for a city. They generate revenue a little revenue and a lot of good PR for the city. Many of the visitors arrived in London Friday evening and left Sunday morning. In between they dined, they shopped and of course they all had rooms in local hotels.

Despite the views of the local paper, all the visitors that this blogger chatted with enjoyed their stay in London and plan on returning. They found it a good city and certainly not boring by any measure.

Saturday evening the members of the Morgan Sports Car Club of Canada had dinner at the newly renovated Crossings Grill Pub. The members were asked to park their old English roadsters in a long line on the front lawn facing Hyde Park Road.

Bud Light Lime, a new lime flavoured brew from Budweiser, is in the midst of a big promotion. Saturday evening the BL van and crew visited Crossings, giving sample bottles of lime brewski and BL hats to the car club members.

The Bud Light Lime crew made everyone smile as they gave out samples of the brew.

Another press club about to be shuttered

Two photojournalists enjoy brewskis at the London press club prior to its closing.

The London City Press Club is one of only two fully functioning press clubs still operating in all of Canada. At one time the club was located immediately across from the paper and the reporters, photographers and editors would all go to the club after the paper was put to bed. Those were the days when journalists often were the hard drinking and hard living figures portrayed in movies and novels. Ah, do I have stories . . .

But at the end of the month the London club is closing. The membership just isn't what it once was. The present club is a couple of blocks from the paper. The former digs got too expensive as staff cuts at the various media outlets slashed the membership. The industry shrinkage has continued and now even the new press club cannot be afforded.

The stand alone press club will be history.

Bill Sandford, left, a retired shooter for the Toronto Sun, and George Blumson, right, a retired shooter for The London Free Press, were spotted recently at the press club reminiscing about the "good old days" as they quaffed a couple of cool ones.

Note the pictures on the wall. All pictures in the club were shot by members including the photo of Diefenbaker that can be discerned behind Sandford.

Fiona prints her name in sand

Kids in Canada are fast learners. It is clear that my young granddaughter, not yet two, has learned to spell her name before being able to say it. And if you believe that, I have a bridge you might like to buy in Brooklyn.

But Fiona is a certified ham. That's no lie. She may be young but she can follow instructions. I thought she did an exceptional job with this shot. But she only cooperates to a point; When she's certain I've got some shots, she insists on seeing them on the back of the camera.

Geek Dinner

Decisions. Decisions. Damn menus.

The Geek Dinner in London, Ontario, is held the first Wednesday of every month. For Londoners who have encountered a problem blogging, for instance, the Geek Dinner is a good place to fine an answer. I know; I have. It is also a good place to grab a meal, a draft and a little friendly chit-chat.

I'm almost completely deaf on my left side and suffer from severe tinnitus. Crowded restaurants have a lot of background noise and that makes it difficult for me to hold a conversation. I only stay long enough to grab a meal and get a little education.

Gigs Grillhouse, where the dinner is held, often has live entertainment. I always say I lost my hearing at an April Wine concert some decades ago. According to the geeks, the live music at Gigs is better than the stuff for which I sacrificed my inner ear and it may not even leave you deaf.

Another plus!
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Previous posts:

• Geek Dinner July 2010
• Geek Get-together April 2010
• Geek Dinner December 2009
• Geek Dinner features caribou November 2009