The ski hill in London has an interesting past

The land around London is essentially flat. It was left smooth by the slow passing of a massive glacier thousands of years ago. When the ice sheet retreated, it left a large deposit of rock.

That rock, some ground into fine sand while trapped in the glacier, is why my London home was once surrounded by gravel and sand pits. The last quarry is going through the closure process today.

Some experts say my London suburb, Byron, is the place where a number of moraines converged. The Byron Bump, Boler Mountain, is the wonderful result and hundreds of skiers enjoy the benefit of its presence today.

And those slopes today, the result of the retreating ice, are often only snow-covered because of immense snow-making machines.

Irish Ferguson left his mark on London

On the back of the chair in the middle of the pictures it says, 'In Memory of "Irish Ferguson" '. Irish Ferguson was one of the most alive old men I've ever known. He had a youthful love of life that stayed with him right into his senior years.

The story of the London ski hill starts way back to the late '40s. At that time it was only one run at the end of gravel road. I cannot say for sure when exactly Irish got involved but it may have been right at the beginning or shortly thereafter. Irish was a dreamer and a man who liked to make dreams a reality.

I knew Irish from my sailing days on Lake Huron. We both kept our sailboats in the marina at Bayfield. The sailing club owes a lot ot Irish as does the former London Ski Club, now known as Boler Mountain.

Today the little hill that could has three quad chairlifts serving 16 runs. Some like to call the place the Byron Bump but everyone calls it a success. It provides a wonderful opportunity for children to enjoy skiing in an area not known for its winter sports. The hill may be small but its lifts are efficient and skiers not only come down fast but are returned to the top quickly.

Whenever I see the lift with Irish's name on the back, I have to smile. Irish was an example to all of us.

A friendly neighbourhood with caring people

It looks like an average suburban neighbourhood and it is. But don't for a moment think it is filled with uncaring folk living without a thought for their neighbours. I doubt that there are many suburban spots that answer to that cliched view of what are often referred to disparagingly as a bedroom communities.

I have a bad heart. I lose my breath when I do stuff outside with my grandkids. Neighbours have noticed. At the first sign of snow, I often have a neighbour show up unannounced to clear my driveway and my front walk. I appreciate it but my how it underlines the fact that I am getting old.

The photo, by the way, does not show my home but illustrates how snow can tie a scene together visually. I find winter, thanks to the snow, one of the easiest times for taking beautiful images. (At least, when the now is fresh. If snow gets too old, all bets are off.)

Snow, finally

The date is January 16th and this morning the grass in London was green and bare. There hasn't been a decent snowfall since possibly late November. And it hasn't even been cold enough to make snow. Last weekend the neighbourhood ski hill was closed.

Finally, it is snowing and with luck it will snow all night. Drivers may not see it as lucky, they may see it as their luck having finally run out, but the skiers in the area will be delighted. And not only is it snowing but it's cold. It's dropping below zero.

Snow making equipment is roaring into action and it does roar. People living a full mile from the ski hill hear the big snow-making guns pumping out very localized, very intense blizzards. Winter is back. Cold has returned. Snow blankets the land. All is right with the world.

Ornge serves London

The air ambulance service in Ontario is called Ornge and the aircraft, both helicopters and airplanes, are painted bright orange. Cute, right? The service also operates a number of traditional ambulances.

To learn more about this service, here is a link: Ornge.

Presentation is so important

The old railroad station in Guelph is a good example of why the presentation of a heritage building is so important. The station is a handsome building but one can be forgive for not noticing. Surrounded by concrete, asphalt, a clutter of posts and signs, it doesn't, as a real estate agents would say, show well.

I didn't get a chance to go inside but my wife did and she says the inside is surprisingly  intact. Nice.

Train traffic is on the rise in the Guelph area. The Toronto GO Train system is reaching out farther and farther from the city. What will happen to the old Guelph station as it encounters increased use in the future is an open  question.

London lost its Guelph-style station decades ago. In the '30s, I believe. The replacement was actually quite nice. Some Londoners compared the '30s replacement to Union Station in Toronto. That London station didn't last thirty years before it was replaced with a larger, workhorse of a station  located on the first floor of a small, modern, glass and steel highrise tower.

That one only last a few decades before it too was demolished. The present London station is another workhorse building but with a bit of modern pizzaz mixed with a mild retro look. Hopefully Guelph will not follow the London example.

Another Guelph Heritage Streetscape Photo

The heritage streetscape in downtown Guelph, Onatrio, is both sad and oh-so-very hopeful. The buildings have aged a lot over the years and not always gracefully. Note the application of a thin coat of concrete to the first floor stone of the building on the right. The maintenance of these old structures has not always been in keeping with the architecture. In fact, the repairs have often been downright destructive.

But, and it is a big but, the buildings are intact to the point that these places can be restored with far less effort than is often necessary. It does seem clear that there is more interest in saving these buildings than in demolishing them. It is not hard to envision a day when the magic wand of restoration will have touched many of these buildings, leaving the downtown with many sparkling, architectural jewels.