Canada

(HEADS UP: This article is lengthy. But if you like local history and trivia, then this is for you. Happy reading!) Ever since childhood, I have always been afflicted by a nostalgic bug. This strong fascination for all things old and ancient has made me into a bit of a history buff. I buried my nose in books and spent hours watching documentaries about ancient civilizations, medieval tales, and accounts of gone-by days. I preferred visiting museums and perusing artifacts over

I had a restful night sleeping on the comfortable couch in our cabin’s screened-in porch, while my husband and son snored lightly on the queen-sized bed inside. At dawn the following morning, I was awakened by soft paddling sounds. I arose and watched a couple of kayakers quietly trudging the waters as their oars gently swept the glistening surface of the lake. Their faces appeared so serene as their graceful strokes synchronized with the ripple of the waves. If not for their

We arrived at the North Frontenac Astronomy Park at around ten o’clock that night. It was just a fenced-in lot with an observation pad where people could gather and gaze at the stars, and has very basic amenities - a parking lot, electrical outlets, benches, picnic tables, and washrooms. But this is said to be one of the best places for astronomy, as North Frontenac has one of the darkest skies in southern Ontario. In fact, in August 2003, it became the first municipality in

In Canada, you will hear the terms “cottage” and “cottage country” a lot, specially in the summer months, and occasionally, at winter. During my first summer of working in Vancouver, my Canadian co-workers would say they were going to spend the summer “at the cabin.” When I moved to Ontario, it was “at the cottage.” It seemed like everyone either owns or regularly goes to a “cabin” or “cottage.” This was something new to me. I didn’t know what that exactly meant. I knew of c