No trip to Toronto is ever complete without visiting the Royal Ontario Museum. It is ingrained in our childhood memories; either from school trips or going there with our parents. Over the years "the R.O.M" as it's known by locals, has taken on many changes mostly due to a transfer of management. The great thing about local attractions is that they DO change by introducing different themes all year long.
You are able to see the same exhibits that made the ROM world renown including the ever- popular Dinosaur exhibits and the staged African savannas showcasing some serious talent in taxidermy. They literally have everything there on every floor of every corner from ancient jewellery of precious stones and gems to exotic clothing of different parts of the world to ancient relics of weaponry including armour of steel, iron (too heavy to fight with) and tin oh and of course massive rooms of gargantuan dinosaurs!
You will remember the famous "king tut" display that held the interest of massive crowds from all over the world? For some people it was the first time they had ever come to Canada or ever heard of King tut.
We visited when the "Pompeii - In the shadow of the volcano" exhibit when it was spot-lighted. Pompeii was an ancient Roman city which was buried under hot ash and rock by the sudden and violent eruption of Mount Versuvius. The archeological remains discovered the culture and every day life of the city and the people who lived there many years ago.
If you have an interest in discovering pieces of history you may have or have not heard about already, you can plan out a list of exhibits there now or will be in the future.
I can't even remember a time when I loved nature so much. My footsteps guided me to this place. I know it's not spring, or summer but what a feeling one can feel being a part of the rouge valley in any season.
The paths are cut, the skies are vast and colourful and even in the grey of twilight, there isn't an error in it.
Kew Beach seems like a forgotten dream of summer these days as it winds it's icy trail along the board walk. A silver and blue stream of water is seen as the sun hits the horizon.
For several kilometres from Silver Beach avenue to the curve of Ashbridge's Bay, Lake Ontario is brewing with bubbly waves and ice sculptures along the rock crags.
Kew Beach has been a long time summer resort area since 1793 when the 'Beaches' area was first developed.
In the summer, this place takes on a different looks with its volley nets, sun bathers and kite flyers.
For now, we'll just take in to reminiscing of the green parks that run along the boardwalk filled with laughing children showing off for moms and dads. Tennis hackers, lawn bowlers and sunny swimmers at the Donald Summerville pool fill this place. Don't believe me?
Nothing beats the lake in the summer, and spending time at the cottage on Lake Simcoe is about the way to spend Simcoe Day in Canada.
I didn't know much about Simcoe or what we were celebrating, so had a read to find out more.
The Civic Holiday of Simcoe Day is on Monday, August 4 and many Canadians are looking forward to a
mid-summer long weekend. I had to come home early for work, but the holiday goes by different names in
other provinces and even in different cities in Ontario.
In Toronto, it is known as Simcoe Day, named in honour of
Maj.-Gen. John Graves Simcoe, the founder of York (later known as
Toronto) and the first lieutenant-governor of Upper Canada. Toronto City Council designated the first Monday in August as Simcoe Day in 1968.
In Ontario, the day is referred to as Emancipation Day, marking the
end of slavery in the British Empire. Across the province it is known as
the following: Colonel By Day in Ottawa, Joseph Brant Day in
Burlington, and John Galt Day in Guelph.
Outside of the province, the holiday is known as as Natal Day in Nova
Scotia and Prince Edward Island, Regatta Day in Newfoundland, and
British Columbia Day in British Columbia.
Many Canadians have the day off to celebrate the second long weekend
of the summer. But why do some get the day off and others don’t?
The day is not an official statutory holiday in Alberta, Ontario,
Manitoba, and Nova Scotia, but rather a public one, so some provincial
workers don’t necessarily get the day off. However, it is a statutory
holiday in British Columbia, New Brunswick, Northwest Territories,
Saskatchewan, and Nunavut.
Since Civic Day is not considered an official statutory holiday in
Ontario, businesses are not required to close on Monday under the
provincial Retail Business Holidays Act and may open at the discretion
of the municipality.
So Who was John Graves Simcoe?
A portrait of John Graves Simcoe, painted by Jean-Laurent Mosnier in 1971. SOURCE: Toronto Public Library
John Graves Simcoe was born in Cotterstock, England, on Feb. 25, 1752. Simcoe was appointed the first lieutenant-governor of Upper Canada in
1791 after the province, now known as Ontario, was created under the
Constitutional Act of 1791 in September. He moved with his family to the
newly-created province in November of that year.
After returning to England in 1796, he resigned as
lieutenant-governor. In 1806, he was appointed commander-in-chief of the
British Army in India, but became ill before taking command and died on
Oct. 26 at the age of 54. He is buried in Wolford Chapel, near East
Devon in southwest England.
A speech by John Graves Simcoe, lieutenant-governor of the
Province of Upper Canada, proroguing the fifth session of the provincial
parliament of Upper Canada in 1796. SOURCE: Toronto Public Library
What were some of John Graves Simcoe’s contributions?
Well other than the beautiful Lake Simcoe, in his namesake where I spent some on, during his tenure, he abolished slavery in Upper Canada in 1780
before it was completely abolished by Britain’s Slavery Abolition Act in
1783-4. Pretty impressive!
He also established towns, built roads and infrastructure,
implemented trial by jury, and gave land grants to those who fought
alongside the Loyalists during the American Revolutionary War. According to the government of Canada’s website, Simcoe built Yonge
Street with the Queen’s Rangers military unit. He also named many of
Ontario’s towns, including Pickering, Georgina, Scarborough, and
Uxbridge. In 1793, Simcoe created a garrison to protect the town of York on the
site of the current Fort York National Historic Site. The fort was
burned by the American military in 1813 during the War of 1812, which
lasted from 1812-1815, but was rebuilt by the British on the original
site soon after.
There are several places named after Simcoe in Ontario: Simcoe Street
in Toronto, Lake Simcoe, University of Toronto’s Simcoe Hall, Simcoe
Island near Kingston, Ont., and the Simcoe Fairgrounds, to name a few.
No trip to Toronto is ever complete without visiting the Royal Ontario Museum. It is ingrained in our childhood memories; either from school trips or going there with our parents. Over the years "the R.O.M" as it's known by locals, has taken on many changes mostly due to a transfer of management. The great thing about local attractions is that they DO change by introducing different themes all year long.
You are able to see the same exhibits that made the ROM world renown including the ever- popular Dinosaur exhibits and the staged African savannas showcasing some serious talent in taxidermy. They literally have everything there on every floor of every corner from ancient jewellery of precious stones and gems to exotic clothing of different parts of the world to ancient relics of weaponry including armour of steel, iron (too heavy to fight with) and tin oh and of course massive rooms of gargantuan dinosaurs!
You will remember the famous "king tut" display that held the interest of massive crowds from all over the world? For some people it was the first time they had ever come to Canada or ever heard of King tut.
If you have an interest in discovering pieces of history you may have or have not heard about already, you can plan out a list of exhibits there now or will be in the future.
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