Things change in Timmins.

The landscape in Timmins is changing quickly with all the work going on at the new Hollinger mine open pit. In the first photo you can see the rocky area behind the fence, which is just across the road from the Food Basics store and the  Salvador soccer field, taken this morning. In the second photo you can see a nice photo of the blast this afternoon of that same area. Nearby, work progresses on the berm, the big wall of broken rock that is going to surround the pic. That bulldozer in the third picture is a big D9, one of the larger Caterpillars out there. It is indeed big. But in the fourth photo you see how small that D9 looks next to a Cat 75 tonne mining truck. Click on the pic to see them large size.

That's right, snow in Timmins on May 19th.

Yup, this is what Timmins has been talking about today. SNOW! On the day AFTER the May Run long weekend. Oh well, that's just Timmins...

Timmins is sure changing...

This is the new Hollinger Pit, looking eastward and this area used to be the Hollinger Golf Club. looking toward No. 1 hole. And that high spot near the water tower is where the No. 2 tee off used to be. Things sure do change...

Buying online... not right now!

I have become an online shopper. I am not one of those people who enjoys wandering around a store looking for sales. If I need something, I will buy it. If it is on sale, then all the better. The nice thing about online is that you can search out the one thing you really want or need, and then get it. I do support shopping locally, but I have to say, many of the things I want, I cannot find in a store.
That being said, I haven't purchased anything online since before Christmas. The value of the Canadian dollar has really tanked in recent months. On Friday, the U.S. dollar was at $1.20 compared to our canuck buck.  So even though I was thinking of getting some new shirts, I am going to wait.
Oh here's the other thing. I like to buy shirts at L.L.Bean ... They're usually at a very good price, AND the quality is great. I am still wearing shirts that I bought five years ago. They just don't wear out. But I will not pay the inflated U.S. price... well, not unless they're on sale at more than 20 per cent off!

Five CN towers!

The May long weekend has finally arrived and so I guess I can safely put my parka away for another year (Knock on wood!). Although I remember one year, maybe about ten year or 12 years ago, there was still ice on some of the lakes around here.
In Timmins, the weekend is called the May Run and it is sort of a rite of passage for young people about to graduate high school to get out in the bush and have one last party with all your school chums. The other tradition is that we always seem to have rain on the May Run weekend. Sure enough, there was rain last night and early this morning.
I had another good week at work and one the stories I was writing was about the big mining show coming at the end of the month. Now for those in the know, there is a slump right now for mining exploration.
That’s the process where prospectors, claim stakers, geologists and other rock science people are out there looking for new mineral prospects.
The price of gold is in a slump and so the investment money is in a slump too. All across Canada. But not in Timmins; well not as bad as other places.
Yup, the prospectors here are still hard at work and a lot of diamond drills are still active. Now a diamond drill is a machine that bores deep into the earth and pulls up rock samples in the form of rock core. They’re called diamond drills because the drill bits that cut into the rock are actually hollow tubes crusted with diamonds that allow the bits to drill a nice circular hole in the rock. Imagine digging into wet sand with a paper towel tube and bringing up a sample of sand. That’s how it works. So there is still that optimism here that you don’t see in some other mining towns.

The other interesting thing is that the world famous Kidd Mine (famous for copper, zinc and silver) has only six years left before the mine is empty. Well, that’s not all true. There is still ore at the Kidd Mine, but it is too deep… more than 10,000 feet, to get at it and bring it to surface economically. So how deep is 10,000 feet. Imagine FIVE CN towers stacked one on top of the other… And it is still deeper than that.
So a lot of people are putting their hopes into gold again. By the time the Kidd mine is ready to close, the price of gold should be back up there close to $2,000 per ounce.

Rambling on

Went out with the gang Friday night to a sushi restaurant. So I am not adventurous with food anymore. I ordered rice and steak. I don't know where the seafood comes from for these restaurants and I have heard of fish farms in the far east located next to sewage plants. So I passed on the fish. From now on I am only buying fish caught by U.S. or Canadian fishers.
By the way, I left my vehicle parked downtown, in the company parking lot Friday night. Took a cab home.  So I got some exercise Saturday walking back downtown.
Things are slowly changing at work, now that Sunmedia has been purchased by Postmedia. We had the eastern Canada vice president visit last week. She spent a day meeting with all the staff. She gave the gang a pep talk on the importance of print journalism, how it will continue to be vital to small communities especially as radio and television keeps cutting their news departments. These things never happened with Sunmedia. She even had dinner with the mayor. . I think the best change was the decision to shut down anonymous comments that we allowed on the website. Thank goodness. There is enough stupidity in the world without encouraging people to leave anonymous comments. It was obvious that the same handful of people were the only ones leaving comments and more often than not, those commenters resorted to attacking each other. I think some bright-eyed university student could do a sociological study on the degrading behavior people display when anonymous commenting is permitted. It's like the moment people go online, they step into a bubble of dumbness. I can't figure it out. I used to get upset about it. Now I just get embarrassed for those people.
Neil's birthday happened last week. So we had a quick online chat. He is happy. Life is treating him well in Vancouver. I don't think he plans on returning to Timmins. That's okay. But OMG, he is 35 now. Can you believe that?

I had to laugh...

I am not the only guy who thinks about these things! That was my thought earlier today when I wondered about my love for whiskey. I checked the Internet about what options are open to diabetics who like their whiskey. OMG. There were more than 77-thousand Google returns. I have some reading to do!

Yummy or what!

Well it all began innocently enough, Monday morning with a Vicky D'amours buttertart. Vicky is a popular baker in Timmins who makes the best cookies, cakes and pastries. Let me share a story about her food. A few years back there was a civic reception in Timmins at the opening of a new building. I was there to take pictures. It was a gala thing. Men in suits, women in gowns. Soon enough, the VIPs and politicians were making a few speeches. At the back of the room, the caterer arrived and quietly began moving food and drinks in.  I heard whispers. "Vicky... Vicky D'amours. People were turning to look and the whispering became a bit louder. People were noticing that Vicky D'amours was setting up the tables, loaded with  hors d'ouevres and pastries. The speeches continued. People began leaving their chairs and heading for the food! 
So that will explain why on Monday I decided to have one of her buttertarts for breakfast. It was delish. I also had a cup of tea, and a glass of apple juice. That was it. I remember telling Jennifer I don't feel that hungry some mornings, so a buttertart and tea is fine.

Here's the thing, I had to go to Life Labs for a blood test, among other things. The lady at the front counter asked me when was the last time I ate, since I would be having a random glucose (blood-sugar test). So this test is a set up for another appointment, sometime soon, for a colonoscopy. I also had to do an electro-cardiogram, pee in the jar, blah blah blah.
So it was all good. I remember commenting to the lab girl as she was taking blood how much I enjoyed my buttertart, that it was a Vicky D'amours. Her eyes went wide and she smiled.
"Lucky you!" she said. Oh by the way, don't you love it when you get a good lab person who knows how to pull blood? I barely felt the needle and she hit the vein on the first try!
So on Tuesday, I was walking through the parking lot, getting ready to drive home for lunch, when my phone rang. Caller I.D. said it was a Toronto number. It was a doctor, from Life Labs. He identified himself and asked how I felt. I feel fine, I said. This was strange, I thought.
He explained that he had my lab results and my blood sugar number was high. 31. Hmmm. Okay, I said, what does that mean. He explained that the blood glucose level should not be that high, ever. I told him about the butter tart. He paused and then said, well that might influence it ...because he said he was about to ask me to go to the emergency room.
Well, that sure got my attention. So he made me promise to see a doctor right away. I told him I don't have a family doctor, but I said I could see a doc at 5:30 p.m. at the walk-in clinic. As I was back at work Tuesday afternoon, the phone rang. It was the walk-in clinic. The Toronto doc had faxed my lab results to Timmins and they wanted to see me. So I said, okay, see ya soon. So the doc was a pleasant fellow. I remember he used to be chief of staff at the hospital.
How are you feeling, he asked. Fine, I said. Are you thirsty, do you urinate a lot? I told him I get thirsty every now and then, but I didn't think anything unusual. So he sat down and we went through four pages of lab results.
So that's it, he said, as he described his diagnosis for me. I will book you in to see a specialist, he said.  He will do a whole new series of tests and then prescribe new meds, I was told. 
I couldn't help but think of the buttertart and how good it was. I don't think I will get to enjoy too much more Vicky D'amours treats now that I have Type 2 Diabetes. Darn.

Beans, booze and tea bags

What the hell is going on with the price of beans? I shop on a regular basis throughout the week, grabbing stuff as I need it. All the stores now have beans priced at about $1.99 a can. Give me a break! I am not paying that price. The good news? I am sure my apartment will smell nicer. Ha ha ha.

Red Rose tea bags. Bahhh. They have created tea bags made of 100 per cent renewable plant material. Big deal. The bags keep breaking apart in boiling water. No more Red Rose. Good news. Tetley Tea has a new product… BOLD tea. It is a blend of teas from Kenya and Africa. Tastes pretty good and the tea bag doesn’t break in boiling water.

Whiskey. Everyone who likes whiskey knows that 40 Creek has been winning all sorts of awards in the past few years. They make an incredibly smooth product. This week I have been enjoying Spike, a honey whiskey blend. Very nice. 

Oh by the way, I am upset at myself for inadvertently breaking my Nestlé boycott. I wanted to grab some easy coffee for work and I saw these very nice Cappacino coffee packages. So I grabbed a couple, and they were excellent. Problem is they’re made by Nescafé. I honestly didn’t notice. I will have to find a new product.

Yeah, we sure had fun.

I was pleased this week to have some time to drop by the annual chamber of commerce Nova Awards. It's a big deal in Timmins. It's quite the gala affair and everyone who is anyone goes. I had to shoot a few photos... so I had to be there. I ran into the new managing editor for the CTV Northern Ontario, Michelle Tonner. We worked together so many years ago. If I had stayed at CTV, she'd probably be my boss now. Anyway, it was great to catch up on all the old gossip. I also met her boss, Scott Lund, who is the general manager. I remember Scott from when he was a high school student and worked as the night camera operator for the late news. Whoa, that was back in the 1970s. So we had some more catching up to do. I also met a really good friend who still looks as good as when we worked together in the 1980s, Sharon Bowes. Wow, those TV gals always look good. But it was great to chat with her too.
I remember thinking how much fun it was fun to work in the old CKSO newsroom in Sudbury. I was the rookie assigned to cover stories across the North from a Bureau in Timmins. Back in the day, newsrooms were loud, smoky places will with a good deal of profanity, argument, debate and laughter. Especially laughter. And it was not unusual for some of the bosses and senior reporters to have the smell of liquor on their breath before lunch. I enjoyed my visits to Sudbury, because it usually meant I had an important story and the older staff were always welcoming and helpful. One of the best things is that this was back in the day before fax machines, before cable TV, before satellite TV and before the InterNet. We learned to do research the old-fashioned way ... on the telephone, or face to face. I remember calling up cabinet ministers at Queens Park at 10 o'clock at night, and they would take our calls and give us comments and reaction. At least two or three times a year, I could get through to premier Bill Davis for comments. It was a lot of fun to be a reporter back then. 

By the way, the winners are the NOVA event are all pretty amazing people, who are doing amazing things for Timmins. That's one of the reasons why I enjoy this town so much. 

Fabulous news from Jennifer

Wonderful news today. I called Jennifer to chat and discovered she had her six-month check-up with her oncologist on Friday. The doctor said she was fine and informed her he is about ready to declare her fully cured from the terrible cancer that knocked her down back in 2009. Jennifer said the doctor told her this doesn’t normally happen until ten years on, but he was confident about her situation. So that is just excellent news.

I had called Jenn to let her know I finally have a family doctor again. So that is good also. I have just gotten a referral for a colonoscopy at the urging of some friends, so that will be interesting, but I promise, no pictures.

On to culinary matters. I enjoyed the basmati rice I cooked for supper last night, but like I told Jenn today, it’s not a big deal. It was okay. Jenn said she liked it because it is less starchy. I still like the old fashioned Uncle Ben’s. So today I was looking for a ride pudding recipe. And I found one… that includes Whiskey! The recipe called for bourbon. But I switched it to Scotch. I will let you know how incredibly perfect this will be! Ha ha.

One other thing. I mentioned here awhile ago that so many Hollywood movies suck lately.

Well I enjoyed a wonderful film last night, based on the true story of Chess Records from Chicago in the 1950s and 1960s. The movie is called Cadillac Records. It includes great stories about Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Howlin’ Wolf and Etta James. The character for Etta James was played by Beyonce. Incredible. So find this movie, get some popcorn and enjoy.
Listen to this YouTube Clip from the movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dh-0jH4Rb7Y

New shoes!

So it’s Friday evening. I haven’t had supper yet. It’s still cooking. I am trying something called Basmati Rice, with carrots, peppers and beef. I will let you know if it is okay. In the meantime, I just made lovely bourbon/dubonnet Manhattan. I will let you know if it is okay. Wait a minute. Of course it is okay!

Today was a pleasant day, not just because it was Friday but because it was pleasant and mild. But right now at 8:10 p.m. there is a bloody snowstorm outside. Thank goodness for my perfect Manhattan. I can close my eyes and imagine I am back living on the south side of Timmins where the snow isn’t as fierce. Ha ha. Just kidding.

I also did something today that some of my friends think is a bit overboard. I purchased some new shoes. They’re exactly, precisely like the shoes I bought two years ago. But they were on sale. I like them and I know I will get months, no, years of good wear out of them. Actually, they’re low rise boots made of buffalo leather. They might not be as stylish as my Doc Martens, but I like them.  So buying a second pair is entirely appropriate. By the way, I think the current “fashion” for men’s shoes is pretty blah. Those long pointy things where the toes curl up just …hmmmm… retarded.

 The week has been good, thanks mostly to the fact I visited Jenn and her fellows last weekend. It was a wonderful Easter weekend and Don and Denise were there as well. So the whiskey was nice and the food was outstanding. By the way we celebrated Tyler’s 15^th birthday… something I will remember because he is now taller than I am, or at least the same height. I was able to spend most of the Saturday with Tyler and Nathan and we had a great lunch. I hope I didn’t bore them too much with stories of my hitch-hiking days back in the 70s and how I visited the west coast and road a freight train through the Rockies.

So things are good with the boys. Tyler is obviously making a good impression in his first year of high school. His average is in the 90s and he is exempt from all the exams.

Anyway the weekend was so nice. I think one of the best parts was being out by the bonfire Friday night, enjoying that big full moon, the fresh air and the great company.

Well the ice is clinking in my empty glass. Time to go.

Help is on the way ...

Funny thing about the Air Ambulance, there are so many of them down south, where so many communities and hospitals are close together.  In Northern Ontario, the air ambulance is literally a lifesaver for so many because medical facilities are so few.  If somebody in a remote reserve or a mining camp gets sick or injured, it would take hours for a land ambulance to get the proper attention for the victim. Thank goodness that the helicopter service is there. By the way, the air ambulance service was set up in the 1970s, mainly to serve the North. I live in the part of Timmins where I see the helicopter come in to the hospital quite often. I am glad to see people getting help. This patient was injured this past Sunday while out on a frozen lake about 50 kilometres west of Timmins. Luckily, he was found and rescued.

Remembering Bwian...

I don’t know how or why this came to mind today, but I was remembering a friend from several years back. His name was Brian. He was a mentally challenged adult who had a hare lip and could not speak correctly. Brian could not say a word with the R sound. He replaced it with a W. So when he introduced himself, he would say, Hiya, I’m Bwian. And Brian knew just about everyone in Timmins. And he always had a wave and a smile for you. He was always at every hockey game, or baseball game. So one fine summer day I was sitting in my car on Third Avenue, at Pine, facing the bus station. The light was red and Brian was walking along the street saying hello to everyone. “Hiya Len. How’s Tewwy?

So as he was crossing the street, Brian suddenly stopped. Something had caught his eye. It was a pop truck, parked in front of Bucovetsky’s department store. Now back in the day, pop trucks used to have open sides. I guess this made it easier for the driver to reach the cases of pop and bring them into the stores. It also made things easier for Brian. He looked around the intersection and brought his finger to his lips with a big Shhhh sound. And he smiled. And then he ran over to the pop truck, reached in and stole a six pack of orange pop, turned and ran back along Pine Street.  I will never forget how happy he looked. I looked around and saw other people on the street watching and smiling. Several of us made eye contact and we all laughed. I guess it’s one those reasons I’ve always enjoyed living in Timmins. I haven’t seen Brian in years, but if I do I will tell him he has to buy me a coffee or I will snitch on him. Just kidding.

Hollywood sucks. Thank God for books.

I was feeling disappointed these past few days as I sat down to call up an online movie through my Roku box. I went to Google Play, which is supposed to have all the best movies from recent years. Bahhh on that.  Roku is great, but the movie choices from the past few years are just terrible. No wonder I am not inspired by the Academy Awards any more. It has become such a dog and pony show and it seems the only thing people care about is what other people are wearing. Well they should be wearing shame for one thing. Hollywood really sucks lately.
There are always exceptions of course. I was pleased to watch the film Lincoln starring Daniel Day-Lewis. For a few moments I really believed I was seeing the face of Abraham Lincoln.  Brilliant movie. And it was directed by Stephen Spielberg, who is beyond brilliant. But when I look the few choices left of really good movies, I say thank God we have books.

Bye Buddy.

I was saddened this week to hear that Jennifer’s dog Buddy died. He had cancer. He had to be put down. Jennifer was obviously sad when she told me, saying she and Scott were just at a loss. Tyler and Nathan were also terribly upset. One forgets how much a pet can connect to a family. Buddy was so much a part of Jenn’s family. He was big, very big. He was calm and he was gentle.  I confess I didn’t spend much time with him, but whenever I went to Sudbury and drove up the driveway, Buddy would get up and come over to me, tail wagging, and sniffing around. Once he was satisfied everything was okay, he’d go back to the snoozing by the front step. That’s how he was. Reassuring. I am glad there were times I could sneak him a piece of bacon, or a beef bone. I am going to miss him.

Trains are still the best ...

In the past month I have covered two major CN rail train wrecks near Gogama, just south of Timmins. Luckily, no one has been hurt. But the two train wrecks have caused a huge mess in the environment. One wreck involved a train on the mainline between Foleyet and Gogama. The other was also on the mainline just a few kilometres west of Gogama. In both cases the trains were hauling tank cars loaded with crude oil. Both trains had massive fires.

Here’s the thing. Regardless of the huge mess involving dozens of broken and burning tank cars, CN managed to get the tracks repaired and the mess cleaned up within three days. I am not praising them, just saying I find it amazing they can work so fast to get back in business.

I expect there will be a lot more in the news about these particular derailments in the weeks and months ahead.

 Anyway, I still like trains. Several of my friends have suggested they will never travel by train. I still look forward to my next train trip.

I have enjoyed several excellent train trips over the years. One of my favourites was the night train from London to Edinburgh, where we sat up till 2:30 a.m. drinking excellent FREE Scotch, and eating bread, cheese and fruit. Another was the VIA Canadian from Vancouver back home to Ontario. I really enjoyed riding VIA from Sudbury to Toronto one night with Tyler and Nathan so we could have a short holiday in the city.  It was great.

I find trains just so relaxing and a great way to spend that other luxury – time.

Photos: 1-CN Rail derailment and fire Gogama, March 7, 2015.
2-Amtrak Cascades train in Seattle station.
3-VIA Canadian stop for sandwich and beers in Jasper.
4-Jacobite steam train arriving in Morar, Scotland.
Photo 1 by Transportation Safety Board.
Photos 2,3, 4 by Len Gillis ©

Getting mellow

I told some of my fellow reporters this week that I think I am getting old and mellow.There was a time that drama was everything in a news photo. I ignored that this week. I was at the scene of a house fire at 5:30 in the morning. These things are never happy occasions. But they are dramatic.
A house was burning. The air was thick with smoke. The street was awash in frozen spray and water. Firefighters were shouting above the noise of the engines from several firetrucks. Neighbours were out on the street, wearing parkas, pyjamas and snowboots to see what's going on. I always have my camera ready, holding it inside my parka. It takes only a moment to move it to my eye and snap off five or six photos when I have it in burst mode. I looked up to see paramedics coming toward me from about ten feet away. I realized the ambulance was behind me. The two paramedics were walking either side of a distraught woman. She was wearing only a blanket. Her bare shoulders and bare legs were obvious. It was 33 below zero. The woman was crying and oblivious to everyone, except perhaps the paramedics supporting her. What a picture it was ... or might have been. I didn't raise my camera. I stepped aside and let them pass by. I felt awkward for being there. Twenty years ago, I would have snapped the picture, telling myself this shows the true drama and tragedy of a domestic fire. On Wednesday morning I just felt I was intruding on a terrible day in another person's life.

Overdose on television

Frank Underwood is back on television so I cocooned this week, watching the new season of the hit television series House of Cards. I feel guilty about it ... for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the new season was released on Netflix last Friday. So this past week, I watched every new episode. Yes, an entire season. Sometimes staying up as laste as 2:00 a.m. on a worknight.
Secondly, I was secretly admiring the main character Frank Underwood, who fought like a deranged animal to become president of the United States. Frank is a despicable person, but he does whatever it takes to win. Why on Earth would I cheer for the bad guy? I don't know.
By the way, Frank has monogrammed cufflinks. They say F U.

3K on snowshoes? No problem!

So there was a train wreck in Northern Ontario last night. 100-car freight train with 29 cars off the tracks in dense bush north of Gogama. No injuries, but the train was burning.  I was up early this morning and figured I could drive out and get some photos. The first word I got was that the wreck was only three kilometres back from the highway. Hey, no problem. Grab the snowshoes and go for a hike. I figure 3K is just fine. It has been so cold, minus 45 last night, and there is a nice crust on the snow. Good thing I checked with the CN Rail office in Toronto before heading out... I wanted to get precise information. Whoa, it's not three kilometres. It was 30 kilometres up the tracks from the highway. Forget the snowshoes! Anyway, it is so far in the bush that the heavy equipment guys with excavators and bulldozers still have not arrived as of suppertime Sunday.  I didn't get photos of the wreck, but I did snap a couple of pictures in the freight yard in Gogama. So I will try again tomorrow and either find a plane or hitch a ride with a CN crew. Although many of those poor guys will be out there working all night tonight.That doesn't sound like fun!

Lyin' Brian

I really struggled this past week with the incident involving NBC reporter Brian Williams telling a lie while on a TV talk show. Everybody lies. But I still think it was so wrong for Williams, a journalist of some renown, to do it so publicly. He didn't just lie, he made up a whole story about being attacked by jihadists. What makes it so wrong is the fact he is a journalist. If it was a sports guy or an actor, he might get away with it. But when your job is to tell people what is going on in their city or country, you have to tell the absolute truth. Everytime. Without exception. I cannot tell you how many times we have sat back on a story because we were not able to confirm a detail or a fact. If you're in doubt, the story is pulled out.  Otherwise, people will lose faith in what we are reporting.
Even in small towns, journos live interesting lives and they see and do some pretty interesting things. There is no need to make stuff up. I am fond of telling crazy stories to my younger newsie friends, and they are often amazed at the weird and unusual things that  have happened.
I also struggled this week with a really nasty chest and sinus cold. Yeah, so I am a big baby whiner. But the thing is, I have to work out in the public and it is so annoying when you're talking to somebody and suddenly your nose starts running and running and it's so bad the salty mucus runs into your mouth, like when you were a four-year-old. I am now in the habit of carrying pockets full of Kleenex everywhere.
The other thing is that eating is such a boring chore. For the past week, my taste buds have shut down. I had a glass of whiskey on Monday, but that was it. I could barely taste it. So that was a waste.
Regardless, all week I forced myself to eat just to keep my strength up. On Wednesday, I tried some Szechuan noodles for supper. It was filling, but I don't know if it tasted good or not. I did have one of those lime-flavoured Budweiser beers. It seemed okay. I could taste the lime! Oh, almost forgot. On Monday I had Lipton chicken noodle soup. Yes! It was good. Three cheers for Lipton soup!

Cake for breakfast is okay!

Saturday morning and I am baking a cake and nursing a cold! Don’t know where it came from, but I am keeping company with a pot of tea, a book and a little bottle of cough syrup.

I was pleased this week to interview a lady who runs the eating disorder clinic at the hospital. As she was describing various food disorders, I confessed that I like to share chocolate cake for breakfast with my two grandsons. She assured me this is NOT a food disorder, since it only happens a few times a year. She agreed that it is a nice tradition. So there you have it!

I was upset this week to see that Sudbury voters elected Glenn Thibeault as their new MPP. I am not so upset at the fact that Thibeault crossed the floor and went from being a New Democrat to a Liberal. I am more upset that the Liberal party officials ignored the fact that a local candidate had already been chosen and then pushed him aside and gave the nomination to Thibeault. It really stinks to see how they ignored the democratic process. Shame on voters in Sudbury! At the same time, some Liberal party folks were offering the old candidate a cushy government job in return for stepping aside. Now the police are involved because of that. It stinks, it stinks, it stinks. I hope the police can do something.

Great song, but not what you'd expect

That's right, I don't watch "normal" TV but on Sunday afternoons, I do a bit of reading and listening to music... usually from YouTube. So here is a really different, but cool,  version of Ring Of Fire, by an acappella group called Home Free. I think they really put a nice touch on the song. So click here and enjoy!

Chasing a fire

Well the news came out this week that Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources is suing CN Rail, claiming that it was sparks from a passing train that caused the big Timmins No. 9 forest fire in May 2012. It was a huge, huge fire. So I was looking through some photo files this week and I came across these photos which tell a little story. I remember the day the fire began, going down to Tatachikapika Lodge to get some pictures. The fire had started south of the Lodge and north of Gogama.

By the time I got there, during the supper hour, the fire was going strong. I could only get photos from a distance. Heading back to Timmins along Highway 144 I noticed there were scores of sideroads leading into the bush, west of the highway. Many were blocked. Most were not. I figured if I wanted to get some photos of the fire I would have to take a sideroad. So I just picked one, put on the 4-by-4 and starting driving west.

Soon enough, after about 10 kilometres, I knew I was getting close to the fire, but I was a bit worried about going too close. The sky was filled with thick, black and grey smoke. I pulled into a clearing where there was an esker. I climbed to the top of the esker to look around and get photos. Yes, the fire was just over the next hillside.

Suddenly there was a helicopter hovering nearby. Great! I started snapping photos and then the helicopter got closer. Guy inside was waving at me. I waved back. So then the chopper circled around and landed. You can see my little truck in the photo. The guy got out and he was angry! He was an MNR Conservation Officer and told me I had no business being there, to get the hell out. Once I explained I was with the newspaper, he calmed down and explained that the fire zone was being declared and no one allowed in the hot zone. So I got out. But I also got some nice photos.

Whoa! Enough pizza!

Here's the thing. Monday was a long day at work... one guy got sick, so I covered for him and didn't get home until about 8:30. Then Tuesday, another long day. A federal cabinet minister interview... but he was an hour late. So I was at the office, just wrapping up when I decided it was too late to go home and cook supper. It was 8:00 p.m. So I went online and ten minutes later I was picking up a fresh pizza! Excellent. Got home, opened a beer and put my feet up. Having half a medium pizza was just about perfect. Tonight, I got home and decided ... leftovers! Pizza, yeah! Let me tell you... I was hungry... but Jeez, having pizza two days in a row is enough, thank you. So now I am full, but I don't think I will be having pizza for awhile. Tomorrow, Mr. Noodles. That's another story!

RIP Uncle Joe and Uncle Sonny

It has been a rough week or so. I was saddened to learn of the deaths of two of my uncles. Uncle Joe Gillis died on January 9th, and Uncle Sonny Rostek died on the 15th. Joe was my Dad’s little brother and Sonny was married to Aunt Theresa, my Mom’s little sister. I remember both of these fellows so much from my childhood. The great thing about uncles is that they always had a smile and a kind word for their nephews. I remember both Joe and Sonny as a couple of guys who were always smiling.
I spent a couple of days in court this past week covering the sentence in a manslaughter case. It was so bizarre. Murder and manslaughter cases are like that. More members of the public should drop in at court to listen to what goes on. It is so real and so raw.

Last weekend was a hoot. Jennifer and Scott and Tyler and Nathan were all in Timmins as the boys had a hockey tournament.
They did very well and had a lot of fun. Scott and Jenn are incredibly dedicated hockey parents and I was amazed at the energy and effort it takes to do that. The best part was seeing how much the boys enjoyed themselves. I snapped a couple of photos of the boys. Ty is No. 91 and Nate is No.13.

Ten years ago...

Just to make things interesting, here are a couple of photos of Jennifer and her boys from Christmas 2004.

So, 2015 is here...

Well, happy January. This means I am entering my 9th year as a blogger. I am also on Facebook, but I am thinking of gradually getting away from it. In a word, Facebook has become just plain stupid. It’s not that people don’t say interesting things, it is just that there are too many others that react so stupidly. Enough ranting.
I had a fabulous Christmas holiday at Jennifer’s place. It was just so nice and relaxing and it was great to spend time with Jenn and her guys. The boys are amazing. They’re turning into men and I am pleased to see that. Yeah, they’re still boys in some ways, but they are pretty cool young guys too. I am amazed at how tall the boys are. I got a real kick out of getting up early Christmas morning, only to find the boys were up ahead of me and making coffee for the adults!
Also on Christmas, we did a Skype hook-up with Don and Denise in Florida. It was the first time I have seen Skype and I was impressed. Jenn and I also enjoyed a great phone call with Neil in Vancouver. We were going to do the Skype thing with him also, but with the time difference and the schedules, it just didn’t happen.

Christmas Day was excellent overall. Jennifer is outstanding in the kitchen and I am always amazed at how organized she is. Of course she was enjoying herself too. Now that she is in school full time, her days normally start at about 6:00 a.m. so she really enjoyed the time off.
Driving back to Timmins last weekend was nice at first as the roads from Sudbury to the Watershed were mostly clear and wet. After that, the snow started and the highways were crap. I just took my time. It took nearly five hours to get to Timmins.
This past week has been enjoyable as I had time off. I am totally relaxed and ready to begin the new year. I was invited to a New Year ’s Eve party and it was nice. It was basically the Timmnins media crowd. Taylor Ablett from Moose FM was our host. It was a good time to brush off the kilt and celebrate in style, which I did. I was not much in the mood for drinking, so after two drinks in six hours, I was the driver for the others. It was kind of funny to watch people transform themselves when they are partying. I am glad I was able to get folks home safely. I got home around 3:00 a.m. poured myself a nice glass of Scotch, sat down, did some reading and went to bed. I slept till 10:00 a.m. and then I had to get up. I was starving. LOL. Breakfast was porridge and strawberries.
This will be a good week. Jenn and her men are coming to Timmins next weekend for a hockey tournament. It’s going to be excellent to see them again.
I have attached a few photos. These include Tyler and Nathan by the Christmas tree, I always get a photo of the boys on Christmas morning. There’s also a few shots of Jenn, making coffee, shovelling the slush and talking to Buddy. There is also a nice night shot of Scott and Jennifer by the bonfire.

Sunny Timmins...

We had really nice winter weather on the weekend. I was out by Gillies Lake and snapped a photo. Enjoy.

Relaxing ...

Tomorrow is my last day of work before taking a few days off to relax, with Jenn and her fellows. It will be nice. Good news! I bought a new book a few days ago to have something to read while relaxing. Bad news. I have been reading all weekend. Maybe about 60 pages left. I will finish the book tonight before bed time. Good news. I finally got all my shopping done and even have all the wrapping paper. Bad news. I have to pack tonight/tomorrow and I am doing laundry right now. Oh well, got to run ... things to do.

Commenters. Ugh!

Commenters get under my skin. I am talking about those people who feel they have to have insert their clever witticisms on just about every internet news story. I say this because I am a person who reads everything I can about a subject, often in the pursuit of new information. This means I regularly browse the Internet versions of the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. They usually have the best reports on breaking news stories. But they also have some of the gawd dammed stupidest commenters I have ever encountered. Over time I have come to notice that many of these folks are repeat commenters who seem to feel the need to add their two-cents to every issue. Back in the day, it was always interesting to read the letters to the editor where people would submit thoughtful and meaningful opinions on a news story. Not anymore. What's worse is that the comments quickly stray from being about the original issue into petty pissing matches between different commenters. It is a shame. These people are collectively making our society appear so stupid. I guess this is the price we pay for free speech.

What's with winter?

Winter is definitely getting milder. I live in Timmins, so I can say I know what winter weather is like. Or at least what it is supposed to be like. I remember my teen years in North Bay, when I worked in the two weeks before Christmas as a letter carrier's helper for Canada Post. I did that for a couple of years, while in high school. I remember those December mornings as being bitterly cold. I actually got used to it and took some strange pride in being able to endure freezing weather. I moved to Timmins in the early 70s and I remember those winters as being brutally cold. I was out and about today, the wind was blowing hard and it was snowy and drizzly... but the temperature was only minus nine or ten. I didn't even put my toque on. When I got home I noticed that I was wearing my fall coat. I have worn my parka less than seven days so far this winter. Anyway, winter is here. It has been mild so far. But thank goodness for Christmas ... it's a chance to spend time with the important people in your life regardless of the weather.

Bad Habits

One of my bad habits is parking myself in front of the television to watch a Netflix series. I did it this past week with the Marco Polo series. It was good television, good acting and best of all, a cast of unknown actors. I think that makes the story telling a bit more interesting when you're watching a whole new cast of actors that you haven't seen before. So yes, it is a good TV series. Good stories... but I haven't done any housework for a week! And my laundry is piling up. But I have a greater appreciation for Chinese history and the Khan dynasties. Genghis and Kublai were interesting fellows. Check it out.

I talk too much

Yeah, I know. I talk wayyyy too much to people. I think it's one of the good things about Timmins, and not so good things. Ha ha ha. I left the office at 6:00 p.m. but I bumped into our city editor having a smoke at the front door. We chatted and before you know it, 15 minutes had passed. So I scooted over the YIG to pick up a couple of things. I got cookies, Jos Louis cakes, crackers, and stuff for soup. And I bumped into people at the store, so yeahhh, we yakked and yakked some more. Then as I was checking out the cashier felt like chatting... so there we were, smile and nod, smile and nod. I finally got away about 10 minutes later. There was no one else at the fast-lane check out. I got home just a short while ago. Put on boiling water, chopped up carrots, celery, added spices, barley and added the Campbell Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato broth. Looked at the clock. It was 7:48!
So now I am having a drink and waiting for the soup... I guess it will be just right in about an hour.
So I have a new toy in my vehicle. I purchased one of those dash cams. I have been researching them for about a year and finally Garmin came out with a nice affordable model. $200, on sale of course. It has HD quality, records excellent video day and night, and comes with a built in GPS and speedometer. Also, in a crunch, I can disconnect it from the dash and use it as a news cam.

In other news, I got back into my e-reader these past couple of weeks. Oh my goodness, I am reading a Giller Prize winning book ~ The Book of Negroes. It is riveting. I can barely put it down during my morning coffee so I can go to work. Wow, what a book.

Happy with Sorels

I have spent most of today looking after my winter boots. We have snow on the ground in Timmins and so I know the day will soon come that I have to wear my favourite winter boots, my Sorel Caribous. I am pleased to say I am on my second pair. I purchased my first pair back in the 1970s and they were excellent. I had some travels in the Arctic and my boots always keep my feet warm. Then in the 1990s, while living in Sudbury, our dog Brodie chewed them up one day. So I had to throw them out. For a few years, I figured I could get along without them. I had a couple of good pairs of hiking boots that were warm and waterproof and so that was fine. One day I was in a store and saw a nice new pair of Caribous on sale. It was spring or summer. So I scooped them up. Some years later I learned that Sorels were no longer made in Canada. The company was bought by Columbia and so now the boots are made in China. I was so pleased to see that my old boots are Canadian made. I'd like to think that is one reason why they've lasted so long. Also, I treat the boots each year to some cleaning, some TLC and a coating of beeswax. So once again, another winter with my toasty Caribous. I may look like an old farmer, but my toes will be warm.

Pictures worth taking ...

Every now and then I see something that begs for a picture to be taken. That's how it was this morning when I was out shooting photos in the aftermath of the first snowstorm we had this season.

New Whisky

Whisky is whisky is whisky, right? Nooooo! Whisky is like your moods. They're always different. Some weeks I don't have a sip at all and other times, I just crave the taste. So I was in the LCBO this week, looking at different whiskies when I noticed that Wiser's had a new product. Now I enjoy Wiser's Deluxe, which is a nice drink.

So I figured this new Wiser's spiced brand would be worth a taste. Oh my goodness... it is fabulous. It has a distinct toffee taste, which is easy to enjoy. So I am thinking this would be nice, over ice, with a splash of Bailey's... Wiser and Bailey's... I will call it a Blazer!
So be sure to get the toffee blend... dont' confuse it with the vanilla.

Ontario throwing money away ...

Can't figure out why our Queen's Park Liberal government, with all it's so-called financial hardship, can afford to give $85-Million to help the Honda corporation to upgrade its new car plant in Southern Ontario. So we can give $85-Million to a foreign car company but we can't help save Ontario Northland railway? I don't see where there is a worthwhile return on investment for Ontario. Honda has world-wide sales in the $billions. And Ontario is giving them money to improve their engine technology? If we are investing all that money, will Honda give us a piece of their sales?

The lake looks good...

If you haven't been out by Gillies Lake in Timmins recently, the newly completed promenade boardwalk looks pretty nice. I like the fact that our city has such a nice lake right in the heart of the community and the fact that so many people like to spend time there. Hmmmm, I wonder how things will change in ten or so years from now when the open pit gold mine becomes the new Hollinger Lake.

November is okay

I like November. Lots of interesting things happen, or have happened, in this month... I wonder why I only wrote one item in this blog for November 2013. Well I remembered that November is Ronald's birthday month. I think as a kid he always got cheated out of at least one Christmas gift because of his birthday. November also has Remembrance Day, which I always take so seriously. Actually I began wearing my poppy a couple of weeks back, after the attack in Ottawa. November is also the month that commemorates the death of President Kennedy. I will never forget that day. I also remember watching CNN the day the Berlin Wall came down. Wow, what a change in the world that day. November is also the month that took the Edmund Fitzgerald, made popular in the song by Lightfoot. The ship sank in Lake Superior in November 1975. I knew a reporter at the The Globe and Mail who covered that story. He remembered wondering why so many people were astounded at the loss of such a huge ship until he went to Lake Superior and saw for himself how horrible the storms could be.
On a somewhat more happy note, I made a pan of apple crisp last night. OMG it is soooo gooood. I hadn't made one in months, but I was out shopping Saturday and the store had put up a huge display of apples. So I bought a couple of pounds of nice Courtlands. Also instead of adding cinnamon I added allspice, which was quite nice. Had some with my breakfast coffee ... soooo goooood!

Keeping a promise...

Some time ago, in conversation with a local police officer, I made a promise. He mentioned that with the Internet being so active, it was getting to the point that we newsies were getting too fast with our reporting … as it relates to auto crashes. Now crashes are not a big deal, but we cover them and get back to the office and get the photos online quickly. Usually it has something to do with bad road conditions, or a storm, and so we will advise readers to drive carefully. Here’s the thing – In a small town, we would get the photos online very quickly, sometimes in 15 or 20 minutes. So a traffic cop asked if we could slow things down a bit… maybe wait an hour before putting the pictures up, because family members tend to get all frightened, upset and worried if they see a car they might recognize from a crash scene.

So okay, that’s reasonable. So I said yes, I will now wait a full hour before putting up crash photos. Sure enough, we had a crash today involving a car and a wheelchair. And I waited an hour, thinking … somebody knows somebody who owns that wheelchair. I hope no one was alarmed. I hope the guy is okay.
But I gotta tell ya, if you know somebody is flying to Timmins and their plane crashes, and I get the photos, well, sorry, I won’t be waiting an hour…

Back on the books ...

I took some time away from reading these past few months because I was busy and got to enjoying some Netflix and Roku. But now I am back into the books, and a had to warn myself this week to be careful. I am such a cheapskate... But when it comes to books I forget that. Just checked my credit card account and discovered I have spent nearly $40 in the past three weeks on e-Books. I will have to back off a bit and wait.
Oh, Jenn told me about her espresso coffee choices recently when I visited. She offered me a Keurig espresso, but I declined, figuring it would be too bitter. But last week I bought a box of Keurig espressos and they are grrreat! Usually in the early afternoon, I can scoot home to grab a sandwich... So this week I have enjoyed a few expressos and they are fabulous! Just sayin'

just so sad

Timmins fellow on CBS 60 Minutes

It was fun this week to see that CBS 60 Minutes did a story on Shawn Ryan, a prospector living in the Yukon who has become a millionaire for his ability to find gold.
http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/Scoop-60-MINUTES-on-CBS-Sunday-October-19-2014-20141017 In this article about Ryan, CBS labelled it a scoop! Here is the TV link.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/gold-rush-turning-mushroom-hunting-into-gold-in-the-yukon
Sorry guys, Ryan is a Timmins fellow and we did a story on him back in May 2012. He was honoured by fellow prospectors in Timmins and was unofficially dubbed King of Klondike. I even snapped this photo of him and wrote up his story. Just so you know Ryan cut his teeth with prospecting crews here in Timmins before moving out west, where they told him there was no more gold to be found in the Klondike. As any good prospector knows, the best place to find a new gold mine is right beside an old gold mine. No wonder the fellow is filthy rich!

Voting is so easy now...

I voted yesterday. Yes, it was advanced polling for the October 27th city election. The cool thing was that I was able to vote via the Internet. I am glad Timmins set this up and I suppose this is the thing of the future. It took about five minutes, with various security checks built in, and then the ballot was right here on the screen in front of me. I like how convenient it is to stay in tune with democracy. I hope this idea appeals to more young people.

A nice time ...

I am back in Timmins after enjoying a very nice couple of days with Jennifer. The boys went south to spend the weekend with Victoria; Scott was out to catch the first weekend of moose hunting and so Jenn and I did a nice quiet Thanksgiving with a couple of bottles of wine, turkey, stuffing, cake and even movies. Heck we even got a chance to go out to dinner. We went to P & M's to check the latest menu and were pleased to run into Junior. It was great to chat and get caught up with him. The funniest part was when the young hostess was bringing us to the table. She made reference to the idea that we might be a dating couple. I laughed and said “I'm her Dad!” I reassured Jenn that she didn't look older at all. If anything, with her nice new hair style, she looks younger. I figured with my newsboy cap and cashmere blazer, I looked a few years younger. I took it as a compliment. Anyway, it was a very relaxing weekend. I stayed in the Nathan Suite as usual and slept great. Jenn said she woke early on Sunday and could hear me down the hall, sawing logs. I never heard a thing!
Jenn is up to her elbows in school work. There are days, she admitted, that the workload is hard, hard, hard. But she continues to get good marks ... because she studies hard. But she is also smart, smart, smart. So I have much confidence in her.
The boys are also doing very well in school. I am so proud of those guys. So this is good. I am thankful.
The drive back north was very relaxing. I pulled off in the bush for a nature call, but I didn't drive too far. There were hunters everywhere. I also got a photo of the train crossing at Windy Lake. A northbound freight was pulling a huge train with five engines. I like trains. I took pictures.

So don't read it

I have spent the last 20 minutes reading Christie Blatchford's stories in the National Post about the Luka Magnotta trIal. If you don't know who he is, nevermind, you really don't need to know. Here's the thing; Magnotta is a monster. He cannot possibly have a human mind to do the things he is accused of doing. Magnotta killed people, chopped them up and then mailed out the body parts. He also videotaped much of what he did. So Blatchford has reported the courtroom icky stuff in detail. Anyone who has spent time covering court knows they talk about all the yukky stuff in court, the terrible things people to do other people. What is upsetting to me is that so many people read this stuff and then criticize the newspaper for writing about it. Well, excuse me. Anybody with a clue is going to know what the Magnotta trial will be about. If you're upset that it is being written about, THEN STOP READING IT! Put the paper down, and go for a walk. Call your kids. Pick your nose. Do some housework. But don't waste my time or tempt my bloody good nature by complaining. We live in a free society. That's means we have a reasonable amount of academic freedom. People can discuss things and write about them. It's the price of democracy. Live with it.

Catching up

So October is here. And Spring is on the way! Yeah, yeah, we all know that we’re in for a tough winter, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. May as well look on the bright side and look forward to Spring. I was out on the local hiking day event and we really can’t complain. The weather has been amazingly mild … or maybe I am becoming more tolerant of the weather. In Timmins in the fall, one has to dress in layers, depending on the time of day. Walking out to the car at 7:30 a.m. you need a heavy sweater, maybe a jacket… or a heavy blazer. Toward noon, you can start shedding layers. By mid-afternoon, it is shirt sleeve weather and by 6:00 p.m. time to reach for the jacket again.

We had some excitement last week when a Beech King Air came in for a belly landing at the Timmins Airport. The incident was good for a few stories, but it boiled down to an electrical - mechanical problem with a wiring harness gumming up the front landing wheel. The wheel was only partially down when the pilot came in for the landing.

I managed to get a half decent photo of the plane speeding along the runway just before he touched down. The good news is that the two crew and seven passengers walked away without a scratch.

Had to write an obit a couple of weeks ago about an old friend. George Delich, the district chief of the Schumacher firefighter brigade died. I know people always say nice things about people when they die, but George was one of the truly good guys. We chatted a lot. Whenever I showed up a fire scene, he always had a smile. He was a former teacher and principal, a community volunteer and still an active firefighter. George was 79. I am going to miss him.