The Road Through Northern Ontario - Day 1

Thursday, June 24, 2010
The road through Northern Ontario started for us in Winnipeg on Thursday morning.
Winnipeg is the longitudinal middle between the east and west coasts. Contrary to what many people who live in Toronto say, this is central Canada.
Driving conditions were good and the weather was perfect - sunny and warm. Once we left Winnipeg our focus was on our destination for the night, Sleeping Giant Provincial Park campsite, Ontario. We made one last stop at a truck stop between Winnipeg and the Ontario border for gas and coffee. We were greeted by some of the largest flies I have ever seen. Manitoba an ojibwa word meaning land of many mosquitoes and horseflies. (Actually, it is either a cree or ojibwa word meaning "strait of the spirit")
We stopped just inside the Ontario border at a tourist information kiosk. Here we picked up the official road map of Ontario. This map really helped us on our long journey through Ontario. Among the usual geographic information, it also shows where all of the rest stops are located. These rest stops were a much welcomed oasis.
Our first stop in Ontario was Kenora on the Lake of the Woods to find a bank machine for Ed and a coffee for the road for me. Just out of town we stopped a viewpoint to get a better look at the lake. There we met a young woman cycling across Canada from Vancouver to Newfoundland. She had given herself 3 months to complete the journey. We had seen several cyclists on the road and each time we did we would remark what a tough ride it would be. Not only because of terrain, but because at many parts of the highway there was very little room on the shoulder for the cyclist, making it even more dangerous. She seemed very determined to finish her journey. She said that her bike had a complete overhaul in Winnipeg and that she was going to take a week off with her family in the Georgian Bay area. After talking with her, my 9 hours in a car seat seemed very luxurious compared to her long days on a bike seat.
Driving this stretch of the highway I kept thinking back to the song I sang in elementary school,
Land of the silver birch, Home of the beaver, Where still the mighty moose wanders at will, blue lake and sandy shore
That is the road to Thunder Bay.
When we were first planning this trip, we'd hear the comment "it's a long drive". Ontario's motto is "Yours to Discover", and it is, we have discovered, a long drive.
But no one mentions what a scenic drive it is. It is not just trees. It is dozens of lakes, curious looking rock formations, home of the largest moose, the largest goose, the largest nickle, and the birthplace of Winnie the Pooh (White River).
Our driving marathon today finished at Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, just east of Thunder Bay. This is also near where in 1981 Terry Fox had to give up his dream to run across Canada and where they have erected a memorial statue in his honour.
Over the past 29 years, I have used Terry Fox as a source of inspiration to help me surmount challenges I have had to face. I would think "if Terry Fox can run across Canada on one leg, then surely, I can do this". As he ran across Canada, I watched the television reports of his run, amazed at his ability and tenacity to run the 26 miles every day despite the physical, mental and emotional pain. He had a goal and he was determined to keep going.
Our trip across the country is becoming more than just a holiday to see Canada. It is giving us an opportunity to revisit some very meaningful memories. It is also a time for us to create new memories and share new experiences. For the past 30 years our lives have revolved around children, work and house. We have forgotten what it is like to just be the two of us.
Camping at Sleeping Giant Provincial Park is a new experience. We haven't done this before.