Day Two

Day Two - still at it. The rest of Northern Ontario was WAY more exciting than South-Northern Ontario. As soon as you pass Sault Ste Marie it gets.....flat...straight...and boring. But then around a town called Marathon, things really pick up.

It's gorgeous, the road bobs and weaves, and the towns grow smaller and smaller, as well as further and further apart. It's really beautiful - and apparently experiencing record warm summer weather. Ideal time to drive it.

I saw my first moose! I didn't get to photograph him, he dashed back into the woods. But it was such a triumph! Last year I drove out east to Newfoundland, some 4000km there and back, with Moose warnings, Moose signs that gradually increased in size, electronics, and the ferociousness of the Moose graphic used, there was even a "Watch out for Moose" PSA on the ferry as we went over. Despite all of this...I didn't see one. We drove at dawn, at dusk, at night (all prime Moose times) and didn't see ONE. 

So it was rather gratifying (and also a bit annoying) that after only two days and 1400 km westward, I finally got to see a Moose. 

The pace slowed down today. I kept stopping to talk to people about what Canada means to them, how attitudes toward Southern Ontario are up here, and what they think about the country they live in. I had some good conversations. I took a few photos too. Mostly I sang loudly in the car to Feist's new record (which is awesome). 

It's funny, after driving a million hours, seeing the landscape change, weave through stone and grass, mountain and stream, over and under the railroad, and passing through dozens of forgettable small towns (and some memorable ones) it was very striking to walk into a Shoppers' Drug Mart in downtown Thunder Bay...and notice it was EXACTLY the same as EVERY other Shoppers' I've ever seen. It's a little bit frightening...1400km, dozens of hours in the car and it was like i'd blinked and found myself back in Aurora. I know this is a branding thing, a McDonalds hamburger ought to taste the same at every McDonalds in the world they say, but it was quite...odd. So much for learning the unique charms of little Thunder Bay. 

Is this the sort of thing that erodes cultural identity? So many Canadians, when pressed, will say there's no such thing as Canadian culture. But Newfoundlanders will tell you all about Newfoundland, and folks from Vancouver will be only too pleased to speak in exalted terms of their fine coastal city. Why doesn't Canada as a whole have a voice? We've all got the same drugstore to go to, after all. 

I think i finally figured out how to do this video thing. I don't have time to cut a piece like i'd want to...so i'm going to post little highlight reels of each day. Then once i'm in Vancouver, i'm going to cut longer pieces (so when i'm not driving around like crazy, the blog is still interesting.) Dig?

UPDATE:

Here's a teaser for Day 2!

I cut a piece for Day 2, but it's takin' a while to export, and i've gotta get on the road. If there's any internet in Kenora, i'll upload then! See you in the 'peg. From here on out it's another day, another province. 

-Jeff