One of the great things about living in Grand Bay-Westfield is the lack of stop lights. Think of it... we can drive all the way to Saint John and not encounter a single traffic light until we get into the city. For over 20 years I've driven to and from work and only had to contend with two lights on the trip. How many other places can claim that? Quispamsis is riddled with traffic lights. It's not a huge thing but I think the fact we're small enough not to need a light is a plus for a lot of people. I'm not saying that traffic isn't sometimes a problem because it is. Try turning left out of the liquor store on a Friday night. But so far we've managed without traffic controls and most people I think, like it that way.
I bring this up because the province and the town want to know how we feel about the new highway interchange planned for Grand Bay-Westfield. This is the same Highland Road interchange that's been talked about for years. The plan is to build ramps to allow access to and from Highway 7. The design also includes a new core collector road running back into the heart of town. The idea is for this two kilometre stretch of new road to link up with the main business area of town. Some of it would be zoned for commercial development so it would expand the commercial space available in town. Right now there isn't very much room for new businesses along the existing commercial strip on River Valley Drive.
This is an exciting development for Grand Bay-Westfield. Mayor Grace Losier said in a radio interview that this new road would open up over 400 acres in an area that has never seen any development. In addition to the potential for new business this will also allow for the building of new homes. Of course any time development is talked about some people become concerned about 'out of control' development. Most people living here would like to see more stores and services in the town but they aren't prepared to have the area turn into another Quispamsis. This is in no way meant to be taken as a slight toward the Kennebecasis Valley but it's clear the area has grown very quickly with a commercial zone that looks like that found in any other city. I think people in GBW want something different. They clearly want the small town atmosphere preserved. The mayor calls it sustainable growth and says people will have a say in that growth through the review of the municipal plan.
In the meantime you can have your say about the new interchange right now. Proposed project plans and a questionnaire about the project are available on the Department of Transportation's website at http://www.gnb.ca/0113/projects/projects-e.asp. This information is also available at the municipal office, 609 River Valley Dr., Grand Bay-Westfield. Completed questionnaires should be sent to the attention of Mike Taylor by fax (506-453-6714) or by mail to Mike Taylor, Department of Transportation, Design Branch, P.O. Box 6000, Fredericton, N.B., E3B 5H1. Comments may also be e-mailed to mike.taylor@gnb.ca.
So bring on the new road and highway interchange and all the new housing and stores that might result from it. Just make sure it's done properly. And with another way to get on the highway and another road through town, traffic congestion should actually be lessened. I just hope they can do it all without installing a traffic light.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Super Highway
I can't begin to figure out how many thousands of kilometers I've driven on New Brunswick highways over the past twenty years but it's substantial. Like many people, much of our driving happens in the summer during vacation time. We've made a trip to Ontario almost every year since we've lived here. This summer was no exception. We probably put on over 4,000 km on this trip alone. About a third of the journey happens on New Brunswick highways, so I've gotten to know the road between Grand Bay-Westfield and Edmundston quite well over the years. The drive through New Brunswick always used to be the worst part of the trip, mainly because of the poor state of the two-lane Trans Canada Highway. Not anymore. Today the drive through our province is by far the best part of the journey.
This summer we decided to go through the States on our way to Ontario. As the crow flies, it's a shorter, more direct route through Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and upstate New York. Add to that the saving of almost 30 cents a litre for gas and traveling south of the border makes sense. If you've done the trip you know how pretty it is driving through New England too. But I had forgotten about the winding roads and the towns you hit every five miles. It may be scenic but it's a long, hard drive. After spending a full day motoring through the back roads of New England, we had had enough and the next day changed course and took the Interstate right to the Canadian Border in Niagara Falls. In many ways, driving through New Brunswick used to be like that, but again not anymore.
On the trip home this summer we followed our normal route through Canada and got our first taste of the fully completed, super highway through New Brunswick. The last 98 kilometres of the four-lane Trans-Canada in the province opened last fall. Now the entire 516 km stretch of highway from the Nova Scotia border to the Quebec border is a smooth, divided, four-lane highway. It's safer to drive and much faster. I bet we saved close to an hour on the drive down from Edmundston. Usually there isn't much to see along these super highways, just pavement, rocks and trees. But this road manages to retain some of the scenery of the St. John River Valley with vistas of rolling hills and glimpses of the river here and there. It's just a joy to ride on compared to the bumpy highways through much of Quebec.
This highway did not come cheap. It was built in chunks over the years with funding from both levels of government with a total cost in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Our premier says the new four-lane Trans-Canada is paving New Brunswick's way to a brighter, safer, self-sufficient future. But there are some concerns over the new road. The town of Hartland is complaining that the number of tourists visiting the longest covered bridge in the world is lower this summer because of a lack of proper signs on the new highway. That problem is being looked into.
The new highway also has long stretches of wildlife fencing on both sides of the road. That'll go a long way to improving safety, especially with a speed limit of 110 km per hour along the entire highway. You can't appreciate just how good this road is until you drive it.
Of course that thrill of traveling on a new highway ended abruptly when we took the Highway 7 exit to Saint John. Yes the road has been improved a lot over the last 20 years and crews are out right now putting up moose fencing, but it's no Trans-Canada. At least not yet. The Welsford bypass is going ahead and one day I'm sure the entire highway between the provinces largest city and new energy hub, and the capital city, will become a four lane super highway too. Until then enjoy the new Trans Canada and give credit to the province for making it a reality.
This summer we decided to go through the States on our way to Ontario. As the crow flies, it's a shorter, more direct route through Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and upstate New York. Add to that the saving of almost 30 cents a litre for gas and traveling south of the border makes sense. If you've done the trip you know how pretty it is driving through New England too. But I had forgotten about the winding roads and the towns you hit every five miles. It may be scenic but it's a long, hard drive. After spending a full day motoring through the back roads of New England, we had had enough and the next day changed course and took the Interstate right to the Canadian Border in Niagara Falls. In many ways, driving through New Brunswick used to be like that, but again not anymore.
On the trip home this summer we followed our normal route through Canada and got our first taste of the fully completed, super highway through New Brunswick. The last 98 kilometres of the four-lane Trans-Canada in the province opened last fall. Now the entire 516 km stretch of highway from the Nova Scotia border to the Quebec border is a smooth, divided, four-lane highway. It's safer to drive and much faster. I bet we saved close to an hour on the drive down from Edmundston. Usually there isn't much to see along these super highways, just pavement, rocks and trees. But this road manages to retain some of the scenery of the St. John River Valley with vistas of rolling hills and glimpses of the river here and there. It's just a joy to ride on compared to the bumpy highways through much of Quebec.
This highway did not come cheap. It was built in chunks over the years with funding from both levels of government with a total cost in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Our premier says the new four-lane Trans-Canada is paving New Brunswick's way to a brighter, safer, self-sufficient future. But there are some concerns over the new road. The town of Hartland is complaining that the number of tourists visiting the longest covered bridge in the world is lower this summer because of a lack of proper signs on the new highway. That problem is being looked into.
The new highway also has long stretches of wildlife fencing on both sides of the road. That'll go a long way to improving safety, especially with a speed limit of 110 km per hour along the entire highway. You can't appreciate just how good this road is until you drive it.
Of course that thrill of traveling on a new highway ended abruptly when we took the Highway 7 exit to Saint John. Yes the road has been improved a lot over the last 20 years and crews are out right now putting up moose fencing, but it's no Trans-Canada. At least not yet. The Welsford bypass is going ahead and one day I'm sure the entire highway between the provinces largest city and new energy hub, and the capital city, will become a four lane super highway too. Until then enjoy the new Trans Canada and give credit to the province for making it a reality.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Living Off-Line
My trusty laptop has been unplugged from the internet for almost three weeks now. It's accompanied us on vacation to places where connectivity is limited or mostly non existent. At my father's house I was able to get on his wireless network and check email but that was weeks ago. Usually this column is written using the online version of Google Documents but right now I'm using the new offline feature that saves the file in the computer until you can connect to the internet again. We're at the family cottage on a lake in northern Ontario. We have a phone so I suppose I could order dial-up internet but it's not worth it for a few weeks in the summer. There is no high speed available unless you subscribe to the expensive satellite service. My neighbour tells me an over-the-air high speed service may soon cover this area but I don't know when that will happen. Even in the nearby town of Parry Sound, I can't get this laptop online. There are no internet cafes or a Starbucks with free wi-fi. The only way to get my internet fix is by visiting the library and using one of their computers.
The funny thing is we have better TV here in this cottage than we have at home. My brother-in-law who was here before us brought up his satellite receiver and he subscribes to almost every channel you can get, including movies. It's a far cry from the cottage life I remember as a kid. There wasn't a television here for the longest time and when we finally brought one up it could only pick up one grainy channel with the built in rabbit ears. Local radio also used to be limited in this part of Ontario. Now there are numerous FM stations that boom in here but when I was a kid and the radio dial was mostly AM, it was difficult pulling in any signals, especially during the day. But that all changed at night. The AM band came alive at night, especially here, far from any interference and I remember spending hours tuning the dial, listening to stations from all over North America. About the same time I discovered short wave radio and the world literally came to me through that little speaker. I think I developed my love of radio by spending many long nights scanning the bands here in this cottage.
But back to the present and the need for internet. I say that because these days I am almost always connected. When you think of it, most of us are. Aside from basic email, we get our news and weather online, we read newspapers and magazines, we watch videos and download podcasts and consume all types of content at the click of a keyboard. It's probably an addiction.
Three weeks without it now and I'm surviving. The truth is it's been a lot easier to ween myself off that digital lifeline than I expected. The usual course of cottage activities keeps one busy, everything from swimming, kayaking, fishing, playing horseshoes and visiting with family. Then there are the ongoing repairs and jobs that need to be done at every cottage. It's also a time to really dig into a book. I always get more reading done here than anywhere else. And yes the radio reception is still fantastic at night.
So I haven't missed the internet very much. It's actually been a nice break pulling the plug. Soon enough I'll once again be tethered to the online world so I should enjoy this short period of digital freedom. My only problem now is finding a way to email in this column.
The funny thing is we have better TV here in this cottage than we have at home. My brother-in-law who was here before us brought up his satellite receiver and he subscribes to almost every channel you can get, including movies. It's a far cry from the cottage life I remember as a kid. There wasn't a television here for the longest time and when we finally brought one up it could only pick up one grainy channel with the built in rabbit ears. Local radio also used to be limited in this part of Ontario. Now there are numerous FM stations that boom in here but when I was a kid and the radio dial was mostly AM, it was difficult pulling in any signals, especially during the day. But that all changed at night. The AM band came alive at night, especially here, far from any interference and I remember spending hours tuning the dial, listening to stations from all over North America. About the same time I discovered short wave radio and the world literally came to me through that little speaker. I think I developed my love of radio by spending many long nights scanning the bands here in this cottage.
But back to the present and the need for internet. I say that because these days I am almost always connected. When you think of it, most of us are. Aside from basic email, we get our news and weather online, we read newspapers and magazines, we watch videos and download podcasts and consume all types of content at the click of a keyboard. It's probably an addiction.
Three weeks without it now and I'm surviving. The truth is it's been a lot easier to ween myself off that digital lifeline than I expected. The usual course of cottage activities keeps one busy, everything from swimming, kayaking, fishing, playing horseshoes and visiting with family. Then there are the ongoing repairs and jobs that need to be done at every cottage. It's also a time to really dig into a book. I always get more reading done here than anywhere else. And yes the radio reception is still fantastic at night.
So I haven't missed the internet very much. It's actually been a nice break pulling the plug. Soon enough I'll once again be tethered to the online world so I should enjoy this short period of digital freedom. My only problem now is finding a way to email in this column.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Take the Bus or Scooter
"I have a limo that's 40-feet long". Go ahead... sing the rest of it. I know you know that jingle. I took the new Commuter Express Bus into the city the other day for the first time. It was the 8:40 morning run and there were six of us on the bus. I know it's summer but I expected a bigger crowd, especially considering the price we're paying for gas. First let me say I'm not going to lecture anyone because I don't use the Comex either. I know I should but I don't, unless I'm forced to. That morning one of the cars was in the garage and I had no other way of getting into the city. It's perfect if you don't have a car or if you're tired of filling the tank of your SUV or if you have to pay big bucks for parking. These circumstances don't apply to me so I'll probably continue driving my old, not so bad on gas consumption, Saturn to my free parking spot in town. But the Grand Bay-Westfield numbers don't look good.
During one week in June, 347 rides were counted from Grand Bay-Westfield to and from Saint John. That's way down compared to 1019 rides on the KV Express and 931 from Hampton. But all ridership on the Comex service is up over the last three months by about 25% and that's good news for Saint John Transit. But the skyrocketing gas price that is forcing people on the bus is also driving up operating costs for public transit. It's already $300,000 over budget for fuel this year and if this continues it could be half a million in the hole by Christmas. If that happens what options does Saint John Transit have? It doesn't want to do it but it could raise the bus fare. Right now at $3.00 a pop it's the best transportation deal going. Or maybe they'd look at all the routes and cut out the weakest one to save money, the one with the least passengers, the Grand Bay-Westfield Express. No one has said this or even hinted at it but given the amount of money involved you have to think it might be an option they'd look at. Like I said, I'm not preaching here because I'm guilty too of driving my car every day but I sure wish more of us would take the bus because in the long term we just can't afford to lose it.
Everywhere you look people are doing what they can to beat the high fuel prices. Gas-busting scooters are selling like hot cakes. I went over to see Mark Anderson and Wendy Spencer at Cruisers Custom Cycle in Martinon. They carry a line of made in China scooters that range from the 'no motorcycle license required' 49 cc model to the more powerful 150 cc. I took a little one for a test drive and found it fairly peppy and a whole lot of fun. They start at under $2000 and have a top speed of about 70 kph, great for running around town but not meant for the highway. A few dollars will fill the tank and keep you going for miles and miles. But these scooters are not toys. Even though you're allowed to operate the 49 cc model with just your regular drivers license you should still take a safety course. These are after all, low powered motorcycles that share the road with big trucks and you should know how to protect yourself.
People are even riding electric bicycles these days. I was kidding a friend of mine who has one because he also runs and does long distance cycling on a road bike. But I saw him half peddling-half letting the electric motor carry him along on this high tech looking bike and kidding aside, I liked it immediately. I haven't had a chance to try it yet but given the ever increasing price of gas, I'm sure I will soon.
During one week in June, 347 rides were counted from Grand Bay-Westfield to and from Saint John. That's way down compared to 1019 rides on the KV Express and 931 from Hampton. But all ridership on the Comex service is up over the last three months by about 25% and that's good news for Saint John Transit. But the skyrocketing gas price that is forcing people on the bus is also driving up operating costs for public transit. It's already $300,000 over budget for fuel this year and if this continues it could be half a million in the hole by Christmas. If that happens what options does Saint John Transit have? It doesn't want to do it but it could raise the bus fare. Right now at $3.00 a pop it's the best transportation deal going. Or maybe they'd look at all the routes and cut out the weakest one to save money, the one with the least passengers, the Grand Bay-Westfield Express. No one has said this or even hinted at it but given the amount of money involved you have to think it might be an option they'd look at. Like I said, I'm not preaching here because I'm guilty too of driving my car every day but I sure wish more of us would take the bus because in the long term we just can't afford to lose it.
Everywhere you look people are doing what they can to beat the high fuel prices. Gas-busting scooters are selling like hot cakes. I went over to see Mark Anderson and Wendy Spencer at Cruisers Custom Cycle in Martinon. They carry a line of made in China scooters that range from the 'no motorcycle license required' 49 cc model to the more powerful 150 cc. I took a little one for a test drive and found it fairly peppy and a whole lot of fun. They start at under $2000 and have a top speed of about 70 kph, great for running around town but not meant for the highway. A few dollars will fill the tank and keep you going for miles and miles. But these scooters are not toys. Even though you're allowed to operate the 49 cc model with just your regular drivers license you should still take a safety course. These are after all, low powered motorcycles that share the road with big trucks and you should know how to protect yourself.
People are even riding electric bicycles these days. I was kidding a friend of mine who has one because he also runs and does long distance cycling on a road bike. But I saw him half peddling-half letting the electric motor carry him along on this high tech looking bike and kidding aside, I liked it immediately. I haven't had a chance to try it yet but given the ever increasing price of gas, I'm sure I will soon.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
A Warm Summer Run
I had a topic for this column in mind but that all changed when I went for a run on a warm summer evening in July. It's funny how that happens sometimes. I knew what I wanted to write about but on that run I saw some things that reminded of other things and by the time I got back I started putting together a completely different piece.
It was actually the third evening in a row that I was out running and when I passed by the fields at River Valley Middle School they were packed with people as they had been the previous nights. What must have been about a hundred kids were on the field for soccer practice. Parents were either helping out or sitting on the sidelines watching. There was a lone runner using the track. The ball field next door was equally as busy with a girl's team playing and a men's softball team waiting for their turn. Cars were parked everywhere. Some had music playing. People were gathering in small groups and talking. It was a hive of activity and great to see. This is what an active community should look like.
As I continued on to the trail, I got thinking again about the track and how great an addition it is. Just a few days earlier Grand Bay-Westfield had been the site of another successful Canada Day Run with all the proceeds again going to support the new track. The event was different this year. The half marathon was replaced by a 10 Mile Race and the 10 km run was dropped. The feedback from all the participants was very positive but the number of runners was down this year by a little more than a hundred. The event went off without a hitch and everyone said it was well organized and a lot of fun, thanks in large part to the many sponsors, supporters and volunteers including the RCMP and the River Valley Community Centre. The organizers are looking at some changes for next year including a possible return of the popular 10 km event.
I'm on the Run committee and I know there was one big disappointment we all expressed. Again this year as in past years, the event seems to have been overlooked as a major Canada Day activity in town. It was never mentioned in a write up of Grand Bay-Westfield Canada Day events in the Saint John paper. And just before my run that evening I picked up a flyer from the town that had arrived in the mail that day thanking all the Canada Day volunteers, participants and sponsors who made possible a wonderful day of activities at Brundage Point but there wasn't a single mention of the Canada Day Run. It was signed by the Mayor and all of council. I know the town supports the event because it is a regular sponsor. This annual run has been raising money for charity and bringing a lot of people into the community every Canada Day for the last 7 years. Maybe if it was included in the promotion of events our numbers wouldn't have dipped this year. All the members of the committee are hoping we'll be included next year.
As I continued my run I got thinking about Brundage Point and the great facility it is. Just that morning I had been to the other new River Centre in our region in Hampton. It too is an attractive building, a little bigger than ours I think and just as important an asset to their community. They have meeting facilities and a boat launch site, much the same as we do but they have one attraction that we don't. Rafe Hooper and his local outfitting company 'Osprey Adventures' is operating in the lower level of the centre. He offers canoe and kayak rentals as well as guided tours of the Kennebecasis and Hampton Marsh. Rafe tells me he's been pretty busy since he opened about a month ago. I know the Kennebecasis River in Hampton is more suited for that kind of operation. The river is calm, protected and not prone to the tides, waves and current that we experience in Westfield. They also don't have a cable ferry to contend with when they launch their kayaks. But I think it would be a terrific addition to Brundage Point if somehow down the road we could figure out a way to offer a similar outfitting service here.
I went for a kayak paddle myself just a few days before my run that evening. The weather was perfect and I've never seen the River Centre or the river in general so busy with traffic. Boats were everywhere and people were busy in almost every cottage and camp along the shore. I was disappointed however to discover a new chain gate across the road to Westfield Wharf and the beach. I don't know why it was there and locked on one of the busiest days of the summer. For years kayakers like myself have been able to drive right to the waters edge to unload our boats and then park the car out of the way beyond the gate. It was easy for a number of kayakers to unload at the same time and launch from a sandy beach in protected water. Now it's a lot more difficult to do. I had to pull up to the locked gate, unload my kayak and carry it by myself through a narrow gap in the gate and all the way down to he water. With two people it might be OK, but if you're on your own it means a lot more work, if you're able to do it at all. The only other alternative is to put in at the boat launch on the other side of the ferry. But it's meant for power boats on trailers and it's all concrete, pavement and rocks, not the kind of surface that is kind to a wooden kayak like I have. If the locked chain across the gate remains, I'll have no choice but to launch by the government garage on the Nerepis River. I'm sure many other kayakers will do the same. I spoke to the town manager about the situation and was told the chain is there to prevent people from launching boats on the old ramp because it isn't safe anymore. The town wants everyone to use the new boat launch on the other side of the ferry. I can understand that. I was thanked for my call and told they would look at the situation. I hope something can be done because blocking off access to the water doesn't make any sense when you're trying to attract more people to the river centre.
As I continued my run that evening I witnessed an event that I knew I had to write about. It was one of the most ridiculous, dangerous and careless things I've seen in a long time. An ATV with two people on it was tearing along at high speed on the railway tracks. That's right.... on the tracks. From my vantage point it looked like the tires were right on the rails, if that's possible. Either way they were going fast. With helmets on and the engine noise, I suspect it would have been difficult or impossible to hear a train coming. And at that speed they could have easily slid off the rail or hit it and tumble down the embankment. From what I witnessed I think these two idiots are lucky to be alive. Kings County has already experienced five fatalities this summer in motor vehicle accidents. We don't want anymore.
Yes I did get worked up about a few things on this run but overall the positive outweighed the negative. I came home feeling pretty good about the community and especially good about this wonderful summer weather. And I'm ready for many more evening runs. Next time it's the column I didn't write this time.... about beating the high price of gas and taking the bus.
It was actually the third evening in a row that I was out running and when I passed by the fields at River Valley Middle School they were packed with people as they had been the previous nights. What must have been about a hundred kids were on the field for soccer practice. Parents were either helping out or sitting on the sidelines watching. There was a lone runner using the track. The ball field next door was equally as busy with a girl's team playing and a men's softball team waiting for their turn. Cars were parked everywhere. Some had music playing. People were gathering in small groups and talking. It was a hive of activity and great to see. This is what an active community should look like.
As I continued on to the trail, I got thinking again about the track and how great an addition it is. Just a few days earlier Grand Bay-Westfield had been the site of another successful Canada Day Run with all the proceeds again going to support the new track. The event was different this year. The half marathon was replaced by a 10 Mile Race and the 10 km run was dropped. The feedback from all the participants was very positive but the number of runners was down this year by a little more than a hundred. The event went off without a hitch and everyone said it was well organized and a lot of fun, thanks in large part to the many sponsors, supporters and volunteers including the RCMP and the River Valley Community Centre. The organizers are looking at some changes for next year including a possible return of the popular 10 km event.
I'm on the Run committee and I know there was one big disappointment we all expressed. Again this year as in past years, the event seems to have been overlooked as a major Canada Day activity in town. It was never mentioned in a write up of Grand Bay-Westfield Canada Day events in the Saint John paper. And just before my run that evening I picked up a flyer from the town that had arrived in the mail that day thanking all the Canada Day volunteers, participants and sponsors who made possible a wonderful day of activities at Brundage Point but there wasn't a single mention of the Canada Day Run. It was signed by the Mayor and all of council. I know the town supports the event because it is a regular sponsor. This annual run has been raising money for charity and bringing a lot of people into the community every Canada Day for the last 7 years. Maybe if it was included in the promotion of events our numbers wouldn't have dipped this year. All the members of the committee are hoping we'll be included next year.
As I continued my run I got thinking about Brundage Point and the great facility it is. Just that morning I had been to the other new River Centre in our region in Hampton. It too is an attractive building, a little bigger than ours I think and just as important an asset to their community. They have meeting facilities and a boat launch site, much the same as we do but they have one attraction that we don't. Rafe Hooper and his local outfitting company 'Osprey Adventures' is operating in the lower level of the centre. He offers canoe and kayak rentals as well as guided tours of the Kennebecasis and Hampton Marsh. Rafe tells me he's been pretty busy since he opened about a month ago. I know the Kennebecasis River in Hampton is more suited for that kind of operation. The river is calm, protected and not prone to the tides, waves and current that we experience in Westfield. They also don't have a cable ferry to contend with when they launch their kayaks. But I think it would be a terrific addition to Brundage Point if somehow down the road we could figure out a way to offer a similar outfitting service here.
I went for a kayak paddle myself just a few days before my run that evening. The weather was perfect and I've never seen the River Centre or the river in general so busy with traffic. Boats were everywhere and people were busy in almost every cottage and camp along the shore. I was disappointed however to discover a new chain gate across the road to Westfield Wharf and the beach. I don't know why it was there and locked on one of the busiest days of the summer. For years kayakers like myself have been able to drive right to the waters edge to unload our boats and then park the car out of the way beyond the gate. It was easy for a number of kayakers to unload at the same time and launch from a sandy beach in protected water. Now it's a lot more difficult to do. I had to pull up to the locked gate, unload my kayak and carry it by myself through a narrow gap in the gate and all the way down to he water. With two people it might be OK, but if you're on your own it means a lot more work, if you're able to do it at all. The only other alternative is to put in at the boat launch on the other side of the ferry. But it's meant for power boats on trailers and it's all concrete, pavement and rocks, not the kind of surface that is kind to a wooden kayak like I have. If the locked chain across the gate remains, I'll have no choice but to launch by the government garage on the Nerepis River. I'm sure many other kayakers will do the same. I spoke to the town manager about the situation and was told the chain is there to prevent people from launching boats on the old ramp because it isn't safe anymore. The town wants everyone to use the new boat launch on the other side of the ferry. I can understand that. I was thanked for my call and told they would look at the situation. I hope something can be done because blocking off access to the water doesn't make any sense when you're trying to attract more people to the river centre.
As I continued my run that evening I witnessed an event that I knew I had to write about. It was one of the most ridiculous, dangerous and careless things I've seen in a long time. An ATV with two people on it was tearing along at high speed on the railway tracks. That's right.... on the tracks. From my vantage point it looked like the tires were right on the rails, if that's possible. Either way they were going fast. With helmets on and the engine noise, I suspect it would have been difficult or impossible to hear a train coming. And at that speed they could have easily slid off the rail or hit it and tumble down the embankment. From what I witnessed I think these two idiots are lucky to be alive. Kings County has already experienced five fatalities this summer in motor vehicle accidents. We don't want anymore.
Yes I did get worked up about a few things on this run but overall the positive outweighed the negative. I came home feeling pretty good about the community and especially good about this wonderful summer weather. And I'm ready for many more evening runs. Next time it's the column I didn't write this time.... about beating the high price of gas and taking the bus.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Tracks, Trails, Tourism and Taking out the Trash
The trail choppers are back at it again. First it was the railroad that cut and slashed trees by the side of the walking trail along River Valley Drive in Grand Bay-Westfield. Now NB Power is cutting down trees along the other side of the trail beside the road. They're clearing trees and branches from under the power line that runs along the side of the road. I know they have to do this. Tree limbs that touch or could easily fall on a line are a hazard. But like NB Southern on the other side, why are they so eager to cut down the trees? Why can't they selectively trim the offending branches around the wires as I've seen them do on many other streets? Has no one bothered to ask them to cut judiciously along that stretch of road because the trees form an important buffer for the trail? On some stretches the trees have been cleared right to the road. We might as well pave the trail and call it a sidewalk. At least the cutters are cleaning up after themselves. Crews are following behind with a wood chipper to grind up the branches. But there is still plenty of downed brush that has to be dealt with.
NB Southern left everything it cut lay by the tracks all winter. In the spring the railway said it was going to clean up the mess and it did, to a point. A clean up was done on the southern section of the trail, for which everyone who uses it is grateful, but there are still tree limbs and branches strewn by the side of the tracks at the north end.
I was talking to a friend of mine who lives in the city the other day. He told me about going to the landfill and asking if you could still drop off old paint. He was told yes you can do it every Saturday but come early to avoid the long lines of people from Grand Bay-Westfield dropping off their weekly trash. He asked why are they doing that... don't they have garbage pickup? My friend couldn't believe it when he was told there was no garbage pick up in the town. He was even more surprised when he found out he was being told this by the new deputy mayor. He asked me how a town this size that always looks so clean doesn't have its own garbage collection. I explained how I can go to the landfill in off peak hours and drop off my trash for just a few dollars. I did tell him however that with this setup it's sometimes difficult to compost on a regular basis. He left me shaking his head.
There was a big crowd at council the other night. An unusually large group of spectators showed up at the June 23 town council meeting. They came to hear a presentation by ADI Limited, a consulting firm reviewing our municipal plan. The parameters of the review and some of the process involved was explained to council and the public. Some people wanted to give their input right away but this wasn't the place. There will be a series of sessions where the public will have input into the plan. These will be scheduled early in the fall. It's good to see so many people are interested in having a sa
y in the new plan.
As well a number of residents gathered at the Brundage Point River Centre to hear a presentation about tourism development in the area. Local resident Laurel Reid, a consultant in the tourism industry prepared a detailed report making about 20 recommendations on how to develop and implement a tourism plan. Again it was great to see so many people interested enough to come out on a beautiful, warm evening to hear the presentation. I think most people left the session excited about the tourism possibilities in Grand Bay-Westfield.
Finally I just want to say how wonderful it is to run on the new track at River Valley Middle School. I've sneaked on there a few times already, usually at the beginning and end of my regular run along the trail. I usually do a couple of laps which translates into half a mile. Even though I'm slow it makes me feel good to know the distance I've traveled. Our new track will feature prominently in the Canada Day 10 Mile and 5 km race. Local runners and walkers as well as visitors will be able to test out the track because it forms part of the race route. About the only time I'll stay off the track is when the field is being used for soccer practice. I don't mind the kids but it's the comments and stares from the soccer moms who are sitting in chairs by the side of the track, that I want to avoid.
NB Southern left everything it cut lay by the tracks all winter. In the spring the railway said it was going to clean up the mess and it did, to a point. A clean up was done on the southern section of the trail, for which everyone who uses it is grateful, but there are still tree limbs and branches strewn by the side of the tracks at the north end.
I was talking to a friend of mine who lives in the city the other day. He told me about going to the landfill and asking if you could still drop off old paint. He was told yes you can do it every Saturday but come early to avoid the long lines of people from Grand Bay-Westfield dropping off their weekly trash. He asked why are they doing that... don't they have garbage pickup? My friend couldn't believe it when he was told there was no garbage pick up in the town. He was even more surprised when he found out he was being told this by the new deputy mayor. He asked me how a town this size that always looks so clean doesn't have its own garbage collection. I explained how I can go to the landfill in off peak hours and drop off my trash for just a few dollars. I did tell him however that with this setup it's sometimes difficult to compost on a regular basis. He left me shaking his head.
There was a big crowd at council the other night. An unusually large group of spectators showed up at the June 23 town council meeting. They came to hear a presentation by ADI Limited, a consulting firm reviewing our municipal plan. The parameters of the review and some of the process involved was explained to council and the public. Some people wanted to give their input right away but this wasn't the place. There will be a series of sessions where the public will have input into the plan. These will be scheduled early in the fall. It's good to see so many people are interested in having a sa
y in the new plan.As well a number of residents gathered at the Brundage Point River Centre to hear a presentation about tourism development in the area. Local resident Laurel Reid, a consultant in the tourism industry prepared a detailed report making about 20 recommendations on how to develop and implement a tourism plan. Again it was great to see so many people interested enough to come out on a beautiful, warm evening to hear the presentation. I think most people left the session excited about the tourism possibilities in Grand Bay-Westfield.
Finally I just want to say how wonderful it is to run on the new track at River Valley Middle School. I've sneaked on there a few times already, usually at the beginning and end of my regular run along the trail. I usually do a couple of laps which translates into half a mile. Even though I'm slow it makes me feel good to know the distance I've traveled. Our new track will feature prominently in the Canada Day 10 Mile and 5 km race. Local runners and walkers as well as visitors will be able to test out the track because it forms part of the race route. About the only time I'll stay off the track is when the field is being used for soccer practice. I don't mind the kids but it's the comments and stares from the soccer moms who are sitting in chairs by the side of the track, that I want to avoid.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Snow in June
We were out walking one warm evening recently and I thought I saw snow gently falling from the sky. I knew it wasn't but if you squinted a little, it could almost be snow. The wind that night was making it 'snow' dandelion seeds. They seemed to be falling everywhere. I was delighted.
Now most people would look upon dandelion seeds blowing in the wind and feel much the same as if it were real snow falling in June. They'd see the seeds as a plague, spreading the dreaded weed throughout the community. They'd be right because that's how nature spreads the plant. But I see these seeds floating through the air as proof that people are using less pesticide and herbicide on their lawns and I see that as a good thing. It's not that I love dandelions. I also sometimes get a little annoyed when the stems stick back up above the grass just a couple of days after I've mowed the lawn. But I'm getting better at just accepting that as the natural way my lawn is. I know pesticide is not the answer.
Dr. Robin Walker was speaking in Saint John recently. He's vice president of medicine at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax and a professor of pediatrics at Dalhousie University. He was invited here by the Canadian Cancer Society which is lobbying for a ban on the use and sale of cosmetic pesticides in New Brunswick.
"There is sufficient evidence to conclude that pesticide exposure can be harmful to children," Dr. Walker said. "Research suggests that some of the substances found in pesticides may increase a child's risk of cancer, as well as have neurological and reproductive effects."
The doctor says the science shows a link between pesticide use and a risk of cancer. He isn't opposed to pesticide use when there is some kind of tangible benefit to be gained, such as in some agricultural applications or to control the spread of disease bearing insects. But he draws the live when it comes to purely cosmetic use. He says even if the risk is extremely low it just isn't worth exposing our children to potentially dangerous chemicals just so our lawn is green and dandelion free. It just doesn't make sense.
And people are beginning to realize this. According to a poll commissioned by the Canadian Cancer Society, in November, 2007, 70 per cent of New Brunswickers support a ban on the cosmetic use of pesticides, while 79 per cent believe pesticides used for lawn and garden maintenance have the potential to pose a health risk to people. Ontario and Quebec already have bans on cosmetic pesticide use in place.
Now when I go for a walk around town and I see that perfect, weed free, green lawn I tend to stay clear and cross to the other side of the street. As beautiful as it looks there is a sense that something unhealthy and dangerous is lurking underneath. In fact, those perfect lawns are becoming less attractive to me all the time. I much prefer a lawn with a good mix of grass and clover and yes even the dreaded dandelion. For me it's a sign of a healthy lawn, a place where children and pets and adults too are welcome and safe to play.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Honouring Our Lifeblood
Blood they say, is the gift of life. They also say... we all have it in us to give and many people in our area are generous givers. I saw that first hand last month when I was asked to be the MC for the Canadian Blood Services Donor Awards Ceremony at Lily Lake Pavilion in Saint John. This is an annual event honouring those people who have reached milestone donation levels of 50, 75, 100, 150, 200, 300, 400 and even 500 blood donations. In addition a bone marrow donor and some of the organization's community partners were also honoured. It was an amazing evening of giving.
These regular, long time donors recognized at the awards are all truly exceptional individuals. You could see that in every one of them who came up to accept their award. The highlight of the evening had to be the presentation to Kenneth Gould, the second New Brunswicker ever to have donated blood an astonishing 500 times. The day he made that 500th donation he showed up at the clinic wearing a tuxedo. Ken received a group hug on awards night from all the staff present. In fact it was clear that all of these long time donors had developed a special kind of relationship with the staff at Blood Services. That only makes sense because to donate that often you make a lot of visits to the centre and you do become, in a sense, part of the family. That was evident at the Lily Lake Pavilion.
I started donating blood again about two years ago. For a long time I was under the impression I couldn't donate because of the medication I was taking for asthma. It turns out that used to be the case but isn't any longer. In fact the rules regarding who can give are changing constantly. The chances are pretty good that you are eligible to give blood. Giving blood isn't easy for everyone. Even for these regular donors it still takes a commitment of time and even if they don't admit it, some personal discomfort. I don't think anyone really enjoys having their finger pricked to test their blood, or answering all those personal health and lifestyle questions required before every donation. And getting a needle put in your vein and bleeding into a bag for the next ten minutes isn't like watching your favorite TV show in an easy chair. Personally I get freaked out by having my blood pressure taken. That tight squeezing feeling of the cuff around my arm drives me crazy and my blood pressure up. Sometimes it takes two or three tries before they get a reading low enough to allow me to donate. The truth is I'm not very good dealing with anything that has to do with blood. It makes me uncomfortable. And yet I'm willing to put up with it on occasion because I know it's the right thing to do. I always feel great after I've given blood.
My donations are just a drop in the bucket or bag, compared to what these regular donors honoured at the awards ceremony have given over the years. I just can't imagine 500, 300 or even 50 donations. But people do it. We can all do it. Even just giving blood a few times makes a difference. It's all about saving lives and we can play a part in that by just rolling up our sleeve.
So my congratulations and thanks go out to all the blood donors named at the awards. That night I made a public commitment to donate on a regular basis. It used to be easier to do because clinics were held regularly in Grand Bay-Westfield. You got a call to set up an appointment and just showed up at either the legion or the middle school. But that bi-monthly clinic was canceled recently and hasn't been rescheduled. I hope it comes back because that makes it a lot easier to give regularly but even if it doesn't I'm going to try to go to the clinic in Saint John every time I'm eligible to give blood again.
When you really think about it... donating blood on a regular basis is probably the best gift you can give to others.
These regular, long time donors recognized at the awards are all truly exceptional individuals. You could see that in every one of them who came up to accept their award. The highlight of the evening had to be the presentation to Kenneth Gould, the second New Brunswicker ever to have donated blood an astonishing 500 times. The day he made that 500th donation he showed up at the clinic wearing a tuxedo. Ken received a group hug on awards night from all the staff present. In fact it was clear that all of these long time donors had developed a special kind of relationship with the staff at Blood Services. That only makes sense because to donate that often you make a lot of visits to the centre and you do become, in a sense, part of the family. That was evident at the Lily Lake Pavilion.
I started donating blood again about two years ago. For a long time I was under the impression I couldn't donate because of the medication I was taking for asthma. It turns out that used to be the case but isn't any longer. In fact the rules regarding who can give are changing constantly. The chances are pretty good that you are eligible to give blood. Giving blood isn't easy for everyone. Even for these regular donors it still takes a commitment of time and even if they don't admit it, some personal discomfort. I don't think anyone really enjoys having their finger pricked to test their blood, or answering all those personal health and lifestyle questions required before every donation. And getting a needle put in your vein and bleeding into a bag for the next ten minutes isn't like watching your favorite TV show in an easy chair. Personally I get freaked out by having my blood pressure taken. That tight squeezing feeling of the cuff around my arm drives me crazy and my blood pressure up. Sometimes it takes two or three tries before they get a reading low enough to allow me to donate. The truth is I'm not very good dealing with anything that has to do with blood. It makes me uncomfortable. And yet I'm willing to put up with it on occasion because I know it's the right thing to do. I always feel great after I've given blood.
My donations are just a drop in the bucket or bag, compared to what these regular donors honoured at the awards ceremony have given over the years. I just can't imagine 500, 300 or even 50 donations. But people do it. We can all do it. Even just giving blood a few times makes a difference. It's all about saving lives and we can play a part in that by just rolling up our sleeve.
So my congratulations and thanks go out to all the blood donors named at the awards. That night I made a public commitment to donate on a regular basis. It used to be easier to do because clinics were held regularly in Grand Bay-Westfield. You got a call to set up an appointment and just showed up at either the legion or the middle school. But that bi-monthly clinic was canceled recently and hasn't been rescheduled. I hope it comes back because that makes it a lot easier to give regularly but even if it doesn't I'm going to try to go to the clinic in Saint John every time I'm eligible to give blood again.
When you really think about it... donating blood on a regular basis is probably the best gift you can give to others.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
All About Watches
I got thinking about watches and timepieces recently. It started when I tried to find a new strap for my old Timex watch. It's one of those Ironman digital watches. I've had two or three of them over the years and they're great. They're cheap and just about indestructible. Even the batteries in them don't seem to wear out. As the old commercials used to say, 'They can take a lickin and keep on tickin'. But eventually the watch strap will break and that's what happened to me. I had a difficult time finding the right strap because Timex make a lot of different styles of these watches. I finally found the correct one in a store and tried to attach it to the watch. They had the proper tools and I've done this before. It's usually a simple procedure. But I couldn't get the thing to stay on. The clerk behind the counter tried and failed. I took the new strap to another jewelery store and they attempted it and failed. I don't know why the darn thing won't stay attached but it just won't. I still haven't given up though.
So I had a watch that worked but no strap to keep it on my wrist. I found another watch but the battery was dead. It was then I discovered some old and almost forgotten wind up wrist watches. One was an almost original Mickey Mouse watch. I say 'almost original' because I don't think it dates back to the late 50's or even the 60's but I'm pretty sure I picked it up sometime in the early 70's. I wound it up and amazingly it worked. Old Mickey kept pretty good time too, for about 6 hours and then he got tired and just stopped. I found another old wind up watch too. I got this one in the late 70's and I think it was actually a pretty expensive watch at the time. I'm not sure where this one came from but I remember I picked it up from a guy I worked with for just a few bucks. This is a diving watch made by Orator with all kinds of extra goodies including a stopwatch and it says it has 17 jewels, whatever that means. I did some checking and discovered that the jewels used in watches are usually rubies, sapphires, garnets or diamonds. After 1900 most of the rubies were actually synthetic. Jewels are used because they can be polished and made very smooth and they let metal watch parts slide easily. They're also extremely hard and don't wear down very quickly. Usually the more jewels in a watch the better it is. My old diving watch has only seventeen jewels but it still keeps good time. It's thirty years old and hasn't been used for at least the last twenty years and the thing is still accurate. It's a cool watch and I'm wearing it again. The only problem is it weights a lot compared to my light and battery powered digital wrist watch.
During my search for watches I also discovered two old pocket watches. Unfortunately neither of them still work or at least I can't get them to go. One is probably from the 19th century and when you open the back it says 'Remontoir'. I did some research and that can either be the make of the watch or the French word used to describe a type of Swiss spring mechanism used in the watch. There is also an engraving on the inside cover that I can't quite make out. I have no idea where this watch came from. The other is a newer vintage pocket watch made by Westclox. I found out this particular model was first made in 1932 but I don't know how old this watch actually is. Either way they're great to have and look at even if I don't know the story behind them.
I was reading an article about pocket watches and found out how important they were for railroaders from about 1891 to 1969. The CNR even issued a standard pocket watch to all railroad employees that had to meet a long list of requirements. Each watch had to have at least 17 jewels and was checked for accuracy once a month by the railroad approved watchmaker. This was done of course for safety reasons because train traffic was controlled by a time schedule and two trains traveling on the same track could have disastrous consequences.
So now that I've discovered an old wrist watch that keeps such accurate time I'm doing something again that I haven't done in many years. I'm winding a watch by hand. And you know there's something therapeutic about taking the time every morning and evening to simply wind a watch. I can't explain it but it just feels right. Oh and about that broken watch strap that started all this .... I finally got it replaced. After numerous failed attempts by myself and others to attach the new strap, I took it to a pro, jeweler Mike Hamm on the west side. He had the strap on in about 30 seconds.
So I had a watch that worked but no strap to keep it on my wrist. I found another watch but the battery was dead. It was then I discovered some old and almost forgotten wind up wrist watches. One was an almost original Mickey Mouse watch. I say 'almost original' because I don't think it dates back to the late 50's or even the 60's but I'm pretty sure I picked it up sometime in the early 70's. I wound it up and amazingly it worked. Old Mickey kept pretty good time too, for about 6 hours and then he got tired and just stopped. I found another old wind up watch too. I got this one in the late 70's and I think it was actually a pretty expensive watch at the time. I'm not sure where this one came from but I remember I picked it up from a guy I worked with for just a few bucks. This is a diving watch made by Orator with all kinds of extra goodies including a stopwatch and it says it has 17 jewels, whatever that means. I did some checking and discovered that the jewels used in watches are usually rubies, sapphires, garnets or diamonds. After 1900 most of the rubies were actually synthetic. Jewels are used because they can be polished and made very smooth and they let metal watch parts slide easily. They're also extremely hard and don't wear down very quickly. Usually the more jewels in a watch the better it is. My old diving watch has only seventeen jewels but it still keeps good time. It's thirty years old and hasn't been used for at least the last twenty years and the thing is still accurate. It's a cool watch and I'm wearing it again. The only problem is it weights a lot compared to my light and battery powered digital wrist watch.
During my search for watches I also discovered two old pocket watches. Unfortunately neither of them still work or at least I can't get them to go. One is probably from the 19th century and when you open the back it says 'Remontoir'. I did some research and that can either be the make of the watch or the French word used to describe a type of Swiss spring mechanism used in the watch. There is also an engraving on the inside cover that I can't quite make out. I have no idea where this watch came from. The other is a newer vintage pocket watch made by Westclox. I found out this particular model was first made in 1932 but I don't know how old this watch actually is. Either way they're great to have and look at even if I don't know the story behind them.
I was reading an article about pocket watches and found out how important they were for railroaders from about 1891 to 1969. The CNR even issued a standard pocket watch to all railroad employees that had to meet a long list of requirements. Each watch had to have at least 17 jewels and was checked for accuracy once a month by the railroad approved watchmaker. This was done of course for safety reasons because train traffic was controlled by a time schedule and two trains traveling on the same track could have disastrous consequences.
So now that I've discovered an old wrist watch that keeps such accurate time I'm doing something again that I haven't done in many years. I'm winding a watch by hand. And you know there's something therapeutic about taking the time every morning and evening to simply wind a watch. I can't explain it but it just feels right. Oh and about that broken watch strap that started all this .... I finally got it replaced. After numerous failed attempts by myself and others to attach the new strap, I took it to a pro, jeweler Mike Hamm on the west side. He had the strap on in about 30 seconds.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Tidy Trails and Turtle Mountain
(This is the latest column in River Valley News. Just today my wife and I were walking along this trail and were almost run over by two older kids on bikes. Bicycles are not allowed on the trail. It's clearly marked as such. These kids were racing as fast as they could up and down the hills and around the bends. We got out of the way just in time. It was around 5:00 pm when the trail starts getting crowded with people walking after supper with young kids and pets. Someone could get seriously hurt. These kids on the bikes are old enough and should know better. )
It's nice that we can once again walk along the River Valley Drive Trail through Grand Bay-Westfield. The wet areas are drying out and the town has added more crushed gravel to parts of the trail, making the base underfoot smoother and more secure. We can witness the approach of summer with every step we take. More leaves are budding every day and plants of all kinds are poking out of the ground. It's one of the nicest places to be in town at this time of year.
That is until you turn your attention toward the train tracks. Those trees and bushes that were needlessly mowed down last fall are still lying where they fell. Now I know the railway has to trim brush along the line for reasons of safety. But it's clear in many places along the trail they overdid it, knocking down fairly large trees standing well back from the tracks. Even if this was the standard sized path they normally clear along the rail line, surely they could have exercised some caution and common sense here. This is an urban area with backyards on one side
and a popular walking trail on the other, a trail that already has a limited buffer of trees and brush between it and the tracks. It's sad to look at what they've done, but it's done. We can't put those trees back. It'll take many years for nature to repair the damage.But some of the harm that was done can be corrected by at least clearing up the mess left behind. And I have some good news on that front. I put a call into the Irving owned NB Southern Railroad to find out if they had any intention of cleaning up the slash. The answer is yes. A company spokesperson got back to me and said they will be sending a crew out to do the work within a few weeks. Now I don't know if this was the company's plan all along or if my inquiry prompted them to take action. Or perhaps someone in authority from the town contacted them and asked for a clean up. I some how doubt that because when I called the town about it last fall, they didn't seem very concerned. Either way, I'm delighted to hear a crew from NB Southern will be coming to pick up the scrub lying on both sides of the track. It'll make the loss of the trees easier to take if we don't see them left strewn about and rotting on the ground.
While we're on the topic of trails, I had a wonderful hike to Turtle Mountain the other day. A group from the Saint John Outdoor Enthusiast's Club was supposed to go but canceled at the last minute because they were told the road was wet and messy. That wasn't the case at all. The road and trail are in great shape, except for a few wet areas that you would expect to find at this time of year. The day was sunny and not too warm, perfect for the long 14 mile hike to and from the mountain. I've done that hike many times and skied the t
rail in the winter and I've never seen much wildlife. However this time we were treated to a wildlife fiesta. On the way in and again on the way out we saw fresh moose tracks. It turns out we were chasing two moose ahead of us on the trail and we didn't realize it. We were fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of a big bull and a juvenile. We also got scared by a partridge and saw another one running across the tail and we scared a large snake sunning himself on a rock. The wildlife was a nice bonus to what turned out to be probably the best hike I've ever had to Turtle Mountain. It's a full day hike but well worth the effort, especially if you've never gone.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Spring Things
It seems like winter is finally loosening its grip. I'll even admit it's been long this year. You probably know if you read this column that I'm one of those rare people who actually enjoy the winter. It's been a fabulous season for skiing and I 
can't seem to stop. The snow still lingers and calls out to us addicted types. It was warm and sunny yesterday afternoon as I raked the lawn but earlier that morning I had been to Poley Mountain with another snow loving buddy and we skied the now closed slopes. It's a great work out walking up that hill carrying our skis. I know some of you are shaking your head and wondering about our sanity. The weekend before we were in the Chic Choc Mountains of Gaspe for some late season telemark turns and we found ourselves skiing on mountain tops through about 12 cm of fresh snow. Even closer to home, Crabbe Mountain near Fredericton has so much snow it plans to stay open until the beginning of May, if weather and willing skiers permit. That's the thing, at this time of year people aren't very interested in skiing any more. They want to move on to summery things. I do too. I want to get out kayaking and hiking but it's tough when the snow is still there tantalising us. Even when I'm raking the lawn I have to look at two small piles of snow still clinging to life in the shadiest part of the yard. So it's hard saying goodbye to a stubborn winter that's been a lot of fun but I know it's time to turn the page and move into another season.
But the remnants of winter still have a way of haunting us. People living near the water are especially concerned what the spring may bring. There is so much snow s
till on the ground up north that folks living in low lying areas beside the St. John river are worried about a high freshet this year. For good reason too. All that snow melt has to go somewhere. Here in Grand Bay-Westfield the Riverside Park area seems to get hit the hardest. It's been about three years now since the area was last flooded by high water. People are most concerned about a quick melt accompanied by heavy rain. So far nights have remained cold, easing the flow of water into the river. Everyone including the provincial EMO is hoping that continues. Nevertheless people in Riverside Park are moving things to higher ground and preparing for the worst. We'll all be watching the water levels over the next few weeks.
Something else people are watching is the progress of the new running track at River Valley Middle School. Construction has started again and the track looks like it's getting close to completion. Even in its unfinished and rough condition the track looks to be smoother than some of the roads around town. The winter has taken a toll on the pavement. Some particularly bad stretches of Woolastook Drive have so many pot holes and heaves that I don't even drive along there anymore if I can avoid it. I need to replace the struts in the car so you can imagine the kind of ride I'm getting through town. When you drive into Saint John through the business section of Grand Bay-Westfield that entire right hand lane is a mine-field from the Irving to the Sobey's entrance. I go to work for the early, early shift these days so fortunately when I drive through that area there is no traffic on the road and I can veer over into the other lane. But I've seen drivers do that to avoid the bumps when the road is busy. Not a good idea.
Bad roads lead us to the municipal election on May 12th, another sign of s
pring this year. There is a full slate of quality candidates running for mayor and council. Our job now is to choose. It's our duty too because unless we do our homework and pick who we feel are the best candidates for the job, we really have no right to complain about the job they're doing after the fact. So go to the candidates meeting, ask questions and most important of all, vote on the 12th.
As for me, I have more yard work to do and maybe, just maybe one more ski to get in.
can't seem to stop. The snow still lingers and calls out to us addicted types. It was warm and sunny yesterday afternoon as I raked the lawn but earlier that morning I had been to Poley Mountain with another snow loving buddy and we skied the now closed slopes. It's a great work out walking up that hill carrying our skis. I know some of you are shaking your head and wondering about our sanity. The weekend before we were in the Chic Choc Mountains of Gaspe for some late season telemark turns and we found ourselves skiing on mountain tops through about 12 cm of fresh snow. Even closer to home, Crabbe Mountain near Fredericton has so much snow it plans to stay open until the beginning of May, if weather and willing skiers permit. That's the thing, at this time of year people aren't very interested in skiing any more. They want to move on to summery things. I do too. I want to get out kayaking and hiking but it's tough when the snow is still there tantalising us. Even when I'm raking the lawn I have to look at two small piles of snow still clinging to life in the shadiest part of the yard. So it's hard saying goodbye to a stubborn winter that's been a lot of fun but I know it's time to turn the page and move into another season.But the remnants of winter still have a way of haunting us. People living near the water are especially concerned what the spring may bring. There is so much snow s
till on the ground up north that folks living in low lying areas beside the St. John river are worried about a high freshet this year. For good reason too. All that snow melt has to go somewhere. Here in Grand Bay-Westfield the Riverside Park area seems to get hit the hardest. It's been about three years now since the area was last flooded by high water. People are most concerned about a quick melt accompanied by heavy rain. So far nights have remained cold, easing the flow of water into the river. Everyone including the provincial EMO is hoping that continues. Nevertheless people in Riverside Park are moving things to higher ground and preparing for the worst. We'll all be watching the water levels over the next few weeks.
Something else people are watching is the progress of the new running track at River Valley Middle School. Construction has started again and the track looks like it's getting close to completion. Even in its unfinished and rough condition the track looks to be smoother than some of the roads around town. The winter has taken a toll on the pavement. Some particularly bad stretches of Woolastook Drive have so many pot holes and heaves that I don't even drive along there anymore if I can avoid it. I need to replace the struts in the car so you can imagine the kind of ride I'm getting through town. When you drive into Saint John through the business section of Grand Bay-Westfield that entire right hand lane is a mine-field from the Irving to the Sobey's entrance. I go to work for the early, early shift these days so fortunately when I drive through that area there is no traffic on the road and I can veer over into the other lane. But I've seen drivers do that to avoid the bumps when the road is busy. Not a good idea.
Bad roads lead us to the municipal election on May 12th, another sign of s
pring this year. There is a full slate of quality candidates running for mayor and council. Our job now is to choose. It's our duty too because unless we do our homework and pick who we feel are the best candidates for the job, we really have no right to complain about the job they're doing after the fact. So go to the candidates meeting, ask questions and most important of all, vote on the 12th.As for me, I have more yard work to do and maybe, just maybe one more ski to get in.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Telephone Poles in the Woods
It was the oddest thing to be way back in the woods and come across a clearing with a telephone pole standing in the middle of it. Just a single pole with the insulators still intact and a few inches of wire still attached. It was a telephone line going nowhere because there were no other poles visible in the thick woods surrounding the clearing. I first came across this years ago x-c skiing in the woods back of town. My skiing buddies and I figured it was a remnant of an old and long abandoned telegraph line that might have run between Saint John and Fredericton many years ago. We were partly right.
I got thinking about the poles again when I was out skiing this winter and came upon a number of them in a bog. They were standing almost upright and spanned one edge of the bog. Until then I had only seen a s
ingle pole in the woods. (I took photos of the poles in the bog and posted them at rivervalleyrambler.com)Even with this new discovery the story behind these telegraph poles still remained a mystery until I met Richard Likely walking his dog one afternoon this winter. Richard knows the woods around Grand Bay-Westfield like the back of his hand. He’s been hiking and skiing these trails for many years. In fact he cut many of them. We got talking and I asked him about the poles. Not surprisingly, he knew quite a bit about them.
He said he heard the story from his father and from Ken Cox, the former head of NB Tel. He told me these mysterious poles were not for the telegraph, as I originally thought but for a special telephone line. According to Richard it dates back to the second world war when U.S. President Roosevelt was in regular communication with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in London. Our own PM Mackenzie King felt left out of the loop so he ordered a special telephone line built from Ottawa to Cape Breton and then by underwater cable to London. The line was used during the war years and then abandoned.
I tried to research this telephone line on the internet but couldn’t find any mention of it. I did discover an interesting history of undersea cables. Apparently the first transatlantic cable ran from Newfoundland to Ireland and dates back to 1856. It operated about a month before it failed.
Richard Likely went on to tell me that after the war the telephone poles were in high demand by the locals. They’d cut them down and haul them out of the woods and take the wire as well. That’s why there are so few poles around today. Richard said his father told him that people would steal the poles but leave the cross-arms laying in the woods. This he said was a mistake because the 4 x 6 cross pieces were made of knot free BC fir that was far more valuable than the poles. People here didn’t realize it. He said in those days it was a big job hauling the poles out of the woods because there were no snowmobiles or ATV’s.
So that’s the story of the mysterious poles that appear occasionally in the woods around here. I got thinking it would be fun to try to follow the line but I’m not sure enough poles remain to do that. I attempted it this winter on skis but quickly lost sight of the next pole in the woods. The surrounding trees tower over the telephone poles now and make them difficult to spot. It would be an interesting adventure and maybe one day I’ll try it.
It’s still a mystery to me why a number of the telephone poles with cross arms still remain standing in this bog. I suppose when people were cutting them down and hauling them away, they couldn’t get at these poles very easily because of the water. Maybe they never thought of coming out in the winter when the ice would make the job much easier. Whatever the reason, it’s good that a little trace of this history still remains, hidden for the most part but a great delight to find.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
When the Earth Moved
I just got back from an amazing two weeks of skiing in western Canada. Getting there and returning had some challenges but that's a story for another day. Likewise the experience of skiing at a mountain lodge only accessible by helicopter is another incredible experience worthy of a detailed account. I'll save that for later too. What I want to tell you about now is that instant during a sunny, blue sky day on a backcountry slope in the Purcell Mountains when the earth moved.
I know the avalanche danger has been high this winter in the mountains of western North America. There have been record numbers of slides and deaths because of an unstable snow pack. The first day we arrived by chopper at this luxurious lodge situated in a beautiful alpine meadow, 7,200 feet above sea level, we all received the mandatory instruction in avalanche rescue. We learned how to wear and use the avalanche beacons. We practiced using the device to search for a victim buried under the snow. Our guides showed us the proper way to use the probes to poke through the snow and how to dig out around the buried person using our collapsible snow shovels. We were told how to locate the victims head and work at freeing his breathing passages. This is the same routine training people receive when they enter the backcountry, either to go heliskiing or like us, attaching skins to our skis and climbing into alpine areas using our own power. Nobody ever thinks they're going to need the training. That would be a wrong assumption.
On our second day at the lodge we headed out early for a full day in the backcountry. The sun burned our faces as we climbed through the trees to a higher elevation. This one particular slope was steep at the top, about a 30 degree pitch, steep enough to avalanche but then it quickly flattened out. That proved to be a good thing. There were six of us in the group and two guides. I skied down last because I was shooting video of the others making turns through the untracked powder. Everyone else had skied down and stopped on a ridge just out of my sight but they could all see me. I put the camera in my pack and started down the slope. My first turn was to the left and I could see two large fracture lines in the snow. I thought to myself that doesn’t look good. As I initiated my next turn something didn’t feel right. I looked down and saw the snow under my skis cracking and swirling. I glanced sideways and saw that I was moving down the slope along with all the snow. I instantly knew I was caught in an avalanche and I got scared. This wasn’t supposed to happen, especially to a maritimer on his first backcountry expedition into the big mountains. Fortunately the slide was short lived. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. I can’t remember hearing any sound either. Luckily I was at the edge of the slide and skied off to the side toward some trees. The moving snow covered my downhill ski and tried to pull it down but I managed to shake it loose and ski away. As quickly as the slide had started it ended. Everything was silent and I was fine. I couldn’t see the others down the slope and didn’t know whether to yell f
or help or just get out of there as quickly as possible. In the end I skied down as fast as I could keeping well away from the avalanche. When I joined the others I realized they had seen the whole thing and were more concerned about my welfare than I probably was. The guides told me I did exactly what I should have done by skiing out of the avalanche. Believe me, it was an easy decision to make.We all went back to examine the slide. The guides called it a level one slab avalanche caused by a persistent weak layer of snow. They even knew the day it formed back in February. The slope slid for about 60 feet and left a debris pile over a meter high. This was a small avalanche and there was no danger of being buried in it but I could have twisted an ankle or worse if I’d gotten caught up in the mess at the bottom. Our guides measured the slide, dug in the snow and took photographs. It was an excellent opportunity for them to study an avalanche close up.
Leaving the area we had to traverse across a steep slope with overhanging cornices. We did it one at a time to minimize avalanche exposure. After my experience I was understandably shaken a little and surprised by how quickly I skied across that slope. I think it was the fastest I’d moved all day.
That night the guides presented me with a special drink made up of a number of different liquors and topped off with a mountain of whipped cream. They called it appropriately the ‘Avalanche’. I drank and enjoyed it, thankful that I was there and able to.
It was a small slide but a gigantic eye opener for me and the others in our party including the guides. The risk of avalanche is always there in backcountry alpine areas and has to be taken seriously.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Caboosing Around
I grew up living beside the tracks in the west end of Toronto. The trains rumbled by constantly and most of the time I paid little attention to them. They were just part of the neighbourhood and I took them for granted. I didn’t dislike trains. I guess I just didn’t care or think much about them.
These days I know a lot of people who would love to have grown up beside the tracks. They’re train fanatics. Maybe it’s because trains generally and passenger trains in particular seem to be on the decline. Whatever it is, there’s nostalgia for trains and everything associated with them.
I’m catching it too. You know I’m not really that old but I can remember seeing steam engines go by the house when I was kid. I have vivid memories of my mother running to the clothes line after a big, black, smoky steam locomotive roared past the house. She had bed sheets on the line and didn’t want them to be covered in soot. Even though I clearly have those memories, I’ve questioned it because steam engines have been gone for a long time. I wondered if somehow I had imagined it. But I did some research on the web and discovered that steam engines were used in the Toronto area into the late 1950’s. I think one of the last ones was retired in 59. So I would have been 5 or 6 at the time but old enough to remember the smoke and noise and power of those mighty machines.
I’ve been thinking about trains because recently I had the opportunity to meet a couple model railroad enthusiasts. These are the guys who s
till play with toy trains and in some cases have been doing it for over 50 years. They build elaborate recreations of railways and rail yards with buildings and rail crossings and towns and mountains. The layout can take up an entire room in the basement or in some cases the entire basement. The trains, especially the newer models come equipped with chips that make the sound of rumbling diesel engines and the clickity-clack of the cars rolling along the rails. They even make their own smoke. These guys love trains, both the model versions and the real thing.Then I came across a notice from the town of Grand Bay-Westfield informing us the town is trying to find a new home for our caboose. It’s been there on a rail siding beside the NB Southern Line serving as our Tourist Information Centre for many years. It’s a wooden Canadian Pacific Railway caboose dating from the 1912 – 1930 period. The railway got rid of cabooses on the ends of trains back in the 1980’s, replacing them with a high tech box that tracks important information about the operation of the train. Efficient I suppose but not nearly as nice to see as an old red caboose.
The town doesn’t need it anymore because the Visitor Information service has been moved into the new Brundage Point River Centre. The town says it doesn’t want to sell it, just transfer ownership to an individual or group who will conserve it as an important part of our railway heritage. Understandably they don’t want the taxpayers to have to pick up the tab for the continued maintenance of a caboose we no longer need and we don’t want to pay for the cost of relocating it to another location either. So that leaves it totally in the hands of train lovers. I truly hope some group comes forward to claim the little caboose for part of an exhibit or a business or maybe even another tourist information centre somewhere else in the province. I want to see it go to a good home. After all, it may one time have seen service at the end of train pulled by a steam locomotive that thundered by my old house one summer day, many years ago.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Outdoor Tidbits
I have some outdoors related information to pass on. There's a rumour going around about plans for a dirt bike track in the area. None of this has been confirmed but the location is thought to be somewhere out back of highway 7 near the exit that brings you to the flashing light. If it is true and depending on what form it takes, I know it's going to cause concern for some people. We all know about the controversy created by the motocross track in West Saint John.
I also have a little news about the Loch Alva Protected Area. A committee is busy looking at access and land use issues. I know a chunk of what was initially included as protected has been cut loose from the designation because of mining interests in the area. Once that happens forestry companies are allowed to cut in the area. There is fear on the part of some people that this wedge of formerly protected area may soon be clear cut. It's unfortunate because this is one of the more accessible areas for people living in Grand Bay-Westfield. It's also home to many camps and recreational trails. It would be a shame to see this area cut. I'll keep you posted.
And finally a comment from someone who used to live in the area concerning a column I wrote recently about the disappearing access to woods trails. This email came from Karen Gorham. She writes, "I just read about your disappearing trails. That is so sad. I grew up near Crystal Beach. I do like the outdoors. I have never been to Spencer’s camp. I now live in Ontario, but come home often. I enjoy going bird watching in NB. I hope something can be done about the disappearing trails and about the garbage that is left around."
Thanks for the feedback. If you have any comments, community news or events, photos or anything of interest to people in this area that you want to pass along, email them to rivervalleyrambler@inbox.com.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
In Praise of Snow
Another day... another storm. What is going on with this winter? It's seems every three days or so we get another major system coming up the coast dropping snow, ice pellets, freezing rain and then torrential rain on us. Could this all be related in some way to climate change? Whatever the cause, it's made life miserable for a lot of people. Snow is one thing, tough to move, but we can play in it. I like the snow. Freezing rain and rain just turn to ice and that can be deadly. Driveways and parking lots have been transformed into instant skating rinks a few times this winter. The over 70 mm of rain we received one day in February caused roads and basements to flood. It even forced a boil water order for much of Saint John. You don't want rain in the winter. Snow is much easier to get around on then ice. I think snow gets a bad rap from a lot of people and I suspect after all the rain we've had this year and given all the problems it's caused, I hope people look more fondly on good old snow. After all it is winter and this is Canada.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Musical Night a Success
The theatre at River Valley Middle School was full to capacity on Friday night (Feb 15-08) for the community celebration of our musical heritage. The Grand Bay-Westfield Heritage Committee lined up a stellar cast of local performers to entertain the crowd. The varied program included everything from young Elvis impersonator Edward Mitchell from Harbourview High School to the popular country and bluegrass sounds of Reg Gallant
, Jerry Cormier, Allison Inch an
d Murry Sheils to the impressive and powerful voices of the Saint John Men's Chorus. In between we heard performances on piano, traditional folk songs, original songs written about the area, step and highland dance demonstrations and much more. I'm not going to single out an individual performance because they were all terrific.As the MC
for the event I introduced the evening by saying it reminded me of something that could have happened in the community back in the 19th century. In fact I invited the audience to pretend they had arrived by horse and sleigh, a wood fire was burning in the front of the hall and they had all come for a night of musical entertainment provided by their friends and neighbours. That used to be the only way to enjoy music before the days of radio and digital players. That analogy worked for me especially when all the performers and the audience, accompanied by Bertis Sutton on the piano, all sang together 'Back to the River St. John'.It was a great night. Hope you enjoy these photos all taken by Diane Bormke.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Music of the People
Heritage takes many forms. It's our history and our beliefs. It's old buildings and museums. It's the way we lived our lives in the past and still do today. Our heritage is also found in our culture. Part of that culture can be found in the music we make and enjoy.
Years ago, before radio and records and digital anything, music was sung and played by family and friends. It was performed live and people would gather together to enjoy their own special style of music. Making live music in a community setting is rare today but it's happening tomorrow night (Friday, February 15) in Grand Bay-Westfield. It's a show featuring our own local performers in honour of National Heritage Week and it's called 'Music of the People'. The concert is free and hosted by the Grand Bay-Westfield Heritage Committee. It starts at 7:00 pm in the River Valley Middle School theatre. I'll be the MC of the show and a canteen is being provided by the Home and School Association. Here's the lineup.
Piper – Donna Nason
DVD – Video of NB Heritage
Reg Gallant, Jerry Cormier, Allison Inch & Murray Sheils
Allison Inch and Rhonda French – Step Dancer
Doug Losier and group
Noah McCormack on the piano and with his teacher Trish Sennett
Mary Rose Daigle on guitar and piano
Edward Mitchell – Elvis impersonator
Jordan Fisher – Piano
Harbourview Choir
INTERMISSION – Canteen courtesy of Home and School with proceeds to assist with new playground at Westfield School
Piper – Donna Nason
Janna Sherlock – Piano and Song
True North True – Beth Palmer, Lorne Blagdon and Doug Kelly
Brandon London
Bertis Sutton – Piano and Song
Kaitlyn Greer – Highland Dance
Laura Sennett Piano
Erin Boudreau
Saint John Men’s Chorus
Bertis Sutton and Audience – ‘Back to the River St. John’
Sick of Storms and Flooding
It's been a miserable day. The snow and then the rain, especially the rain has made a mess of everything. You know I love the snow and winter but another storm every second day is getting difficult. The torrential rain has nowhere to go because of the ice and snow and it's pooling in all low lying areas. The result is flooded streets. I've never seen as much water on the roads as I've seen this afternoon. In Saint John the bottom of King Street was flooded and smaller cars that stalled while trying to get through the axle deep water were left abandoned. Here in Grand Bay-Westfield parts of Woolastook Drive were under water. River Valley Drive by Scholtens turned into a small lake and the highway coming into town had some dangerous sections because of all the pooling of water. I know people are dealing with flooded basements too. It's a mess and it's probably going to get worse because the rain is supposed to continue into tomorrow. The drive into the city is going to be fun in the morning. Be careful.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
The Return of the Rambler
The Rambler is back. After taking a break for the last few months the River Valley Rambler has returned from retirement. It made sense to end the Rambler at the time because most of the content in the column concerned outdoor activities. At the same time I was launching a new column, blog and podcast called Doing Stuff Outdoors so I decided to focus exclusively on outdoors content. It's worked very well. The Doing Stuff Outdoors program and blog is now heard and read by people all over the world. I invite you to check it out at doingstuffoutdoors.com.
But the demise of the Rambler column limited my ability to write about the local River Valley area. Sure there are plenty of outdoor related topics to write about in this region but there are also many other interesting and important things going on. I felt constrained restricting the column to only outdoor content. At the time of the change the River Valley Rambler blog reverted to postings of previous columns from years past. I was surprised to find that quite a few people still checked into the site regularly at RiverValleyRambler.com. Something else happened that encouraged me to bring back the rambler column in this paper and in a new and expanded web site. The popular Bay Info web-page dealing with community events and news shut down at the beginning of the year leaving this area without a regular web presence. At the same time people were telling me they missed the old River Valley Rambler. We're also heading into an exciting and busy period for Grand Bay-Westfield and the surrounding area. Development seems to be happening everywhere and there's a municipal election coming in the spring. The time is ripe for the return of the Rambler along with a redesigned web-site. The Doing Stuff Outdoors column will remain as a source of information about outdoor activities and will alternate with the Rambler column in this paper. But the exciting and interesting content is what I hope will develop online.
I'd like the new RiverValleyRambler.com site to fill some of the gap left by the closing of Bay Info. It has provided a valuable service to the community and I thank the producers of Bay Info for their efforts. RiverValleyRambler.com will continue mainly as a blog providing readers with a collection of thoughts, comments, reflections and ramblings about life in the River Valley area of New Brunswick. It will also contain posts of some of the old columns that have proved popular with some readers. I will endeavor to post new content and photos as often as possible. This is new material in addition to the
regular column you'll find published in this paper. But for that to be successful I will need your help. I'd like to fill the site with useful and interesting information and stories about life in this community. That's where you come in.If you have a story suggestion send it to me. If you've written a story about a person or an event happening in the area send that along as well. If you have birthday or anniversary wishes to pass on or community news of any kind send that too. I'm looking for all sorts of local content. If you have some great photos of the area, old or recent, send them too and we'll find a place for them on the Rambler site. If you know of something interesting going on in the community let me know about it and we'll pass the information along. In addition to photos and text, I'm planning to include video and specialized audio content on the site as well.
More than anything else I'd like the River Valley Rambler to become a place you visit on a regular basis to find out more about your community. I'd like you to be able to go to it often and always find something interesting, entertaining and useful there. But for this to work I'll need your input. I can't do it all myself.
The River Valley Rambler has a new email address. Send your stories, suggestions, community events and photos to rivervalleyrambler@inbox.com and check out the new site at RiverValleyRambler.com.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Disappearing Trails
(This is a column recently published in the River Valley News. It should concern everyone who enjoys the outdoors in this area. Contact me at rivervalleyrambler@inbox.com)
I was skiing along one of the local trails recently when I met another trail user going for a walk. We chatted about the weather and soon the conversation turned to the changing face of the backcountry this winter. We both commented how logging operations and the plowing of some roads have cut off access to some of our favorite trails. On parting the walker suggested that if this continues we may soon have to drive to Rockwood Park in the city to get access to the outdoors. Those comments have remained with me as I've explored more of our informal trail network in the Grand Bay-Westfield area. Given what I've seen so far this winter, I fear there may be some truth to those comments.
The clear cutting is everywhere. Trees are being downed right to the edge of long time back county trails and roads that have been used by people for generations. The logging equipment and trucks are tearing up the roads, making it impossible to ski on and difficult and even dangerous in places to walk. I haven't heard complaints from ATVers and snowmobilers but I'm sure the cutting is having an impact on their enjoyment of the outdoors as well.
A major cutting operation is underway over at the four corners by the ball fields at the end of the Britain Road. The forest on both sides of the trail is leveled for a considerable way. By the old Grand Bay dump and off the Mitchell Road a new logging road extends far into the forest. The old ski trails behind the Westfield Golf Course are long gone, swallowed up in clear cuts that now extend toward the highway. This isn't a new cut but I was skiing there the other day and lamenting over the loss of that trail system. It was the only wooded trail actually made for non-motorized use in this area. One of the most popular trails around here is what some call the Backland Road beside the Golf Course. It has also seen a lot of cutting this fall and the loggers have kept the road plowed through the early part of the winter. Plowing of course makes it almost impossible to ski. Further along the trail just past the Spencer's Camp property, a new road has been cut through the woods. It doesn't look like your typical logging road because it's considerably wide. The most troubling aspect of this road is that it cuts right across the existing trail to Loch Alva. Hikers, skiers and snowmobiles have used this trail for many years. The new ro
ad chops it in half and blocks it entirely with an eight-foot ditch across the trail. ATVs and snowmobiles now have to detour to Spencer's camp to get back on the trail. Skiers and hikers can still take the old trail but must negotiate this huge ditch to get through. It doesn't seem right that a road can be built right across an existing trail like that. My skiing companions and I have explored that new road. It continues for some way and actually has two branches. I don't know who built it or why but I don't think it's a logging road. My guess is it's for a new subdivision sometime in the future. Either way, someone went to a lot of trouble and expense to build a road that right now goes nowhere.During our explorations of the area we discovered evidence of some peoples total disrespect for other peoples property and for the environment. I hadn't visited Spencer's camp for years but the place is in ruin. Some thoughtless people went through the property and broke every window in every building. Windows and doors were forced open and ripped off the hinges. Nothing escaped the vandalism. Whoever is responsible for this had to work hard to inflict that kind of destruction. What a wasted effort.
It's also sad seeing all the garbage left around in the outdoors. Out by Belvedere Lake we came upon a spot littered with empty beer cans and bottles. They had just been tossed and left there. This was at a trail intersection and the evidence points to thoughtless snowmobilers or four-wheelers. I can't understand why people would do that. I know most hikers or skiers would never even consider leaving their garbage strewn about like that.
So even though the skiing was great, these incidents took away a little from the enjoyment of the outdoors. Given what I've seen so far this winter, especially in relation to clear cutting and trail access, perhaps it's time to consider some kind of trail plan for the Grand Bay-Westfield area. We're blessed here with a backyard full of some of the most beautiful country you'll find anywhere. But that access and the woods themselves are disappearing quickly. Maybe we need a designated trail system and some kind of protected area. We should at least start thinking about it because more and more, access to outdoor recreation plays a significant part in attracting and keeping people in a community. It really would be a shame if we had to travel to the city to enjoy the outdoors.
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