A field guide to Ontario's forgotten places, weird destinations, folklore, legends, and curious history.
Laura Brown The lost art of found objects. (It sounds great as a phrase but I don’t think beach-combing (or urban combing) has ever been lost).
Every where you go there are little things to be found. Most people would call it bits of junk. But, its all in the eye of the beholder. An assortment of bits of things found while urban combing can build a whole story, or maybe become part of a creative project.… Read the rest
What, or who, were the giants, old or prehistoric skeletons found, which are at least seven feet tall? I’ve heard they were redheaded or blonde and described as white/ pale skinned by the native Indians who encountered them in their history.
Could they have been Vikings, certainly we know Vikings did make it to (what is now) Newfoundland in Canada.… Read the rest
We hear about the grain elevators from Saskatchewan but less often about our own Ontario barns. Those hand built, long standing structures right in our own backyard, not literally in most cases. But, there they are. You don’t need to drive far outside of a city or town in Ontario to find an old barn.
Cathedrals of the fields is a great description for them.… Read the rest
“There is a class of walkers who share a certain camaraderie. We are not drunks, tramps, hookers, cops, priests, party-goers or night-shift workers; we are merely outsiders. On the rare occasions when we meet we acknowledge one another with a tiny tilt of the head, or a quick nod; but each of us carries his or her own solitude.… Read the rest
Has there ever been a photo which completely proves the existence of ghosts? I think it is sad that most photos, which people see ghosts in, can have simple explanations. But, does that mean they should be entirely discounted?
I read a post about photos of ghosts which the writer believes are creepy and proof of ghosts.… Read the rest
The Oban Inn is still operating as a spa and hotel/ resort. But, you won’t see the old building. It was destroyed in a fire, as reported below.
I was staying at a hotel (not this one) which caught on fire. We had just fallen asleep and I don’t remember how late it was. We woke up because there was a lot of traffic in the hallways and I could hear people knocking on the doors.… Read the rest
I haven’t seen this tunnel myself and I’m skeptical about anything being haunted. Still, having a history like this isn’t going to leave a place unmarked, or unremarked upon. Any old train tunnel is going to be dark and too many are unused these days. Not all of them have children crushed by rocks and trains colliding into each other.… Read the rest
There are small cars and then there are micro cars. Not so easy to find in Ontario. You would have better luck in Europe and Asia than North America.
Although a small car is better when it comes to using fuel. They appeal to me because you use them for small trips around town, like picking up groceries, going to the post office, and so on.… Read the rest
Have you ever seen fights of engineering with remote controlled robots? There are TV shows like Robot Wars and Battle Bots. Robot Wars talks more about the engineering and construction of the robots.
Understanding how the height, or complete flatness being low to the ground works. Figuring out whether a swinging blade of some kind works to fend off other bots.… Read the rest
What happened to Alan L. Brown who ran the websites for OntarioPlaques and TorontoPlaques? http://www.ontarioplaques.com/ and http://torontoplaques.com/
He has disappeared and the sites are gone. He had other sites, intended for school children mainly, and the two sites about historical plaques in Ontario. (First Ontario and then another site to focus on Toronto). But all gone now.… Read the rest