Nature Shelters in the City
I'm dedicating this LJ entry to my sister, Anne.
Growing up in Hamilton all through my teens I always looked towards the city of Toronto with a lot of apprehension. Toronto just seemed so big and so overwhelming and so busy and so urban that I was always sure that I would never want to live there. After university, though, I was accepted at teacher's college at The University of Toronto and I realized I was going have to brace myself, for a year anyway, to live in the big city. I didn't expect to stay.
I ended up in an apartment over a store right in the heart of the city, at the corner of Bloor and Spadina. Within a month I was madly in love with Toronto, all its surprises, its ethnic diversity, its culture and entertainment and the corners of natural beauty tucked away on the lakefront and between the skyscrapers and highways. I've never lived far from Toronto since and I can't imagine living anywhere else.
Which, of course, is why I'm as upset as anyone in the city that the World Health Organization has put a travel advisory on Toronto this week. It seems to be too sudden and without sufficient cause and I empathize with all the Torotonians that will be so economically affected by the negative publicity our city is getting around the world right now.
Because no one likes to see their favoured city put into a bad light when they see it as home. It made me very empathic to a comment my sister, Anne, put into my LJ earlier this week.
After describing some nature walks I'd done on Lake Ontario over the Easter weekend
missquirt wrote to say:
"I mountain bike on trails in Hamilton, and there are often just as many hikers as bikers. I've found a couple of trails I really like, one in Dundas and one near Ancaster. They're both still pretty muddy. I'm always amazed that such beautiful trails exist so close to such an ugly, smelly city. (:"
As a lifetime Hamiltonian Anne felt she couldn't let that comment pass and she replied:
"Sorry, can't let that one pass. Hamilton is NOT an ugly city. Yeah, it can be smelly sometimes...so can Toronto and lots of other cities. People have a tendency to make Hamilton's industrial area represent the whole city. Everybody has an insult for Hamilton, but it seems NOBODY ever makes the effort to peek past the smokestacks. It's not a spectacular city, but few people ever look for its good qualities. The Niagara escarpment runs right through it, creating a two level city with multiple nature walk trails, waterfalls, etc. It has a harbourfront (unfortunately, rather spoiled by industry) and a lake front. It has parks and festivals, museums, art galleries, theatres, historical sites, sports events. Many people DO comment on the flower beds that can be found on traffic islands all over the city. (It might seem like a small thing but it really is a nice touch.) And most people who will tell you "all about Hamilton" have only seen it from the Burlington Skyway."
Now, I knowmissquirt meant no real harm, and it often does surprise me, too, in both Hamilton and Toronto, to find such pretty nature areas in such big urban centres, but I did smile to see Anne jump to the defense of her beloved hometown. I understand her feelings completely.
So, my latest nature photo page, taken during two walks in the Hamilton area, is for you, Anne. Because, you're right, like most cities, Hamilton has areas that are beautiful and not so beautiful. The view off the escarpment is a favorite sight of mine and the lakefront will always be a wonderful place for a walk.
My page of walking photos along Lake Ontario in Hamilton and Burlington is here: http://members.rogers.com/30307486500/LakesideWalks.htm
Exercise log: Didn't get a lot of walking in early in the week because of cold and rainy weather, but tried to make up for it with a 4 mile walk today. I'm 69 miles into my Rivendell challenge.
Growing up in Hamilton all through my teens I always looked towards the city of Toronto with a lot of apprehension. Toronto just seemed so big and so overwhelming and so busy and so urban that I was always sure that I would never want to live there. After university, though, I was accepted at teacher's college at The University of Toronto and I realized I was going have to brace myself, for a year anyway, to live in the big city. I didn't expect to stay.
I ended up in an apartment over a store right in the heart of the city, at the corner of Bloor and Spadina. Within a month I was madly in love with Toronto, all its surprises, its ethnic diversity, its culture and entertainment and the corners of natural beauty tucked away on the lakefront and between the skyscrapers and highways. I've never lived far from Toronto since and I can't imagine living anywhere else.
Which, of course, is why I'm as upset as anyone in the city that the World Health Organization has put a travel advisory on Toronto this week. It seems to be too sudden and without sufficient cause and I empathize with all the Torotonians that will be so economically affected by the negative publicity our city is getting around the world right now.
Because no one likes to see their favoured city put into a bad light when they see it as home. It made me very empathic to a comment my sister, Anne, put into my LJ earlier this week.
After describing some nature walks I'd done on Lake Ontario over the Easter weekend
missquirt wrote to say:"I mountain bike on trails in Hamilton, and there are often just as many hikers as bikers. I've found a couple of trails I really like, one in Dundas and one near Ancaster. They're both still pretty muddy. I'm always amazed that such beautiful trails exist so close to such an ugly, smelly city. (:"
As a lifetime Hamiltonian Anne felt she couldn't let that comment pass and she replied:
"Sorry, can't let that one pass. Hamilton is NOT an ugly city. Yeah, it can be smelly sometimes...so can Toronto and lots of other cities. People have a tendency to make Hamilton's industrial area represent the whole city. Everybody has an insult for Hamilton, but it seems NOBODY ever makes the effort to peek past the smokestacks. It's not a spectacular city, but few people ever look for its good qualities. The Niagara escarpment runs right through it, creating a two level city with multiple nature walk trails, waterfalls, etc. It has a harbourfront (unfortunately, rather spoiled by industry) and a lake front. It has parks and festivals, museums, art galleries, theatres, historical sites, sports events. Many people DO comment on the flower beds that can be found on traffic islands all over the city. (It might seem like a small thing but it really is a nice touch.) And most people who will tell you "all about Hamilton" have only seen it from the Burlington Skyway."
Now, I know
missquirt meant no real harm, and it often does surprise me, too, in both Hamilton and Toronto, to find such pretty nature areas in such big urban centres, but I did smile to see Anne jump to the defense of her beloved hometown. I understand her feelings completely.So, my latest nature photo page, taken during two walks in the Hamilton area, is for you, Anne. Because, you're right, like most cities, Hamilton has areas that are beautiful and not so beautiful. The view off the escarpment is a favorite sight of mine and the lakefront will always be a wonderful place for a walk.
My page of walking photos along Lake Ontario in Hamilton and Burlington is here: http://members.rogers.com/30307486500/LakesideWalks.htm
Exercise log: Didn't get a lot of walking in early in the week because of cold and rainy weather, but tried to make up for it with a 4 mile walk today. I'm 69 miles into my Rivendell challenge.