Joy's Journal for the week of June 30th...

 

There seems to be an old adage that says you can't go back. Well, surprise, surprise! I did just that!
I was born in Winnipeg and left there as a child of 10 with my family and have never been back.
Every year I promise myself that I must return for a visit to the land of my birth. (My husband, who'd never been there, contantly asked "Why??")
Two weeks ago, it finally happened. We flew on Air Canada into the hub of the country and the future and oh-so-logical capital of Canada.
The weather was warm and welcoming and everyone was so friendly and hospitable.
We'd booked into Val and Bob Friesen's Almost Home Bed & Breakfast for five days and what a treat that was. An elegant updated tudor home in an upscale neighbourhood with a cool pool in the back yard and marvellous breakfasts every day. Val and Bob were gracious and informative hosts, offering every imaginable amenity. They were fun hosts.
I had four goals - to see our former home in Elmwood, to get to Grand Beach, to enjoy a cruise on the Red River on the old paddlewheeler and to get to Old Fort Garry.
We did it all and then some. And the weather was perfect - 26 to 30 degrees.
Our red brick home at 44 Martin Ave looked so small but Kildonan Park, edging onto the river, was beautiful, my old school is now GlenElm (used to be Glenwood Elementary), the C.N. train no longer goes to Grand Beach but it's just an hour away by car on that flat straight-ahead road.
But what a disappointing change awaited us there.
The beach, which was opened officially in 1920 and named by a railroad executive when he picked up a handful of the amazingly delicate white sand and exclaimed, "What a grand beach!" attracted thousands of tourists and locals every year. It's still the best in the country with it's white talcum powder soft sand but so much has changed or disappeared.
While the actual train station is gone, there's a huge plywood cutout of the old train, telling the tale of all the happy yesterdays.
The famous Dancing Pavillion was built in 1917 and, inside the impressive building, live bands and orchestras played, hired by the railroad company and everyone, young and old, waltzed to the music. It's popularity spurred on the creation of a daily train service nicknamed the Midnight Special which left Winnipeg at 6:15 pm and left Grand Beach at ten to midnight. A return ticket cost fifty cents.
Sadly it's now gone as is the giant bath house (where you changed into your bathing suits or you could rent grey bathing suits which sagged when wet) and the 1000-ton Ice House which was across from the train station, where huge 200 pound blocks of ice cut from the lake in the winter, were free with your lease ticket.
The beloved boardwalk and Ginger Beer concession stand have also gone to dust.
Despite my surprise that none of the small concession stands were open, we had a great day. The beach hadn't changed, the water was warm and the park was bucolic.
The next morning we drove to Lockport, (famous for it's foot-long Winnipeg hot dogs) Selkirk and the tranquil Upper Fort Gary where they have recreated just about everything from tanning hides to weaving wool to ancient fishing crafts.
There were four thriving major fur trading centres - Fort Rouge (1731-1744), Fort Gibralter (1810 -1821),the Hudson Bay Company's Fort Gary (1822-1835) and HBC's Upper Fort Gary (1835-1885) at the junction of the mighty Red and Assiniboine Rivers. You could feel history under your feet.
Next day we boarded the turn-of the century river boat, The Paddlewheel Queen and sailed up the mighty Red River, enjoying the lazy pace and soft breezes. Beautiful homes line the shore with colorful gardens and gazebos.
Hard to believe that this wide, muddy river freezes solid in the winter and allows thousands of people to skate, snowshoe and cross country ski.
In fact, this famed winter waterway just beat out Ottawa's Rideau Canal for the title of the Longest Ice Skating Rink in Canada.
There are some 286 gloriously green parks in Winnipeg
with lilac bushes everywhere, filling the air with their intoxicating fragrance. People use them as hedges adding a lovely soft scent as you walk by.
There's something real about Winnipeg and its citizens.
I felt quite proud of being born there.
It's not cliquey like Vancouver or snobbish like Toronto.
Down home ambience at it's best.
And it's perfectly situated in the exact centre of this country. How very logical that it should eventually become the capital of Canada.
I said that same thing every Dec. 31st when I was broadcasting live for almost 13 years on CKNW. Obviously, I have to work harder...
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We arrived home just in time to ferry over to Victoria and our $100 room in the historic Empress Hotel which I reserved in January when GM Roger Soane decided to celebrate the 100th birthday of the Empress with a $100 special. He'd allowed 10,000 rooms for the promotion, 8000 taken up in the first few days.
We had the posh Bob Hope Suite.The reason Bob loved to stay there was for the wide hallways. He used them for his putting.
The birthday year includes dinners, lunches, receptions and $100 teas and it will all wind up, (scoop! scoop! scoop!) on Dec. 31st with a huge gala New Year's Eve Happy Birthday celebration...
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The next day we moved into the very new Hotel Oswego, New York sleek but charming. What a treat! They have an extemely pleasant and knowledgable staff, gorgeous floor to ceiling windows in the living area and in the bedroom with it's comfy balcony, overlooking the view.
Beautiful granite in the kitchen and all new stainless steel appliances. Their complementary buffet breakfast offers everything imaginable. It's so good, the Premier stays there. Can't wait to return...
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Ian Powell's Inn at Laurel Point, which is situated right on the harbour waterfront, celebrated it's zillion dollar make-over with a late day party reception last Thursday, the same day that the famous Tall Ships arrived under full sail.
The word for the Laurel Point Inn is "glamorous". It's beautiful! Airy, spacious, gloriously scenic. And their new posh restaurant, Aura, adds immensley to the hotel's attraction. The owner of the spectacular property, Mrs Paul Arsens, was having a very pleasant time as a special guest at the fabulous reception which attracted the Who's Who of Victoria...Out of space. More next week...Happy Canada Day!!