One-Tank Trip for
Feb. 3/18
(c) By Jim Fox
Baby, it’s cold
outside.
It’s been a weird,
perhaps “wild,” winter with mood swings from bitterly cold to a mid-January
thaw and back again.
Take it from the
son of a “weatherman,” you can learn all about “Wild Weather” at an exhibition by
that name in Kitchener.
 |
| Learning all about
wild weather. |
Or, get a taste of spring with orchids at the
Royal Botanical Gardens and come in from the cold to wine and dine at
Winterlicious in Toronto.
Billed as a “highly
interactive and entertaining blockbuster travelling exhibition,” Wild Weather illustrates
severe weather as a “powerful and unpredictable force,” said Sean Jasmins of
the Waterloo Region Museum.
It will be featured
from next Friday (Feb. 2) to April 29 and “immerse visitors of all ages in the
science of severe weather.”
The exhibition
delves into current severe weather science, explores cutting-edge technology
and investigates the stories of scientists, forecasters and passionate
enthusiasts.
“Visitors will
leave the exhibition feeling they have been saturated in severe weather
elements,” said Adele Hempel, museum manager/curator.
 |
| Dancing up a storm
at the Wild Weather exhibit. |
Get blown away
Fly through the eye
of a hurricane, create a mini-tornado and dance up a storm as the weather
around you responds to your movements and blows you away in a staged hurricane
photo op.
There are eight exhibit
zones leading visitors through a series of Wild Weather experiences to gain a
better understanding of the science behind the phenomena, its connection to
climate change and emerging technologies and forecasting techniques.
From thunderstorms
to summer heat waves, hurricanes to blizzards, it explains the science behind
the weather and how exciting new discoveries are unraveling many mysteries.
Experience weather
in its many powerful and unpredictable forms in the exhibition from Science
North and the Ontario Science Centre.
 |
| Exploring the
Tornado Sculpture Group at the weather show. |
There will also be a
lecture and roundtable on March 22 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on “Our Changing
Climate.”
Participants are
Profs. Christine Dow, Chris Fletcher and Johanna Wandel, all of the University
of Waterloo; and David Roewade, sustainability specialist for Waterloo Region.
 |
| Our changing climate |
The museum is at 10
Huron Road in Kitchener, with hours Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Saturday
and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission is $11; $8,
seniors and students; $5, ages five to 12; free, children four and younger; $25,
family.
waterlooregionmuseum.ca;
(519) 748-1914
Fox trots
- Leave the cold behind at the Orchid
Society Annual Show and Sale, Feb. 24 and 25, at the Royal Botanical Gardens
Centre (680 Plains Rd. W.) in Burlington.
 |
| Dendrobium Nobile
orchids will be on display at the RBG show. |
This judged event
showcases the beauty and diversity of orchids and features displays by
societies and growers from across Canada and the U.S.
There are also
exhibits of flower arrangements, paintings, photographs and plant sales.
Hours are Feb. 24,
noon to 5 p.m., and Feb. 25, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Photographers: Feb. 25, 8 a.m.
to 10 a.m.
The RBG’s current
exhibit until April 15 is Frogs, whose “beauty and elegance are often
overlooked.”
rbg.ca; 1-800-694-4769
- Winterlicious is
simply yummy as 210 Toronto restaurants offer three-course, prix-fixe menus at
bargain prices.
 |
| A meal of sea bass at
Ricarda’s restaurant for Winterlicious. |
These samplings
cost $23, $28 and $33 for lunch and $33, $43 and $53 for dinner now through
Feb. 8.
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