Enjoy a long weekend at the Toronto Zoo

What better place to kick off the nice weather this long weekend than at the Zoo.

Grab your troop and head to the wildest adventure in Toronto!

NEW BABY ALERT!

TORONTO ZOO WELCOMES BIRTH OF TWO LYNX KITTENS

Photo Credit: S. Craig, Education, Toronto Zoo

The Toronto Zoo would like to announce that Ember, a seven year old female Canada lynx, gave birth to two kittens in the Canada Lynx Habitat.

Learn to Camp at Ontario Parks

(News Release)

Register now to join a guided, overnight camping experience at one of eight participating provincial parks. http://www.ontarioparks.com/learntocamp/  

Staff welcome you to the park and teach how to set up a campsite. (Ontario Parks photo)

Over the past five summers, more than 12,000 people have learned to camp at Ontario Parks. Families are welcome. All equipment is provided. Participants need only bring food, bedding and their own personal items. 

Beginning May 21, a new Learn to Camp exhibit and knowledgeable park staff will travel to festivals and events across the GTA and Southern Ontario to share more on this summer's program.

 

Visit the Learn to Camp Facebook for details on when and where the exhibit will be, https://www.facebook.com/LearnToCamp/.

For information on all Ontario Parks, please see www.OntarioParks.com.

Warblers and Whimbrels Weekend at Presqu’ile – May 21-22

(News Release)

Parula Warbler singing during its stop at Presqu'ile.

 BRIGHTON, Ontario -- The Friends of Presqu’ile Park are pleased to announce that after a very unusual up and down winter and cool April (I saw snow!) that we are finally rounding into a real spring.

And with Spring comes the return of tens of thousands of songbirds and shorebirds that migrate through Presqu’ile Provincial Park on their way north.

These are some of the most beautiful and sought after birds for birdwatchers and we host this special weekend with activities designed to introduce visitors to these birds and the fine art of bird watching.

On both Saturday May 21st and Sunday May 22nd we will start out with an ultra-early bird walk for the ultra-keen at 6:30am from the lighthouse. Want to sleep a bit longer?

From 8am to 10am, knowledgeable staff and volunteers will be available in the lighthouse area, a prime warbler haunt, to point out and discuss these and other migrating birds. Then at 10am a second walk will head out to see what new birds may be moving through.

Beasley Bear to host free Teddy Bear Picnic this weekend on the Toronto islands

Centreville’s the place to be for kids and families this May long weekend

TORONTO, ON – Beasley Bear invites kids, their families and favourite stuffed toys to join him at his annual Teddy Bear Picnic, May 21^st-23^rd from 11 am-4 pm at Centreville Theme Park on Centre Island!

Kids can meet Beasley Bear and the animals from Far Enough Farm, be thrilled by comedy, music and magic and express their creativity through arts and crafts. 

Doc McStuffins will open her clinic in the park this weekend, so we remind kids to bring their favourite stuffed friends for a checkup and a photo! Elmo and Peppa Pig, as well as Frozen’s Elsa will also be on hand to entertain and delight little visitors and their families.

Feel the warmth at Canadian Appreciation Days in Port Huron and St. Clair County, Michigan

   One-Tank Trip for May 14-16

   (c) By Jim Fox

   It’s nice to be appreciated and Canadians will feel some love on the Victoria Day Weekend across the border in Port Huron and St. Clair County, Mich.

   The businesses and neighbours in the U.S. adjoining Sarnia are rolling out the red, white and blue carpet for visitors during Canadian Appreciation Days.

A lake freighter passes by bicycle art at the Palmer Park Recreation Center in Port Huron.

   The fourth-annual event runs from May 21 to 23 and is ideal for a one-day visit or a weekend getaway.

   “This is a celebration honoring our border friendly neighbours and a thank you for their significant contribution and impact on our local economy,” said David Haynes, Port Huron’s director of planning and community development.

   Canadian visitors contribute $60 million US annually to the local economy, “helping our existing retailers and restaurants to thrive and boosting our ability to attract new business to the region.”

SpringWorks in Stratford presents an indie theatre and arts fest

   One-Tank Trip for May 7/16

   (c) By Jim Fox

  Spring has sprung in the “Festival City” as the curtain rises on not just the Stratford Festival but also SpringWorks, an indie theatre and arts fest.

   The fest, from May 12 to 22 with more than 100 performances and events, will also see an invasion of puppets.

Sarah Argue with the puppets in Animal Adventures.

   Also on May 15 is a “spectacular fantasy fashion show” on Tom Patterson Island, said Cathy Rehberg of the Stratford Tourism Alliance.

    The theatre and arts festival in its sixth season has a line-up of more than 40 artists and companies.

   It features an eclectic mix of theatre, music, dance, poetry and visual art with the Puppet Festival returning on the Victoria Day weekend.

   “I think this will be a very exciting season for our family audiences,” said Eileen Smith, artistic producer.

   SpringWorks also coincides with the opening of Gallery Stratford with programs that include a new poetry slam hosted by playwright Donna-Michelle St. Bernard.

Showing mom some 'love' on Mother's Day

   One-Tank Trip for April 30/16

  

   (c) By Jim Fox

   The time is fast approaching when it’s incumbent to show mom some special love.

   Mother’s Day is May 8, so “get your game on,” says Helen Lovekin of Ontario Tourism.

   This celebration of mothers everywhere is said to be first celebrated in 1908 when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother at St Andrew’s Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia.

   In the world according to Wikipedia, Mother’s Day in Canada “typically involves small celebrations and gift-giving to one’s mother, grandmother or other important female figures in one’s family.

   Celebratory practices are similar to those of other western nations while a Quebec tradition is for men to offer roses or other flowers to the women.”

Traditional afternoon teas, such as this Bermuda-style in the Heritage Court at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess, are popular with moms. (Jim Fox photo)

    Don’t do as the late Canadian humorist Stephen Leacock suggested and let mother not only stay home to prepare the meal but let her clean up and wash the dishes afterwards – just because she insists and “we wanted just for once to humour her.”

Water, water everywhere in Niagara Falls

   One-Tank Trip for April 23/16

   (c) By Jim Fox

   For a good time in Niagara Falls, just add water.

   Water cascading over the steep cliff-like Niagara escarpment has been drawing visitors and honeymooners to the falls for centuries.

Just add water: Jim and Barb Fox check out the red, heart-shaped Jacuzzi that’s standard in many Niagara Falls hotel suites. (Jim Fox photo)

   The falls were formed 12,000 years ago by melting glaciers that created the fresh-water Great Lakes.

   The rushing waters carved out a river in their descent and over the years began to wear their way back up the river with the path today known as the Niagara Gorge.

   The beauty of the two waterfalls – the Horseshoe in Canada and the American in the U.S. – are practical as well by generating hydroelectricity for both countries.

   This spot is known for romance as its claim as the “Honeymoon Capital of the World” was established by the French in the early 1800s.

   The story goes that Napoleon’s brother, Jerome Bonaparte, travelled by stage coach from New Orleans to spend his honeymoon at the falls and the word about this romantic spot spread throughout the world.

   As well as the honeymoon capital, it has to be the capital of hotel rooms with red heart-shaped Jacuzzi whirlpool tubs beside the bed.

   Today, all types of “once-in-a-lifetime” honeymoon suites can be found at the hotels and motels.

   And, don’t forget the “Magic Fingers” vibrating beds for a fun time at the falls.

   Newlyweds can receive an official Honeymoon Certificate signed by the mayor along with admission passes and discounts through Niagara Falls Tourism. niagarafallstourism.com; 1-800-563-2557

Fun awaits at LEGOLAND and Toronto attractions

   One-Tank Trip for April 16/16

   (c) By Jim Fox

   Here’s a chance to get as much as you want of a good thing with season passes to popular attractions in Toronto and area

   One of the fun places is LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Toronto that urges visitors to “get adventurous with your family,” said Lara Hannaford, marketing manager.

   The centre is suggesting five of the “best locations that offer family season passes at an affordable price.”

   These “must-have” family passes are for LEGOLAND, the Ontario Science Centre, Bowmanville Zoo, Black Creek Pioneer Village and Centreville Amusement Park.

Kids can have fun creating with bricks at the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre.

   Get creative

   LEGOLAND Discovery Centre is a “world of entertainment, colour and creativity.”

   It’s located at Vaughan Mills, off Highway 400 north of Toronto, and this indoor playground is full of interactive activities for children of all ages.

   Visitors are surrounded by LEGO bricks, a 4-D cinema, master building classes, rides and a Toronto Miniland.

Blue mat treatment and ecopassages for critters are new at Ontario Parks

   One-Tank Trip for April 9/16

   (c) By Jim Fox

   They’re rolling out the red carpet – actually blue mats to aid the handicapped – and under-road passages to reduce road kill at Ontario Parks.

   Along with upgraded roofed accommodations, a Pinery app and being able to book group campsites online, there’s much that’s new at provincial parks this coming season.

   Accessibility mats “make popular beach parks more manageable for visitors who use walkers, wheelchairs or strollers,” said Sheila Wiebe of Ontario Parks.

Additional mats, such as this one at Wasaga Beach, are planned.

   Port Bruce Provincial Park at Aylmer on Lake Erie is the latest to roll out the mats.

   They’re similar to those at Wasaga Beach, Sandbanks and Long Point “that allow everyone to enjoy a day at the beach.”

   Meanwhile, giving wildlife a break are “ecopassages,” or mini corridors, that help critters cross roads safely.

   Similar to wilderness corridors over and under the Trans-Canada Highway, these ecopassages are like a “critter-sized subway tunnel” under the road.

   There are also specially designed fences and culverts to reduce roadkill by providing small animals with a safe way to cross.

   Pinery Provincial Park, south of Grand Bend on Lake Huron, and Presqu’ile, on Lake Ontario near Brighton, are the latest to construct the passages.

Two raccoons are trying out the new “ecopassage,” helping them to cross parks roads safely. (Ontario Parks)

   Pinery’s was installed after construction of a water control structure in the culvert below the Burley Causeway limited the movement of mammals, reptiles and amphibians and due to “observations of road mortality.”

The Rizdales: Blue Ain’t The Word – A Tribute to the Music of Legendary Ray Price - Stratford’s Revival House April 21

 Plus Bevy of Talented Special Guests

 

Stratford, ON – On the heels of the sold-out Amelia Curran concert comes The Rizdales with their signature show Blue Ain’t The Word - A Tribute to the Music of Ray Price at Stratford’s Revival House at 8:00 pm on April 21, 2016. Opening artist: the talented lead singer and former Ronnie Hawkins bandmate B.W. Pawley with Plum Loco. The concert is part of the String Bone Presents! Live at Revival House concert series.

The Rizdales, who hail from London, ON, showcases the talents of Tara Dunphy (fiddle, vocals), Tom Dunphy (guitar, vocals), Rob Clarke (bass), Mark Duff (drums) and Blair Heddle (electric guitar). A hardworking honky-tonk country band, the Rizdales regularly perform in Toronto, Austin, Texas and other locales throughout the southern United States. Tara Dunphy, who has a smooth as silk, authentic country voice, has been nominated twice for an Ameripolitan Award (Austin, TX) for Honky-tonk Female Vocalist of the Year.

For a good time, take a Sunday drive around Ontario

   One-Tank Trip for April 2/16

   (c) By Jim Fox

   Now that spring has sprung, it’s a great time for that “Sunday drive” to enjoy life in the slow lane.

   Lower gas prices and a slumping Canadian currency will likely drive the trend to stay closer to home and take such journeys.

   And, what could be more fun than exploring Ontario during that iconic Sunday drive?

   For anyone unfamiliar with the term, online Wikipedia weighs in with this explanation:

  “A Sunday drive is an automobile trip . . . typically taken for pleasure or leisure on a Sunday, usually in the afternoon.

   “During the Sunday drive, there is typically no destination and no rush.”

The scenic Niagara Parkway wends its way past Niagara Falls and is perfect for a Sunday drive. (Jim Fox photo)

  The use of the car for the Sunday drive began in the 1920s as “the idea was that the automobile was not used for commuting or errands but for pleasure.