Summer vacation

Well, school's out and I have time off so that means I will be visiting family and in my hometown for Canada Day for the first time in decades. I'm sure it will be mean more than usual as my hometown is a border town. I have very fond memories of Canada Days from my youth. No matter where I've lived, I have found a special kind of national pride throughout this country.

So before I head off on my sojourn, I have one correction to pass along. In my last post, I talked about the Bytown Railway Society looking to dispose of its old Central Vermont crane. That was not the case. The society, in fact, has disposed of its old CP Jordan spreader plow. That old relic is on the move to an industrial history display at J. Tackaberry & Sons Construction Co. Ltd. in Athens, Ontario. That news was shared via the BRS Facebook page this past week and alert railfans let me know of my mistake. So I thank them for setting me straight on that one.

 

We'll miss this in Ottawa, but the BRS has tough decisions to make with its limited space at the Canada Museum of Science and Technology. I actually found it a bit disappointing to read some of the comments from railfans who seemed annoyed at BRS for disposing of this car. This organization has done fine work and it can only do so much with the resources and volunteers it has. Also, its limitations at the museum are what they are. The museum is about more than railways, obviously, so BRS has to make use of the facilities it has and do the best it can. 

 

Anyway, in the coming weeks and months, there are a number of topics I'd like to cover and there are some cool railway photos I have yet to share that lend themselves to some interesting deep dives into some obscure railways. 

 

Also, I'm hoping to come home from my brief vacation with some railway photos from outside Ottawa. I think the blog could use a bit more variety.

 

 

All the best to everyone for this upcoming Canada Day. It's been a tough few months for our country and the future is indeed uncertain. The world seems like a meaner place these days, for many reasons and they don't all begin and end with the leader of the U.S. My point is, the world is facing a lot of uncertainty and division. 

 

Yet, through it all, there is no other place I'd rather be than in Canada. I was born here and I am so lucky to live here. We're not perfect, but we're not so bad either. I love that we have come together amid adversity and we still seem to value kindness. The world needs more kindness, to be sure.

 

Happy Canada Day and happy days to everyone else beginning their summers.

 

I'll see you all soon.