Toronto Zoo (Woodchucks)

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Address: 2000 Meadowvale Road
Date: July 2013
Website:  www.torontozoo.com

  The Toronto Zoo has two types of woodchucks.  There are those that can be found in an enclosure in the Kids Zoo and those that live wild on the grounds or in the surrounding Rouge Valley.  We have encountered both types during our visits to the zoo.  Woodchucks are large rodents which are part of the marmot family and can be found throughout Canada and the eastern USA.

  Another name for woodchucks is groundhog.  Most people may be familiar with Groundhog Day which takes place on February 2nd.  It is said that on this day if a groundhog comes out of his burrow and sees his shadow then there will be 6 more weeks of winter.  If the groundhog does not see his shadow then it will be an early spring.  Two of the most famous groundhog prognosticators are Punxsutawney Phil in the United States and Wiarton Willie in Canada.

  The two woodchucks pictured at the top of this post are permanent residents of the zoo.  The woodchuck pictured above is one that we encountered as we walked along the pathways of the zoo.  We could tell that we startled him because he stood up on his hind legs and looked around to ensure he was not in any danger.  Once he was confident that we meant him no harm, he went back to rummaging through the grass.  Another woodchuck we encountered seemed to enjoy a little danger.  We spotted him inside the Indian Rhino enclosure.  The Toronto Zoo displays its animals by geographic region, so we knew that an animal from India would not be on display with one from North America.  While the rhino was over by the fence, this little woodchuck decided to eat from the rhino's hay.  He had better be careful.  While the woodchuck may not have the strength to chuck any of the wood he was hiding behind, the rhino could chuck the whole pile with just one swing of its head.

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Map of Our World
Toronto Zoo (Kids Zoo) , Toronto Zoo (Indian Rhino)

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Post # 94

Carnaval de Quebec

Location: Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
Address:  Plaines D'Abraham
Date: Feb 2010
Website: www.carnaval.qc.ca

  For many years Quebec City has hosted a carnival in the very heart of winter.  It starts at the end of January and runs throughout most of February.  The carnival includes parades, fireworks, games, music and more.  In the mid 1950s the carnival was revitalized and a snowman wearing a red hat and sash became its official mascot.  His name is Bonhomme Carnaval.  We encountered Bonhommes all over Quebec City.  We were even greeted by one when we arrived at the airport.

  The main site of Carnaval de Quebec is located on the Plains of Abraham.  Before we reached the plains, we passed Place Loto-Quebec and Bonhomme's Ice Palace.  Each year a special palace is constructed out of blocks of ice.  Due to the temperature at this time of year being constantly below zero there is no fear of this palace melting during the carnival.

   In order to gain access to all of the Carnaval events you need to wear a small pin or effigy on your jacket.  The theme in 2010 was "The Carnival Makes You Dance!" so the effigys featured Bonhomme dancing in front of a disco ball. 

  As we entered the main Carnaval site we walked past the International Snow Sculpture Event.  All of the competitors deserve an award just for enduring the extreme cold weather for hours while working on their snowy creations.

  A few of our favourites were a gymnastics sculpture, a man escaping from a bear and a screaming ice face.

 

  The sculpture above represents how most people look when that first blast of cold Quebec City winter air hits their face.  It was almost cold enough that your face might just stay that way.  We did seek out a temporary reprieve from the cold by going into a few tents, like the Mr. Christie / Kraft tent that was giving out samples.

 

  Then it was back outside where we took part in some zip lining and tobogganing until the sun started to go down.  We enjoyed our time at Carnaval de Quebec but now we were ready to head back towards our hotel. We needed to find a fireplace to thaw us out and a nice hot meal to fill us up.   

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Map of Our World
Carnaval de Quebec

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Post # 93

Rue Saint Louis

Location: Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
Address:  34 Rue Saint Louis
Date: Feb 2010
Website: www.auxancienscanadiens.qc.ca

  Quebec City in the winter is cold.  We arrived at the end of January and we were thinking it must have been somewhere in the -40 C range.  We could be wrong, but it is normal for Quebec City to have low temperatures at this time of year.  Temperatures lower than -20 C are not unusual.  Add some wind chill to that and there you go.  To give you an idea of how cold it was as soon as you went outside your eyelashes would freeze together from the moisture from your eyes.  If you had a bit of a runny nose as soon as you took that first breath your nostrils would freeze solid and you would have to resort to mouth breathing.  This was best done through several layers of a carefully wrapped scarf.  We were ready for the weather and had on thermal long underwear, thick clothing, thick socks and minimal exposed skin.  We braced ourselves as we stepped out of the doors of Chateau Frontenac and headed into the frozen city.

  We were headed to Quebec's Winter Carnival and our route took us down one of the oldest streets in Quebec City.  Rue Saint Louis has been around since the 1600s.  It stands to reason that one of the oldest streets would have the oldest house in Quebec City.  Maison Jacquet was built in about 1676 and is still standing to this day.  The restaurant Aux Anciens Canadiens moved into this building almost 300 years later in 1966.  

  As you head further west you leave the rows of shops and restaurants behind and head towards what looks like a castle.  This is the Porte Saint Louis and is one of the city gates.  It is part of a wall that surrounds the city and attaches to the military fort La Citadelle de Quebec.  We headed under the pedestrian archway and continued our journey beyond the city walls.

  If it was possible, it seemed even colder at this point. We had almost reached our destination.  A bust of Gandhi braved the elements just outside of Bonhomme's Castle.

  A short distance from Gandhi was a monument to François-Xavier Garneau.  He was a French Canadian poet and civil servant who wrote the history book, Histoire du Canada.  Just a little further past Francois and we had reached the Plains of Abraham where Carnaval was set up.  A horse drawn carriage went by close to the Quebec Parliament building.

 

  After enjoying ourselves at Carnaval it was time to make the return trip to our hotel.  On the way back it was darker and some snow began to fall.  We stopped and enjoyed a much needed hot meal at the restaurant Aux Anciens Canadiens we had passed earlier.  We enjoyed both the decor and our dinner.  Some french onion soup at the beginning of the meal was the perfect thing to start the defrosting process.  When we stepped outside again, the street lights seemed to glow a little brighter and the snow twinkled in the light.  Despite the bitter cold we walked along Rue Saint Louis towards Chateau Frontenac feeling warm inside.

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Map of Our World
Gandhi Bust (Quebec City) , Francois Xavier Garneau Statue
Aux Anciens Canadiens Restaurant
Chateau Frontenac

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Post # 92