The Second City Toronto turns 50 this year

I didn't realize that The Second City turns 50 this year. No surprise that I found out while watching my favorite TV arts/culture magazine show, CBS Sunday Morning. They had a great piece by The Second City alum Nancy Giles.

Toronto alumni include Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, John Candy, Dave Thomas, Martin Short, Mike Myers, Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara.

I didn't have time to take in a performance at The Second City Toronto while on my cross-Canada train adventure, but the Shut Up and Show Us Your Tweets! show sounds hilarious.

CN Tower in Toronto
Photo by Sue Frause

Yousuf Karsh: Karsh of Ottawa

I'd never heard of Yousuf Karsh until I stayed at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier in Ottawa. It turns out that he and his wife Estrellita made the iconic hotel their home from 1980-1998. His presence at the hotel as a resident and legendary photographer is a big part of Chateau Laurier's identity. He also had his photo studio in the hotel from 1973-1992.

The association dates back to 1931 when Karsh moved to Ottawa to open a photo studio. Knowing that the capital city was a major crossroads for many prominent political figures, he was correct in assuming that government officials and visiting statesmen would contact him to be photographed. They did.

One of his earliest mentors was MacKenzie King. in fact, King orchestrated the infamous portrait of Sir Winston Churchill that was taken in the Speaker's Chamber of the Canadian House of Parliament in 1941. That one photo brought Karsh international fame. Churchill was quoted as saying to Karsh, "You can even make a roaring lion stand still to be photographed," after Karsh surprised Churchill by grabbing the cigar out of his mouth. The Churchill portrait has been widely reproduced.

Other Karsh portraits include Albert Einstein, Georgia O'Keefe, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Pierre Trudeau, Bishop Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela. His photographs have become part of many permanent collections around the world, include the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa.

When Karsh and his wife left the Fairmont Chateau Laurier in 1998, Suite 358 was renamed to honor the couple. He donated 15 of his prints to the hotel, and today six of them hang in the Reading Lounge, including this one of Einstein. Others are in the Karsh Suite.

Photos by Sue Frause

Christmas comes early in Canada

One thing I noticed during my two-week cross-country train adventure in Canada was that Christmas seems to arrive much earlier north of the 49th Parallel. No, I don't mean the weather (it was unseasonably warmish and sunny), but all the holiday hoopla in early November.

I spotted wreaths in Halifax and heard Christmas music in Montreal. And the lovely Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City was beautifully decorated for the winter holiday and even Santa Claus was in place.

So what's the big rush? Turns out that Canada doesn't have the buffer of Thanksgiving in November that we do in the states. They celebrate Thanksgiving on the second Monday in October, which means that in many places, holiday decorations and hints of Christmas begin appearing shortly after Halloween.

I spotted these Christmas cookies at Le Moulin de Provence in Ottawa's ByWard Market. The bakery became famous after President Barack Obama's visit earlier this year and created a huge increase in orders for its signature maple leaf cookies.

But now, it's time to celebrate Thanksgiving and the long weekend in the USA. Bon appetit to everybody celebrating our American holiday!

Photo by Sue Frause

12 Pacific Northwest Getaways (BC included)

No surprise that among my list of 12 Pacific Northwest Getaways that I'm posting on my Examiner.com website, two from British Columbia have already made the list: Vancouver, BC and Vancouver Island's Oceanside Region (Parkside and Qualicum Beach).

I've only posted a third of my dozen destinations to date, so keep checking my Examiner site for the remainder of the list. And yes, British Columbia will be in the future mix!

Summer sunset at Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort, Parksville, BC
Photo by Sue Frause

Closet Canuck's Great Big Canadian Train Adventure FINAL DAY 13: (Almost) home to Vancouver, BC

Among the highlights of the trip were all the people I met aboard the Canadian, like this couple from Hamburg. Currently residing in New York City, we plan to meet up again in the coming. Every passenger had a story, and with four days/nights to fill, there was plenty of time to get to know folks.

We're getting close to Vancouver, BC and no surprise that it's grey and rainy. But it's always nice to be heading home.

Raindrops keep fallin' on my head. But my 5,006km VIA Rail Canada journey (3,111 miles) from Halifax to Montreal was mostly under blue skies.

First on my agenda in Vancouver was a cappuccino at Caffe Artigiano, just a few blocks from the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver (and free WiFi).

After lunch at The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, I enjoyed a wonderful massage treatment at Absolute Spa, located on the lower floor.

My train adventure wasn't over, as I caught the 5:45 PM Amtrak Cascades from Vancouver to Seattle. Sadly, the food aboard Amtrak wasn't nearly as good as on VIA Rail. I stuck with snacks and wine, and watched the latest Harry Potter movie. What a wonderful adventure I've had!

Photos by Sue Frause

Closet Canuck's Great Big Canadian Train Adventure DAY 12: Edmonton, Jasper and westward to BC

We arrived in Edmonton early Sunday morning, and had an hour layover at the VIA Rail Station. As Alberta's capital, Edmonton is called the gateway to the north, due to its strategic location for fur, gold and oil exploration. The city is located on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River.

Daylight and VIA Rail's Canadian makes its way to Jasper, passing through Edson at mile 129. It's midway between Edmonton and Jasper National Park, and from there will be the first view of the Rockies.

The sun breaks through the clouds and blue sky greets us as we enter Jasper National Park.

Things were pretty quiet in Jasper on a Sunday afternoon. The biggest activity was the football game that featured the BC Lions vs. Hamilton Tigers-Cats that was on the TV at the train station.

Everybody back on board! After about an hour in Jasper, passengers reboarded for their final night on the Canadian. Tomorrow morning, Vancouver.

I loved going through the pre-winter wonderland of the Rockies, with snow falling all around us. And even played some Christmas iTunes in my MacBook. Tony Bennett's I'll Be Home For Christmas made me just a wee bit homesick.

One of the more fun loving members of the crew was Fabian from Montreal, now living in Winnipeg. Not only did he tend to the passengers on board in the dining car, he sang and entertained after our final dinner aboard the Canadian.

Photos by Sue Frause

NEXT: Homeward bound to Vancouver, BC

Closet Canuck's Great Big Canadian Train Adventure DAY 11: West to Winnipeg and Saskatchewan

Somewhere in Manitoba, a few hours east of Winnipeg. VIA Rail was running four hours late due to an issue with a freight train, so we only had an hour to spend in Winnipeg.

The Esplanade Riel is a pedestrian bridge across the Red River that connects the Forks in downtown Winnipeg with St. Boniface, Winnipeg's Francophile community. Winnipeg is home to more than 50 ethnic communities, and holds its annual Folklorama the first two weeks of August.

Collège Universitaire de Saint-Boniface and Saint Boniface Cathedral as seen from the train. Winnipeg was the original hub of the Canadian fur trade, due to its location at the junction of the Red, Assiniboine and Seine rivers.

Sunset in Western Manitoba as the train makes its way to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. We arrived late at night and it was only a 25-minute stop, so I didn't get off the train. But I sure would have liked some Saskatoon Berry Pie!

Agriculture is important to Manitoba's economy, and can be found mainly in the southern part of the province, along with spectacular sunsets.

Photos by Sue Frause

NEXT: Jasper and the Rockies of Alberta

Closet Canuck's Great Big Canadian Train Adventure DAY 10: Gogama, Foleyet & Hornepayne, Ontario

My cabin in the sleeper car Mackenzie had a small little sink and a toilet. Yes, I brought aspirin just in case!

After traveling all night, it was time for breakfast, somewhere around the town of Gogama, Ontario. Breaky was open seating, but there were two seatings for lunch and dinner. The food was quite delicious and very plentiful -- often times I ordered half a portion.

We arrived in Foleyet around 11:15 AM and had a few minutes to stretch our legs and get some fresh air. There didn't seem to be much happening in this Ontario town of only 216 residents.

Foleyet was created during the construction of the Canadian Northern Railway in the early 1900s.

Part of the passing scenery aboard VIA Rail Canada in Ontario.

We arrived in Horneypayne at 3:15 PM and had about 30 minutes. I stopped in the local grocery-everything store and picked up another paperback. The town has a population of 1,209 and started out as a railway town. Today the major industry is wood, as evidenced by the piles of logs and pulp and plywood plants that border the railway tracks.

The sun will soon set and we are scheduled to reach the border of Manitoba in the town of Winnitoba at 5:54 AM the next morning.

Photos by Sue Frause

NEXT: Winnipeg and on to Saskatchewan

Closet Canuck's Great Big Canadian Train Adventure DAY 9: Niagara Falls and VIA Rail from Toronto west

American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls as seen from Skylon Tower in Niagara Falls, Ontario. I went on an all-day tour to Niagara Falls with Magic Bus Tours. The $75 ticket includes R/T transportation from Toronto; lots of time at the falls; a visit to Niagara-on-the-Lake; a stop at a local winery and other attractions along the way.

The Canadian Horseshoe Falls are 167 ft. high, and in fact almost 1/3 of the falls lie within the US (according to the USGS). They are located between Terrapin Point on Goat Island in New York state, and Table Rock on the Ontario side of the falls.

I loved being there in the off-season. Sure, the Maid of the Mist wasn't running, but there weren't hordes of people, either. And the weather was perfect! Niagara Falls has long been on my bucket list, so if you're in Toronto, go see them.

The town of Niagara Falls, Ontario is a little cheesy and Vegas-esque, and lunch dining options were somewhat limited. I ended up at the Hard Rock Cafe, where I had a very overpriced hamburger that wasn't all that great. But I hear the Canadian side of the falls is much better than the American side.

We spent about an hour in Niagara-on-the-Lake, located on the shore of Lake Ontario at the mouth of the Niagara River. It's known for the Shaw Festival that runs April-November, and has no shortage of upscale shops and restos.

Our tour concluded with a stop at the 20 Bees Winery, where we enjoyed a wine tasting that featured a few sips of Dan Aykroyd's Sauvignon Blanc. Yes, that Dan! He's a Canadian born in Ottawa and his father was a policy adviser to Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Dan was first introduced to wine during his Saturday Night Live days and now it's a big part of his life.

VIA Rail Canada's Canadian pulls out of the Toronto station at 10 PM on Thursday night. Our next stop will be in Horneypayne, Ontario on Friday afternoon. My little room on the sleeper car Mackenzie was small but cozy. The room next to me was empty, so I stowed my luggage in there.

Photos by Sue Frause

NEXT: Training through Ontario, a very big province!

Closet Canuck's Great Big Canadian Train Adventure DAY 8: Toronto's Frank Gehry & the Jersey Boys

It was unseasonably warm in Toronto during my two-night stay. As the fifth largest metropolitan area of North America, the Greater Toronto Area is a hefty 5.1 million (and there are three million publicly owned trees). Officially created in 1834, you can hear 128 dialects and languages on the streets of Toronto -- 46% of its population are immigrants.


I continued my overnighters with Fairmont, staying at The Fairmont Royal York. Now 80 years old, it has hosted some legendary guests, starting with Winston Churchill in 1929. The hotel has also been used as a movie set -- scenes were shot here for Chloe, Amelia, Grey Gardens and Take the Lead. I didn't spot any celebrities, but did have a nice chat with a former Attorney General of Canada in the hotel's Library Bar.

The new Art Gallery of Ontario, looking somewhat like a whale on Dundas Street West, is Toronto-born Frank Gehry's first building in Canada and marks the very place where he made the initial connection between art and architecture. Exhibitions on view include Edward Steichen: In High Fashion, The Conde Nast Years, 1923-1937 (ends Jan. 3, 2010) and Alexander Calder: The Paris Years, 1926-1933 (ends Jan. 10, 2010. King Tut: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs opens Nov. 24, 2009 and the AGO is the sole Canadian venue.

FRANK is the name of the restaurant at the Art Gallery of Ontario. Yes, it's named after Frank Gehry. I enjoyed lunch in the casual yet chic resto, which has modern Danish decor and a contemporary installation of Frank Stella's work, along with other art work. It's closed Mondays, along with the museum.

I took a 40-minute subway ride to The Toronto Centre for the Arts to see the Tony Award winning musical Jersey Boys. With the talented Jeff Madden in the lead as Frankie Valli, The Four Seasons came back to life in this lively, fast-paced production that has been extended through March 21, 2010. Pictured above are members of the Jersey Boys Orchestra: Sasha Boychouk, Mark Promane and Mike Herriott. It was a fun finale for my time in Toronto.

Photos by Sue Frause

NEXT: Niagara Falls

Closet Canuck's Great Big Canadian Train Adventure DAY SEVEN: Ottawa's Obama cookies and Toronto

It was a glorious weekday morning in Ottawa to walk around Parliament Hill, located just across the Rideau Canal from the Fairmont Chateau Laurier (that's a photo from my room). I was surprised at how lax security was, and only encountered one security patrol and a few uniformed people standing outside Canada's seat of government. It's a far cry from The White House! At the center of Parliament Hill is the Peace Tower pictured here -- a campanile or freestanding bell tower. The bells chime every quarter hour and the tower houses a carillon.

They're called the Canadian Parliamentary Cats and they live within meowing distance of the iconic buildings of Parliament Hill. The so-called Cat Sanctuary was developed in the 1970s by Irene Desormeaux and is funded by personal donations and aided by volunteers.


Ottawa's Byward Market is Canada's oldest continuously running farmers' market, opening in 1826. The four-block square area includes restaurants, clubs, boutiques, galleries and open air stalls with fresh produce, flowers and no shortage of handcrafted items. I bought two winter caps from Nepal for $25.

President Barack Obama's visit to a Byward Market bakery in Ottawa created a huge increase in orders for their signature maple leaf cookies. Walk in to Le Moulin de Provence and there they are, in a huge showcase. Right now, they're interspersed with Christmas tree cookies. I bought one and ate it on the train to Toronto. It was OK, but not great. Sort of nicer to look it and keep as a souvenir but ... too late!

No surprise that Le Moulin de Provence has plenty of proof that the POTUS was actually there in February 2009. There's also a sign outside.

I took VIA Rail from Ottawa to Toronto. Here the sun begins to set during the five-hour train ride, which included views out to Lake Ontario and no shortage of photo-friendly sky.

After checking into The Fairmont Royal York in Toronto for a two-night stay, I headed out for dinner at this Japanese restaurant, located just a few blocks from the hotel. Tomorrow's itinerary: explore Toronto and see Jersey Boys!

Photos by Sue Frause

NEXT: Toronto

Closet Canuck's Great Big Canadian Train Adventure: And now, a postcard from Manitoba

I'm quite a few days behind in my blogging. Mainly because there's no WiFi aboard Via Rail Canada from Toronto-Vancouver. I try to update at the stations, although our four-hour layover in Winnipeg, Manitoba was reduced to one hour due to a freight train breaking down.

At any rate, here is the sunset onboard Via Rail's Canada yesterday evening en route from Winnipeg to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

I'll catch up with my posts when I arrive in Vancouver and eventually Seattle in a few days.

Sunset west of Winnipeg, Manitoba
Photo by Sue Frause