Ontario - Sudbury, music, and more ...

Speaking of industrial base ... our next stop was Sudbury.  We were expecting the "moonscape" we had read about.  We understand training for moon missions actually took place around Sudbury, since the landscape was so devoid of life due to the terrible acid rain from the nickel smelter operations.

Imagine our surprise to find a green, pleasant city, full of life in and around, and nary a trace of moonscape!  And Greater Sudbury claims 330 lakes within its borders!  The smelter has now become a "super smelter", with the smokestack over 1,000 ft. high.  Huge efforts have been taken to lime the areas in and around the city, so that plants can grow ... and the results are impressive.

Excellent infrastructure for outdoor music!

And to boot, we discovered just before arriving that the annual Northern Lights Festival Boreal was about to take place.  It's the oldest continuously running music festival in Canada, having started in 1972.  Since we couldn't attend the Vancouver Folk Music Festival this year, it was a golden opportunity --- which we took!

 Three nights and two days full of wonderful music, in the midst of the hottest temperatures on our trip so far (32 degrees), and heavy, torrential rain on Sunday evening before the headline act ... classic outdoor Canadian music festival!  

The frenetic energy of "So-called"

Musical highlights for Surrinder included the Weber Brothers, Lynn Miles (Surrinder liked her because Lynn says she wants more of everything ... and so does Surrinder!), the 24th St. Wailers, and D'Harmo.  In addition, the NDP MP for the Timmins area, Charlie Angus, was a wonderful discovery.  An excellent musician and songwriter, he formerly played in a punk rock group and later a more folk based group. What a treat!  Very socially conscious music.  Google him, and you'll be impressed. 


Other socially powerful performers included "Kill the Autocrat" (actual initials O.B.), young Austin musician Silas Lowe, and Anne Feeney.

Amazing MP, Char

The Weber Brothers

D'Harmo!  Harmonica trio ...

And not to be outdone ... The Good Brothers!

We were both also blown away by the high energy, brilliant improvised music of "Socalled" -- a Montreal based group based around a fellow named Josh. Probably the most unexpected performers of the weekend. This was a rare full weekend music festival for Surrinder, who had to "warm up" to the idea in view of the expected heat wave -- which turned out even hotter than projected. We're happy to report that with specific strategies (imagine - staying in the shade!), we both survived and came away with big smiles.

All sorts of music ...

Lynn Miles

Amazing blues jam with the Weber Bros and the 24th St. Wailers

Kathleen Edwards, headliner on Saturday night

Rosie and the Riveters on the lake cruise

Serena Ryder closing the Festival after the rains on Sunday night

Since the festival takes place on the shores of Ramsey Lake, there were even hour long musical cruises on the lake -- we took in a wonderful Saskatoon women's vocal group called Rosie and the Riveters. As we returned, the rain began.  Fortunately it cleared up in time for us to see the headline act, which was Serena Ryder.  Boy, did she have energy!

This was one time that Walmart came in handy for a place to stay overnight.  A surprisingly pleasant, peaceful oasis away from the frenzy of the festival parking area.  Also allowed us to buy whatever we needed, on short notice.

Because Sudbury took longer than expected, we stayed only a short while in North Bay, where we visited with the next in the Fung clan -- Donald and Sharon Fung and family, and their beautiful home near a small ski hill!  Donald and Sharon very kindly gave us a tour on short notice, taking us aroudn the beach area, the fascinating new hospital, the ski hill, and even the former NORAD --North American Aerospace Defense Command -- base, no longer in commission, but soon perhaps to become a museum.

North Bay also claims the Dionne quintuplets, who were actually born in a small francophone community nearby, Corbeil.  The Dionne museum near the Chamber of Commerce contains all sorts of memorabilia and artefacts. This reminded Surrinder of her father, who was fascinated by the quints.  They were a major event in the 30's, and a huge tourist draw with a large following.  And yes, a couple of them are still alive today, aged 79.