SWIMMING WITH THE POLAR BEARS (by Bonita)

SWIMMING WITH THE POLAR BEARS


We were bound for COCHRANE, population 5,000 to visit the POLAR BEAR HABITAT and to catch the POLAR BEAR EXPRESS train up to Moosenee and Moose Lake in the remote tundra north of here.

Well, we were in for a few laughs! First of all, the Polar Bear Express only operates from June 28 until August 28. June 28 seemed to be a magical date up here. That’s also when the COCHRANE VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRE opens. Cochrane is a very cold town so that might explain why they set up a refuge for orphaned polar bears here. Our friend Frank Vanderzande, had told Peter that he could swim with polar bears here.

Well, we found the drab, brown entry building and gift shop at the Polar Bear Habitat, just after we walked past yet another long, yellow school bus. Uh, oh, we thought – a bus load of school kids and polar bears! Well, we were right. There were about 30 Indian kids from over 1000kms away, north of Thunder Bay and up below Hudson Bay. The kids were all shapes and sizes and ages – some so obese they could hardly see out of their eyes. Some appeared to be Metis (that is the people born nine months after the fur traders, particularly the French arrived in an Indian area).

We established the fact that “the bear” NANOOK would be fed at 1.30pm. We then discovered that the other bears we had expected to meet were no longer there. The twins had gone to Toronto Zoo a few weeks ago and the other old bear had been euthanized, a few months ago, despite public outcry, because he had advanced kidney failure. They are hoping to “rent” some more polar bears I was told.

Nothing daunting us, on a gloriously sunny day with T-shirt weather, we watched the lone 30 year old bear, NANOOK, roll on the grass in his very strong, high wire enclosure and then proceed to eat copious amounts of grass. I thought: Oh no – now he’s sick. He’s eating grass. I said to Peter. “Things are closed or not operating until June 28 and now the lone bear looks like he is sick!”

We did a quick whiz around the reconstructed village with its antique snowmobile collection and empty flower beds. Let’s hope they get those annuals in place before the 28th June! At the entry they had told us that we would find “the Concession” (mobile food stand to us) was open to buy food. As we arrived at the Concession we saw the 30 Indians eating at tables under a marquis. This looked and smelt hopeful. So we approached the nearby Concession which had a CLOSED sign, stating REOPENING 10.00am. Voices and the clatter of kitchenware could be heard so we called out hopefully. The man came out and told us he had just opened up to feed the 30 Indians and, no, the Concession would REOPEN on, you’ve guessed it, the 28th June!! He sold us two packets of potato chips and two ginger ale cans as it was too far back to the RV to make lunch before the bear feeding at 1.30pm. We were carrying our swimming togs and towels for our swim with the bears (now the bear). It suddenly dawned on us that we might be sharing the small pool with the 30 dubiously dirty or clean school-kids who would block our view of the bear. So we asked their teacher who reassured us they were now going horse-riding. That was a relief for a while at least. We changed into our togs with plenty of time, at 1.15pm just in case another school group arrived. We had been told somewhere by a teacher that they have to cram all their school field trips into this mild time of year before the summer school holidays start.

After changing, we wore our clothes over the top of our togs for a while and then we went to the red shower at the edge of the pool. We wanted to obey the instruction which said “Everyone must shower before entering the pool.” I felt some relief that the shower did not work. After all, it was not the 28th June just yet. The “pool” was more of a shallow puddle on our side of the thick glass panel separating us from the deep pool where NANOOK would eat at 1.30pm. It was now 1.40pm – no bear, no staff and no Indians! We gingerly waded into the 3ft of water, not really an Olympic pool, which we had been assured was heated to 20 degrees C. But was it heated before the 28th June?

A man and his handicapped adult son who were warmly dressed, were in the nearby enclosed Observation Area and they watched us shiver our way into the water, still standing upright. In the distance we could see the bear now pacing and not entering his side of the pool. We wondered if he had eaten too much when the Indians had seen him early in the morning before they went horse-riding. Next minute, two girls arrived in a golf buggy and told us they were late because they could not coax NANOOK into the water. He was pacing because it was mating season. We thought “Now the bear won’t eat nor swim and the water we were wading in probably does not get chlorine added until the 28th June!!

AT LAST – the bear dived into his side of the pool. What a beautiful sight he made with his clean, white fluffy fur, his graceful yet powerful swimming and diving. I loved looking at the soles of his mighty feet. He was eating carrots, lettuce and the watermelon being thrown to him from a tower above us. I thought “that’s diet food”. After all, a whole head of lettuce is only 7 calories. I know that from Weight Watchers!! Well, it turns out he is fed meat and fish at other times of the day. He also had great pleasure eating a huge ice-block in which was frozen carrots and cabbage, holding it between his massive paws and crunching it with his massive jaws.

So all ended well – well sort of . I had to get out of the pool as my feet kept cramping with the cold. I hope it will be warmer for those tourists when they arrive after the 28th June!

This video is from a performance of Orange Blossom Special by the Ross Family at  their Ceilidh performed at Stanley Bridge Women's Institute Hall on Prince Edward Island on August 25 2010.  It is used here with permission.  We strongly recommend you get along to hear one of their performances if you are visiting PEI over the summer.  It was one of the highlights of our 9 month visit to Canada.  Here is an extract from their publicity material:

"This young brother-sister foursome perform a high-energy show featuring Island/Acadian fiddle music and their trademark step-dancing; plus songs and stories in English, with a wee dose of French. A true, down-to-earth PEI musical experience in a charming rural hall that is only a five-minute drive west of Cavendish! Strawberries and ice-cream available."

Pictures and Video up to June 10

The first blog showed some pictures at Lake Louise in Banff National Park. This is a video of you-know-who negotiating snow-covered stairs there.

It also referred to Frank’s brother John and his motorized collection. Here is a bit of video of 1 of his sheds where he keeps his snow-mobile collection. He then surprises the people standing behind it by lifting the most powerful of them and starting it. They get covered in rocks and dirt and Frank wisely keeps his legs apart!

Robert Ricks, our good friend for over 23 years, lives in a condo in Minneapolis. Sonia will remember him and his wife Sondra who passed away a few years ago.

Many cars in the US wear bumper stickers that read “God Bless America”. Robert has found a more balanced approach.

A short walk from Robert’s condo is the Minnehaha falls.

Just down from the falls is this beautiful statue based on Henry Longfellow's poem depicting Hiawatha about to carry Minnehaha across a river.

Here it is close-up - one of the loveliest statues I have ever seen.

A plaque in the condo garden reminds us of our children and grand-children.

Another reminder of how big grizzlies can grow at the Science Museum in Minneapolis.

The museum had a section on medical quackeries. Bonita thinks this is appropriate for Peter.  If you double-click the picture, you will be able to read the text.

But he would draw the line with this one!

At Chippewa Falls in Wisconsin, we called on Roger and Sandy Churness, whom we met at Jasper in 2009.

A couple getting into the spirit at a ‘Renaissance’ medieval fair at Chippewa Falls.

We hoped it was not permanent!

Memorial day in Madison, Wisconsin. Most of the men at the church we visited wore ties displaying the flag or other American symbols.

A group on Memorial Day mounted 1 small headstone for every dead soldier along the footpath of a main road. It was labeled by year and place - a very poignant reminder of how many young American men and women the country has lost.

We went to a ‘Veterans For Peace’ anti-war rally to see what went on. This woman had done 3 stints in Iraq as a medico and spoke strongly against the USA involvement.

A group at the rally performing 'Bring ‘Em Home'. I apologise that I cannot acknowledge them by name or ask their permission to use this. If you know their name, let me know so I can do so.

Interesting Thai statue in a garden.

We did a tour of a WWII submarine powered by batteries. This is the guide with 1 of the batteries.

Some groups go to extreme lengths to get their point across!

One of the first steam trains to run on rails – true horseless carriages. We saw this at the National Railway Museum in Manitowoc, Michigan.

An early train designed and built by General Motors – remind you of anything?

A snow plough train at work.

‘Big Boy’, the biggest loco ever built – no, not Peter, the steam engine!

Peter has found a new sign for his study at home. It’s actually a sign from the luxurious Pullman railway carriage from early last century. Mike and Walter, would you like a copy?

Can you see the tunnel in the cliff where the waves flow through?

Now you can see it!

A picnic table accommodating wheel-chairs??

Someone determined to show he is on holidays.

The sign on the chair.

Here is some poor quality video taken from our TV of our TV interview. We entered the Ontario Visitor Information Office in Sault Ste Marie on our return to Canada from the US just as they were inaugurating ‘Holiday in Ontario Week’. They had media reps there including 2 TV crews. As soon as they heard our accents they rushed us and interviewed us.

Peter in the cold with far too much clean water taken by a warm and dry Bonita while he did an ‘RV Dump’, one of the regular tasks befalling the males of the household in the RVing community.

Pucker up!

Peter on Lake Superior – trying to remember what he used to do prior to retiring!

And the Canadians try to tell us they are frightened of our wildlife!

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Peter risking life and limb after photographing First Nation's rock paintings on a cliff ledge on Lake Superior. Note the ropes to assist people who fall into the water in the attempt.

Bonita about to photograph Peter taking a picture of ……..

These big bee-hive shaped buildings are common in Eastern Canada. They store grit for the roads in winter.

The name of the town of Wawa, a 1720's fur-trading post on Lake Superior, is an Ojibwe word meaning 'wild goose' so guess what they have as the town mascot - The Big ????????

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Hope you enjoyed this blog!

Pictures up to May 25

The nomads in front of ‘Harvey’ the RV.

Our great friends, Frank and Diana, who have made our Canadian journeys possible. They live near the Canadian Rockies close to Prince George, British Columbia.

One of Frank’s toys used to clear the snow around the house in winter, the bucket as a platform to replace the TV antenna on Harvey, and general fun.

Peter on a day quadding with a brand new CanAm 650cc quad organized by fellow ham Bill. It even had power steering. This was to be a future demo machine and needing breaking in but hopefully, not breaking by Peter. He managed not to scratch it too much!

The team on the trail. Travelling along trails with patches of snow here and there, visiting lakes, etc was a great experience.

Camping site, 1st night on the road

The view from our 1st camping site. ‘O Canada!'

2nd night campsite in the Rockies about 6 weeks prior to summer starting.

How about a barbecue?

Peter on thin ice with Bonita. Rather strange that he gets into similar predicaments without needing any ice! This is beautiful Lake Louise still frozen. We enjoyed Mothers' Day coffee and cake in historical Lake Louise Hotel.

Watch out below!

A little older version of Peter looking for a feed - Royal Tyrell Dinosaur Museum in Alberta. Can anyone give him a hand – or leg, or ….?

Our helpful guides at the T Rex Museum in Saskatchewan.

Frank and Diana’s new 26’ caravan with all mod cons

A vehicle identical to one Frank used to drive in the Arctic north of Canada.

Poor teachers!

Ham radio heaven – Ham Museum at Austin Manitoba on the grounds of the "Manitoba Agricultural Museum"

Bonita thinks this looks familiar but cannot remember why.

Frank’s brother John in the rear right lives near Winnipeg and collects golf carts (3), quads, skidoos (about 7 or 8), and I suspect anything that moves! His fastest skidoo will do 200kph – scary!

Frank + 4 brothers and sisters - from left John, Ria, Elly and Nick – on Frank’s 66th birthday.

The VanderZande family and friends

PUFF Victoria Birthday Weekend pancake breakfast in Keewatin Ontario (near Kenora)

Nick and Diane's vacuum-cleaning robot. Bonita wants one for her birthday.

Nick on his pontoon – waiting for Frank to join the NDP (New Democratic Party).

Frank on Nick’s pontoon waiting for Nick to join the Conservative Party.