South by southwest . . .

. . . of here lies one small corner of Southern Ontario. The agricultural land is not the best – a little bit too sandy compared to thick loam of Oxford County. It is not a crowded part of Ontario as a typical highway scene shows.

A generation ago it was tobacco country but now it is a varied harvest including fruit trees, corn, grain, and peanuts yielded from a climate moderated by the nearby lake.

Settlement into the interior of Southern Ontario lagged settlement along the coast of the great lakes by almost 100 years. When settlement did come it was mostly by groups from the US to the south. Quaker and Methodist pioneers were later followed by immigrants from England and Europe. Many of the early centers have faded away as youth moved to the larger settlements of St. Thomas and London next door. But some, like the originally quaker settlement of Sparta are still active.



A little known aspect of Ontario’s culture is the maritime atmosphere created by the ports along the shores of the Great Lakes.

Port Stanley, south of London, has been an important port for centuries . . . for fishing . . .

. . . . and shipment of coal and other commodities.

Transition

Way back in the middle part of the 21st century – the hydrocarbon fuelled economy changed to electricity and people found new ways to keep their homes warm in the winter. In Ingersoll, a few indicators are visible today of what was later to be history. The problem of Canada’s cold winters was solved by sticking refrigeration coils in the ground and using a little bit of electricity pull constantly replenished geothermal heat out of the ground. Canada is now a world leader for geothermal heating systems and in Ingersoll one company is already busy installing new systems.

I saw an electric scooter on the streets of Ingersoll and chased it on my bicycle to discover a local electric pioneer who had just bought a new China-made solution to summer-time trips around town.

Mr. Mike Farlow is a local pioneer demonstrating that the transition to electric is feasible and economical. He has lots of videos on Youtube showing the development a couple years ago of his electric Jeep.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6XjPqEpGqw&feature=related

I had a ride in it and it runs great.

His house has solar panels, a windmill, and rain-catchment systems. He outlined the equipment I would need to run the Egypt apartment using solar power. If I can find solar-electric panels the next time I am dropped into the 8th century I shall have a system installed within a few weeks. Surprising to think that I will soon have a totally independent solar powered apartment with reliable power – unlike the 8th century power grid.

Pacing Time

Life on a small scale may seem slow. In truth, it is faster and more precise than in most larger centres. Schedules can be tighter and more exact, simply because it is possible to get from one point to another in a clearly defined piece of time. One these streets, there are no traffic jams.

And two can make a crowd.

Later in the day though, the main street gets busy.


In the evening, its quiet again and entertainment of children can be as simple a short walk down the street to a horse ranch where famous harness racers are bred,

Small Towns Changed

As little as a decade ago small Ontario towns had little to offer and residents relied upon nearby larger towns for everything from food to education. The last economic boom has changed many things and now even a town as small as Ingersoll – 12,000 – people has businesses and services to meet most needs. A food superstore now offers everything from gourmet delicatessen foods . . . . . .

. . . to garden exotic flowers. . . .

. . . and there is a trendy restaurants offering nachos and guacamole.

And a library that offers a free high speed Wifi zone, a wide selection of DVDs, 20 computer terminals, and quiet corner with gourmet coffee and a wide selection of newspapers.

The old foundations of social sanctuary are still at work including the Lion’s Club . . . .

. . . . the Masonic Lodge.

. . and many churches . . .

Market Time

It is, or was, Saturday and another market day. Beginning with two major cultural past-times: A quick breakfast at McDonald’s . . . .

. . . . . and the all important visit to the Canadian tradition of the Weather Channel.

At the market, the live version of the Weather Channel was pouring down.

But the French Fries were did not get soggy until a selection of one of the 6 types of designer vinegars were applied.

The famous “Trail’s End” Farmer’s market just east of London, Ontario was in full-swing. A section at the back sells miscellaneous chicken’s and ducks – either as children’s pets . . .

. . . . or as short-term visitors to local Vietnamese restaurants.

Food and faith have gone together for a very long time, as shown in this prayer posted above Gerber’s Meats – a Mennonite family’s station in the market.

Elsewhere, a church offers free books to shoppers needing spiritual support.

And apples have been welcomed out from the cold to cook up intrigues in the kitchen’s of the unsuspecting.

City of Streams

Unlike some towns which have buried creeks and streams in long concrete tunnels buried away for convenience sake, the streams of Ingersoll still run mostly free to meet the Thames River in the heart of town.

Once they powered mills and were home to trout and Beavers. Increasingly they are forming the centerpiece of parks and recreational activities. Below a couple fly-fishermen practice in the Thames River near the heart of town.

Time Forward

The more things change – the better they get. Innovation in Education remains the best option for human advancement – or perhaps just to keep its grip on what it has already. The old schools of the middle of last century are still at work in the centre of town.

And a few new things have been added including something new called the “Fusion Centre”. One of two such facilities in Canada it is a form of enhanced after-hours teenage drop-in center with technical and instructor support for everything from cooking to music production. This facility routinely receives visits from educators from other countries exploring how to set up similar facilities.

Buildings

A short bike ride around Ingersoll town unveils the remnant history of people’s coming and going across the seas of time. The early 1800’s saw the area still covered with the thick forest and the lumber industry thrived as land was cleared for settlement. One of the uses for the felled trees was to fuel brickworks and companies were founded here in Ingersoll to produce bricks – large houses remain as evidence of the fortunes and prosperity achieved.

Much later, a number of machine works were established which prospered during the wars and in the dawning of the age of the automobile – employing many factory workers at low-paying but steady jobs which paid for the simpler neighbourhoods near the railway tracks.

A “good–buy!” to Morning

In the dawn’s early light only those blessed with Jet Lag have the chance to enjoy the morning in its most pristine state. The early spring means that young robin nestlings are already learning to fly and the air is alive with birdsong.

A couple new squirrels have climbed down a tree to inspect their first human of the day.

The Elven Saint Otto is at his post as the neighbourhood's patron saint of garages.

And the dew is still upon the flower gardens of the better front yards.

Later, much later, it is time to go to market. Near the east end of London Ontario is a new business known as “Trail’s End”. Here, so many years ago a small farmer’s market was started – which is now still growing. It is a place where local farmer’s bring their produce to compete with produce brought from other places. Here there is everything from fine Mennonite crafted furniture, to ducks, to genuine French Fries . . .

And a great selection of butcheries . . . including Pork.

And then its time for breakfast at a genuine small town cafe . . .

Embarcadero

Another rift in the space time continuum and I felt myself transported through time – I imagined a famous German Philosopher reclining in a bar and sharing his ideas with time travellers such as myself.

Then we were tossed into a volcanic dust cloud – and lost in a dream of puffy clouds and ice-caps.

When I regained consciousness I was facing a cold rain, overcast skies, and buses rescheduled to accommodate late arriving fellow explorers from the furthest reaches of Greenland. I am back, or forward, now - to where I once began in the heart of south-western Ontario; back amongst my own Tribe of Scottish and German descended peoples who more-or-less look the same, have the same blue eyes, the same flat voices, and for whom grey skies, rain, and cold walks along wooded trails remain a past and present experience.

The colonial traditions live here still – many years after I used to sing “God Save the Queen" before morning classes in public school. There is a Victoria park in every town . . . .

. . . and a grey sombre rock somewhere in town to remind us of sacrifices on battlefields far away.

The region was opened for settlement fairly late in North American history. A loyalist settler from Massachusetts made his way up the Thames River until he found a spot with several streams flowing down to the river from surrounding hills.

Streams meant power for mills and so a site for a settlement was chosen. In present time, the old mill sites are in ruin – but the streams still flow.

Today, the quiet remains as industrial ages have come and gone and residents have only just begun to reverse a migration which took them away to other cities and countries. The iron rails that took away youth to nearby Toronto may yet bring them back to the modern efficiency of a place where one can walk across the entire town in 20 minutes.