Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

 Boat Show At Night.  Sailors' Delight.  Boat Show in the Day. Vendors Make Hay! Report from Annapolis By Pat Whetung Sailors be aware.  Each autumn boaters flock to historic Annapolis, Maryland trying to hang on to the last vestiages of fall. The port city, nestled on the banks of Spa Creek in Chesapeake Bay, hosts the annual United States Sailboat Show .   They come in cars. They come in inflatables.  Some sail in.  The common goal for all visiting sailors is to collect, connect and collaborate. The talk is all about boats, cruising, racing and significant events on and around the water.  There are hundreds of boats on display to tour and, if the price is right, buy.  On land there are scores of vendors hawking anything that might seperate a boater from his wallet! Lining up for tickets. Photo by Paul Horn In fact at this year's boat show, the vendors were  selling just about everythingboaters’ needs and wishes.  Walking through the stalls and visiting the boa

FISSURE FREEZING DIVING INLAND IN ICELAND Stephen Weir on the steps of Reykjavik's Sport Divers Club A cold clear rift river in the Thingvellir National Park It is cold. There is snow on the nearby mountain tops and  most days the moon is up longer than the sun.  It is late fall in Iceland and the fresh water dive season is still going strong! There are at least three dive operators  this time of year in Iceland offering guided scuba fresh water tours to rift valley river  in the Thingvellir National Park.  One shop offers a second safari to a geothermic lake near the capital city of Reykjavik.  There are ocean dives offered as well but are very much weather and sea condition dependent. Thingvellir Park is the most visited site in Iceland for three reasons.  It is a region where two tectonic plates  - the North American and Eurasian Plates all but  touch. It's a place where the continental plates have meet and are now drifting  apart at a rate of about 2cm per year.

. At the chicheria in rural Peru - drink twice chewed and then brewed (from a series of Facebook postings that received strong readership and approval) . Chicha is a popular working class drink in Peru. Made from fermenting corn, the beer-like beverage can be made in just 3-days. It is cheap (about 60 cents a glass) and easy to drink. There are an estimated 2,000 chicherias in Peru. Most don't have signs, just look for the universal Chicheria sign - a red flag over the door.  I paid this woman 60 cents for a glass of chicha and strawberry juice. Drink was invented by the Incas. Back in those days the corn was chewed by women before being put in fermentation vats. Nowadays the kernels are boiled before being placed in the vats. Maria plays for drinks. She lost   How to find a chicherias in Peru. Look for a red flag over the door. Usually dirt floors and no electricity.  Corn drink is cheap and not all that alcholic (3%). Big attraction at many of the un

Crossing the street in Cusco Peru - One part art, One part danger, One part daring do! (from a series of Facebook postings that received strong readership and approval) Crossing the Street in Peru Part 1 In the city of Cusco the police use humour to fight jaywalkers on their main street. As mentioned previously, crossing any street, even with walk/don't walk lights is a life threatening experience. Most days during business hours the police dress up officers in Punch and Judy costumes, cucumber-nose masks and Peruvian sheep whips to confront people trying to jaywalk. It works (till they go home) Check out companion posts of a pair of buskers/breakdancers in the middle of a busy street! Crossing the Street in Peru Part 2: A different kind of breakdancing Busker/breakdancer performs in the middle of a busy Cusco street in Peru. I paid him $2.50 for letting me take a picture of his act. Does it when the light is red. Most drivers in Peru seem to ignore red lights, so his

  Downtown Market Wharf  is now  under construction -- But first --  a massive train barrier ad to be built By Stephen Weir                                                        Published in the Toronto Sun  September 23rd nd 25th Putting off that downtown Toronto condo purchase because you suffer from Siderodromophobia (irrational dread of trains)? One project in the St Lawrence Market District will allay that fear: The Market Wharf condominium complex, currently under construction, has installed a steel reinforced concrete barrier wall to stop any runaway Go trains! Market Wharf is a multi-level condominium tower project at Jarvis and The Esplanade, just south of the back-end of the St Lawrence Market. Plans for the city block include a 34 -storey tower which when built, will abut six busy Go and Via Rail tracks, Lakeshore Blvd and the Gardiner Expressway. The derailment containment wall – built last fall – protects the south-end tower currently under construction.  The

Sidebar #1 Just the Facts There will be approximately 475 separate living spaces within Market Wharf, with an expected population of close to 1,000 people all living in one city block. There will be 4 different styles of units built. It depends on where the units are within the tower and podium. The four styles are: • Market Flats – being built on the low rise brick podium on Floors 2-5), no balconies, typically smaller units. 77 in total • Townhomes are atop the podium on the 6th floor and are two storeys and have their own “back yard” terrace (some have balconies facing the St Lawrence Market as well). 34 in total. • Watersuites are all single storey units in the tower and are named as such since they all will have water views of the lake. Approximately 355 in total. • Penthouses. 2-storey glass walled penthouses. Top two floors are shaped like a peanut. Up to 10 units available. As of November  15, over 85% of the units have been sold The project’s website is http://www.

YOU CAN TAKE THE BOY OUT OF  RENFREW BUT ...      George Heath, a former Renfrew resident and a keen follower of www.stephenweir.com, sent me a clipping announcing the January closure of the H. Imbleau & Sons Foundry in Renfrew. George's wife Marie is a member of the Imbleau family. The company, founded in 1858, is the town's longest running business. For over 150 years the factory has put the Renfrew name on the map ... literally. One of the company's most successful products is manhole covers. When I received George's note about the closure, I wrote him a quick letter, reprinted below, which tells my story of the impression the foundry had on me in the early 70's while a student at Windsor University.   Back in my days at Windsor University I worked a variety of part-time jobs so that I would not have to move back to Renfrew and work in the mines at Haley's Station in the summer. One of my steady gigs was in the student pub, which was held in the

Sidebar #1   Just the Facts About Market Wharf Condos There will be approximately 475 separate living spaces within Market Wharf, with an expected population of close to 1,000 people all living in one city block. There will be 4 different styles of units built. It depends on where the units are within the tower and podium. The four styles are: Market Flats – being built on the low rise brick podium on Floors 2-5), no balconies, typically smaller units.  77 in total   Two storey Townhomes are atop the podium on the 6 th floor and are two storeys and have their own “back yard” terrace (some have balconies facing the St Lawrence Market as well).  34 in total. ·       Watersuites are all single storey units in the tower and are named as such since they all will have water views of the lake.  Approximately 355 in total. ·       Penthouses. 2-storey glass walled penthouses. Top two floors are shaped like a peanut. Up to 10 units available. As of the summer, 85% of the units have been

Artist's drawing of proposed Shark tank and glass walkway Canada’s Biggest City Building Canada’s Biggest Aquarium By Stephen Weir   Believe It or Not Toronto is finally going to have an aquarium. Work has already begun on a new building at the base of the world famous CN Tower.  Even though it will be two years before the first Sand Tiger Shark and Carpenter Shark  (sawfish) move into Shark Lagoon , three levels of government have already laid out the welcome mat for Ripley Entertainment, the owners of the future aquarium which is scheduled to open in 2013. At a late August press conference Canadian entrepreneurs, Jim Pattison Senior and Junior, officially launched the construction project.  The Jim Pattison Group, one of the country’s largest private companies, owns Ripley Entertainment (Ripley’s Believe It or Not), and operates aquariums in both Tennessee and South Carolina.   The new Toronto aquarium project has strong financial support and redevelopment monies from th

CUE THE FISH :  - Aquarium is all about fish, but, who are the stars in 45 different display tanks? notes for a news article that will appear in the next edition of Diver Magazine.  Sand Tiger Sharks thrive in captivity. Toronto Aquarium will feature the species. Photo - North Carolina. sweir files.  For now the  aquarium isn't releasing much information about what it will be showing inside.  Ripleys' Vice President Joe Chromanski told Diver they will be releaseing information closer to the opening date. " We don't want to steal our own thunder," he said.  " I can say that we will have up to 45 different tanks inside  - the largest is the 750,000 galleon shark tank, the smallest will be a 6 to 10 galleon space for baby seahorses." "In the Great Lakes (tank) we will have a cross section of what divers are likely to see  - everything from pike to paddle fish,"said Chromanski."  Paddle fish aren't in the Great Lakes but we do f

  Beaver Bra one of 42 hand-decorated bras on display at the EX New to the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) this year is the Art Bra project. Forty-two one-of-a-kind hand decorate bras are now hanging in the Queen Elizabeth Building (beside the McMichael's Marilyn Monroe Show).  The town of Parry Sound is showing these pieces of hand-crafted lingerie to support their Health Centre's purchase of a digital mammography unit.  The Beaver Bra was made by Josephine Hazin from Windsor Ontario. Hazin is recovering from a double mastecomy.

Ashworth by the Sea means blue skies, comfy rooms and renowned food and services. Simply a seaside heaven.  Come Sea - Ashworth By The Sea - And Sea Hampton Beach For almost a century the Ashworth by the Sea has been a destination for New Hampshire seaside visitors.   Located in Hampton Beach , on the beautiful Seacoast , the Ashworth offers the best in comfortable, oceanfront accommodation. The Ashworth is tastefully appointed to reflect the New England traditions and charm. www.ashworthhotel.com/ This comfortable hotel has maintained the historical aspects of this Hampton Beach landmark. Historic yes, but modern too, the 95-year old hotel has been updated with all the modern conveniences and latest technology.  Ashworth by the Sea offers the best views overlooking New England's nicest beach. Ashworth has 98 spacious guestrooms and seven suites. All rooms are air-conditioned and have spectacular ocean views.   There is a coffee shop and the renowned Breake

Justin Trudeau stopped by the Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival BBQ One Year Later,  One Liberal Learns To Dance To A Soca Beat It is carnival time in the city of Toronto.  Soca Music. Mas. Calypso. A million people in the hot and hot streets. More media than at the G20.  For Federal Liberals,  the world famous Scotiabank Toronto Caribbean Carnival, has always had a  huge publicity attraction.  It is sometimes their PR Waterloo. And while Martha Reeves does say that  summer is here and the time is right for dancing in the street, it doesn't mean that a politician just has to show up to be instantly seen as being one with the people. It was a year ago, that Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff, rented a bus and rolled into town for what was then called Scotiabank Caribana.  He had a steel pan orchestra and champion calypso singer,  Macomere Fifi in tow.  They barnstormed the festival, entertaining the crowds with long speeches, soca and calypso music and spectacularly bad dancing.