Canadian Tidbits # 3 Trivia Quiz

Answer: under their desks

Long before I ever started hitch hiking, and was threatened by insane truck drivers aiming at me alongside the highway, or the crazy beer bottle throwing people, I responded to a different kind of terror. We were supposed to 'duck and cover' under our desks. God bless the early 1960s Civil Defense Drill. The idea was that if someone decided to drop a bomb on Havelock, New Brunswick, (population 1000 on a good day) while you were in school, the teacher would somehow know this tactical information and yell out 'Air Attack! Duck and Cover!' You were suppose to take cover. Fast. I think they did it to see if you were sleeping.

I would have picked the basement for cover. That might have save us until the building collapsed. Before the teacher had finished screaming out 'Air Attack! Duck and Cover' we dropped under our desks. The last one under their desk was 'dead' and got to clean the erasers after school.
Looking back on this now it seems so absurd. The desk would be no protection from anything, and the old school was one built with windows from floor to ceiling, all along two walls to help with the lighting. So while hiding under our desk the exploding glass would certainly kill you. We didn't know who the Russians were or why they would bomb our village, but we could set a record hiding under the desk. This seemed designed only to terrify the kids in grade school. We had no air raid siren, and I can't recall anyone ever building a bomb shelter in town, or any adult playing duck and cover. We knew the attack would come during school hours as this was the only time we had to do the duck and cover game. No wonder I was terrified of school.. Finally about grade 3 or 4 they gave it up for a bad idea. Bet I would still jump under a desk if someone screamed those words out to this day.

Answer: North Bay, Ontario

After catching some rays on Lake Nippissing's fine beach, you could also take a tour of this underground base. This three story former NORAD underground complex is on the north west side highway 63 at Canadian Forces Base North Bay. (If you ever watched "Stargate SG 1" on television you would have a very basic idea.) You could take a tour of the place, and discover you really didn't like the idea of having millions of tons of rock over the top of you. The massive blast doors are six tons each. What's that word I'm looking for? Claustrophobic. After an identity check you would be taken by bus down a one mile corridor, to the structure. Quite a bit of the place was of course restricted, and trying to wander off was NOT a good idea. Sadly, 'The Hole' has been phased out but 22 Wing will still have its job, in its new housing facility on the base. Above Ground. The Hole? I hear it's supposed to be rented out as a private expensive high security storage area

Cornwallis is a town and former CAF recruit training base, Cold Lake is home to 4 Wing, and Esquimalt is a Navy base.

The sandy beach at North Bay is still worth staying over for a day or so to rest up, because if you are hitch hiking west, it could get long and lonely! Especially if you go 11 north...

Answer: Anchovies

Anchovies are those wee fish you may have gotten on a slice of pizza. They are quite salty, but I never knew that they were a ingredient in Worcester Sauce! When I delivered pizza, we could help ourself to the returned pizzas, and ready slices left over at the end of the shift. Usually it was the ones no one wanted, with anchovies, goat cheese, or some other weird thing on them. Need more toppings? Try minced garlic, zucchini, hot dogs, shrimp, smoked salmon or artichoke hearts. I have never heard of squirrel on a pizza, though you never know. Rumour has it in Japan you can get one with octopus, which just might be worse than anchovies! Chum has several meanings, including a mixture of discarded fish parts used as bait to catch other fish, as well as a British brand of dog food. (hopefully never on your pizza...are you still hungry?)

Answer: Stompin' Tom Connors

Stompin' Tom did the song, I knew it by heart, so I can't say I wasn't warned. Folks, he wasn't lying either. I simply got stuck on the highway outside of Tillsonburg. I discovered later that at dusk the tobacco farms would send out their foremen out looking for stranded tired hitch hikers. "Want a job?" they would ask. "With bed and board!" Well a bed sounded nice and the food sounded great. I could work for a few days, get paid and continue on. No worries eh? I discovered the bed was in a clapped out bunkhouse with no heat and very little running water. It could be cool overnite and the old World War II mattress and wool blankets had seen better days. Priming (picking) tobacco was interesting. We got to sit on a hard metal seat on a sort of sled with an engine that could cover four rows of tobacco plants at once, one person per row. It might not have been so bad if the farmer didn't keep the thing in top gear all day. Grab ripe leaves, put them into box in front of you, replace the box when filled and continue. Exchange full cartons for empty ones at the end of field. Repeat. Now at the end of the day you could hardly move, your fingers were sort of bent into claw like shapes, from grabbing tobacco, and most of your exposed skin was covered in black tar from the drippings of the tobacco plants. You would need gasoline to get some of it off. The shower at the bunkhouse was good for maybe four hot showers so the first few workers back did OK. I have to admit they didn't starve us, we got all we could eat. They made their own wine and I think that kept us going from lunch (around noon) to supper (at dusk). You could drink as much as you wanted! Sleeping was no problem if you could overcome the pain. Pray for heavy rain boys, for a day off! I swear within minutes of falling asleep, the bell went off for breakfast again. Another day of hell. Why didn't we leave? A few did, just sneaking off during the night. The trick about our wages was while the farmer would advance us some cash for sundries when he went into town - we gave him a list as we didn't get to go - the rest of our pay wasn't available until the crop was in. So most of us stuck the season out. Oh the pay? $30 a day, bed and food. They actually had the nerve to ask me if I would like to come back next year when they drove us to the bus stop at season's end! I think Stompin' Tom said it best, I'll copy a few of his lines here from his song "Tillsonburg"

While, a way down Southern Ontario
I never had a nickle or a dime to show
A fella beeped up in an automobile
He said "You'll want to work in the tobacco fields of
Tillsonburg

My back still aches when I hear that word

He said I'll only give ya seven bucks a day
But if you're any good you'll get a raise in pay
Your beds already on the bunkhouse floor
If it gets a little chilly ya can close the door
Tillsonburg

We landed in a field that was long and wide
With one ol' horse and five more guys
I asked them where to find the cigarette trees
When he said bend over I was ready to leave
Tillsonburg

With a broken back bendin' over there
I was wet right through to the underwear
And it was stuck to my skin like glue
From the nicotine tar on the morning dew of
Tillsonburg

Now there is one thing you can always bet
If I never smoke another cigarette
I might get taken in a lot of deals
But I won't go workin' the tobacco fields of
Tillsonburg

Lyrics from "Tillsonburg" by Stompin Tom Connors, "My Stompin Grounds' Boot Records, 1971.

Answer: Husky House Restaurant

It's been called Husky, Husky House, Husky Gas Bar, but its free coffee came from the Husky House Restaurant. I wish Tim's gave away free coffee, and Subway a free sub!
You could stagger in dripping wet and tired from the rain, or late at night, put your kitbag againt the wall and grab a booth. I think the idea at the Husky Restaurant was for one or two refills, but the waitress would wink at you and fill up your cup. The objective was to stay out of the rain, or last out the night, and hit the highway when dawn broke. If you truly looked pathetic enough, someone might ask you where you were going and if you wanted a ride. Most were set up for long haul truckers, so if you had some cash you could actually do some laundry, pay for a nice warm shower, change into some clean clothes, go back for another coffee and see if anyone was interested in giving you a ride. The unofficial 'rule' was you couldn't fall asleep or bug the customers for a ride unless they asked you first.
Thanks Husky, for a dry spot and all that late night coffee! I swear that Canadian flag they all proudly fly at the restaurants is the biggest flag I have ever seen!

Answer: Terry Fox

Terry was raised in British Columbia. When he was 18, his right leg was amputated above the knee because of bone cancer. It was in the hospital he came up with this idea to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. On April 12 1980, with his artificial leg, he started out from Newfoundland on his 'Marathon Of Hope' run. Sadly, in September, outside of Thunder Bay, he was forced to quit because the cancer had spread to his lungs.

He died at the age of 22, in June 1981. The annual Terry Fox Run held each September in Canada and around the world has raised well over $400 million for cancer research. I was west of Sudbury, Ontario, when I saw this person heading towards me 'walking funny' on the edge of the highway, with a small caravan following him.

As he passed I said ' Hi' and he said 'Hello' back. I had no idea who he was or what was going on. It wasn't until much later when I was watching television in Alberta did I realize who had passed me that day.

Answer: Heart Disease

This would have been a deadly problem when I was hitch-hiking. You need to eat regular meals and have ready access to water for starters. Stress doesn't help. Standing all day in the sun would not have been a great idea either. More than 2 million Canadians have diabetes. And four out of five will die of heart disease. Sadly one third of them don't know they even have diabetes! I had it for probably six years or so before I was diagnosed in 2001. I would HIGHLY recommend everyone over 40 be tested for it. Early detection is important.

The earlier your doctor catches it, the earlier it can be managed. Impaired vision, thyroid, high cholesterol and a compromised immune system, are just a few of the myriad problems you can have with this disease. Diabetics cut and bruise easily, heal slowly and nerve and blood vessel damage in the hands and especially feet is very common. So why are you wasting your time reading this? Go make an appointment with your family doctor and get tested! A simple blood test is all it takes.

Answer: Orangeville

Well three of them are north of Toronto, Shelburne is known for its Canadian open fiddle contest, Dundalk is well, where I found and lost this beautiful girl with long flowing hair oh so many years ago, Pat I ain't forgot you...sigh...Keiraville is in New South Wales, Australia.

Orangeville, Ontario is about an hour north of Toronto and is where they carve the trees into statues. I once drove a cab there and had the great idea the cabs should be painted orange, not green or white, but no one listened. I believe there are between 40 or 50 of the 'tree statues' now. When a tree is dead or dying, the town cuts off the branches and most of the trunk, but will leave the roots and a large limbless piece of tree stump to chainsaw into a work of art. Some are quite nice! Some are painted and some are plain, but it's fun to come around a corner and see one! Some look so lifelike! There is one of a tree spirit, a judge on Zina Street (Zina is where the courthouse is, that's another story..), a bear using a telephone, a train conductor waiting for a very late passenger train where the old train station use to be, a fierce eagle, and my favorite, on Townline, which I really thought was a hitch hiker! He has a knapsack, a beard, long hair and a walking staff. And goodness knows I have hitched up Townline a few times! Turns out he is a supposed to be a Troll. Oh well I still think of that carving as 'me'!

And "Hi" to Jim and Marion, Wendy, Morgan and Molly whom I use to have morning tea with in The Orange!

Answer: whitewater rafting

It takes about two hours (or about two years if you count every micro second) to get from Yale to Hope, British Columbia via the Fraser River. It's not a slow river either. They call it white water rafting because the while the water is turquoise green, where it flows over the rocks, the crest of the waves are white. Did I mention I can't swim - and probably the only person from the East Coast who gets seasick on a pond? The wee raft started looking smaller each minute, on my trip as it went up and over these tsunami type waves, and everyone got wet and had a heck of a good time screaming. Never did figure out what the paddle was for, as you would need a ten thousand horsepower engine to straighten the raft out. I also found out why they are called life rafts. You could loose you life while praying to every deity known to human civilization that the thing didn't capsize and sink. We finally made it to Hope, in one piece.

It could have been worse, I could have ended up on a week long raft trip - on much wilder rivers.

This voyage of the dammed was a very easy trip category, on a calm river, I was informed, as I staggered up the bank, soaked to the bone. So was my knapsack, and everything in it. I dried out on the soggy walk to the Royal Canadian Legion in Hope to down a few alcoholic beverages. Water is made for drinking and a nice hot shower, not for foolishness like rafting, trust me!

Answer: a swather ( windrower)

I was supplied with my own half-ton truck and would use it to go to town, and to drive where I had parked this farm machine, when I stopped work the day before. A swather (some of you might be familiar with it being called a 'windrower') was a machine that cut the crops, by beating them down on the rollers as the blades cut the plants off near the ground. They then went on a belt that compressed the hay (or straw) and piled it out back in a neat straight windrow, for quick drying. Then in a few hours or a day if the crop was dry, you or someone else could retrace your steps with the baler and bale the hay. A swather looks something like a combine with its huge wooden reel on front, but there the resemblance ends. Most were self-propelled, but a few smaller ones could be hooked to the side of your tractor. Mine was in need of continuous love and care. I soon discovered a tool box was the second most important thing to have - a water jug was first, it was very hot on that thing. The belts would forever need tightening, and the six cylinder engine loved to break down for something as simple a loose spark plug wire. This gave me a bit of a break from sitting on the driver's seat, in the hot sun, as it had no cab. If the offending belt was underneath, I even got a bit of shade! Usually I would be back in the saddle again in 15 minutes or so. A grease gun was very important and for goodness sake watch your fingers on the front chopping blades, even when they were not moving, they were very sharp! In operation? You would loose a finger in a second!

The ranch was neat. It contained the the old DeWinton World War II Airbase. The cement runways and taxiways were still in good shape, and it wasn't unusual to be working on the swather and have a private plane land next to you on the runway. Mostly they were student pilots from Calgary getting their licence and would use our runway for practice. (This was a good way to snag a free ride) The runways were also good for a drag race in your truck if the boss wasn't around.
We bunked in the four bedroom guard house at the main entrance which was about the only original building left still intact on the old base. Exploring the old underground munitions storage dump was interesting. For some reason they left in one of the old collapsed hangars a large supply of drop fuel tanks for the fighters - 50 or so. We found shell casings by the thousands out by the old target range, and a couple of live ones we simply picked up and threw in the garbage. Ah the wisdom of youth.

I assume we all know or have a idea what a spreader and a hay stacker are. No, a hay stacker is not really called a tiredmum. A skidder is a large machine used in the woods to skid out cut down trees and logs. I think we might have to re-visit this DeWinton ranch someday in another quiz, as it holds a few more stories!

I hope you enjoyed this quiz/story 'Canadian Tidbits # 3'and please don't forget to rate it (and others) when you are done!