Zamboni on the lake !

You sure don't see this too often. There is a skating oval on Gillies Lake in Timmins. Earlier this week the Ontera zamboni machine was out there, on the lake, cleaning the ice! Thanks to the good folks at the parks and recreation department.

It's WHO you know...

A word of thanks today to Tracy Hautenen. Tracy is the lady who runs the Shania Twain Centre in Timmins, ON. She was gracious enough to step in at a moment's notice this week to give a guided VIP tour. She is likely the one person on the planet who knows more about Shania Twain, about the the Fan Clubs and about the centre, more than anyone else. It shows. As you walk through the centre gawking at the hundreds of fabulous items, such as Grammy Awards, sequined costumes, high-heeled shoes and personal papers, Tracy has interesting tidbits of information you've never heard before. Face it, we all love hearing behind-the-scenes trivia about famous people. The other interesting thing is that Shania and Tracey keep in touch on how to make the centre better. If you see Shania on TV, in a video or at an awards show, you know that within a few days her costume, shoes and accessories are being packaged up and shipped to Timmins.

Shania & Supertrax

Had a good day Tuesday hanging out with John Arkwright of Supertrax International magazine. John and his friends are touring this region by snowmobile. John is on the right, beside his wife Donna. Their friends are Paul and Sue from Powassan, Ontario. They not just riding, they're taking time to check out the sights and scenery. Minutes after sledding into town, they pulled up in front of the Shania Twain Centre, where they got the VIP tour thanks to Frank Roch and Tracy Hautenen. After that they took into a tour of the wildlife park at the Cedar Meadows Resort, also in Timmins.

Flag Day Tomorrow

Feb. 15th is Flag Day in Canada. It was first raised over Parliament at the stroke of noon on Feb. 15, 1965. I love seeing the Maple Leaf, especially at hockey games and the Olympics. So remember to look for the flags tomorrow and smile when you see one. When you see the Canada flag, you know you're in a good place.

Polar Bears on Cam!

Yes, you can see Polar Bears in this region. One way is to travel wayyyy up north to Polar Bear Provincial park, at the point where James Bay meets Hudson Bay. There are outfitters who can handle that sort of expedition. It can be an incredible thing to see those creatures in the wild, but it can be expensive. On the other hand, one can travel over to Cochrane, ON to see the Polar Bear Habitat which is a relatively new attraction, open year round. Even better, you can check out the BLOG for the habitat by clicking HERE! And if you want more, you can spend time watching the polar bears on cam!

Adventure Racing Championships only 15 weeks away!

Sure it's the height of winter now, but in just 15 weeks, Timmins will be hosting the Canadian Adventure Racing Championships ... it's a triathlon- like race through the wilderness. Teams from across the country are signing up and will get the chance to test themselves in Northern Ontario's notorious bush. I can almost hear the late Wade Hemsworth singing his famous Blackfly song! The racers will struggle for five days with canoes, kayaks, bicycles and on foot to complete a cross-country endurance trek. Sounds like fun, eh.

Snow!!!!

Do we have enough snow yet? Had to clean the driveway twice in seven hours! Was on the road this weekend, but was very happy to get back home to Timmins. I am getting too old to drive through white-outs. But I got back to work safely. I have also been happy to take several calls this morning from avid sledders wondering if there is enough snow on the trails. The answer is YES. Saw lots of riders on Saturday and Sunday in the areas of Temiskaming Shores, Temagami, North Bay, Sudbury and Gogama. Everyone says the trails are great and the riding is excellent. I met this group leaving New Liskeard Saturday morning, heading out onto Lake Temiskaming.

Snowfest - it's cool.

Gonna be in Temiskaming Shores this week. Gotta shoot some new pictures of winter fun. The annual Snowfest is on and it looks like it will be a good time. It’s kinda nice to see so many winter celebrations coming back to the North. It looks like a good time is planned with a poker run for the snowmobile crowd, and plenty of family activities taking place. Check the schedule and you'll be sure to find something to do. If you get a chance to visit New Liskeard, Haileybury, Diamond, Coleman or Cobalt, you will enjoy how friendly the people are.