Letters from Oli: Quebec and Eastern-Central Ontario

Oli enjoys his car ride

I got another letter from Oli on his journey west across Canada; this time from Ontario. Here it is:

Hi Toulouse!

I’m having so much fun! Shahar (DAD) met us in Montreal, the hip-place in Quebec. I know you would have understood everything they said, but to me it all sounded like “blah… blah… blah”…only faster. I noticed Mom using the word “m’excuser” a lot…Dad talked French really fast though: “blablablablablablabla”. I was impressed. Someday I’d like to do that.

Montreal had a lot of cool places to walk and play, like Sherbrook Street and McGill University campus, where Mom took me for a long walk. There were lots of places to explore and pigeons and leaves to chase. The people in Montreal are so friendly, Toulouse! I got lots of pats and

Montreal street

 they kept saying, “Il est beau!”  Hope that doesn’t mean, “he should wear a bow!” Mom told me that they really like dogs in Montreal. I could have told her that! I got to smell lots of their souvenirs.  No, I didn’t eat them, Toulouse! I don’t do that anymore…

We then drove and drove and drove to a place called “Get-In-Now!” where we got in and camped. It’s still in Quebec but close to where the boss of the country lives in a huge castle with lots of flowers and green grass. Dad took me for a long walk there.

Oli tells it straight on Parliament Hill

I chased two huge ducks, a chipmunk and a little boy’s ball. Back at camp I fell asleep at night to the sound of a river rushing, under a starry night sky. It’s been a while since we went camping. Mom said that roughing it a bit is good for the spirit. Of course, I am writing this from the comfort of a hotel. We checked into one in the town of Sudbury to escape a thunderstorm last night. You should have seen the big dark clouds chasing us, Toulouse, and behind them great streams of sunlight came down. I cuddled with Mom and Dad so the loud storm wasn’t so scary. As we left Sudbury Mom

Inco's superstack in Sudbury

 pointed out the Inco Superstack. WOW! It was so tall! Wonder who cleans it?

After Sudbury, we drove some more along a huge lake named after some Indian dude, Mister Huron, I think. I had lots of fun, Toulouse! There were lots of things to explore and chase. The lake sparkled like the ocean at home and made me think of you. Sometimes I miss playing with you—do you miss me sometimes? Then Dad throws me a ball and I forget. The waves on the lake were big, curly and frothy like icing on a cup cake. And the rocks on shore were round and smooth and rolled like candy. I’m learning how to swim, Toulouse! It’s fun!

 

 

Oli doing what he does best on Lake Huron

We stopped at a big sign about time changes. I know that time changes all the time but I don’t need a silly sign to tell me that!

Then we got to an even bigger lake, called Lake Superior. Mom and Dad

Oli and his parents, Lake Huron

 stopped us at a nice red sandy beach where I could run my little legs until they got very tired. How do you like my neat action pic on Lake Huron, Toulouse?

Your pal,

Oli

Oli checking out the flora on Lake Huron

Gatineau Provincial Park, where Oli and his folks camped, lies near Ottawa, the national capital of Canada, where the parliament buildings are located. The Inco Superstack in Sudbury that Oli mentioned is the smoke stack of the Inco Copper Cliff smelter, the largest nickel smelting operation in the world. It rises 380 meters, making it the tallest chimney in Canada and the Western hemisphere and the second tallest freestanding chimney in the world.

Oli and his parents then drove Hwy 17 west toward Sault Ste Marie, nicknamed “the Soo”, along the rocky pebbly north shore of Lake Huron (North Channel. After Sault Ste

Oli tastes the water in Lake Superior

 Marie, they drove along Lake Superior toward Manitoba. The red sandy beach that Oli  enjoyed was probably Pancake Bay or Wisconsin Point. They encountered the Central Time Zone just west of Thunder Bay, then continued through Lake of the Woods into Manitoba, where I expect his next letter will come from. Stay tuned!

I’m Toulouse LeTrek, the COOL Travel Cat!

Previous letter from Oli: The Maritimes and Quebec

Photos by Saskia Tait and Nina Munteanu