can shop at the farmer's market
It was more than 200 years later that the shores of Lake Couchiching were
finally
opened for settlement. In 1925, the Champlain Monument was unveiled in
Couchiching Beach Park as 10,000 people watched. The bronze statue is the work
of
Vernon March, an artist made famous by his creation of the War Memorial in
Ottawa.
eat in the old railroad car restaurant
Orillia is perhaps better known as the home of Canada’s premiere humorist
Stephen Leacock. He wrote of people and events in Orillia with a razor-sharp
wit, and a sense of the ‘funny side of life’. His book, “Sunshine Sketches of
a Little Town” was produced from these observations of his home town.
at the "Flock and Drover"
Leacock was head of the department of Political Science and Economics at
McGill University in Montreal, and became a world famous author and lecturer.
In his lifetime he wrote 62 books; 35 of which were humorous, the rest being
scholarly texts on economics and political science.
or, if a Canadian veteran, at the Legion
He is credited with contributing greatly to the ‘Canadian Identity’, that is,
a self- depreciating sense of humor, and the tendency to distinguish and
define ourselves by what/who we are not (American or British).
or be served directly by the Chef
This is perhaps best illustrated by a quote. The little boy who immigrated to
Canada from England at the age of 6, upon his retirement from McGill, had to
turn down several offers of other appointments. A London newspaper suggested
that he return to his native land. He replied: “My predilection is for the
soil and the Canadian bush... No, I don’t think I can leave this country.
There is something in its distances, its isolation, and its climate that
appeal forever... Thank you, Mother England, I don’t think I’ll ‘come home.’
I’m ‘home’ now.”
cannot stay at the former Champlain
Hotel
In 1929 he built a 19-room house on Couchiching’s Old Brewery Bay. Here he
relaxed, wrote, and entertained guests, who must have greatly enjoyed his
gardens, lawns, tennis courts, and of course, the beautiful view of the lake.
can buy corsets
This house now is a National Historic Site, and is maintained as a memorial to
him. It is possible to walk through the grounds and the house. As a side note; in
Aug.
2000 workers renovating his bedroom
found a secret cupboard in his closet which contained numerous letters
to and from hiss wife, Beatrix Hamilton who had.
predeceased
him in 1925
audio supplies
or surf items
entrance to Lake Couchiching
(rail swing bridge and new highway bridge)
waterway gas station
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