Canadiana Backpackers Blog

As the largest and most centrally located Backpackers Inn in Toronto, we attract a lot of “group visitors” such as students, youth groups and academics attending conferences.

We’ve hosted Boy Scout Troops from Scotland, the Manchester Boy’s Choir, Doctoral Candidates, church groups, High School Field Trips and countless foreign language students.

The many post-graduate academics that come here are from prestigious institutions like Harvard, the London School of Economics, Stanford, Johns Hopkins Medical School and the Sorbonne to name-drop but a few.

Has any individual or any institution or group stood out?

You bet.

Interestingly, the group(s), institution and individual all come from the same place. They do not represent a storied institution in an exotic locale. The groups are from West Ferris High School in North Bay, a small city (pop. 50,000) in Northern Ontario.

We have a good number of youth groups staying with us annually. The North Bay/West Ferris High students are, quite simply, the best behaved group of youths we have ever hosted (actually, the best behaved group of guests,  full stop.)

Like many schools from rural regions, the West Ferris School escorts groups regularly to experience  the diversity  of “the big city”. Small towns and cities in rural Canada are often ethnically and cultually homogenous, something which often leads to a degree of xenophobia.

So what makes these particular students unique?

We think it is due to the work of the teachers who escort them to our city. And to John Hetherington (a History teacher) in particular. He is the only teacher/chaperone who has accompanied every West Ferris student group that has stayed with us (so we assume he is the organizer and driving force).

All  students show obvious respect for teachers and chaperones. A colleague of John’s  once confided to us that the respect was largely a result of the universal esteem the students hold for “Mr. H” in particular.

They simply don’t want to let him down. In our experience at our hostel is that, thus far, no student ever has.

To other future school groups, we at Canadiana Backpackers host many, many student groups and are equipped and able to host any group. If you are planning to escort a group to our city, you might be well served by examining and emulating the West Ferris model because they are doing something right.

We have mentioned this before; but it bears repeating. “We live in a world fearful of differences.” We think the teachers at West Ferris High do a remarkable job to build understanding, the best cure for such baseless fears.

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(This is the fifth entry re: West Ferris High we have posted since we began this blog five years ago. To read previous posts, simply enter “John Hetherington” into the blog’s search box.)

In our Toronto hostel, we get a wide variety of travelers, who come here in search of various experiences.

Many young backpackers come with year-long working/holiday visas and are content with nightclubs and bars for their entertainment- largely ignoring any other form of entertaimment.

Other backbackers travel for the chance to experience different forms of cultural pursuits. We’ll grant you that they are a minority; however, this city also caters to that specific demographic.

For instance: How many backpackers have attended a symphony orchestra performance even back home in their own countries? Precious few, we’ll wager.

The Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO), is a world class orchestra that performs at Roy Thompsom Hall, a short three-block stroll from our hostel’s doors.

Tickets for an evening performance range from $33 to $98. (and well worth the price). But it can be a little expensive for many young budget minded backpackers.

TSO to the rescue.

The symphony has a program that specifically caters to the 15 – 35 year-old demographic.  The program is called SOUNDCHECK.

The best available seats for performances are available to young persons and a guest of any age (two tickets only per person which may even be pre-ordered) for a mere $14 per ticket.

If you’ve ever attended an orchestral symphony, you will know this to be a world-class bargain.

Full information on the TSO Soundcheck Program is available here:

http://www.tso.ca/tsoundcheck/FAQ.aspx#FAQ-1

Oh rats! This year HALLOWEEN (Oct. 31st) falls on a Monday. Why is that a bad thing?

Glad you asked.

A hostel like ours is a place where travelers of all ages and nationalities stay when away from home on vacation (but especially a lot of young people).

The one thing that many (or most) of them are looking for is an excuse to have a “party”. And these days, parties virtually always involves copius amounts of alcohol and outrageous behaviour.

Since this year Halloween as mentioned falls on Monday, the hostel can look forward to  three or four evenings of costumed madness. It started Friday and continued through Saturday.

The hostel is full (as usual) and the revelries began early with assorted costumed Ghosts, Goblins, Zombies, Superheros, Samurai lining up at the BBQ for a free burger - a Saturday evening hostel feature.

In past years, hostel events (like Halloween or St. Paddy’s Day) could begin to get a little overly enthusiastic and required considerable supervision.

No one has ever done a better job at “containment” than our events co-ordinator, Iman.

This year, (dressed as some kind of Samurai/Ninja) she has arranged an outing to local nightclub where costumed wildness is expected and, indeed, welcomed (or at least, tolerated).

But we are going to lose Iman’s services come November when she starts a new job as an Entertainment co-ordinator on a cruise liner out of Orlando, Florida.

We think the cruise line made an excellent choice hiring Iman who was arguably the best event co-ordinator this hostel has ever engaged.

It’s a great choice actually. Our loss is their gain. Everyone had a great time and order was maintained in the hostel.

Keep it up Iman. Just two more nights to go until Halloween 2011 is history!

Thanks again, Iman. And best of luck in your new job.

The Toronto Waterfront Marathon was run today and competitors came from far and wide to compete.

The 26 mile annual event  began two decades ago (as a half Marathon) and it has attracted  world class competitors.

The race was won by a runner from Kenya.  Marathons have been dominated by East Africans from Kenya and Ethiopia. The record for a runner in a Toronto Marathon was set 36 years ago when a time of 2hrs, 10 minutes and 9 seconds.

Drayton’s time has been unassailable but but this year Canadian Reid Coolaset, managed 2:10:55 missing the record by a mere 46 seconds. Coolaset might have broken the old mark had he not been forced to take a washroom break at the 25K point.

A hostel guest, Ben Christmann from Paisley, Ontario (a town near Walkerton) came to compete in his first Marathon. He is an employee of the Bruce Nuclear Generating Plant and strictly a recreational runner (and he’s heard all of the Homer simpson jokes). He finished in a very respectable time of 3:55 and qualified for a Gold Medallion.

The oldest competitor to complete the race was 100 year-old Fauja Singh who received his Gold Medallion for completing the course.

The fitness/running craze began in earnest in the post-hippie late 1970′s when it seemed everyone was out jogging to keep fit. The 1977 best seller ” The Complete Book of Running” by James Fixx helped popularize the sport. His death by heart attack after a run at the age of 52 spawned an anti-running movement with people sporting T-Shirts “Jogging Can Kill You!”

Tragically, this year a 27 year-old competitor collapsed and died just before he completed the race.

Still, the vast majority of runners are pretty healthy and physically fit bunch and the over 19,000 runners in this year’s race raised over 2.5 million dollars for more than 90 local charities.

There are a few intrepid “backpackers” coming through our Toronto hostel who want greater freedom to explore North America.

These travelers have budgeted enough to purchase or hire a vehicle and take adavantage of the continent’s excellent road and highway infrastructure.

Yves Dewaele, from Belgium is a mechanic with more than 20 years experince riding motorcycles. He has owned them, repaired them and even raced them. In short he is not a novice rider.

To rent a car or RV is no problem (if you are over 25; licenced; and have a credit card) but a little on the expensive side just as it is anywhere else.

Here in Ontario, purchasing a Motor Bike or Car can be a bit of a nightmare.

Our laws here require a purchaser to possess a valid Canadian (Ontario) Licence which means you must swap your foreign licence. In addition, Yves was forced to retest for a motorcycle endorsement.

As mentioned, he is no stranger to two wheeled highway riding. But his “new” licence treated him as beginner and insurance premiums restricted him to a maximum of 750 c.c. engines. (Insurance for about 4 months cost him welll over $1000).

Yves toured North America all summer and in the process logged more than 29,000 kms.

He arrived back at our hostels doors last week and was going through the process of selling his 650 c.c Suzuki. He will likely have to find as local buyer unless he finds a traveler willing to repeat the complicated process he encountered.

Regulations differ from Province to Province in Canada and from State to State in the U.S. But U.S. insurance is less expensive (but far less comprehensive) than Canada’s.

If you are planning to buy a vehicle to explore North America, do your homework and search the web for alternatives.

You might being with online forums such as this one:

http://travel.indie.my/2011/08/12/visiting-usa-eu-tourist-buying-a-motorcycle-in-the-us/

Then drive/ride safely and Happy Motoring!

Yves running 3d in a race on the European Circuit

Yves with a fallen Giant Redwood

Vitually every nation has a uniquely  National Symbol. Here in Canada, we have several.

The Maple Leaves, Mounties and Beavers are symbols that form an immediate association with Canada.

So does the Inukshuk.

What is an Inukshuk? Glad you asked.

The mysterious stone figures known as inuksuit can be found throughout the circumpolar world. Inukshuk, the singular of inuksuit, means “in the likeness of a human” in the Inuit language.

These monuments made of unworked stones are used by the Inuit People for communication and survival. The traditional meaning of an Inukshuk is “Someone was here” or “You are on the right path.”

One of our guests Sherri Winsor, an artist from St. John’s, Newfoundland also made an Inukshuk. But hers is seen by a lot more people than most of the one’s that dot the barren landscape of an otherwise featureless tundra.

The  Nunatsiavut people of Labrador, have recently (2005) gained a measure of political and economic soverignty and were in the process of constructing a buiding in Hopedale to house their legislative assembly.

It is quite an impressive structure for such a small, remote town. The top of the building was to be topped with an Inukshuk as a symbol of the region.

There was really no shortage of skilled native craftsmen to fashion a suitable sculpture. However, the only medium they were able to use was stone, the weight of which would send the sculpture crashing through the roof. Quite a problem.

Enter artist Sherri Winsor.

Sherri was able to construct an Inukshuk within the parameters established by the architects and engineers of the building. She built an impressive Inukshuk using materials other than stone and within the 500 lb. limitation.

October 2011  update: The scheduled opening of the building  (Sept. 12)  has been delayed by some engineering problems with the building’s Dome. It’s fortunate that Sherri’s Inukshuk wasn’t made of stone.

Alright. It’s time for a little blowing of our own horn.

Here in Canada, we’ve been getting a lot of flak over the issue of air pollution. We signed and ratified the Kyoto Protocols (although we have not exactly honoured that commitment); we continue to pollute the environment by producing oil from the Athabaska Tar Sands.

To that, we must plead guilty

Nonetheless, the destruction of our environment is a Global problem  and we are not the only country that destroys the countryside and the air we breathe in pursuit of profit (it is just that here in Canada, we should know better).

Apparently, we do know better.

A recent report of the World Health Organization (WHO) rated the top ten least polluted cities in the world. Eight of them are right here in Canada!

The U.N. group analyzed seven years of data collected in over 1100 cities in 91 nations. The city at the top of the list was Whitehorse, Yukon Territory which scored a miniscule 2.9 micrograms of pollutants per cubic metre. Briish Columbia cities of Kitimat and Burns Lake, were rated #2 and #3 respectively.

Air pollution levels begin to pose health risks once they exceed 20 micrograms per cubic metre. The overall score for Canada was 12.7.

The highest pollution figure in Canada belongs to Sarnia, Ontario (with a score of 21.2) - a city with the misfortune of being a neighbour of Detroit. Sarnia’s figure is still relatively low when compared to an international average of 71.

Strangely, Mongolia (the most sparsely inhabited country on earth) was rated “worst” for air quality scoring an astounding 279!

WHO said the reasons for high pollution levels varied, but that often rapid industrialization and the use of poor quality fuels for transportation and electricity generation are to blame.

We’ve done pretty well here in Canada. Now all that is left to do is to STOP  the Tar Sands Development.

Meanwhile, visitors can still breathe and enjoy our clean air.

Big sky and clear, clean air over Whitehorse, Yukon.

“FECUNDO” is not a name you might hear  everyday. But Fecundo Tello from Argentina, actually does (for obvious reasons).

It isn’t the most common Spanish/Latino name like Juan or Pedro; but, it is a name that most native English speakers will recognize. It means, “fruitful”; “bountiful”; or  actually, “fecund”).

Fecundo is a young (aged 22) Argentinian whose parents moved to Spain to afford him greater educational opportunities.

Unlike a lot of foreign language students, Fecundo has really made the most out of his most out of his months in Canada.

When he arrived, his communications skills (using English) were almost non-existant. He did not retreat into the cultural similarity of other Spanish speaking students. Instead, he did his best to associate with English speaking backpackers.

As a result, his English has improved dramatically in the space of a very short time. his comprehension ability is now nothing short of remarkable. He is now concentrating on his grammer.

For all language students at the hostel (present and future) he is an excellent role model.

Actually Michael Roberts is not from Cambridge, Massachusetts. He is actually from Calgary, Alberta. Michael is a recipient of a prestigious Fellowship from Harvard University (located in Cambridge, Mass.)

Fellowships are awarded to men and women at an early stage of their scholarly career. The criteria for recipients include academic excellence, exceptional abilty, resourcefulness, originality; in short, people who have shown themselves to be scholars of the highest achievements.

There are only ten fellows elected annually for the three-year program.

Michael received his Masters Degree (Computer Sciences) from the University of Calgary. His field of study happened to apply a similar mathematical calculation of an ongoing Harvard study regarding brain function.

He was in Toronto for an academic conference at the University of Toronto. Like most serious acdemics, money is an issue and they do not spend it foolishly.

A Harvard Fellow must live a relatively frugal life; however, once finished, are usually in great demand by private industry. It makes for a dynamite entry on a CV.

We have gone on and on about the fact that our backpacker’s inn is the only of the Toronto Hostels to be located in the heart of the city’s Entertainment District.

The world renowned music-video venue Much Music is located just one block east of our doors.

Virtually every top pop musical entertainer/group/band appearing in Toronto ends up at the MM Studios for a performance or interview or both.

Over the years, we have seen Neil Young, Bono, the Stones, Britney Spears, Justin Bieber, Pink, the Bare Naked Ladies, Christina Aguillera, Shakira, Leonard Cohen etc…etc.

Last night (Sept. 21st) was the turn of the British Alternative Rock Group “Coldplay” to visit and perform. Much Music erected a outdoor stage in their parking lot and two blocks of Queen Street (a main city thoroughfare) was closed to traffic.

Coldplay, one of the world’s top bands performed a free concert in front of a crowd of adoring, rain soaked, appreciative fans.

A lot of hostel residents made the one-block hike to Queen Street to hear the band play. It was a rainy, cool fall evening but even the weather couldn’t dampen the spirits of the fans crowding and clogging busy Queen Street.

Of all the hostels in Toronto, ours is the one at the centre of the pulse of this vibrant city.