As we watch the news from out west these days, we are horrified at the sight of drowning cows being towed down rivers behind rubber dinghies, and travellers stranded in their cars between mud slides, waiting all night in the pouring rain for helicopters to make daring rescues on the side of a cliff. But that is BC and this is Toronto. Nothing like that would happen here, would it?

Those of us who are older will remember the devastation caused by Hurricane Hazel back in 1954 when the Humber River overflowed its banks, destroying bridges and homes, and killing 81 people. Or, if you think that’s too far in the past to be relevant, just go back as far as July 2013 when Toronto received over 120 mms of rain during rush hour. Who can forget the picture of the GO bus disgorging passengers into a rowboat, or the Ferrari drowning in an underpass? How immune is Toronto from climate change, and are we doing anything about it?

First of all, Toronto is well-positioned. We are not located near mountain ranges which tend to alter rain patterns, and we live close to a lake which can help moderate extreme temperatures. According to predictions, Toronto’s biggest climate risk is for high heat, over 60 summer days of temperatures above 30 degrees celsius. Lake Ontario can help with that. At the very least, we can all go swimming, and I assure you those Lake Ontario water temperatures are chilly, even in July!

Most important, Toronto has developed several climate change initiatives. After Hurricane Hazel, new policies were written that forbid housing in the river valley. All along the Humber now are parks and playgrounds instead of homes. Too bad that BC didn’t consider this option when the government drained Sumas Lake back in the early 1900’s and built on the lakebed instead. Now all those dairy farms are gone.

According to climate change research, the biggest emissions in cities come from buildings. Old buildings emit gasses through their natural gas heating systems, and then let the heat escape through leaky windows. A complicated but effective strategy for Toronto sets out goals of new buildings with zero emissions by 2030. In a blog post last February, I wrote about Toronto ‘s 2009 green roof bylaw, which states that any new building over 2000 square meters Must have a green roof. There were over 700 such roofs at the time of writing.

Toronto is also into electric vehicles. The TTC is on track to purchase 300 electric buses next year. City council has recently approved a plan to allow businesses to use cargo e-bikes for deliveries, and a plan to build 3000 charging stations by 2025 with another 10,000 by 2030. In an attempt to get us out of our cars, there are bike lanes springing up on major city streets such as Bloor, and more bike rental kiosks now wait for riders along busy pedestrian travel routes.

So, with all this positive energy around, how can we help? Many of us feel useless and even guilty as we watch our planet fall apart. But, as Greta Thunberg reminds us, we are “never too small, (or too weak or too old), to make a difference.” Here are some to consider:

Turn down your thermostat a couple of degrees and put on your tacky Christmas sweater instead. Leave your car at home and walk to the store with your grandson’s wagon for your groceries. Put food scraps into a composting bin; add a few worms and soon you will have high-grade soil for your garden. Make some modern art for your living room with all your used covid masks.

OK maybe that last one is a bit far-fetched. If you have some better ideas, send them out to our readers.

Sue

Recently in the newspapers and on TV we have been reminded that there are delays in product supply chains and in the stores. There are warnings to shop early and avoid disappointment, and to take extra money along because prices are going up. Vendors have made promises to lure us back from online shopping by keeping things new and interesting.

With Christmas on the horizon what are we to do with all this news? As a writer with dedicated shoppers following my posts, I decided it was time to investigate. So I put on my comfortable shopping shoes, filled my wallet, and set off for Sherway Gardens, my local mall.

As I wandered down the hallways, I noticed few signs of the pandemic. Most of the directional arrows have been removed and there are fewer hand sanitizer stations. But there weren’t many people there either; only a few retired folks like me; some shopping, some sitting down for a quick nap, some walking purposefully in order to get their 10,000 steps.

Sherway’s holiday decorations this year are white, in various shapes. There are a lot of spheres; snowballs I guess. And there are white animals: moose, reindeer and at least one cute little bear. The tone is more of peace than festivity – all that’s needed are some white doves flying overhead. In fact, with all the climate disasters, disease, and civil conflicts in the world right now, peace is a very good way to go.

My first stop was Indigo. This used to be a book store with very few gift items. Now it is a gift store with a few books. You could easily do all your shopping here. There are plush throws tied with beautiful ribbon, mugs and more mugs, gourmet food items, and tree ornament for every taste. I managed to pick up a couple of stocking stuffers, but there were no sale items.

Then I tried The Bay. I wasn’t too impressed – there didn’t seem to be much effort at decorating. One tree was only half-lit! Following predictions of price hikes due to low inventory, there were very few sale items. I managed to buy only one gift at 30% off. But there weren’t many clerks either and I had to walk around a lot to find somebody to take my money.

Then I headed for the food court. Here I did have to show my proof of vaccination in order to sit down and eat. The area wasn’t crowded, and there was no Christmas music, no ear worms of “All I want For Christmas Is Youuuu!” There were no Christmas food items either; no Tim Horton’s holiday specials of polar bear donuts or candy cane hot chocolate.

But all is not lost! As I walked back through the mall, I noticed that vendors in some stores have definitely got the holiday spirit. One shop had everything gift-wrapped in red at the front entrance. The TESLA store had red cars in the showroom. Tommy Bahamas had red bikinis in the window. How festive!

And what about Santa? How is he faring this year? Well his little hut and big chair are set up and waiting for him. But studies show that there aren’t many Santas available this year. It seems that Covid has taken a toll on Santa candidates. So, if you have any spare time this holiday season, you might consider growing a beard and gaining some weight…

Sue

Life as we knew it is coming back. I am not making this up. We had some experiences last week that gave the news away.

One afternoon Peter and I actually went to the movies! We saw the latest James Bond film with another couple. There were the requisite car chases: around tight corners, along precarious ledges, through deep water and mud, all the while being shot at from behind. There were the usual sexy babes, wearing slinky black dresses with low-cut bodices, short skirts and invisible pockets for hiding the pistols. There was the necessary suspenseful plot: the hero at death’s door and the world about to blow up.

But we had our own share of suspense just going into the theatre. Would it be safe? Would people breathe covid germs all over us? Would we suffocate while wearing our masks for almost 3 hours? Well none of that was true. We were checked for vaccine ID as we went into the…EMPTY…theatre! There was nobody there but us. We were eventually joined by 6 other people, all in couples, all sitting very far away from us and each other in this massive theatre. We even took our masks off part-way through the movie so we could breathe for a bit.

Another day Peter dared to invite his poker group for an afternoon of games. First of all, we made sure that everyone was double vaccinated. There was a lot of discussion about keeping windows open and masks on, but the guys were so glad to see each other after almost 2 years, that they forgot both. They spent the first hour of the afternoon catching up on news and jokes. Then they spent the next hour trying to remember the various poker games they usually played. In 2 years they had forgotten a lot. One player even forgot his winnings at the end of the day! But we promised to put the $$ somewhere safe for him – as long as we don’t forget where.

A big disappointment of the event was that the chairs I recovered for the poker guys during last year’s long winter – chairs that were featured in a blog post, chairs that used to be ugly gold and are now soft black vinyl – went unused! I tried not to cry when the guys seemed to be having a good time without them, even staying later than usual and planning their next get-together in only a few weeks.

Another first was when I went to have my snow tires installed: I was actually allowed to sit in the waiting room until the service was finished. The chairs were all spread apart and an attendant came by a couple of times to wipe them off with disinfectant. There was no coffee available and no newspapers to read. But there were treats – Halloween candy, individually wrapped.

And, on the weekend, our curling club opened up for the first time since March 2020. Once again we all had to provide proof of double vaccination. On the ice we mostly kept our masks on, but we took them off when our glasses fogged up so much that we couldn’t see! The tables where we have our post-game social were all spread out, on two levels, so nobody had to sit too close. There was no popcorn or other finger food, but the bar was open for beer and wine, It was a fitting way to toast our old lives coming back again.

How is your “new old life” going these days?

Sue

Yesterday Peter read about a garlic festival in the newspaper. Since he eats garlic pretty much every day, he was really keen to go. I wasn’t sure what one would DO at a garlic festival, but it would be fragrant at least. He wanted me to go with him especially because, he said, it would make a great blog post. Now, dear readers, do you really want to read 500 words about garlic?

Anyway, the bigger issue for us these days is time. Like lots of seniors, we have very busy days. Here is a typical one:

Get up early to go to the bathroom. Unplug CPAP machine, remove wrist brace, mouth guard. Put on glasses. Take the first pill of the day.

Pour coffee and search the newspaper for the sudoku, to get some brain exercise.

Prepare breakfast with bran, hemp, flax seed, fibre, and prunes.

Do morning exercises for sore neck, achy wrist, and stiff knee.

Make a batch of vegetable soup for lunch. Be sure to add lots of beans. Don’t forget lunch-time pills.

After lunch, plan an outing for the day. Choose from: a trip to the drug store to renew prescriptions, or a visit to the hair dresser for colour touch-up, or an appointment with the dentist for gum work.

Come home and have a nap.

Call the grandchildren to say hello. What? They’re too busy to talk right now?

Do afternoon exercises. Same as the morning, just more.

Prepare dinner and have a glass of wine for fortification.

Play more brain games. Keep those synapses firing.

Do evening exericises.

Prepare for bed: take more pills, put on mouth guard, wrist brace and CPAP machine. Take off glasses.

Fall into bed, exhausted.

With such a full schedule, how can we possibly fit in a garlic festival? Well, as a dedicated writer and wife, it was my obligation to do some research. It turns out that there really IS a Garlic Society and their annual festivals are Ontario-wide celebrations. The festivals include lots of booths selling garlic products: desserts like garlic brownies, garlic donuts and garlic ice cream. Or there are garlic smoothies and even garlic shots served up by baristas.

Then you can go to a lecture: on the history of garlic, or on garlic as a wellness product for treating high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and brain cancer. And, if lectures aren’t your style, you can enter a special contest. That’s right, a Garlic Breath Contest. Your breath is measured using a kind of meter like the police use for testing blood alcohol. Surely there must be a prize for submitting yourself to such embarrassment!

After unselfishly giving up my exercise time to do all this research, I discovered that this year’s in-person garlic festivals have been cancelled due to covid. But you can still go online for some fun activities. I decided that Peter really needed to be involved, so I submitted his name. He’s going to have an even busier week!

Sue

My last post, That Sinking Feeling, got more comments, both on the site and to my personal email address, than any other post I have written so far. Thank you so much, dear readers, for your input. Yes, the sink is fixed, with wooden supports this time. But there were a couple of comments about the cat, and it got me thinking about Jones.

Jones was my condo cat when I was living in the city before I met Peter. Jones was very spoiled, eating gourmet cat food, sleeping wherever he wanted, and generally living a pretty good life as an indoor cat. Then Peter convinced me to move to his large property in the country. Jones really had no say in the matter; living in the country was not his idea. Peter wasn’t too keen on this idea either; in Italy where he comes from, cats know their place – in the barn chasing mice.

Well Jones knew his place too – on the most comfortable chairs in the house. First he tried out Peter’s TV-watching chair. When he was chased out of that, he found Peter’s desk chair, soft leather. Next he scurried into the living room to check out the white sofa, Peter not far behind with his booming voice. Finally Jones settled on the rug near the back door. He took up his place watching the birds, squirrels, rabbits and chipmunks. He was quite content to sit inside for hours surveying the property and sizing up life in the country.

After a few days I opened the back door. Jones timidly stepped out onto the patio, darting back inside at the slightest gust of wind. Then he tried the grass, tentatively putting one paw out, then another and another, all the while keeping an eye on the open door behind him. Finally he saw a chipmunk. We could almost hear his tiny mind working as he sorted back past the teachings in his brain to where the instincts were hidden. Suddenly he crouched, pupils dilated, and then he sprang! The chipmunk was used to avoiding cats, and Jones was no match at all. As the chipmunk flashed past, Jones stared in amazement.

Peter chortled. “What kind of cat is that? He can’t even catch a chipmunk!” Peter sat down to watch, intrigued by the entertainment. This went on for several days: the chipmunk flashing past, Jones looking dumbfounded. Then one day things changed. A well-aimed pounce and Jones grabbed his prey by the butt. There was the chipmunk hanging upside down, eyes frozen in terror. Jones trotted over to me, proudly showing off his treasure.

Then reality dawned as Jones, his belly full of gourmet cat food, thought to himself: “What do I do with this thing now?” At the same time, Peter and I began yelling at him. Finally, unable to come up with any other plan, he dropped it. The chipmunk shot into the forest, teeth marks in his butt. But early the next morning there was Jones, pawing at the back door, eager to go outside again and hunt. Apparently Jones had decided that living in the country was going to be OK.

Unfortunately Jones grew old in the country, and he passed away before Peter and I moved back to the city. But I think he would have been happy here – chasing the chipmunks and squirrels that visit us, annoying Agnes’s pet mice, and making friends with Minou, the neighbours’ cat. There would be lots in the city to keep him busy – just like us!

Sue

When Peter and I moved from the country to the city, we chose a house that was in move-in condition. No renovations or repairs for us; we wanted a stress-free life. Or at least that’s what we planned…

One thing we loved about our new house was the kitchen – newish and modern, lots of space, black and white granite counter tops, and high-end stainless steel appliances; the perfect place for 2 people who love to cook. Things were OK for a while, but then the kitchen started falling apart. First the upper rack on the dishwasher began coming off its tracks if we pulled it out too far. We called Kitchen-Aid and, much to our surprise, the agent told us it was a recall product and would be replaced for free! We gladly welcomed the repair person and the free fix.

Next, the fridge began leaking. Peter, anxious for another free fix, was only too happy to call Kitchen-Aid again. But this time – no luck. In fact the repairman was in our kitchen for only about 15 minutes, replaced one very tiny part, and presented us with a bill for $200!

Then one morning the microwave refused to heat up. We hadn’t realized how often we use this small but mighty appliance, but at least several times a day: to heat things up, to defrost things, to make sauces and gravies, to dry out the cat…just kidding! Anyway, we know from previous experience that it is usually not worth the money to fix a microwave. So off we went to the store for a new one. We put the old one on the curb and it was gone in minutes.

At this point we were thinking: what else could break in the kitchen? Well you’re wrong – it wasn’t the stove.

We had a very nice Thanksgiving dinner with our family and we didn’t eat in the garage! Instead, we set up the basement banquet hall – almost like the olden times. We enjoyed a lovely evening together and everyone left by about 10:00 pm, full of turkey and laden with bags of leftovers. Peter and I put on our pyjamas, set the house alarm, and sat down in the living room to re-hash the evening – our first big event in almost 2 years. Then suddenly we heard a loud CRASH from the kitchen.

We rushed in and there was the sink, I mean WHERE was the sink? Well the sink, loaded up with dirty dishes and greasy water, had crashed through the counter into the cupboard below, knocking itself off the drain pipe. Apparently it had been held up by only a layer of glue, which had disintegrated. We stared in disbelief, dumbfounded. Then we started into clean-up mode: grab a bucket, slowly get the dishes out of the sink, edge the sink out of the cupboard, and start mopping up the water. Then, to add insult to injury, the dishwasher, which was running the first load of dishes, started into the drain cycle and the dirty water, with no drain to go down, poured into the cupboard too! How could this get any worse?

Well it did. I ran into the garage to get another bucket for the dirty water, and accidentally set off the house alarm. “This is the alarm company! Identify yourself immediately!! The police are on the way!!!”

“YES!” I thought. More people to help clean up!

Well we did manage to calm down the alarm company and clean up the mess ourselves. When we finished, it was after midnight – well past our bedtime. We changed out of our wet, greasy pyjamas and went to bed. But we didn’t sleep soundly; we were too busy thinking about what mischief the stove might be getting into.

Sue

We Canadians usually think of ourselves as living in an expansive country, second only to Russia, at least in terms of geography. So what would Little Canada have to offer us? Plenty.

Last Friday Peter and I ventured on the subway to the 2-month-old exhibition housed at Dundas Square, the brain child of Belgian businessman Jean-Louis Brenninkmeijer. Referred to as a Model Citizen, Brenninkmeijer came to Canada as an immigrant and fell in love with his new country. He spent about 10 years and over 24 million dollars recreating his dream home – in miniature. His goal was to “evoke a sense of wonder and curiosity about Canada.”

The first section of the display is a reproduction of Niagara Falls. The falls and the Niagara River are created through the use of lighting, and the river flows at high speeds, steering a tiny Maid Of the Mist downstream to the dock where miniature passengers are waiting to board. We are so entranced that it takes us a while to notice the tiny spider on the top deck. In the background are small versions of iconic Niagara Falls buildings: the casino, the hotels and bars, and the ferris wheel on Clifton Hill. Buses, taxis and cars make their way along the streets, and passengers line up for rides. Soon the sun must be going down because it’s now night time at the Falls. Street lights and signage all become illuminated.

It’s hard to stop looking; there are so many tiny details to take in. We wander along past the floral clock, Brock’s monument, and the little town of Niagara-On-the-Lake. Then we come to the vinyards where miniature people are sitting at tables enjoying a glass of red, and a couple of tiny but rowdy kids are stomping on grapes in a tiny barrel.

Next on our journey we arrive at the towns of the GTA. In this part of the model country, fall has arrived and the trees are all decked out in leaves of brilliant oranges and reds. We explore Stratford with a miniature Festival Theatre in the middle of a performance, and Kitchener hosting an Octoberfest parade. We come across a Tim Horton’s outlet, with a small plaque explaining that this represents the very first Tim’s, built in 1964 in Hamilton. These plaques appear throughout the display, giving us added facts and details.

Then we make our way downstairs to the next display – Toronto. We begin at a TTC office building, with a space ship on the roof. Clearly Brenninkmeijer has a sense of humour! All the landmarks are here too: the CN Tower with its outdoor elevator and changing illumination, Union Station surrounded by taxis and buses and a GO train rumbling past in the background. We take in the Rogers Centre where the Blue Jays song plays every few minutes and the tiny jumbotron shows José Bautista hitting a home run. And to make the scene truly realistic, there are traffic jams at every intersection.

In yet another room we visit Ottawa. The Parliament Buildings are the highlight, and every 15 minutes a Canada Day celebration is held, with Oh Canada playing, tiny people waving flags and clapping, and a spectacularly small fireworks display at the end.

In Ottawa we also see the Rideau Canal, a beautiful tulip garden in bloom, and the Chateau Laurier Hotel. Peter becomes agitated. “That’s where we had our first dance!” he reminds me, in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear. A guide rushes over with an idea: why don’t we have our picture taken in a dance pose, and then artists will create a miniature version of us dancing, which can be placed in the display?

Of course there is a cost for the “little-izing” service. But the idea is intriguing. We can be immortalized in this display! So, when you decide to visit this amazing exhibition, look for the piano at the Chateau Laurier Hotel and you just might see us, in miniature of course.

Sue

Do you remember what you were doing when the Toronto Raptors won the NBA Basketball championship in 2019? Of course you do!

Major sports events grab our attention, give us something to hope for, and pull us together. You probably remember as far back as 1972 when Team Canada played Russia in hockey and Paul Henderson scored the winning goal. I was teaching in a high school then, and we packed all the kids into the school auditorium so everybody could see the game. You could hear a pin drop. Nobody, not one kid, misbehaved – because nobody wanted to get kicked out of the auditorium and miss all the fun. Not until the final goal, when all hell broke loose, all over the country: an unlikely Canadian team had beaten the bad guys. WOW.

Or remember the Blue Jays winning the World Series back in 1992 and 1993? Even though there were only 2 countries in the “World” Series, it was still exciting to defeat our arrogant neighbours to the south. And this year the Jays have been at it again. It’s been a year of change for them; first playing their home games in their winter home, Dunedin Florida, then using the minor league field in Buffalo, and finally roaring back to the Rogers Centre in August. Crowds have increased as restrictions allowed. First there were hundreds of spectators, then 15,000, and finally 30,000. Gradually fans dared to buy tickets, don their masks, locate their vaccination proof, and ride the subway to the game.

It’s been a year of firsts for the players too. So many of them are so young! Take superstar Vladdy Guerrero, at only 22 scoring the most home runs in the entire league. Or that cute Bo Bichette, age 23, whose dad works for the Jays as a coach while keeping an eye on his son. Or Adam Cimber, an old-timer at 31, who joined the Jays this year. He wears at least size 16 shoes that fly erratically around in circles as he throws pitches in what is called the “submarine” style.

Peter and I were lucky to get tickets to what would be the Jays’ last game of the season. We arrived early so we could soak up every exciting moment. We watched some players warm up, and we enjoyed the antics of mascot B J Birdie. The first inning got us gong in fine style: our pitcher struck out the other team with only 9 pitches – 3 strike-outs in a row. And then our first batter got a home-run! The players continued to amaze their audience, racking up 12 runs to the other team’s 4. We won handily.

Meanwhile, the electronic scoreboards kept tabs on the other contenders for the last two wild card spots which would get our Jays into the playoffs. Our eyes darted from the scoreboard to the field and back to the scoreboard. We had our nachos and beer to keep us company as we cheered for the Jays and booed the electronic contenders. Cheer…boo…cheer…boo… We were hardly even distracted by the young couple in front of us, falling all over each other, ignoring baseball completely.

In the end, the other top teams won their games too, which meant that, while the Jays won their last game, they lost out on a playoff spot. But it was a great summer, and they gave us lots to cheer about, during the 4th wave of a pandemic that is hanging around far longer than anyone expected. Thank you, Blue Jays!

Sue

One of the big reasons that Peter and I moved to the city was so that we could access public transit. After settling into our new home, we rode the subway and the GO train everywhere, wile our cars sat lonely and gas-filled in the garage. All that changed 18 months ago, when the pandemic forced our mode of transportation towards running shoes instead.

But our hearts remained with the TTC, and we were pleased to climb aboard to go downtown again last week. There are signs about mask-wearing and reserved seating everywhere, but otherwise not much has changed. There are the usual passengers: street people carrying bottles and cans to exchange at a recycling depot for extra change, business people dressed in suits and working on their phones, nannies cuddling babies and headed to a playground somewhere, students with their noses in books. But everyone is spread out and looking a little nervous.

There is a lot more that hasn’t changed. The same female tells us in her calming voice: “The next station is St. George. St. George Station. Change here for line 2.” There is the same graffiti on the walls near the Keele Station, and the same squeaks as you go around the corner into Old Mill. There are fewer ads above the seats, but some of them are still eye-catching, like the one from Ripley’s Aquarium reminding us that “the octopus can hunt with spine-crushing strength but still can’t grasp climate change.”

One thing we discovered while riding the subway is that this fall marks the 100th anniversary of the TTC. If you go to the website: ttc.ca/ttc100 you can learn a lot of its history, posted decade by decade. In the 1920’s for example, there are pictures of the first buses on the first route in the Junction:

In the 1940’s, due to the number of men fighting in WWII, women were hired for the first time as conductors, maintenance workers, even drivers:

In 1954 the Yonge Subway line opened between Union Station and Eglinton. People thronged to the stations to be the first to ride this new mode of transportation:

In the 1960’s subway cars were re-designed and the University line was opened:

In the 1980’s articulated buses were added and Pope John Paul came to visit:

And in the 2000’s he came back! Guess he enjoyed the ride:

To celebrate the anniversary, there are photographic displays at 12 stations. At the Bay Station you can view station concepts by local artists, or at the Finch Station you can learn about electrifying the system. At the Kennedy Station you can study Scarboro rapid transit. When you are finished visiting all those stations, you can put your feet up and shop at the TTC online store. Masks, T-shirts, books, posters, train sets, even doggie bandanas can be purchased, just in time for Christmas!

One thing that has changed for Peter and me is the 60-step staircase from the parking lot to our station. Hard to believe but it has grown! it used to be pretty short – one brief stop to catch our breath part-way up. Now it requires at least 3 breath-catches to get to the top. That must have happened when nobody was looking. Certainly it couldn’t be us at almost 2 years older, could it?

Sue

I promise you that this is not a political blog. OK I admit it – once I wrote a post about Donald Trump. Sorry; I couldn’t help myself!

But this time I’m writing After the election, so you know that there will be no attempt to “get out your vote” as they say in the business; which means going to your home very early on election day and getting you out of bed just to let you know that we can drive you to your polling station if you want. We try not to mention that you are wearing your pink bunny slippers or your pj’s with Superman on the chest.

Peter and I campaigned for our local candidate whom we know and like. We helped him out last time too, in 2019, but this time was different. The lead-up to the election was very short, only 36 days, which meant that we were always running to finish our polls in time. We seemed to be always placed with a young group leader, and he could really run fast! We had to keep up with him so we could give him our “data.” Data means that the leader wants to know who will definitely vote for our party, who would rather eat hot peppers than vote for our party, and who was undecided. This last group was our main target. Grab ’em and talk. Talk till their eyes glaze over. If we don’t get anywhere, then pass on their house number so somebody else can have a go at them.

Furthermore most days were very hot. We were sweating as we ran and we had to stop often to fill up with water. A couple of times we were canvassing close to Lake Ontario and it was so inviting that Peter had to drag me away. Sometimes we passed a local bar that was inviting too. But we had our orders – no bar-hopping, no pretending that there were potential voters inside.

But this year the thing that was most different was the anger we found at some homes. A lot of people were upset that an election was called during the pandemic. Some people were concerned that earlier election promises had not been kept. But there were a few people who were just plain rude. Since I was a school principal in my former life, I am no stranger to the “F” word coming out of the mouths of bratty kids. But a couple of adult homeowners very pointedly told me to “get the F off” their property. One woman even told me to “get the F off” her neighbour’s property too!

After several weeks of running, sweating and being sworn at, we could see the election day around the corner. Last time on election day we were scrutineers. This means that you go to the polling station, sign your life away on several forms, and then stare over people’s shoulders to make sure that nobody is voting twice or doing anything else illegal. It’s a thankless job. But this year we got a promotion! We got to be a Home Centre.

At first I wasn’t sure what this entailed. It definitely meant that a lot of people would be coming to our house to collect lists and then travel around our neighbourhood waking other people up to see their pyjamas. Did I have enough time to make muffins and sandwiches for everyone? Was the bathroom floor clean? Did I need to paint the living room red? Peter thought that last one was way too much.

Yesterday we woke up at 6:00 am to get the coffee on. The workers arrived at 8:00 and were at our house all day until 9:30 pm when the polls closed. It was a very long day. But nobody mentioned the bathroom floor or the beige living room. And this morning it was all worth it – our candidate won!

Sue