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The state funeral  of Jack Layton in Toronto allowed people to come to terms with what they had – truly Bon Jack. Canadians had not a carpetbagger politician nor a Karl Rove wannabee – nor a blame game and media maestro/mistress as seen Due South; but rather a man constantly referring back to first principles and morals in these chimeral modern times.  A rare commodity in politics. Thus Jack Layton represents a re-awakening of what to expect from politics and politicians. And his funeral in Toronto allowed people to see what was lost. You can see and read it in their chalked remarks left at Nathan Phillips square:

There is almost a bewilderment at what was lost in these words. Yes, some on the right, only saw a man playing to the plebes on how to rook the State[again echoes of Due South ultra-conservative sentiments]; but in general time will tell whether Canada embraces fair and moral or strange righteous elitism. Rue the day that a Champion of Principles was felled too soon.

Only time will tell if Jack`s passing was not just a political fancy.

 

The Royal Winter Fair is ion this week in Toronto with Dog Show, all sorts of Horse Shows and competitions, plus extras like magic displays and culinary exhibits. It is an Ontario Tradition plus the natural end to the farm season – and brings participants from across the province as well as from the City of Toronto.

But as always there are some cautions about visiting the Fair. First and foremost the price is up, Ticket Master is charging $22.75 for one adult one day ticket. There are Senior, Family and other special ticket plans – so check beforehand to make sure that you get the best possible price.

Second, make sure that you follow the Royal’s suggestion and use the TTC or GO Transit to get to the Fair. They are much cheaper and often much closer to the Fair’s Entrance than the sprawling parking at Exhibition place.

Food and beverage, just like at THEx, tend to be expensive. Unfortunately when you go to the Royal website there is no advice on what attendees are allowed to bring with them. Even using the Search function does not reveal any policy. So check with Royal beforehand to determine what is not taboo regarding food and beverages – not just alcoholic but also various pops.

Ditto for picture taking. There are all sorts of restrictions on when, where and how you can take pictures at the Royal. Again, searching the Royal’s website for clarification reveals no guidance whatsoever. And this can have dire repercussions. Your Pix of Canada editor has seen first hand where a pro photographer was detained, his pictures confiscated and destroyed by the Royal’s security [with back up from Toronto's constabulary] for taking pictures at the Petting Zoo even with assent of the parents. Another amateur photographer complained that some of the shows also had photography prohibitions but the ruling against picture taking were not posted.

There are also restrictions on where you can and cannot go on the Fair grounds. They are not always posted or clearly in sight. So check before you go down the wrong path… the security staff is sometimes lenient and sometimes downright brusque.

So the the Royal Winter Fair can be a lot of fun as long as you play by The Royal’s Rules. So before you go check with the Royal and avoid any uncivil hassles.

Think of  returning to high school or a home city you have moved away from 5 or 10 years ago and that was the feeling of my first visit to the ROM-Royal Ontario Museum in in almost a decade. Well five years ago I visited the ROM just about every day through Summer and Fall but that was on the outside walking down the treelined walkway between  ROM and UofT’s  Royal Conservatory of Music. So I definitely got a feeling for the texture and mood of  both “museums” during wet and cool days as well as steamy hot summer nights.

But both buildings were under major renovation during my hiatus and then work took me away from town. Okay,  the constant increases in admission prices at what once had been a paradise of free be-wonderment  may have  also influenced my decision to bypass  ROM-ing with wide eyed awe or just enjoying a read in the Rotunda under the watchful eyes of the Haida Totem Poles. But the East Asian Dance Group with a free dance concert at the ROM changed my forced abstention. I decided to Return to the ROM while taking in the East Asian Dance company.

So upon my return to the ROM I first went to an old recluse full of fond memories – yes, the ROM Minerals Room:

The honest to goodness truth in so many shapes and forms

From early youth and finding geodes down at Indian Rock, discovering  gems and minerals has always  been a great delight. But then to learn that the chemistry behind the formation and structure of various crystals revealed a natural path to beauty  that even in its most riotous colors and strange orderings had an underlying set of logics. Even more fascinating was the range  of  conditions that could take the  same basic ingredients yet spawn a riot of  different  crystalline forms – suddenly the almost intimidating diversity of the the natural world had rhyme and reason. Crystalline complexity became at least reasonable even if almost infinitely unpredictable. Beside this all,  I loved the reflections, juxtaposition and various color sparkles.

Curve of  Giant Geode with Amethyst Inner Crystals

The  ROM collection had several geodes on display. There is also an explanation of the formation of geodes. Molten origins occur when a bubble of gas  does not escape from a lava layer and the differential cooling causes separation and crystal formation. Or rounded cavities in sedimentary formations shapes the basic geode. After rock around the cavity hardens, dissolved silicates and/or carbonates are deposited on the inside surface. Over time, this slow feed of mineral constituents from groundwater or hydrothermal solutions allows crystals to form inside the hollow chamber.  Many geodes are cut and polished for their inherent beauty. But of even greater interest was the fact that two radically different methods could produce the same geode results.

Blasts of Twisting Basalt

But geodes are not the only mineral formations of interest – these swirls of snarling rock echoed  my feelings almost like a set of confused emotions. I smiled to think that geology knew and depicted  my innermost emotions.

like a Jade Ship’s Bow slicing through the rockscape

Soon I began to look at the exhibits in a new fashion – seeing new stylings, cause and effects. Instead of raw crystalline facts I was seeing metamorphic shapings and metaphors. And at this moment I knew I was both back and yet seeing ROM anew as if for the very first time. For more ROM Minerals section pictures,  go here.