Tag: Eastern Ontario

Posted on in charitable, environment, lake living, nature

Why did the turtle cross the road

Girl holding a snapping turtle

I rescued five garter snakes last week trying to cross the road. It was one of the first warm days, and they must have just come out of hibernation. They were all small and slender and very cute.

On the same walk, I saw a tiny dead turtle overturned with a beautiful orange pattern on his belly. A painted turtle hatchling. He was so little, he didn’t stand a chance against the car who hit him.

Snakes and turtles are on the move. Living on a lake and beside a culvert where turtles nest and hatch, we watch for them carefully and do what we can to keep our turtle population happy.

Last year, one heartbreaking morning, we witnessed the decimation of three large snapping turtles at our culvert. It was so disturbing, the girls were almost in tears.

We have an especial fondness for turtles in our house since Grace spent a semester interning at the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre in Peterborough (follow them on Facebook here). The centre recently completed a new 10,000 foot facility that will be open to the public this summer.

On any given day, the centre can house up to 2,000 turtles, including hundreds of hatchlings orphaned when their parents were killed by cars and dozens of injured turtles being treated in their hospital.

We were fortunate to be given a private tour of the centre last spring by Grace. It’s an amazing facility. In addition to being a full turtle veterinary hospital, it is a conservation and educational facility, educating the public about the importance of turtles in our ecosystem and the risks to the population.

All eight of Ontario’s turtle species are at risk. Less than 1% of turtle hatchlings will survive to adulthood. That means every turtle saved counts.

How you can help keep our turtle population happy

  1. If you see a turtle in the middle of a road at risk of being hit, help it across the road (if it’s a snapper, they have tips for handling snappers on their website—I get Grace to do it!)
  2. Put up signs on your property if you are in an area where turtles hatch and are on the move—you can get them at their online store
  3. Slow down and brake if you see a turtle

What to do if you come across an injured turtle

Call the centre at 705-741-5000, x9. Note the location (road, intersection, closest municipal number) where the turtle was found so it can be released in the same place. Even dead turtles may contain eggs and be valuable.

Pictured above: Grace with “Mr D”, one of the permanent educational snapping turtles at the centre (due to his injury, Mr. D can never be released in the wild so he gets to meet school groups and seniors). Below: a blandings turtle, one of the more than 2,000 turtles treated at the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre in Peterborough. Dave and Grace in front of the Centre’s new state-of-the-art facility.

Man and girl in front of the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre in Peterborough, Ontario
Blandings turtle
Posted on in arts, community, entertainment, Historical, travel

Make Kingston your happy place this summer

I have now lived more than half of my life in this beautiful corner of eastern Ontario, calling the area north of Kingston home. Dave and I often say it was the smartest decision we ever made (including having kids!)

And yet, I’m often astonished how many people I meet from southern Ontario or Quebec who have never been to downtown Kingston. They’ve stopped here travelling between Toronto and Montreal. But their only impression of our fair city is a plethora of gas stations and fast food restaurants off the 401.

Kingston is, in a word, simply…wonderful. From its vibrant patios and waterfront, to its historic buildings and world-class tourist attractions, thriving arts and music scene, and festivals all summer long, it delights all ages. So in the spirit of Destination Canada and travelling local this year*, I invite you to explore Kingston this summer. Here is my top ten list for things to do in the limestone city.

  1. Watch the Queen’s Golden Gaels football team, hot off their amazing 2025 season take on their rivals at Richardson Stadium in August or September. Our newly rebuilt stadium (in 2016) is a true gem. Catch some rays, have a beer and cheer on the Gaels to victory.
  2. Do a haunted walk. Kingston has many haunted buildings (I worked in one—the Empire Life historic building). Hear the grisly and ghostly tales and admire the architecture as you ramble through some of our wonderful old neighbourhoods.
  3. Kingston Penitentiary Tour. I’ve done this tour three times and it never disappoints. Tour the grounds and the cellblocks of Canada’s most notorious prison. After, spend an hour at the Kingston Penitentiary Museum, one of my favourite little museums in Canada.
  4. Tour the SS Kewatin, the beautiful steam passenger vessel older than the titanic at the Great Lakes Museum. Kingston was lucky enough to secure this grand old dame in 2023. I haven’t toured her yet—it’s on my list for this summer.
  5. Movies in the Square: Still one of my favourite things to do on a Thursday night in the summer. Downtown Kingston will be announcing their line-up soon.
  6. Stroll or bike along the waterfront. Most people stick to Confederation Basin near city hall. Venture further west to Battery Park, City Park, the walkways behind the Tett Centre (stop at the Juniper Café for a coffee or cold beer) towards Lake Ontario Park.
  7. The downtown is a hub of free music, festivals and events in the summer months. My recommendations: HomeGrown Live featuring all local performers this Saturday, May 2 (get there early—all the venues get packed as the day goes on!), Art after Dark later this month and Buskers Rendezvous in July. Hot off the presses: Kingston has replaced its popular BluesFest with a new festival called The RoadTrip Music Festival on September 12, 2026.
  8. Take the free ferry from Kingston to Wolfe Island and listen to some live music and have a drink at the Wolfe Island Hotel or spend the day at Big Sandy Bay Beach ($20 per person and a kilometre hike in)
  9. Fort Henry is always fun to visit, but elevate your experience by taking in one of their special events or sunset ceremonies. Plan to have a beer at the battery bar overlooking Lake Ontario and Kingston—one of the best views around. Admission to the fort is free for kids 17 and under with the Canada Strong Pass.
  10. Number ten is a toss up between hiking at Lemoine’s Point, and exploring the streets of Barriefield, a heritage village. If you choose Barriefield, be sure to stop into the Frontenac County Schools Museum, a quaint one-room school house.
  11. BONUS Number eleven! Admission is free to Bellevue House, the home of Sir John A. Macdonald from June 19 to September 7 as part of the Canada Strong pass again this year.

And I’d be remiss if I didn’t urge you to spend at least one day hiking, fishing, or biking on one of our beautiful trails or lakes in South Frontenac where I live.

This week’s #HappyAct is to come to Kingston and spend a few days this summer. For all my friends from out of town, consider this your invite to come visit us. I’d be happy to play tour guide for you!

Queen's Gaels playing at Richardson Stadium

Queen’s Golden Gaels playing at Richardson Stadium

Movies in the Square in Kingston

Watching Wicked last summer in Market Square

Kingston sign

When Dave’s cousins Alison and David visited last summer from BC, we had to take their picture in the Kingston sign!

Posted on in environment, lake living, nature

Spring musings

spring shoots popping out of the snow in a garden

The lake is still frozen, the surface turning darker by the day waiting for the ice to honeycomb and sink. It reminds me of the remarkable images from the Artemis mission to the moon of the craters, swales and pockmarks of its blackened surface.

Last weekend, when it was 20 degrees, I was in my shorts raking the leaves out of the garden beds when I looked down and saw a big dark brown object on the ice.

At first, I thought we had left a pair of pants or jacket on the ice, but then realized it was an otter who had leaped out of one of our ice fishing holes and was feasting on a rather large fish. The otter was huge, the size of a small seal and was gulping the fish down leaving a splatter of blood on the ice. The incongruity of watching an otter eat a fish on the ice while I was raking leaves in my shorts wasn’t lost on me. Spring in Canada.

As I dig in the garden, I see pink and pudgy worms, squirming in the sunshine, waking up from their long winter’s nap. If they could yawn and stretch their grubby bodies like a toddler, they would.

Tiny green shoots sprout up from beneath the pristine snow. Soon, my daffodils and tulips will erupt, flooding the yard with reds and yellows and pinks. The rain rejuvenates the buds and bulbs, washing away the weariness of winter.

We boil down the last of the sap from the six maple trees we tapped. I read somewhere that the sap will stop running when you hear the first spring peepers (frogs). We had pulled the buckets down the day before, and sure enough, on my walk with Bentley, I think I heard my first spring peeper. We’re getting good at this maple syrup thing even if we are amateurs (and even if we still spend $100 on propane to get about the same equivalent in maple syrup).

On Easter Sunday, I visit my friend at their family farm to help them sugar off. As we wait for the rich golden liquid to boil down to that perfect sticky consistency, I mention that we had taken the blade off our ATV. My friend Madeliene, the prophet, says, “Oh, so it’s your fault then?” referring to the endless winter we are having. Two days later, we are blanketed with another dump of snow. Superstition and snow run deep in these parts.

Back at home, I notice a large tree has fallen on the ice. It was an old poplar that had a large dead branch that jutted out over the lake, popular with the wood ducks and eagles when they came to visit. They will need to find a new perch this summer.

I hear and see the flocks of Canada geese flying home and the distinctive honk of the trumpeter swans who never left but are on the move. I finally see our heron—the first harbinger of spring. We hear the first croaky call of the lake’s town crier, the loon, announcing his triumphant return. His vocal chords are weak and out of practice after his long journey home.

Don’t be tricked by the robins and the groundhog. These are the true signs of spring. Or perhaps just spring musings on a rainy day.

Lake and blackened ice

The blackened surface of the ice on the lake is like the images of the moon from the recent Artemis mission

Tulips in the garden

What I hope my garden will look like in a few weeks time

Posted on in community, environment, travel

Find community connection in your own backyard

High speed train and proposed route

Special guest blog by Alison Taylor

I had some time to reflect over the holidays and decided that in 2026 I would become more involved and aware of the things going on in my community.

Recently retired, I wanted to find more purpose in my days. Don’t get me wrong, living in the country I have plenty of time for long walks, reading and writing, connecting with friends, shovelling snow and embracing wind chills.

However, I wanted more, so I started reviewing local news, and websites and was surprised at how much is going on in my little corner of the woods.  

What also surprised me was how much joy it brings to connect with my fellow “Stone Millers” (what I call those of us who live in Stone Mills Township northwest of Kingston)  

So far this year, I have attended a weaving demonstration at a local museum, an agricultural land use meeting to understand how land is designated in the province, and will be attending an open house for the proposed southern route for the Alto high-speed train rail proposal in eastern Ontario.  

So much going on in my neighbourhood.

The transition from working full-time to retirement can be tricky, but I am finding new ways to discover happiness in my own backyard.

I predict some great local connections in the months to come and look forward to being an active and well-informed “Stone Miller”.

Ed. note: Alto is a crown corporation that was established to plan and deliver the high-speed rail project in the Toronto to Quebec City corridor. The speed of the trains will reach 300 km/hour and the cost of the project is projected to be $80 billion. Alto is evaluating two rail routes between Peterborough and Ottawa, a southern route through more heavily populated but ecologically sensitive South Frontenac, and a northern route near Highway 7. A route along the already established corridor north of Lake Ontario through Kingston is not currently under consideration. If you want to find out more about this project and make your opinions known, Alto is holding a series of Open Houses this month. You can also complete an online form to share your feedback. The times for the Open Houses appear to be the same for all locations.

  • February 18: South Frontenac (11 am – 3 pm and 5-9 pm at Storrington Lions Club, 2992 Princess Rd., Inverary)
  • February 26: Peterborough
  • March 4: Perth
  • March 5: Madoc

Posted on in dogs, lake living, nature

Find joy in the snow

Saying, "If you choose not to find joy in the snow you will have less joy in your life but still the same amount of snow"

The snow keeps falling in an endless sea of white. Tiny feathery flakes fall in slow motion, causing the minutes and hours to tick by slowly. Winter in all its glory grips the landscape in its icy grasp.

There is something rhythmic and pleasing to falling snow. The world is gentle. Silent. Peaceful. The creatures of the forest seek shelter and rest, waiting for the storm to pass so they can emerge from their dens.

The snowflakes increase in size, the size of peas. I catch them on my tongue. Bentley is covered in white.  

I usually love winter, but a few weeks ago, I said to Dave I’m done with winter. It has worn me down.

I become nostalgic, missing the days when a fresh snowfall was an excuse to go out and play with my children and celebrate winter’s bounty: skating on a frozen lake, racing down our driveway on toboggans, and building snowmen in the yard.

I spy an icicle on the side of my barn. My inner child seizes it and takes a hard, crunchy bite. It’s so brittle, it almost chips my weathered, withered teeth. The cold chunk melts in my mouth slowly as I savour the coolness on my throat and mouth. It’s so cold outside, when I take a second bite, the icy chunk sticks to my lips for a nanosecond.

The snow continues to fall and I realize I am fighting a lost cause. Better to embrace it.

As the saying goes, if you choose not to find joy in the snow, you will have less joy in your life, but still the same amount of snow.

Dog covered in snow

Bentley our weatherforecaster, me catching snowflakes and the view from our back deck. Winter is one of the most peaceful and beautiful times on our lake.

Woman catching snowflakes
Snow-laden trees beside a lake
Posted on in arts, charitable, community, Food and drink, holidays

Score a free meal

My husband and I enjoying a free lunch at Grace Hall in Sydenham

Don’t let anyone tell you there’s no such thing as a free lunch.

This past month, I’ve enjoyed four free lunches, making me an official pensioner. I come by it honestly. The Swinton family motto after all is, “You can call me anything you want, just don’t call me late for dinner.”

My first free lunch was the annual Celebration of Friends of Empire Life retirees and 25-year employees. It was a wonderful afternoon of catching up with old friends and colleagues at the Kingston Marriott. Three hours flew by, and I realized I didn’t get a chance to talk to even half the people that were there.

My second free lunch was a thank you from my dear friend Pamela who is turning 92 this month. I drive Pamela to writing class every other Friday and she suggested we have lunch before class at Hattie’s Cove, the Senior’s Centre restaurant. They offer a free lunch to members each month celebrating a birthday.

My last two free lunches were volunteer appreciation luncheons hosted by South Frontenac Township and Southern Frontenac Community Services where Dave and I volunteered this summer in their garden. They were catered by Rampart Kitchens, a wonderful local caterer and we enjoyed eating the delicious Greek-themed meals, chatting with other volunteers in our community and listening to live music at the Grace Centre.

So, the next time someone tells you there’s no such thing as a free lunch, follow the Swinton rule.

The holiday season and New Year always provide ample opportunities to snag free nosh. Shop at stores that offer free hot chocolate and snacks, attend a dinner or craft night at your local church, or watch for invitations to a New Year’s Levee in your community. Many service groups or churches also offer a free Christmas or holiday meal at this time of year. Happy munching!

Note: While this post is meant to be tongue in cheek and a thank you for my free lunches this past month, food insecurity is a growing issue in many communities. Food Banks are in desperate need of donations, so if you are able to give, please give to your local food bank this holiday season. And if you live in South Frontenac, the Verona Lions host a free Christmas dinner every year on December 25 at noon at the Verona Lions Hall. They ask you register on their website so they have an idea of numbers.

Craig Jones and friends playing music at the Grace Hall in Sydenham
Posted on in family, lake living, nature

On the pontoon

People on a pontoon boat ride

We have a new ride these days, a pontoon boat. Everyone is loving it, from the kids to the dogs, garnering Dave a new nickname, Captain Dave.

Since they were first introduced, pontoon boats have channelled the ultimate party vibe. Step onto the astroturf, get your koozie, let’s go.* You can fish, swim and tube off of them, or just sit back and enjoy the ride.

There is one cottage couple on our lake who take a nightly sunset tour on their pontoon boat, waving regally in the breeze to their neighbours on their docks and decks as they putter along the shoreline.

The pontoon boat is a relatively new invention. It was designed in 1952 by a rural Minnesota farmer named Ambrose Weeres who tied a wooden deck to two aluminum cylinders. He started manufacturing his invention, and the rest, they say is history.

When I was a teenager, I spent many of my summers up at friend’s cottages. Pontoon boats hadn’t made a splash yet on Ontario lakes in those days. It wasn’t until the early 2000s when boat manufacturers starting revving up the horsepower that pontoon boats became all the rage.

All of a sudden, pontoon boats started replacing high-powered speed boats on Ontario’s waterways. Now it seems the only people with speedboats are waterskiiers and fishermen. Today, more than 50,000 new pontoon boats are sold each year in the US.

Pontoon boats are great for many reasons. For people with accessibility issues, they provide a safe, stable means of getting out and enjoying the water. You can have a conversation on a pontoon boat, as opposed to yelling over the motor in a speedboat. They are also highly practical since they can carry large loads of people and items for cottagers needing to barge supplies across the water.

That’s all wonderful, but let’s face it, it’s the vibe of a pontoon boat that is irresistible.

Whether it’s the gentle breeze blowing in your hair, the lure of the perfect cast and catch at dusk, or simply enjoying a laugh and smile with friends and the people you love on the water, a pontoon is the ultimate summer ride.

The best months of summer are upon us. This week’s #HappyAct is to make some waves and catch some rays and party in the open on a pontoon.*

*Lyrics from Little Big Town’s 2012 hit, Pontoon

Man and woman eating chips on a pontoon boat

Pictured above: Partying on the pontoon last weekend at our friend Libby and Murray’s cottage; Below: Captain Dave, the girls, and Grace and me on our pontoon.

Man at the helm of a pontoon boat
Two teenagers high fiving on a pontoon boat
Mother and daughter smiling on a pontoon boat
Posted on in environment, nature, travel

The lakes of my life

Sydenham Lake at dusk

Are you a mountain, beach or desert person?

My brother is a desert person. There’s something about the light and landscapes of places like New Mexico, Utah and Nevada that speaks to him. Since I live on a lake, and am a water baby, it will come as no surprise to you that I’m a beach person.

And while Canada is blessed to boast three coastlines, all with stunning scenery, I have long since realized that I will always need to be or live on interior lakes where I can swim.

Here are ten interior lakes in Canada that hold a special place in my heart:

  • Big Hawk Lake: I’ve been visiting this beautiful lake north of Minden, Ontario since I was a teenager. The lake is on a popular canoe route and is dotted with pretty islands and bays and has several interesting features including rapids, a historic log chute, a rockface known as the three chiefs, rocks for cliff jumping and even a totem pole.
  • Lake Moraine: There is a reason why this picturesque lake in Banff National Park in Alberta was featured on our $20 bill. When you round the corner from the short hiking trail, your breath is literally taken away by its stunning turquoise blue colour and mountainous backdrop. (The colour is unique to glacial lakes and is caused by rock flour that is produced as glaciers grind against bedrock and is carried by glacial meltwater into the lake). Substitute any mountain lake in the Rockies or BC.
  • Red Lake: Anyone who has spent time in northern Ontario will understand why Dave’s father calls this region God’s country. Located where the road ends off the TransCanada highway near the Manitoba border, Red Lake is a fisherman’s dream, spanning 165 kms of islands, bays teeming with walleye, northern pike and muskie. The constant drone of float planes taking off from Howie Bay serenade you while on the water, but can make swimming in Red Lake hazardous!
  • Mazinaw Lake: Bon Echo Provincial Park houses this second deepest lake in Ontario, famous for its impressive 100 metre high Mazinaw Rock. While the rockface itself is magnificent, it’s the ancient pictographs painted centuries ago by the Algonquin and Anishinaabe peoples that are said to have spiritual meanings and qualities that attract people to the cliffs.
  • Georgian Bay: With more than 30,000 islands and grey granite sculpted shorelines, Georgian Bay is a boaters dream. Every time I’ve spent time in this beautiful region of Ontario, I fall in love all over again with its greenish blue waters, unique shorelines and undulating waves that stretch for miles and miles.
  • Lake Superior: The granddaddy of the Great Lakes, Lake Gitche Gumee is massive, majestic, and magical. It can be peaceful, calm, and breathtaking on a nice day, and dark, menacing and deadly on a stormy day. Take the Lake Superior Circle Tour, a 2,000 km route and enjoy the magnificent views and natural wonders. Be sure to take a slight detour to Mackinac Island just south of Sault Ste Marie.  
  • Lake Memphramagog: This stunning lake in the Eastern Townships straddles the Quebec/Vermont border and offers picturesque mountain views. Legend has it that a sea monster inhabits the lake! Spend an afternoon strolling along the boardwalk in Magog or in the pretty town of Newport, Vermont which Dave and I explored last fall on our way back from the Maritimes.
  • Opeongo Lake or any lake in Algonquin Park: There’s something about Algonquin Park that is special. When people think of a wild space, they think of Algonquin. Picture early morning mist gently rising off the water, revealing stately pines lining the shoreline and pure silence. It’s pure heaven.
  • Mackenzie Lake: Located near Lake St. Peter Provincial Park in Ontario, this lake and region is a snowmobiler’s dream in the winter with trails galore. Surrounded by cliffs, there is one concave rockface on the southern end of the lake that becomes almost mystical towards the end of the day when the light hits it. Patterns of light dance across the rockface and the water. Alone in a canoe or kayak, it’s one of the most spiritual places I’ve ever been. 
  • Lake of the Woods OR Lake Muskoka/Lake Joseph: Okay, since this is supposed to be a top ten list, I’m cheating and combining the lakes that make up the “Muskoka of the South” and the “Muskoka of the North”, even though they are 1,600 kms apart. Beautiful, stunning and expansive, these lakes have become prime real estate. Take a boat cruise and spend time gawking at the million dollar cottages. Hey, you can always dream!
  • Bonus pic: Desert Lake or any lake in South Frontenac. Dave and I moved to this area thirty years ago because of all the beautiful shield lakes and its proximity to Kingston. When you’re paddling on the north end of Desert Lake on a bright sunny day, watching eagles perching on the tips of pine trees swaying in the breeze and loons feeding their babies beside your canoe, you feel like you’re in paradise.

Of course, every lake is special. I’m reminded of this every time I’m out exploring our pretty little lake in my kayak. This week’s #HappyAct is to spend some time on the water.

Related reading: The trees of my life

Rockface at Mackenzie Lake

The sunlight reflecting off this conclave rock face on Mackenzie Lake at the end of the day is very spiritual. I’ve yet to photograph it in the perfect light.

Beach with canoes

Pog light campground in Algonquin Park

Girls paddling kayaks at dusk

My girls paddling at dusk on Big Hawk Lake.

Featured photo above: Sydenham Lake at dusk in South Frontenac.

Posted on in ageing, community, Food and drink, Historical, relationships, travel

A stranger walks into a bar

Two people sitting in a bar

I made a new friend last night. His name was Alan.

Alan was sitting alone reading the Globe and Mail and sipping a pint of Stella when Dave and I wandered into the Toucan pub in Kingston last night, killing time between two movies at the Kingston Canadian Film Festival.

We got to talking, as strangers are wont to do in a bar, the conversation starting with Trump and the situation in the US, then veering into Alan’s fascinating life.

A son of a diplomat, Alan spent his childhood living around the world in countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Belgian Congo, Lebanon, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden. He shared one story from the time when he was a boy in Pakistan of one of the British dignitaries’ wives separating the children into teams of colonials versus locals for games at a British garden party.

When he graduated from university, he became a land technician with the Ministry of Natural Resources, a job he said he absolutely adored. One project he led was researching all the treaties to create Petroglyphs Provincial Park in Peterborough. He shared how for thousands of years, the various Indigenous peoples of that region took turns scraping the moss from the Teaching Rocks, passing down the teachings from generation to generation.

When I had jokingly said we’d be better off if women were in leadership positions around the world when we were talking about Trump, he smiled and leaned in and talked more about the belief of Indigenous Peoples in Gitche Manitou, the “goddess of supreme being” and how women in Indigenous cultures were tasked with the most important role, taking care of the home and children.

After his time with the MNR, Alan founded his own communications company and started doing documentary work. He travelled to the Congo in 1995 to document the outbreak of Ebola. The stories he shared were fascinating. He said both the US and Russian armies were present, but not to help the dying and suffering. They were there to see if they could weaponize the virus. That never made it into the film.

Over the course of a few hours and pints, we talked about fishing, travelling, our children, the Montreal Canadiens, Canada-US relations and how lonely it can be living alone.

As we paid our bill and gathered up our coats to head out into the chilly February night, I gave Alan a big hug and said I hope we meet again. Two barflys, no longer strangers, now friends after sharing a special bond in a bar.

This week’s #HappyAct is to wander into a bar and make a new friend. Here are a few bar jokes to leave you smiling:

Three vampires walk into a bar. The first one says, “I’ll have a pint of blood.”
The second one says, “I’ll have one, too.”
The third one says, “I’ll have a pint of plasma.”
The bartender says, “So, that’ll be two Bloods and a Blood Lite?”

A bartender says, “We don’t serve time travelers in here.”
A time traveler walks into a bar.

A three-legged dog walks into a saloon, his spurs clinking as he walks, his six-shooter slapping at his furry hip. He bellies up to the bar, stares down the bartender, and proclaims, “I’m looking for the man who shot my paw.”

Posted on in arts, community, entertainment, Hobbies, relationships

Never stop singing

Audience at Choir Choir Choir event

Last week, I was lucky enough to attend a Choir Choir Choir performance at the Grand Theatre in Kingston, featuring the songbook of Queen and Freddie Mercury.

In case you are unfamiliar with Choir, Choir, Choir, it’s a performance where a duo called Daveed and Nobu sing and play guitar and conduct the audience in harmonies of their favourite songs. At a triple C performance, the audience is the star.

Choir Choir Choir is uniquely Canadian. It started in Toronto 14 years ago as a weekly drop-in for people who were looking for an outlet to sing. Since then, it has grown to be a popular mainstage show, the duo having performed at Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall, and Massey Hall. They describe the experience as equal parts singing, comedy, and community building. Their motto is “Never stop singing”.

It was surprising to see how quickly the audience came out of their shell. As adults, we tend to be self-conscious when we sing, especially if we aren’t blessed with a great voice, but the sheer joy of the music and the experience quickly drowned out our fears and feelings of self-consciousness, and soon everyone was singing in full voice.

It is a powerful thing to hear voices raised in song, singing with passion and commitment. When the crowd sang the Canadian national anthem at the recent Four Nations Cup hockey tournament in Montreal, it was an incredibly moving and galvanizing moment for Canadians. I wish I had been there to experience it.

For “You’re My Best Friend”, they asked the audience to videochat a bestie during the song. My friend Leslie was laughing as I sang to her “been with you such a long time, you’re my sunshine”…

When it came time for the encore, Bohemian Rhapsody, Daveed and Nobu invited people to join them on stage to sing and dance along.

A few interesting facts about Bohemian Rhapsody, arguably the best rock song of all time. When it was first released in 1975, it immediately went to #1 on the charts in almost every country in the world, except the US where it climbed only to #9. The song found a whole new generation of fans and hit #1 on the charts again in 1992 when Canadian Mike Meyers’ Wayne’s World was released.

As we sang Scaramouche, scaramouche can you do the fandango, we were all on our feet, singing at the top of our lungs. Watch the video below to see the crowd erupt on stage during the guitar solo.

I walked out of the theatre feeling joyous and uplifted. People were smiling, laughing, singing and humming, with one lady singing Don’t Stop Believing loudly in a vestibule. Oh, what a night.

This week’s #HappyAct is to never stop singing. Let’s take a pledge going forward to all sing our National Anthem out loud at events instead of standing in respectful silence.