Whats the deal on Ontario, Canada

[Blaine's Trains]

Hi,

History & Geography Lesson 102:

Through a Constitutional amendment on December 6th, 2001 Newfoundland was officially renamed Newfoundland and Labrador.

The southern most tip of NL is 46.6 degrees. So it too is further south than the 49th parallel.

 

Blaine

[Coquihala and Rock Creek]

 Vancouver Island was a Crown Colony before it joined Brithish Columbia just after confederation.  Both the island and the city are named after Captain George Vancouver.  Not to be confused with Vancouver Washington as some young lady did with a live hand grenade in her car a few years back as she tried to cross the border into Canada.

 Vancouver Island is definately an island so your picture or map must not have been that high a resolution, there are a number of smaller islands between Vancouver Island and the mainland so that may have made it look like one big piece of the mainland.

Victoria is the capital city of BC.  Hope this helps.

[chpthrls]

Okay, here's a question for you boys in BC. I've been to Vancouver (the city), and then we ferried across to Namaino and then drove down to Victoria. Now my question is, I thought Victoria was on Vancouver Island, but while looking at an earth photo, it doesn't appear to be an island at all (hmmm, guess that isn't the question). So my question (no really, this is the query) is, why is it, then, called Vancouver Island for cryin out loud?!      Gerry S. 

[graftonterminalrr]

"Ontario, you know I've seen a place I'd rather be

Your scummy lakes and the City of Toronto don't do a d*mn thing for me

I'd rather live by the sea"

-With apologies to Stan Rogers

Graftonterminalrr - a dedicated, unapologetic Maritimer

[wjstix]

I suppose the British influence in Ontario and Canada in general can't be overlooked. Britain per capita has many more railfans (er..."Railway Enthusiasts") and model railroaders ("Model Railway Builders") than the US does. I'm sure the British influence on Canada - though not nearly as strong as it once was - could be a factor.

BTW re fun geography...I believe every province of Canada has at least a part of it's land area that is farther south than the northern-most part of Minnesota, except Labrador.

[Seamonster]

Blaine's Trains

 Hi,

And as far as Winnipeg is concerned, it is the geographic centre of all of North America.

 

Blaine

It's actually a few kilometres east of the city according to the sign on the Trans-Canada Highway. And, according to another sign on the Trans-Canada highway, the Prime Meridian is a few kilometres west of the city. So endeth the geography lesson.

[Seamonster]

reklein

Apparently ,unknown to the rest of the world Canada has somehow invaded the US and is now 4.195 miles into California. To further confuse the issue CA has invaded ca. I've always wondered what the Canadians did in the winter.

  A few years back I drove from Lewiston,ID to Winnipeg CA, for a family reunion. I think I left about a pint of blood there with the local mosquitos while taking photos of the rail yard down by where the Mint is. It was interesting to note that the railroad never got more than a mile or two from the hiway all the way from AB to Winnipeg. Winnepeg also has an interesting history. We visited the Museum of Man there. But I didn't have a chance to visit a hobby shop and pickup any Model Railroad souvenirs. BILL

We have some very good hobby shops here. If you're ever back this way again, try Gooch's.

[Grampy1]

I Love the picture, 1train1. I go through Paris quite often when I'm back in Ontario to visit the kidlets in London and travel up to Cambridge to visit the rest of the family.

Used to have the rail line travel right behind our house in Victoria. The only traffic though was the day liner to Courtney and the odd small freight or MOW train. The only train we have in Port Alberni is the local tourist 0-8-0 or the RS2. Still better than nothing though.

[trolleyboy]

reklein

Apparently ,unknown to the rest of the world Canada has somehow invaded the US and is now 4.195 miles into California. To further confuse the issue CA has invaded ca. I've always wondered what the Canadians did in the winter.

  A few years back I drove from Lewiston,ID to Winnipeg CA, for a family reunion. I think I left about a pint of blood there with the local mosquitos while taking photos of the rail yard down by where the Mint is. It was interesting to note that the railroad never got more than a mile or two from the hiway all the way from AB to Winnipeg. Winnepeg also has an interesting history. We visited the Museum of Man there. But I didn't have a chance to visit a hobby shop and pickup any Model Railroad souvenirs. BILL

 

Yup those mosquitos are know as the Provincial bird in Manitoba. They are big enough to hunt ( with a 20mm anti aircraft cannon )

 

Rob

[NittanyLion]

Sir Madog

 I am not that much into US or Canadian geography, but I do know that Ontario is way down south from my neck of woods. We are at 53 deg 33" N.- that´s about were Alaska begins ...

 

I think most people in North America either don't know or don't realize how far north Europe really is.

 

Or Bermuda, for that matter.  Its 1100ish miles due east of Savannah Georgia.  But as hot as Savannah gets in the summer, it sure isnt tropical there like in Bermuda

[Coquihala and Rock Creek]

I'm in CA - Canada, but from Langley, BC which is about 11 1/2 miles north of the 49th parallel, although I have visited Toronto, Mississauga, Etobiko, Hamilton, and Niagara Falls (Ont and NY) this past summer.  There does not seem to be too many people here from out west or from the Left Coast as we are known to those from the Centre of the Known Universe.

 Interesting thread though.

 Dan 

[Anonymous]

 I am not that much into US or Canadian geography, but I do know that Ontario is way down south from my neck of woods. We are at 53 deg 33" N.- that´s about were Alaska begins ...

[reklein]

Apparently ,unknown to the rest of the world Canada has somehow invaded the US and is now 4.195 miles into California. To further confuse the issue CA has invaded ca. I've always wondered what the Canadians did in the winter.

  A few years back I drove from Lewiston,ID to Winnipeg CA, for a family reunion. I think I left about a pint of blood there with the local mosquitos while taking photos of the rail yard down by where the Mint is. It was interesting to note that the railroad never got more than a mile or two from the hiway all the way from AB to Winnipeg. Winnepeg also has an interesting history. We visited the Museum of Man there. But I didn't have a chance to visit a hobby shop and pickup any Model Railroad souvenirs. BILL

[JBCA]

For the geography lesson (I didn't do that well in school)  

[blownout cylinder]

1train1

I just love my little corner of the model railroading world here in Ontario.

Love the view there----can see you with the deck chair out back and the camera waiting for the next train----

[1train1]

I just love my little corner of the model railroading world here in Ontario.

I work for the provincial government and pay taxes - so I am really paying myself anyway.

[selector]

Geographic center....maybe?

[Blaine's Trains]

 Hi,

Geography Lesson 101:

The southernmost point in the contiguous Canadia landmass is Point Pelee, Ontario, which is at 41.93990198 degrees North latitude, which places Canada 4.1496 miles south of California's northern border.

Here is perhaps a stronger phrasing of this surprising fact,

"More than half the states in the United States have land north of Canada's southernmost point." (Alaska, California, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.)

So stop sending all of your snow storms north!

And as far as Winnipeg is concerned, it is the geographic centre of all of North America.

 

Blaine

[JBCA]

 When discussing the "Great White North", don't forget that Windsor, ON is south of Detroit and on a latitude south of the states of Washington and Oregon, and if my memory is correct south of the northern part of California

[Last Chance]

 I lost count of how much freight I hauled into Ontario...

 

But I will recall much good food availible there than not inside the USA, Pekoe Tea to start...

[DavidGSmith]

 I am from Toronto but now live about 60 miles north near Barrie Ont. Alcona, is the town. There are a lot of MRRS near me and north of me. The snow in this area is a good reason to stay in and model. 30" about 11/2 hours north of me just before Christmas, nice.

Dave

[Rapido]

Actually, all silliness aside, Winnipeg has far more model railroaders per capita than the GTA.

Winnipeg can support five train stores with about 600,000 people. Toronto (2.5 million people) has one, with a handful more in the surrounding regions. There are a lot of really good layouts in Winnipeg, and the modellers are, on a whole, really friendly. Proof of this can be found on their licence plates.

If Canada needed a model railroad capital, I'd say Winnipeg is it.

-Jason

[JSperan]

I think it boils down to population density.  No I am not saying people in Ontario are dense, just that the province has lots of people!

There are plenty of Model Railroaders in Saskatchewan and a few visit this forum on a regular basis, however with a provincial population of just over 1 million in an area over 227,000 square miles... we can't hope to compete with the more populated areas.

The bottom line though...there are some great layouts in Ontario!  I wish we had a few of the shops Ontario has, out here!

[Caso.Sub]

Everyone forgot the Railway Capital of Canada, St. Thomas Ontario. The once powerful Mecca of railroading. I would be hard pressed to say, Elgin, Oxford, Middlesex County and London don't have a lot of modellers. The train shows are always packed, and there are several good local shops, featuring content of every major road that ran through the area. We also have the most Alco locomotives per Captia with Ontario Southland and Trillium shops in Tillsonburg and Salford.

 

CASO

[Philly Bill]

 I can't claim to be a big-time world traveler, but I've been a few places.  Ever since my first visit, Toronto has been one of my favorite cities, so it's no surprise that good things happen in that province.  And there is certainly lots of night life!

[Rapido]

Lake

Rapido,

Yes, it is a silly thread but you are here so you must be as silly as the rest of us.

As the good Doctor (Who) once said, "What's the point of being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes?"

-Jason

[Lake]

Rapido,

Yes, it is a silly thread but you are here so you must be as silly as the rest of us.

[Blaine's Trains]

 Hi,

Yes, it's a silly thread, but remember this,"Maturity is knowing when and where to be immature."

 

Blaine

[Rapido]

This is a very silly thread.