On to Ontario

WINNIPEG -- It’s been a wonderful, restful couple of days in the Manitoba capital. Lots of sunshine, warm temperatures and only a slight breeze.

It's been a welcome respite from the howling winds of the bald prairie. I’ve slept off the fatigue of eight days of struggling in the wind and the stiffness in my wonky left hip has eased.

I probably shouldn’t complain too much after meeting Theodore in the first motorcycle-only parking area I've ever seen outside a Tim Horton’s coffee shop in Portage la Prairie.

When he told me he was riding back to his home in Dryden, ON, from CFB Shilo in southern Manitoba, I assumed he was injured in Afghanistan. No, he said, a degenerating ankle bone caused by a workplace accident cost him his leg below his left knee.

I asked how he shifted his Harley Road King without control of his toes to change gears. Footboards allow him to use a heel-and-toe shifter.

I told him he was an inspiration, not letting his disability get in the way of his love of riding! Ride on and ride safe, brother!

One of the best parts of this trip is meeting new people like Theodore and renewing acquaintances with old friends and former workmates I haven’t seen in years. Folks like Kim, who worked with me in CP’s Edmonton bureau before returning to her Winnipeg hometown.

I really had a good time, catching up with her and her husband Jordan and her teenaged daughters who were pre-schoolers when I last saw them!

I had been looking forward to catching up with Boris, a guy I first met at the Tribune in Welland in the early ‘80s. Bo has been responsible for introducing me to some great music and musicians over the years. I might never have heard of The Meters, Tom Wilson and the Florida Razors or soul master Dan Penn and a host of others had it not been for Bo‘s input.

However, fate intervened and we weren’t able to hook up this time. Instead, I’ve been staying with Laurie, a former colleague at CP-BN, now working for the venerable Winnipeg Free Press, and her husband Pratik. Unfortunately, Laurie works the night shift and we’ve only had brief conversations before she heads off to the Freeps.

But Pratik and I have had better luck. On Thursday, we took in the opening night of the Winnipeg Jazz Festival (Bo‘s suggestion, of course.) Four great acts at The Cube in the city’s historical Exchange District kept the enthusiastic crowd of music-lovers hopping, Half Pints craft ales in the beer garden and an eclectic mix of food trucks made for a memorable night. The fresh-made tacos from Habanero Sombrero were perfect for the occasion. Any occasion!

Earlier in the day, I got my photo taken with the BMW in front of the Manitoba Legislature. That’s three out of the four legislatures that have figured in my photo collection. Only the one I worked in and for for the past 18 years denied me the opportunity to take a pic!

If I sound peeved, it's because I am. I still don’t know what Alberta legislators are so afraid of that would warrant an armed squad to keep citizens away.

I also walked around the site of the soon-to-open Canadian Museum for Human Rights, took a couple of pix of the ultra-modern architecture (not sure I like it, but I‘m sure my opinion counts for very little) and caught the opening match of the World Cup in the Tavern United sports bar. Brazil looked a little shaky with an own goal, but came back to beat Croatia 3-1.

Today, Scott -- another Winnipeg CP hand -- and I had a good catch-up while I wolfed down some amazing bangers and mash at The Grove. “Locally sourced sausages,“ said our server. Later, he ‘fessed up that our bangers were, in fact, from Alberta. I knew they were good and that must have been why.

Most of the folks in The Grove were there to watch the powerful Netherlands steamroll Spain! It’s going to be tough to see many of the games, but wherever I am on Saturday, I’ll be watching England v Italy! I’ll keep my options open on who I’m supporting in that one! I have no skin in the game, but I have friends supporting either side.

It’s starting to rain here in the North Kildonan neighbourhood of Winnipeg and it has cooled considerably since the mid-20s of this afternoon.

Tomorrow, I’m bound for Ontario and the The Lakehead north of Superior. Forecast is calling for rain, rain, and more rain with temps in the low-teens. Still, I think I prefer the prospect of a cold rain to the unrelenting prairie winds.

I am a little concerned about another hazard on the road -- moose! These huge beasts are known to wander the highways of Northern Ontario -- especially in the early morning and after dark. Luckily, those times are unlikely to find me riding, so here’s hoping in won’t encounter what my brother Michael refers to as “swamp donkeys!”

Depending on the weather and the road conditions, I’m going to take the scenic route south from the Trans-Canada to Fort Frances and .

Áfter crossing the Coquihalla summit at 2C in a late-spring snowstorm, I’m pretty confident my Scott Turn TP riding suit will be waterproof, windproof and warm as advertised.

That’s about it for now.

As regular readers will know, this 16,000-kilometer ride is a fundraiser for The Ride for Sight, Canada’s leading motorcycle charity. So far, we’ve raised more than $1,000 for research into the causes and prevention of blindness. Here’s a link to my secure, online donation page.

Like all the fundraising events for the Ride for Sight, 100 per cent of the funds I raise go directly to the Foundation Fighting Blindness. Please consider a donation to this worthwhile cause. And my deepest thanks to those of you have already given.