HDC

Ron MacLean Broadcasting live from the center of the Avon River.






The Orangeville Flyers.
crazy group of kids. lots of fun

















Two of the Best.

Happy Hockey Day in Canada, Canada!!!

It's the annual Hockey Day in Canada and this years host is the lovely town of Stratford Ont. Stratford is about an hour north east of my beloved St. Thomas. Just a quick shot up the 401. CBC will be hosting today's events and brodcasting live cost to coat to cost. If the CBC team is there for the day this could be my only shot to slap Don Cherry in the mouth and tell him to stop shitty in the Habs. I mean come on already how many years has it been since the Canadiens spanked you in the playoffs. Get over it.
Back to the day. The NHL has scheduled all CND teams to go head to head starting with Habs vs Sens at 2:00. Good luck boys. Sens are on a 9 game winning streak and have not allowed a PP goal in thier last 26 PKs. Damn.
Tonights game has the Cunucks in Toronto at 7:00. Who cares. Final score Van 13 T.O. 1.
Tonights late game is the Battle of Alberta with the Flames vs the Oilers. Blah.
Stratfords events today has over 100 teams of different ages from all over the country coming together to play on the frozen Avon River.
Can't get more Canadian than today.
Pictures will be posted later on tonight.
Have a great day.

Oh yeah, duhhh. You'll need this. It is Canada's Game after all!
http://www.hockeycanada.ca/

PreGame News and Notes

Lets start with the obvious links shall we?

http://www.vancouver2010.com/
http://www.ctvolympics.ca/team-canada/index.html
http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/





Finally Canada shakes the age-old stereotype that Canadians are "So Nice"!!!
Check out this link about how the Canadians are keeping access closed for Training on Olympic Sites for everyone but the Canadians.
I think its fine, but hey I want Gold for every event. GO CANADA GO.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/21/sports/21olympics.html?_r=1

Chef Eric this one’s for you Buddy. Like I said “I go hang posters around VanCity and let the Gay Community know that you are on your way, and they are all in ‘Big Trouble’!”
Pride House.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/20/sports/20pride.html



A link for anyone who is going to be in Vancouver, and is on a tight budget like myself.
There is going to be so many events located in and around Vancouver that it will be easy to find something to do for free. In my opinion, I’m looking forward to hang with the normal people from around the world, and not the Fat Kats that can drop 750.00$ on a seat for a hockey game. Really that’s what the last seat on the highest row in GM Place where the Mens/Womens Hockey tournaments is being played will cost you. 750.00$ and that’s only if you had a chance to buy them 1 year ago when they were released to the public. God knows how much a ticket may cost from a scalper or the Internet. I need to make some volunteer friends working security. Big time.

http://www.citycaucus.com/2010free


Okay coffee is done; I’m going to go see what’s new and exciting on Hab’s Inside/Out.
Catch you later.

Ill be sure to post more news and information as the days go on.

Home Sweet Home

St. Thomas Ontario, the Capital city of my beloved Elgin County.
Its day one and I thought I would post some information about my hometown. I’ve got some time to kill and only two cafes in this town have WiFi.

In the late 19th century and early 20th century several railways were constructed through the city, and St. Thomas became an important railway junction. A total of 26 railways have passed through the city since the first railway was completed in 1856. It has earned the title of the "Railway Capital of Canada."

Alma College was a former girls private school in St. Thomas, Ontario in Canada. Built in 1878, the school was in operation between 1881 and 1988. The college closed in 1988 in part due to a teacher's strike. Primary and music classes were still taught on campus until 1994. Following its closure the school building was used as a set for several movie productions: Silent Hill (interior shots), its image is included in the 2009 film Orphan and the made for TV movie, Mr. Headmistress (1997). The building itself was destroyed by a fire on May 28, 2008. This atrocity has been placed in the list of Canada’s top 5 Historical Loses. Broke my heart the day she burned down. This place is where I would retreat to on every trip home, to think, Photograph and remember my youth.

Notable residents
Rachel McAdams, actress (The Hot Chick, Mean Girls, The Notebook, Wedding Crashers, Red Eye, The Family Stone, Married Life)

Joe Thornton, professional ice hockey player (San Jose Sharks, Boston Bruins, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, St. Thomas Stars).
Joe will be going for Gold in this years Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey in Vancouver.
Got to find his email and get some backdoor tickets to the games. Go Canada Go.

Both Graduated as Titans form C.E.C.I, my old high school. I remember them both. Good kids that worked way to hard at there craft. So look at them now. Well done.

Economy
The local economy has been dominated by automotive manufacturing, with two plants operated by Magna, the Ford St. Thomas Assembly in nearby Talbotville, and the Sterling Trucks plant. However, the recent global recession that impacted the auto sector ultimately trickled down to the city; the Sterling plant closed in March 2009, and the Ford plant is set to close in 2011. This has a domino effect on the other part manufacturers in town, such as Lear Seating.
So any of you kids out there that might be reading this, Get an Education, Follow your dreams, if you want out LEAVE. Or you can stay and put the same bolt on the same nut for 8 hours a day. But then again if that’s what will make you happy in life and you can grow and enjoy life, then dig in. Who am I to say otherwise? Someone has to keep this town alive. It wont be the Wal-Mart that’s for damn sure.

Demographics
St. Thomas had a population of 36,110 people in 2006, which was an increase of 8.4% from the 2001 census count. The median household income in 2005 for St. Thomas was $54,876, which is below the Ontario provincial average of $60,455.
According to the 2006 census, 95.5% of the population is Caucasian, 1.2% Aboriginal, and 3.3% Visible minorities.
Religious affiliation is 52.1% Protestant, 21% Catholic, 22.1% No affiliation, and 4.8% Other.
This little fact is the driving force behind my love for my home in Montreal. The first time I arrived in Montreal I got on the Metro, I looked around and I was the only white guy in the train. I closed my eyes and listened to five different languages. Clearly, I didn’t have any of that growing up.


St. Thomas was a great place to grow up in. I had 20 km of bean and cornfields behind my house. I had two ponds and a river to play in. Wild life of all sorts. Turtles, snakes, frogs, mice, deer, muskrats, Thousands of birds, coyotes, you name it. I had great fiends that could I could ride my bike through the mud with. Safe community where everyone knew everyone and there was always some new adventure to get into.
But like most good things I grew up and had to leave. I am grateful to have grown up in this little part of the world. It may be hard to find on a map, but Ill always know my way home.

I’ve got 3 ½ more days left…

Ummm

Testing testing, is this thing on. This is just a little test for myself.
I'm sitting in the first row on the 2nd floor, from what I can tell the most unsafe corner of the vehical. My sweet ride is Canada's own, MegaBus!!! 40$ MTL-TOR with 3 Timmys Breaks along the way. That's 1 MM 2x2x, 2 chocolate milks (from straws), 38 Tim Bits. Maybe even a 12 grain, no butter. That shit will make you fat.
This Glass elevator of mine does post one hell of a view and WiFi. so Word Up.  

Well No Shit Iphone, Really! I'm going to have to figure out a way to attach pics from my phone to my Blog. Fucking Blogger won't look into my Iphone and dig up any info. So let's just try...
This?

Yasmin