The crown jewel of a museum in Toronto that almost wasn’t

The crown jewel of a museum in Toronto that almost wasn’tA few twists of fate gave the city something it can treasure forever: the Aga Khan Museum When people come to visit the city I live in, Toronto, the recommended destination spots are typical ones. The CN Tower, Royal Ontario Museum, Art Gallery of Ontario, Casa Loma, Distillery District, Rogers Centre, Scotiabank Arena, Roy Thomson…

There’s room for everyone in nature – if we’re respectful

The only time we need to stand up is when nature is negatively impacted by someone’s actions

There’s room for everyone in nature – if we’re respectfulI sometimes wonder how people with disparate desires share a common resource while respecting other people’s differing ideals and goals. I’m a dedicated birdwatcher, as I think you might have figured out by now. Years ago, I went to Rondeau Provincial Park in Ontario to look for a very rare bird – a sage thrasher…

ConnecTour Chronicles: Ottawa family is all-in on car-free, cycling lifestyle

These eclectic bicycles range from fairly conventional to a variety of Frankenbikes

ConnecTour Chronicles: Ottawa family is all-in on car-free, cycling lifestyleTroy Media publisher Doug Firby is part of a group of Canadians who call themselves ConnecTour. Starting last May in British Columbia and ending in October in Newfoundland, they hope to make an 8,000-km bicycle journey across the country, discovering how the COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped our lives and sense of community. Watch for their…

ConnecTour Chronicles: Traumatic accident led former nurse to artistic success

Painting was therapy at first, ‘so I wouldn’t spiral into depression.’ Now she has her own gallery

ConnecTour Chronicles: Traumatic accident led former nurse to artistic successTroy Media publisher Doug Firby and travel editor Lisa Monforton are part of a group of Canadians who call themselves ConnecTour. Starting in May in British Columbia and ending in October in Newfoundland, they hope to make an 8,000-km bicycle journey across the country, discovering how the COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped our lives and our…

Amish follow a humble path to a simpler way of life

The homestead is no-frills, but felt cozy as the family bustled about their daily chores

Amish follow a humble path to a simpler way of lifeCanada’s secondary roads are not only more peaceful and scenic to ride, but they also often lead to the serendipity that adds to the richness of our experience. We were on one such road, Maple Ridge Road, in northern Ontario, about an hour’s bicycle ride east of Thessalon (near the head of Lake Huron) when…

ConnecTour Chronicles: Learning to roll with one of this tour’s unexpected twists

"Disappointment" doesn’t describe the feeling of being sidelined after a broken collarbone

ConnecTour Chronicles: Learning to roll with one of this tour’s unexpected twistsTroy Media publisher Doug Firby and travel editor Lisa Monforton are part of a group of Canadians who call themselves ConnecTour. Starting in May in British Columbia and ending in October in Newfoundland, they hope to make an 8,000-km bicycle journey across the country, discovering how the COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped our lives and our…

ConnecTour Chronicles: Wawa’s loyal support keeps country store going strong

Young’s General Store is there in all its rustic glory, greeting visitors to this northern Ontario town

ConnecTour Chronicles: Wawa’s loyal support keeps country store going strongTroy Media publisher Doug Firby and travel editor Lisa Monforton are part of a group of Canadians who call themselves ConnecTour. Starting in May in British Columbia and ending in October in Newfoundland, they hope to make an 8,000-km bicycle journey across the country, discovering how the COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped our lives and our…

ConnecTour Chronicles: Reckless drivers are the scourge of cyclists

I wish dangerous drivers could see the world from a bicycle seat. Perhaps it would make them reconsider their recklessness

ConnecTour Chronicles: Reckless drivers are the scourge of cyclistsTroy Media publisher Doug Firby and travel editor Lisa Monforton are part of a group of Canadians who call themselves ConnecTour. Starting in May in British Columbia and ending in October in Newfoundland, they hope to make an 8,000-km bicycle journey across the country, discovering how the COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped our lives and our…

ConnecTour Chronicles: A private fantasy world, rich in local and family history

It would be an insult to say Sheri is a packrat; all of the hundreds of knickknacks she has have a history

ConnecTour Chronicles: A private fantasy world, rich in local and family historyTroy Media publisher Doug Firby and travel editor Lisa Monforton are part of a group of Canadians who call themselves ConnecTour. Starting in May in British Columbia and ending in October in Newfoundland, they hope to make an 8,000-km bicycle journey across the country, discovering how the COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped our lives and our…

ConnecTour Chronicles: Lodges hanging on by a thin fishing line

“We need a plan to fully reopen the border so our businesses can survive”

ConnecTour Chronicles: Lodges hanging on by a thin fishing lineTroy Media publisher Doug Firby and Travel editor Lisa Monforton are part of a group of Canadians who call themselves ConnecTour. Starting in May in British Columbia and ending in October in Newfoundland, they hope to make an 8,000-km bicycle journey across the country, discovering how the COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped our lives and our…