The Bus Blog
Follow the Road Tour through the eyes of the CBC team riding the bus.
Check out the bus map to see where we've been, and where we're heading, and let us know if you have a suggestion about where our bus should go and why you think we should
visit there.
Thursday, June 24
So what do a politician and a rattlesnake have in common? Lots, I learned yesterday in Osoyoos. We are in the southern B.C. interior, just minutes from the U.S. border, in Canada's only desert. The terrain is rugged, with rolling hills covered in sage. It looks like the American southwest or, some even say, Tuscany. It certainly has the vineyards in common with that part of Italy. We visited the Nk'mip native reserve, and its winery. They make a great merlot and pinot noir, according to our resident wine expert Sat, who picked up a few bottles. They also tag rattlesnakes on the reserve as part of a conservation project. So what does a rattlesnake have in common with a politician? They get ornery when they are cornered, they make loud noises to frighten their predators, they can twist their way out of a tight spot and, as I noticed yesterday, they can draw a crowd to watch them snake, rattle and roll. You learn the darndest things on a road trip.
– – Mark
Tuesday-Thursday, June 22-24
Tuesday was a recording day in Nelson. While the TV folks were off talking
to people for their piece (which aired Thursday night) I dropped by the
local co-op radio station to do a quick interview, and then spent some hours
collecting some tape for my last piece from the road, which will air
Saturday on The World This Weekend.
We all spent most of the evening editing and mixing our pieces.
The next morning, we had breakfast on a patio on Baker Street (Nelson has
the best patios!) then took the bus to the Telus building so that I could do
my Canada Now segment. It was sad to say goodbye to Nelson -- which I think
has some of the spectacular scenery and most welcoming people in the
province.
That sinus cold I felt coming on the day before finally caught up with me,
and I was a sniffling wheezebag the whole day. I'm not good with temperature
changes and it was H-O-T in Nelson. The ride to Osoyoos was even hotter. We
stopped off at Christina Lake for a dip in the water, then arrived in
Nelson, had dinner and crashed.
Thursday morning, I left the bus. I've got to be somewhere else on the
weekend, and then we are getting ready for election night coverage Monday.
It's been an incredible journey and I was so very priviledged to be a part
of it, even if I only did the western half of the country. We're very
grateful to those of you who emailed us (the driving parts of the road trip
were dreadfully boring, so it was nice to be in touch) and who sent us tips
on where to eat in their towns when we pulled in, etc.
And then there were four...
– – Tod
Monday, June 21: On the road to Nelson
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Bonnie and Catherine check the internet on the bus.
The crew said goodbye to Bonnie, who will be covering the B.C. fires.
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Travel day. We left Alberta bound for beautiful B.C. It would be a 500
km trip that would take hours in TV time. That's because we keep stopping
to get shots of the Rockies. I'm from Montreal, Sat and Paul are from
the Maritimes. We are flatlanders, easily impressed by big mountainy things.
Crowsnest Pass had to be one of the most stunning spots along our long
journey. It had been a long hot drive, so we couldn't resist pulling over
at a snowy mountain fed lake high in the Kootenays and taking a dip. Paul
and I braved the lake, then sat in the sun for a few minutes until we
could feel our limbs again. We keep saying to ourselves we can't pass
up these opportunities, because we never know when we'll be through here
again.
We arrived in Nelson at sunset. Baker Street is full of patios that were
full of people basking in the “magic hour” as we call that time when
everything glows in rich amber colours. The downside to the hot weather
is forest fires. Several are burning, one of the biggest is near
Lillooet, eight hours north of here. Bonnie has been taken off the bus and
sent to cover the fire for the news service. We already miss her. But
she is the CBC's “fire girl,” and who are we to stand in the way of a
raging fire and an eager reporter?
Bye Bonnie. It was a great trip, thanks, in large part, to you.
– –Mark
Friday-Sunday, June 18-20: Alberta
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| The bus stands proudly in the prairies. |
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“It'll be tough in Alberta,” I was warned. “They hate
the CBC there.” Oh well. I figured if we could listen to people
dump all over politicians, we should be big enough to take it on the chin,
too.
Funny, though,
after four weeks on the road, people have seemed really, well, happy to see
us. But I braced myself for Alberta.
We were shooting a story in Stavely (pop. 500 and dropping) when a farmer
stormed in to the restaurant where we had just finished an interview.
He was mad as hell at the media for ignoring the suffering of western
farmers. We talked for about talked an hour. In the end, we ended up trading
hats- he gave me his trucker's cap, I gave him a CBC Votes cap. Then I
felt a tap on my shoulder, and two burly trucker types said they wanted
to have a word with me. I braced for the worst. They led me out of the
restaurant. They were each holding something behind their back.. I finally
asked them what they wanted. They pulled out two CBC caps, and asked for
my autograph. I felt like an idiot for doubting them, and it reminded
me how often our assumptions are dead wrong.
 VIDEO
Mark Kelly gets an invitation the Cowboy Poetry Festival in Pincher Creek.
(Runs 4:12)
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Player |
The next day, we ended up at the Cowboy
Poetry festival in Pincher creek. I met Wayne, who in the past year had
lost his brother, sister-in-law, and dad, and seen his house burn down.
But he took me around, introduced me to cowboy poets, and overwhelmed me
with his western hospitality. I have never had such a warm welcome
anywhere on this trip. By the end of the night, I was on stage with the
performers, singing "Happy Trails" with my cowboy buddies, deep in the
heartland of Alberta. As we headed for the Crowsnest Pass and the BC
border, I was sincerely sad to be leaving Alberta in our rearview
mirror. Adios amigos.
– – Mark
Thursday, June 17: Moose Jaw to Lethbridge
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Sat editing in the back of the bus |
You know you’ve been on the road too long when you find yourself,
at midnight, standing in front of a motel vending machine for ten full
minutes trying to rationalize: Oh Henry or Snickers. Ten minutes. I am
not proud of this. (Oh Henry won.)
What a crazy day. We had originally planned to head from Moose Jaw to Medicine Hat yesterday, but we ended up in Lethbridge last night instead (two hours further than Medicine Hat). Early this morning, we hit the road (to Picture Butte, Alberta) for our stories.
For the television stories, we split into two different production units, like a film set: Mark Kelley and his team go one place, and me and Bonnie to another. This morning, we all went to Picture Butte, but Bonnie and I split off to shoot for my Newsworld segment Friday night on “Election Spin-Off.” It was a re-cap of the small towns I’ve been in and how people in these parts can’t stand that rural issues are being ignored by the leaders. Bonnie and I drove back in the chase vehicle after the shoot today to Lethbridge and split up. She headed north to Innisvale, Alberta to shoot a rodeo, and I started on my radio piece which will air Saturday on The World This Weekend, around 6:21 PM.
– – Tod
Wednesday, June 16: Moose Jaw to Medicine Hat
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| Tod in Gravelbourg SK. |
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Early this morning, Bonnie and I drove to the francophone community of
Gravelbourg Saskatchewan to collect some tape for the show I�m mainly
working for: Spin Off. Since the Radio Spin Off is a satirical show, I
thought it would be funny to try to get people to sign a petition to separate
from Canada. One of those “it seemed funny the day before”
story ideas, I think. I ended up stopping in at a coffee shop and had
a great talk with some grain farmers who were a bit bitter than agriculture
and rural issues weren�t mentioned once in the leaders debate.
Back in Moose Jaw, Mark Kelley and I both taped our inserts for tonight’s Canada Now show then we all went for quick buffet (the theme was “deep fried”), then a few touristy shots in front of the giant moose (seriously, they have one), and finally on the road which is where I am now. I’m in the passenger seat of the RV with my feet up on the dashboard, watching the fields roll by. And now I understand what people mean when they say the prairies have a big sky. Having been raised and lived most of my life around Vancouver, I’ve never really been anywhere were the sky isn’t punctuated by mountains or buildings. It’s pretty incredible to see.
See you in Medicine Hat.
– – Tod
Tuesday, June 15: Winnipeg to Moose Jaw
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| Mark does his live report into The National. |
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Yesterday was my first full day on the “CBC News: Canada Votes”
bus (my east-coast counterpart, Stephanie, was on for her half of the
country). And it was incredible. We saw funnel clouds (which even got
reported on The National last night), I saw my first prairie sunset, and
we drove seven hours from Winnipeg to Moose Jaw. I hate driving and road-trips,
but this was amazing. I was surprised how green Saskatchewan is. I�d thought
it was yellow and, well, I don’t know, “grainy.” But
it wasn’t – it was green and lush. And flat. But lovely.
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Ian Hanomansing (in orange) does an item with Mark
in downtown Moose Jaw. |
We were on a tight deadline to get Mark Kelley on air for The National.
We’d just left Regina as the leaders debate was on, and we knew
The National aired after the debate. We pulled in and Mark and his team
had just wrapped up their interviews... they scurried off to edit the
piece, then raced back to the bus for our live insert into the show.
– – Tod
Saturday, Sunday, Monday, June 12, 13, 14: Days 22-24: Winnipeg
From a gay farmer telling jokes at a Winnipeg comedy club, to a young
Mennonite man leading a prayer in a Winkler church... our time in Manitoba
was all about discovery.
At Rumor’s Comedy Club, we were on the edge of our seats as a young
comic named Trevor described his life as a ‘gay farmer.’ I'm a farm girl
from southern Saskatchewan, so I howled when he said he drove a John
Queer" tractor...and grew “disco balls and gummy bears.”
The next morning, the crew was an hour away, and a world away it seemed,
at a Mennonite church service in Winkler. There's a strong history of
Mennonites in this area. The pacifist protestant group first came to
southern Manitoba from Russia in 1874. Mark Kelley spent a long time
talking to community members, and was somewhat surprised when they said
their conservative moral beliefs will not dictate how they vote.
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A Drag Queen named Stephanie puts on a show in Winnipeg. |
Back in the big city, ABBA's “Dancing Queen” was blaring as the Gay
Pride Parade rolled through downtown Winnipeg. Drag queens showed off
their dresses and kicked up their heels. While it was definitely a
party, it also felt like a political rally. The NDP was making its
presence felt the most, with speeches, banners, and t-shirts.
Later in the day, we joined a group of lesbians and gays who live in
Winnipeg, but come from small towns in rural Manitoba, for drinks and
dinner. They too said they don’t want to base their vote on the same-sex
marriage issue, but feel they're being forced to by politicians.
It was a long day, because we spent hours talking with so many different
people. But that’s really what I love about this trip -- taking time to
dig deep with people, getting to know them, their community, and their
beliefs, political or otherwise. Unfortunately, it also means lots of
tape.
So on Monday, Mark and Catherine spent hours going over interviews and
video, and Paul and Sat spent hours putting it together.
Early Tuesday morning we’ll hit the road for Moose Jaw. It’s debate day.
– – Bonnie
Also June 10: Stephanie's farewell
I got off the bus last night in Timmins. I'd meant to go all the way to
Thunder Bay, or maybe even Winnipeg, but I had to get to a CBC studio to
do a 10-minute tape-talk with Shelagh Rogers on Sounds Like Canada, and
the bus just wasn't going to make it to Thunder Bay in time. I got them
to leave me at a hotel in Timmins, sure that I’d be able to get a room.
Yeah. Turns out there was a bishops’ conference or something in town,
and there were no rooms to be had. Luckily for me, Bonnie Allen, who’d
been off on her own with the minivan for a couple of days, got into town
a little after I did. And she used to live in Timmins, so we were able
to stay with her friend Michelle. Excellent. I wasn’t looking forward to
sleeping at the Timmins airport.
We spent an entertaining evening with a couple of Bonnie’s old friends,
then caught a few hours sleep, and soon enough it was time to go to the
airport. I packed up my bags and my minidisc recorder and my black fly
bites (I’m sure the little buggers were trying to actually gnaw my head
off...they took bites every few centimetres around my neck. Scratching
for days...) and headed to my flight. Forty minutes in a tiny little
prop plane, and I was back in Sudbury. Ah, Sudbury. Took us forever to
get out of town on Wednesday, and now here I was back again less than 24
hours later. Anyhow. Did my Sounds Like Canada thing and a quick
pre-taped interview with the Sudbury afternoon show, and then it was
back to the airport for me, for my flight to Toronto.
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| Stephanie Domet hard at work |
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It didn’t take me long to start missing the bus and all my bus pals,
though. I feel like I’ve known those guys for years, instead of just for
three weeks. I guess living together on a bus can do that to a person. I
still can’t believe how well we all got along. Of course, maybe I got
out at the right time, maybe we were about to start freaking out. But I
doubt it. We made it through those black flies in northern Ontario and
those potholes in New Brunswick without killing each other...I think
that makes us unstoppable. So, farewell, bus friends. Be kind to Tod, my
western counterpart. Is he as cool as me? You'll have to let me know in
a few weeks.
–– Stephanie
Thursday, June 10 - Day 20: Wawa to Thunder Bay
This is a great drive. I've been to B.C. but I've never driven west of
Sudbury. It’s about 95 per cent single lane driving and you can easily go
thirty to forty kilometers and not see another car. Those quiet roads
seem to draw the moose out. For a guy who has never seen a moose in
person, this trip has more than fulfilled my desire to see one. They’re huge! It’s
basically a horse with antlers. I can see why many people have been
telling us to keep a sharp eye for them at night. Their eyes don’t
reflect like a deer or a cat, so they’re really hard to see in the pitch
dark.
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Paul, Catherine and Mark outside Young's General Store in
Wawa. |
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We’ve been told the drive from Sault Ste. Marie to Thunder Bay is in the
top ten drives in North America. We only did the Wawa to Thunder Bay
part and that was pretty amazing. The edge of Lake Superior from the
highway is breathtaking.
So if you drive this way slow down a little, if not for the view, then
do it for our good friends the moose.
– – Paul
Tuesday, June 8 — Day 18: Heading north
After a weekend in Toronto, it was time to get back on the so-called
‘road less traveled.’
As we headed north, we thought about how huge and area it is, and how difficult it would be to spend time with people in every part of the region.
So, with that in mind, the plan was for me to get off the bus and drive
a van to North Bay and Timmins, while the rest of the gang headed
towards Sudbury.
A quick call on the cell phone confirmed the bus was leaving the city,
and on track. Unfortunately, the van was not.
You see, some people have an internal compass that magically points them
in the right direction -- I am not one of those people. Some call it a
“detour,” others call it “lost,” I think of it as an “unexpected
adventure.” And really, Guelph is beautiful this time of year.
I eventually made it to New Liskeard, Earlton, Kirkland Lake, and
Timmins. I spoke to a lot of people who say they’re not paying attention
to the election, and accuse the politicans of not paying attention to
them. Northern alienation is alive and thriving in northern Ontario.
And to answer the obvious question, no, I did not visit the Shania Twain
Interpretive Centre in Timmins. I just thought there wouldn’t be enough
time to make the most of that experience. Really, that’s the reason.
Bottom line: it’s time to get back on the bus, and back on the road....on
our way to Thunder Bay.
– – Bonnie
Monday June 7– Day 17: Toronto
On Monday we spent the day in the comfort of the CBC Broadcast Centre putting together and editing our Toronto story.
Okay, so our bus is supposed to cover uncovered territory, which left us stumped on what to do in Toronto -- Canada’s biggest and most-overly-covered city. We decided to take the bus to the inner city and talk to people living on the streets. We didn’t want to do another cliche homeless story, looking at the problems, seeing these people as victims. We simply wanted to know what their political issues are. Nervous about asking them for their opinions, we had no idea what an amazing response we would get. Then again it makes sense, homeless people seldom get aknowledged, let alone asked for their political views.
As we were getting ready to head out with the street patrol of Anishnawbe, an inner city outreach service, people were drawn to our colourful bus. It was like they were all waiting for something to happen and parked at the side of the road, we were it.
As with most groups, the people had really diverse opinions. We encountered people like Rick who was really drunk and who we all agreed (even Rick himself) had very, very, smelly feet. He brought it up! Rick didn't have a lot of hope and suggested we simply nuke the world. But we also came across a wise-old soul named Ron who was really at peace with himself and got me thinking about a lot of things.
Mark had a long talk with a woman named Cynthia who felt ignored by the government. She really got heated on the idea that homeless people and especially native homeless people with addictions, had simply become statistics to the political leaders.
And then we met Calvin... who blew us away. He used to be a landscaper but had trouble finding any work in the last four years. Calvin could have been a political analyst on Newsworld the way he was talking about policy. From health care, to transfer payments, to taxation, he had the goods. Calvin wants the government to create the environment for employment so that people who want to work, can. He wants the same things most of us do –– a house, a job, to pay his bills and maybe go to a movie once in a while.
It was a fascinating evening and actually had a lot of really funny moments. One happy guy called out to me “Hey pony-tail...hey pony-tail!” I looked at him and gave him a big smile which he returned with a toothless grin saying, “I like your teeth. Left mine at home.”
– – Catherine
Friday-Sunday June 4,5,6 – Days 14-16: A well-earned rest
It was the moment we'd all been waiting for since May 22, when the
election was called and our wacky trip across Canada in an RV started in
St John’s...no, not voting day, but rather, a day off.
We made our way from Montreal to Toronto, with a few stops on the way.
Sat went to Newcastle to spend some time with his family. Catherine
visited with friends in Toronto and Mark saw his family as well. Bonnie
went to Kingston to see some pals and took in a day-long concert at the
military base there, featuring 54-40, Jeff Healey and Julian Austin.
I'll have to get the details on that when we're all together again on
the bus.
I took an extra day off to hang out with my parents in Mississauga. My
dad's been sick, so it was good to see him for a couple of days, and my
boyfriend was able to visit as well, and distinguished himself by doing
many jobs around the house that my dad hasn't been able to do. Good job,
Eddie Haskell!
I also checked out the lawn signs in my parents' neighbourhood...lots of
Conservative, a handful of Liberal...sorry NDP, no love in the Sheridan
Homelands for you.
Though it was nice to be off the bus for a couple of days, I have to say
by the end of the weekend, I was missing my bus family. Stockholm
Syndrome I think they call that.
– –Stephanie
Thursday June 3 – Day 13: Montreal
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| Mark Kelley, in Montreal. |
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When we were planning our Montreal visit, we were given two suggestions for story settings: a men's pickup soccer game, or the Montreal Beer Festival. I figure you combine beer, politics, and Quebec, you can't go wrong. And we didn't.
The festival seemed somehow insulated from the election campaign until a “leader's” bus pulled up. It was Jonathon Bleu, leader of the Parti Bleu, an election spoof sponsored by Labatt's Blue. Joe Blue, as he called himself in English, campaigned on a platform of more fun, mandatory three-day weekends, and tax deductible rounds of beer. After he left, I asked one twenty-something what he thought of the stunt. He said he was really impressed by his message. I had to break the news to him that it was just a joke.
While it was great to be in my hometown, navigating the tight city streets made it feel like we were driving a battleship, not a bus. It should be noted, though, that Joe Blue's bus was even bigger than ours. Then again, he needed room for his entourage, his band, and his beer. Nice ride indeed.
– –Mark
Wednesday June 2 – Day 12: Montreal
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Montreal taxi driver Imad Alzawahral. |
When you want to know anything about a place, you can usually find out
by asking a taxi driver. So I got off the bus in Montreal, and hit the
streets in a cab. My driver was Imad Alzawahral. A colourful and intelligent
man, Imad was the perfect tour guide.
He drove around the Pierrefonds-Dollard riding, the southwest part of the Island of Montreal, explaining to me which areas vote which way, and why. The riding has a high immigrant population (30 per cent), and being an immigrant himself, Imad explained how social policies are a deciding factor in how many immigrants vote. He came to Canada 19 years ago, from Syria.
When our trip was over, we ate poutine, and talked more politics.
Meanwhile, the rest of the gang worked on other road stories, and the Rimouski story aired successfully. Mark had a live hit with the National, then we went out for some fine Montreal cuisine.
We're getting ready for a big day of drinking beer on Thursday.
Stay tuned to find out why.
– –Bonnie
Tuesday June 1 - Day 11: Rimouski
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| Bonnie Allen posing at the Quebec border | |
The bus has rolled into Rimouski, Quebec. I asked a local guy what Rimouski
meant — he said it means “land of the moose” in one native language,
and “doghouse” in another. They're sticking with moose story — it's
more noble, the guy explained. Whatever.
It's been a crash course in Quebec culture for the crew. I grew up in Montreal, so I'm schooling them on the finer points of the local cuisine. I told them it's normal to get peas in your gravy to pour over a chicken sandwich (they were skeptical) and we tried sweet sugar pie, that Catherine somehow managed to get stuck in her hair (didn't ask how, didn't want to go there).
We crashed a hockey party and talked politics with the local boys, who
were actually eating brie with their brews. Vive le Quebec. Next day,
we spent about 12 hours in my motel room, four of us with all our editing
equipment, putting our hockey story together. But when it came time to
feed it to Toronto, we hit a technical snag — in essence, the story
was stuck in Sat's laptop and we couldn't manage to get it out. We missed
our timeslot on the National. We were crushed. We decided to go to a restaurant
(more gravy!) to lift our spirits, but at 10 p.m. in Rimouski, the town
is shut down. So we sat in the bus in the parking lot behind the motel,
with a bottle of wine, some hummus, and a box of Ritz crackers. It's a
glamorous life on the road.
We're off to Montreal now — six hours of highway ahead of us. We hope to leave our technical troubles, and our peas in gravy, behind us — in the doghouse.
-- Mark
Monday May 31 - Day 10: Miramichi
As we drive through northeastern New Brunswick, surrounded by rivers
and trees, you can see why the Miramichi Region is such a popular destination
for hunting and fishing. And, naturally, we expected the gun registry
would still be a contentious issue in this area (considering the fact
it's also home to the gun registry processing center, which employs 150
people).
However, as soon as you drive into the city, you see "Save Our Hospital"
signs, and when you walk into a coffee shop, health care is all anyone
is talking about.
The seven-year old regional hospital in Miramichi is at risk for bed
closures and possible cutbacks, to be announced next week by the New Brunswick
Conservative government. We talked to seniors at a local diner, members
of the local Lions Club at a Bingo Hall, protesters at a loud rally, and
finally the Liberal and Conservative candidates. Bottom line - the hospital
issue won't help any politicians gain popularity in this riding.
Beyond politics, the people in Miramichi are very proud of their community.
So it was here that I decided I better have lobster before leaving the
last Atlantic Province. And yes, I wore the bib. (Mind you, I should probably
ALWAYS wear a bib when there's food around.)
After filing our story, we headed out of the city, on our way to Rimouski,
Quebec. At least five people warned us to "watch for moose." And good
thing they did. About 40 kilometres outside Rimouski, we had to slam on
our brakes, and came VERY close to hitting a VERY LARGE moose. It was
a magnificent animal. We put on our hazard lights to warn an oncoming
vehicle - but, for whatever reason, the driver still hit the moose. The
driver was okay, but sadly, the moose was dead. It was a pretty crazy
night.
-- Bonnie
May 29 & 30 - Days Eight and Nine: Halifax and P.E.I.
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Mark Kelley relaxes on the bus |
We spent a couple of days in Halifax last week, and that was great, especially
for me, since it was a chance to check in with my roommate, my cats and
all my pals. But it was also a chance to head down to the Halifax Farmers'
Market on Saturday morning to hear a few voter confessions. That's right,
I decided to offer a little public service, and let the good people of Halifax
get their guilty voting secrets off their chests. I heard from people who
were totally unprepared to vote, so just picked a name they liked on the
ballot. One woman voted for her high school biology teacher when he ran
because he was funny and had given her a good mark. Another guy said he
just asks his more politically inclined friends who to vote for, and then
proceeds accordingly. You know -- people like everyone you know, basically.
You'll be able to hear some of those secrets on SpinOff, Radio One on Tuesday
at 11:45am and 8pm. Then hear part two next Tuesday, June 8, same bat time,
same bat channel.
Let's see. On Saturday afternoon, Catherine, Sat and I went to the Bayers
Lake Industrial Park in Halifax to stock up on supplies for the journey
ahead. We needed to get some tiki torches and a rustic looking torch-snuffer
for P.E.I. Survivor, a little item Catherine, Sat and Mark were whipping
up for Sunday. After too many hours spent in the BLIP, we finally hit
the open road again. We stopped in Oxford, Nova Scotia at the coffe shop
near the giant blueberry (stay tuned, photo to come). The girls behind
the counter asked Sat if there was anyone cool traveling on our bus. He
thought for a moment and then ruefully said, no. Consequently, they giggled
like mad when each of us ordered our coffee. Always nice to brighten someone's
afternoon...
Finally, Charlottetown. It was late in the evening on a Saturday, so
we decided to treat ourselves to a good time. We ate at the excellent
The Pilot House restaurant. Seafood on the Beach -- salmon, scallops,
jumbo shrimp and a tasty piece of lobster on basmati rice with steamed
fiddleheads and other vegetables. So good! And then off to a well-earned
sleep.
Sunday was rainy and cold in Charlottetown, and there was hardly anyone
around. Catherine, Sat and Mark found some Ch'towners to chat with at
the flea market, and I haunted the coffee shop and hung out with some
locals there.
I can't believe how big this country is. A week in, and we're still
in Atlantic Canada, and we've barely scratched the surface here. I wish
we could stop everywhere and talk to everyone...but we'd need a way longer
election campaign for that, and I don't think ANYONE wants that to happen!
-- Stephanie
May 28 - Day Seven: Enfield, Nova Scotia
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They're too young to vote, but Jesse and David still
thought the CBC bus was cool. |
We had such a great day. The seniors' fair in Enfield, Nova Scotia was
packed. We were welcomed at the local legion by veterans with chests full
of medals, and folding tables full of sandwiches and squares. The vets
insisted we eat. So we did. We've all agreed that no one should eat egg
salad sandwiches ON the bus (given the stink factor) but eating them at
the fair was okay. If the food wasn't enough, we were really spoiled by
the band with their bow ties, harmonica AND squeezebox. The youngest member
was 75.
In the news business you often encounter people at their worst moments.
So after spending the day with the seniors, we agreed how great this bus
trip has been. It's refreshing to talk to people who actually want to talk
to us, and refreshing to hear people with strong opinions, and a strong
sense of where the country is going. -- Catherine
May 27 - Day Six: From Sydney to Halifax
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| Paul fills up the tank, ready
to hit the highway once again |
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Yes, there is more to Sydney than the tar ponds. The rest of the country
may not hear about it, normally, but that's what people told us during
our stopover. In fact, Mark Kelley got a real earful last night - loud
music and the sentiments of young men, desperate to stay in their beloved
city, but facing no jobs and no opportunity.
He told us all about it over breakfast - greasy bacon and eggs for me,
granola and fruit parfait for the rest of the gang (I know, I don't understand
it either!)
Then, with gray skies overhead, and a constant drizzle on our windshield,
we left Sydney late morning and headed for Halifax. Catherine and Mark
spent the afternoon in the back of the bus, viewing tape and typing on
their laptops - with Mark trying to keep his breakfast down (it's a bumpy
ride back there!). We turned up the radio to hear Stephanie's program
- SpinOff - and we all agreed it was fresh and funny.
Once we pulled into Halifax, we were greeted at the CBC Station by helpful
technicians, as has been the case at every CBC shop so far.
We'll be in this area for another day or so, and looking forward to talking
to people - and taking in some of that famous Halifax nightlife!
--Bonnie
May 26 - Day Five: Leaving Newfoundland
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We can't start the day without a coffee! |
We got up super early this morning. We had to be on the road at 7a.m., so
we all congregated in the little breakfast nook at the Hotel Port Aux Basques
around 6:45. Hot cereal, toasted bagels, lots of coffee-no, wait a minute,
that was in Gander. Sorry, it's all blurring together already. Reset. In
Port Aux Basques we were on the bus by 7 a.m. Bonnie and Sat very kindly
jogged over to the Horton and came back with all our travel mugs filled
with hot coffee, plus a box of maple-something muffins. We chowed down on
breakfast cake and drove the few kilometres down the road to the ferry.
The town is a truly beautiful one. Spread out on rock face that heaves
up out of the sea. Houses mostly built by the people who live in them,
and a really fantastic waterfront, with a bandshell and jellybean-coloured
kiosks that in the summer offer crafts, snacks and other goods. Sadly,
some Port Aux Basquers I met on Tuesday night told me, not many tourists
come to Port Aux Basques. They see the cost of the ferry from North Sydney
and they decide the money would be better spent on gas home, and they
turn around. Too bad, they are definitely missing out. Seems everyone
here plays some kind of instrument or sings, and in terms of picturesque
locations, Port Aux Basques has it over most other places I've been in
Canada, and I've been plenty of pretty places.
The people were super friendly and very eager to show off their community.
The young people have mostly moved away, and Barb Lomond, a woman I met
at the coffee shop in town, worried that before too long, PAB would be
little more than a retirement community. Her youngest son is about to
move to Alberta to join his three older siblings, and so Barb and her
husband Albert are thinking about leaving too. They'll be sad to go, but
they say they can barely afford to live there anymore, and besides, they'd
like to watch their grandchildren grow up.
Anyhow. We boarded the ferry in short order, grabbed our equipment and
headed up to the observation deck of the Clara and Joey Smallwood to watch
the ship pull out of port. The ferry wasn't very full -- just a few trucks,
a minibus of Christian youth ministry workers, and some locals who go
over to the mainland to be homecare workers two weeks on, two weeks off.
That's a real way of life in Newfoundland these days, this leaving the
island to work. We met lots of people on the ferry who live in one place
and work in another, and lots of people who were keen to talk to us. We
also made sure to get in a little bonding time with each other - essential
on any good road trip. Nicknames and themes for regular teasing are definitely
emerging. But we'll save those for another entry.
The crossing took about five and a half hours (the timezones kind of
mess us up, and the road trip lifestyle [if it's Wednesday, this must
be Port Aux Basques-] doesn't help, so none of us is really sure exactly
how long we spent on the water) over very calm seas. We landed in North
Sydney in the early afternoon and got to work, cutting pieces for radio
and tv-which is, after all, the reason we're on this bus together. We
worked well into the night, so our plan to go out and sample some of Sydney's
nightlife was a little thwarted-though Mark, Catherine and Sat did make
it out to a local gig -- the Loneliest Monk's farewell concert. Never
figured them for Cape Breton Thrash fans, but hey, getting to know you,
getting to know all about you-
You should be able to see them rocking out on the National tonight, so
make sure you tune in!
Just hit some construction on the highway. Our tax dollars at work-
Catch ya later,
-- Stephanie May 25 - Day 3: On the Road to Port aux Basques
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| The bus, lined up with its friends outside
Eddy's Restaurant. |
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From Gander, we only drove about 200 kilometres before a sign in the
ditch promised us a coffee shop where "old friends get together." So,
of course, we made a stop at Eddy's Restaurant, just outside of South
Brook. Our CBC Election Bus sat side-by-side with semi-trucks outside,
as we joined their drivers for steak, eggs, and coffee inside. Gas prices
and road conditions were an obvious topic of conversation!
We soon discovered that Eddy's Restaurant gives a free meal to the "Truck
Driver of the Week," but that no, we did not qualify with our bus. The
owner is Wallace McKay. He named the diner after his father Eddy, who
passed away. McKay, like many of the people in the diner, did not yet
know which leader, or party, would get his vote. While he was cheerful,
he was not optimistic that his son (named Eddy) would have a future in
South Brook, with few jobs and a lack of economic development in the area.
After breakfast, we stopped to file stories in Cornerbrook before continuing
on to Port aux Basques in time to watch the Flames beat the Lightning!
-- Bonnie
May 24 - In Gander, late at night
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Catherine Legge and Stephanie Domet -- trying
cod's tongue in Gander, Newfoundland -- Monday night. |
We're writing again tonight, because we couldn't let this go without telling
you what we ate for supper. We were in Gander at Lilly's Landing, widely
reputed (well, by the night clerk at the Comfort Inn and by the Liberal
candidate's campaign manager who knocked on the door of our bus to introduce
himself) to be the best place in town to eat. Indeed. Seemed like a good
time to try one of the local delicacies-cod tongues. Or cad tangues, as
the waiter's accent had it. What can I say? They were battered and deep
fried and not too bad. Sat, one of our bus-mates, didn't like them-too greasy,
he says. And sure, they were a little gelatinous, but as long as you don't
think about eating a fish's tongue, you're all right. --Stephanie
May 24 - Day Two: On the road to Gander
On the road again-
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| Mark Kelley at Cape Spear National Historic
Site |
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The bus has now traveled over 3500 kms since last Tuesday. It traveled
from Toronto, Ontario to be in St. John's, Newfoundland for the start
of the election. We've been to Cape Spear, Canada's most eastern point.
And from the top of Signal Hill we got to see whales playing at the mouth
of St. John's Harbour. The rest of the time was spent gathering material
for stories and promotions.
Our day has been spent doing "Live" talks with the studios in Toronto
and promoting ourselves on Canada Now. Currently we're traveling to Gander,
Newfoundland where we'll spend the night. Tomorrow, we are headed for
the ferry, but not before we stop and talk to more Newfoundlanders about
their thoughts on the election.
Stay tuned!
--Paul
May 23, 2004 - Day One: Cape Spear to Butterpot Park
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The bus sits at the most easterly spot in
Canada, Cape Spear, ready to begin the journey west. |
The sun rose into a brilliant blue sky this morning, and we hit the road
nice and early. By 8:15 we were rolling up to -- wait for it -- Tim Horton's.
We're too big for the drive-thru, so we pulled up to the curb and were
met with curious stares and friendly hellos. A pile of coffees and toasted
bagels later, we were on the road to Butterpot Park to chat with long-weekend
campers.
The road to Butterpot is bumpy...a reality not lost on many of the campers
we chatted with today. Add infrastructure problems to your list of election
issues, please. Bumps aside, it's a beautiful ride. Newfoundland is glorious,
especially on a bright spring morning. The contrasts afforded by water,
hills, trees and sky make it almost hard to concentrate on the road. Almost.
Not to worry -- we arrived at Butterpot in one piece and in good time and
cruised through the campgrounds taking in the sights and looking for ordinary
Canadians to talk to. And boy was this place packed with them. The May Two-Four
weekend is the first big camping session of the season, and St. Johns-ers
sure know how to live outdoors. We saw campers fully festooned with lights
in front of trees decorated with knick-knacks of all kinds. Kids galore
on bikes and piled into the backs of pick up trucks. Students packing up
after a weekend of fun to get back to town for classes tomorrow (no holiday
weekend for MUN students, it seems). People were kind wherever we
went -- super excited to see us rolling through (we're very highly visible,
after all), and absolutely happy to take a few minutes away from their
day to tell us what's on their mind.
Later, we ate amazing seafood chowder and strawberry spinach salads...yum.
After that, we took on Signal Hill. High above St John's, ocean on one
side, the city spread out below on the other. It was so windy we swayed
on the road, but worth the slight nervousness that brought on.
Tomorrow we say good-bye to St John's and roll on toward Gander. We'll
be sad to leave such a fantastic city and great chatty people...but rumour
has it there'll be plenty more such places and people on the road ahead.
For now? Gotta rest up. Big day tomorrow. Thanks for reading!
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