Hometown Colours
Our greatest memories are often found close to home
DEEP ROOTS
When we first moved to our current home 28 years ago, there were no trees or gardens. I was home-schooling my two youngest children at the time and, as a science experiment, we picked up some seeds that had blown our way o of a nearby maple tree—known to just about everyone as “helicopters.” They had sprouted after some rainy weather. I thought it would be a good opportunity to teach the kids about how trees grow, so we planted these seeds together.
Not knowing at the time if anything would indeed grow, the children made sure to take care of their seedlings and record their growth, as well as the effort they themselves put into this task. The tree on the far left of the photo (above) is the result of our little science experiment, almost three decades later!
We enjoy the tree’s beauty every season, especially in summer, when it gives us much-needed shade from the late-afternoon sun. In autumn, its vibrant leaves add so much colour, which warms the sky as winter weather nears.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
I migrated to Western Canada in 1978 but have always missed my birthplace of Sarnia. I still have two sisters living there, so I make sure to visit my Ontario hometown about every two years or so.
I always look forward to returning and seeing all the changes that have happened. To me, Sarnia is a beautiful city with countless things to do and see!
I always reminisce about the years of my youth spent there— from sitting under the Blue Water Bridge and enjoying delicious french fries while watching those huge Great Lakes ships go by, to
swimming at one of the numerous local beaches.
All three of my kids are grown now and I’ve had the opportunity to bring each of them around the various sites in Sarnia—from the places where I first discovered the joys of hiking the local nature trails that meander through marshlands, to wondrous shoreline views of Lake Huron. So many great memories were made in Sarnia, but sometimes when I try to point out places where their “old man” hung out, I have to look twice. The Murphy Woods, where I spent countless hours during my youth, are no more; and the old Olivet Baptist Church, once locat-ed beside my old school, Cathcart Boulevard, is gone, too. Time marches on, but what used to be lives on in memory.
THE GIVING TREE
The Giving Tree is a prominent aged maple tree standing on the banks of the north branch of the Muskoka River in Port Sydney, in Ontario. The location where it stands is known as Indian Landing, and this tree is glorious—all the more so in the fall, as shown in the photograph above. Its leaves change from pink to deep red and it becomes the central theme in thousands upon thousands of photographs each fall. Locals are drawn to it, and tourists are, too. The tree has been photographed as a prominent feature in weddings, family reunions, picnics and other significant events. People are attracted to it from far and wide.
The tree may well be the most recognizable and most photographed maple tree in Ontario.