Category Archives: Travels

Signs of the times in Northwestern Toronto

Posted on May 25, 2020 by

In a distant corner of Woodbine Centre’s parking lot, dozens of late model cars and trucks sit with their licence plates removed. These are all rental cars, left idle due to the collapse of demand during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. … Continue reading →

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Goin’ to Kansas City

Posted on December 9, 2019 by

Kansas City might not be at the top of many urbanists’ travel lists, it has a wonderfully restored Union Station, one of America’s few useful streetcar lines, and the world’s first shopping plaza. It’s worth a visit. Continue reading →

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The long way to Pembroke

Posted on October 30, 2019 by

Layover at Barry’s Bay A few weeks ago, I went for another long-distance bus trip. I started my journey in Downtown Toronto, and continued on to Peterborough and Pembroke, before arriving in Ottawa late in the evening.  Apart from the … Continue reading →

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O-Train impressions: this is what LRT looks like

Posted on October 4, 2019 by

Confederation Line train approaching Tremblay Station Last weekend, I visited Ottawa to check out the new Confederation Line LRT. Canada’s newest rapid transit line, delayed by two years, finally opened on Saturday, September 14. It is the second LRT to … Continue reading →

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Trekking across Northern Ontario

Posted on September 10, 2019 by

VIA RDC train about to depart Sudbury for White River Last month, I embarked on a journey from Toronto to Thunder Bay, a distance of over 1,300 kilometres. My journey took me nearly three days as I opted to travel … Continue reading →

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Passenger trains of Northern Ontario

Posted on July 21, 2019 by

Southbound Northlander train arriving at Gravenhurst, March 2012 In a few weeks, I will travel from Toronto to Thunder Bay by bus and by train, stopping at cities and towns like Sudbury, Chapleau, White River, Marathon, and Schreiber. I expect … Continue reading →

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Biking off to Buffalo

Posted on July 1, 2019 by

Tondawanda Rail Trail Back on Victoria Day weekend, I biked down to Toronto’s Union Station, loaded by wheels onto a GO train, and headed for Niagara. I have biked through Niagara before, and it is a very pleasant place for … Continue reading →

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The streetcars of Hiroshima: a symbol of resilience

Posted on April 26, 2019 by

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (A-Bomb Dome), with modern Hiroshima rising beyond. Despite its fame, there’s so much more to the city than the memorials. My wife and I recently came back from an 18-day trip to Japan. It was my … Continue reading →

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Brantford’s downtown was the “worst in Canada” – but has it bounced back?

Posted on September 25, 2018 by

It’s complicated. Continue reading →

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Subways don’t always last 100 years

Posted on August 15, 2018 by

Former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford liked to claim that subways would last one hundred years, while other “inferior” forms of transit, like light rail systems, would last only thirty. At the time, Ford was pushing for a subway extension to … Continue reading →

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