Dragonboat History

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Dragon boats are brightly coloured long narrow wooden boats with elaborately-carved dragon heads decorating the prows.

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The standard crew complement of a contemporary dragon boat is around 22, comprising 20 paddlers in pairs facing toward the bow of the boat, one drummer or caller at the bow facing toward the paddlers, and one person steering the tiller (or helm) at the rear of the boat.

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To-day there are two types of Dragon Boat Racing activities, namely Sport racing, and Festival racing.

Dragon boat races are traditionally held as part of the annual Duanwu Jie festival observance in China.

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This festival commemorates the death of the poet Qu Yuan, who committed suicide by drowning himself in the Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth month.

The local people, who admired him, paddled out on their boats, to scare away the fish, and threw rice in the river, so that the fish would not eat his body.

This then is said to be the origin of dragon boat racing.

Yonge and Temperance

The picture below is Yonge Street. looking north from Temperance St. circa 1903.

The photo is courtesy of the City of Toronto Archives.




There are no streetcar tracks down the centre of Yonge anymore, and all of the overhead wires are now buried; but there are still some buildings that are intact.

The building on the left with the sign designating that it is a development site can be seen in the first photo as "Dineen's Hats".
This site currently houses an optical store.

The obvious one, that has survived, is the building on the right at the top (situated at Richmond Street).

It's the Confederation Life Building that was built in 1890.

Kids

Pictures from the weekend....


This is Steve watching the kids play.



Leona, Len, Jennifer, Adam, Lucy and Liam.

Jennifer, Adam and Lucy

The kids playing.


Lucy walking.

Grampa and the kids.

Kids and Family

On the 14^th of this month my sister, Leona arrived from B.C.

The next night, we attended a 60th birthday party at Bruce's place for his sister Linda.

Then, the next day, Saturday, we drove out to Cambridge for Jennifer's 30th birthday.

There was a BBQ with all her family and friends, and, of course, far too many kids.

The Saturday before my brother spent time with his oldest daughter, as they celebrated Lucy’s birthday.

This is Lucy Anne who celebrated her first birthday on August 8
.

Last weekend, the family (the nieces and their spouses and kids) all gathered here for a brunch.

Leona made no-crust quiche with salad, seasoned spuds and iced tea.

Afterwards we moved to the backyard, and spread a blanket under the old maple tree.

Below is a picture of my sister, with Liam Hunter Wright, who will be celebrating his first birthday on the day Leona flies back home




Len and I will be driving out to Cambridge on Saturday for his birthday party.

The Necropolis

Established in 1850, the Toronto Necropolis is one of Toronto's oldest and most historic of cemeteries.


Its picturesque location, collection of sculpture and Victorian buildings also make it one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the city.
The Necropolis is the final resting place of such prominent individuals as Toronto's first mayor, William Lyon Mackenzie, journalist George Brown, founder of what is now The Globe and Mail, and John Ross Robertson, founder of the Toronto Telegram.
Also buried here is the world-champion oarsman Ned Hanlan.




Beautiful rose-coloured stained-glass windows grace the interior of the chapel (picture here).

Some of Toronto's finest examples of High Victorian Gothic architecture can be found in the recently restored cemetery entrance, chapel and office.

All pictures were taken today by me, while on a ROM Walk.