2014 "Sunshine" Waterloo Marathon for K-W St.John Ambulance

We had just been through one of the toughest Canadian winters in decades, so hats off to all the runners and walkers who persevered to be race fit for the 2014 Waterloo Marathon|Half Marathon on April 27th.  Spring fever was in the air as runners, volunteers, race sponsors and friends gathered under a brilliant blue sky and warming sun.

On hand to greet runners were our Ambassador of Inspiration Ed Whitlock  (above) and MP Peter Braid (below). Both welcomed the runners and volunteers, and cheered everyone on.
Emcee Bernie (below in colourful pants)  kept us on schedule and warmed up the crowd with his enthusiasm and great sense of humour.

Kitchener Waterloo MP Peter Braid

The 16th Waterloo Marathon begins!

Jeff Beech and Ed Cyr of Team Energi take off in the Half Marathon.

The Half Marathoners are off!

Ed  Whitlock was kept very busy, not only cheering runners and presenting awards,
 but also competing in the Waterloo Half.

Team Energi's  Ed Cyr (above) finished first in the half marathon in 1:21:46.  Erin Fox of Waterloo  finished first in the female category with  1:25:57.
In the women's half marathon category,  Christine Weech of Waterloo took second with a time of  1:31:47, and Abby Pawson of Waterloo placed third with a time of   1:33:19. 

 Thomas Hope of Waterloo took second in the men's category of the  half marathon with 1:23:41,                          and Luke Ehgoetz of New Hamburg took third place  with 1:23:48.

Winners of the marathon were Aaron Cooper (above) of Camlachie, finishing with a time of 2:41:39. Taylor Kraayenbrink of Sarnia took second place in 2:42:33, and Luka Senk of Collingwood placed third in 2:55:12.  

 Kait Toohey (above) of Brantford finished first in the marathon in 3:23:01.  Kelly Thomas of Cambridge took  second in 3:30:18 , and from Wellesley,  Lindsey Sutherland finished third in 3:33:30.    

Ed Whitlock and Waterloo Marathon race director Tony Lea of 
Kitchener-Waterloo St. John Ambulance.

Ed Whitlock is such a good sport! He kindly revealed his personalized bib number for a photo.
Yes, he is #1 but 83? That can't really be his age!

Ironman and triathlete coach Jeff Beech (right) with two of his "Team Energi" athletes.
 Team Energi had a stand-out performance at this year's Waterloo Marathon

Happy runners share a laugh with Ed Whitlock

The January/February 2015 edition of Canadian Running magazine includes a feature about Waterloo Region's races, from 4 km to 28 km. Sean Delanghe, a Waterloo chiropractor,  coach and avid runner says this about the Waterloo Marathon:

"The Waterloo Marathon will take you through the stunning Waterloo countryside and across the West Montrose Covered Bridge, the last bridge of this style in Ontario. The course is a certified Boston Marathon qualifier, and is the first marathon of the year in the region."

St. John Ambulance Therapy Dogs at registration

Pipers at the race inspire us, especially when they are at the top of a tough hill 

The St. John Ambulance Sprinter is always ready to spring into service
 with highly trained St. John Ambulance volunteers.
The Sprinter was purchased thanks to the generous support of the Waterloo Marathon|Half Marathon runners, walkers, volunteers, sponsors, and supporters over 15 years.

Registration is open for the 2015 Waterloo Marathon|Half Marathon
Sunday, April 26, 2015, 8:00 a.m. at Bechtel Park in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
www.waterloomarathon.com

Dear Photograph,

When I was 13 years old, my parents took my three sisters, our dog, and me on a 6-month adventure traveling through Europe in an old VW minibus.

After arriving in England in February of 1972, we headed straight for southern Spain, and had the fortune to find a charming original farmhouse on the side of a mountain near Almunecar. We stayed in “Casa Francisca” for 3 months, learned Spanish, and even went to the local school.

 

In the evenings as the setting sun cast a warm purple glow on the mountains, we would play guitar and sing. And later we would watch the fishing boat lights bobbing on the dark and distant Mediterranean sea, the night sky filled with stars.

 

This past May I returned to Almunecar with my two university-aged daughters and my Mom, who is now 77.  Imagine our delight when we discovered that by chance, the villa we rented this time was directly above Casa Francisca! We met the owners who gave us a tour and invited us to return one day for a holiday. But we won’t wait 41 years next time!
Cathy

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May 31st

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#dear photograph #vanlife #Europe #Spain #VW

The Tall Ships Arrived!

I did see the Tall Ships come in, as magnificent as ever. It was a perfect day, clear blue sky, winds and sunshine on Media Day, Wednesday, June 19.

 

 

Sorlandet, the largest of the fleet at 210 feet was built in Kristiansand, Norway, and launched in 1927.  A teaching vessel, and the floating home of a Canadian educational enterprise, Class Afloat, it was clear that not only could the crew sail but they could sing. They sang a rollicking welcoming song as they slipped smoothly into their berth at the Toronto Harbour. 

This is the oldest full-rigged ship in the world.

Imagine sailing on this ship as a guest! Well, several people did just that with tours starting in Brockville to Toronto, then Toronto to Hamilton and so on throughout  the summer sail to points all around the Great Lakes in Ontario.

The Iron Horse Trail

I love running, walking and cycling on the Iron Horse Trail as do many people in K-W.
It is a peaceful place to enjoy wild plants, tall trees, birds, and wildlife in all seasons.

We are so lucky to have this quiet little pathway that connects Waterloo and Kitchener.

During a break from my festival duties I snuck over to City Café for a coffee and bagel. There I started chatting with a lady who told me about a series of stories along the trail created to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the trail in 2007.

You can find it here:

http://www.ironhorsetrailstories.ca/index.html


Created by Sarah Anderson, it is fascinating to listen to the people who truly enjoy the trail, and to learn a little about the history and the delicacies that grow there.

The first Animate the Trail event began in 2012. It is held on the same weekend as the Henry Sturm Festival, so we now have a trail-long event with several neighbourhood volunteer groups creating fun activities and entertainment  for children and people of all ages to enjoy.
It is a great way to bring people together and strengthen our community.

Flyboard A BIG SPLASH at Tall Ships in Toronto

I went to Toronto to see the Tall Ships and what did I see?

Flyboard.

It’s sort of a Cirque du Soleil on water crossed with moonwalking and surfing.

You have to see it to believe it. Really.

Check out their website for lots of cool videos. http://flyboardquebec.com/

Makes me want to try it… almost.

These guys are brave and daring.

When I asked co-founder Patrick Vallieres if you need special skill to do this, he assured me that no, anyone who can swim can do it. Ha!

                                   Alone but Happy




Swan Chase November 2012
There was a chill in the November air, so it was time for the Victoria Park Swan to go to his winter home. But he was not quite ready. After a few laps around the lake  he was caught and transported to Stratford where there are lots of swans, with the hope that he would find a new friend.

 



  He did come back this spring with another swan, but it did not last. Apparently the new swan was a bit of a ruffian to our gentle fellow,  so once again he is alone. But he seems to be happy and healthy.

• Terry Pender, Record staff
• Fri Nov 23 2012 07:15:00

Parasite killed Victoria Park swan, autopsy reveals

 

 

KITCHENER — A swan that died in the Victoria Park pond in September was suffering from inflammation of the brain caused by a parasite and there was no preventing the mishap, says a Guelph-based animal pathologist.
Dr. Doug Campbell, of the Canadian Co-operative Wildlife Health Centre — part of the University of Guelph’s veterinary college — did an autopsy on the bird after it was pulled from the water on Sept. 14.
“This was an unfortunate accident that occurs just as a consequence of living in a natural or semi-natural environment,” Campbell said.
Campbell said the dead swan ingested a parasite called a schistosome, likely when it swallowed a snail.
“I have seen similar conditions in swans previously but never this severe,” Campbell said, “just in terms of the numbers of parasites and the number of areas in which there was inflammation.”
That parasite is common among gulls, ducks and geese and is harmless in those birds. Snails carry it as well and act as an intermediate host. Swans inadvertently eat snails sometimes when scooping material from the bottom of a pond.
After a swan swallows a snail with the parasite, the tiny organism emerges and burrows into surrounding tissue, typically ending up in blood vessels.
Circulating blood carries the parasites’ eggs to different parts of the swan’s body, typically the kidneys, spleen and liver, but also the brain.
“Once lodged in the brain the body responds with inflammation,” Campbell said. “What I saw with this bird, there was quite extensive inflammation of the brain in different parts of the brain.”
The autopsy report should counter two stories that circulated among park regulars following the bird’s death.
Days before the bird died, onlookers watched in horror as a homeless woman grabbed a swan by the neck with both hands and hauled the big bird from the water. Some thought she fatally injured the animal at the time.
The second story relates to water quality. After spending about $10 million on the dredging and shoreline restoration of the pond, some residents feared the bird’s death was related to poor water quality.
Campbell said nothing could be done to prevent death because the parasite is found wherever gulls, ducks and geese are found.
“So I don’t think that having schistosomes per se is indicative of water-quality problems,” Campbell said. “I guess it is a fact of life with different species of birds inhabiting the area.”
Campbell said the dead swan had likely been infected for some time because it was underweight and waterfowl are typically in peak physical shape in September.
“This bird was really quite thin and presumably had not been functionally normally for some time,” Campbell said.
People who saw the swan struggling and dying in the park were upset and complained that nobody at the city or humane society responded quickly to their repeated calls for help. But the autopsy shows nobody could have helped anyway.
“In the wild, death is rarely nice and quiet,” Campbell said. “Probably as quiet as it gets, and it’s not every nice, is when birds starve out in the winter time.
“Most wild birds, most wild life, they don’t get cared for and disease just runs its course in them,” Campbell said, “and quite honestly this was not a disease that was treatable.”
The same parasite causes “swimmer’s itch” in people. That is a minor-skin condition that almost always clears up on its own.
A city staff report based on the autopsy results is going to city councillors on Monday.
tpender@therecord.com