Maple Leaf Mailbag rock'N roadshow

The Drive. Some would say it's boring to drive at night. but I like it. The terrain has changed. More trees, You can feel the Canadian shield it's there or coming. Tom is watching "Friday Night Lights" a film he picked up in a discount bin at Walmart. Marty is asleep. The conversation turns to religion. Blake explains the bible from Genesis to Kings. In total, it takes 6 hours, one potty stop without toilet paper, one food break at a place i can't remember, and finally we are there ... at the Lakehead, Thunder Bay.

Day 19:
Thunder Bay

Another driving day. Fair well Winnipeg. We press on into the Canadian shield. The trip is in its closing week. The journey has been unforgettable to this point but, I feel a bit of a lull in the van at the moment. The loss of momentum is no great surprise. Late nights, long hours in an automobile, in and out of motels daily. Plus, filming non-stop. People can wear on each other too. Everyone has a fairly relaxed approach so when problems do arise they blow over quickly. Jones has been agitated a few times when the crew looses focus. He doesn't hold any grudges though, it's not his nature. While grinding through the desolate forest road, a thought has entered my mind with regards to how there has been no down time. Every day has been full of action, I don't feel I've had a chance to absorb all the experience thus far. I suspect I'll be more reflective after we reach Montreal. Speaking of tanks on empty , our gas tank is well below the E mark as we reach Thunder Bay late that evening.

Day 19:
Thunder Bay, Ontario. I'm looking out the window of our hotel room at Lake Superior. It's frozen or partially frozen. Jones is taking his usual 25 minute shower, the same as every morning. No comment. We meet with Tom and Martin down stairs; zip around and take some shots of the city. The sun is trying to break through the overcast sky, it will succeed within an hour. Besides a few cold days,we have had exceptionally fair weather for the whole trip. The Canadian winter isn't always so kind. The waterfront is dominated by the prodigious relics of the industrial age. Grain silos. These cathedrals of antiquated commercial enterprise stand empty awaiting the wrecking ball. The dichotomy of Fort William and Port Arthur gives the city a strange feel. Two downtowns in one city, not your standard fare. We meet with listener John Pukila. He's a really nice guy. Good humored as well. He seems to have a encyclopedia's knowledge of T- Bay. He shows us to a few more key sights. Saunas are a big deal here. Finnish immigrants are responsible for the trend. There are a few public baths but the majority are private in-home setups. Apparently, most of the houses in town are built around saunas. Before we leave town, Jonathan takes us down to the harbor/ ice airfield. The De Havilland aircraft being refitted in the hangar are iconic symbols of aviation in the Canadian wilderness. It's time to fly. We spread our wings and eat up some asphalt.

We're leaving Winnipeg in our wake, heading to Thunder Bay, Ont. Long drive. But not to worry, we have a DVD player (and Blake to tell us bible stories). Pull in to Thunder Bay at midnight. The gas light's been on for 50 km. After filling up, we check in to the Port Arthur Inn and head to a local watering hole for something to eat. The cold here goes right through you—a damp cold coming off the lake.

Day 19:
Up in time to get some shots of Thunder Bay before meeting a bona-fide RCI listener: shortwave enthusiast Jonathon Pukila. Jonathon meets us at his favourite café for an interview before taking us on a guided tour of T-Bay (as its known by the locals). Jon's studying at Lakehead University to be a teacher. Judging from the lesson he gives us on his hometown, I think he'll be a good one. Now we just have to get to Sault Ste-Marie to sleep so we can drive to Callendar tomorrow in time to go ice fishing. A lot of miles to cover in Ontario. Get into the Super 8 at around midnight.

(road to Thunder Bay): For some reason I don't have any memories from this day!

Day 19:
We have a meeting with one of the listenner at Calico coffe house...Jonathan is a cool guy who study at university there. He's taking us on a tour of all the saunas in T-Bay! Taking some nice pics near the lake Ontario...on the road, we see a wonderful sunset. Priceless...