Bruce Forsyth

September 2020 Motorsports has been a very popular attraction in North America and worldwide. Since the invention of automobile, people have wanted to race them at ever increasing speeds, along dedicated tracks and public roadways. The first recorded motor vehicle race, dubbed a “speed trial,” occurred in 1900, with racers travelling along a forty-mile long …

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Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/the-rise-and-fall-of-motor-car-speedways-in-simcoe-county/

Heritage trains and carousels entertain visitors on the North Bay Waterfront

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September 2020 The northern Ontario city of North Bay has a long railroad history. In fact, it was the extension of the Canadian Pacific Railway lines into the north bay on Lake Nippising that led to incorporation of North Bay as a town in 1891. To celebrate this heritage, a railway heritage park was established, …

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Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/heritage-trains-and-carousels-entertain-visitors-on-the-north-bay-waterfront/

The Merritton “Blue Ghost” Tunnel – A relic of the Grand Trunk Railway

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September 2020 The Niagara region of southern Ontario has many popular tourist attractions. For those interested in urban exploration, a popular attraction in the area is the “Blue Ghost” tunnel. Built beginning in 1875 by the Grand Trunk Railway (GTR), the 713 foot long tunnel was constructed to run underneath the then-new Welland Canal (now …

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Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/the-merritton-blue-ghost-tunnel-a-relic-of-the-grand-trunk-railway/

The end of the show – Is the Elmvale Drive-In an image of the past?

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August 2020 The giant movie screen stands silent, white panels falling off the steel truss frame; a white monolith and monument to an industry that has seen many ups and downs over the past century. While some drive-inn theatres have survived to this day, the screen at the Elmvale Drive-in no longer displays the moving …

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Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/the-end-of-the-show-is-the-elmvale-drive-in-an-image-of-the-past/

Splash Canyon – The crumbling remains of an abandoned water park

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August 2020 The grounds are eerily quiet. There is no longer the laughter and commotion of children and adults, splashing about in one of the four pools and a splash pad for the younger ones. The only water in the pools is rainwater, partially submerging old deck chairs and other debris, and the cracked pool …

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Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/splash-canyon-the-crumbling-remains-of-an-abandoned-water-park/

“Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated?”

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Articles, Editorials, Original Writing

August 2020 The great punk legend Johnny Rotten famously said this at the final Sex Pistols show at the Winterland in January 1978. For Rotten, he was done with the Sex Pistols. With the release of the Fraser Institute’s 2019 edition of the Canadian Consumer Tax Index, it’s now official that the average Canadian now …

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Original Writing, Things From My Travels

Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/ever-get-the-feeling-youve-been-cheated/

Three decommissioned lake freighters now provide shelter for Ontario Place and its marina

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August 2020 When the government of Ontario Premier John Robarts announced the creation of Ontario Place in August 1968, he envisioned a facility on the shore of Lake Ontario in Toronto, that would serve as a showcase to promote the Province of Ontario through exhibits and entertainment. Over the years, Ontario Place would become more …

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Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/three-decommissioned-lake-freighters-now-provide-shelter-for-ontario-place-and-its-marina/

Some truth in advertising

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Articles, Editorials, Original Writing

August 2020 Everyone likes truth in advertising, from the kid who mails away for those X-ray glasses advertised in the back of his comic book, to adults buying cars that their manufacturer promises are safe and won’t explode in a rear-end collision. With the upcoming school year rapidly approaching, I’m having to deal with my …

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Permanent link to this article: https://militarybruce.com/some-truth-in-advertising/

Preston Springs Hotel – The sad end of a historic hotel

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August 2020 The Preston Springs Hotel, an abandoned luxury hotel in Cambridge, Ontario, has been an iconic landmark in the area for 137 years. Opened in 1888 as the Del Monte Hotelt Walder by Robert Walder, in what was then called the Village of Preston, an area populated by German-speaking Mennonites from Pennsylvania. Standing at …

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Gibraltar Point Lighthouse – The historic lighthouse on Toronto Island

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August 2020 Lighthouses have served as essential navigational aids for shipping for centuries. Although its light was extinguished long ago, the Gibraltar Point Lighthouse on Toronto Island is the oldest lighthouse still standing on the shore of the Great Lakes, and one of the oldest buildings in Toronto. Built in 1808 using stone quarried in …

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