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Our 2020 cruise in the North Channel was too good for a one-off, so, when a career move provided downtime in summer 2021, we sailed north for more.
I sail on Lake St Clair. Michigan is on one side of the lake, and Ontario is on the other. My sailboat is winter-stored 23 miles away, downstream on the Detroit River. Similarly, one side of the river is USA, and the other Ontario.
The bright summer sun forces its way through magnificent Arbutus trees as I dive off our pop-up-dock finding reprieve in the 80 degree F waters. Sharing the water with a friendly seal as brilliant star fish and oysters cling to the rocky shores of Roscoe Bay. Am I really in British Columbia?
It was the last day of August and we were in Little Current heading south. Our Lasalle winter haul out was still over a month away.
Cowichan Bay is a waterfront village with a row of shops, artisan products, marine supplies and a variety of places to eat. It also has a delightful Maritime Centre.
Instant towns have sprung up in the past, especially on the BC coast. In the late 1850s, Victoria grew overnight into a tent city when hordes of prospectors stopped by to provision for their quest to get rich in the Fraser goldfields.
Following the War of 1812, a battle that Canada narrowly won against the United States, the boundaries of Upper Canada were held and the British army realized that the St. Lawrence River was no longer safe as a supply route.
If you are looking for an interesting destination for a weekend trip or longer, Quebec City will deliver. Located on the shores of the St. Lawrence River, this Francophone city is a prime boating destination with unique boating conditions, a vibrant waterfront scene, and excellent food, drink and culture.
Read more: Steeped in Canadian history and French culture:...
We bobbed in the brisk winds while rounding the breakwater into Victoria Harbour, then lowered sail immediately. As the harbour is crisscrossed by full-sized and miniature ferries, pleasure craft and commercial vessels—the whole supplemented by a stream of arriving and departing seaplanes—sailing is strictly forbidden.
Over the course of four days in September 1864, representatives from Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Lower Canada (Quebec) and Upper Canada (Ontario) gathered in Charlottetown to discuss the idea of bringing these diverse colonies together and forming a country.
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