I must have hit upon just the right time of the day today (yesterday) to check out the great new Chapleau River webcam shot— there has been no shot available for months. It replaces a previous scene that though pretty, was not a eye-appealing as this–and the webcam camera is currently mounted perfectly!
In order, the slideshow pictures go: brand new webcam scenic video capture(!)
at Chapleau River in Mulligan’s Bay

Haliburton (stylized becuz their webcam company sucks(!)

Buses leaving Chapleau River area. Just a kinda cool shot with the river in the background

Beaver Valley Skiing –still looking kind of spooky. Needs snow.

Lagoon City–always misty/foggy-looking.

Lake Superior – Wawa - Ontario – Canada

Lake Superior never fails to look fierce to me. Not good for swimming, I’d guess.

Kincardine Harbour Marina, Lake Erie, Ontario

Kincardine Channel, Penetangore River, Lake Erie, Ontario

As a Canadian ex-pat who married an American and is currently raising my youngest son in the Chicago area, I must admit that there are times when I just ache to get a glimpse of my beloved homeland Ontario, Canada

Though I long ago left my birthplace Toronto, (my father was transferred here when I was a child) I’ve continued to enjoy a spot in Haliburton County that my family has owned for going on 70 years.

Once a week or so I pick through the webcam shots which are available through the Ontario Weather Network and I click to the areas that are closest to our cottage with the hope that I’ll get an approximate glimpse of an area much like ours. Every time I’m disappointed and disheartened by what I see–which is very unlike what I see in person when I come to stay each summer in the gorgeous Haliburton Highlands.

The area that is closest to our cottage geographically is the town of Haliburton, 12 miles from our lake.

The webcam for Haliburton is hosted by Halcom Communications Ltd. where one must often click through to their advertisements before getting a glimpse of the webcam shot.

Unfortunately, I’ve never seen a webcam shot of Haliburton that wasn’t out of focus. The person representing Halcom Communications Ltd. who set up the camera overreached and the camera is insufficient to render the entire top half of the webcam shot as anything but a haze, on my screen currently, a purple haze. The camera also to put this charitably, is at such an angle that Haliburton’s best side is not showing. It is also at such an angle that I feel compelled to adjust it.

This would not be the end of the world though no matter what, it is an exercise in waste of resources but Haliburton County depends on people realizing what a jewel it is and visiting –perhaps for an extended stay?

What’s the best advertisement for Haliburton County? Haliburton County itself! And if you cannot see the county in person, a webcam image like the ones below (except the Haliburton one) should capture the area so you get a general feeling of it’s great attractiveness.

Though I have emailed Halcom Communications Ltd and politely asked them to adjust their webcam, I have gotten no reply and worse, there’s’ been no change in the quality of the webcam image.

To sum up, Halcom Communications Ltd does a terrible job of representing Haliburton and thus Haliburton County with their poor webcam image that the entire  world is privy to via The Weather Network webcam feature.

Halcom Communications Ltd. takes full advantage of offering it’s crummy webcam feed to flog their services to the public yet gives virtually nothing in encouraging folks to visit Haliburton County.

I know first hand that there are some wonderful professional photographers in Haliburton and I urge anyone that cares about contributing to the economic health of Haliburton County to alert them to this wasted opportunity to promote the town and county and at the same time their services. A number of town like Barrie for example have more than one webcam  image ( Barrie has 4!)

Please, pro photographer or amateur please consider adding your webcam feed of the beautiful Haliburton Highlands to the Ontario Weather Network. It is in fact free advertising that can potentially reach millions of people. All you have to do is care enough to show off the place you live.

Thanks!

Please note:  both Kincardine  photos are showing as pixelated because the originals are small.   I should not have included them in the gallery but I love these areas–so excuse, please.  The main point was for you to see Haliburton, which is offered as a large image by Halcom and contrast that with Reach Harbour in Lakefield, Ontario which is a very good, large webcam shot.

At top is how Kincardine is supposed to be viewed, I have enlargef them slightly which is causing  a bit of pixelaton but even so, there is far more detail in their small shots of the harbour than the ginormous one taken of Haliburton by Halcom.

[View with PicLens]

It’s really hard to read this type of news. I realize that all the choices are tough but I’m disheartened to see that Canada truly has morphed again–back into a 10X smaller (in population) version of the United States.

Last I spoke with my favourite aunt on the topic of the US and Canada she said, “as the United States goes, so goes Canada six months later.” This was just last summer and according to news reports then the Canadian housing market was still strong. Now, it’s in free-fall like here the US. Yesterday, I saw that the Canadian government had voted to bail out their automobile industry with millions of Canadian tax dollars–exactly as is been debated (and all but finalized) by the US federal government.

Now this. Canada actually got worse grades at the United Nations Climate Conference than did the United States. I have to agree that is indeed a mark of shame.

Mark of Shame for Canada

The UN climate conference in Poznan, Poland, was a “mark of shame” for Canada, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May said on Saturday.

Delegates from poorer nations were angry at Canada for not meeting its commitments under the Kyoto protocol, as well as all industrialized countries for stalling on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, May told CBC News.

During the conference, which began Dec. 1, Canada won several Fossil of the Day Awards, announced by Climate Action Network International, a group that includes more than 400 non-governmental organizations.

“It was embarrassing being a Canadian at these meetings,” May said.

“Canada, unfortunately, was about the worst performer here, and that’s saying a lot. That means worse than the United States with the lame-duck Bush administration, still doing what it can to obstruct.

“But in the negotiations, Canada, I say, won. It’s really a mark of shame,” she said.

Ski Resorts in Ontario webcams

I’ve been checking  out the weather conditions in Haliburton County and Ontario in general and can see that  the snow season is in full swing but many if not most of the ski resorts are not yet open for business–or at least that is what available information is indicating. If I were planning to travel any  distance to engage in for-pay snow-related activities I’d suggest calling first. For you snow-loving types it sure looks to be a white winter.

As my spouse and I were navigating walking the dog in a construction zone adjacent to our home in the 20-F weather last night I remarked that my Pennsylvania ancestors had it wrong to migrate further north. I’m a warm-weather type. He compared it to the dark hair and complected people in the North and the blond, more fair-skinned folks in Southern Italy which I assume he was thinking of due to his blond. blue eyed part-Sicilian heritage.

The snowy cold is pretty to look at if not be in, so here are a few web snaps that I got off last evening.

Kawagama Lake-11.18.08

Toronto Island Sunset-click to enlarge

Indian River- Port Carling

Beaver Valley Ski Club - Markdale

Lake Nipissing, North Bay at sunset

Pentangore River, Lake Huron-Kincardine Channel

A Canadian serviceman leans on the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier to place his Poppy following Remembrance Day ceremonies in Ottawa on Tuesday. (Tom Hanson/Canadian Press)
“Thousands of people braved grey skies and damp winds to crowd around the National War Memorial in Ottawa on Tuesday to pay tribute to Canada’s war heroes in the country’s largest Remembrance Day ceremony.

The day marked the 90th anniversary of the end of the First World War, which ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. Ottawa’s ceremony paid special tribute to that war…”

War Memorial, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Remembrance Day, 2008

 (Click to enlarge)
…More than 100,000 Canadians soldiers have died in various conflicts since 1899, including:

• More than 240 in the Boer War.
• More than 66,000 in the First World War.
• More than 44,000 in the Second World War.
• 516 in the Korean War.
• 121 in peacekeeping missions.
• 97 in Afghanistan.

 The last living Canadian veteran of WWI is  John Babcock, age 108.

John Babcock, Canadian Veteran WWI, age 108

Mr. Babcock participated in Ottawa’s ceremony by video conference, “passing” a lit torch, a reference to Lt.-Col. John McCrae’s famous poem, In Flanders Fields.

“We must never forget our fallen comrades. I pass this torch of remembrance to my comrades. Hold it high,” Babcock said.

Honey Harbour- Delawana Bay

Please click each photo and the weathercast to enlarge.

When I checked the weather near Maple Lake in the Haliburton Highlands today I was astonished to find a reading of 64F!

Down here in the Greater Chicago Area we have  just enjoyed a string of lovely Indian summer days. Sometimes there is overlap a day or so later with Toronto weather being like ours–not too tough to understand as they are both basically Midwestern cities and are situated on the Great Lakes. But for the cottage to be summer-like in November? That’s quite a feat!

When I perused the webcam photos from Oct 7 I noticed quite a bit of overcast and fogginess. The weather Saturday will plummet, continuing through the weekend with rain on both Saturday and Sunday (boo!)

There’s snow in the forecast for Monday and from there it continues it’s downward trend — into the zero Celsius range. Temperatures begin a steady climb however starting later on Wednesday until reaching about normal temps in the 8C range and holding steady throughout the rest of the week–the 13th-15th.

These more moderate temperatures will be accompanied by rain and by Sunday the 16th a rain-snow mix with yet another steep drop in temperatures and more snow.

Chapleau Waterfront

Kincardine Harbour, Lake Huron

Kincardine Channel- Pentagore River to Lake Huron

Kawagama Lake

Hawkesbury

Port Carling-Indian River

Kawagama Lake, Dorset sunset~ 10.23.09

Weather Forecast Haliburton Highlands, 10.25-11.07

If you are planning on spending some time in the Haliburton Highlands this weekend, be sure to plan some indoor activities as the weekend calls for rain on both Saturday, the 25th and Sunday, the 26th.  As  we move into the work week, Monday brings plummeting tempertures and as the day progresses snow in some areas. Temperatures remain well below normal with a slight reprieve moving into mid-week. Wednesday’s weather should be mostly cloudy with temps. stabilizing to about 5C through Thursday when they climb a bit, though still remain below normal throughout the first weekend of November. There is no rain in the forecast for November 1-2  so make sure you wear layers and get outside if you can  to enjoy late autumn in Cottage Country.

EDIT/Courtesy of the Weather Network:

The colours are well past peak with considerable leaf fall in the Parry Sound, Muskoka and Haliburton regions. There are still areas of dull red, orange and yellow remaining. The Bala Cranberry Festival and the Hike Haliburton Festival are two excellent events where you can enjoy the remaining colours this weekend. In the Kawartha Lakes region the colours are well past peak with 40% leaf fall. There are still some nice pockets of red, rust, yellow and deep orange. The Bobcaygeon, Fenelon Falls area and onto the Kinmount region always offer some nice fall colour touring. Highways 35 and 121 are excellent fall colour routes.

I hope you enjoy the webcam stills. They were all taken last night within minutes of one another as the sun was setting.

Lake Muscoka, Gravenhurst

Prince Arthur's Landing, Thunder Bay, Ontario

Confederation Park, Ottawa, Canada

Silver Lake, Ontario

Reach Harbour, near Buckhorn, Ontario

Port Carling - Indian River

The weather appears to have settled into a normal pattern with Saturday, October 18 looking particularly bright and sunny, if a bit below normal temperatures. The two-week extended forecast is showing rain 50% of the time, though by midweek next week temperatures rise substantially above normal.

Regardless of what you have planned, have a great time in the Haliburton Highlands!

Fall Colours FYI: The Muskoka area and across to the Haliburton region are at peak fall colours with bright pockets of burgundy, red and orange. Ideal viewing locations are the fire tower lookout in Dorset and Lion’s Lookout in Huntsville. Highways 35, 117 and 118 always offer outstanding fall colour.

Revised Weathercast 10.08-10.21.2008

Here’s the revised weather for October 8-21, 2008 in the West Guilford, Maple Lake and Haliburton County area. (above)

I’m happy to report that my previous dire-sounding extended weather report seems to have taken a turn for the better with seasonally extreme low temperatures now turning upward, pushing more toward average.

Considering that we are barely a week into the month of October that is good news as the cool but moderate weather is enjoyed by many people. In comparison there are folks that cannot wait for the frigid temperatures and lots of snow–the better they can ski, snowboard, and go dog-sledding in Haliburton and the rest of cottage country.

Just a quick heads up. Until I can get some better webcam shots out of Ontario I’m going to hop around a bit in order to better get a feel for what other Canadian provinces look like this time of year. Today I “went” to Vancouver where thanks to “Dave,” there are more beautiful web cam shots than one knows what to do with.

Click to enlarge~

Dallas Rd. Ogden Point, B.C.-Kiteboarding

Harbour Quay, Vancouver B.C.

Willows Bch. Oak Bay, B.C.

Nanaimo Harbour, B.C.

Jericho Beach, Vancouver, B.C.

Dallas Rd. webcam, Vancouver, B.C.

Reach Harbour, Ontario

Confederation Park, Ottawa, Canada

My spouse was quite excited yesterday as he informed me that he’d found a slew of new “across Ontario”-type webcams from which we–and the rest of the world could watch the changing seasons in Ontario. I was excited too until I realized many of them suffered from the same issues that I’d mentioned about my favourite Ontario webcam source–no one maintains the webcams. What I found while looking through these webcams were non-functional ones, horribly out of date ones ( June?), blurry to the point of unrecognizable shots, pointless pictures (your empty patio with a view of …nothing?) and one of my personal faves- crooked shots.

Lake Kawagama~

I went from being excited at the prospect of bringing fresh shots to Maple Lake Ontario to well, I found a handful of new ones –plus a lovely shot from Ottawa that features some great changing colours–so I’m still excited. But Canada! I’m talking 5 shots out of of 50! (In actuality about 40 percent of the shots seemed to be working today but some of them are the exact same webcams that I’ve been using–which is fine–and some of them are pictures of things like an intersection of Highway 11.) (woot)

Chapleau Waterfront~ Mulligan's Bay

Check out the clouds reflected in the Bay! This camera never fails me! Thank you to whomever is responsible for it.

Bay view~Lake Nipissing