Friday 31st May - A wild Goose chase to Saulte Sainte Marie

Another grey damp morning greeted me. I therefore dressed ready for a day like yesterday – warm but wet – and set off, fortified – not – by a continental breakfast that most on the continent of Europe where I guess the phrase came from – wouldn’t recognise!

The Trans Canada turns inland at Marathon before hitting the shores of Lake Superior again at Wawa – I kid you not, a town so great they named it twice.

First stop would be White River, home town of the real Winnie (as of the-pooh!) and on the way I hoped I would see some more wildlife.

Well I didn’t, I saw rivers, and lakes and islands and bridges but no wild-life.

On arriving in White River I was immediately met by signs advertising its connection with Winnie-the-Pooh  but not a lot else.

 

I was re-reading my blog today and realise that I am going on a lot about how disappointed I am in some of the towns. Been thinking about this and it is something to do with the fact that the towns are, or were, company towns. People didn’t just move here, the towns were created by companies purely for the purpose of business, be it railways, portage, steel, paper, timber etc. The company found the spot on the lake shore and then got people to move there to work for them. In a lot of those places the original industry or service has diminished so the township is trying to re-invent itself to survive.  There is now sailing, fishing and hunting with all the big flashy advertising boards with bronzed people with white teeth having a great time. In reality though, at this time of year, that isn’t evident and all that there is is the decaying infrastructure. A bit like our steel and mining towns – without the sailing, hunting and fishing of course – unless you count our carp ponds!!!   The shore line though, and I think this is where my disappointment lies, is not beach or promenade but either the factory or port or the remains of the factory or port.

Anyway, back to Winnie, if you want the full history this is a good link http://www.whiteriver.ca/article/winnie-the-pooh-6.asp  I was a bit concerned about the soldier that donated Winnie to London Zoo but apparently he did survive the First World War and returned – without Winnie – to Canada.

It was good fun though and I met a couple at the statue, Annette and Andy – they took my picture – who had come over to Canada  from Ireland and England, in Andy’s case from Sheffield in 1957 when he was 5.

 

The town was trying to start a Railway museum I think but was stretching the criteria a bit – sorry, but this is hardly TWO trains guys …

 

Then on again to Wawa and the World Famous* (*see below) Goose!

My moose hunting skills had increased significantly now having seen the one yesterday. I now realised they liked the more lush greener grass at the side of the road and outside of the conifer forest. So, although I searched creeks etc..... 

                                       I kept my eyes on the grass verges most of the time. Which is why it took me a while to realise that this floating driftwood was moving just a bit too purposefully.

What a sight, how lucky am I, a bit far away I know but was able to follow it all the way across the lake and out the other side.

 

Then on to Wawa and the mystery of the Wawa Goose. Didn’t actually think there was a mystery as I rode south. Had heard that there was a big statue of a goose there – Wawa means goose in the native language – and that it was erected in 1960 to celebrate the completion of the Trans-Canada Highway in this area. Was therefore very excited – I know it doesn’t take a lot – to see the unique statue looking down at me through the rain and mist.

 Number 1 The current Official Wawa Goose.

Then rode on into Wawa to try and find somewhere dry to eat and, well..

Number 2  Dodgy Goose

geese are a bit like buses obviously, none around and then along came three at the same time – although admittedly I think number 2 is a bit of a ringer, looks more like a pigeon.

Number 3 Original Official Goose

After a bit of research I find that number 3 is the original goose, but being made of chicken wire and plaster it wasn’t built for the Canadian winters and was replaced in 1963 by number 1 which took pride of place at the entrance to the town. It has been rescued from storage/dump and put up by new owners outside their store. 

 No idea what the background to number 2 is but I wouldn’t give up the day job if I was its creator.

So much pleasure from a goose!

and to think in Arizona I wished for rain.....

Not much else to say about the day really other than it continued to reveal wonderful scenery and views as I rode along the shoreline of Lake Superior and through National Parks. The fact relating to The lake are staggering – surface area of 31,700 square miles, distance around it 1300 miles, maximum depth 1,276 feet. It is the largest freshwater lake in the worlds and holds 10% of the world’s surface fresh water. Probably the first thing I’ve come across this trip which is the world famous….

At one point I crossed Chippewa Falls which are apparently at the exact halfway stage distance wise of the Highway. A long way east of the longitudinal centre of Canada isn’t it which shows the winding nature of the road here compared with the straight slog across the Prairies.

By the time I pulled into my overnight stopping place, Saulte Saint Maria - and even this place had its Moose...

 

                            the sun had come out and it was wonderfully warm evening. 

Don’t know if I will see it tomorrow but there is a bridge here which crosses to the USA over the St Marys River which joins Lake Superior with Lake Huron.