Kyrle Probus member, Jim Hamilton, presented part one of his Canada Adventure, recounting a holiday trip with his family in June last year, which was Canada’s 150th Anniversary of Confederation. He illustrated his talk with a excellent stream of landscape photos.

Jim started his talk in Toronto, allowing sufficient time to ascend the CN Tower, with amazing views as far as Niagara Falls and Buffalo. The Toronto Railway Museum with its rolling stock, and driving simulator was also a must. Jim recommended Amsterdam Brewhouse, a microbrewery and restaurant for lunch, generally finding Canadian food excellent. However, he did highlight a major queuing problem at Toronto Pearson International Airport.

Jim rated the Oswego Hotel in Victoria bc, on Vancouver Island highly, as well as the marina with its water taxis to Fisherman’s Wharf, with its array of houses sitting on pontoons. Thunderbird Park has a major collection of totem poles marking the culture of British Columbia. He also enjoyed a whale watching trip, spotting plenty of seals, sea eagles, a humpback whale, and orcas.

Jim then hired a car for a four-hour drive to Port Alberni for a bear watching cruise. Again he saw plenty of seals, sea eagles, and three or four black bears grazing along the shoreline.

On returning to North Vancouver, Jim visited the Capilano suspension bridge, 140m long and 70m above the Capilano river. He said it is definitely one of the most popular tourist attractions.

Travelling North to Clearwater, Jim drove through a nature park seeing more black bears, passing close to the Dawson Falls, one of seven waterfalls on the Murtle River, and onto Jasper National Park where he ended the first part of his Canada Adventure.

Kyrle Probus is a group of men who meet on the first and third Thursday of the month, at Ross Conservative Club at 10.30am, where members hear talks, sometimes from fellow-members and occasionally from guest speakers. To find out more about the club, please visit www.kyrleprobusross.org.uk, or contact Secretary, Jeff Morris, on 01989 563698.