Winnipeg, MB to Abbotsford, BC

The Saskatchewan Legislature in Regina. It was in this building that Tommy Douglas tabled the very first medicare bill in Canada.



The chapel of Briercrest College in Caronport, SK where I attended for two years before wandering over to Waterloo, ON.



Naomi, trying to open the door of Hillson Hall, where she stayed in her first year in 2004



I was also stationed in Hillson Hall, back when it was a guys dorm.



The Moose Jaw grain elevator. Moose Jaw was the nearest 'city' to Caronport, about a 15 min drive away. Caronport had NO services, so we were forced to go there for just about everything. Gotta love slurpee runs in the dead of winter at midnight!



Naomi driving away!



The summer between high school and college I worked as a farm hand in the tiny little hamlet of Rosemary, AB, about two hours east of Calgary. This was the house that I lived in, all by myself, for two months. I drove a beat up 1980 Chevy truck, and worked with one of the best bosses I have ever had. Larry Wiens taught me so much about life and hard work. I will never forget that summer.



Calgary, AB



The Alberta prairie... Driving down Highway One, with nothing in front of me but blue sky, the occasional tree and fields upon fields of canola, barley and alfalfa.



A lone abandoned shack in the middle of a field of yellow canola.



Just past Calgary, heading into the foothills, there was quite the storm brewing. I love cloud formations, and I thought this one was particularly exciting.



A glacier in the Rockies



One of my favourite shots... it was taken just past Lake Louise. I love the pristine river, the trees so green and the moutains rising up in the distance. Just breathtaking.




Mt. Revelstoke, Revelstoke, BC. This moutain is in the Purcell mountain range.



Lake Shushwap, in the BC Interior. This lake is world renowned for its houseboats. Rather than having cottages, many British Columbians have houseboats and spend their summers boating this beautiful lake.

Minneapolis to Winnipeg

I loved the reflection of the Minnesota fields in the back of the tanker truck, and just had to try and get a picture.



Swimming in one of Minnesota's 10,000 lakes.



Chillin' like a villain



The Metrodome, home of the Minnesota Twins and the Minnesota Vikings



St. Pauls Cathedral in St. Paul, MN. The interior was beautiful, but since we walked in rather loudly and crashed a funeral, we figured we'd leave the interor shots to someone else.



The Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul, MN



Minneapolis, MN




Beer and Wings in Fargo, ND. Naomi is only 20, and she got ID'd. Apparently the USA has some rather arcane drinking laws that stipulate that you can't drink until you're 21. You can vote at 18, drive at 16 and have sex at 14, but you can't drink until you are 21? WTF? Thankfully, when the waitress realized we were Canadians, she turned a blind eye.



The ruins of the Church at St. Boniface, Manitoba home of the Red River Rebellion



The grave of Louis Riel, Métis leader of the Red River Rebellion and put to death for Treason after being captured at in the aftermath of the Battle of Batoche, in Duck Lake, Saskatchewan. He was perhaps the leader of the only civil war in Canada, a war that never really got off the ground. The battleground in Saskatchewan is awesome to visit, and especially meaningful for every little boy and girl who hears of the (in)famous Louis Riel in their Canadian history class. To many, he was a hero andsome might even say that the beginning of the modern political phenomenon of Western Alienation began with him in the 1880's.



Family: (l-r top) Rosalind, Uncle Tim, cousin Angie, myself, and cousin Sam, with Aunt Laurinda and Naomi on the bottom



Rosalind, Naomi and I in a telephone booth for one of Naomi's many photo ops.



A neo-gothic Anglican church in Winnipeg



Winnipeg, MB



The Manitoba Provincial Legislature, in Winnipeg



My sister Rosalind and I. She is surrently working on a Masters in Psychology with specialization in Family Counselling at Providence Seminary in Winnipeg, MB



Me, driving my sisters car. Thats why theres pink everywhere. It's my sisters car. I swear.

Detroit to Chicago

Selected pictures from the trip from Detroit to Chicago.



Detroit, MI, as seen from Windsor, ON



Hanging out on a hot muggy day in Indianapolis, IN. That fountain just looked too good to let be. So I cooled myself off just a little!



So Naomi decides she hadn't had enough excercise, and gets this crazy idea to rent a paddle boat and paddle down the canal that runs through the centre of Indianapolis... Well, apparently I was the one who hadn't got enough excercise, since I came down with a little bout of heat exhaustion by the time the boat ride was done! Haha good times though...



The RCA Dome, home of the Indianapolis Colts



The WWI and WWII War Memorial. Indianapolis features three blocks dedicated to the memory of American soldiers lost in all of the modern wars. It was quite a sobering tour.



Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the worlds largest spectator stadium. The day before we were there saw the conclusion of the U.S. Grand Prix in the Formula 1 Circuit.



My first time visiting the wonderful state of Illinois



Baling hay, the Amish way. (Near Arthur, IL)



An Illinoisian sunset, as seen just south of Decataur, IL



Chicago, IL, as seen from the highway, about 10 miles out.



Ant's Eye View of the Sears Tower, the tallest office building in North America



North Chicago, as seen from the Sears Tower



The John Hancock Center, as seen from the Sears Tower



Riding the subway. We set up our tripod and took the picture right in the middle of the busy subway. That was fun!



If a girl gives you a flower, the appropriate response is "mmmm food!"



Naomi, talking on her phone, at Moody Bible Institute. I like this shot because it is candid and is a very good picture of my sister.



The north end of Chicago from Navy Pier. The cityscape is so spread out that it is hard to get a good shot of the whole city, unless you go out into Lake Michigan.



The south end of Chicago, as seen from the John Hancock Center, with the Sears Tower to your far right.



Night shot of Chicago, from the Hancock Center



Towards the west, from the Hancock Center.

We saw the July 4 Fireworks from the top of the Hancock Center. Once I figure out how to upload video, I'll show you a video. I must admit to being disappointed with the view. They looked small from the top of the tower, and the noise of the explosions and the people around all contribute to the viewing experience.

Canada Day in Ottawa, ON

Prime Minister Stephen Harper addressing the crowd



A Canadian Mountie! They had just completed the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Musical Ride, right on the front lawn of Parliament



Naomi and I showing our true Canadian colours, in front of the beautiful building that is the Canadian Parliament Building



A view of Parliament from the rear, with the library in the foreground. This was taken from the Museum of Civilization across the river in Gatineau, Quebec



The Governer-General Michaelle Jean inspecting the troops. As representative of the Queen in Canada, she holds the most power, though her position is now largely symbolic and diplomatic.



Canada Day Fireworks, being shot from the bridge between Gatineau, QC and Ottawa, ON, slightly to the east of Parliament Hill. These pictures do not do the show justice, and I think this show was probably the best fireworks show I have ever seen.

Mennonite Country, St, Jacobs, ON

Don't I look cool?



Doing business with a Mennonite woman



Horse and Buggy, the primary mode of transportation for a Mennonite family



My sister posing at St. Jacobs Farmer's Market, where you can get homemade sausage, maple syrop, lots of meats and cheese, and freshly grown Ontario produce.



Yes, they even use horses to farm



Playing Baseball during recess



We accidentally cut this woman off as she was entering her driveway.



A Mennonite Church, complete with an unmarked cemetery



Little Mennonite Children in a wagon



A Mennonite Barnraising. This is a church/community event. As we passed by, you could see the women and children scurrying about the yard, preparing lunch for the men, working on the barn. The yard was full of buggy's, and a sense of community was evident, even from the road.

And to think this is only 15 mins to the north of Waterloo...

CN Tower/Toronto

The Worlds Tallest Phallic Symbol!



View from the Skypod, 1465 Feet in the air



The University of Toronto



So, it's a phallic symbol? ;)



Towards the North



Air Canada Centre, home of the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Toronto Raptors



The (former) Skydome with the reflection of the CN Tower



The Glass Floor, 1222 Feet in the air



Me and the beautiful city of Toronto



A gorgeous city, if you ask me.

Montreal, May 19-21, 2006

Some selected pictures from my trip to Montreal, QC over the Victoria Day weekend, 2006.



La Belle Province!



Montreal is well known for its comedy festivals, and so Naomi and I decided to take in a show at the Comedyworks Club.



Eating Crepes for Breakfast



About to get on the Metro



The city of Montreal from the Mont Royal, known to locals as 'The Mountain"



In the background, a Catholic Church. In the foreground, a Muslim Mosque. Montreal is a very cosmopolitan city, featuring many people from many cultures and religions.



A beautiful city...



Some buildings of McGill University



Olympic Stadium, built for the 1976 Summer Olympics, has been a financial nightmare for Montrealers. Now sitting empty (The Expos left for Washington DC two seasons ago), it has yet to be paid off.



The Arts Building at McGill University



I like the reflections...



Checking off Montreal on my list. Naomi and I have a list of 50 cities in North America. The goal is to visit all 50 cities. The first person to do so, wins. This is a life-long contest, but at the rate we're going, we'll have completed it by the time we're 35.



A stunning juxtaposition, the gothic styled Christ Church Cathedral stands tall in front of a modern skyscraper.



A micro-brewery in Vieux-Montreal where my sister and I had some amazing ribs and freshly vrewed beer.

\

I'd like to try the One-Metre Beer sometime...



Satisfied



A cobblestone street in Vieux-Montreal



That was damn good beer!



The Basilique Notre Dame de Montreal



Naomi and I took in a mass at the Basilique. Worshipping God in such an ornately decorated sanctuary was enjoyable.



I don;t know that woman, but this is one of the best shots I was able to get.



Saint Joseph's Oratory. A Basilica dedicated to Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus. The original keeper, Brother André, is interred in the building. He claims that miricles performed can be attributed to Joseph. Brother André has been beatified by Pope John Paul II, and is one miracle away from becoming a saint.



I was unable to get any good pictures, but the views from the Corinthian columns of the north Island of Montreal are incredilble.



Joseph and child



The Sanctuary of the Basilica.

Peter and Naomi in Toronto, May 13, 2006

Naomi and I having dinner at The Duke of Richmond at Queen and Yonge, beside City Hall



Canada Flag, flying in front of the Fairmont Royal York Hotel





Naomi and I in the lobby at the Fairmont Royal York



Riding the Subway



The CN Tower, as seen from the University of Toronto



The reflection of a U of T building



Knox College, University of Toronto



Trintiy College, University of Toronto



University College, University of Toronto



Lambourghini at Yonge and Dundas



CN Tower and Skydome, hidden by construction, from the Gardiner Expressway



View at Yonge and Queen, towards the financial district



Me, having a beer

Me, hard at work

These pictures are NOT great pictures. For one, I had taken off my goatee a couple of days before, and I don't like being clean shaven for very long. For two, I'm at work. A guy never looks his best when he is at work. I work at Schneider Foods in Kitchener, ON, a subsidiary of Maple Leaf Foods. We make most of the weiners that are consumed in Canada, as well as a good deal of brand name deli meats and bacon. I work in the distribution department, as a stacker driver. Right now I am on repos/stores, which means that I grab loads of boxed product and either put it away in its proper location for shipping at a later time, or I take it from a place in storage and put it in a location where the order-fillers can get at it to ship it out.

Remember, these pictures are not the best pictures of me. So don't laugh too hard.