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EPISODE 603 BENARES CONCERT WITH AGE OF REASON June 24, 2022

EPISODE 603    CONCERT BY AGE OF REASON AT BENARES JUNE 24, 2022


alan skeoch
june 24, 2022






“Bringing our own chair makes a concert very personal.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Feels like the concert is just for us.”
“Sounds self – centred.”
“Right. But maybe a few times in our lives we should feel special, don’t you think?”


THIS IS BENARES ESTATE…OWNED BY THE CITY OF MISSISSAUGA

All summer long, every Friday except for Canada Day the Friends of the Museum
has arranged social concerts….free, although a donation of $10 is appreciated.


David O’Hearn
Michelle Gee
Maria Moore
Chris Burke

Four musicians ,… David, Michelle, Maria and Chris….serenaded us for two hours of
Folk Tunes most of us knew by heart. including  ‘Puff  The Magic Dragon/‘ played and sung so Michelles’ grand daughter
could dance.  (see little girl)

Join Lennon’s “IMAGINE” …was another…  Then something from the Mommas and the Poppas who I had never 
known.



 David jumped off the stage and threaded his way though the  audience.



I counted two dogs….coul dhave been more…another dog howled in some distant corner
of Benares.




Feature dancer…


Wanda….Enthusiastic committee member and record keeper


A reader … stretched right out 


And the organizer and Mistress of ceremonies, Joyce 


“ChriS, you were part of the Windmill Theatre…I recognized our voice.”  said Marjorie
“I wish the Windmill was still going….sadly not so.”  said Chris.



featuring Maria on the tambourine .   Can you find it in he picture?




Michelle on the guitar….also a Windmill Theatre soloist.  And a grandmother believed or not





STORY SONGS …LIKE ’SOUND OF SILENCE BY SIMON AND GARFUNKEL
Lyrics
Hello darkness, my old friend
I’ve come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence
In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone
‘Neath the halo of a street lamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence
And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never share
No one dared
Disturb the sound of silence
“Fools” said I, “You do not know
Silence like a cancer grows
Hear my words that I might teach you
Take my arms that I might reach you”
But my words like silent raindrops fell
And echoed in the wells of silence
And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made
And the sign flashed out its warning
In the words that it was forming
And the sign said, “The words of the prophets
Are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls
And whispered in the sounds of silence”
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Paul Simon







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ERROR IN 602…SHOULD BE HOWARD TANNER

EPISODE 602 CONTINUED


SORRY, I MADE A SERIOUS ERROR…THE MAN WHO CHANGED THE GREAT LAKES FISHERY
WAS HOWARD TANNER.  My  memory failed until I sat down to watch the Bluejay game …. something
was wrong….I got Tanner’s first name wrong.   And did not check facts.  Sorry to all.

alan


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See this image

Something Spectacular: My Great Lakes Salmon Story Hardcover – Illustrated, Dec 1 2018 

by  Howard A. Tanner  (Author)
See all formats and editions
As the new chief of the Michigan Department of Conservation’s Fish Division in 1964, Howard A. Tanner was challenged to “do something . . . spectacular.” He met that challenge by leading the successful introduction of coho salmon into the Michigan waters of the Great Lakes. This volume illustrates how Tanner was able to accomplish this feat: from a detailed account of his personal and professional background that provided a foundation for success; the historical and contemporary context in which the Fish Division undertook this bold step to reorient the state’s fishery from commercial to sport; the challenges, such as resistance from existing government institutions and finding funding, that he and his colleagues faced; the risks they took by introducing a nonnative species; the surprises they experienced in the first season’s catch; to, finally, the success they achieved in establishing a world-renowned, biologically and financially beneficial sport fishery in the Great Lakes. Tanner provides an engaging history of successfully introducing Pacific salmon into the lakes from the perspective of an ultimate insider.
 
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EPISODE 602 PORT CREDIT SLMON DERBY JUNE 2022

EPISODE 602    SALMON FISH DERBY, PORT CRDIT JUNE 2022


alan skeoch
June 2022

“Some mighty big fish lurk in the deep water just a few km offshore froM Port Credit.”
“How big?”
“So big that it takes a strong man or, in this case,  one woman to lift one of these gnat salmon into a boat”


May be an image of 3 people, people standing and outdoors



There was a time in the 1950;s when the Great Lakes fishery seemed doomed as alewives and sea lampreys made these
massive lakes devoid of large fish.  Then Harold Tanner, an American scientist introduced Pacific salmon, predators,  to the Lakes and
doing so changed the whole ecology of the Great Lakes. 

These giant salmon caught today not far offshore of Port Credit are the result of Tanner’s experiment.







Brian Lambie was master of ceremonies handing out prizes to the lucky fishermen and fisherwomen.  His fellow club members enrich us all.

Today there were huge crowds strolling the streets and docks of Port Credit  Most were totally unaware 
that a small group of perhaps 100 people celebrated the rescue of the Great Lakes fishery.  And fewer still
would remember Harold Tanner.   Miracles do happen.  Just for fun go to your computer and punch in
his name.  You will be riveted to your seat for a couple of hours.  Guaranteed.


alan skeoch

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EPISODE 601 : “CAR ON FIRE”

EPISODE 601   “CAR ON FIRE”


alan skeoch
June 21, 2022

“Alan, it’s hot today, let’s do something cool.”
“Like”
:Visit the Salvation Army thrift store….you can buy me a fairly new dress.”

It takes about ten minutes to reach Port credit from our house  Halfway there
we noticed a whisper of smoke…then a massive conflagration as a car
began to burn.  Anyone who believes cars are inflammable should take
note.  The fire began in the motor region than spread faster than the traffic
light could change.  Flames reached as high as the electricity wires high
above, perhaps melting their shaeths.

“Is it going to explode?”
“Green light, we have to go.””
“What about those two people standing beside the burning car?”
“They better move fast…Gas tank is the next to go and that
will not be pretty.

We never knew what happened next.   But we were both amazed at 
the speed of the fire.  Just enough time to turn off the road then get out.

This is the first day of the summer of 2022.

A hot day.


Begin forwarded message:












Sent from my iPhone


Post Script:   We did nothing.  What should we have done?  Notice the traffic light …red, then green.
Posted on

GRIMSBY SALE for keith and mary Seabrook of Beamsville, ontario, june 18, 2022

EPISODE 600    KEITH AND MARY SEABROOK AUCTION JUNE 18, 2022….NOT AN EASY THING TO DO


alan skeoch

Keith and Mary Seabrook shared a good life on their small retirement farm.  Many good years.
I could tell.  This was a tough day for them.  It is very hard to watch your possessions put on the auction block …. very hard indeed.
No room for the picture of their old dog Willy…and their cat Trixy.  Photos of these two pets
said much about Keith and Mary.  But this day was no time for afterthoughts so Willy and Trixy
were part of the auction…pictures of them.

Keith is a super mechanic.  Every machine lined up in the field was impeccable and I had
the authority given to me by our son Andrew…the authority to be a big bidder. 
 






Here is Ken Seabrook helping Andrew Skeoch load the 1946 Case tractor.  the machine
is more than 75 years old but purring like Trixy once did.  Ken seems to be pushing
the Case …


photo of Keith’s son in law Joe Lortie who helped with the auction…family settled here from France way back in 1679…., Andrew Skeoch in centre
and Keith Seabrook on right.

Two auctioneers….Jim McCartney on the truck, seated…Bob Severn, checking inventory, standing



Strangest machine in the sale….



Rare machine….Gould Shapley and Muir fanning mill with bagging mechanism…perfect condition
“I bought this mill from a neighbour years  ago…bought it because I once turned that crank when I was young.






Marjorie spent most of her time at the housewares….it was Marjorie that bought the pictures of 
willy and Trixiy…we told Keith and Mary they could
get the pictures back if they wanted them.



Buggy sold for $1,000 …  grindstone sold for $95



Auction featured a young lad displaying items up for bid…he took the business seriously

Ken is seated on this strange little tractor…pulls a one furrow plow..sold for $1800 I seem to remember.  



Ken demonstrated each machine







Two Fergson tractors, circa 1948 (circa)….both running smoothly…quite a history to these tractors…Ferguson name will lead you to the story..


the old Case tractor sold to…Guess who?


Buying a tractor i easy if you have the nerve and the money.   Bun moimg a tractor to Wellington Couty is difficult

‘DAD, This tractor operates without a clutch…and look at the radiator cap, a work of art.”



What did we buy?  Guess.



alan skeoch
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EPISODE 599 FORT MISSISSAUGA…HIDDEN AWAY ON A GOLF COURSE

EPISODE 599   FORT MISSISSAUGA…HIDDEN AWAY ON A GOLF COURSE


alan skeoch
June 2022


Fort Mississauga, Niagara on the Lake, Ontario, 1814-1816

“What is that huge pile of bricks?”
“That is Fort Mississauga….was intended to be huge classic Star shaped fort
but cutbacks happened after 1816.”
“Cutbacks?”
“No need. Obsolete design. Peace…unlikely would we ever go to war with the United States again.”
“No need for a large star shaped fortress anymore”
“Star shaped?”
“Easier to defend….soldiers could fire down from the points of the star
if enemies thought to try and scale the fort walls after getting by the moat.
Seemed a good idea but forts fell out of style when canons got better…able
to blast the walls to bits.”
“Do you want to know why the walls are made of dirt and gravel rather than
stone and cement?”
“Stone sounds better for a fort.  Why use dirt?  Probably to save money.?”
Nope, dirt walls were better than]   stone.  Exploding artlllery shells were muffled
in the dirt.  Did less damage.  At least that’s what I read somewhere.”






Star Shaped Forts - Adventages And History - Some Interesting Facts
If Fort Mississauga was built as originally planned, it would look something like this STAR LAYOUT for forts.


“How come I’ve never heard of Fort Mississauga?”
“Not much  to see…just one building which looks like a 
huge pile of bricks.  That’s it…a huge pile of bricks.
And earth piled up in a star shape if you look carefully.  A person
needs imagination visiting Fort Mississauga.

“Huge pile of bricks”
“The black engineers who built the fort between 1814 and 1816 had
lots of bricks….great piles of them…no need for brick making.
In 1814 bricks were piled up like rubble.”
“Get serious . ALAN”
“Bricks were piled helter skelter all-around the place”
“Why?”
“Because American troops captured Newark (now Niagara on the Lake)
and set the town on fire.   Fort Mississauga is made from the ruined
town….thousands of used bricks.”

“Did you say Black Engineers?”
“Thought you might have caught that word…black”
“Black British troops?”
“Yes, black Canadian troops built Fort Mississauga…they were happy to
do so into the bargain.  There were issues of discrimination involved.
How  to use black troops.   Although they were prepared to be in the centre of action.
 Some official decided to set them to work building the fort.

It still stands..   But one lonely building surrounded by a dirt all with a star profile.
Not much to see. Remember I  Said you needed imagination to appreciate Fort Mississauga.




Marjorie found a golf ball just as we got near the fort.  



Another remarkable thing about Fort Mississauga is that it
stands in the middle of the oldest golf course in North
America.  So the fort is a little dangerous.  It is possible
to get beaned by a golf ball.

Much more to say but this is enough for today

alan

Post Script:  Official history of Fort Mississauga







Fort Mississauga
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada

Constructed: 1814-1816
Used by: Great Britain, Canada
Conflict in which it participated:
War of 1812


Surrounded by a golf course, Fort Mississauga is a temporary field fortification turned permanent edifice on Lake Ontario. It is the only remaining star-shaped earthwork in Canada.*

The French had been trying to build fortifications at the mouth of the Niagara River since 1679, finding that a combination of absolutely awful weather and understandably uncooperative locals (Seneca Indians) made this a difficult spot in time and space to fortify. 

In the 1720’s France began work on what would become Fort Niagara, which the British took from them in 1759, during the French and Indian War (1756-1763). Though after the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783) this fort was within the boundaries of the new United States, the British lingered in Fort Niagara until 1796, when the Jay Treaty finally made it COMPLETELY CLEAR THAT THEY WOULD BE LEAVING NOW THANK YOU VERY MUCH. All of this meant that Great Britain suddenly had no defenses at the extremely important mouth of the Niagara River.

Great Britain immediately got to work on Fort George, just a smidge upriver (and on the opposite bank) from Fort Niagara. Fort George was completed in 1802. Plans had been afoot to build a 14-gun battery facing Fort Niagara at Mississauga Point in 1799, but once the impressive Fort George was completed, adding more guns to this mix seemed unnecessary. Instead, the first lighthouse on the Great Lakes was built at Mississauga Point in 1804.

The name Mississauga refers to the Algonquin Mississauga Indians, who were present in the area when the French first arrived in the 17th century. The word means, “those at the great river mouth,” which assumedly refers to the Niagara River where it meets Lake Ontario.


Fort Niagara, visible from (and within gun range of) Fort Mississauga during the War of 1812.
On June 18, 1812, US President James Madison (1751-1836) declared war on Great Britain. While much of the War of 1812 (1812-1815) did not go particularly well for the declaring party, one thing the United States did accomplish with style and verve was the capture of Fort George, on May 27, 1813.

The Americans believed that the lighthouse at Mississauga Point was packed full of gunpowder, so gave it a wide berth when choosing landing spots for their Canadian invasion. The Canadian Militia hadmounted some guns at Mississauga Point, which in preparation for the American assault were blasted by the USS Julia, a schooner with two guns, and USS Growler, a sloop with 11 guns, of the US Navy.

The British troops that had been ejected from Fort George thanks to the excellent planning and leadership of Colonel Winfield Scott (1786-1866) scampered to Burlington Heights, a fortified position at the far western tip of Lake Ontario. While the Americans had been great at capturing Fort George, they proved less great at further endeavors inland, perhaps in part due to the fact that Winfield Scott had been wounded at the battle of Fort George, removing him from the field until later in the war. Britain was victorious at both the Battle of Stoney Creek (June 6, 1813) and the Battle of Beaver Dams (June 24, 1813), and the demoralized Americans would abandon Fort George on December 10, 1813.
The American commander at Fort George, Brigadier General John Parker Boyd, was under orders to burn the nearby town of Newark if his position was threatened. Newark had, for a time, been the capital of Upper Canada, until its close proximity to a belligerent United States inspired the Canadians to move their capital north to the city of York, which would later be renamed Toronto.

If Boyd were to find it necessary to torch Newark, his orders stated, he would do so in the most polite manner possible, first warning the townspeople of his intention and giving them ample time to vacate. Oddly, it didn’t work out that way.


The tower of Fort Mississauga, 1910

It seems that Boyd’s characteristic role in most tense situations was to lose control over them. True to form, just before abandoning Fort George, things got out of hand and American troops put Newark to the torch without warning anyone, dumping the town’s dazed populace into the snow. This needless destruction enraged the British, who would burn several American towns in retribution when it shortly became their turn to invade their enemy’s land and capture their starforts.

The Fort Mississauga that never was. From an optimistic British plan of 1816: Had this version of Fort Mississauga been constructed, it would have been the largest fort in Canada. Click here to see the whole map, which also features a fancified Fort George, and a Fort Niagara that actually looks like Fort Niagara!
Meanwhile, the British again needed a fort at the mouth of the Niagara River. The Americans had pretty effectively destroyed Fort George in addition to the town of Newark, so work began on a new, better-sited fortification: Fort Mississauga.

Work began in the Spring of 1814, with the rubble of Newark (and stone from the dismantled lighthouse) being utilized as a handy building material for the foundation of Fort Mississauga’s most arresting feature, its tower. Which is really a blockhouse, but we’re calling it a tower anyway.

That tower was only two feet high when the Americans came to visit in July of 1814, in the form of a force led by General Jacob Brown (1775-1828). History apparently did not record Brown’s findings, so I would like to assume that he and his men saw a two-foot-tall tower surrounded by muddy earthworks, jeered, and left.

Another possibility seems to be that an American brigade of 3000 men under Colonel Moses Porter (1755-1822) advanced on what must have been a diminutive Fort Mississauga in July of 1814, only to be chased away by long-range cannon fire from the fort. These two events may or may not have happened, as they are briefly described in the signage at the fort, but I cannot find mention of them elsewhere. Both Brown and Porter fought heroically at the Siege of Fort Erie in August of 1814, and these actions may have been misattributed to Fort Mississauga.

The starfort of our current interest did have impressive, 20-foot thick, star-shaped earthworks by the end of 1814, along with a series of log buildings within those walls, in which the garrison spent its lonely days. Perhaps fortunately for Fort Mississauga, it was left alone for the remainder of the war. The tower was only nine feet high in 1816, but was finally completed in 1823.

In 1837 and 1838, a series of rebellions broke out in Canada, led by Canadians yearning for “responsible government.” While a government reeking of responsibility was indeed created not long after these rebellions, these events nonetheless freaked Great Britain out, and Fort Mississauga’s defenses were bolstered as a result.
In 1838, a reinforced platform was added on the fort’s upper level, upon which a single cannon was mounted. The fort’s earthen walls were increased to a 40-foot thickness, and were twelve feet high. A double row of sharpened logs jutted menacingly from the outer walls, and an earthwork ravelin was added to protect the main gate.

The inside of the tower consists of two casemated rooms, which would have served as a barracks and living space during a bombardment. A storehouse and powder magazine occupied two basement rooms. The walls of the tower are eight feet thick at the base, tapering to a seven-foot thickness at the top. The tower is 25 feet high.

By 1852 Fort Mississauga was at its peak of pointy, sharpened pugnaciousness. Over a dozen cannons were somehow crammed into the little fort. Despite its impressive spininess, Great Britain abandoned the fort in 1855.

A cross-section of Fort Mississauga’s tower, from signage at the fort:
(1) Rubble from the 1792 town of Newark placed in 1814
(2) July 1814-Americans attack the tower which is only two feet high
(3) April 1816-The tower is only nine feet high
(4) 1823-The tower is substantially complete
(5) 1838-Upper battery for artillery is installed
(6)1840’s-Stucco parging is applied to the tower to protect brickwork
(7) WWI-Soldiers put concrete parging on the tower’s exterior


Fort Mississauga’s distinctive tower in 2015. Much of the First World War-era concrete parging remains!
Canada became a (semi-) independent nation in 1867. Two important things happened to Fort Mississauga in the 1870’s: Canadian troops began using it for training, and a 9-hole golf course was constructed around it.

Through both World Wars and the Korean Conflict (1950-1953), Canada trained troops at Fort Mississauga: I’m sure familiarization with a blockhouse built in the early 19th century prepared them well for modern combat!

Today, Fort Mississauga is a National Historic Site of Canada, and is surrounded by the course of the Niagara-on-the-Lake Golf Club.

I visited Fort Mississauga in August of 2015! If you’re interested in seeing more of how the fort looks today, perhaps you’ll visit the Fort Mississauga page in the Starforts I’ve Visited section.

*The claim that Fort Mississauga is the only remaining star-shaped earthwork in Canada is made in the signing at the fort. Claims such as “biggest,” “oldest,” and “last remaining” seem to often be made locally at starforts without much in the way of research, or with a whole lot of qualifications affixed thereto. Fort Mississauga may be the only star-shaped earthwork remaining in Canada, but…Canada is a big place. Be careful with those heroic superlatives, starforts!

Posted on

EPISODE 599 FORT MISSISSAUGA…HIDDEN AWAY ON A GOLF COURSE

EPISODE 599   FORT MISSISSAUGA…HIDDEN AWAY ON A GOLF COURSE


alan skeoch
June 2022


Fort Mississauga, Niagara on the Lake, Ontario, 1814-1816

“What is that huge pile of bricks?”
“That is Fort Mississauga….was intended to be huge classic Star shaped fort
but cutbacks happened after 1816.”
“Cutbacks?”
“No need. Obsolete design. Peace…unlikely would we ever go to war with the United States again.”
“No need for a large star shaped fortress anymore”
“Star shaped?”
“Easier to defend….soldiers could fire down from the points of the star
if enemies thought to try and scale the fort walls after getting by the moat.
Seemed a good idea but forts fell out of style when canons got better…able
to blast the walls to bits.”
“Do you want to know why the walls are made of dirt and gravel rather than
stone and cement?”
“Stone sounds better for a fort.  Why use dirt?  Probably to save money.?”
Nope, dirt walls were better than]   stone.  Exploding artlllery shells were muffled
in the dirt.  Did less damage.  At least that’s what I read somewhere.”






Star Shaped Forts - Adventages And History - Some Interesting Facts
If Fort Mississauga was built as originally planned, it would look something like this STAR LAYOUT for forts.


“How come I’ve never heard of Fort Mississauga?”
“Not much  to see…just one building which looks like a 
huge pile of bricks.  That’s it…a huge pile of bricks.
And earth piled up in a star shape if you look carefully.  A person
needs imagination visiting Fort Mississauga.

“Huge pile of bricks”
“The black engineers who built the fort between 1814 and 1816 had
lots of bricks….great piles of them…no need for brick making.
In 1814 bricks were piled up like rubble.”
“Get serious . ALAN”
“Bricks were piled helter skelter all-around the place”
“Why?”
“Because American troops captured Newark (now Niagara on the Lake)
and set the town on fire.   Fort Mississauga is made from the ruined
town….thousands of used bricks.”

“Did you say Black Engineers?”
“Thought you might have caught that word…black”
“Black British troops?”
“Yes, black Canadian troops built Fort Mississauga…they were happy to
do so into the bargain.  There were issues of discrimination involved.
How  to use black troops.   Although they were prepared to be in the centre of action.
 Some official decided to set them to work building the fort.

It still stands..   But one lonely building surrounded by a dirt all with a star profile.
Not much to see. Remember I  Said you needed imagination to appreciate Fort Mississauga.




Marjorie found a golf ball just as we got near the fort.  



Another remarkable thing about Fort Mississauga is that it
stands in the middle of the oldest golf course in North
America.  So the fort is a little dangerous.  It is possible
to get beaned by a golf ball.

Much more to say but this is enough for today

alan

Post Script:  Official history of Fort Mississauga







Fort Mississauga
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada

Constructed: 1814-1816
Used by: Great Britain, Canada
Conflict in which it participated:
War of 1812


Surrounded by a golf course, Fort Mississauga is a temporary field fortification turned permanent edifice on Lake Ontario. It is the only remaining star-shaped earthwork in Canada.*

The French had been trying to build fortifications at the mouth of the Niagara River since 1679, finding that a combination of absolutely awful weather and understandably uncooperative locals (Seneca Indians) made this a difficult spot in time and space to fortify. 

In the 1720’s France began work on what would become Fort Niagara, which the British took from them in 1759, during the French and Indian War (1756-1763). Though after the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783) this fort was within the boundaries of the new United States, the British lingered in Fort Niagara until 1796, when the Jay Treaty finally made it COMPLETELY CLEAR THAT THEY WOULD BE LEAVING NOW THANK YOU VERY MUCH. All of this meant that Great Britain suddenly had no defenses at the extremely important mouth of the Niagara River.

Great Britain immediately got to work on Fort George, just a smidge upriver (and on the opposite bank) from Fort Niagara. Fort George was completed in 1802. Plans had been afoot to build a 14-gun battery facing Fort Niagara at Mississauga Point in 1799, but once the impressive Fort George was completed, adding more guns to this mix seemed unnecessary. Instead, the first lighthouse on the Great Lakes was built at Mississauga Point in 1804.

The name Mississauga refers to the Algonquin Mississauga Indians, who were present in the area when the French first arrived in the 17th century. The word means, “those at the great river mouth,” which assumedly refers to the Niagara River where it meets Lake Ontario.


Fort Niagara, visible from (and within gun range of) Fort Mississauga during the War of 1812.
On June 18, 1812, US President James Madison (1751-1836) declared war on Great Britain. While much of the War of 1812 (1812-1815) did not go particularly well for the declaring party, one thing the United States did accomplish with style and verve was the capture of Fort George, on May 27, 1813.

The Americans believed that the lighthouse at Mississauga Point was packed full of gunpowder, so gave it a wide berth when choosing landing spots for their Canadian invasion. The Canadian Militia hadmounted some guns at Mississauga Point, which in preparation for the American assault were blasted by the USS Julia, a schooner with two guns, and USS Growler, a sloop with 11 guns, of the US Navy.

The British troops that had been ejected from Fort George thanks to the excellent planning and leadership of Colonel Winfield Scott (1786-1866) scampered to Burlington Heights, a fortified position at the far western tip of Lake Ontario. While the Americans had been great at capturing Fort George, they proved less great at further endeavors inland, perhaps in part due to the fact that Winfield Scott had been wounded at the battle of Fort George, removing him from the field until later in the war. Britain was victorious at both the Battle of Stoney Creek (June 6, 1813) and the Battle of Beaver Dams (June 24, 1813), and the demoralized Americans would abandon Fort George on December 10, 1813.
The American commander at Fort George, Brigadier General John Parker Boyd, was under orders to burn the nearby town of Newark if his position was threatened. Newark had, for a time, been the capital of Upper Canada, until its close proximity to a belligerent United States inspired the Canadians to move their capital north to the city of York, which would later be renamed Toronto.

If Boyd were to find it necessary to torch Newark, his orders stated, he would do so in the most polite manner possible, first warning the townspeople of his intention and giving them ample time to vacate. Oddly, it didn’t work out that way.


The tower of Fort Mississauga, 1910

It seems that Boyd’s characteristic role in most tense situations was to lose control over them. True to form, just before abandoning Fort George, things got out of hand and American troops put Newark to the torch without warning anyone, dumping the town’s dazed populace into the snow. This needless destruction enraged the British, who would burn several American towns in retribution when it shortly became their turn to invade their enemy’s land and capture their starforts.

The Fort Mississauga that never was. From an optimistic British plan of 1816: Had this version of Fort Mississauga been constructed, it would have been the largest fort in Canada. Click here to see the whole map, which also features a fancified Fort George, and a Fort Niagara that actually looks like Fort Niagara!
Meanwhile, the British again needed a fort at the mouth of the Niagara River. The Americans had pretty effectively destroyed Fort George in addition to the town of Newark, so work began on a new, better-sited fortification: Fort Mississauga.

Work began in the Spring of 1814, with the rubble of Newark (and stone from the dismantled lighthouse) being utilized as a handy building material for the foundation of Fort Mississauga’s most arresting feature, its tower. Which is really a blockhouse, but we’re calling it a tower anyway.

That tower was only two feet high when the Americans came to visit in July of 1814, in the form of a force led by General Jacob Brown (1775-1828). History apparently did not record Brown’s findings, so I would like to assume that he and his men saw a two-foot-tall tower surrounded by muddy earthworks, jeered, and left.

Another possibility seems to be that an American brigade of 3000 men under Colonel Moses Porter (1755-1822) advanced on what must have been a diminutive Fort Mississauga in July of 1814, only to be chased away by long-range cannon fire from the fort. These two events may or may not have happened, as they are briefly described in the signage at the fort, but I cannot find mention of them elsewhere. Both Brown and Porter fought heroically at the Siege of Fort Erie in August of 1814, and these actions may have been misattributed to Fort Mississauga.

The starfort of our current interest did have impressive, 20-foot thick, star-shaped earthworks by the end of 1814, along with a series of log buildings within those walls, in which the garrison spent its lonely days. Perhaps fortunately for Fort Mississauga, it was left alone for the remainder of the war. The tower was only nine feet high in 1816, but was finally completed in 1823.

In 1837 and 1838, a series of rebellions broke out in Canada, led by Canadians yearning for “responsible government.” While a government reeking of responsibility was indeed created not long after these rebellions, these events nonetheless freaked Great Britain out, and Fort Mississauga’s defenses were bolstered as a result.
In 1838, a reinforced platform was added on the fort’s upper level, upon which a single cannon was mounted. The fort’s earthen walls were increased to a 40-foot thickness, and were twelve feet high. A double row of sharpened logs jutted menacingly from the outer walls, and an earthwork ravelin was added to protect the main gate.

The inside of the tower consists of two casemated rooms, which would have served as a barracks and living space during a bombardment. A storehouse and powder magazine occupied two basement rooms. The walls of the tower are eight feet thick at the base, tapering to a seven-foot thickness at the top. The tower is 25 feet high.

By 1852 Fort Mississauga was at its peak of pointy, sharpened pugnaciousness. Over a dozen cannons were somehow crammed into the little fort. Despite its impressive spininess, Great Britain abandoned the fort in 1855.

A cross-section of Fort Mississauga’s tower, from signage at the fort:
(1) Rubble from the 1792 town of Newark placed in 1814
(2) July 1814-Americans attack the tower which is only two feet high
(3) April 1816-The tower is only nine feet high
(4) 1823-The tower is substantially complete
(5) 1838-Upper battery for artillery is installed
(6)1840’s-Stucco parging is applied to the tower to protect brickwork
(7) WWI-Soldiers put concrete parging on the tower’s exterior


Fort Mississauga’s distinctive tower in 2015. Much of the First World War-era concrete parging remains!
Canada became a (semi-) independent nation in 1867. Two important things happened to Fort Mississauga in the 1870’s: Canadian troops began using it for training, and a 9-hole golf course was constructed around it.

Through both World Wars and the Korean Conflict (1950-1953), Canada trained troops at Fort Mississauga: I’m sure familiarization with a blockhouse built in the early 19th century prepared them well for modern combat!

Today, Fort Mississauga is a National Historic Site of Canada, and is surrounded by the course of the Niagara-on-the-Lake Golf Club.

I visited Fort Mississauga in August of 2015! If you’re interested in seeing more of how the fort looks today, perhaps you’ll visit the Fort Mississauga page in the Starforts I’ve Visited section.

*The claim that Fort Mississauga is the only remaining star-shaped earthwork in Canada is made in the signing at the fort. Claims such as “biggest,” “oldest,” and “last remaining” seem to often be made locally at starforts without much in the way of research, or with a whole lot of qualifications affixed thereto. Fort Mississauga may be the only star-shaped earthwork remaining in Canada, but…Canada is a big place. Be careful with those heroic superlatives, starforts!

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EPISODE 598 “BLUEJAYS? NOPE, THE DAMN YANKEES’

EPISODE 598    ‘BLUEJAYS? NOPE, THE DAMN YANKEES”


alan skeoch
June 16, 2022





SOMETIMES IMPULSE PAYS OFF BIG TIME…DAMN YANKEES

ON impulse, Marjorie and I booked two front row tickets to see 
The Damn Yankees at the Shaw Festival at $45 a seat.  Cheap.
We did not know the story but relied on the Shaw Festival people
to provide first rate entertainment.  We were not disappointed
even though the twists and turns of the plot were a little mystifying.
…Like Mr. Applegate was supposed to be the Devil.  How 
could that be when he was so funny, so capable of amusing contortions,
LIKE an affable, if dishonest, crook. I liked him. Who could like the devil?

Why did we like the production?.  Because we really needed
a release from the dark days through which the our sister
nation is living right now.  Trump has twisted Americs into a
Gordian knot which is hard to unravel.  It has been years since
we have crossed the border into the USA.  Blood, guns and
lies keep piling on with no end in sight.

The play Damn Yankees restored the America of 1955.  A good
year just a decade after the end of a World War.  Optimistic nation. The play Damn
Yankees is a lot of fun…full of songs and terrific dancing.
The stage is converted into a mobile baseball stadium 
complete with a sweat swathed locker room. 

Damn Yankees ended with a standing ovation from the audience
made amusing when the devil, Applegate, tried to crawl under
the curtain to corrupt the audience in a most amusing way.

Lots of sex…both innocent and manipulating kind.  Captivating.

We came away from the theatre into the charm of one of
Canada’s great tourist centres…Niagara on the Lake.

About as sweet as a slice of ice cooled watermelon on a summer day,

alan






STORY LINE FOR DAMN YANKEES (NOT THAT YOU NEED IT)

SYNOPSIS  (NOT THAT YOU NEED IT)

Sometime in the Future: Washington, D.C. Act I Meg and Joe Boyd are middle aged, and happily married. Meg knows that Joe is a good and faithful husband but that he isn’t always hers. For “Six Months out of Every Year” he, like millions of other men, belongs to baseball. He is a fan of the perennially losing Washington Senators and he hates the fact that those “Damn Yankees” are going to win the American League pennant again this year. He would do anything not to let that happen again. He would even sell his soul to the devil! Out of nowhere a suave man, Mr. Applegate, appears and makes Joe an offer. If Joe will give him his soul, Mr. Applegate (a.k.a. The Devil) will make Joe the great long hitter that the Senators so desperately need. Joe is, of course, concerned for Meg, but as he’s always wanted to be a ballplayer he gives in to the temptation. However, being the real estate salesman that he is, he negotiates an escape clause – if he decides that he doesn’t want to give his soul to the Devil by September 24, he can still have it back. Mr. Applegate reluctantly agrees. Joe writes Meg a farewell note – “Goodbye, Old Girl.” He is transformed into a younger, more vibrant Joe – Joe Hardy. Joe and Applegate leave to make Joe’s dream come true. Outside the ball field, four Washington players sing their philosophy of baseball and life. They may not have the skill to beat the Yankees but they have something else – “Heart.” Mr. Applegate enters with Joe and convinces Van Buren, the coach, to give Joe a tryout. Joe, shoeless because the previous Joe’s feet were much smaller, borrows a pair of shoes from another ballplayer. All of this is witnessed by a pushy reporter and Senators’ fan, Gloria Thorpe, who at Applegate’s invitation watches Joe’s skillful playing. His tryout is spectacular and Gloria offers to help catapult Joe Hardy to superstar status by naming him “Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, Mo.” Joe becomes irritated by all the press attention, particularly from Gloria. All he wants to do is play baseball and help the Senators win. More than all of that, he realizes how much he misses Meg. Applegate, sensing that Joe may change his mind about his soul, calls in his secret weapon: Lola, formerly the ugliest woman in Providence, Rhode Island. Lola can do anything – all it takes is “A Little Brains, A Little Talent.” Meanwhile, Joe misses Meg so much that he goes back home and convinces her to rent him a room – “A Man Doesn’t Know.” Meg’s bridge partners recognize the great Joe Hardy and are quite impressed. Out of nowhere Applegate appears to inform Meg that there is a new zoning law prohibiting the rental of rooms in private homes. Joe takes Applegate outside to send him away. Applegate quickly informs him that Lola is here and is dying to meet him. He explains that he isn’t interested. Thanks to Joe, the Senators are on a winning streak, and after a great game Applegate brings Lola in to meet him. He wants to get home but Lola has other things in mind – after all, “Whatever Lola Wants” . . . Joe succeeds in convincing Lola that where he should be is home with Meg. Applegate appears and chastises Lola for her failure to seduce him. The Chevy Chase Fan Club rehearses a song for a dinner saluting Joe Hardy – “Heart” – reprise. Prior to the dinner, a repentant Lola tells Joe that she’s on his side. Gloria, on the other hand, has just returned from Hannibal, Mo., and no one there has ever heard of Joe Hardy. Applegate tells Gloria emphatically that Joe Hardy is not Shifty McCoy, the bribe-taking ballplayer in the Mexican league. Meanwhile, the salute to Joe is about to begin, and Lola and one of the players, Sohovik, do their number – “Who’s Got the Pain?” Soon Joe is informed that the newspapers are about to hit the streets saying that he took a bribe. The crowd is in an uproar. Joe tries to calm them down. Van Buren informs him that the baseball commissioner has set a hearing for the next day, September 24, and if he can’t prove who he really is, he’ll be cut from the team. Act II In the locker room, the players worry about winning a game without Joe’s help. They must not be distracted by anything like women or Joe’s hearing, or women, or booze, or women – they have to think about “The Game.” Without Joe, the Senators lose the game. Joe is worried that he won’t be able to clear his name and that Meg might lose respect for him. He calls her and they meet. Without revealing himself, he asks her if she thinks he’s Shifty McCoy. She says no. She knows she’s a good judge of character. That’s why she knows the other Joe, her Joe will return to her. Joe assures her that he (the other Joe) is “Near to You.” At his swanky apartment, Applegate tells Lola of his plans to have the Senators lose so that Joe has to stay and play beyond the date that had been set. For her part Lola feels bad for Joe. Joe arrives to tell Applegate of his decision: he wants out. Today is the 24th. Applegate says it isn’t as simple as that, these transformations can only take place at the witching hour – midnight! Applegate tells Joe that if at five minutes to midnight he still wants out, so be it. Joe asks what he is supposed to do if the hearing is still going on. Applegate tells him to just ask to step into the next room and once through that door Joe Hardy will disappear forever. Joe agrees. Lola repeats the litanies that Applegate has taught her: “Never feel sorry for anybody, never feel sorry for anybody.” Distressed by Lola’s attitude and Joe’s decision, Applegate reminisces about a time when evil things were a lot easier – “Those Were the Good Old Days.” At the hearing Joe is vindicated, thanks to an impassioned speech by Meg and her bridge friends. However, his vindication comes just as the clock strikes midnight. It’s too late for Joe to become his former self. Lola, for spite, has slipped four sleeping pills into an ecstatic Applegate’s demon rum, so he won’t wake up until after the game tomorrow. Joe’s soul is lost, but at least the Senators will win the American League pennant. To celebrate this little bit of happiness, Joe and Lola go out on the town – “Two Lost Souls.” The next day Applegate awakens to find the game already in progress. He berates Lola for her “good” deed and then asks her what the score is, “4 to 3, Washington,” is her reply. Applegate assures her that Washington will lose the game even if he has to transform Joe in front of everyone. However, before that, he transforms Lola back to her former ugly self. At the game, Applegate and the ugly Lola watch as the Senators are about to clinch the pennant. Not being able to allow himself to be outwitted by Joe, Applegate transforms him as a ball is hit in his direction. The transformation takes place and the old Joe stumbles, but, at the last moment, he regains his balance and strength and catches the ball. The Senators win the game. Back at home the old Joe is welcomed by a relieved and happy Meg and despite the protestations of Applegate, Meg and Joe find the comfort they cherish in each other – “A Man Doesn’t Know.”

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EPISODE 596 BENARES…MUSIC ON THE VERANDAH, JUNE 2022

EPISODE   596    BENARES…MUSIC ON THE VERANDAH, June 2022


alan skeoch
June 13,2022

Benares Historic House – Arts and culture



Benares Historic House – Arts and culture

Benares Historic House, Mississauga | DestiMap | Destinations On Map


“Marjorie, would you and Alan like to attend a music concert at Benares?”, asked Janis Alton
“When?”
“Every Friday evening for the whole summer…different performers…this Friday
the Temple Band is coming…30 musicians…big brass band.”
“How much does it cost?”
“Nothing…they pass the hat at intermission, most people give a $10 donation.”
“Big crowd?”
“Varies but usually around 70 people….concert has a nice feeling of community…you
can sit on the grass but most people bring their own chair.”

“Benares is an odd name…strange…is it a house or a barn or a music hall?”
“It’s a grand Georgian mansion built in 1835 by a retired English officer 
…Benares is a city in Indian where he served.  Benares looks like an American pre Civil War
 spiffy home…pillars and grand entrance…hard to describe but
sure worth seeing.”
“Private property, I imagine?”
“Nope.  Owned by the City of Mississauga.  Restored.  Hidden away really.  Most 
people do not even know it exists.

“Are open air concerts common?”
“In the summer, ‘when the living is easy,” as the song says.”
“What song?”
“Old Man Rover/  “push that barge, tote that bail, get a little drunk and you land in jail.”
‘Get serous.”
“I am serious.  Next Friday, June 16, the Burlington Welsh Male Chorus is coming…Welsh folk songs, Hymns,
even opera…”
“Like the Men from the Welsh coal mines in How Green Was My Valley’?”
“Imagine so.”

SO WE WENT TO BENARES — TO HEAR THE TEMPLE BAND — AND NEXT WEEK WE’LL SPEND
FRIDY EVENING BEING SERENADED BY THE BURLINGTON WELSH MALE CHORUS.
(and every Friday for the whole summer, a different musical performance….outdooor on  the grass
for  a suggested $10 donation….1507 Clarkson Road North – 905 625 4860)











“Any refreshments?”
“Cold drinks and sweet stuff “
“Parking?”
“Free parking…get here early though…6.30, performances begin at 7 p.m.”

“Hey, that mansion looks wonderful.  Are there tours?”
“Rich history to the place…no room here for that…Tours in daytime”
“How did Mississauga get the place?”
“Donated….given to the City of Mississauga by the Sayers family…it was
once their home.   “
“Couldn’t you tell a bit about the place?”
“No time right now, I am re reading How Green Was My Valley…you know
my mom was Welsh…I actually saw the miners coming up from the coal pits
near Aberdare…they were singing.  Really singing.  Sometimes history is not
exaggerated.”

alan skeoch
June 13m 2022

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EPISODE 596 “OF BARNS AND TURTLES — AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE”

EPISODE 596   OF BARNS AND TURTLES — AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE


alan skeoch
June 11, 2022






“Too much change is not good for the soul, Marjorie.”
“What made you say that ungodly thing Alan?’

“We have seen too much change, why can’t our wold stand still?”
“Indeed, why cannot our small corner of the planet resist the turmoil of change?

June 11, 2022 and we were driving to the farm taking a less
travelled road up the Sixth line, northern corner of Halton  County en route
top our farm.   Change was coming with the speed of summer lightning.
Not all bad.  Not at all bad, I suppose/  Homes, warehouses, factories, 
a gas power plant….places we all love and need.  I suppose.

But standing…barely standing…not long  to remain standings was this
derelict barn.   One large corner ripped open.  A mortal wound.
No longer does it house the horses we saw there just a couple of 
years ago.   No milking cows of long long ago.  The house still
stands with broken windows and nailed shut doorways.  The family
gone.    A farm no more.   

Worth a short drive just to see this.  Better world to come.   We hope
and pray.  Urban community with jobs and schools and plazas being 
built as we drive.  But something is lost.

Then a  real reminder happened.



Reminder of change appeared in front of our truck.

“Alan, snapping turtle on the road.”
“Stop the truck,I’ll get him or her into the deep grass.”
“Watch out, snapping turtles have long necks and sharp mouths.”
“Just lift it with the toe of my boot….over and over…tumbling.”
“Don’t hurt it.”
“Better my boot than a truck tire.”
“Sad…the turtle has no place to go…home being bulll dozed…ponds being drained.”
“If the snapper can reach Sixteen Mile Creek, there is hope…the Creek is large
and cannot be disturbed.”
“Why is it on the road anyway?”
“June is turtle egg laying time I believe.”
“Not much hope for baby snapping turtles around here.”




“Couldn’t we get the poor thing in a box and release it in our ponds?”
“Good idea…should have done that.”
“Not sure Woody the dog would be happy with the snapping turtle waddling around in
the back of the truck.

We drove on

alan