Day 59: Into the Big Smoke

As we left Rob's for our ride into Mrs.Saga (an old Indian name for Mr.Saga's wife), there was a bit of climbing to get across the Escarpment. The escarpment is an unusual piece of terrain that stretches for hundreds of miles, probably from Collinwood on Georgian Bay to Hamilton. This rise in the earths crust produces isotopical conditions whereas sky's shed their moisture when they pass from north to south and temperatures are quite a bit higher on the sunny south side. This is the reason all the fruit orchards and wineries are located here.

Rob guided us through some back roads and Gin and I rode along, drafting when we could in a light drizzle. Our first rally was at The Grange Heritage Centre. Garry Sault, Obijiway Elder, blessed the opening with a drum song and smudge and we were welcomed by Dianne Marshall and a city counselor. Gin and I again spoke and some members came forward to tell of their experiences. Soon we were off across busy Toronto for our 5 PM rally at the Cricket Club. This affair was arranged by Gin's old IBM pal Barb Sheedy and her host of volunteers. Blackrock, one of our sponsors donated the wine for the evening and appies were served. Over 120 guests heard our presentations and the response was generous to say the least. Several came up to tell their stories including one courageous couple who had just lost their son to suicide. Many stayed to mingle and most agreed that pursuit of a one-stop shop like a Kelty Mental Resource Centre would be fitting for Toronto. Although tempered to stay and mix with old friends, we decided to return back to our hotel to get ready for next mornings live early Global news interview.