A London Racing Legend dies

June Marie wasn't a trail runner, but she supported the Vulture Bait Trail Races for it's 15 years of existence by volunteering for any position we needed  her in.

She was one of the first ones to arrive and was one of the last to leave after making sure the registration and dining areas were  cleaner than when we arrived. (and made sure all recyclables were sorted correctly)

She is the mother and mother in law of our original trail group, Jennifer D. and her husband 'Uncle' Kenny D.

She passed away on July 12th
The following and more can be seen on the London Sports Hall of Fame Website, a great tribute to London athletes.

• June-Marie Provost - Athlete & Legend: The Provost File
• Born in Hamilton, Ontario in 1933, one of 10 children
• Began race-walking at age 56 in 1990
• Won first race – Ontario Masters 3,000 metre indoor race-walk for women, setting a Canadian record for the 55 to 59 age group
• Has won 18 individual gold medals at world championships, 7 individual silver medals and 2 bronze medals at the world level
• Has raced on all continents, with the exception of Antarctica
• Represented Canada at 11 world championships and is holder of 20 Ontario Masters records
• Inducted into the Canadian Masters and the Ontario Masters Halls of Fame
• Has walked almost 247,000 kilometres in training and racing, using27 pairs of shoes
• Won her final race in 2014, setting a record in 80-85 age category for one mile
• Participated in almost 600 races and won more than 400 medals

Family and friends are invited to share memories of June-Marie's life at Highland Golf and Country Club (1922 Highland Heights, London) on August 2. Open House 3 - 7 pm, Celebration of Life 5 pm.

Being Pro-Canadian

This is not a trail running entry, but more of a history lesson.

We had the pleasure of being at the lake for the Canada Day Weekend, and took in the local Ipperwash Canada Day Parade.

It was a low key event featuring lawn and garden tractors pulling big Canadian flags, farm tractors with wagons with kids waving flags and singing Oh Canada, old cars decked out in flags, and dozens and dozens of kids, teens and adults walking and waving flags.
It was Canada.

 I recently retired from a great local company who represents a number of American machine builders for the Canadian market.
I was always amazed how little my counterparts at these companies knew diddly squat about Canada in general and absolutely nothing of our politics.

Well my recent read was an amazingly interesting book about Canada and the United States leading up to the American Civil War, during the war years and to the assassination of President Lincoln and years following to our confederation that created Canada.

Yes, I knew bits and pieces about British Canada and its difficult relations with the United States pre-confederation.
(next time you are at the downtown YMCA look across the street to the old Armories building that makes up the ground level of the Delta Armouries Hotel, the date it as built was just before the civil war when Britain felt the Americans were looking to invade Canada and annex it into the union and decided to strengthen garrisons and increase troops.)

The book is
Blood and Daring: How Canada Fought the American Civil War and Forged a Nation.

FYI, in the first year of the civil war when it wasn't going so well for the Northern Union troops, and an anti-Canada American government official in the White House Mr. William H. Seward recommended to President Lincoln that Canada could be easily taken because of our limited militia and small numbers of British troops leading them. The President responded he had no problems with the idea of taking Canada by force but he did not want two battle fronts one with the Confederates to the south and Canada and Britain to the north at that time.

If you are interested in Canadian history, or just want to know exactly why we became a nation of provinces and territories with each having unique qualities, you will find this a great summer read.

See you on the trails.