6/30 Midland Ontario and Murals

We are in Midland Ontario in the town harbor.  The weather is spectacular again.  We have decided to stay here for Canada Day tomorrow.  The parade will start here at the marina.  I got this picture of John this morning.  Notice he was trying to stay in the channel.

The view off the back of the boat looking across the harbor was so peaceful.

Midland was created as a town for the terminus of the Midland Railway in 1879.  Lumbering played heavily in the town's growth as did grain.  Many years earlier the Jesuits met with the Hurons in efforts to bring Christianity to them.  The Archer Daniel Midland grain silos welcome you to Midland Harbour with a HUGE mural depicting a Huron Native and Jesuit Priest with the land as it would have looked like then.

The town has over 25 murals.  I haven't seen them all yet. Most were done by Fred Lenz beginning in  1991.  He began the mural above in 1999.  He died in 2001.  His son and some others completed this for him.   The art is amazing.  Many artists have participated.  Most depict the history of Midland.

First Mural of the Midland Railway Corp which opened in 1879

Last panel of the Railway Corp mural

Runners of the Woods-Fur traders with the Hurons

Horse drinking from trough

Brebeuf Lighthouse-Note the window at the top incorporates the window on the building

Playfair Lumber Mill

James Playfair owned lumberyards, Great Lakes Shipping and the general store

Sailor and H.M. Schooner Bee sailed Georgian Bay beginning in 1831.

S.S. Lemoyne build in 1926-the largest bulk carrier on the Great Lakes until 1950.

Tribute to Girl Guides of Canada

So I didn't see them all today but will keep looking for the rest.  We did see this old boat in the harbor parking lot.

 John went to the barber and I had an appointment to get my hair done just up the street from the marina.  I made one trip to the grocery store.  They were cooking samples in store made specialty sausages.  They had some butter tart sausages, which are very good.  So I had to buy some.  Butter tarts are some of the best things about Canada!!!