In 1978 we made our first camping trip to Canada. We headed into Ontario with our ultimate goal to be Sioux Narrows on the opposite side of Lake of the Woods.
Back then the US Canada border was pretty flexible. Where are you going and what are you going to do when you get there. Camp and relax..some were going fishing.
There were eight of us in June of 1978 on that trip. Far Guys Mom (Evelyn) and Dad (Marvin), Me, Far Guy, Trica (6 years old) Jennifer (almost 3 years old), Far Guys sister Janice and her husband Ronald (the fisherman.)
It was the first time that Far Guy and I and the girls visited Canada.
I was impressed with all the tiny islands on the Lake of the Woods, I wanted one then and I would still like to live on one now.
Far Guys parents were retired and they had a Motor Home. If I recall correctly we also took our vehicle and a tent.
Of course with children we stopped along the way, to let the girls stretch their legs and run off some energy.
Here Grandma Evelyn is the door guard and Jennifer has escaped…but Ronald has Trica under control.
I can hear Grandma say “Eugene get out here right now and watch those kids.” She always called him Eugene with the emphasis on the EU.
I think he may have someone’s “blankie” in his hand. Can’t forget our blankie…it was pink and flannel.
It was cool that June in Canada, we only got a day maybe two of sunshine at the sandy beach at the campground. Then it started to rain. We had a river going through our tent and the little girls got cold so they went into the camper to sleep. We managed a day or two of rain checking out the local gift shop and driving around…but Sioux Narrows is almost nowhere.
I introduced the girls to Canadian licorice pipes at the gift shop. A whole bunch of them in a box with red candy in the bowl of the pipe. Back then they were not wrapped in plastic…you just reached in the box and grabbed as many as you wanted. I think they were 10 or 15 cents each. I long for that kind of licorice.
We headed back home..and it was still cold. We stopped again to let the girls climb rocks.
Now about the “A” or “EH” or “eh”. We vacationed many times over the years in Canada, both in Ontario and in Manitoba wherever we went the locals would end a sentence with “A.” Nice weather “A” Where you from “A” So it has been a custom over the past 35 years that when we talk about Canada or our vacations there we always say remember that time in Canada “A”?
Of course I am sure you all have heard the joke?? When they named CANADA they were all standing around thinking of a name and someone said C and they all shouted A, and some one else shouted N and they all shouted A, and someone else finally shouted D and they all in unison holler A. And that is how CANADA got it’s name…
I mean no disrespect to our good neighbors to the North, it was just something we noticed over the years. Now I would like your input…have you heard “A” or “EH” or “eh” in Canada, and what area were you in?
Funny story about our friends up north.
ReplyDeleteI am glad you have enjoyed your visits to my neck of the woods. It is a beautiful area. I am an "import" to this area having moved here from the Banff Alberta area. Been here since 1979 and Though I love the mountains, I don't think I would move back. As for the eh well I certainly don't know how it started but maybe it has to dowith being bundled up for eight months of the year and having the wind blow your words away there by saying eh? Instead of pardon. Nice blog read it most every day.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog this morning. Your trip sounds like a few of the ones I went on as a child. Don't recall ever hearing any of those words around here.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard for me to realize how long ago 1978 really was, since it doesn't seem that long ago. I lived in Michigan in the 1960s and went to Canada now and then. I didn't notice the "eh" but now that I live near BC and visit Canada on the west coast, I hear it almost every time I visit. Love your stories! :-)
ReplyDeleteFunny! That's my part of the country, and I mentioned to Far Side yesterday that I don't hear it at all. I thought it might be more of an east coast thing.
DeleteNow I feel really conscious of it, and am going to try and see if I notice it in other's speech. I'm pretty sure I don't use it myself:)
DeleteEnjoyed your memories and photos today. I visited Canada briefly with my family in the early 70's.
ReplyDeleteMy mom and John love/loved licorice better than anything!
Greetings From Canada Eh!!!! Great post, loved looking at the older camping pictures......Still one of my favorite treats, black licorice pipes, just bought some on the weekend, yummy. You really don't have them in your neck of the woods? Blessings Francine.
ReplyDeleteHi Francine, Yes we have some 99 cent wrapped up pipes, they are as close as we get to those old pipes from Canada. The texture is different and the flavor was stronger in the Canadian ones. :)
DeleteI recall a "all guys" trip my grandfather, dad and two brothers took to Canada in about 1972-3. We trailer-ed a boat up there and fished from "Camp Tamagami" I still remember that trip (all those years ago) most fondly!
ReplyDeleteWe're about a 15 minute drive to reach the Blue Water Bridges to Canada (Port Huron, MI to Sarnia, Ontario). We used to go over a lot more often when it was easier...not fond of random searches even if we have nothing to hide. Can't just head over there with no real plan anymore as customs wants to know exactly where you're headed and how long you'll be there.
ReplyDeleteI don't notice the "eh" now as much as I did back in the 70s and 80s.
Hmm...now I want to take a little road trip across the bridge. :)
~Laura
Canadian licorice is THE best licorice I have ever eaten!
ReplyDeleteNot knowing about the eh thing, my first encounter made me think they were asking me a question after every sentence. It was hard to know when to answer and when to just listen or smile.
ReplyDeleteWonderful memories.
ReplyDeleteI have never been to Canada. I hear it is beautiful.
Fun trip down memory lane. I've only been to BC so far, loved it there!
ReplyDeleteGood story on how Canada was named. Now the eh thing. I never notice it. so when I go out this afternoon I will listen for it. I noticed another Canadian commented that she doesn't hear eh. Maybe we're so used to it we don't notice it.
ReplyDeleteMostly East coasters use eh ? I was born here in Ontario and never used the phrase eh unless I was joking around lol earliest European settlement in Canada, with the name originating from a First Nations word kanata (or canada) for "settlement", "village", or "land". The name Canada is pronounced /ˈkænədə/ in English, [kanada] in standard French of France, [kanadɑ] in standard Quebec French. In Inuktitut, one of the official languages of the territory of Nunavut, the First Nations word (pronounced [kanata]) is used, with the Inuktitut syllabics
ReplyDeleteThe French colony of Canada, New France, was set up along the Saint Lawrence River and the northern shores of the Great Lakes. Later the area became two British colonies, called Upper Canada and Lower Canada until their union as the British Province of Canada in 1841. Upon Confederation in 1867, the name Canada was officially adopted for the new Dominion, which was commonly referred to as the Dominion of Canada until after World War II. I am glad you enjoy our Canada cause we are happy to have you visit this beautiful land eh ? lol ! lovely old photos . Thanks for sharing . Have a good day !
The only time I've been in Canada was Trek trip from Ely Minnesota (Boundary Waters Canoeing ) The maps told us we portaged into Canada by paddling…
ReplyDeleteMy dearest next door neighbor when we lived in our old house was born and raised in Canada. I heard "A" all the time from. She was also my scrabble buddy.
ReplyDeleteI have never actually gotten to visit Canada, we have driven through it on our way to NY just to take a different route but never actually stopped! The hubby has been there with his family many years ago when they would go mineral collecting. I bet it is hard to believe that the kids are all grown up!
ReplyDeleteTime passes by so quickly. Your precious girls are so grown up now! One of my aunts used to say "eh" often but she was not from Canada - - just upstate NY. Must have been her husband's influence. Our area was a bit of a melting pot.
ReplyDeleteI haven't hear that one about Canada's name before. We're only been in British columbia, and there the accent isn't so pronounced. I think it's more of an eastern thing.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, you have a lot of Canadian readers! Loved the story, and the joke, in fact I just went and told my husband eh, about it eh?
ReplyDeleteI think living here in BC we don't really hear it that much. But we did have a Neufie neighbor and he did say eh after every sentence, eh?
Jen
We have often practiced our Canada-Speak, after some delightful visits to Vancouver and Victoria Island. Perfect trip, Canadian ferry and all, eh?
ReplyDeleteWhat a treasure your blog is to your family. Love the cAnAdA explanation :-D.
ReplyDeleteWhenever I visited up around Duluth and the Canadian border I heard "eh" all the time, but that's been quite a few years ago now. Lots of Finns up that way. And I lived with a Finn for seven years from northern MN who said "eh" enough that I started to pick it up. It certainly is not foreign to my Minnesota ears. Because I now live in Fargo, I think, I use "eh?" on my blog once in a while. And I still do hear, "What do you think, eh?" etc up here sometimes. But you're more likely to hear "You betcha!" In my immediate family (mostly Swedes until the generation after mine) you heard a lot of "yah"s--and I think I am guilty of that more than I think I am. I have been accused of having an accent more than once in my life, yah! I can kind of fall into a bit of scandinavian twang, I guess--LOL! ;) What a lovely vacation--even if it did rain a bit much.
ReplyDeleteLoved reading all the comments. Tried to do a reply under Country Gal's. Wanted to say that Ontario is not the east coast, was thinking more the maritime provinces. Ontario usually considers itself the 'center' of the country LOL!
ReplyDeleteInteresting that Jen also didn't think us BCers didn't use eh much, and yet a couple of American visitors thought we did. I have thought of someone I know a little bit that I think uses it quite a bit. I'll have to really listen to him next time I see him.