n COLUMN Posted By AL OLEKSUIK Posted 21 days ago
Spring is like an emotional rollercoaster. one day brings us the promise of things to come with warm temperatures and sunny skies. Everyone is smiling and life is good. the next day is dull and gray, the temperature has plunged and there is ice on your windshield. People are grumpy and less than amused by this turn of events.
It is a lot like that advertisement where the mean banker lets a little kid play with a truck and then snatches it away. we all feel a bit like the little kid on those dark days. well, we’ve been through this before, like every year, and we’ll go through it again. I have a theory that this is one of the things that makes us Canadians such a tolerant people.
We have just passed the spring “equinox” and combined with the daylight savings change many people are a little out of balance. it can take a week or two for some of us to adjust to the time change and the longer days. the equinox is that magical time when the sun is lined up directly with the Earth’s equator. This means the hours of daylight and darkness are pretty much the same. the name “equinox” is a simple combination of two Latin words, aequus (equal) and nox (night).
In many cultures, ours included, this is considered the cosmic turning point from one season to the next. there should be a warning attached to this date though as mother nature may choose to ignore this man-made time table. it should state that, weather conditions may vary, use caution when traveling outdoors and don’t put away your mittens and ice scraper just yet.
The name “Spring” reflects the natural activities that take place at this time of the year. it is a time of rebirth, renewal and the springing forth of plants and new life.
In the southern hemisphere, spring equinox arrives in September. In centrally located areas there is no such season. during a recent visit to Costa Rica, I discovered the seasons were described by the locals in two terms. there is the rainy or wet season and there is the sunny or dry season, that’s it. Most had never seen snow and they had no interest in visiting a place that was cold and snowy. They had no problem understanding why we wanted to visit their country.
There are some fairly obvious signs that the spring season has arrived in Niagara. Those winterized boats are finding themselves out of hibernation and back in the water. there is activity at the local boat launches where some guys are making sure everything is shipshape and others are heading out for some early trout or perch fishing. New boat owners are testing their equipment and chomping at the bit to get out on the water.
The Toronto Sportsmen’s show, which should probably be called the Toronto Sportsperson’s show, has already taken place. If you missed it don’t despair. Local shops like, Erie Tracker Outfitters in Port Colborne, Fishin Niagara in Fort Erie and Peter’s Tackle and Bait in Port Dalhousie have everything you need for an early start. the Niagara Outdoor show is back again this year bigger and better than ever. Organizer bill Whitehead puts this event together and it offers something for everyone. there are dozens of vendors, displays and seminars at this two day show.
Held at the Optimist club on Morrison Street in Niagara Falls on April 3 and April 4, this show has fishing, archery, hunting, paintball and numerous other outdoor activities covered.
What else tells us that spring has arrived in Niagara? there are a few seasonal events unique to the Niagara Region. one is the removal of the ice-boom in Fort Erie. it is going, going and gone. While this isn’t the earliest ever, it is early. I looked at aerial photos of Lake Erie and was able to see most of the ice is already gone and the rest won’t be far behind. we won’t have two weeks of ice flowing down the Niagara River cooling things down this year.
The operators of the Maid of the Mist are well aware of this situation which is why they have already begun launching their boars for another season. That’s number two. the third event is the opening of the gates at the entrance to the Welland river (Chippawa Creek) by Ontario Power Generation. This allows boaters access to the Niagara River.
